Thursday, October 29, 2009

How Do They Know?

I just walked in the door this afternoon, when the doorbell rings and there stands my sweet and smiling visiting teacher (I still dabble in the church). She had brought me a yummy treat and a little handout with the message "How Can I Nurture The Rising Generation?". Was she spying on me today? This was too perfect. Just what I needed.

Here is just a small part:

"Take care of your little ones. Welcome them into your homes, and nurture and love them with all your hearts. They may do, in the years to come, some things you would not want them to do, but be patient, be patient. You have not failed as long as you have tried."

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008)

Please let me always remember this.

Nothing Better...

than when a Mama is really losing it, to have a sweet 3 year old put their little arms around your leg and say..."be happy Mama, I love you". And that is all I need. Remember how I said things, emotions, change hour by hour, well even minute by minute lately. I need to drag myself out of this funk and COUNT MY BLESSINGS! The dishes and laundry will get done, the itch will go away, the baby will sleep.
In the mean time I just enjoyed a delicious turkey sandwich with my healthy little boy. My baby girl slept peacefully for a short time in her beautiful bedroom with a warm blanket to cover her. Soon I will pick up my oldest from school and drive my very own car back home where I have every amenity possible waiting for me.
Thank you Universe. I have much to be grateful for.

Monday, October 26, 2009

The Best Moment of Being Mom

The last few days I have really began to wonder whether or not I was cut out to have three kids. I'm not a very "kiddish" person at times, I get snippy quite easily, I hate lots of loud noise and I constantly crave ME time. My friends make me think this is normal, but then I see those moms who homeschool their five kids, relish in the monotany and seem perfectly happy at home day after day after day. What do they know that I don't? Looking at pictures of myself in my early twenties, I feel like a completely different person, I don't even know the old person, I'm not sure if I would want to know the old person. Being a mom seems to be filled with extremes. I have felt anger and frusteration that I never knew existed and at the same time intense love. Love so strong I just wanted to bury my face into their skin, just to smell their sweet smell. I've rocked them to sleep at night and felt my eyes burn thinking when I die all I want in the world is to bring that sweet smell of my babies with me. I want to protect them from anything and everything that is not beautiful and wonderful and positive in the world. I want everyone to see them as I see them. It amazes me how you can feel so opposite about something all in one day... maybe even one hour.
Some of the most beautiful moments with each of my children have been as they first entered the world. First, I LOVE the Labor and Delivery unit in the hospital. I get chills just walking through it. I love the sound of the heart monitor. I love epidurals :)
Which brings me to the birth of Aviana. I have been meaning to write this story for six months! April 5th I was hiking in the Red Rocks with my boys, April 6th I was giving birth and screaming so loud they closed the door, so I wouldn't scare anyone down the hall. All day I had been having random contractions. Definitely, did not think anything of it. Yet looking back I must have known on some level, since I spent about $300 at the grocery store that day and then came home was cleaning like crazy and then passed out on my bed at 5pm. I woke up an hour later and really wanted to take a bath. My contractions were strong, but easily managable and still not regular. By 6:30 they were VERY strong, but still not super close together. I called L&D for a little reassurance. They said not to worry, probably just pre-labor. If you come in now, we will send you home. Ten minutes later I called my mom. It's not really anything, but just in case could you come up? They are in the middle of dinner and will be on their way in the next hour. I say, take your time! In a little over an hour, things go from, I can do this, to Michael, call them and tell them I want the epidural AS SOON AS I GET THERE!!!!! As soon as my mom and step-dad arrived we were out the door. I was clutching the car door and breathing throught the contractions all the way to the hospital. Michael was a crazy man, trying to run red lights, skipping through stop signs. I remember I kept saying, drive carefully, we're OK. As soon, as we arrive and begin filling out paper work, the contractions zing through me like a bolt of lightning. I cannot talk, I cannot write, I put my head down and clutch my belly. Get her to a room the nurse yells. They check me. I am near 7 centimeters! I want the @#$%^&% epidural, I scream. Honey we are sorry, it's too late. You are going to push soon. WHAT???!!?? I FREAK. I want the epidural NOW!!! Through much begging, crying and screaming, I get the epidural at 9 centimeters. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.... heaven. You can push whenever you are ready. Twenty minutes with all my might and she is HERE! Black hair, chubby body, beautiful baby girl, perfect in every way. I am completely in love. Avi was born at 10:57 pm. I remember staying awake all night, just so I could stare at her. I couldn't believe she was really mine. I kept checking under the blankets to see if she was really a girl. She latched on right away and nursed the entire night. I just wanted to go home right away and be with my baby and introduce her to her big brothers. But, we were on our way to my not so favorite part of the hospital... post partum. They don't leave you alone. You can't rest. They all have advice. Some are actually scary and you don't want them touching your beautiful new baby.
Going home is the best. I always get teary. I got teary when I saw Dylan after Soren was born and I I got teary seeing both of my boys after Avi was born. It's the end of a chapter and the beginning of the next. It's an adjustment. I'm still adjusting most days. I'm trying not to feel inadequate, even though I feel as though I can never do enough for these little beings. I am grateful they chose me. I am grateful for this challenge. I am grateful for these growing pains and I hate to think of who I would be without these children, my greatest teachers.
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Friday, October 23, 2009

