Happy Birthday Bethany!!

26 years young...and for that, we present this awesome ribbon for you to wear!

Wear it with a smile on your face, chica! Your birthday only comes once a year & it's your special day!

I'd love to take you out for cake & ice cream, followed by another serving of ice cream.

 How about a rain check?

We can put ourselves on a mission to find the BEST ice cream in your city! I can even create a worksheet for rating the places. Oh...fun times ahead! Go ahead & get excited. ;)

Cheers to you, friend!

We wish you a wonderful year. Enjoy 26!

Cillian: 6 days old

I can't believe this charming little man is already almost 1 week old. He's been such a joy so far. :)

Cillian really enjoys hanging out in his swing: (so glad we made that purchase!)

I also wore him in the sling the other day, which he also really enjoyed:

Today we had his 1st doctor's check-up. He did well, is already back to birth weight, and made it clear he does NOT like being naked! Could this be my little modest one?

(skinny little legs...)

His brothers adore him & race to watch his diaper changes. Brennan thinks his poop hilarious. Aidan wants to hold him constantly.

One week ago at this time we were finishing up a Euchre game with my parents, my belly was feeling funny & contractions were starting around midnight. 

Crazy.

And now here we are, holding him in our arms, smelling his sweet newborn head.

One Year Later

February 23...today marks one year since we lost our 4th baby, Lillian Hope.
The coincidence of such timing.
It was also one year ago my mother had her major back surgery.

Here we are, one year later, my mother is up here helping me, and while we still are saddened to have lost Lillian Hope, we're holding our newest addition, Cillian Joseph. Nearly one year later exactly.
There is comfort in holding him, hope, peace.

God's timing never ceases to amaze me.

To Lillian I say, we love you, we miss you, and forever you're a part of our family.
Thank you for watching over your new baby brother, helping to bring him safely into this world.

A year ago I posted this song/video, each time listening to it, tears coming my way.

Now I post it, with a reflection of sadness, but also with a new spirit of hope. Rejoicing in God blessing me & my family.
Aidan, Dorothy Grace, Brennan, Lillian Hope, and now Cillian...each is a gift from God.

Introducing Cillian Joseph!

1st time meeting each other

proud daddy

Cillian Joseph...born at 38 wks 4 days, 6 lbs 14 oz, 20 inches long

my 3 sons!

Our now family of 5!

Absolutely l-o-v-e this picture. Most caring big brother ever.

The birth story will come soon enough.
Cillian was born on Friday, February 18 at 6:12 p.m. after 18 hours of active labor.
So far he's a good baby and being a family of 5 feels sweet. :)
God is good! 

Impatiently I Wait

This will be a 1st for me, going past 39 weeks. UGH. I really feel for those women who go past their due date. IT STINKS simply going TO your due date! (and this is just my unofficial, mental due date)

I'm in the waiting stage and it's getting old. A few test nights/contractions proving nothing. Shaving my legs more frequently for...nothing yet.
I feel badly for my parents, being up here a week now, and still I've labored no baby.

Tomorrow I have my check-up at 10:45 in the morning. We've avoided the cervical checks so far (given that my OB agrees they don't usually mean anything). She'll be doing one tomorrow & for whatever reason, I am unsettled and nervous about it. I really wanted it to be so that the check I had would be the one confirming labor...at the hospital. I was fortunate to have it work that way with the boys.
I'm trying to relax and not worry about the discomfort of tomorrow's check.
As a few others have said, "maybe it will stir things up...".
Maybe.


So yet again, I am still here, still pregnant, growing physically tired, mentally exhausted from wondering when and "if" this is the day. Is this contraction going to be the one that starts the rest?

I'm off now, to continue waiting.
Feel free to comment & entertain me! I could use the distraction.

I'm Still Here...Still Pregnant

A few online friends noticed an absence from me, posting on my FB wall asking if I was having the baby.

I WISH.

I'm not technically to my due date yet, but I have ALWAYS gone a week early, and I will be crushed if I don't go this week.

Sunday night I had some decent contractions for about 2 hours, but they never got closer than 12 minutes apart, and they stopped by 2a.m. I was so disappointed.
Last night I got up to go to the bathroom around 2:30, then had contractions 10 mins apart until about 4. UGH! I hate this part! Took me til nearly 5 to fall back to sleep.

So here I am, still home, still pregnant, still waiting.
My parents are in town and we're keeping each other busy until birth-day.
If this baby EVER decides to come out, we will update.
Until then, pray/will him out with me!

