Before I was able to get pregnant with Caden I remember a plea from one of my prayers.  I don't remember all the exact words, but I recall very clearly begging Heavenly Father to some day bless me with a home that's floors were covered in toys because that would surely mean I had lots of little ones.  Today as I'm ready to rip my hair out because of the mess from my three boys "helping me unpack", I had to laugh at that very sincere prayer I utter 5 1/2 years ago.  It has most definitely been answered--it put today in perspective.  Thank you, thank you for answering that prayer! I am so very grateful for my messy floors.

Last weekend Bryan built this reading nook for the boys toy room.  I love it.  And no, I didn't stage this picture, Caden actually sits still and enjoys reading here.  Miracle.

And I'd be lying if I said it still looks like this.  Parker decided my floors weren't messy enough and pulled every last book down.  I LOVE TWO YEAR OLDS! 

Oh Parker, you make Caden look like an innocent angel toddler.  I didn't see that coming. Today I discovered your drawing wall: the entire half wall in the living room.  Thank you for decorating since I hadn't quite gotten around to it myself.  I don't know that I would have picked the green and orange colors you did but I do like the modern look to your art.  Where you muscled those colored pencils from is beyond me since all the ones I'm aware of are hidden waaay out of your reach and even mine, just to be extra safe.

I'd also like to thank you for figuring out how to break out of the childproofed door during nap time.  (I should sue the company since it has failed to keep either of children safe.)  I'm sorry I underestimated you Parker; You must have been seriously offend because you sure got me back.  While I was showering you broke out and covered your baby brother in stuffed animals.  Then proceeded to cover yourself in the fireplace soot and ripped the handle off the front of the fireplace. 

I would have sold you today but you redeemed yourself by saying I was a queen.  Then covering your heart, bowing with one leg forward, toe flexed, and saying, "My lady."  Where did you learn that?  I have no idea, but you keep me laughing and for that I will always love you. 

Oh good.  I now see you tip-toeing to Caden's room, letting yourself off time out.  You aren't always as sneaky as you think.  :)

Love, Mommy

Wow.  It's been quite a month.  Two weeks after our little Owen was born we closed on our first home and moved.  No, we didn't expect it to play out this way, but it did so what can you do but press forward.  Yay, for adventures. On moving day, as I was driving to our new home, I thought about all the things I had been able to accomplish in the last month.  We had our third little boy, packed up our home,  bought our new home, cleaned two entire homes, painted the upstairs, and moved.  I couldn't help but repeat over and over in my head the phrase, "I CAN DO HARD THINGS!"  This is big for me--like Bryan has said about me, usually if the wind blows in the wrong direction I tip over.   What can I say, I stress easily.  :)  It turns out that phrase in my mind was much more than just me cheering myself on.  It was a tender mercy from a loving Heavenly Father. 

When I showed up at our new home later that day I see Bryan completely hunched over.  I thought he was messing with me, so of course I tell quasimodo he's not funny.  Well, he wasn't joking.  I could quickly tell that he was in a lot of pain.  He said something had happened before the guys had even come to load the truck and he'd been trying to help hunched over the entire time.  When he finally laid down, I could tell something was really, really wrong.  I begged him to go to the hospital; When his amazing dad showed up to take him to the ER he couldn't get out of bed.  When he finally rolled onto the floor he was stuck there trying to stand for a good half and hour.  It was awful not being able to do a thing about it, because everytime you tried to help he cried out in pain.  Long story, but after 8 hours at the hospital they found 2 bulging discs and left the question of surgery hovering in our minds.  Luckily, after a very long weekend a specialist cleared up the idea of surgery, but said he wasn't supposed to do anything but lay in bed for at least a week. 

My house was covered in what felt like 100's of boxes and furniture that I couldn't move and didn't know how to put together.  I had three little boys and a husband that needed me to do everything for them.  Plus, I had just had a baby three weeks ago, with a labor that felt way too similar to my first experience and I was hurting.  The wind blew in the wrong direction. I was overwhelmed.  But that mantra, "I can do hard things," came to me again.  With a lot of help from incredible family and friends we finished the move. The week after many of my family members showed up for Owen's baby blessing and we were able to finish the rest of the big projects that I couldn't do on my own.  Our new ward reached out and I just know we are going to love it here.  We have some how survived this month. I can honestly say that though I may have shed a few hundred tears, I can do hard things, and do them with a smile on my face.  This has been a very challenging month, but it has also been one of the greatest months I'll remember.  I have a beautiful angel baby, a wonderful new home, and an even stronger marriage to show for it.

And I promise I'll start returning calls eventually! Or you could just come visit us in our new home--that may be quicker.  :)

These are three days after Owen Jack was born.  He has truly been an incredible blessing in our home.  He never cries, and he just brings me this calm.  Adjusting to three has been waaaay easier than I had expected.  Granted I have yet to go to the grocery store alone with them all.

 

