February 09 mamas - they're not babies anymore! - Page 139

[Mal85]

Cindy: Stick, baby, stick!! I'm getting very excited for you, but trying to contain it until you know for sure! 

Car seats: We've really lucked out with our car seats. The first one we bought with Owyn was kind of a piece of junk. I didn't know much about car seats back then. It broke when we lent it out to a friend a couple years ago. We bought a First Years True Fit that Owyn used for a long time and it's currently being stored for Greta to use in a couple of months. My sister gave us her Britax Marathon now that her daughter is in a booster. Owyn is using that one now. And our friends are letting us use their Chicco Keyfit 30 for Greta right now. If it wasn't so cold outside, I'd have Greta in the True Fit right now I hate lugging the infant seat around so much. But I can bundle blankets around her in it right now to keep her warm, so I'm holding off until the weather warms up.

Owyn has been a handful lately. She recently decided it's really funny when she doesn't listen to DH and me. The more upset we get with her, the more she laughs. I try to just ignore it when she starts acting like that since any reaction I give her just fuels her fire, but man she really knows how to push my buttons sometimes! I am so ready for January to be over, too. We're still playing catch up, financially, from me being on maternity leave and all the holidays, but we'll be all caught up at the end of this month and we can have some breathing room in our budget finally. First thing on the list is to purchase some more rubbermaids, drawers and hopefully some sort of shelving for Owyn's room and get to work on organizing her stuff. I'm so overwhelmed by it right now, I just keep the door closed. I don't even want to look at it. It'll be a weekend job, I'm sure and I'll feel so much better after it's done! 

It's also time to start sorting through Greta's clothes again, for the third time already since she was born! This girl is a growing machine. She currently fits quite nicely in her 3-6 month clothes and is not far from fitting into her 6 month clothes. The girl will only be 12 weeks old this week! At her check up last week, she was 12 lbs. 4 oz. Still in the higher percentiles on her height and weight. It still blows my mind to see her grow so fast since Owyn was always so little. 

All this organizing is making me want a new house right now! Of course, now DH is back on his kick about building a house which I know we wouldn't be able to afford for a few more years and it's really more hassle than I want with small kids. I'd rather buy something that fits our needs while our kids are growing, then build the house we'll retire in. If we built something now, we'd have more space than we need once the kids are gone.

[Thursday Girl]

Junes has been a mean bratty thing lately.  she throws tantrums and hits people when she doesn't like what they did. I find my jewel and Juniper are kind of mean taunting kids. while they are compassionate when someone truly needs it they are pretty mean and sort of let me just try to piss you off because it's funny kind of kids, then poor Jo-Jo is just this sweet thing that always wants to love and hug and be sweet. it doesn't always go over well with her sisters. i am hoping Coraline is lovey too just so Jo has a little sweetness to join her.

houses, I was complaining the other day about ours. it needs all sorts of work and I find it frustrating. We can't do things like fix storage issues b/c we have to fix structural issues. Then someone gave us this magazine about fixing up your home and such and it annoys me looking at it because we can't work on aesthetics and functionality. I kind of want to throw the magazine out the window. In any case, i was complaining about our house until my sister and her boyfriend were looking for a place and I started thinking about what we pay and what mortgage/rent goes for around here, and if it weren't for this house, bought before the bubble we could afford a studio or 1 bedroom straight in the ghetto falling apart place. so yeah, this place is small, this place has a whole room we can't use and lots of stuff needs to be fixed, but over the years we've done some stuff to it, and it's cute enough and I have had my babies here. Josie got "the best nest" from the library today and it just really struck me...which is why i bring all this up when you mention houses. it has been a recent epiphany for me.

below a picture of our future master bedroom/bathroom. Hubs has been working on it. 9although the giant wall is still missing and the moths and mosquitoes in the house suck since it's just a folding door separating the main house from the back room.

[Everrgreen]

Courtney - I love our little nest too :)  I sometimes have a bit of mommy guilt because I grew up in a nice big house in the country and wanted that for R, but instead he gets dragged from one little apartment to another.  But the apartment we have now I really love.  It's in an old house and it's small but there is something about it that just feels so cozy and perfect for us.  I think it's very nice that you have a handy hubby to work on your own nest :)

And I hear you both on the bratty-ness!  R has picked up some really irritating habits at daycare.  Like calling everything stupid and yucky and thinking he's so damn funny.  And he laughs more when I tell him not to do something.  Which really pushes my buttons!  

