Just in case you aren’t my facebook friend, I didn’t want you to miss out on the awesomeness that is this picture!
Hope you have a wonderful weekend!! I have a sister coming into town, a lunch out with my parents/siblings, and TWO dates!! Woot! Woot!
Now if Isaac would just feel a bit better so that he doesn’t ruin our plans!…I mean so that he doesn’t have to feel sick of course!
xoxo
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Note: Before reading this post, I would like to state that no, I am not pregnant! Carry on.
This is probably the most frequent question I have gotten since Samuel’s birth:
“Are you going to have any more?”,
sometimes partnered with its more personal cousin “Going to try for that girl?”
Which, of course we wouldn’t hope for a one gender over another!
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JUST KIDDING! I have three boys and don’t find poop-humor amusing so…yes, I’d like a girl!
(Do I need to add that of course we would love another boy? And be thrilled? Please tell me we’re past that!)
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Ever since I can remember, I have been saying that I wanted three or four children.
Brian and agreed early on; three or four.
So, for me, Samuel was a given. There was a third one coming down the pike. (pipe? anyone know?)
I just always felt like someone was missing.
And here he is! Samuel!!
We have three!
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And ooooooh, my honeys, let me tell you about three!
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I know several people who are pregnant with their third child so, for them, I would like to say: It’s…nice! Skip to the end!
For all the rest of you, (who have one or two and like to laugh at peoples’ stupidity at having more, or those of you who have 4+ and think I am a big whiny baby) lean in closer….
THREE CHILDREN IS CRAZY!
GAAAAAAAH!!!! SAAAAAVE MEEE!!!
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Okay, it’s not that bad, in fact, I would have to say that it has been my easiest transition so far!
(with my 0-1 kid transition being the hardest…akin with getting hit by a logging truck after being awake for an entire week…I imagine)
Also, this is a particularly hard stage: having all three at home, and all three aged 5 and under.
But this.is. intense!
My brain is constantly buzzing!
I have THREE heinies that I am responsible for wiping!!! Oops! I mean FOUR heinies! See, I even forgot to count my own heiny!!
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Samuel: I have to keep alive,
Isaac: I have to keep from killing Samuel or himself, or breaking everything breakable in our house.
and Joseph: I have to encourage, and comfort, challenge, and listen to endless star wars/superhero/the meaning of life/math equation trivia!
(Seriously, yesterday I was in the middle of doing lunch dishes, Isaac was screaming about something, the baby was crying because he was tired, and Joseph casually walks in and asks, “Mama? Whats 20+20+10+5?”)
I feel as though I am a pie being sliced into smaller and smaller slices while I turn around in circles wiping things!!
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Three is…full.
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So, I take a deep breath and hustle my brood out the door to go on adventures… like Costco on a Tuesday!
I say, “Get your shoes on please! Shoes on! SHOES ON!!!” a million times and zip up two big boy coats.
Off go Joseph and Isaac to the mini van, Joseph shouting “I WIN!” and Isaac screaming at the unfairness of it all.
I wrap the baby in a blanket (I’m already holding him, since I hold him all day) and pull on his hat.
I flip off the lights,
grab my purse,
and
inadvertently turn back
trying to find…
the one who is still missing.
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.
.
.
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(four.)
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.
.
(Heaven help me.)
Isaac and I made a delicious big batch of from-scratch pancakes. Dyed perfectly pink with food coloring, and cut into heart shapes!
Which Joseph refused to eat!
I forced him to take a few bites (“They taste the same! It is just color! The taste is INVISIBLE!!”) until I saw that he was actually gagging (“No they don’t, Mama! I don’t like pancakes that are PINK!! Only brownish!”). So, he had cereal instead.
I didn’t get the boys anything. Eeek! I know!! But, come on, people! We juuuust had Christmas and then Isaac’s birthday and then a cousin’s Valentine’s Day party last weekend, and we are (I am) holiday-ed out!
Joseph asked lots of Valentine’s Day favors. Like, “Can we skip a nap because its Valentine’s Day?” “Can I skip swimming lessons because its Valentine’s Day?” “Can I have Cocoa Krispies for a snack because its Valentine’s Day?”
(No, no, and yes, in case you are wondering. I’m not a monster! And he LOVES swimming so that one doesn’t really count!)
My inlaws brought dessert and came over for dinner, which may seem odd to anyone who has no kids and views Valentine’s Day dinner as romantic? But, let me tell you, I think I got to gaze into Brian’s eyes more since they were there to help watch the boys for throwing food/putting things in Samuel’s mouth –type incidents.
Also, Bonus!! My mother-in-law brought boxes of chocolates for my poor little deprived dears!!
