Jake.

I just woke up from a nap, I felt like a zombie this morning! I was up late texting Rebecca, she was having contractions. Around 3am I saw a text that said "We're going in." that was sent around 2:30- eek! I woke up at 6 to a bunch of texts, he was here! He came at 3:34am, within 45 minutes of them getting to the hospital. I couldn't sleep after that, I was way too excited!

Nephew #4 baby Jake [still no middle name]

7lbs 2oz, 18.5in.

I'm thinking about making a trip to meet him in a couple of weeks. I hate driving by myself but he'll be worth it.

Random update.

Long time, no update! For me anyway.

I gave Rian a little sock bun the other day, looove.

I thought this was cute, you can see hers poking out from under mine. :)

We had a great Christmas! Santa brought Aiden a scooter and Rian a Pinkalicious doll. They also got a few things from Mom and Dad. Growing up, my parents always left the big thing unwrapped and it was from Santa, that's how we do it too. Every year on facebook I see people saying stuff about Santa getting all the credit... I don't get it. Who cares? I don't understand why some people feel the need to be recognized for everything they do. Oh well. The kids were spoiled by both sets of Grandparents, of course. And some more by lots of people that love them. Its hard to remind them that Christmas is about more than getting gifts when they received so many! I'll just keep drilling it into their little brains.

Chistmas Eve night.

Rian's been obsessing over my one fingernail because it looks like a candy cane. She didn't like them at first but now she keeps trying to steal them off of the tree!

I always feel a little blue when Christmas is over. Its just such a fun time of year, it should last longer. I keep everything decorated and the tree up til January 1st, I can't believe some people take stuff down the day after Christmas. When the kids grow up and leave home, I'll probably be the crazy lady that keeps her tree up along time. :)

I have taken a couple of decorations down in the kitchen though. We finally got the shelves up that I've been wanting. I also rehung my pots and pans from hooks over the island. That's how we had them when we first moved in but one of them fell twice and got dented so I just took them down. Steven got longer hooks for them. I have another project I want to do, paint and hang a pegboard on our bedroom wall for my jewlery, but I need Steven's help because they only sell huuuuge pieces of it. I wonder if I'll ever run out of things to do... then I don't know what I'll do. Hopefully that doesn't happen before the kids go to school and I go to work.

I've been neglecting my flowers and humming bird feeder so much since its gotten cold, I hate going out there in the mornings! But this morning I filled the feeder and watered the flowers, hopefully they're not too far gone. I'm going to try harder to get my butt out there in the mornings.

I had no plans today for my free time except to get a few things at Walmart that I forgot to get during yesterday's grocery trip, then drop off the recyclables. I decided to go to Goodwill too since it was nearby, I found a Patron bottle for $1.49! I've been wanting one, I love the way they look. I also saw this cool looking peice of furniture that I thought would make a good tv stand [we've been talking about catching up with the times and getting a new tv], Steven and his Dad went to pick it up after he got off of work and apparently its not as cool as I thought it was... NOT. I still think it would've been perfect, at least til we found something better. It was only $18! Boo.

The kids were WILD from the time they got dropped off til they were put to bed. I'm glad its finally quiet. I'm so ready for it to be Tuesday already, "Parenthood" is finally returning. Yay!

The first meeting.

Two years ago today, my babies met for the first time. Aiden wasn't allowed in the hospital because of the Swine Flu... it was so hard to be away from him that long. When Grandma brought him home, we were so excited to see each other! Rian was in her Boppy on the couch waiting for him, I couldn't wait to see them together.

He was soo cute, he smiled really big and leaned over to look at her. Grandma held Rian and I was holing Aiden, that's when he slapped her in the face. Oh boy! Within minutes of them being together, my new crazy life had started!

I probably won't do this forever, but here's the last three December 23rds:

Such a love/hate relationship they have. :)

December 22nd

My sweet girl,

I'm not exactly sure how time flew by so quickly. I can't believe you're two! But at the same time, 730 days with you hasn't been enough. It feels like just yesterday I heard those amazing words, "Its a girl." I had tears running down my face. I couldn't stop smiling. I was going to have a daughter. It was a dream come true. One boy, one girl- perfect. That day was the last day we saw you before you were born, I spent the remainder of my pregnancy worried you'd come out a boy. That same day we bought your first set of onesies and receiving blankets. I couldn't wait to start getting you all the pretty, pink stuff- I was definitely going to be that Mom!

When you were born, at 6:51pm, I had to ask Daddy, "Is she a girl?!" And then there you were, in my arms. My daughter. While I was pregnant, I thought a lot about how I could possibly have enough room in my heart for anymore love, your Dad and brother filled it up. But the second I held you, there it was in an instant- that powerful, insane, unconditional love... its all-consuming and overwhelming, the best feeling in the entire world.