A Dose of Cuteness

Though he tested me to no end today & drove me crazy, Brennan has his moments of cuteness.
Topping it off:
Driving to pick Aidan up from school, Brennan randomly says to me,

"When I turn 4 will I be a grown-up?

And will I be as tall as Daddy, and can jump to the CEILING?!"

So cute. Sweet. :)

I Hate you, Potatoes

2nd damn day in a row I cut my finger preparing potatoes to have w/ dinner.
Yesterday I was peeling them for shepherd's pie, and it peeled a finger on my left hand.
Think that doesn't hurt?! It does.

Today I'm slicing potatoes w/ a knife for oven rounds. Stopping to yell at Brennan AGAIN to clean up, the damn slick potato....I sliced my finger. ON THE SAME HAND!!!

Stupid potatoes & your oh-so-slick bodies.
This is what I get for cooking.
Tomorrow is so going to be cereal night for my family.

I'm already not feeling well today, I'm exhausted, hormonal & moody...just the cherry on top, these potatoes-I-hate.

Someone transplant me to a place, non-pregnant body, children w/ a nanny, and I'll be in a tropical location with a skinny, toned body. Sipping on...a daquiri? Something fruity and containing alcohol.
Then Ryan Reynolds can come deliver me some chocolate-covered strawberries.

Recipe: Shepherd's Pie

This is tonight's dinner (just decided an hour ago). It's one my husband loves, so I thought I should get the recipe saved online.
This recipe comes from a church cookbook, so there is no nutritional information to offer.

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb. ground beef

1 can peas & carrots

1 small onion

1 can brown gravy

4 medium potatoes

Brown meat & chopped onion together. Drain.

In casserole, combine meat, vegetables & gravy.

Boil potatoes then mash.

Top casserole with mashed potatoes. 

Sprinkle top with paprika. 

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until potatoes turn brown on edges.

Voila! That's our simple, loved recipe for Shepherd's Pie. 

What Else?

Final preparations are being made for this baby's arrival.

We've got the car seat.
The swing is put together & in the living room.
Clothes are washed & put away.
Hospital bag mostly ready.
Cars are being kept w/ a full-ish tank.

My parents are due to arrive Thursday (they're watching the boys for us when I go to the hospital). I've rearranged toys for their stay in the playroom.
Cleaned the fridge today. (cuz ya know, that'll be the first thing this baby cares about...whether or not the fridge is clean)

I've made info sheets & they're printed for my parents:
-A "daily routine" schedule
-"contacts" sheet w/ emergency #s, our doctors/dentist, school, and friends in town willing to help.
-Directions printed off: from our house to school, from our house to the stores, from our house to Pat's work. ***need to print off directions to the hospital***


-I have plenty of toilet paper and detergent for now. Also extra toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and razors.
-White noise machine is good to go for the baby.

So what am I missing? Can you think of anything further to do to prepare for this baby?

This Stuff Makes Me Too Happy

Good, no--GREAT--deals at the grocery store. :)
It's partly because I'm cheap, and partly because I love seeing how frugal you can be and get GOOD things.
These deals blow Aldi out the water, by the way. A few minutes of coupon-learning & price comparing, and you can get yourself some amazing deals, freebies included. :)

I shopped Kroger today.
Kroger isn't my "main" store. I prefer Meijer, but our local Kroger doubles coupons up to $1. You can't beat that! (Meijer only doubles up to 50 cents).

Today I got for FREE:
-Danimals kids' yogurt smoothies (Aidan loves these)
-2 tubes of Colgate toothpaste (free toothpaste; I love it!)
-Free Mentos
-Free gallon if ice cream

I got super excited to buy Progresso soup, Weight Watchers variety included, for 49 cents/CAN. That's a phenomenal price. WOOT!

I know I sound dorky getting excited over these deals, but this is one of the major ways I contribute to our family financially. Maximizing our savings, decreasing our spending, all while getting good things we prefer to buy, anyway. (I hate the argument coupons aren't worth clipping because they're only for things you wouldn't normally buy!)
When I can see such great savings, I feel I've stretched the family dollar in better ways.
If you have Kroger near you, check out their prices today. Tomorrow begins their new ad (though you should still be able to get free toothpaste there this week).

Happy shopping. :)
Have you scored any great grocery deals lately?

