birthday marathon.... go!

last night started our family off on our annual birthday marathon.  it spans about a little over two weeks in length and includes 7 people.  it's gotten so bad that we've actually tried to plan the birth of future babies around this time year.  we just couldn't handle it if we had to include one more family member.  the dates are as follows:

February 10th

February 20th

February 24th

February 26th

March 2nd

March 6th

what i left out was valentine's day.  which fits nicely. needless to say it's overwhelming.  but we manage to survive and all of those involved get their moment to celebrate.

well we better 'cause my birthday's in their too!

my memory of "must-go's" plus a few thoughts

growing up, my dad used to call leftovers "must-go's".  hence the title of this blog post today.  i can't believe how much of a slacker i have been over these last few months.  even after i vowed to start blogging again, i dropped the ball.  anyway, it may have something to do with my lack of energy, very little patience, husband's new work schedule (which has required him to put in 12 hour days), oh and my third pregnancy (i am now 5 months along).  i have had my hands full and my life stretched in too many ways to count. which, in turn, should give me lots to talk about, right? well it has, and even though they are old accounts by now...  here's a list of my most memorable card catalogue of "must-go's":

1.  christmas came and went.  it was nice being home for a change.  my parent's came out to spend it with us and the kids were thrilled about that.  we told my folks about the pregnancy within days of them being here.  it was a sweet moment and we were happy to be able to include them in a personal way.  

2.  my husband and i celebrated our 12th anniversary on december 28th.  a night away from the kids and dinner at one of the finest steakhouses in town, marked the occasion.  it's a weird date to celebrate because it falls right between christmas and new years, and most years we are with family.  for those of you who don't know our story, that wasn't the original wedding date.  in fact we've had two others.  one in april and one in september of the same year.  the first one we postponed due to wanting to wait until after our college graduation, and then second, well that one my husband is to blame for calling our wedding off 10 days before the date.  so after lots of tears and a cross country move back to the east coast... three months later we eloped in reno nevada on december 28th.  obviously... we worked out our issues.

3.  my daughter is now virtually eczema-free!!!! after going through a second phase of allergy testing, we were made aware of her allergy to eggs (which was significant).  so after a long, stressful battle with her skin, due to the absence of eggs in her diet, we started noticing a huge difference in her right away.  it's been over two months now, and she has no problems and her scars are healing up nicely.  a miracle.

4.  in lieu of her skin, my daughter is now fully potty-trained! i kept putting it off because i couldn't let her run around without her pants.  she would have tore into her legs and ankles too much.  i was in a bind with it.  but, as soon as her skin turned around, i jumped at the chance to get her out of diapers.  in about a week, she was officially a "big girl". 

5.  some recent things my son has said to me lately have been: "mom, it's so good to have a momma in the family!"; "mom, that kiss on the cheek needs to go down into your belly for the baby." 

6.  speaking of my son, the biggest news with him is that he accepted Jesus into his heart!  we've talked about Jesus lots over this last year.  he's had questions about God and Jesus and heaven. after lessons he learned about in church things were on his mind more and more. so one morning he came into my bathroom.  i was getting a quick bath, trying to ready myself before taking the kids to swimming.  he started asking questions again and saying that he talked to Jesus last night.  I asked him a few probing questions to see just where he was with the topic, and it lead to me leading him in a prayer to ask Jesus into his heart.  it was sooo sweet.  he went around the rest of the week telling everyone.  

7.  my husband has been working an ungodly amount of hours lately, in an effort to re-position us financially.  three years ago, my husband's employer started having problems paying us and instead of getting paid every two weeks, it went to once a month, and then once every 6 to 8 weeks.  his commissions started falling behind as well as reimbursement for health care coverage and expenses.  for the past two years, they have jumped between owing us $60-$80,ooo.  it's been very hard to make ends meet when someone else is holding on to your income source.  that was a big reason why he become an IBO for Jus International.  now he's been offered an opportunity to contract with them and head up business development and marketing.  it's an answer to prayer for us and with a steady income and hard work, we will be back where we were three years ago... in as little as a year.  

