Dear 2012, be good to us.....

It's New Years Eve. Christmas has come and gone and that is always bitter sweet. It is such a wonderful time of year, but dang does it involve lots of work and clean up.

Of course it is all worth it for these two peanuts:

                                                    Reading with daddy on Christmas Eve

                                                      The loot on Christmas morning

                                              The Village Green all decorated for Christmas.                  

                                           Charlotte is proud that she can explore on her own.

And of course, Mama and her babies dreaming about Santa.

So we say goodbye to Christmas. We also said goodbye to our family who came to stay with us. The kids had a blast playing with their cousins and it was fun to have a house full of craziness.

Now I have a few days to relax, even though it is oddly quiet around here.

Tonight we will have a New Years Eve pajama party with some close friends who have kiddos who are the same age as ours. It is perfect for us. We make lots of good food, let the kiddos play, and usually don't make it even close to midnight. It is nice to hang out with people who get the fact that having little ones is not conducive to staying up late and partying.

In the spirit of New Year, I need to make my resolutions.

Here is my resolution from last year: NYE

We did pretty damn good with this one until about 2 months ago. As the pregnancy exhaustion set in, clean eating suddenly became less clean, I was easily tempted by Dunkin Donuts trips and pizza takeout sounded so easy and tempting.

This vacation is helping me get back on track and is a great time for resolutions. I do feel like I should give myself positive credit. I started this blog in December of last year, 6 months post baby and 154 lbs. I weigh less than that now at 21 weeks pregnant but more importantly I feel much better about how I am living my life. I still make exercise and eating healthy and priority and although staying healthy while pregnant is not easy, and I have my slip ups, I do feel like I have made some very positive, permanent changes in my life.

I am looking forward to going back to using myfitnesspal.com, working out harder and getting back to my best shape (135 lbs and muscular) after the baby is born.

So with all of that in mind, here are my resolutions for 2012:

No dunkin donuts coffee (unless we are on a road trip or someone brings it to me) and using the Kuerig instead.

Try more clean eating recipes

Get the kids to eat healthier and make better food choices on their own

Spend more time on simple pleasures that don't cost (knitting, long walks, etc)

Flirt with my husband more: It is really hard to keep the spark alive when you have a honeymoon baby followed by two more babies, all in a less than 5 years. As our 5 year anniversary approaches and I am finally done with pregnancy and eventually nursing, we need to work on that spark.

Go back to following New Rules of Lifting for Women

Start working out (slowly) 2-3 weeks after baby as long as I have a normal delivery.

Start to really accept and enjoy where I live and stop investigating moves to other places

Get to the beach on almost every nice day this summer, even though it will be next to impossible with 3 kids

Have a better garden with more variety

Get more chicks and merge them successfully with the rest of the flock

Actually finish some knitting projects.

Happy New Year. I wish you all great joy, health and lots of love in 2012!

Vacation, Vacation, Vacaaaaation

Yes, 10 days off from work.
10 days home with my babies, part of which will be spent hanging with the sweetest niece and nephew ever (who are coming to stay with us for 5 days) and my brother and sister in-law.

There is nothing in this world as special as watching your kids experience the magic that is Christmas morning. I am so psyched.

Tomorrow will be spent cleaning and cooking and baking. Our Christmas plans are always the same. We go to church at 4pm, have my in laws over for dinner and dessert after church, have a birthday party and sing happy birthday to baby Jesus, watch a Christmas movie, read "twas the night before Christmas to the kids and get them in bed and then set up the magic for the morning. Christmas morning we wake up, wait for the kids, open presents, my in laws come over for an early breakfast (usually overnight french toast, bacon and fruit salad. We get dressed and head out to my mom's (a two hour drive). The kids open gifts there, we have snacks and then we head down the street to my grandmothers house, where our extended family gathers for a party/ dinner/ lots of love, laughter and fun. Then we all head back home, exhausted, full, usually with a car load of presents.

It is of course a lot for two days, but as you all know, totally worth it. It certainly helps that it is followed by 8 days off from work.

So as so many people are this time of year, I am excited.

Things have been good around here. I finally got over a cold that seemed like it would never leave.
I have gone to the gym three mornings this week. I have had some serious crotch pain issues. I swear this pregnancy is so much harder on my body. Everything is happening so early this time. It just helps to remember that this is the last time. The gym does help to get me going. I am planning to go tomorrow and then beat the crowds at the grocery store when it opens.

My eating has been less than stellar. I feel like there has just been food everywhere lately. I have gained about 13 lbs so far. I am hoping that since today is my half way point (20 weeks) that I will only gain 15 more, putting me at a 30 lb weight gain...which seems to be the norm for me. It is so hard when you are hungry and exhausted all the time. When I cook I am careful to keep it healthy and clean, but there have been a lot of pizzas lately. Having a week off to reset will help, because I usually love to cook but don't love doing it when I am so damn tired. I tell ya, having a full time job and taking care of two toddlers is painfully tiring when you are pregnant.

Anyhow, I will leave you with 20 week belly pictures. I know how big I am for 20 weeks. No, it is not twins...I call it "third child in 4.5 year syndrome" I was not even close to this big with the other two at 20 weeks...but baby bumps are always fun, even if people don't believe you when you day how far along you are.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Good news for a Saturday

Oh Saturday morning, how your meaning has changed so much in my life.

I remember the days, before my husband and I were married and looong before Liam blessed us with his presence, when we would spend half of Saturday in bed. We would watch TV, fall in and out of sleep, and try to get rid of hangovers from the Friday night we had spent with friends. I am glad we had that time in our lives.