My brandnew baby girl, she's a miracle. I saw God today.
-George Strait

Your nickname, Punky, is so totally you. You do things your brother never did. You want to sleep with shoes on and do everything on your own, little Miss Independent. You have to buckle your chest piece in your carseat and buckle your booster seat straps. [Everytime you buckle them, you shriek "I did it!" It excites you every. single. time.] You also have to put your own shoes and socks on [which you mastered at the same time as your big brother.] You want to wash yourself in the bathtub and sometimes you even want to put your own diaper on haha. You're very smart- is it because your the second child? Because you're a girl? Its because you're, YOU. You're so wild and free-spirited. You know what you want and how to get it. You make me laugh sooo much, especially when you make funny faces. You love when I make faces at you too.

When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change. Cause you're amazing, just the way you are. And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for awhile. Cause girl you're amazing, just the way you are.
-Bruno Mars

I love so many things about you, its hard to keep track, but here are a few:

-Your voice and the way you talk. Like how you call your slippers, "slipplas" and the mail lady is "mah-lah-dee."
-I love that you look so much like me.
-Your teeth.
-How girly you are, but also how tough you are.
-Your chubby cheeks and chunky thighs [they're starting to get smaller. :(]
-The way you smell.
-That you call Aiden "Sissy"
-You're still so much a Momma's girl.
-You want to choose your own outfits and put them on yourself. [If I pull your pants up, you pull them down then pull them back up yourself.]
-That you're all about accessorizing.
-How you're SO on with your routine. If I mix it up and give bath before dinner [because we were ourside and you got dirty, you love playing in dirt.] the rest of your night is ruined. If I give you milk too early, you're ready for bed super early. You're on point with your schedule!
-Your little lispe.
-How you copy everything Aiden does. [lets be honest, I don't always love it.]
-The way you stick your fingers through the spaces in your crocheted blankets, even when you're sleeping.
-When you stop being stingy and give out lovings. "Gimme hug! Gimme kith! Anodduh hug!"
-How obsessed you are with brushing your teeth. "My brushteeth!" [Also obsessed with saying you want to pee on the potty, even though all you do when you sit down is ask for a banana.]
-When you give me a certain look with your eyes, point your finger and tell me something in a very matter-of-fact voice.
-I especially love that I can still rock you to sleep.

And when she wraps her hand around my finger, oh it puts a smile in my heart. Everything becomes a little clearer, I realize what life is all about. It's hanging' on when your heart has had enough. It's giving more when you feel like giving up. I've seen the light, it's in my daughter's eyes.
-Martina McBride

I want so much for you, for you to do so well and go so far in this crazy thing called life. To be happy, healthy, successful and most of all, a good person. Raising you is the scariest thing I've ever done. I never want you to feel less than you are. I want you to always, always love yourself. I'm already dreading every heart break you'll endure. It makes me sad knowing I won't be able to fix everything for you. I want to give you the easiest, best life I possibly can, but I know you'll have to live and learn.

I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.

-Robert Munsch

I can't even begin to express the amount of joy you've brought into my life. Our bond is so special, I hope we're always close, that you'll always be a Momma's girl. I'm here for you forever. I'm going to mess up, you might even hate me at times... but I hope you know, everything I'll ever do is for you- to benefit you, protect you, mold and shape you. I'll always be your #1 fan, your biggest supporter. [Same can be said about your Daddy.] Even though I gave you life, you're really the one who gave me life.

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."

-Elizabeth Stone

Happy Birthday, pretty girl.

I love you with everything I am,

Mommy.

Aiden.

Aiden's been cracking me up more and more, I say that all the time. [And also driving me more and more crazy- ugh the attitude!]

At dinner he was talking about reindeer and said they eat trees, I told him they eat carrots. He was like "No! Rabbits eat carrots. Reindeer eat trees." as if I were the dumbest person ever. He went on and on with a little know-it-all voice.

Bedtime's gotten to be a little ridiculous with him. He carries on about how he's scared and does the ugliest scream to get us to keep going to his room. Steven usually goes to bed around the same time, so he gives in and lets Aiden sleep in our room til I go to sleep. Tonight Steven squished into Aiden's bed though. They fell asleep and a few minutes ago, as I was peacefully watching a Christmas movie, I heard him yelling for me- he told me Daddy was too big for his bed [he was taking up too much space.] I woke Steven up [he's soo hilarious when he's sleeping, he's so out of it] and told him what Aiden said. He got all upset! "You don't want me to lay with you anymore? Fine. Whatever." and stormed off to our room. HAHA!

I used to brush his hair all the time after bath when he was a baby. The past couple of years I haven't, but tonight I did:

After I brushed it, I laughed then he went wild on the couch and messed it up, so I brushed it again and while I was brushing it, he said, "Laugh!" He loves to be funny, just like his Dad. [His smile is so huge in this picture, I like it.]

When I uploaded the pictures onto the computer right now, I found a few shots Aiden took yesterday and sometime tonight that I didn't know he took.

Earlier Steven brought home stuff to make Smores... they weren't a hit with the kids but it was still fun. I can't believe Christmas is almost here, geez!



