The Quote of the Day

There is a Century 21 that I pass every morning (and afternoon) when I take Monte and Hunter to school. They usually have a quote on their sign in front. I always make sure to read it whenever I go past. Today I thought I would share it with my 2 loyal readers :)

If opportunity doesn't knock - build a door.

Wordless Wednesday

First Day

Hunter started kindergarten yesterday. The difference between him and his brother is amazing. Monte didn't want to go. For 3 months he cried every morning. Not Hunter. First day -
can you drop me off mom?
No Hunter, I can not. I have my camera and I'm going to take LOTS of pictures.
5 years old going on 15.

I must admit it's a lot nicer experience for everyone when they want to go. There was no guilt. There was no tears, not even from me. I watched other children crying and was thankful they weren't mine this time. My child was the one with the HUGE smile on his face wondering when class was going to begin.

Bye mom - see you later! Bye baby - quit growing so fast.

3rd Grade

Yesterday was Monte's first day of 3rd grade. It was extremely hard this year. You see, he had to change schools. That was a decision that was extremely hard for me and his dad. Monte had gone to a Christian school since kindergarten. So for 3 years he was in this small school with the same kids in his class every year. He really liked his school, his friends, all the teachers. And yesterday was his first day at public school.

We moved him because Hunter is starting kindergarten this fall and tuition is very expensive. We couldn't afford for both of them to go unless I got a job. We talked about that. Should I go to work so they could have a private education, or send them to public school and I could be 100% involved. At the end of Oct. when I found out I was pregnant, that was my answer. I knew I was to stay home.

So all summer I have been praying about it. It's hard to change schools at any time, but going from what Monte was used to, to what he would deal with in a public school, I was worried about him. You see, Monte is my sensitive child. The one that worries about everything, the one that just wants to make every one happy even if that means he isn't happy.

I walked him in yesterday and met his teacher. When we found out who he had I talked to a couple of people I knew and they all said she is wonderful. And she was SO nice. She really tried to make Monte comfortable and had another boy show him around. And even this morning Monte had some more questions and wanted me to walk him in and talk to her. She was very understanding and encouraging to him.

When I picked Monte up yesterday (he can't ride the bus until our house is done. We aren't living in the right district yet) he had a smile on his face and he told me that was the most awesome class ever. He loves his teacher and she did some really cool things. Like let them put their feet up on their desks during silent reading time. Put he doesn't know anyone and so he sat by himself during lunch, and just kind of walked around during recess. The lunch thing really broke my heart. I told him he was going to have to make an effort to talk to others and that things would get better.

But inside I am crying for him. (and a little on the outside too) I sit here and have a sick feeling in my stomach thinking about him all alone in that big school not knowing a single person. In my head I know he will make friends and all will be okay. But that mama part of me just doesn't want to take him in the morning. At least he said he liked it and wanted to go back. Right?

Wordless Wednesday

My Big Boy

Carter had his 2 month doctor visit yesterday. Everything went great, but he is big. 14lb. 25in. I guess that is what happens when you start out at 9lb. 5oz.

2 Months Old

When I was pregnant with Carter I had visions of the "perfect baby". One that never fussed, was always happy to sit there and watch the world as it went by. He would be my most laid back baby out of my 3 boys. After 2 days in the hospital I realized Hunter would be keeping that title. If Carter is not sleeping, and you (meaning me) are not holding him, he is usually crying. I don't have to do any kind of crazy acrobatics to keep him happy, all I have to do is hold him. We realized that all those baby items they say you need would not be of use to us. The swing? Forget it. He would scream before you ever even got his butt all the way down. Bouncy seat? Maybe enough time to go to the bathroom. Stroller? Only if he is sleeping. He had to be in my arms. So what did I do? I bought a baby sling. And that solved the holding problem.

Well, it's been 2 months today since my precious baby boy was born. I love all the changes the past 2 months have brought. But the smiles are the best. Oh, the smiles melt me every time. They are the kind of smiles that light up his whole body. Even from behind you know that he is smiling. And all you have to do to get one is talk to him. Last night my hubby was on the other side of the living room and Carter was on my lap looking at the back of the couch. But when daddy said his name and started talking, Carter started smiling so big I thought a laugh was going to escape. See, even a talking couch can get a smile.

And what a good sleeper he is. He naps for a couple hours at a time during the day (makes for a very smiley baby) and gets up once during the night to nurse. I couldn't ask for anything better than that.

But my most favorite part of the day is when he nurses. I love being that close, stomach to stomach, as he stares up at me. I love when he lets go to smile at me. It's like he is saying thank you. It is such an amazing feeling knowing that you alone are giving your baby all the nourishment that he needs. Every bit of baby chub came from me.

So happy 2 months baby Carter! I've enjoyed these 2 months more than I can express, and look forward to what the future brings. Only slow down a little bit. I know how fast you are going to grow.

I'm Still Cool

This is the conversation I heard as I went thru the drive-thru at the post office today.

