Surviving the Domestic Jungle

Well, it is New Year’s Eve tonight and my family is leaving town! We are headed to my family Ranch which is absolutely gorgeous and so relaxing. We haven’t been in about a year because it used to be a 5 hour drive but now it is only about 2 hours which is soooooo much easier. We are joining my step brother, his wife and children and hopefully my other brother. New Years Eve hasn’t been a big ‘party’ for me in about 10 years and once the kids came, it was all about the family so being able to blend 2 families that are both in the same position where partying is just not an option is the best solution!! My sister in law is pretty much my best friend and so I am looking forward to having a good time. My husband loves being out there because when you are there you just feel different. Very relaxed and serene I guess would be the right words. He goes off on his own and walks around and enjoys the nature which isn’t him at all!!! He hates walking and he hates the outdoors and he hates sweating so its nice to see that side of him that changes his preferences for a few days. The only thing that concerns me about going is I have just entered my 8th month of pregnancy and I am 2 hours away from the birthing center. There is a hospital about 45 minutes away should anything happen but still it makes me nervous. I think this little guy will stay put but this will probably the last time I venture that far until our son is born. All in all, I am looking forward to this weekend. Last night I went on the hunt for Ranch clothes (comfy and warm) and came back with some cute pants and some of those fuzzy boots. The ones that look like uggs but are not uggs, they’re Target! I would never spend that crazy amount of money on real uggs nor would I wear uggs anywhere in actual public. I think being I am huge pregnant I can get away with wearing them in nature or anywhere else I chose but boy are they not a flattering pair of shoes!! I just HATE wearing tennis shoes and all my boots are heels (which is getting painful!) and other than that, all the rest of my shoes are not appropriate for outdoor stuff so I had to come up with something. Anyway, between the boots, cozy clothes, serene environment, fireworks show (courtesy of my brother) and great food and fun, I am really looking forward to this weekend and must go pack now

I watched a movie last night called “Going the Distance” and it was great for a couple of reasons. First, it has Drew Barrymore (does it get any cuter than her?) and Justin Long who I have grown to like a lot! I believe they were a real life couple in this movie which probably helped with their chemistry. The movie is about 2 people who meet yet only have 6 weeks to hang out before she moves across the country. Well, of course they just love each other and have a ton of fun together and eventually decide to have a long distance relationship. I personally don’t think that long distance relationships work all that well. Its hard enough to have a no distance relationship!! It showed how lonely they got being away from each other and how hard it can be when you see lovey dovey couples everywhere. The reason I like this movie so much has nothing to do with the long distance stuff and more to do with how much Justin’s character changed for Drew’s character. He started out the clueless typical, non committal guy who for her, became extra sweet and extra romantic and thoughtful. It really is true that when you find that special ‘one’ you change things about yourself and for the better. I know my husband is my ‘one’ and I changed things about me to be with him. Not things like who I am but just certain things that you do for someone to make them happy. I know my husband changed a lot for me because I was his ‘one’! I just thought that part of the movie was really sweet. I’m not going to ruin the ending but basically they both put aside their personal feelings to help each other achieve their dreams which was refreshing because most people would not be able to do that. Basically it was a terrific movie that will touch your heart. It is not an Oscar worthy role for either but you will laugh, you will cry and you will walk away feeling warm and fuzzy!! Check it out!!

I am so predictable sometimes it is ridiculous. I have noticed with all three of my pregnancies that I do the exact same thing around the end. I ALWAYS start planning how I am going to lose the weight or become attractive again. All three pregnancies I have done this and have no clue why. I guess it is my way of feeling better about my hugely awkward body or something. I always have the best intentions when it comes to working out but usually it never happens because who the heck actually has time for a workout with a 6 year old, a two year old and a new baby and NO help? No one! I’m pretty sure I will lose all the weight pretty quickly for two reasons 1) I haven’t gained much and 2) I wont have time to eat! I refuse to be one of those women who holds onto 10, 20, 40 or even 50 pounds of weight and thinks its ok because its ‘baby weight’. I personally want my husband to look at me and think I look good and trust me, he is not the kind of guy that loves unconditionally when it comes to looks! Women in general tend to be more accepting of ‘flaws’ and that is the way it is in our marriage. He gained almost 30 pounds when he quit smoking (he picked it up again and lost all the weight) but when he was bigger, I thought he was a hot hunk of a husband but if I gained 30 pounds, Id be single!! Now, if he stopped clipping his finger nails, he’d be single so I guess it goes both ways. I cant stand long nails on a man!! GROSS! Anyway, I am in my planning mode for getting skinny again and its a little frustrating because I still have 2 months left but at the same time it takes my mind off the fact that every step hurts because my baby is way low and giving me pelvic bone pain like no other. I had heard of this pelvic bone stuff but never experienced it until this pregnancy. Pregnancy is so hard sometimes but life goes on! You have to keep going through the pain and the uncomfortableness and thank god it is over in 9 months!!

