Survival...

Not only did we survive today, we did pretty great. Thanks to a wonderful night's sleep last night. (2 good chunks from Munchkin. 3 1/2 hours and then 4.) The older 2 didn't nap, which I could've avoided if I had been more careful. But it worked out since we had some good friends stopping by on their way to visit family and had they napped, they might've missed some of the visit.

Thanks to all who have been sending me encouraging thoughts. I've been reciting them to myself constantly today, and it helped a ton!

My favorite moment today was when I was coming out of my room after having put Munchkin to sleep. I heard the older 2 fighting. I walked into the living room and stopped all fights with a quick, "Hey!" But I didn't want things to escalate or turn into a crying match. So I sat on the couch and had both kiddos come sit with me for some cuddle time. We talked nicely (in nice tones) about what happened and both kids apologized. Then they went back to their activities. It was awesome. It was one of those moments that made me feel like a really good parent for handling a situation the way I did.

Tomorrow will be my first day with all 3 in the car. Just to drive Moose to preschool and pick him up. Nonetheless. Wish us luck. :)

Vacation Over...

It's officially over. The hubs goes back to work tomorrow. Send me happy thoughts tomorrow. Better yet, send Monkey "don't wake up at 5:30" thoughts. :)

Test Run: FAIL...

Today we were going to have a test run of what it will be like when the hubs goes back to work. Let's just say it didn't go well. Munchkin has had some congestion lately and it disturbs her nighttime sleeping. I fed her (a "dream feed", she was asleep the whole time) at 10 and then we went to bed. She nursed at 12:15, 1:45, 2:15, 4:15 and 6:30. Some of those earlier times only included nursing on one side, which is probably why she was up again so soon afterwards. But either way, she was congested and we could tell it bothered her a bit. She slept a small bit with the hubs too. Oh, then the kiddos came into our room at 5:55. Yeah. Moose went back to bed, but Monkey is still just too young to grasp that idea. So she laid in bed with us for 30 minutes.

So what was supposed to happen was this. The hubs was going to get up early and leave the house between 6 and 6:30. Then I was going to try the morning out on my own. I ended up "sleeping in" with Munchkin til 8-ish and then the hubs napped from like 10-12 or so. (He still has a small cold too.) Looking past what an undesirable night it was, the day went well.

Munchkin's sad bum rash is almost healed. Hooray!

The hubs goes back to work on Monday. Boo!

I'm sure we'll manage. I wish Monkey would sleep in til at least 6:30, if not 6:45. That would be awesome. But I know I can handle all 3 on my own. I just know I would be freaked out to try and go anywhere with them on my own. But I'll have to end up trying if I want to take Moose to preschool on Tuesday. It'll be such a short drive to and from though, I'm sure we'll all survive.

Tomorrow's Saturday. Easter egg hunt with Grandma and one more relaxing day with the hubs and kiddos before life returns to "work-mode".

Emotions...

This evening, Moose and Monkey were watching movies. Moose was watching the second half of Ice Age 2 on the computer. He watched the first half yesterday. I tried cajoling Monkey into watching the first Ice Age. (She's so not into traditional movies.) She was only occasionally interested in it because of the baby, which is why I picked it. Moose's finished first, since he was only watching a portion. So he came and sat with us to watch the end of Ice Age. Right at the end, he started to get sad and teary eyed. I asked him why he was sad and he started to cry. (Fortunately the hubs was on the ball and had sat down with him for some comforting.) He said that Diego was still dead and that made him really sad. I told him it would be okay because Diego wasn't dead. It still didn't make him feel better until he saw Diego on the screen. What a sweet, sensitive boy! He's seen that movie a dozen times, although it has been a while. I almost find it funnier that he didn't grasp the concept that Diego was in the second movie (which he had just watched) so he must be okay in the first one. Guess that logic's a bit too advanced.

P.S. I hate baby congestion, hiccups and gas.

The Big 365!

I've officially made it through a year's worth of blogging! Yay for me! Although it ultimately took me longer than a year, I'm still proud of myself. It really is hard to believe I've been writing this blog so long. But for those of you who get a kick out of my parental rants and stories, fear not. I'm not going to stop writing. I may not write every night, but I do think I'm going to continue sharing my stories of Moose, Monkey, and Munchkin.

