The Announcement

 

 

Alright, then! It was confirmed today, so here goes the big announcement!

As a baby present, my oldest sister took me to a private ultrasound clinic at 17 weeks to take a sneak peek at the baby!

On the eve of my appointment, I baked some chocolate cupcakes-

half filled with light pink colored cream

and half filled with light blue colored cream.

After the exam,  I came home and handed Brian a cupcake,

which he stabbed with a fork, and found…

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Folks, it’s ANOTHER BOY!

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We have laughed and laughed about it, and wondered how we are going to survive!

But, now that I know that he’s a he- I wouldn’t have it any other way!

My sweet, insightful Joseph (who really wanted another brother and said, “THREE IN A ROW!”)  asked me today, while we were looking at these ultrasound pictures :

“Mama?  Are you sad that its not a girl?”

And I could honestly answer, “No, sweetie!  I’m glad we’re having another little boy for our family!”

(And for the record- his profile looks EXACTLY like his Big Brother Isaac!)

Let’s Chat

(with some pictures of my children, because OHMYGOSH I love them so much right now while they are sleeeeping!)

1)  I would apologize about not blogging more, except that I really can’t help it. 

I am sooooo tired all the time, and I am having a bit of pregnancy-induced-narcolepsy causing me to nap at random and often…inappropriate…zzzz. 

Even in the middle of Mad Men! Which tells you that, truly, it’s not you, its me.  

And then I am thrown into this weird insomnia spiral where since I napped I can't sleep until 1 am or so, and then the next day I am so tired because of the 1 am bedtime that I fall asleep randomly, and the cycle continues. 

You might ask, why not blog at night when you can't sleep?   

Because mostly, I am just laying in bed panicking about not sleeping, thinking about all of the trillions of things that I forgot to do during the day, and counting Brian’s snores.

If I DO make it out of bed, I barely having the strength to do anything but click my mouse whilst online shopping into the wee hours because OH MY GOSH!  WHY AM I STILL AWAKE??!!  PANIC! PANIC!

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2) On Friday, Brian came out of his office to find me asleep on the couch while Joseph watched a movie. 

Not so bad, until I tell you that I was wearing my (chocolate-splattered) robe, and lying next to a plate of half-eaten cupcakes.

So I kind of think I might be needing to step up the sexiness factor around here?  Except that I was NAPPING next to CUPCAKES, people!

3)  Joseph came up to me the other day and gave my belly a friendly pat.  He said, "Man, Mama!  Your tummy is sure getting big!  And it is going to get bigger and bigger until WHAMO!!  It pushes the baby out!"  So...not entirely correct.  But we are going with it.

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4)  Joseph has also been taking swimming lessons, which he LOVES and is fairly good at. 

His last day in Level One is on Thursday, and they have said that he can go to Level Two except...SELFISH Caitlin is TIRED of swim lessons!! Waah! 

You know why?  Because I have to get in with Isaac!  And change everyone’s clothes twice!  And pack snacks!  And wear a SWIMSUIT!!! (Although I did get a new one in the mail today, and SPOILER-since you will never ever see it here: It has polka dots!!) 

The nap both boys take make it almooost worth it, but sigh... I'm conflicted. 

Good News though, Joseph!  Mama is motivated by guilt!  So you will probably get to take swim lessons forever!  HOORAY!!

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5)  Speaking of selfish, I may or may not have hid in my room for a few minutes while bodily-barricading the door to the pounding/needy/non-stop-talking children on the other side.  But, I did come out, so I must love them.  But MAN, motherhood is in-tense sometimes!

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6)  Yes, I’m sorry for holding out on you readers, I DO know what the baby is.  I would have told you earlier, but…zzzzzzzzz, remember?

Would you care to hear? 

I am going in for another ultrasound tomorrow and will post some pictures and the news then-ish!

Now, if you will please excuse me, I am off to go lie in bed and panic about sleeplessness for the next few hours!

Good night!

This is how it goes.

 

A bit ramble-y, I apologize.

“Caitlin?  Is that you?”

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Me (turning around and immediately sucking it in before realizing that I don’t have to anymore.  Hellooo free 9 month pot-belly pass!): “Oh (fill in the blank) so good to see you!”

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Them: “Oh! You’re pregnant?  Is it your first?”

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Me: “No… its our third actually!”

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Them: (some sound/exclamation of amazement) “THREE KIDS!!”

(Note: my sister also gets this all the time, but she has SEVEN, so I think it is much more deserved.  In fact,sorry sis, I wanted to gasp a little when I just typed “seven”)

Me:  “Yeah…”

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I know that nobody means anything by it.  They don’t mean to be judgmental or critical- they are just genuinely surprised!  I would be!  Heck, I AM! 

And yet, I am a people pleaser/afraid of criticism, and for whatever reason, I feel the need to explain/defend why I am having my 3rd kid at the ripe old age of 27.

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(remind me to tell you a funny story about how Brian thought I was 26 and it convinced me that Yes, YES, I AM 26 for quite a few minutes!  And that my heart sank a little when I realized that, nope, its 27.)

(Well, actually, that’s the whole story)

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But what can I really say about this here #3 I’m cookin’?

Let’s discus the options, because- friends- Caitlin is a bit rusty and socially awkward from New Jersey and I have used them all.

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1) “Whoopsy-doopsy!” 

