Baby Fever

This is my baby. He's two.

I'm 37.

And I have a serious case of baby fever.

I thought I was done. I was perfectly content with my two healthy, happy little boys.

But lately, I've been thinking about this...

(Sprout, 1 week old)

and this...

(Cubbie, 1 week)

Remembering sweet little baby fingers, the warmth of a nursing baby, the teeny, tiny bundle curled up in a baby sling.

But I go back and forth...

...am I too old? What about the risk factors after 35?

...should I just be happy where we are? We are almost done with diapers and things are getting easier.

...do I really want to go back to pumping 3X a shift at work? Should a working mom really have three kids? Am I being selfish? Can we afford daycare for three kids?

...can we "make" a girl? And if we have another boy, can I handle THREE boys? That's a lotta boy!

So I am torn. My DH is too. I've been praying and asking for God's guidance, but haven't found a peace about it yet. 

Any thoughts?

How did you know when you were done having kids?

Sprout is Four Years Old!

My first born...

(Sprout, 1 year)

is Four Years Old!!!

 

Happy Birthday, my little Sprout!

The one year picture was taken by a friend of ours. The rest are mine. We had his party this past weekend and yes, the big present he’s unwrapping was a Buzz Lightyear!

I can’t believe it’s been four years since I first became a mom. Sprout has gotten so big and smart and has such a kind little personality. I just love my little guy!

Link up at:

Jogging With Jesus

I like to jog with Jesus. Not literally, no. But when I need to sort my life out, I leave the ipod behind, set out for a run, and bring Him along with me. For the fun of it, I picture Him running along side me in a robe and sandals. No, I’m not crazy…stick with me here :-)

On one of my runs last weekend while up at the cabin, my heart was heavy with much anxiety. So, I began to ask God for guidance. I asked Him to take away the stress. Instead, for some reason, I felt guided to break down all my worries into parts:

First part – my stress about work. After I vented (in my head, of course) my concerns about my new boss and all the rumors I’ve heard about he/she being a “hard a-s” I felt God say, “What are you worried about, you DO your job and you do it well.” Ok, well, what else?

Second part – feeling guilty about being impatient and yelling sometimes at the kids. I felt God say, “They are 2 and 4. It is normal. Just try to love them up when they are being good.” Ok, well, but wait, there’s more God!

Third part – DH’s stress about his career. I felt God say to give it time and things will get better, they always do. This one especially gave me a peace of mind and I felt God saying, let go of trying to control him or make him feel better. He has to work it out on his own. Weight lifted!

Fourth part – I felt God asking, “Ok, now what about you? What are you doing for YOURSELF?” That took some thought, but then I came back to my hobbies…photography, writing, scrapbooking, and blogging. The idea then popped into my head of setting some “me” time into my schedule.

And before I knew it, my run was over and I felt a lot lighter. A weight had been lifted and I was in a much better mood.

So, the next time you’re stressing out…forget the ipod and go for a walk or run…you never know who might just want to come along!

(Note: The above image is a pic I took of the little country road that leads to the cabin.)

Come Camping With Us!

Dine on fresh fish, caught directly from the lake…

 

Your chariot awaits you as we provide excursions deep into the forest…

 

Your tour guide will be attentive to ALL your needs…

 

You will experience first class amenities…

 

as we welcome you with open arms! :-)

The real deal….yes, we are back! We had a blast at my in-laws cabin. That is after we outran THREE tornado warnings on our way there! We brought our pop-up camper and slept inside, but used the cabin for cooking and showers. And yes, the cabin really has an outhouse! No longer in use, of course.

Here’s the view we woke up to every morning…

 

The boys spent every waking moment outside in either the water or the sand…

 

We went on several boat rides in my father in-law’s old boat…

and just enjoyed spending time together as a family!

We are happy to be back, minus a few (like two dozen) mosquito bites. Bring on the aloe vera and Toy Story band-aids!

A Little Getaway

Guess where we’re off to???

 

We’ll be doing a little bit of this…

 

And hopefully NONE of this!

(And hopefully not in sweatshirts either!!! ;-)

What are YOUR weekend plans???

Books with Daddy

My man.

He is a loving husband. He has grown into a doting, protective father.

It wasn’t always easy.

It all started with Sprout’s scary birth.

New parents, lost in a sea of sleeplessness. We made it through.