Today Munchkin had her 2 week appointment. She weighed 9 lbs. 2 oz. and was somewhere between 22-22 1/4 in. long. (I find most of their measurements for infants very unreliable, no matter what method they use.) She's wonderful and healthy and just amazing. :) We did get a better diaper rash remedy. The poor thing has had a diaper rash for a while (She's only 2 weeks old. I can't believe she already got a diaper rash. We change her like every 2-3 hours!) and it was getting pretty nasty the last 2 days. So now we're putting neosporin and triple paste on her. We're hoping it will work quickly (like the doc said it would) and get our cutie's patootie feeling better soon.

We got the kiddos down somewhat earlier today (since Monkey wakes the house up at 6:30 no matter what time they go to bed) in the hopes that they'll fall asleep earlier and give us more "us" time. (Even if "us" includes Munchkin.) We'll see if it works!

Happy Birthday Monkey!

Today is Monkey's 2nd birthday. It's hard to believe it's gone so fast. We had a little party this evening with the in-laws. Dinner, cake, ice cream and presents. She has her very first tricycle and helmet. (Even a bell) She's very excited about it. Moose got her a present too. A battery powered bubble gun. That one is a big hit! She also ended up with fridge magnets that are letters and you put them on the base and it'll tell you what letter it is, and sing the alphabet song. Also a hit. I think it was just right for a little 2 year old. We wanted to do something outdoors yesterday, a little park playdate. She loves parks. But, needless to say, the weather was awful. Apparently Spring doesn't want to exist here. So it's just not happening. I'm beyond frustrated with it at the moment. But I appease myself by saying that perhaps it'll be nice in 4 weeks when I'm allowed to exercise. Perhaps.

Well, I'm gonna go help the hubs clean up from the party. Oh, and I'm starting Munchkin on a new daily routine. It includes doing "cluster feeds" in the evening (doing her last few feedings at night closer together) in the hopes that she'll have a longer stretch at night. We'll see!

Happy Birthday Monkey! We love you! (Despite my last post about how absolutely frustrating you are.)
:)

Grrr...

Tonight was frustrating. Monkey is totally wearing me out. "No" to everything, and no longer letting us shut the door at bedtime. Me and the hubs had a long talk and we're going to do our best to stay focused on what's important and not let the little things drag us down. With so many changes going on, it's hard to find solid ground. and with Monkey being 2 and changing so much, that only adds to the chaos. But we'll manage. The hubs has a cold (boo!) so we're headed to bed early in the hopes that he can get better asap. Tomorrow will be semi-relaxing since the hubs will be taking the kiddos to church and me and Munchkin will be at home for a few quiet hours alone. Hopefully that will be enough for me to feel rejuvenated.

I would've posted something about yesterday but it would take too much mental energy right now to remember any of it. I do remember we (finally) gave Munchkin her first bath at home. Took long enough, I know. Now her hair smells like Aveeno. Delicious.

Pooped On and Other Parenting Lessons...

Yup. This morning I was pooped on. I can't say for certain it was the first time. I don't doubt it's happened before. It's not something you remember unless it was extremely memorable. (The hubs has one of those stories. In the end he was in the shower half-dressed, at 4 am, to rinse off what Moose did to him.) But as I was changing Munchkin on the couch, I totally got pooped on. The things about newborns and their pooping is, it almost always comes out in bursts of gas. So not only is she pooping, but it's coming out with big toots, which will literally propel the stuff around. So it got on the couch, my lap, down my leg, and on the floor. Thankfully I was able to spot clean the couch's slipcover instead of having to wash it. Again. (She peed on it sometime last week.) Oh, and after the pooping, she went on to pee. Fortunately, by that time I had so many wipes thrown all over, it didn't get on anything crucial.

The highlight of my day today was when all 3 kids and the hubs were napping. And took really long naps at that. I sat on the couch with a sleeping Munchkin next to me and read my book. (I started it right after she was born and have been reading it while she nurses.

So the other parenting lesson I've been learning is that it's just better to do it right the first time. When Munchkin woke up last night at 11:30, it was earlier than I thought it would be and I wasn't thrilled. So I nursed her on one side. She was totally asleep, as usual, but I didn't want to change her diaper to wake her for more nursing. So I just put her back to bed. But when she only nurses on one side, she won't sleep as long, so she was up within 2 hours. So I nursed her on the other side. But again, didn't want to go through the hassle of a diaper change to rouse her enough to nurse more. So I perpetuated a bad thing. I ended up being up around 4 times before I got a solid feed in her. We ended up having to change her at 4:30 because she had leaked out of her diaper, which gave me the chance to nurse her on both sides. She then proceeded to sleep til 7:45. Then I fed her again, gave her to the hubs and I slept til 10:45.

