Things I don't want to forget about my almost 7 year old:
The way your smile has transformed as your permanent teeth have grown in over the past few months. You are beautiful!
The way your nose scrunches when you laugh. I hope this never goes away.
Things are always more exciting when dad is around. Bri has a way of making the simplest of tasks fun. Taking apart a ceiling fan- super awesome with dad. Burning cardboard - couldn't be for exciting. Sweeping out the shop - better than Disneyland. How do dads do it? I've gotta know the trick.
Having him home for an extra day this weekend made for some pretty fun times. Today when the sun decided to shine we decided to forgo the "fun" of doing chores around the house with dad and head to the park.
I have learned that the only way I can get Colton to stop moving long enough to look into the camera is by asking "Where is the spider Colton? Is it in the camera?" Wonder how long this trick will work?
"There it is mama!"
monkeying around.
contemplating...
everything is more fun with your tongue out!
collecting treasures down by the water.
pure joy.
...and clearly it is time to make our exit for nap time!
5 weeks. That is the maximum amount of time I have to wait to meet this little bundle of sweetness. How can this amount of time feel so close, yet so far away? This third trimester stuff is the pits.
I have many friends who have struggled to get pregnant or stay pregnant. So I have reminded myself throughout this pregnancy how incredibly lucky I am that I have carried 4 beautiful babes with minimal complications. My body gets to experience growing pains that not every women gets to experience. For that I am forever grateful. This babe wasn't supposed to make it through the first trimester but here we are 5 weeks away from my due date. He is a miracle of miracles. Again, incredibly grateful and I feel so undeserving of this precious boy.
With that said, there was some point this week that I lost my ability to be positive and threw myself the biggest pitty party. I could no longer ingnore my boobs sitting on my stomach and my stomach sitting on my thighs every time I sit down. Now that is a triple threat no one wants. I could no longer ignore my cheeks that get in the way of my vision every time I smile. I always gain within the reccomended amount of weight, always. My face likes to ignore this fact and hold every ounce of water possible. My many day and night trips to the bathroom have tripled this week, and why do I have to cross my legs every time I sneeze or laugh to avoid...well...the inevitable? I am up to 5 pillows to get comfortable at night and my poor husband has a mere sliver of our king sized bed left to sleep on. Dislike. Insomnia- how many hours can you really be awake in the middle of the night looking online at random blogs and pintresting before it gets old? There are days when I realize I am walking like a cowgirl who has worked one too many hours in the 'ol saddle. All I am missing are the wranglers, hat, oversized belt, and the occasional 'yeehawww!!' Not attractive. Pregnancy brain....nothing I can say will do it justice. I have lost my ankles and my belly button . They are playing a great game of hide and seek, but the problem is, I'm not. And if I could get directions to the quickest exit off of the hormone roller coaster that would be fabulous.
I, like every other mommy, love my babies to the moon and back. When you hold your babe for the first time and your eyes meet his every moment of discomfort fades into the background never to be thought of again. Is it worth it? Absolutely without a doubt.
The end of the road is coming, and then my family of 6 will be on a whole new journey. My goal is to get back to the basics and see the end of this pregnancy as beautiful, amongst all the 'ugly' aspects, but I guarantee I will have my moments, my hours, and even my days when I feel like I am going to break. I am okay with that. These growing pains too shall pass and tomorrow is a new day.
Adysen, Happy Birthday sweet girl. Four was a year of huge growth for you. You learned so many things and grew up gobs and gobs. You love to draw more than anything in the world and are such a wonderful sister to Kaitlyn and Colton. You love chasing Colton around the house and making him laugh. You miss Kaitlyn horribly when she is at school and count down the hours until she gets off the school bus. You love to make others laugh and are one funny cookie. You are so excited to start Kindergarten and if I drop the ball on pre-kinder time one morning you take the initiative and get out your school folder by yourself. You are reading up a storm and love math. You are loyal, cuddly, and loving. You are beautful to the core. I am so proud to be your mama and can't wait to see what '5' brings for you. We love you oodles and oodles.
Here is her '5' interview.
Best part of your day- opening my Lalaloopsy Mermaid Doll
Favorite food - pizza, Life cereal, and butter noodles.