Have I Mentioned Today...

That I LOVE Sugarboo? and if anyone ever needs to buy me a gift...



any of these would do ;)






Sunday, October 18, 2009

More fall

I just had to add a couple. In my sleep deprivated (is that a word?) state, I'm forgetting to add cute pics.!
BEAUTY-FULL!
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... And We're Back in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Preschool!!!!! I know, I know. I raved about the benefits of home school and I believe every word of it, BUT I need preschool! I was feeling so isolated this past week. I really had zero human, I mean adult contact, in like, a week! Forget about the kids... I NEED preschool. So, it's not official, but I left a message with the head of the school. Hopefully, I'll get a little call in the morning saying welcome back!

Fall in the Aspens

Oh, how I LOVE Fall in this part of the country. When you get a warm spell in the Fall it's practically perfect. We knew getting up to the mountains without having to wear heavy coats and freezing our tails off was either now or never (or at least not until Spring, which around here is actually June). The boys were making a game out of catching the falling leaves.
A family shot. A feat next to impossible.
Little Av's, as she's been named lately.
My cutie pies. It was so sweet, as we were leaving an older couple approached us and said, "25 years ago that was our little family" of course referring to us and with big smiles and fondness in their eyes. All I could think was "awesome, in 25 years this means I'll be alone with my husband, just like this lady, enjoying the peaceful sounds of nature as we walk hand in hand through the forest to our very romantic and private camp spot... lovely."
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Thursday, October 15, 2009

Collage

Goodbye Facebook, hello Picasa. I think I may have a new addiction. The amount you can do with this Picasa is endless. I made this collage and I just realized there's a little gap, but not too shabby for the first try! I love my babies. I hate sounding gooey, but seeing all of their little faces staring right at me is enough to make me burst into tears. I swear, if I were a more patient, less controlling, more go with the flow, less neat freak-ish, more get down and dirty kind of a Mama, I'd have million of these little angels around the house, but I'm not, so I don't.
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Picasa

My dear girl Sooz told me about a great website www.picasa.com makes blogging a snap!! I just wanted to test it out really quick. I'll try something fancier later. Also, what a gorgeous day! 71 and sunny... perfection.
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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Home Preschool (still rocks)

So, we have made the very difficult decision to pull my little man out of preschool for the year. Many factors here, but it comes down to the fact that he doesn't HAVE to be in school. I can teach him everything and more right here at my kitchen table. I am sad because I loved his school and teacher. Same teacher D had a couple years back. I told her we would be back next Fall. So, now the challenge is to find fun, creative and exciting ways to teach a three year old with a very tiny attention span! So far, we have been working on recognizing his name in print and writing the letters that make his name. We are also counting as high as we can and doing the usual ABC stuff and crafts. That actually sounds really boring now that I read it :( I'll have to start scouring my resources for fun ways to learn. We will still be doing all of our activities, music, gymnastics and doing a preschool swap with another family weekly. I'm excited! Part of me has always wanted to test out homeschool. So, this will be a good little test. I already asked D if he would ever want to homeschool and he said "NO WAY! I love my friends". Sory's response is always, "Do I have to see my fwens today Mama??" There you go!