Then, twenty-two months later, Cubbie came along. Every night for three months, he fussed and cried from 6-10PM.

But through it all, my man endured. He rocked, he shushed, he understood my postpartum tears.

And now, when I see my man and my little men reading books together,

I shed only happy tears.

Link up at:

  and  

Silly Boys

Seriously, how can you not laugh, looking at these two! Hope this brought a smile to your face today :-)

BTW, you don't want to know what goofy, crazy noise I was making just to get them to giggle like this. If you have little boys, you KNOW what I mean!

Link up at:

Snow…in July?

Image Credit

I’m a runner.

Not competitively, not anymore. I’m old, at least my knees are.

I cherish every chance I get to fit in a run. Luckily, my work allows us PT (physical training) time three times a week.

So yesterday, when I had a window of opportunity to go for a run, I took it. The fact that it was at 1:30 in the afternoon and 89 degrees out…well, no matter, I needed my “high.”

Off I went, down the sidewalk, under the trees, and into the bright, humid sun. Forty minutes later, chanting to myself, “You can do this,” I focused on every step. My water deprived body shouted, “Stop,” but walking wasn’t an option.

Two blocks away from my work and slightly delirious, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of something white floating in the air. For a millisecond, my dehydrated brain thought, “It’s snowing!” Once I was able to think logically, I realized…it was cotton from the cottonwood trees!

I stumbled back in the building, crawl-walked up the stairs to the locker room, and sprawled out on the bench.

Why do I do this to myself? Because…I’m a runner.

My Baby Boy

I love this shot. And I love this boy. With all my heart.

 

Link up at:

and

Daylilies!

I'm still learning how to use my Canon T1i. On these shots, I used the standard kit lens (18-55mm) that came with my camera. I'm such a dork, as soon as my Daylilies bloomed, I ran out and took a bunch of photos. I'm sure my neighbors were wondering what on earth I was doing laying on the lawn, kneeling on the sidewalk, just to get different vantage points.

Then, it rained! So, of course, I couldn’t resist the chance to capture raindrops. The second it stopped, I ran out and took some more photos.

By the way, these are straight out of the camera. When I attempted to edit them, it just blurred the detail out, so I just left it alone.

I hope my Daylilies make you smile today :-) I love yellow!

Link up at:

and

Saturday Centus

Here is my entry for the 100 word writing meme over at Jenny Matlock’s blog called Saturday Centus. The writing prompt is in bold.

** This is FICTION **

* * * * *

"Are you sure that's the one you want?"

I felt a little lump in my throat as I peered down at my choice, held tightly in my hand. I didn't think this would be so nerve-wracking. Was I making the wrong decision? I couldn't agonize over this any longer.

I took a deep breath before managing to say, "... Yes, it is."

The right caliber, it fit neatly inside my purse.

Will he be there? It’s a risk, but one I was willing to take to protect my family.

This must end.

As I sat in my minivan, baby car seat in back, I watched as the Learjet taxied towards the stairs.

Black suit, power tie. Steven’s distinctive gait noticeable even from my vantage point.

“I am done.” I told him.

“Sorry, you are too valuable to the operation, I can’t let you go. Not yet.”

Predictable answer.

The shot echoed through the hanger.

And I walked away.

* * * * *

Just FYI, one of my hobbies is writing. I hope those of you who have come to know me more as a “mommy blogger” don’t mind my musings, however dark or weird, crazy or silly.

Ice Cream Trucks, Fireworks, and Fire Trucks

Image credit

I’m so excited to be linking up with my friend, Mama M today for:

1. What is one thing you miss the most about childhood?

The Ice cream truck! My mom lived in public housing (the “projects”) when I was real small. I remember the thrill of hearing the sing song music. Every little kid would come running off of swings and front stoops, begging their moms for spare change.

2. Are you still friends with your friends from high school?

Considering I graduated almost 20 years ago now (1991), no. Just grew apart, I guess.

3. Is there a catch phrase, cliche, or word that just drives you bonkers every time you hear it?  No, not really. I can’t come up with one.

4. What is one thing that you think symbolizes America...besides "Old Glory"?

Fireworks! Hence, the above image.

5. What are your 4th of July weekend plans?

The 4th of July parade in town, of course! My boys love the fire trucks and police cars, well, and the candy too!

What are YOUR plans for the 4th?