Monkey is turning 2 on Sunday. And yes, her "terrible twos" have begun. Like saying "no" to everything, multiple times. We're going to try helping her say "yes mama/papa". Half the time she's saying "no", but she doesn't even mean it. The hubs said to me tonight that sometimes it feels like we're dealing with a force of nature. I couldn't agree more. She's very different from Moose. He's a rational kid. I was able to talk to him out of fits and reason with him. Not Monkey. We're just going to have to find other methods that suit her better. I'm sure we will. With time.

So Monday will be my 365th post, if I don't miss any days before then. I've had a few friends tell me how much they enjoy my parenting blogs. I think I will possibly keep them up. But perhaps in a less regular fashion. I still really want a new project to sink my bones into. Parenting is a day to day thing no matter what, but I'm looking for something to do that's for me. We'll see if the new blog is ready to debut soon. Should be interesting. :)

Ultimatums...

The last two days, Monkey has been having some serious issues going down to sleep. Nap or bedtime. It's been so annoying! She just starts freaking out when it comes time to close the door. Last night, after the hubs came home and calmed her down, she ended up falling asleep with the door open. So fast forward to tonight. I'm singing them songs (the hubs is taking care of Munchkin.) and start closing the door. She starts doing her freak-out thing. At this point, I had had it. So I go and tell her that if she insists on screaming and crying, I am going to take her paci away. We let her keep it this long because it keeps her happy. If she's not going to be happy with it, it's going in the trash. We recently got a book from the library called "Pacifiers are not forever" and it talks about putting them in the trash. (To which she'd always say "no".) So Monkey understood exactly what I was talking about. After a short discussion, I was able to close the door without the screaming and other antics. Yay for that! I'm so glad she's getting old enough to understand certain things. I'll be glad when things around here calm down (as far as transitions with Munchkin are concerned), hopefully her molars will make their debut soon, and the paci can be gone permanently. Soon.

I'm getting my new blog project ready. I know I'm going to be working on health and nutrition (getting back in shape since Munchkin was born), so that will most definitely be a part of what I blog about. But that's more a lifestyle change than anything else. I'm making a list of potential projects I want to work on, and am going to be putting it to a vote. I want to know what projects people would be interested in reading about. I don't know which one I want to do, so I'm opening the decision making to what few readers I have. :) I'm almost to my 365th blog entry, so prepare yourselves to help me start my next writing endeavor!

Good, Until...

For the most part, today was a great day. Munchkin has been taking great naps in her bassinet. So I was able to do odds and ends around the house all morning and afternoon, leaving me feeling very productive. It was great. I also went for a walk (and ran into my mother-in-law walking too!) and that felt good. The hubs went to a school board meeting this evening, so I was hesitant how things would go. I think that was my first time alone with all 3. (While they were awake anyway.) Everything went really smoothly until it was time to close the door to the kid's room. For some reason, Monkey threw an absolute fit. She's currently screaming at high volumes at the hubs who just walked in. (Fortunately, she's also calming down for him. Versus requesting me.) If it wasn't one thing it was another. I actually had her quiet for around 10 minutes, but then it started all over again. Not horrible for my first time alone with all 3. Perhaps next time won't involve any prolonged periods of screaming. :)  Oh, and I'm pretty sure Moose fell asleep with her screaming inside their room, door closed. He didn't get a nap today (thanks to Monkey) so I guess he was pretty darn tired. He's like me. I slept through earthquakes when I was a kid. He sleeps through screaming fits from his sister. :)

I'm prepping my next blog project. For the moment it looks like it might be a conglomeration project, containing whatever goals, projects, etc. I might be working on. I haven't had a ton of feedback (but from my mom, who of course wants to hear about the kids) about what anyone would be interested in reading about, so anyone who chooses to read will just be stuck with what I put out. We'll see. I'm sure it'll change as time goes on. But it's fun thinking about something new.

Finding Balance...