Starling - I'm glad the rest of the fam stayed healthy!

Sue - Oh that really sucks.. I hope his boss isn't too hard on him :(

Cindy - I am so so happy to read your update.  It sounds like that little one has burrowed in nice and snug :)  I'm keeping you in my thoughts!!  

Kate - Wow - 29 weeks!!  Crazy!  I'm glad you don't have to move and have a better plan for you rental.  You definitely don't need the added stress with a baby on the way :)

Here is Super R at his party - I ordered this set from etsy ages ago but just gave it to him for his b-day.  It has his name embroidered on the back, he loves it :)

<snip>

R also got a microphone and it is a huge hit - he stood in the middle of the room in front of everyone and carried on FOREVER, singing and just speaking about anything and everything that came into his head.  A lot of it made no sense whatsoever, but it was hilarious!

<snip>

Edited by Everrgreen - 2/1/12 at 2:53pm

[justKate]

Oh Cindy, the FRERs don't lie, do they?!  *Deep breaths* until we have betas....  Any idea who the new layer is?

Mal, it must be strange to have a faster growing babe this time around.  Aubs was 16 lbs at a year old, so it would be really weird to have one that got there much more quickly.

Re. behavior. Honestly.  I try to have reasonable expectations.  But the walking up to me, hitting me and saying "my just hit you" drives me batty.  Or slapping my face when she's angry.  Where does she get this stuff?  DH is blaming pre-school, and sometimes I think about pulling her out to see if it helps, but I really don't know that its the problem.  And she LOVES "school," so I don't really want to take it away.  And its really only me--she's an angel at school and with the grandparents.  Even playing with the girls across the street, she's really polite and shares, etc.  I don't get it.  Maybe I need to cruise through the GD forum again.

It probably isn't helping that I'm grumpy today.  DH has managed to lose all of his underwear (he doesn't wear them except at work, so he takes 5 with him on Monday and is supposed to bring 5 back Friday evening), and of course that is somehow my fault.  Today he was annoyed because Aubs and I were eating dinner when he got home, because he called and said he would be late.  I figured I would make his when he got home, but apparently he would have preferred to microwave his liver than have it freshly cooked.  Bleh.  I don't even like liver very much.  Which brings me to the next complaint....

Midwife (not the one I saw at my last appt) called and left me a voice mail saying that I'm anemic, that she's calling in an iron script to the hospital pharmacy, and that I need to google a high-iron diet and work on that.  This is from the blood draw they did 18 days ago.  Really?  18 days to call me?  Guess its a good thing that there's nothing seriously wrong.  So we had liver for dinner while I stewed over what this means in terms of baby's impending birth.  Maybe I should switch care providers. I don't know.  Okay, done complaining.  I'm planning a VBAC but honestly I just want to be able to take my baby home before she's 3 weeks old this time.  Anything more is a bonus!

Re. car seats, we're passing down Aubs True Fit to this babe...DH thinks we need car seats in both vehicles, so Aubs will keep her Blvd and get a new Radian, and new baby will have the old True Fit and a new one, eventually. 

Sorry for all of the complaining!  Tomorrow A goes to pre-school for 3 hours so I'll have a little break.  Hopefully that will improve things!

[mckittre]

Cindy - I'm holding my breath for you!

Everr - cute party pictures!  He looks like such a little ham.

Mal - my second kid is also huge compared to the first!  L is so much bigger than K was at her age - born at nearly 10 lbs, for starters.  She's only a little above average, but K has always been down around 5% or so, so she seems huge.  I can almost pass clothes right down from one to the other now, since she can wear some 18 month stuff and he still wears a few 24 month things.

Kate - 18 days does seem like a long time not to call you!  Did she even apologize about it?

Sue - I hope his boss gives your dh a break about the skiff.  Doesn't sound like it was his fault.

Behavior:  K is not really bratty lately (or ever - I've been lucky on that one), but super whiny and "I caaaan't do it!" about everything in an incredibly high pitched voice.  It's exasperating.  It almost makes me want to take away his legos, because he loves them to death, but it seems like half the time he's screaming about some complicated thing he can't quite get to work right, or something breaking, and yelling for help.  Speaking of yelling for help, I really wish I could teach this kid to dress himself!  I can occasionally get him to put his underwear on, but nothing else.  I think that he's capable, but is utterly uninterested in bothering, and would stay in whatever undressed or half-dressed state I left him in forever.