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on a more personal note, i need to vent.  so here goes. most days i have no energy, i'm stressed, i'm overwhelmed, i struggle with keeping up on my chores, just to name a few.  i know that i am blessed, but that perspective takes intention; something i don't seem to have much of.  i survive most days.  every once in a while, i feel the thrill of "thriving".  i wish i felt that more.  it's where i am in life.  i have a son who is about to turn 5, a daughter who is two and one on the way.  i'm right at the point in life where it's hard to keep the floor clean, the laundry caught up, and my hair brushed.  and if by chance, i do the above, then it's on those days where my children challenge me the most.  i feel like i am disciplining all day and getting no where.  i am "that" mom who is walking her children into the bathroom or out of the store, them screaming and kicking,  me privately trying to get the situation under control.   make no mistake, there's nothing private about it.

i would love a stretch of time with them where i can be the happy-skipping-laughing-carefree-every day is a memory-mom.  just one stretch.  today was especially hard.  i spent time in the tub crying because i could see what the day was going to require of me.  i have to remind myself to enjoy these years, but i still can't seem to break out of  "surviving" them.  if you ask me it's an oxymoron anyway.  the only ones enjoying them are the ones who are already through "it". i'm realizing that hindsight has a silent step-sister.  one who goes by the name of "amnesia". 

.......................

life is good, but life is hard. somewhere right in the middle of that statement is where you can find me.

news

i just wanted to let you all know that we are expecting our third baby.  i am currently three months pregnant and the little one will come in july of 2009.  it was fun to tell my folks over a nice dinner out where the waiter said, "compliments of the chef" and then served us beautiful cupcakes adorned with pink and blue booties that i ordered and had delivered on location. they were visiting from the east coast for christmas which is why we kept our secret till now.  sooo, here i am.  tired, gaining wonderful weight, no extra energy to spare, but feeling very blessed deep down inside.  

stock in this

i should have stock in this stuff.  aquaphor.  we go through it by the jar.  presleigh's got asthma and it's nasty step-sister, eczema, something fierce.  we have a routine.  two short baths a day. no perfumed washes.  no soap.  no bubble baths.  load her up with aquaphor and cover her skin from head to toe as much as possible.  we watch her the whole time so as not to allow her to tear into her skin, which itches all the time.  if she can reach it, she can scratch all the way down through all the levels of her skin.  she has been known to tell the rest of us not to itch if she sees us scratch anything 'cause she gets scolded constantly for itching.  it can sometimes make me nauseous.  i know, i'm the mom and i shouldn't say that.  but it has caused me more anxiety than i would have ever dreamed.

poor thing.  she's got the prescriptions.  she's had the blood drawn and allergy tested.  cats, dogs, walnuts, peanuts, wheat, and egg whites.  that's what we do know.  okay.  i have had a year to digest this and play the "avoidance" game.  but she is getting worse.  nothing (yes, i have tried everything) has worked.  just when i get her 90 % clear, it seems as though her skin gets itchier and in less than one day she can destroy all of my efforts.  

so she's going in to see one of the best allergists in idaho.  we are going to find the culprit.  i used to spend quite a lot of my pharmaceutical days calling on this office, and this doc,  since my specialty was respiratory and asthma/allergy meds.  who knew it would come in handy, huh?  

i have had a trying week.  we are now bandaging presleigh's legs in an attempt to get them to heal up without her causing an infection.  she hasn't been able to sit down in the bath water for four days now.  she is such a strong little girl.  we feel so bad when she desperately pleads with us to itch her itches for her... most days i play nurse instead of mom. 

so if anyone out there has any new approaches or perspectives that maybe i haven't heard of please offer them up.  but if i get one more suggestion to use aloa  vera, aquaphor, or hydrocortisone cream i am going to scream.  gee whiz, i should have stock in that stuff.