Last night was a semi-rough night for me, which probably started my day off on a different foot. I was lost in my mind a bit throughout most of the day. I'm starting to feel more able to do things, to help out. But I'm trying to find the balance. I know I can't do everything. Especially after a night like last night. (I still slept in as long as possible, which was 8:30. With her wake-ups and nursing all along the way, of course.) I just know that I don't want to push myself too fast. It's hardly been over a week. Although my mind feels ready, and I know my body is healing really quickly, I would hate to over-do it and end up stressed out or exhausted or crabby or anything else in that ball park. The hubs has been pulling so much weight around the house, I have a hard time not feeling like I should do more. (He never asks me to, or pressures me. He's been absolutely fabulous.) This is the first time he's taken work off when we've had a baby, so I'm sure it's just a bit of an adjustment having him around this much and pitching in so much. But I've still got a little less than 2 weeks to continue adjusting, finding that balance. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. Munchkin is, for the most part, a really easy baby. That has helped a ton too. She's not super demanding. She has really great awake periods where we can put her in a baby chair, or lay her somewhere and she'll just chill out. She doesn't always have to be held when she's asleep either. I'm starting to plop her in my sling more often for awake or sleep times when she wants to be held. That will be a way for me to keep taking care of her but be available to help out. I know I'll get there. The kiddos are still doing pretty good. They adore their baby sister and that's enough for me.

As me and the hubs were studying the New Testament tonight, and said a prayer together, I remembered a scripture which has brought me so much peace through different times in my life. If I think of this more often, I think it'll help me find the balance I'm looking for. It's in 2 Timothy 1:7:

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

On a lighter note, tonight as the hubs was reading a book to Moose (The Magic Tree House #8) he wasn't sure if Moose was listening or not. In the book, there was a loud "crack" sound. When he read that part, he slammed the book shut. Instead of responding with, "Why'd you close the book Papa?", which is what the hubs thought he would say, Moose started crying. He had been completely scared. It was so sad. Fortunately, he calmed down quickly. But the hubs learned his lesson! Never assume that Moose isn't listening. (Although I'm sure he would've been startled and cried even if he wasn't listening!)

Who Needs Pajamas...

This has happened a few nights now, but I kept forgetting to mention anything. Every night, we try to check on the kiddos before we go to bed. Just to make sure no one's fallen out of bed, the temperature is comfy, that sort of thing. So far Moose has been the one to surprise us, with bloody noses and that sort of thing. But the last 3 nights, Monkey has had her own surprises. When I've gone in to check on the kids, I've found her with her pajamas unzipped (she's wearing big one piecers with a zipper down the front.) and any combination of her limbs sticking out. Last night was the most undressing she'd done, with her jammies unzipped and both legs hanging out. How she managed to do that with her arms still in, I don't know. It's pretty hard to do. I also managed to put both of her legs back in and zip her back up without her waking up. Who knows what we'll find when we check on her tonight. :)

Munchkin is doing fine. Another great night for her. Despite Monkey's waking up at 6 am this morning. I went on my first walk this afternoon. If it hadn't been insanely windy, it would've been pretty nice. But since it was crazy windy, I didn't stay out and walk as long as I had planned. Ultimately, it was good the weather turned me around early because my body did get a bit tired. I was only walking, but as I told the hubs, my "birthing parts" got a tad tired. But hopefully I'll be able to do this more regularly (especially with the hubs on vacation) and get my parts feeling a bit stronger.

One Week...

Munchkin is officially one week old. It's amazing how much has happened in that one week. We're already feeling more settled back into our normal routines. Monkey seems to be doing much better. She hasn't had night terrors since before Munchkin was born, thank goodness. Moose is doing better too, now that the hubs has picked up the slack with his daily activities since I'm not able to be as much of an active participant. We're taking things one step at a time, keeping on top of what's most important. Which for us is keeping the kids feeling safe and loved, and eating decent meals.

I'm amazed at how much faster my body is rebounding with this pregnancy. It seems to be happening much faster than it did last time. The only thing I can think of to account for that is that I was in much better shape when I got pregnant, and presumably did a pretty decent job of maintaining that during the pregnancy. Granted, I wasn't working out during the pregnancy, but didn't let myself "let go" either. I'm very excited for my 6 weeks to be up so I can begin a more vigorous exercise routine. For now I'm going to try and steal time to go walking during the day. I would've started today, but the hubs needed some time to go in to work and plan his lesson plans for his classes next week. (To give to the sub. He's still on "vacation".)

So nothing startling to reveal. I've still managed to get a lot of reading done. Mostly because I spend a lot of time sitting and nursing the Munchkin. It's kinda nice. Well, I'm off to enjoy an evening with the hubs. :)

Day One...