Last night I went to dinner with my sister in law and our girls at a restaurant that is really nothing special. It is a really relaxed atmosphere and pretty casual in general. It is an Italian restaurant and I got this great big salad which has now sparked salad cravings! Anyway, the point is, we had our dinner, good conversation and my kids somewhat behaved so I was pretty happy until I thought that Hailey had pooped and I needed to change her diaper and it dawned on me her diapers were in the car which was very far for me at that moment. I am having tons of very painful pelvic bone problems and every step I take hurts plus it was really really cold and the task at hand just sounded painful (literally)!! Well, luckily the girls (mine and my niece) had gone to the bathroom earlier and told me the bathroom had diapers and wipes in there. Well, I did not believe them at first because I had never heard of that and then what were the chances they had my daughters size? We headed to the bathroom to investigate and guess what?? There was a changing table with my daughters size and good wipes!! The diapers were Huggies (which I use) and not some crap brand. I couldn’t believe this! Never in my life have I gone to a restaurant that provides diapers! Most restaurants you are lucky to get one of those fold out changing table things because most restaurants don’t want you to bring your kids but parents need to eat out every now and again. Its not my idea of fun taking my kids with me but sometimes it is necessary and I am not eating at McDonalds!! I was so impressed by this and so thankful that I didn’t have to waddle to the car. It takes a lot to really leave a lasting impression with me but when it comes to this place, the lasting impression is fabulous! Good food, casual environment and free diapers? Score!! I will be eating there again soon!

Well, its the day after Christmas and I am feeling a pretty good! I did overeat yesterday (as much as my smashed stomach will let me) and my Kids got some great toys and had a lot of fun. We went over to my parents where all my siblings, their spouses and kids were and we all just sat around, ate and laughed! Pretty much what the holidays are all about….spending time with family!! Poor little Hailey never seems to have much fun because Avery ditches her for her 9 year old cousin and then the babies are too little to play with so she kind of plays by herself and seems kind of bored but as soon as those babies are old enough, she will be the ring leader of that operation! Should be interesting!! I have an enormous mess to clean up today because there are toys everywhere in my living room, kitchen table and entry and of course, it all falls on mommy to keep it somewhat organized. I love Christmas but it is a lot of work between the purchasing and organizing. I cant wait until they are old enough to just clean it all up themselves!! Next on the agenda is New Years which is always hyped up to be such a big deal but never is. I’m not sure what we are doing and we probably wont do much which is fine by me. I have to start cracking down on the baby shower planning because it is right around the bend and I want it to be a big occasion! It is such a big deal to me that this is the first boy and I want the party to be a good time! I think I finally decided on the cake I want, Ive done my registry and all I need now is to do the invitations!! Should have done those first but hey, I don’t do much conventionally.

Christmas is upon us and yesterday was a nightmare! I went shopping with my mom, my girls, my sister in law, her girls (my nieces) and we all helped each other watch the kids while we shopped. It was a very unorganized plan going in but we ended up being very successful. My feet were throbbing by the end of it all and I still need to venture out today for a few more little things but I am almost done and all of the holiday hullabaloo is coming to an end! Thank god!! I enjoy Christmas and love how excited my girls get but the traffic and the stress and the people everywhere I do not love. Its just very overwhelming to be surrounded by people all scrambling to get the perfect present. Sometimes the holidays bring out the worst in people being they are alone or missing a loved one etc but for the most part, people are kinder until you want the same present and there is only one left!! This year my husband and I have solely focused on the kids and didn’t get each other anything. I didn’t get my siblings anything either. Just their kids! Its all about the kids in my opinion. If you don’t have kids, it is still all about you and you are a lucky duck who gets extra presents! I cant believe I inherited my mothers shopping on Christmas Eve gene but they do say you turn into your mom!! I am not looking forward to going out but oh well, its for my kids and their happiness on Christmas morning and that is motivation enough for me. I guess I’m going to head out now! Might write later so stay tuned!!

I have a feeling these last few weeks of my pregnancy are going to fly by and before I know it I will be a haggard mess!! One topic my husband and I have had to deal with is the topic of circumcision, which for me, has been difficult. I know I want my son to be circumcised but the mother in me does not want to hurt him!!! It is stressing me out and yesterday when I called around looking for a pediatrician, I found out very, very few actually do it. The one I did find that did it was very blunt about how much it will hurt him and that very few people are doing it nowadays. I thought that was a little harsh to say that I will be hurting my son but the truth is the truth. The only good thing is we can go with him while he has it done so I am FORCING my husband to go with him just because I want him to see what his son has to go through!! I will of course go too but I will be crying like a baby so I need my husband to be strong! I know the baby wont remember the pain but it still is awful to think of cutting his little penis! Its about a 1000000 times worse than having to give my babies their shots. I cry then too!! I know I am hurting them but I know in the long run, I am protecting them from terrible diseases. I cant say I am doing circumcision for much more than aesthetics. I have no clue how to clean under the foreskin but I’m sure I could learn. For my husband it is purely for aesthetics which I understand. Women make fun of uncircumcised penis’ (some, not all) but I guess for as many as there are that do, there are just as many that don’t care. I just want him to not feel weird or disfigured or be laughed at in the locker room. In my opinion, men carry a lot of their confidence from the penis and I just want him to feel confident! Ugh I am obviously thinking too much into this. I’m already stressed about his first girlfriend and whether I will like her or not!!! Having a boy is so different from having a girl!!