Pros: It implies that maybe I didn’t MEAN to get saddled up with all of these kids so soon.  That maybe I WOULD be continuing with some…humanitarian work?…had I not been impregnated (gross, sorry dad) three times in 4 years.  

Cons: It makes me look like an idiot who failed at using birth control three times in four years.

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2)  “Well, you know how it goes!”

Pros: A quick out and subject change

Cons: I don’t know how it goes.

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3)  “Haha!  Well, once you have one, you just kind of have to keep going!”

Pros: It also sounds like this whole producing-multiple-children thing was vaguely out of my control.  Maybe I chose to have one, but from there (throws hands up in despair) what could I do?  It was out of my hands! 

 

Cons: You shouldn’t have more children just to give your existing children siblings.

Although, to be honest, it is probably mostly the reason I keep having them.  It sure isn’t because they are easy, or help my figure.

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At this point I also admit that I have been married for almost seven years, that I married yes, Brian from high school, and that I dropped out of college to do so.

And that I haven’t worked in 4.5 years.

Then, I ask them about their life and try to make some witty or knowledgeable responses.

Basically, I am a few seconds away from throwing myself at their feet and begging them to agree that

I am interesting!

I have a brain!

I am NOT as boring as this whole child-bride-baby-making-thing makes me sound!!!!! 

WAAAAAAHHH!! I used to be FUUUUUUUN!!!

And…scene.

 

 

(18 weeks)

To Brian on his business trip

 

(Complete with photos of Isaac enjoying the Easter Morning “after-party”)

Today was day one of a 6 day business trip for my very best helper and husband, Brian.

Also today, while I was in the shower shampooing my hair (after plunking the boys in front of their first movie of the day), Isaac showed up with no diaper, and poop covering both hands and smeared down both legs to his ankles.

Yep.

The good news is that I did not burst into tears like I would have just a few years ago, the bad news is that I had no wipes in that whole half of the house.

It was…an adventure.  And after everything I said, (“This is a BIG MESS!”  “Poo-poo goes in the potty!” “Diapers STAY ON!”) my soon-to-be-middle-child responded with a cheerful “OKAY, MAMA!”

So,

I sat down here tonight, and wrote a little letter to that husband of mine.

Dear Brian,

How is your trip?

The hall closet door is off its runner again!

And our bedroom one too!

And the trash is ready to go out.

Also I have something that I want to put in that cupboard above the fridge- you know the one that I can’t even reach with a chair?

And the grate keeps falling off the bottom of the refrigerator.

Plus your left monitor won’t turn on?

And the middle one is all sideways?

Plus, didn’t you say something about me dropping of our taxes?…where would I find those again?

Lastly, and most importantly, I have had to kill several bugs today- one of which was an EARWIG which, you may remember, is my least favorite bug of all time.

There is a reason I got married at 20 my dear, and it wasn’t just because of true love.

I wanted to ensure a bug killer would be around me at all times.

Please hurry home before I have to do all of these things MYSELF tomorrow.

Also, have a good day at work!!

Your loving wife,

Caitlin

Waaaiiiiit a minute!!  Do all of it myself?  Haha- I must have thought I was still in NEW JERSEY!!!

Ahem,

Dearest Daddy,

Please see above.

Love,

Your baby girl Caitlin

 

Easter

Did everyone have a good Easter?

Ours was beautiful!

Except for, well, I was having a bout of the stomach flu, and had to miss most of the festivities (and ALL of the candy-WAAAAH!), but the WEATHER was  beautiful!

And the boys had a wonderful time.

Sorry I haven’t been to everyone’s blogs in so long… I am marking all as read and starting afresh.  Promise not to be mad?

Happy Easter from our family to yours

Adjusting

 

(photos, unrelated to the post, from a date I had with Isaac to the Children’s museum)

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Every time we move, there is an adjustment period.

ALSO every time we have a baby, but that is a post in itself. (Hint: Don’t have kids to save your marriage)

We’re here now and mostly unpacked (there are those pesky last few boxes that I can’t seem to find time to unpack without Isaac…say…smearing Vaseline on my Kindle) and I am thrilled.

But I am also adjusting.  WE are adjusting.

How do we fit in this new life?

How does our marriage work now with outside influences and so many new opinions?

What’s the balance between time together and time with others?

At what point to I stop talking to the family member I am with and give my child attention, and at what point do I tell him that he needs to wait to talk (about Lego Batman) until later?

They are all good…problems?…debates?…to have, but they are new to me.

And that brings me to this blog.

What will this blog be now that I am “home?”

Now that the people I mostly post pictures for just saw my kids yesterday.

Now that people can say “Oh Isaac isn’t actually THAT naughty” (although so far that has. never. happened.)

Now that when I post something embarrassing about me, I will have people reading about it and seeing me the next day.

See, I tend to prefer to assume that I am blogging to the general anonymous public (like the thousands of followers I’m sure I secretly have).

Also, there are a few personal adjustments, like making sure I actually look semi-cute when leaving the house because I never know when I am going to run into an old crush or the popular girl from high school.

And accepting that, whether I am looking cute or not, they are going to realize that Caitlin Robertson now has mom arms.

So.

That’s where I am folks.

Please be patient as I find my way back to this space, in whatever capacity it will be in the future.

It’s an adjustment phase.