Today was our first day of handling the kiddos on our own. It went surprisingly well. The hubs got up with the kiddos and me and Munchkin slept in a little longer. Her night went alright. She's still not feeling the sleep-in-a-bassinet vibe. But she'll get there. The hubs and I talked about what the kiddos daily routines are like so we can try and have things feel as normal as possible. That seemed to help Moose a ton. Monkey is still a bit out of sorts. She's snacking more (our fault) and not eating lunch. But we nipped snacks in the bud after her non-lunch and consequently she ate dinner like a champ. (She still ate her cold lunch after she woke up from her nap, but still kept begging for snacks. We didn't cave and she ended up eating a great dinner of white chicken chili and cornbread, courtesy of the hubs.)

It's hard to believe that one week of the hub's vacation is about gone. 2 more to go. As long as things continue (on average, anyway) to move as smoothly and progress the way they have been I think I'll be able to handle things alright by the time he goes back to work. Munchkin isn't taking as long to nurse as she had been. It's still uncomfortable, but getting significantly better. I'll just be glad when my milk supply regulates and I don't have to deal with the sensation of my milk letting down randomly throughout the day. The kiddos are still handling Munchkin's presence really well. Monkey's been a tad bit clingy with the hubs. I heard her say a few times today, "Carry me." to the hubs. I've never heard her say that before. (Our kiddos tend to be such a good size, we quite carrying them as soon as they can walk.) But all in all, I'd say our one week transition from 2 kiddos to 3 has been pretty amazing. I know we'll still have rough days, but in general I hope that we continue an upward track to re-establishing our family structure with our new little one.

I've almost reached my year mark for this blog. Because I missed days, I'm going to blog a complete 365 entries, even though I've technically reached my year mark already. (A while ago, I think. Hard to believe.) About 9 more or so. I'm considering starting something else, but on a different topic. My ideas vary a lot and I don't have any set topic yet. Any suggestions on something you'd enjoy reading about?

Best Diet Ever...

I had a one week check-up today with my doctor. I was most excited about stepping on the scale to see what kind of damage I had done delivering the baby and whatnot. The exciting number was 15. I lost half the weight I gained during my pregnancy. No complaints there! I'm sure the second half won't fall off nearly as quickly as the first did, but I'm prepared to work harder for it. I can't do any major exercising yet, but I'm going to start walking regularly (hopefully) and keeping an eye on my food intake. Near the end of the pregnancy, I wasn't too fond of some vegetables and when I'm pregnant I never feel the need to force myself to eat anything. But now that I'm not, veggies are back on the menu.

My mom flew out today. We were all super sad to see her go. It was such a great time having her around, and it was amazing how quickly the time went. Fortunately, we can look forward to June when my side of the family has a reunion and we'll see her again for a short while.

So now me and the hubs are on our own. We're trying to prep ourselves to handle everything, but are prepared to be flexible. We want to try and plan ahead as much as we can, where it will make a difference. Like meal planning and whatnot. We're going to try and keep the kiddo's days as normal as possible, even though the hubs is home and not working. That way, when he does go back to work, hopefully the transition won't be as difficult. But in the end, you can only prepare so much. You just have to jump in and see what happens. We'll go with the flow as best we can. Munchkin is doing really well. Now that my milk is in, she's eating well and it seems like she is sleeping deeper too. There's nothing better than a milk-drunk baby. :) I'm hoping her nights stay as reasonable as they have been, and that way we won't be too tired, and I'll only require a small nap, or extra chunk of sleep after the hubs gets up.

Stage 2 is about to begin. Me and the hubs vs. 3 kiddos. Wish us luck!

Things You Hear...

There are many a new phrase being heard in our house. Here are the most repeated:

Everytime the baby cries Monkey says, "Baby sad!" or "Help baby!"

Whenever Monkey comes home or wakes up she says, "Hello baby!"

Moose said he "just can't believe his eyes." (Regarding Munchkin being here.) He said it first at the hospital, then again tonight at dinner.

For a day or so there was rejoicing sounds everytime Munchkin made pooping sounds.

We've realized that Monkey has no volume control and does not know how to whisper on demand.

"Mama can't. She's feeding the baby." is becoming a popular one.