Nest: In our recent 0 degrees snap I did get rather frustrated with the yurt, and how it wasn't well-enough insulated, and the cracks around the windows aren't well enough sealed, etc...  All of those things can be fixed, it just takes time we don't always have.  But overall, this tiny little home works for us, and we live in an amazing place and an amazing community with no mortgage or rent at all, so I can't really complain.

[Thursday Girl]

kate- grr on the iron thing. and really, 18 days? that's insane! when they do my iron the have the answer 5 minutes later.  I have been struggling with my iron levels. I am taking floradix and trying to have a 4 hour time period where i load op on iron rich foods (right in the middle, 2 hours without calcium foods, lots of iron foods then 2 hours without calcium so my body can absorb it.) It's getting harder because of heart burn, so after the 2 hours is up i am grabbing tums or a big glass of milk, but it has helped a lot.  I don't like how rude your is about it, i just think midwifes should be loving and sweet.

Erin- my middle girl Josie has a personality similiar to that of K's. It can be super annoying that helplesness or just lack of caring. Josie is so busy in her own world that directions don't matter and anytime anything goes slightly wrong she screams and cries.

as for hitting and stuff, they don't need daycare to learn it.  The reason it tends to just be the momma is b/c that is the person they trust the most so their frustration gets taken out on you, BUT the fact that it isn't being taken out on OTHER people is because they do understand they are not supposed to do it. now Junes she hits us all, me, her sisters, I just asked Hubs, she doesn't hit him. go figure.

Ever-  I LOVE that one of him singing so funny!! very passionate.

[AKislandgirl]

Everr: love the pictures!

Kate: That is so weird it took her so long to tell you about the iron. I took blood builder (still do)  by Mega Food. Best iron supplement I've ever used. I felt a difference within a couple of days. My sisters midwife recommended it for her.

Mal: I want to move too! We have a small house which is working for us now but I dream of having my own room! Not for sleeping but for my craft stuff. Probably we will eventually have a craft room for all of us to use. I just want to be able to have a sewing table out and my other craft things accessible. Not tucked away in storage and a big PIA to pull out when I'm feeling crafty. I don't want to have to put everything away mid project just so we have a place to eat dinner! Anyway- someday! I don't know when but its fun to dream about!

Erin: it is nice that you can get help with the kids from Grandma! DH is leaving for a week in feb and I'm not sure how its going to go. Dinner and bedtime are the things I'm most worried about. I'll muddle through but it might not be pretty! I totally get feeling stuck too. DH has had my car for most of the winter (So cold and snowy here too! Not the norm!). We've therefore kept our outdoor adventures to our backyard and road for the most part. I really haven't had her out enough though. I find it hard to play queen of the snow mountain with Maeve! (I'm sure you rock at this though!)

Courtney: Cool to see the WIP on the house. I'm glad you like your nest!

Personalities: F isn't bratty but she has very intense emotions. She is quick to cry. When she is sad or frustrated you will know it! When she is in a good mood it is also very evident too though! She is very loving and nurturing to her sister which is great. She takes a lot out on me and often won't have anything to do with DH when she is in a mood. She runs from him and screaches which frustrates him to no end. He really wants to be able to comfort her. It's something we are working on- finding healthy ways to calm down and accepting help from both of us. The other day she was really exhausted and had a total meltdown at bedtime. I just had to hold her while she was thrashing about and keep telling her calmly to take deep breaths and blow them out like a horse. I kept telling her, "I know you can do this. It doesn't feel good to feel so out of control." She would tell me- I'm trying to be happy." through her tears and thrashing. I felt really bad for her. It has been a long time since her meltdowns have been that intense. As her Mama I find it exhausting and a bit sad. I don't like to see her so out of control.

AFM: I keep finding myself feeling very "floaty" and unable to focus. I know I need to eat better so its something I'm working on. I've been looking into the Primal blueprint diet a bit. My sister has been doing it for a month now and feels so much better. Lots more energy and focus. DH and I are thinking of giving it a try.

I just read that California Baby products have been reformulated. It's what we have been using for F and M for a long time but a lot of people have reported rashes and skin problems with the new formula. We deal with that enough already! What do you guys use for your littles? I may just try Dr Bronner's baby mild for soap and hair but F really needs a conditioner or her hair is (even more of!) a tangly mess. I'd love suggestions!