Today is different, for obvious reasons...but I don't mind. I am tired, that's for sure but I am also fulfilled.

This week was a good one. Despite a pretty bad cold that is still gripping my chest and stuffing up my head, we had a week filled with happiness.

Tuesday was our ultrasound. After my husband and son both became determined to find out if our baby was in fact the boy they were so convinced it was, and after I started to have an OCD panic attack about not being ready and not having control over every aspect of my life (typical Caroline behavior) I totally caved and we decided to find out the sex of the baby. Although I will not have that big 40 week surprise, I don't really feel regret about this. Somehow I am at peace with the decision and am happy to be able to day dream about what my future will look like.

So, we were all pretty shocked when within 10 seconds of the wand hitting my tummy, we saw a pair of spread legs that clearly belonged to a baby girl. We had all felt so sure it was a little boy, that it took me a while to believe what I was seeing. Another healthy little baby girl, squirming all around for all of us to see. It was pretty special having Liam there with us. I think he felt good about being a big enough boy to come and it was a moment we will all remember for a lifetime.

Afterwards we picked up Charlotte and headed out to see Santa at the Bass Pro Shop. It was a great night with the family and it was fun to spend the car ride talking about our newest baby girl and what that will be like for all of us.

I certainly am happy that these two girls will have a big brother to protect them. I hope to stress to all of them that though they may not like each other all the time, that family always sticks together and stands up for each other.

For the first day or two after I found out I had a lot of joy, but also some sadness. Because this is our last time, I couldn't help but think I will never have another little boy. I kept picturing Liam when he was tiny and it left a little empty feeling in my heart. But I know I would have been just as sad to think of never having a little girl again.

Now that I have moved past that, I am embracing all that is wonderful about a family with a big brother and two baby girls. This holiday season has me imagining getting my girls dressed up in holiday dresses, taking them into Boston and bringing them to see The Nutcracker (something I have been dying to do for years, but have not had anyone to go with who would actually enjoy it).

So on this Saturday I am simply enjoying my kiddos, being reflective about how our family has changed so much over the past 6 years, and wondering about what the future will hold.

In typical family with young children style, tonight my hubby is going to a Christmas party alone. Sadly, I cannot go because we have no sitter and my cold is still pretty bad. But that's okay, because the sacrifices we have made have all been worth it and I get lots of rewards. So tonight I will put baby girl number one to bed, put on the fireplace and snuggle up to my big boy, who is going to be 4 soon and who is handling the idea of being a big brother quite well. He and I will eat some good food and watch a special movie together...because this phase will not last forever.

Ahhh, the weekend..I love you so. Not that the weekend is all that relaxing, but it sure beats work.

This morning we were up at 6:30, which is sleeping in for me by a lot because I get up at
4:30 during the week. This was followed by a trip to dunks for a small peppermint/ mocha coffee. YUM.

Then the hubs went to work and the kids and I got ready and cleaned up the house.

We left here at 9 to head to the craft store. I was determined to make a wreath for out bare front door. My husband has started blacksmithing and made some beautiful hooks for our stocking..so I asked him to make me a wreath hook for the door. I will post some pics of our crafting tomorrow if he gets the hook up.

Liam was a terror in the craft store, so I was totally dreading going into Trader Joes...but I was already in town and really had to go. We all came out in one piece and made it home without too many meltdowns and a car full of the week's meals.

We are back home and I even got the wreath done. It looks pretty damn good. I cannot believe they try to sell these things for 40 bucks when you can make one for 8 bucks that looks even better.
Here's a picture. I know it will look better hanging but it gives you an idea:

Bought the natural wood form for $4.00, the fake berries for $1.00 and the silver pine cones for $3.00. I had the ribbon and used an industrial hot glue gun to get it all on. It will look good hanging on our green door. The traditional green wreath does not look good because of our door color.

Not sure what to do with the rest of the day. I am feeling lazy and it isn't so nice outside. Maybe some fort building and hide and seek.

Tonight I am making homemade wheat crust greek pizzas with mushroms, spinach, garlic, tomatoes feta and mozerella

I love staying home during the holidays. Everything is decorated and the house is warm and smells like pine. Makes me feel all festive.

Not much new otherwise. I am 18 weeks pregnant. I went to the gym 4 times last week and had a few good lifting sessions (or at least good for a tired preggo girl). I am taking this Tuesday off for our big anatomy scan ultrasound...but it isn't quite as exciting when you are not finding out the sex. After the ultrasound we are taking the kids to the Bass Pro Shop to see Santa...they always have the best Santa there.

'Tis the season. I am just trying to enjoy the kiddos and to not get too fat. (which was probably not helped by the box of Candy Cane Trader Jo Jo cookies I just bought).

Bellies grow and grow

 
17 weeks. Time is flying by. Maternity clothes are all I wear now. Bigger than I was with kids 1 or 2 (they say that happens). Hoping my butt doesn't get any bigger...which is part of why I work out. Glad my boobs have grown. I will miss then when I am done nursing. Big ultrasound next week.Hope all is well. Still planning to keep the sex a suprise. The kids at school are sweet about pregnancy and it makes me love being a teacher. I have a ridiculous craving for sour cream and onion chips. I ate some. They weren't what I dreamed of. Will try to wear this shirt for all further bump shots. Gained about 10 lbs. Hoping that slows down, but not too worried. This is my last time at all of this. Bitter sweet.




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