I'm sure we'll have other ones that get more popular too. It's just fun to hear the change in vocab around the house. Munchkin had a pretty good night last night, only waking up to eat twice and having a much anticipated poopy diaper. It was also nice because her night started at 11, so it felt close to normal. I think my skin is toughening a bit and the breastfeeding isn't hurting quite as bad. Sometimes I still have to let out a very unattractive grunting/mumbling sound just because. But I don't want the kids to think it hurts or they might be weirded out by the breastfeeding, or not like that it hurts me. Monkey has warmed up to Munchkin significantly and loves to "see baby" and now gives her kisses and asks to hold her. (We asked her to kiss her at the hospital and that wasn't going to happen.)

My mom leaves tomorrow evening. :(  We are really going to miss having her around. But she has another delivery to prep for back home. (My sis is having hers April 21st or so.) Monkey has really gotten attached to her, so I think she'll be sad when she leaves. Moose will be sad for sure. But we're going to be having a family reunion in June, so we'll see her again soon enough.

At least I still have the hubs for 2 more weeks after my mom leaves. I'm certainly not ready to fly solo around the house just yet.

No Pain No Gain...

My milk came in today, and I might be more sensitive than others, I don't know, but I am hurting pretty bad. I remember this phase after I had Monkey too, but oh man that doesn't make it feel any better. I don't recall how long it took before it started feeling better, but I know it took time. I'm just really hoping to get established and for my skin to grow an extra (tougher) layer. But with every time I feed her, I know we're getting closer and gaining something. So I persist. I tell myself it won't last forever, which it won't. I just hope that it resolves sooner rather than later.

So I thought I'd put an abbreviated version of Munchkin's birth story on here. Again, with the pain came the gain. If you've been reading, you know most of it since I posted that night. Anyhow, after I posted and the kiddos were in bed, the contractions continued to get stronger, and I was doing controlled breathing during each one, letting the hubs or my mom rub my back kneeling on the floor leaning on something. Around 9:20 I decided we needed to gear up to go and if they sent me home, so be it. It was 10 before we left and my contractions were 4-5 minutes apart and pretty intense. I was so freaked out that I was going to have contractions in the car and knew it would hurt being in that sitting position. But as fortune would have it, I didn't have a single one. I had one right before I got in, and right as the hubs parked the car another one started. I was able to get out and endure it standing. At the end of that contraction, my water broke. Just a trickle, but nonetheless. We got in and a nurse checked me. She said I was dilated to 8. I was so excited!! Never thought I'd hear that! I asked for my intrathecal and they moved me into a delivery room asap. (None were available when we first walked in.) So they got me set up asap and I got my intrathecal. After that, my doc came in and checked me. She decided I was more of a 6-7. That was a slight bummer, but I honestly didn't care since I was medicated. My mom and mother-in-law came and we hung out for a while. After about an hour and a half my back pain started to come back. Just not as strong. (This would be about 12:30 am.) They checked me and I was about a 9. So I rolled over and kept breathing through the contractions with the hubs rubbing my back. They came in at 1:00 and I was ready to start pushing. I pushed once and her head slid all the way down. (It was such a weird feeling.) Then I waited and relaxed until the next contraction. Once it hit, I started pushing and it was the most intense and painful experience I've ever had. We're pretty sure my intrathecal wore off, so I was doing it natural at this point. (At least mostly worn off. No way to know for sure.) I was not prepared for that sensation, since my intrathecal with Monkey was completely in effect when I was pushing for her delivery. There was no way I was going to stop pushing. The doctor told me to do whatever was natural, and stopping was not natural. So I basically kept pushing non-stop until she came out. I also ended up screaming (which I had not done during labor before), getting a pretty nice dry, scratchy throat. Munchkin was born at 1:08. So from the first push, long pause, to the second long push was only 8 minutes. Her head was pretty darn round since she came out so fast. I remember when she came out completely having this immense feeling of relief, literally feeling a weight being lifted from me. (Which I suppose happened, quite literally.) The doctor asked me if I wanted to push to get the placenta and whatnot out faster, and I couldn't even do it. I was so spent. It was such a crazy and unexpectedly painful experience, but it was still remarkable and I'm happy with how it turned out. She wasn't born on April Fool's day and I didn't have to have a c-section.

Munchkin is doing awesome. The kiddos adore her. Everytime Monkey sees her, she says, "Hello baby!" as though she's surprised she's here each time. It's so cute. I'm hoping she sleeps better tonight now that my milk is in. She's certainly been napping well and falling asleep really easily and peacefully all afternoon. So glad Munchkin joined our family. It's only been a few days, but what a joy she is!

Poop Nazi...