[Edit:] Oh yeah and one thing I don't want to forget. A few mornings ago, the kids were in our bed and my eyes were closed but I was awake... Aiden says "Come on Sissy, lets get in stuff!" haha little butthead! They love being in our room an ddigging around in everything. Last night we tried watching 'The Help' but our backup dvd player [What the hell? All our backups are breaking!] was acting up so we had to watch it in our room, the kids were going NUTS in there. Its like the forbidden room to them.

Rian's party.

Yesterday we had Rian's little birthday get-together. I was on "GO" from the second I finished my coffee. I started having a mini-panic attack about three hours before party time, thinking I wouldn't have everything done, so I had Steven do some stuff for me [thank God for my hubs.] I finished on time, with 10 minutes to spare... which left me with a few minutes to realize what all the work was for, celebrating my baby girl. I spent those minutes holding back tears.

I made her a fabric tutu and twisted fabric flowers into a number "2" for her shirt. She looked SO dang cute. Better than any shirt I could've bought on Etsy.

The food that had me multi-taskin' like a mad woman! I wanted to make a little "Menu" board but had no time. Spinach dip in a bread bowl, caprese bites, jalepeno poppers, veggie pizzas and layer dip. Mmm we didn't have much left over but we're enjoying every bit! Yuuuummy.

If only you could see the back! It broke two hours before party time. Oh well.

I really wanted a fabric banner but then took it out of my plans because I didn't want to buy more fabric. I ended up having quite a bit left after her tutu and flowers, so I made it.  Along with a burlap birthday sign, doily pennant and her pictures paired with paper pom poms.

[Awesome tv right in the way, huh? Ew.]

Pink lemonade! [When I first thought of her party, I wanted to do a 'Pinklacious' theme so I had to throw the lemonade in there :)] I used a few things from her room for the party.

I usually always carry the cake to the kids, but I asked Steven to do it this time. I couldn't. I don't know why singing "Happy Birthday" is so emotional. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry.

:)

My little family.

I was having a horrible hair day! [My Chi broke in September and I've been using my old Remington since and that decided to break yesterday- eek!] But hair was the last thing on my mind.

She got some awesome presents and quality time with people who love her so much. So blessed. We watched movies and ate popcorn the rest of the night.

Today I woke up thinking, "Now what?" It was weird not having something to do! I liked the stress and all the crafts I got to do. Too bad Aiden's birthday's another 8 months away.

December 15

A date that's significant in both of my pregnancies... I feel like I'll always remember this day, but we'll see in 10 years.

12.15.07- it was the day I found out I was pregnant with Aiden. I've never had a "regular" cycle, so for it to be late didn't concern me. But when it was as late as it'd ever been, I decided to test. I went to Walmart and with shaky hands, peed in a coffee cup when I got home. Seeing those two pink lines was unreal, I couldn't believe it. I left the test on the bathroom counter for Steven to see when he got home from work. I was soo excited when he walked in. As I've said before, we lived in a studio at the time. You walk in the front door and the bathroom door was right there, to the right. Our bed was to the left and at the foot of the bed, was the computer, where I was sitting, anxiously waiting for him to see it. He went into the bathroom and walked out with a huge smile. It was such a scary but exciting time for us, not knowing what to expect. I'd wake up in the middle of the night and realize it wasn't a dream, it was real. I used the other two tests in the box over the course of the next few days because it was so hard for me to believe.

When you first get pregnant, you think of all the things you did before you knew that little bean was inside of you- like getting drunk at a Christmas party and jumping on a trampoline for hours haha. It was hard for me to tell my parents. I was in school and obviously they had hopes of me doing things the traditional way, but Adrian had just been born and they were on the high of being new Grandparents, so they weren't as upset with me as I thought they'd be. On Christmas Day, I was putting salt on my mashed potatoes and my dad told me to take it easy, him saying that made me feel so much relief, like he didn't hate me ha. I remember that night, everybody called us to go out to the bars, instead we drove alllll over town to find a place open to get ice cream and curled up on the couch and watched "Home Alone." We told our close friends and family and finally let the news spread after our first appointment in January. It was fun telling people.

12.15.09- Rian's due date! At my 39 week appointment, I was 3cm and told the saaaame thing they said with Aiden, "I won't be surprised if you don't make it to your next appointment." And just like the first time, I let myself get excited. Which annoyed me because I knew there was no way she'd come anytime before my EDD. So even though I wasn't surprised when my due date came and went, I did feel a little sad. On facebook, everybody guessed what day she would come. I was soo sure, 100% positive she'd come on the 19th. It was a date that stuck out in my mind from the day I found out her due date. But once again... I said bye bye to that day. My friend Erica's daughter's birthday is December 22 and that's what she guessed. I was like "No way! I don't want to be that overdue again." With Aiden, I can remember having only two contractions til I was actually being induced. But with Rian, I had them full on starting December 5th. I was excited to think my body would actually cooperate this time. HA. But sure enough, on December 22, I was off to the hospital to force my baby girl out.

[Top is Aiden, bottom is Rian. The pictures on the left are the first ones of Steven and me after the babies were born- what a difference in me! I was so exhausted after having Aiden, I was also getting sewn up in the picture- eek!]