I haven’t really had much to say recently. With all the holiday fun going on it has been difficult to find things to write about other than Christmas cookies and the horrible stress of Christmas shopping! I went to JC Penney today to redeem a gift card we had and wow were there a lot of people! Just people everywhere!! I had to keep an eye on my 2 year old who is extremely independent and does not listen to her mommy!!! She wants to roam free like she is at home and that just doesn’t work and makes for an extremely stressful shopping experience for me. I am actually getting nervous about having a new baby and a toddler in the midst of the terrible twos. Actually I am scared to the core!! I am not sure how I am going to handle it and I think about it everyday. My husband and I have decided that our daughter will be very jealous of the baby and so I am going to have to find some way too ease that transition too. When I conceived, she was only 1 1/2 and was just perfect but within the last few months, her independence and stubbornness has come out in full force. She is just on time with her behavior (terrible twos) but now I am scared. I know I can do it but I’m sure there will be a day or two where I am going to feel overwhelmed. I figure with three kids keeping me literally on my toes, I will lose all my baby weight so that is a plus! So far, only 20 pounds have been gained and I do not plan on putting on much more!! Life is so much better when you don’t gain a ton of weight so that when you give birth, your not exhausted, sore and FAT! I can deal with being tired and being sore and being overwhelmed but fat, no way! Being this is my last baby, I am very anxious to once and for all fix up my body and get to a comfortable place with it. I would like to workout but that may be a dream depending on my day to day schedule. I want to give away every piece of maternity and anything that even remotely has a empire waist and could be mistaken for maternity!! I’m done with pregnancy! It is sooooo scary and takes so long. It is special and amazing but 3 times of intense fear is enough for me! Bring on the size two jeans and the diet coke!!

Yesterday was my husbands birthday and we actually went out….alone! We started the day with doing our baby registry which I ended up caving and went with an animal theme for the bedding for our son. There was nothing that I really liked but I was ok with this one cute set of safari animals. We found some really great things and I hope we get them ALL!!!! Anyway, after that we dropped off Hailey (Avery was with her dad and grandmother this weekend) with my mom and we went to dinner just us, alone. We NEVER go out without the kids. Ever. Hailey is 2 and I have never left her overnight without us and the longest we have ever been away from her was the day we moved about 3 weeks ago. Kind of pathetic but we really just are not the kind of people who don’t incorporate our children in our lives. If we hang out with friends, we invite them over or we go to their house and we all just hang out. We are just at that stage in life where the kids are number one. It was nice for us to go out alone though. He opened doors (car and restaurant!) and we had a lovely dinner and a really nice waitress and a big dessert and it was just wonderful. I wish we did it more because we were sitting there giggling about how the last time we went out together was when I was pregnant with Hailey!!! It had been a while to say the least! Today we are having a big family party for all the birthdays that were yesterday (my husband and sister in law) and Monday (my stepdad). All these Christmas babies!! I’m so glad Hailey was born the 4th of December so she wasn’t plagued with her birthday being overshadowed by the biggest holiday of the year! Im really looking forward to seeing everyone!!

I went into this adorable little bakery the other day and it kind of jolted me into remembering I need a cake for my baby shower. I asked about what kind of shower cakes they do and they told me to look on the Internet and present them with what I want. Not my idea of a good time but I figured I would check it out and see what there was. I started my search yesterday and so far I am a little worried about what I have seen. Most of the cakes are just a little too cheesy and cutesy for me. For example, I don’t want rubber duckies or pastels or a baby bottle shaped cake. Its just not me. Most of the cakes were just that and now I am very discouraged. I will probably have to design my own cake without all the cutesy stuff! I know babies equals cutesy but this is a boy and I just don’t think rubber duckies is going to cut it. With my girls I would have done the cutesy, cheesy stuff but with my boy I want something a little more…..masculine. I guess most people come up with a theme and I don’t have one. What are the options???? Animals, trains, trucks! All the cliche things that boys would like and none of them interest me. If I was forced to come up with a theme, I guess my theme would be blue. Just blue. I know I am not very adventurous but I don’t know my son yet and I don’t want to give him some sports themed room and he actually loves music and he is stuck in a jocks dream room! Its hard having a a boy and knowing whats right. Its like trying to buy him clothes! All the boy clothes are kind of broken down into style and it has made it very hard for me because I don’t know what his style will be! There are the preppy outfits and the ‘cool’ boy outfits and the dorky outfits and I have no clue what to buy!! Im sorry but girls are a thousand times easier! Is it pink? Is it fluffy and makes you say awwww? Then it is perfect!! With boys it is such a different experience and quite stressful to be honest. I feel like I need to meet him before I make all these decisions but I guess I’m just going to have to take the plunge and do it. I saw this one cake on the Internet that was a sheet cake with a mom and dad on the top (flat) and it said congratulations so and so and I think that is the direction I may go so that there is no pressure on me to choose a theme. Only thing was I couldn’t save a picture of it so now back to the drawing board to try and find another picture of something similar.