[AKislandgirl]

Forgot to ask...

Do any of you do read aloud chapter books with your kids? I was thinking about trying to find some chapter books I could read to Fiona. Not sure where to start... I saw someone mention The Mouse and the motorcycle by beverly Cleary on a blog I read. Any other ideas?

[starling&diesel]

Cindy ... Are those lines getting darker, Mama?  I cannot WAIT for your betas!  I can only imagine how you must be feeling ...

Ever ... What an AWESOME rock star picture! 

justKate ... 18 days? Ridiculous! 

Courtney ... That looks like some real progress!

Mal ... I have to do another go through of H's clothes too. He's way bigger than E was.  Having a better day today?

Houses: I miss having one of our own, but I don't miss the $2400 mortgage payment!  I long for a yard though, and our own laundry.  But we're so lucky to be in a co-op, I can't really complain.  We'd be stupid to ever give it up, but watch ... it's only a matter of time, what with our itchy feet. 

Personalities ...   I would say that E is pretty easy going for the most part, happy to entertain herself, and not as happy to 'have' to play with other kids.  She likes talking to adults, and has all the time in the world for them, but if another three-year-old dare ask her to play dress up or playdough, she is not impressed.  I think she's pretty eager to please myself and dp, because she doesn't test us very often, unless she's exhausted and beside herself.  No hitting, thankfully.  I do notice that she doesn't 'respect' dp as much as me, and tends to boss her around, whereas she would never try that with me.  I wonder if she sees dp as more of a peer?  E does tend to be bossy when dealing with others, and is very opinionated about how things should be.  She's not very adventurous on her own, but is always happy to do new things when dp or I are with her.   She's very tender and caring to little ones and animals, and can spend hours involving her lovies in elaborate make-believe scenarios.  And like I said, she's good at entertaining herself for ages.  The only real struggle we have is that she treats our dog like a stuffy, and cannot leave her alone.  She's always pestering her, and the dog goes along with it happily, which is a little annoying.  I would say that E and dp are extremely close, which is very helpful.  E will do anything for dp, and vice versa.  I'd say her best friend of all is the dog though.  They're inseparable.  She's not into other little kids yet, and I kind of wonder if she ever will be. 

Chapter books:  We read a lot of them with E.  Some of our favourites are:  Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, Moominpapas, Stuart Little, the Borrowers, Babe the Pig, Paddington Bear.

[Vegan Princess]

Thanks for the chapter book suggestions. We had to go to the library today anyway so I grabbed Babe and Paddington. I got the short plain Paddington picture book to introduce him (she already has a stuffed bear though) and then we will start the chapter book after. Cool. I'd gotten Pipi Longstocking a long time ago but she was too young. It was at least a yr ago bc it was our old house.

Interesting re: california baby. I think we have their body wash/shampoo. I used the Dr Bronners on M forever! But then it gets to be not quite right for the hair.

Starling: I'm jealous that E can play for hours by herself! Not M!!! So cute about the dog. M has her great affectionate moments with our cats but mostly she is jealous of them when they sit on my lap. 

Everr: Love the pics. Especially microphone!

Erin: M tried to dress herself but mostly can't. She's great at stripping naked though! She can do socks on and sometimes shirt. She can grasp the idea of pants and panties but they are usually on wrong. 

AFM: So my lines are def getting darker! I told DH tonight. Not a romantic way. When M pooped her pants the other day he said he thought it was an omen and that it was preparing us to clean poopy butts again. So I got him a new pooper scooper for the cat box (since it's his job now that I'm prego!). I tied a cute little pink card that said "baby" on in and taped the pee stick inside. I also put out some diaper wipes with a bow on them. In the card I wrote these were things to help him with all the poop that is coming into his life. Silly. But this is also the 4th time I've told him and he only have 1 kid to show for it so far. Tomorrow is my first beta. I asked the nurse to tell me my number. Normally they don't run the 1st one until you do your 2nd 2 days later - they run them together. But I am havign them done elsewhere and my will definitely be getting run tomorrow and reported back to my clinic. I told my nurse yesterday that I was getting nice positive tests and she was SO happy for me, knowing what we've gone through. So I'm hoping she'll take mercy on me and tell me. I'm not too worried about it - the lines are just where they should be for 12 dpo. I'll be more anxious to see that the number doubles on friday. 