Favorite book- "What Are You So Grumpy About?" by Tom Litchenheld
Favorite show - Octonauts
Best buddy - Teagie and Ashlee
Best boy buddy - Ajay
When I grow up I want to be...- working where you make food {chef}
Best part about being 5 - kindergarten
what does it feel like to be 5- it kinda feels like it is a big thing.
Favorite thing to do - go to Great Wolf Lodge or play with my sister
Favorite thing to play - soccer, because it is so fun, even if you lose it is still fun.
Favorite color- pink and purple
Favorite song - 'move it, move it'
I dont like - salad, it tastes like a leaf
What makes you mad - when someone isn't being nice to me.
What makes you happy- drawing
Another month another 10 on 10. January flew by, its hard to believe we are already almost half way through February. February is the start of birthday extravaganza around our household. Adysen celebrates the big '5' in a couple of days, followed by Kaitlyn in mid March, Colton 10 days after her, and baby 'M' arriving sometime before, in between, or after all the birthday madness. We have a lot to look forward to and 4 sweet babes to celebrate.
This month I procrasinated until the very last day and ended up documenting a day that happened to be filled with 3 feverish babes. Our day mostly consisted of pajamas, bed head, and diapers, so this is about as real as it gets in the B household. You have been warned. :)
morning bath. Bee Movie and sick eyes. the wheels on the bus. hydration. new hide out. temperature check. pears for lunch. Valentines Day prep. post dinner treat. book time with American Girl.
Please follow the circle of fellow momtographers and check out Jayme and her sweet family at http://twojsandab.blogspot.com/
Another month and another 10 on 10. I think I actually managed to squeeze a few more than 10 images in this month. I captured a typical weekday in our household filled with routine, school time, and play. Boy am I glad that January finally decided to show up. Our lives feel like they are slowly getting back to a normal pace and we are back to enjoy the little things.
Please take the time to complete the circle of other wonderful momtographer-bloggers for some more 10 on 10 posts!
Check out Amy's 10 on 10 post on her blog 'Momologues' http://amebob.typepad.com/
early morning breakfast swiper.
Before school playtime with big{est} sister.
Morning walk.
Laundry assistant.
Serious boy.
mid morning pick me up.
Imagination running rampant.
nursery prep.
puzzles.
Challenge- capture grocery shopping in a photograph.
As I left the grocery store tonight, over $200 dollars lighter, I was rushing thought the parking lot to get the van with three very hungry babes and proceeded to run over what I thought was a speed bump. Nope, wrong. No worries, it was just the box of 'Cutie Oranges' that I had just spent too much on. Kaitlyn went chasing two run aways across the parking lot , picked them up, threw them in the cart and we continued to the van like nothing happened. If you don't smile you will scream, right? Or in my hormonal case I might start crying...just maybe.
Grocery shopping can be daunting. I do my best to set myself up for success. Kids who have just had a snack, a very organized and categorized list, and lots of deep breaths. I have abnormally well behaved children in the store who love to be helpers. The girls help grab things off the shelves and even entertain their wiggly brother when needed without even being asked. Even amongst all their wonderful help I am always relieved when I am leaving.
...and lets just have a moment of honesty. Every mom has been 'that' mom who's babe is tantruming, begging, holding themselves because they are going to wet their pants, or hiding under the wobbling cheese display in the dairy section...every mom. Every mom has been 'that' mom who is giving their child the look of death as they beg one too many times for the box of Lucky Charms, grab everything within reach in the check out lane, or won't stop pushing buttons on the debit machine...every mom. And every mom has been 'that' mom who frantically rips open the box of crackers before they are paid for just so their child will stop crying for a moment...right? It's all about surival. And I'm pretty sure this is what makes the task of grocery shopping so scary. As much success as you try to set yourself up for...the unkown can always happen...an usually does. That is pretty much motherhood in a nutshell, though, isn't it?
Tonight as all three babes caught a quick ride on the cart it did come across my mind....wonder where I am going to fit a fourth?
I am part of a photography group called Momtography. We have started a new 52 week challenge. Each week we will have a theme to capture through photography. We are technically into week 2 now, and since I am just now getting around to completing my week one theme...well....you can see why I chose what I did.
This weeks theme is 'resolutions'. Balance: it seems I am always struggling to find it and I often wonder if a mama is capable of achieving it? Maybe lack of balance is the key to a happy home....
