New Nephews

I ran out of time last weekend but wanted to post quickly to let everyone know out there in blog land that my sister in law gave birth to two little boys on Friday morning. Gray Matthew and Baylor Hall came into the world at 6:44 and 6:55 am. They are doing well, still in the NICU but not critical. They have taking positive steps each day and are closer to coming home. I got to go in and see them on Friday evening but no holding yet. Hopefully, we can go soon and cuddle with them.

This diet STINKS!

I am HUNGARY!!! yes, HUNGARY!!! I am determined to lose the last five pounds if it kills me but as of late it feels like it is doing just that. I keep telling myself that I can do anything for ONE MONTH. Hang in there for ONE MONTH! It is only ONE MONTH. Well, this ONE MONTH STINKS!! OF course the more I try to watch what I eat, the more food opportunities are placed in front of me. What is a girl to do? I have made a commitment to myself to stick to it for one month and if then I have still not lost the 5 pounds, then to heck with them! They are here to stay. Because really, life isn't about dieting everyday, it is about enjoying it everyday. AND, what better way to enjoy life than to eat all the wonderful foods presented to us.......

Babies

This beautiful weekend was spent mostly celebrating two of my family members and their upcoming babies. One is having her first and it is a little boy and the other is having her third and fourth (yes twins!). It was wonderful to share in these women's joy with the impending births. It did however make me a little nostalgic for my own babies, which my children are not. They are growing thriving little kids, some not even that little anymore. I was watching as these women prepared and it caused me to think back about what I did to prepare for my own births. I got a little sad thinking there would be no more little ones but then I started thinking about how far we have come and how close we are to being able to really take off. We are a few short months from being able to hop in the car and head out for adventure. No stroller, no naps, no sippy cups.... freedom to do and go where we want without having to bring a little one along. I instantly began planning what we would see and where we would go. All that is ahead of my family. Those thoughts made me feel very full and happy inside. My family and heart are complete and it is such a wonderful feeling. No that is not to say I won't want to steal a baby snuggle here and there but I now always want to give them back.

FYI

I know a posted some over spring break but I wanted to post now and fill everyone in what we have been doing for the past 10 days. We spent lots of time at home playing and relaxing. The kids played outside any chance they got with the weather. I was able to make it to the gym a few times and even out to lunch a time or two. Imagine the looks I got when we entered the restaurant and I said four children and one adult. We had an egg hunt and dyed eggs. Chad took Friday off and we took the family for a hike at Pocahontas State Park for the morning then ate snacks and drove out to Amelia to give Mimi here birthday present. We then scooted back to town, enjoyed a yummy pizza dinner, milkshakes, and movie night. That was our family day! YEAH! Saturday and Sunday we spent a lot of time outside again, battling the clouds and wind, and visiting with my parents. The kids went to Build a Bear and spent a small fortune there and were treated by Nana and Grandaddy to lunch. Easter Sunday started with a visit from the Easter Bunny and squeals of delight over the gifts he brought. Then, off to church, brunch, and then home again. We stayed put for the rest of the day enjoying family time. Monday came around and more errands and appointments were to be attended to but now it is Tuesday and things are back to normal. All in all, it was a wonderful Spring break and does not make me too scared for summer break.
Which, by the way is in 8 1/2 weeks.........

Holding Hands

I feel like a terrible mom these days when it comes to holding hands. I LOVE holding hands, with just about anyone but lately it has become a very uncomfortable thing to do with my Cooper. She tends to hold my hand just right so the skin is stretched and pulled in a very painful way and then she proceeds to pull down as well while trying to pull herself up. We went on a hike over break and it was very evident. I kept having to pull my hand away to give it a break. Am I a terrible mom or what? I mean really, I should LOVE holding her hand and try to do it as often as I can right now because I know she is not going to want to do it much longer but it HURTS!!! She is so petite that he height does not help at all. If she were a bit taller, I believe it wold not pull as much. Now I guess I just need to hang in there and wait for a growth spurt. GROW BABY GIRL GROW! But only enough for the hand holding problem to be fixed, not an inch more.......

Day Three

So I have pretty much survived half of spring break so far. We have certainly had our moments but for the most part, I think the kids have had fun. They have allowed me to go to the gym twice and I have taken them out to lunch twice so all our happy for the time being. I am looking forward to Daddy being home for a long weekend but not to the rain they are calling for. We had planned to take a day or overnight trip somewhere as a family but might have to put off this decision for better weather. So, three rainy days in the near future with all six of us in the house. What is a girl to do? Any suggestions????

The Start of Spring Break

Today is the first day of spring break, but I do not lie to really call it spring break because it is no break for me. it means all the little ducklings are home with mama duck, with their peck peck pecking demanding this and that and everything. This morning started off with screams, fussing, yells, tears, doors slamming, and then more screams and tears. The day followed this routine until an hour ago when by the wonderful grace of GOD the sun started shining and they went outside. I cold actually see the rays of sun breaking through the storms clouds and could have sworn I heard the Hallelujah chorus! It was the most glorious sight I had seen in days. What is it about outside that calms even the most savage beast? Whatever it is, I hope it stays around for awhile, at least until school is back in session.

Fun Mommy

Well today I decided to do something a little different. I trade days with another mom at Coop's preschool so we have the girls every other week. Last week, I picked up Coop and the mom had devised an Easter egg hunt. Huh...... the girls had a great time and the mom seemed to be very involved. Now, normally, I feel like I am a good involved mommy but when friends are over I simply let them play. I do not have a bunch of structured activities because I feel like the activity is the friend. But after last week, I felt the need to step up my game so as not to be undone. Anyway, I decided to let the girls dye Easter eggs for fun. I boiled them up, made the dye, then let them at it. WOW!!! I could not imagine it could be so fun and take so much of the day. Hopefully, after they are done, they can go back to playing without me. Who Knew??????