Monday, October 12, 2009

Memory Lane and a BIG Milestone

Our little family one year ago. Children are a blessing and if you end up with a healthy family what more could anyone hope for? We are so fortunate to have kids and all the joy and many challenges they bring... sleep advice anyone??? My 6 month old who was sleeping through the night at 3 weeks (like 8-10 hr. stretches!!) is now not sleeping at all. What gives?
Also, exactly one year ago while Avi was happy in my belly, her little friend Kate along with her brother Will had just come into the world at 27 weeks gestation (normal is 40 weeks). Such a scary time, but as they share a 1st birthday I'm amazed at their strength and resiliency and that of their parents. I really have a hard time imagining what it must have felt like to not know whether my babies would be alive the next minute, to wonder if they are in pain, to see them so tiny and vulnerable (they were only about a pound and half each) and to have to go home at night without them, praying they would be ok until morning. Today they are doing well, off oxygen, strong and Kate is mobile and into anything she can get her little hands on. What a difference a year makes! Happy Birthday Will & Kate!!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Back To The Midwest

We were fortunate to be able to head back to Michael's hometown in Illinois to spend time with Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa Bob and Great Grandma and Grandpa Dentino and Michael's sister Aunt Jerri and Cousins Stacy and Riley! Here's part of the crew... impossible to get everyone looking at the camera a one time, but you get the idea. The boys had a blast and I mean BLAST! Bonnie and Bob are the sweetest Grandparents and spoiled the boys rotten with all the toys, sweets, movies and kisses they could ever imagine. Everyone needs to be spoiled by someone in their life and I'm so happy to have such wonderful Grandparents to build memories with. The boys with never forget this trip. I still remember my Grandma's house... the wonderful smells, the delicious food, cousins, cartoons. It makes me happy to know the boys will have the same great memories of their Grandparents.
Everyone tried to get Avi to look up, but nap time was calling and she was in no mood for a photo shoot!
Watching movies on the big bed they made on Grandma Bonnie's living room floor.
The Great Grandparents are getting older... in their 90's!!! And still going strong.... great genes. Soren is obviously ready to move on ;)
Dylan, on the other hand, eats up nearly every social situation. Here he is showing us his first lost tooth. The tooth fairy even knew where to find him all the way in Illinois. She is so smart!
Avi checking out Great Grandpa Dentino.
Avi let 91 year old Great Grandma Alta hold her for just a bit... made them both smile. I think Alta really wanted to keep Avi and kept saying what a pretty baby she was.
Rub-a-dub-dub... three Skaggs in a tub! The very same tub Daddy bathed in 40 some years ago!
One of the most fun things we did was explore the Discovery Children's Museum in Normal, IL. If you are ever in Normal I suggest you check it out. We voted it way better than the Phoenix Children's Museum. Here Soren is painting glass that you could then spray off and wipe down. So messy and So fun!
Mama and Miss Aviana at the Museum.
A close up of the missing tooth.
Making Pizza at the Museum.
Checking out the cash register.
The water feature was a kids paradise... water, buckets, splashing people... perfect.
A day of fishing with Grandma and Grandpa. It was beautiful. Didn't catch a fish that day, but it didn't matter, there were lots of grasshoppers that needed our attention.
Sory and Grandpa Bob giving it a shot.
Yay!!!!!!!!!! The great outdoors :)
The Midwest is full of VERY large climbing trees, something we don't have very much of out here. What a wonderful time we had. Thank you Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa Bob. We love You!!