the request

last night my son and i where waiting in the truck for my husband to run in to his parent's and pick up our daughter.  luke says to me, "mom, i'd like a "wearing suit".  i said, "a what?" he said, "you know like when you and dad got married?"  i said, "our wedding?"  he said, "yeah, a wedding suit."  now that was a funny thought for me.  

i said, "why do you want a wedding suit?"  he said, "so i can wear it when i get bigger."

oh, right.  good thinking.  

my my

i don't even know if anyone reads this anymore, since i've been less than connected to my blog these last few months.  i have had house projects, and church commitments, and travel which seem to have zapped me of any remaining energy and time.  my oh my.

the kids are fiery as ever and the weather is sure turning brisk.  my son is confused as to why it's night time so early now (big concept to grasp) and my silly little girl will not give up her pacifier to save her life (ugh, in am dreading the dentist).  

lucas is doing well in school.  he is asking all the time what things "say"... signs, magazines, shows, mail, instructions, etc.  we are working on sounding out small words here at home.  he brings home letters every week and they go collectively into his Letter Binder.  he's growing like a weed and eating me out of my house.  coming up in december, he will be playing a shepherd in his class christmas play as well as participating in our christmas program at church.  i tell him all the time that he is like me and he says, "no, mom, i am like me!" (see, he's just like me.)

presleigh can't sit still.  she keeps up with her brother and does not miss a beat.  she keeps telling me that next year she will be a cubbie (awanas on wednesday nights).  i am in negotiations with her to get her ears pierced (we'll see if this month is the "month").  i'm still trying to figure out who she takes after most.  most mornings she wakes me up at 6:50 am which means i'm grumpy till about 11 am.  she sure is smart, though.  her daddy recently took her on a date to get her nails painted and "glitter" makeup put on.  oh, did she think she was hot stuff.  so guess what is her favorite request around here now?  i thought we were close to potty training, but she digressed (or was that me..).  soon, real soon.  

jake and i have traveled more than ever alone these last two months since having kids. but it looks like we are home now for a nice stretch.  we will be here this year for the holidays and that thought makes me happy.  my parents will be coming out for christmas; first time since i have lived in idaho (13 years).  so lots of things to look forward to.

still can't believe christmas is just around the corner... shouldn't be too surprised, since my kids have been watching all the christmas classics.  

that's my stuff, folks.  hope all is well with y'all (if i still have "y'all").

my my.  

couple things

first up.  last night was a circus.  not a real one, just the kind where you gotta get the kids home, it's past bedtime already; it's cold and the back window is stuck all the way down blowing in unforgivingly; they haven't had dinner yet so you pick up food at the mcdonald's drive thru and they forget to put baby girl's toy in her happy meal... gotta get back in line and wait behind four cars.  then on way home i get rerouted because the cops have the street completely blocked off for what seems like a problem at applebees, oh, i forgot to mention my baby girl's accident dropping her cold sprite all over her lap and crying incessantly at the top of her lungs.  see what i'm saying... circus.  

lucas did his best to console her.  asking first if she wanted to hold his hand, to which she said, "NO."  then he said, "it's okay, do you want me to make you safe?"  presleigh, getting aggravated again said, "NO."  he mentioned something about mom and dad... trying to find common ground with her... it was a rare moment where he had a chance to try and fix things. very sweet.  finally, off in the distance was a tower for the hospital's helicopter pad.  it was tall with flashing red lights from top to bottom.  lucas pointed to the light and said, "presleigh do you see that red light?  that's jesus and he wants to make you safe, okay baby!"

...............

secondly, tonight i was putting my little girl to bed.  i usually rock her and we say our prayers and then i sing her a few songs.  usually the same ones.  "create in me a clean heart" and "won't you come over to my house?" she calls them "clean heart" and "the come over" song.  anyways, tonight i had a rare burst of energy so i decided to do motions to the "clean heart" song, making them up as i went. presleigh looks at me and says, "why are you being fun?"  it made me laugh. so i hugged her and tickled her and continued with the song.  when the song was over, she shifted and freed her hands from under the blanket and started clapping.  i got an ovation from my two year old. that was a first.