With the baby coming in two months I've gone into organization/finish it mode. We started a ton of projects when we first moved into our new home, and recently put lots of finishing touches on the final rooms. First is the toy room. I love this room. We made the bookshelf out of an entertainment center Bryan had from highschool. I'm still wanting to get cute fabric to put behind the door to cover some of the clutter. We'll see if that ever happens...We also finished Caden and Parker's Room. {Now if I could only get Parker to stay in the bed; story of a mother's life, right?!?} This is by far my favorite room in the house. Maybe it's the spaciousness, or maybe it's all the heart that Bryan and I put into doing all the artwork ourselves, or maybe it's the perfect bed. Whatever it is, I adore this room. Next in line was MAJOR organization. I'm not oblivious to the fact that three children three and under is not going to be a peaceful stroll in the park, so I've been taking every measure I can to make life after the baby arrives as harmonized as possible. Project #1: Medicine Organized.Project 2: Filing Cabinet. Everything, and I mean everything that we could ever need is filed away and catalogued. Birth certificates, warranties, medical records, car loans, keep sakes, bank statements: I think this was the day I realized how boring being an adult can be. And yet, using the label maker Bryan got me was one of the most exhilarating times of my life. :) Seriously, I'm obsessed with that thing. Hands down one of the top 5 presents I've ever received. Project 3: Binders I'm most excited about the Recipes and Preschool binders. I've finally organized the meals that are most healthy and that I can cook without great amounts of stress into a binder. From there I'm able to meal plan Sunday night for the week and grocery shop Monday morning. I used this website's, Design Finch, #5 weekly menu plan. I finally can say I'm cooking lots, and saving money! Last month we didn't go out once the entire month! Small miracle! Okay, okay, huge miracle.Project 4: Closet Organization. Nursery Boys Room: I cannot stand when their games and toys get mixed together. Then it takes 2 years to find the pieces, and it drives me absolutely nuts! Now each thing has it's own place and is LABELED. Call me crazy, but this gives me a lot of peace. Project 5: Dividers for the kids bath and kitchen. Bless my husband for knowing how to use tools! Project 6: Calendar and magnet board. I got the calendar from Pottery Barn and made the magnet board. I'm able to keep all our activities, the meal plan, and the boys job chart plus some cute art right in plain sight. Just another thing that fights a mother's constant battle against chaos. Up Next: Upholster a rocking chair.

It's been FOREVER. I was about to bag the whole blog thing, but then I remembered how very upset I get when my dear friends go months and months without up-dating me on their entertaining lives through their blog. I guess as a mom who has kids around her ankles screaming for something at all hours of the day the blog world is my one easy way to stay in touch with the people that mean so much to me. So even though I've been off my game, I'm not quite ready to bag it.

That said, things are really good in our neck of the woods. Awh, all the stories I could tell of raising boys...but I'm so far behind I'll stick to the basics. Parky turned 2. Oh dreaded day. :)We had a race car birthday for him and he got his very first hair cut. He's developed a new addiction over the last few months. I have NO idea where he gets this problem from. One day I found him hiding in the pantry eating chocolate chips that he'd climbed three shelves to retrieve. {Maybe he saw me the day I was desperately searching the pantry for the Reese's Bryan had hid from me...} Another day I made cookies for a swim party. I left the first batch on the cooling rack and when I came back from helping Caden with something every single cookie had been ingested by my two year old.
Caden graduated to Sunbeams at church. He was excited. When we went to pick Parker up from nursery Caden announced that he was way too old to be in this class. When I asked his teacher how he did his first day she started laughing. Always a good sign. She then told me that she spent 5 minutes explaining to the class that we are Heavenly Father's children and created in his image. Caden raised his hand after taking that in and says, "No we aren't! My mom has showed me pictures of him, and he's old and has white hair!"
The weather here has been to die for. While we were driving to the park yesterday Caden asked me when summer would end. I told him this was a California winter and he was very confused. We got the boys scooters for Christmas which has been the best investment ever. Both of them picked it up pretty easily and now they go outside and ride around every day. Everything pregnancy related is good. Little man's ultrasound came back great. I definitely feel older this time around. Its the first pregnancy that I actually have a hard time, oh you know, getting off the floor when I sit down. I'm not sure who said that 30 is the new 20 but clearly they were not talking about the body in regards to pregnancy. I feel more like what I imagine 70 to feel like.

Okay and lastly, I have to post this. A friend posted a link to this article. I took the time to actually read it. I laughed a lot, and felt much better about myself as a mother afterwards. So to all my mommy friends out there I hope you are enjoying EVERY SINGLE MOMENT like we are here at our crazy house! ;) Xoxo.

Keeping the streak going...

The ultrasound tech put the wand on my stomach while she was still setting things up and this is the shot I immediately saw. Well, looks like we are definitely having another boy! The tech was shocked and said she usually likes to draw things out, but there was zero suspense for us. He's a boy and he wanted everyone to know it. The tech was so nice and did some 4D shots for us. He looks exactly like our other two. Shocker. :)

We are extremely excited to be adding another little guy to our family. We really feel so blessed, and know it will be wonderful! I'll admit I was in shock for a few minutes, mostly at the thought of three boys. THREE boys. THREE BOYS!!! I'm going to be that mom. :) Ah, the adventures that await me...

Tomorrow is the big day. We find out the gender of baby #3. I swore to myself after how difficult it was getting Caden here that I would never care whether I was having a boy or girl. I still feel very strongly about that, BUT I'd be lying big time if I said I never hoped that eventually we'd have a daughter. The other night I woke up panicking. I'd had a dream that my three boys all went on missions for our church at the same time for a 6 year period. That dream is a pretty clear indication of why I am worried about having another boy. Worrying comes very naturally to me; It's in my DNA. So knowing that, if we have another little boy it will mean 6 consecutive years of worrying and missing my baby boys. It already makes me cry. (But please don't think I'm not aware that families receive huge blessings and that there is no better place for a 19 year old young man but it still doesn't sound like the most pleasant thing--having at least one member {or 2 in the case of Caden and Parker} gone from your family for 6 years.)

As I lay awake in bed worrying about my sure fate {what else could I be having besides a boy?!?} I was very comforted by the fact that I KNOW Heavenly Father knows perfectly what is best for me and for my eternal family. I know that our Father in Heaven knows what I am capable of as a mother far better than I do. If this baby is another boy it will be the greatest previlege to be his mother and to bawl and bawl and bawl when I drop him off at the MTC. And I couldn't help but think that I hope I am able to raise boys as amazing as my husband. Then I will have daughter-in-laws that are as grateful for me as I am for my mother-in-law.