Before the big party...

I'm back

So our computer is being worked on (thanks Greg) but for now, Brian set up our home computer again. It's so slow! Oh well. So for us, what's been going on you may ask, well I will tell you a little. Elizabeth started Kindergarten and loves it. Her most favorite part, of course, is recess. That and riding the bus to school.

Brian's parents came out for a visit which was very nice. We had a great time visiting and the kids had a fabulous time playing house with GranChud. It was a nice break to have them off playing with him. They loved every minute of it. Thanks GranChud for being so patient with their "abundance of energy"!

Isabelle is such a sweetie and we love her so much. She's not always content, but we discovered it's because her personal space is frequently invaded. We're working on it.

Summer is over, but not much feels different. It just feels like Elizabeth is outside playing like she has been all summer. Brian's garden has been wonderful! The squash is the best I've ever had and the tomatos!!!! They're like dessert. His corn was good, but we didn't really know when to pick it, so it will be better next year. Peppers and green beans are still coming. It's all been so wonderful. I'm so glad it's something he enjoys and is good at.

Brian is starting a new schedule at work this month and we're really excited about it. He'll be working Tues-Fri until 5:00. No nights, no weekends. Love it!!! He's really enjoying this new place and hopefully it will be a little more long term!

Our house is still for sale, so if you know anyone or want it, by all means, we're ready and waiting!

Other than that, I've been reading a parenting book and Breaking Dawn. I bet you can guess which one I've spent more time on! But I bet you can also guess which one I need to be spending more time on! :) Both will be finished soon.

Well, that's it for now!

Blessing

I know you're all anxiously awaiting a new post, but our computer has gone on the fritz. My in laws are here with their computer, so I have a quick sec to put up a couple from the blessing. It was a great day. I tried to quickly get a picture of her, but it didn't really work, so I'll have to try later when I have a little more time to focus on it.

1 month old

Well Isabelle has made it to 1 month old. I can't believe it's already been 1 month. I'm at least 1 week behind. She's doing great. Growing up an being loved all day long. Here's one pic of her. There are a few others on my photo blog, so check it out if you want.

To Goal or not to Goal

So I've been thinking a lot about goals lately. I used to be such a goal oriented person, but I can't remember the last time I made a goal and really tried with it. Well, I mentally made note of a few goals I wanted to achieve. Let me share with you.... one of them, which is a regular on my list, is losing weight. I've lost almost 4 pounds past my pre-pregnancy weight so I'm on the right track. How am I doing this you might ask yourself.... well, I'm not shy to share my secrets, so here they are.

1. Have a baby
2. Get up anywhere from 2-4 times a night for feedings
3. Throw your back out, well actually, tear a muscle in your back so that even if you were hungry, it's not worth the pain to get up and actually find something to eat.
4. Put your house up for sale so that even if you do have a few minutes to grab something to eat, you can't because you don't want to dirty a dish, counter, floor, etc. and you have to clean the whole house before they show up, if they show up!
5. Have your car break down, or your husband's car so he has to take yours therefore leaving you no time during the day to go to the store to get food. (As if I even would go during the day with 4 kids and a hurt back!)
6. To go along with #5, just don't buy food, then there's nothing to eat anyway!

So that's been what's working for me lately. :P) My goal though is to lose 8 pounds past the pre-pregnancy by my 6 week appointment. We'll see how it goes though. I haven't been the best at keeping up with my goals.

On a funny side note though, for those of you who are around me enough, one of my best known phrases is "tomorrow is a new day" meaning that I'll get back on the diet wagon tomorrow. So Brian said he was going to give up soda since he gets some every day at lunch. Well we had to leave last night for a showing and just went to get dinner and he got some sode. I said, "no soda huh". He said he was going to give it to the girls and just drink water. Well, then he told me he had soda for lunch, so the day was already ruined (we've all done that right? Stuff your face time.) so "tomorrow's a new day". He used my phrase. Thoughti t was so funny.

But something nice about Brian, he's been so great helping me out with my back being hurt. On Sunday I sat all day, really, and he made this wonderful dinner. The squash and beans were from his garden and we even sampled an ear of corn. Delicious. I got me a good man! :) He peeled the potatos with Cooper on his back 'cause he really wanted someone to hold him.

Just a few pics for fun. The 2 of Isabelle were this morning. She looks chubbier than she really is, but here's to hoping. Then one of me and her and the one of Coop is from Isabelle spitting up in his face during that pic of me and Isa. Poor boy.

1st melt down

So I keep getting asked how we're doing with four kids now, and truly, it hasn't been bad, but yesterday I had a "caught up" moment and just broke down. Now those of you who know me know that I don't cry hardly ever. Not that there's anything wrong with it, I just try to avoid it. I woke up yesterday to another Groundhog Day. Cooper up way before he should be, Caroline crying for warm milk yada yada yada. Well all the sudden my phone rings. Mind you it's 10:45 and it's our realtor saying they have someone who wants to come look at our house between 11:00 and 12:30. I told them I could do 11:30 at the earliest, which was really even pushing it. So she passed that on and I started freaking out. Now let me push things back 2 days where our family all got this cold and I threw my back out, so running around, bending over to pick things up, lifting things.... not good. I already hurt and felt crappy, plus all the wonderful nights with like 3 hours of sleep... not a good situation. I had just fed Isabelle, but she all the sudden got really fussy, so I called like 3 people who said to call them anytime I needed help with anything. Of course, none of them answered, but I saw life at one of the houses, so I tried again and Melinda was home. I asked her to hold Isabelle so I could run around and clean because I couldn't just leave her there crying. She ended up taking Isabelle, Cooper and Caroline to her house and even sent her daughter Lauren over to vacuum for me. Bless her! Lauren even swept my kitchen and bathroom floors. And wouldn't you know it that my vacuum died on the last room, so she ran to 2 of my neighbors and borrowed one. Well I couldn't have done it without these 2 ladies. We finished cleaning at 11:31. Miracle. I was praying that my back wouldn't just freeze up and I'd be standing there the rest of the day.

Well who knows what will come of that, but then I got my kiddos back and came home. Elizabeth and Caroline were beating up on a boy in the neighborhood so I made them come home and they were throwing attitude and disobeying and crying. In fact, I think I had all 4 crying at one point. Lovely! My back hurt, my body ached and I was just done. I sat there on the phone with Brian and all the sudden I just started crying. My girls were looking at me like I was dying or something. They kept asking why I was crying and being the nice Mom that I am I told them it was because they kept fighting with each other and were mean to me, not that that is going to do anything! Then Elizabeth decided to have her own meltdown on the phone with Brian, I mean seriously, can't I be the only one to have a meltdown?!!! So who does one run to when then can't handle it anymore..... yup, my poor Mom. Brian made me call her and I hesitated 'cause I don't like asking for help, but I was really done. So I called her and of course she came down, took my kids so I could get some sleep and then took the girls home with her since they're the ones waking up in the middle of the night again. What a great Mom. She's always there for me. She's the best. I have friends tell me how they wish their Mom was like mine and I have to agree that I'm pretty lucky. She is wonderful and she's the best grandma. The kids just love her. She's always playing pretend with them, having tea parties, making cookies with them, having sleepovers, giving them chocolate milk whenever they want. No wonder they'd rather stay there! Anyway, it's a new day and I feel like I can do it again. I made it 3 weeks I guess. It's like my Mom asked me on the phone, "so why are you upset? Is it selling the house, Brian being gone all day , having a new baby, disobedient or sassy kids?" Ha. Pick one I said!