Our air-popper that we bought each other came in the mail too! And we popped up a nice fluffy batch! Which Isaac mostly ate, because we are on this diet, and popcorn without butter is probably one of the saddest things in the world.
And then, we put the boys to bath-teeth-bed,
snuggled up on the couch to watch a show,
and I fell asleep and was super grumpy when Brian woke me up to move to the bed!
The next morning, Joseph said in a dream kind of voice, “Oh! I wish it was Valentine’s Day EVERY DAY!”
And I thought, well, around here…it kind of is.
(except we are back to brown pancakes)
The End.
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PS: The Valentines that the **boys made for their cousins.
**I made
Good news!
Ol’ blue eyes here is going to bed before midnight!!!
Bad news!
He is only napping for 15-20 minute increments!
And hates all bouncy-seats!
So he is pretty much a lap dog/ parrot on my shoulder/ tumor all day long.
But a cute one! And a happy one!
Oh, he is so lovely that I almost don’t mind him not napping! (almost!)
He smells delicious and his hair is the softest thing in the world! He has the most perfectly round, flushed cheeks, and when I carry him, his stomach sloshes like a water bottle because he is so full of milk! I’m in LOVE!
Despite this love, though, I kind of feel like our household is on the edge of a black hole of chaos.
(don’t tell Joseph- he’s afraid of black holes)
(It’s why he doesn’t want to be an astronaut- “What if it somehow gets closer to us and I get sucked in! I just don’t know what’s on the OTHER SIDE??!!!” He’s…well…an anxious sort)
Basically, I worry that if I spend one day not frantically scrubbing counters/picking up toys/washing clothes/dishes, dishes, dishes, we will fall through said black hole and it will take me weeks to recover!
So, blogging has been the first thing to go, allowing me a few more precious minutes.
Aww, who am I kidding? SHAVING MY LEGS has been the first thing to go! Haha! Seriously- I’ve only shaved twice since the baby has been born. Whatev! Haven’t you heard of wool leggings??!!
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So, if you have been wondering- “Where did Caitlin go?”, you are not alone. I have wondered the same thing! Where am I?
Aren’t I more than a sandwich-maker and lego-fixer?
A nose wiper and a fight-breaker-upper?
(note to self: use “referee” next time. It’s easier and more like English)
(see! I can’t even type!)
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But, Lo! just this week, maybe it was some springish weather? Or my tubby-tub-Samuel’s earlier bedtime? I am feeling something inside of me stretch and reawaken. Caitlin is coming back people!!
In other news, Joseph is reading books for hours a day, and Isaac hit his mouth and has a dead tooth.
See you soon!
Dear Isaac,
Let me start by saying that I’m sorry that this birthday post is a day late, and that your birthday fell on Superbowl Sunday this year.
And, lastly, I’m sorry that you were not FOUR when you woke up this morning, like you were hoping!
But, oh! My boy! How I love you!
Your name means “Laughter”, and you have brought SO much of it into our lives!
So much exhaustion as well- but I’m sure it will be the laughter that I will remember most!
I am so happy that we are back in Oregon where I can share your sparkle with family we love!
You have had a contagious aura of joy around you since your babyhood-
making strangers and homeless men smile on the subway trains!
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I can’t wait to see what kind of young man you grow into, (and what positive outlets you choose for that ENERGY!)
But I know that I will miss your hard (painful) hugs and your loud kisses.
Stay little a bit longer, my big boy!
I love you!
Love, Mama
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Isaac @ 0
Isaac @ 1
Isaac @ 2
PS: Speaking of laughter- I was talking to the boys at breakfast this morning about some things we might do this afternoon.
I said, “maybe we will read some books, or play, or watch a movie or…” and Isaac interrupted to say, “Maybe I will choke and throw up? I don’t know! We will have to see!”
We made it home safely
and had a wonderful time!
The boys did great on the 5 hour road trip- we only had to stop once!
(also I was able to hone my leaning-over-the-carseat-and-nursing-while-the-car-is-moving skills. Which were getting a bit rusty since we’ve left the East coast!)
It is always so satisfying to spend time with family,
especially when Isaac is involved.
Because then they can look at me and be like, “Caitlin! Isaac is so…umm…busy!”
And I can cry “I know!!!!” and we all marvel at the wonderfulness of me to be able to ever leave the house.
I kept trying to have Carrie take pictures of me holding Samuel, but I kept having her redo them because, we both agreed that “I look so tired!”
Finally, after about the 10th try I said, “Well, I just AM tired!” and we moved on.
Speaking of tired, the boys were both in a wedding this past weekend,
AND I have a party for 29 people coming up tomorrow!
(the nice thing about large families- you don’t have to wonder who to invite!)
So I’m off to shower!
Thank you Carrie for the wonderful visit!