Award-Winning Man (stay or go? give your opinion)

I'm proud of my husband. :)
He's a hard worker, and he is being recognized by that at work.

The company he works for recognizes employees quarterly and annually, per region, for "MVP" employee. Co-workers, bosses, etc have to nominate & vote for you.

Patrick won the final quarterly for 2010, and it was recently announced he won the annual for his position/region. Go Pat!!
Seriously, I am very proud of him.
What's even nicer is that his boss's boss, when giving a little speech about him, acknowledged that he is responsible for more markets than his counter-parts, went through a job release/rehire when no one else did, AND completed his MBA.

Kudos, Pat.
It's nice to know others see what we see in him.

So here is where we need your opinion.
Winning the annual MVP means he won a trip to Puerto Rico (for 2) at the end of March.
However, it's not a free-for-all trip.
It's with the other employees who won, from many different states (he doubts he's even know anyone else). It's booked well in advance die to the large # of people (over 100), as well as there certainly IS free time, but there are banquets and work obligations, too.

The timing can't be changed because it's not a trip for JUST him.
The timing...falls 4 weeks after I am due.

Recovery-wise, I've never been fortunate to recover well quickly.
Each post-partum period has results in 2 UTIs for me with high fevers, along with the obvious soreness and trouble sitting, etc,.
Obviously if I wind up having to have a c-section (please God, no!), he'd stay home.

But this is 4, hopefully 5 weeks after delivering.
I will do my part to heal as quickly as possible physically.

I feel he should go. I am not going to go w/ him and bring a newborn on an airplane, to a different climate, germ central, etc. (and who wears a swimsuit 4 weeks after having a baby? Other than celebs?!)

I feel he earned the acknowledgement.
He deserves the trip, the nice hotel, etc.
Most of all, I feel he should go because this would offer him the opportunity to meet some higher-people in the company he would never otherwise cross paths with. Career-wise, it could be a good move for him.
I don't think he'd get frowned upon for not going, but if he wound up staying with this company longer in his career, this could be quite beneficial.

Do I want to be home alone w/ the boys & newborn by myself for 5 days? Of course not.
Yeah, it makes me nervous. But it IS doable. I can plan for rides for Aidan to & from school, I can have a sitter on standby if I need to nap, I can use only paper plates/cups to avoid the clean-up work.
We could make it work.
And who knows, maybe this baby will be a good baby, good sleeper, etc.

I so appreciate Pat's hesitation.
I can see why he'd stay.
I don't know that me wimping out of being alone w/ all 3 at that time are good reason for him to not go, though.

What do you all think?
If it was your spouse, you having your 3rd around 4 weeks before the trip, what would you do?

Happy Groundhog Day!!!

Guess what?!
Punxsutawney Phil did NOT see his shadow! Spring is on its way!

****party dance***

Now rumor has it that other local groundhogs across the nation are seeing their shadows.
It's my opinion that only the original groundhog's prediction matters. The rest are poser-groundhogs.
It's all about what happens in Punxsutawney, at Gobbler's Knob. You know, like in the movie.

(btw. Encore movie channel is showing this all day, I believe)

So thanks for the show, you other groundhogs. PHIL is the real deal! 

And HE says spring is on its way. :)

February Says, "Take That!" (in w/ a bang)

It's the 1st of February, and boy is it letting us know it's the final full month of winter.

Last night we got some ice & about 5 inches of snow. That's not the storm, though.

Later this afternoon & thru tomorrow we're supposed to get up to 15 more inches of snow, ice mixing in.

School was canceled today, & I'm sure tomorrow will be no different. 

February is usually one of my favorite months.

I get overly-excited over Groundhog Day. I like the movie, and I had fun w/ Groundhog Day when I was a teacher. It made it fun. :)

There is also Valentine's Day, of course. 

President's Day, offering some fun activities to do with kids.

A long weekend from school & work.

February also holds birthdays for 2 nephews and my good friend Bethany.

And HELLO! It's FINALLY the month I'm due!

This baby is considered full term, and I'm hoping in 2 weeks we'll be meeting him face to face. What we're going to call him, still not 100% sure.

Ah, I am so ready to have my body back. To go longer in between bathroom visits. To bend over peacefully. To tie my own shoes. To gain my lap back for my boys.

My parents will be coming up in about 2 weeks. The boys are so excited to see them.

And...we should file & receive our tax return. God knows we need it!

I hope February will be a good month. 

Anything you're looking forward to this month?