The hubs called me that this evening. (Jokingly.) It was so funny I had to use it as my post title tonight. Otherwise, it would've been something about time marching on. Our lives have not slowed down one bit since we had Munchkin. If anything, they're speeding up a bit. But we've been trying our best to give the kiddos a lot of love, attention and patience to help them deal with all of the many transitions they're dealing with. But they've still been pretty needy and whiny at times. Not all the time, but they have their moments. Tonight was filled with a few of those. Some of it is just bad timing. The terrible twos wait for no man. So we're dealing with Monkey's "No!" issue, as well as a few other things. Moose is being a bit whiny, but we're jumping back into preschool group tomorrow, and hoping that will bring some familiarity and normality back into his daily schedules.

Munchkin is having some issues with poop. She's not handled her business since Sunday morning. If she doesn't by tomorrow we're supposed to take her into the hospital's clinic. But we've been there twice already since leaving. Sunday morning, and today. I really don't want to go back in. So I've been nursing her more frequently to help her pipes get moving, but so far no luck. But let me tell you, the girl has been tooting a storm. And what a smelly storm that is. Eww.

We did have a good night with her last night though. Two big chunks of sleep, from 1:30 to 7:30, with a short pause around 5 o'clock. It was great. I didn't even nap today because I didn't think I needed it, and knew I would be able to fall asleep faster tonight if I didn't.

Munchkin has the hiccups. I've had way too many discussions today involving bowel movements and other bodily fluids. Moose said Munchkin looks like Grandpa because she doesn't have a lot of hair. Everytime I nurse, Monkey says something about "no biting". I feel like I'm about to start counting down til my mom leaves, and it makes me sad. But I still have the hubs for 3 weeks after that, so I know we'll survive.

Here's hoping we have a good night. With a poopy diaper. (Oh, the pathetic desires of parents.)

We're Here...

With our brand-new baby, no less. :) Our sweet Munchkin was born April 2, at 1:08 am. She was 8 lb 1 oz and 21.75 in. She has infamous big lips, long feet and fingers. We came home asap to be with our other kiddos and begin adjusting. She's an absolute joy and the kiddos are enjoying her very much. My mom has been hugely instrumental to this working out. The hubs has been working overtime helping the big kids adjust and manage. We're so glad to be home and beginning the next phase of our family.

Stay tuned soon for the birth story details. There were quite a few firsts for me, but it was amazing and I'm grateful it went the way it did. I'm recovering super well and am enjoying the newest addition to our family. :)

Still Here...

Today has been slightly different. I'm still having regular contractions, but now they have back labor included too. So not fun. They've been irregular all day. They started around 5 this morning. They've been anywhere from 15 minutes apart to 6 minutes apart. Occasionally I'll have a cluster that's closer together, but they're never as strong, nor do they last as long. I think (gross alert!) I might've lost some of the mucus plug. I don't think that's happened to me before. So that's progress. I've also (gross alert again!) had to deal with bowel movements all day long. It has been highly unusual. But we figure it's all the pressure that's being put down south. I'm sure it's one of those natural things that happens. Just hasn't happened to me before. Although I've never deal with contractions for 5 days straight either. We also think that she dropped a bit. I didn't notice it right off, but my mom mentioned it. So I looked at my profile a bit closer and she does look like she's a little less perky. But I still don't have that "dropped" feeling. It's been a tiny bit frustrating, not knowing what on earth is going on, or how long it will go on. My biggest concern has been whether or not I'll be able to sleep tonight if I didn't go into the hospital by then. (Which I doubt will happen.) As long as I can rest at night, I don't mind the constant contractions and whatnot I've been dealing with. I just want to have energy for when delivery comes. But I'm still feeling patient about waiting til the time is right. *pause for contraction* The hubs is such an amazing labor partner for me. He knows just how to keep me calm. I feel completely ready for the process of labor and delivery. Whenever it decides to really get rolling.

I'm really done talking about this all though. It's all we talk about most of the day, for obvious reasons. But I'm going to go veg out infront of some good shows on tv and eat ice cream now, while having my back massaged. Monkey is doing fantastic now. She did have a night terror last night, but kinda snapped out of it at one point and sat on the couch with us. It was kinda different and odd. But it's happened 3 nights straight. I'm hoping tonight is a no-night terror night. We'll see. Otherwise though, she seems to be back to her normal, very sweet self. It's wonderful. :)

So perhaps tomorrow will be the lucky day? We'll have to wait and see.