Big Brother & Big Sister

In two weeks from today, these two munchkins will be a big brother and big sister!  I can’t believe it, but my pregnancy is already almost over & my “babies” are getting so big!  Madeline turns 2 in a few weeks & Jack 4 this summer!  We are all so excited to meet Brennan, and I really think the kids are gonna handle everything really well (at least I hope :)

Where a kid should be!

I lived outside when I was little. 

Most of my memories were made there.

I love when the weather allows for my kids to play outside.  I was cooking supper and Jack ran in with the most excited voice, “Mom…you have to come see my team!” To be honest…my feet ached, I was busy, & I really didn’t feel like going to look, BUT I did and I’m so happy I did.  He was so proud & happy to show me.  I was so thankful I sucked it up & went happily to share his excitement with him. 

“They’re just kids Rebecca…,” my Dad would say.  “They don’t understand…” 

I’m so thankful for the patience he and my mom taught me…not to say it isn’t on the top of my prayer list sometimes ;)

And as for Miss Madeline….I just don’t know my friends.  She is trying to potty train herself at 22 months and constantly undresses herself.  I just don’t have the energy to keep up.  So there she is folks…outside with no pants on.  At least her shirt is long enough to cover the goods.

Madeline has been talking up a storm lately. 

She calls Brad “Dad-eeeeeeee!” and his heart melts.  I love to hear her call Jack from across the house….”Ja!!!!!!!!!Ja!!!!!!” “What Maddy?….what is it Maddy?” he’ll say. He’s a good big brother.

I sure do love these little monkeys…although they’ve got me more tired than I’ve been in my whole life.  I am having a baby in 3 weeks. Holy cow!

Every post seems to be titled…

Something like…living life, going with the flow, etc.  I sit down to blog and its all I can think to title my posts because we are sort of just living life.  Our days are pretty much the same…

Gym, bring Jack to school, pick him up, grocery stores, chick a way with our best friends(what Jack calls it), trying to keep my house clean while becoming more and more pregnant in case it shows, but it never does, and playing either babies/kitchen/pirates/or airplanes.  It’s pretty awesome I’d say.

We are all very excited about little Brennan who is planned to arrive in about 5 weeks.  We pretty much have everything ready.  Every other day Jack tells me, “I’m so excited for baby Brennan to come.”  Maddy just enjoys looking through his clothes and saying “baby!!!! baby!!!! awww…baby!!!”

Jack had “Rodeo Day” at school last week.  I bought him a pair of cowboy boots which he LOVES.  When he was getting ready he cocked his hip and said, “Momma cowboys do this!” while he tapped his foot!

He said, “Come on Maddy…let’s dance!” And, my heart melted!

Goin’ with the flow around here!

Madeline is so different from Jack.  She can almost dress herself, she has an opinion when it comes to what she should wear to go out & for bed, and she’s been putting on shoes since she was 1 yrs. old.  She has recently started putting on Jack’s shoes, which he doesn’t even do at almost four!  She thinks its so funny & we just go with the flow :)

This is what you get when your Daddy dresses you!  Madeline was a little sick this day as you can see in the above picture.  Even though her outfit didn’t quite coordinate perfectly it was still so cute & she loved it! And, I’ll say it again…when Daddy takes the time to dress the kids…I most definitely just go with the flow :)

Ah…that’s better sweet girl!  Love that sweet smile!

And, will someone please save me from the combination of my kids & iPhones!!!!!  At first it was like…oh this is awesome…entertainment.  Now that its become an obsession & the beginning of tantrums when a game is too hard & my calls are starting to get silenced before I know the phone rang…I’m seriously about done with my kids and iproducts.  Actually…whatever…I’m 32 weeks pregnant & accreta free btw & kind of just giving in to whatever…and going with the flow-happily I might add.  I’m so happy in this life.

Wow

A friend blogged about this article below, and I was so emotional while reading it.

http://www.catholicmothersonline.com/2012/01/comparison-kills-contentment/

I wasn’t sure at first if it was just those crazy pregnancy hormones kicking in, or if it was just that I knew it was so true & felt so relieved knowing that I got it. 

Or that I was at a point in my life where I understood what the writer was saying & my proudest moment…that I’d started to live it.

When I started my “spiritual journey” over a year ago now…the contents of this article were some of the things I struggled with the most & still do at times.

I’d write about what the author says, but she wrote it so beautifully I hope you’ll click on the link and read it for yourself.  Its on a Catholic website, but I can assure you that anyone will find it comforting.

Hebrews 13:5

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ”I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Luke 12:15

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Maddy Grace

Madeline is probably going to be my only little girl.

I could cry thinking about it, but we’ve pretty much decided to make Brennan our last little monkey. 

I guess since I opened that can of worms…I need to give some details.  To be honest with everyone I’ll say I don’t enjoy pregnancy at all-I’m so sick for the first four months, I get huge, I’m uncomfortable most of the time, etc.-but I wouldn’t trade it for the world and I know for sure…IT’S COMPLETELY WORTH IT!  I have c-sections which aren’t that big of a deal unless of course you fall into that small percentage of people who do have problems.  Such a small percentage, never thought it would include me, but it just might with this pregnancy, and that is why we are making the decision to end our baby making days.

I have an anterior placenta.  Not a big deal unless you’ve had prior c-sections, and in that case if the placenta has attached over or near your previous scar you could develop placenta accreta, which is when the placenta burrows too deep into the uterine wall.  When that happens its difficult to deliver the placenta and there’s a lot of bleeding and to control it they usually have to do a hysterectomy.  We don’t know if my placenta is attached near my scar yet, and we are praying it isn’t, but with all this on our minds we’ve pretty much decided it might be best to stop with monkey #3.  With every c-section all these risks increase and the biggest jump is from c-section #3 to #4.  So far we have 3 beautiful healthy children and 1 healthy momma and we really want to keep it that way :)  As sad as it is for me, the more I talk about it the more peace I find in our decision.

So there you have it!  We are done with Brennan, and Maddy is my only little girl.  One little girl that is really starting to rule the roost.  She’s got both of us wrapped around her finger!  She’s sweet, cuddly, very feisty, has some serious attitude, and hilarious!  We feel so blessed to have at least one little girl! We of course LOVE our boys too~they are another ball game-and an absolute blast!  

Baby Jesus was born!

Christmas was more about the birth of our savior this year than anything else, and I Ioved knowing that Jack understood that.  We explained to him what Christmas was really all about and he took in all the details and surprised us to tell you the truth.  Before we knew it he could retell the whole story and would randomly talk about how excited he was that baby Jesus was going to be born.  Madeline on the other hand…just went with the flow :)   

Christmas eve and morning were so exciting because Jack totally understood that Santa was coming to leave him presents and he was just tickled to death about it.  It was precious! 

Getting ready for Christmas Eve mass! Notice my belly is definitely growing!  I’m 29 weeks now….so 10 weeks to go since I’ll be have another c-section at 39 weeks!  We are so excited for Brennan’s arrival!

Making cookies for Santa with MiMi!  The kids loved every part of making & decorating the cookies.  In fact…my kids love to cook!  They pull chairs up to the counter at every opportunity to help me cook. 

Nana & MiMi with the kids! So sweet!

Santa brought Madeline all the baby stuff in the world.  She absolutely loves taking care of her babies.  Brad and I love to watch her in action.  Its so sweet and natural!

Jack playing with his new remote control Lightning McQueen!