My tummy has been feeling funny for the last 2 days. I can't figure out if I ate bad 7 layer dip on sunday night or if it's the start of morning sickness. I had very little w/M (and it started later than this) and I had none with my miscarriage. I'm still thinking dip - otherwise, I'm thinking BOY! Starling - were you as sick w/E as with H? At least since we only put in 1, we know our odds of twins are pretty slim. Though I've heard that with assisted hatching (which we did do) there is a higher chance of identical twins. Still super low though.

Cindy

[starling&diesel]

Cindy ... I'm already guessing BOY!  No, I had zero sickness with E and was SO sick with H.  I vote boy!  So, so, so, so, so exciting!  

[mckittre]

Cindy - I'm so excited for you!  I hope this is really it!  (I had very little sickness with either gender)

Sue - I'm sure you'll do fine on your own.  Dinner, how about wearing Maeve and letting Fiona help cook?  And bedtime you can always snuggle both at once (what I did when mine were littler - now I do them one at a time, usually putting L down first while K plays by himself for a bit).   As for snow play, you can totally play in the snow with a baby on your back.  I do it all the time, and it's actually much the best way to get L to take a nap.  Maybe snow angels aren't so easy, but stomping, and snowballs, and making trails and looking for tracks...  And an "adventure" can be had within a very short distance of home.  Admittedly, though, I'm much better about getting K outside for a couple hours every day than I am about staving off chaos in my house, setting up crafts or other activities, teaching the kids anything at all, etc...

chapter books - We read a chapter of "Winnie the Pooh" to Katmai every night at bedtime, after we tuck him in. 

Personalities - Courtney, you're right - "so busy in her own world that directions don't matter and anytime anything goes slightly wrong she screams and cries." totally describes K as well.  But I have to add a bit more, because I can't leave this only with the negative bits of him!  K is really good at playing by himself, and will spend a long time building with legos (though he'll get frustrated and whiny and ask for help frequently) or read himself books he's memorized, or make up elaborate games with his vehicles and trains.  He's such a little boy in some ways, with his construction equipment and train engines, but then his family of train engines includes a mom "with one chimney and one nipple for the baby to nurse on,"  and the lego backhoe is always driving around a whole family and all their groceries.  He's not shy, but he doesn't care much about other kids.  In a group setting, he usually won't be talking to the kids or the adults.  He'll be off in some corner absorbed in his own game with the other kids' toys.  He doesn't care much about our cat and dog either.  He's usually fairly helpful and good-natured, and will bring his sister toys or play chase with her sometimes, though he'll scream at her if she messes up anything he's doing.  Physically cautious, but fairly capable.  Definitely opinionated, and bossy with us, and very particular about what things are called, and what people should or shouldn't be doing (for instance, no one is allowed to pretend to be anything other than what they are, or call anyone anything other than what they are.  Pretend is strictly for toys). 

[Everrgreen]

Cindy - YAY YAY YAY!!!  I'm so happy for you :D  

AK - I don't have a strict primal diet, but I do try and focus mainly on fresh produce and fish/poultry.  I try and limit grains and eat very little sugar.  My big problem is I haven't had time to exercise.  I wish I had more time for that but I only have limited R-free time and need to use it for school.  

Kate - Yeah that's a long time to call!  I'd be annoyed..  I really hope things continue to go well though and you can have your VBAC :)

RE Chapter books - never even thought about it.. Maybe we should try one too!

RE Personalities - I love hearing about all our little ones personalities!  R is definitely more of an extrovert than I am, but he has his shy moments and can be slow to warm up.  But he is social and wants to be where the people are.  He loves playing with other kids, or standing in the middle of a room of adults being the centre of attention (as seen in the photo lol).  He does not play well alone at all ever.  He may play for a few minutes but he is constantly checking in with me, asking me to play with him, and if I can't play he would rather sit with me and do nothing than play alone.  He is independent about some things - he goes potty by himself (sometimes he needs me to pull his pants up/down), he will get himself a snack, he tries with dressing but isn't quite there yet (usually he can undress and pick out his outfit but then I help him get dressed).  He does prefer me to help with everything though.  He is very silly and weird and loves making people laugh.  He needs a lot of touch - hugs, snuggles - he can never seem to get enough.  He is super clever, it amazes me sometimes what he knows, remembers, has picked up on.  He's really good at explaining how he's feeling and talking about things.  It's funny because he was late to start talking but now he is so verbal.  At his daycare they tell me he is the social butterfly of the class and is very sweet and caring whenever other kids are upset.  So even though he can be really annoying and push my buttons and drive me nuts... He is still pretty awesome :P