Hunter - Wow, did you see that? She didn't even have to stop.

Monte - I know. That was so cool.

Hunter - I know.

Monte - She's good.

Hunter - Yep.

It's not going to last much longer, but it's nice to know that I can still impress them.

Happy or Sad?

This morning my hubby left with our boys to go to the water park. He took his sister with him (who is 15) since my 5 year old needs someone at the top to help him get in the tube and someone at the bottom to help get him out. We haven't been able to go and do as much this summer between moving and me having a baby in June. (not a great time of year to have a newborn if you have 2 older boys) Anything that is in the sun is out of the question.

Everyone was getting ready to go, I put LOTS of sunscreen on everyone, they were all chatting about what they were going to go on first, I was giving out instructions for everyone - make sure you reapply their sunscreen, don't go to deep in the wave pool, remember your brother is only 5 and is sometimes scared of things your not - yes babe, I can handle it. We know mom.

It was kind of sad to watch them leave. I wanted to go. Not because I felt I was missing out on water slides, but I am missing out on my kids fun. As a parent it's more fun to watch them having a great time. And Hunter said to me as he was getting in the car - I feel weird going with out you - I know just how you feel.

But I walked back into the house, and picked up Carter and thought - it will be fun spending the day just the 2 of us. Maybe we will go shopping at the outside mall, it's beautiful out. Or maybe spend the day snuggled up together without any interruptions.

But no matter what I do, thank you honey for taking our boys. For being the kind of dad that will go out and do things with your kids without mom always being there, and enjoying it. Your a great dad, and I love you for it.

Wordless Wednesday

Moving

We moved 3 weeks ago. No, not YAY! At least not yet. We are building a new house. But before they would start we had to sell our house that we were living in just to ensure we would not get stuck with 2 mortgages just incase it took awhile to sell our house. We excepted an offer when Carter was 4 days old, and moved 5 weeks later. (boy was that stressful)

In the mean time we are renting a 2 bedroom duplex. Monte and Hunter are sharing a bedroom for the first time ever and the baby is in our room. (which he would be no matter where we were living)

It was a lot harder to move than I thought it would be. The boys had a couple of good friends in the neighborhood that when they said good-bye, I think I cried harder than they did. Our house was a try-level and even tho I complained about it all the time and always said I wanted a new house, when it came time to leave, I was really sad. Maybe if we were moving straight into our new house it would have been different. But we had 5 years of memories there. And we had that house built too, so I really felt like it was OURS.

But after 3 weeks in this tiny little soup can, as my hubby likes to say, I know that moving was the right choice. Monte and Hunter CAN NOT cohabitate together happily. If we stayed they would have to share a room when we eventually took Carter out of our room. There has been nothing but bickering going on since we got here. Until yesterday. We finally got our satellite TV hooked up. Now I've never just let them sit around all day and watch TV, but I have finally gotten some peace around here today. You can only take so many mom, Monte did ........
mom, Hunter did .......... in one day.

I know they are bored. At our old house they had a pool and a swing set and kids to play with. Here they have their bikes and just each other. Well, school will start next Wed. for Monte and the following Mon. for Hunter. Plus soccer and fall baseball. So they will have plenty to do. Thank God!

In the mean time, I will keep you posted on our house. Right now there is nothing to tell. They applied for our permits when we closed on our house. I hope they start soon!

Fun In The Sun

Hubby (Monte), Hunter, hubby's sister Rachel, and Lil Monte

Yesterday after church we went and spent the day at my in-laws. This is how we spend almost every Sunday in the summer. There is nothing like getting together and spending the day with family. I always stress to my boys how truly blessed they are to have such wonderful grandparents. Family comes first, and there are no compromises there.

The Best Surprise

We were not planning on having anymore kids. I thought that I only wanted two. And at the surprise of many, I wanted them to be boys. I have been drawn to little boys my whole life. Even as a child when me and my sisters would help my mom in the nursery at church, I always wanted to play and hold the boys. My favorite cabbage patch dolls were twin boys. Now I'm glad I didn't have twin boys, but I had my 2 boys. Me and hubby were done. Or so we thought.

Last Oct, I found out I was pregnant. Now I'm not going to lie and say that the tears I shed were tears of joy. Being pregnant was such a shock to me. I actually called up my best friend crying and she laughed at me because I was freaking out. But when I said we were done having babies, I mean we were so done we got rid of all our baby items. EVERYTHING! Now that is the sure fire way to get pregnant. It took some getting used to, the idea of another one. Hunter was 5, so we were used to being able to go go go without having to worry about diaper bags and babies needing a nap. We were doing older kid things with them because we finally could. I felt like everything would come to a stop. How silly was that.

But I did get excited. You feel that baby move inside you, and you remember what it was like to hold your baby, to nurse him, the first time he smiled at you. And thanks to my wonderful mother-in-law, I had a beautiful baby shower where I got most of what I would need. But it wasn't until the moment Carter was born that I realized just how much I wanted another baby. The doctor laid him on me and I fell instantly in love. I remember wrapping my arms around him and I must have held on longer than normal because a nurse said to me - are you going to let go - I didn't even realize they were trying to take him.

When you have a baby after you thought you were done, you take nothing for granted. You know how much they change, how fast they grow. I don't want to miss a thing.

And before when I couldn't imagine having another one, now I can't imagine not.

I Want My Mommy

If Carter could talk, that is what he would say.

I remember the first time Monte cried when someone else held him. He was 8 months old. My Grandfather was in town from Texas. He comes for a visit only once a year and he was SO excited because Monte was the first great grandchild. My dad's whole family was at my aunts house for a BBQ, and we were there for a little bit before my grandpa showed up. When he got there I handed Monte to my grandpa and he instantly started to cry. The whole day I was the only one he would let hold him. I felt horrible. But it kind of made me feel good too. He stayed that way for along time. As a toddler, if I left him with my hubby, Monte would take his toys and play by the back door and wait for me. I'd come home and there the 2 of them would be. Playing on the kitchen floor. He would never walk into someone's house. I always had to carry him in because he was afraid I was going to leave him. And lets not revisit that first day of kindergarten. Or the many that came after.

When Hunter came along things were pretty much the same, tho not quite as bad as Monte. With the exception of my mother-in-law. Hunter LOVED her. One time when Hunter was around 14 months old she got to church a little late. Announcements were going on and she walked in, threw her purse down and went out to use the restroom. Hunter screamed so loud I had to follow her to the restroom. But he was mommy's boy too. When we went places I always wanted to put a sign on him that said "don't talk to me" because people would come up to us and start telling him how cute he was and he would scream so loud I'd have to take him out of his stroller. At a year and a half I could set him down next to me in a store and know that he was not going to walk away. He was way to afraid of people for that. He out grew it faster than Monte. Against everything I said I'd do, I sent Hunter to preschool this past year. (Monte did not go) But Hunter begged to go to school like his brother. So I caved. At the open house he wouldn't leave my side, but the first day of school he did great and by day 3 he asked me if I could just drop him off. I told him "no, I just can't do that". 3 months earlier he was still hiding his head under my jacket if someone talked to him. Where did my baby go?

My point of all this is that already at 7 weeks Carter wants me. He lets others hold him for a short time, and then he starts fussing. When I take him he instantly stops. That is a wonderful feeling. My husband always laughs and says "there is nothing like Mom". I can appreciate it a lot more with my 3rd baby. I know that the days of only wanting mommy will not last forever. While Hunter is still mine for now, Monte at 8 wants to be with his dad. I'm still the one he comes to for snuggles and kisses, but dad is now the cool one to hang with. He throws a baseball harder, can shot a basket better, and can ride a bike with no hands for longer. Dad is now the one to look up to and try to be like. And that is how it should be. But it still hurts to watch them grow and change. So when people comment on how Carter won't sit anywhere, I always have to hold him, and they ask "so what do you do"? I tell them - I hold him.

Go Reject!

Both Monte and Hunter played little league this year. Hunter has been watching Monte play for the last few years, so he was very excited to finally be old enough to play. As you can imagine, we did not much else but baseball for a few months. One day in the car on the way home from somewhere, this is the conversation that went on.

Hunter - Monte, your on the reject team

Monte - No I'm not

Hunter - Yes you are. Your on the reject team.

Me - Hunter, that is not very nice. Why would you say that to your brother?

Hunter - Well his coach says it all the time. Go Reject!

Me - No Hunter. He is saying Go Remax! Their sponsor is Remax. They are Team Remax.

Wordless Wednesday

A Taste Of The Good Life

Babies are so unpredictable. And after having two already, I knew this, so why did I get my hopes up? In my eyes, and compared to horror stories I have heard from others, my boys have always been good sleepers. Monte nor Hunter slept thru the night at four weeks old, but they slept, getting up only to eat and fall right back to sleep. What more could a mama want. And Carter has been good too. Sleeping and eating in 2-3 hour stretches. Well the other night he gave me the taste of the good life. We slept for 51/2 hours straight! I forgot how good that feels. And after choking down two breasts full of milk (literally choking I was so full) he fell back asleep for another five hours! Wow I thought. The older two never did this. Boy am I lucky. No, wrong. The next night he was up every two hours. It's a good thing he is so darn cute! And that his older brothers let me sleep in every morning :)

Here Goes Nothing

Let me start by saying that I have been a closest blogger for months now. My friend Stephanie over at Adventures in Babywearing (hope I linked that right) introduced me to her blog when she started. I have been reading hers, and others, ever since. I figured it was about time I started my own. I wanted to do this for me, but also as a journal for my boys. Traditional journals went out the window a couple kids ago. Having all boys I don't know if they will ever truly appreciate it, but their future wives will right?

So if you dare, come along for the ride. Having three boys is fun and adventurous. And never boring. I get a lot of sympathy looks "Oh, you have three boys" But I couldn't imagine it any other way!