[Everrgreen]

2 of my close friends would like to get pregnant this year (probably start trying in the fall, so a little while yet) and between them talking about it and all of you I have some serious baby fever.  Ah!  I had a dream the other night that I had a little newborn.  I've got about 3 years before I plan on doing it solo.. That's a long wait!!  :/

[Vegan Princess]

Beta is in - 171!!!! I'm a bit shocked it's this high. 13 dpo and 10dp3dt. With my last preg (miscarriage, but not until 10 weeks), my first beta at 13 dpo was 82. Yay!!! :-) 

Cindy

[mckittre]

Yay Cindy!!!!

It is fun to hear about all their personalities coming through.  Now that L is one, it's fun to start seeing her turn into her own little person different from her brother.  So far, I think she may be destined to be a little more gung-ho and a little more fiery than K (in keeping with the orange hair, I guess)

Diet:  I don't know how you folks that avoid grains manage to get enough calories in.  Pretty much all our meals are based on a grain of some type (often brown rice), and I find if I ever make a dinner without one then everyone is hungry later and ends up snacking on bread (homemade) all night anyway.  Do you just eat lots and lots of meat and fish?  I don't think I could ever give up baking (it's one of K and my favorite activities together), but I do wonder if we should maybe eat less sometimes.  But I have no idea how.

Exercise:  Try pulling a kid in a bike trailer or sled.  I don't do it every day (though I should), but probably every other day, and it's a great workout!  That said, it's 0 deg F out and blowing whiteout snow, so we're having an inside day today.  :)

[AKislandgirl]

Yeah! Cindy I'm so so happy for you! i think the way your told DH is a great story!

Diet: I don't know what I'm doing. I just ordered the primal blueprint from Amazon to see what I can learn from it. I do know that i eat way to many grains/carbs. I get serious sugar crashes and need to do something differently. I love baking too so I don't see myself going totally primal but I do think it would be good to shift away from the grains as the bulk of my diet. And the sugar! We will likely have some changes to the family diet after F's allergy testing next month too. I told DH that I'm 35 and have never been on a diet and I figured I might as well see what that is all about! I would love to lose about 15 pounds but really I just want to feel more "even" throughout the day and have more energy in general.

Exercise: Erin, you are a total rock star! That is all I'm going to contribute to the exercise discussion!

Babies: After M was born and DH and I were having a lot of struggles I was pretty sure that we were done with 2. Now that we are all doing so much better and M is no longer colicy I find myself thinking about number 3. Not soon, but someday. I'm not sure if my heart will ever feel "done" with having more babies. At some point I have to let the head in there too. No idea if we will have more but I'm not giving away all the baby clothes as M grows out of them. I am giving away a lot more then I did with F but have to hold on to some of them just in case! I've been thinking a lot about adoption lately too.

[starling&diesel]

Cindy! Wonderful news!!! I can't wait to see what the numbers will be on Friday! I'm thrilled that you got the nurse to tell you! I'm so excited for you! 

[Everrgreen]

Cindy - More good news!  Maybe that little egg split into two?  ;o)

Erin - I am no where near grain free, I just try and limit it when I can.  But I am reading more about paleo diets and it interests me.  I found this link for you:  http://www.marksdailyapple.com/alternatives-to-grains-quinoa/#axzz1kVwUo56F

I like your exercise idea!  I think I'll take R for a ride this weekend :)

[Thursday Girl]

cindy, that's awesome!!!

being "done" with kids- I didn't feel done after 1 or 2, but after 3 I felt done. Then we got pregnant with #4 and it was easy to open up my heart and let her in too. Now I feel like dang I could have another or 2 more BUT I won't do it in our current situation since I feel crappy enough about being so poor and having a fourth kid. Although the first trimester isn't something I really want to do again, it IS worth it and I would do it again.  I don't know maybe once Coraline is here I will change my mind, it would be nice to move onto other areas of life besides parenting young kids.

diet- quickly. we eat grains, a lot of them, whole wheat and whoel grains, but yeah we like them a lot. Excercise- not nearly enough.

personalities- they are awesome, i know I mostly posted my kids bad sides but they totally have awesome sides I love and adore. but I only have a second more on the computer.