Two Moms in a Kitchen

We’ve been staying at Shawn’s sister’s house in San Antonio for the last week.  We= Me and the kids.  We’ve had fun; it’s been an adventure!  The kids are getting along most of the time, and are enjoying the “vacation.”  I learned how to make granola (and the kids love her granola- yay!), we’ve been making smoothies like crazy in her Vitamix :), and yeah, well, cooking for a crowd of our size requires lots of time in the kitchen.  She has 5 kids and I have 4.  I’m excited to try a few recipes, and since she also homeschools, a few homeschool projects.  The first one in line for next week is a solar oven, 'cause, it's definitely warm enough.

We’re staying there during the week and coming back to San Angelo (3 hours away) to visit Shawn on the weekends.  It’s the compromise we came up with when Shawn got put in the barracks instead of being able to live with us, but didn’t want to miss his new baby for 3 months (they grow so fast when they’re that little!).  So we’re doing this till the 4^th of July and then heading back to Idaho, possibly very slowly.  The 30 hr. trip down here was killer. 

However, we did get to stop by Arches National Park for a few hours, which was awesome :), and we visited family and friends on the way, which was also cool.  I will see if I still have the ability to post pics…Oh look, it worked :)

 The boys were thrilled to find some "shade."  Doesn't look like much shade to me but I suppose it's all relative.

 Wow, all of us together in a picture...that's a rarity...

 The only acceptable-ish pic of me during the entire trip, and believe me there are plenty; my husband is camera crazy.

 There's a baby in there somewhere. Those shades are army-issued, and boy does he love them.  He takes better care of them than I do of the kids!

Still kickin'...if only barely

Monday and Tuesday the movers came (we ignored Demetri's birthday and decided to celebrate it in Kamiah); Wednesday was spent cleaning and finishing vacating the house.  Today has been graduation, paperwork, online trainings, more paperwork, hotel and naps for kids, running back and forth from hotel to post, and finally, ice cream (the kids were so patient today!).  Tomorrow depends on what the people in the various offices say- there's one paper in particular that needs to be signed before we can do anything else.
Busy week.  I'm just glad to be out of the house and hoping we can get out of here soon.  California was fun, but I'm ready to be done. I thought everything was done and we could just leave after graduation.  I should know by now and be able to anticipate the extra red tape!  (I just get optimistic when he actually has leave papers in his hand.)
Enjoying my baby- though still not comfortable enough with four children to go anywhere with them alone.  Shawn's frustrated.  Oh well, at least I was willing to have the four children; I don't know about more.  I'm savoring the newborn stage that I've missed so much.  Xander has three excited big brothers.  They love him, hold him, sing to him, play with him, and talk to him in funny voices. 

Alexander Nathan Pitcher

8 lbs 2 oz, 21 inches long.  Born March 10th, 2012, 11:04 a.m.  It's the shortest labor I've ever had.  I did so well, all the way up until the last 1/2 hour.  I envy women who have easier labors...I of course, at the moment, never want to do this again.  I know it's worth it, but during those last 10 minutes it's hard to convince myself of that.  Other than the last 10 minutes, it was the best labor, and I was so relaxed the whole time.  I'm so grateful that my mom was there.  I really wanted Shawn there, but she was the next best, and she was wonderful :).  I'm also grateful to have had Cathy Ward, and Darlene, and my grandma- all women I love and trust.  Oh, and laboring in the water was great.

I want to go back home to Shawn now; I just don't want to make the drive.  It's very intimidating.  I'll put a picture up as soon as I figure out where they are on my computer...  The kids love Xander.  They constantly want to hold him, and are even willing to help change diapers...not that I've let them :)

Where did the day go?!

I think I've lost some time today.  It went by quickly.

This morning the little kids discovered/made up their own “educational” game.  They were putting foam numbers in jail (trapped under a laundry basket) in order.  In order to do this, they had to figure out what number comes next.  What kids won’t think of when you leave them alone!  Next, my children decided to make a third eye out of paper and tape it to their foreheads.  They also made paper swords, and other unidentifiable paper weapons, covered in duct tape.  They made ninja kits and fought the bad guys.

Today I am very upset about abortion.  I read some evil, ridiculous articles, and now I’m looking for ways to distribute pro-life bumper stickers.  Just reading the articles made me sick to my stomach.  I can’t believe the level of depravity of some people…

I’ve been having contractions for several days.  It’s the first time I’ve had contractions that weren’t actual labor.  Tonight they were pretty regular but they’ve pretty much stopped.  I’m sure it’s because I packed my bag and called my midwife. :)  That’s okay.  I’m not actually quite ready.  My iron is too low and I’m working on getting it up, and the baby is turned the wrong way at the moment, so I’m doing exercises that are supposed to help.  I wasn’t sure how that would work, but the exercises worked last time with Teddy.

At dinner tonight-

Olie (to Demetri): If you don’t listen to your mom, you’re not listening to Jesus.

Demetri: How does he know such complicated things?

Olie: Because my mom teached me!

Warning: Pregnancy Rant

It’s almost 2:00 a.m.  I am becoming more firmly convinced with each passing day that the last few weeks of pregnancy exist to ensure that when a woman goes into labor she welcomes it rather than dreads it.  Yes, I am whining.  While on the whole this has been the easiest pregnancy I’ve ever experienced, in the last week the combination of symptoms which have come together in one fell swoop to grace my body with their presence are threatening to defeat my nerves.  

In addition to restless leg this evening, I have this new general feeling of discomfort accompanied by an inability to breathe while lying down.  Imagine that- how could a 7-9 lbs baby cause discomfort?  (And why have I gained 55 instead of just 7-9!)  Excuse the sarcasm; I think the lack of sleep is beginning to wear on my manners.  Anyway, there is now no such thing as a “comfortable position.”  I find myself chanting, “3 more weeks, just 3 more weeks” as I rub my feet and curse my ankles, which are finally groaning under the added weight.  So much that I find it difficult to walk.  What I need for the next few weeks is a hospital-induced coma.  What good is a cantankerous mom who can’t walk, can’t sleep, and is finding it difficult to function well enough to remember to feed the animals (or in this case, hungry children)?!  

I will have mercy on the inconvenienced reader and cease to detail my myriad complaints.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll retire to the hot tub for a midnight rendezvous with the rain.  Fully clothed.  Well, maybe I’ll go find my swimsuit, but it’s tempting. 

*Rant ends; exit madwoman. 

Why do I always have to think up a title for my posts...it's more trouble than the actual posts!

I've tried to post several times in the last couple days, but something has been wrong with this page.  The kids and I are at my in-law's while they are in Florida :).  Everyone's doing pretty well I think.  Incidents have been kept to a minimum, and I'm learning a lot!

I've found some great books lately, and I've actually been getting a lot of reading in because I haven't been feeling up to lots of cleaning and walking around.  My ankles have decided that I'm putting too much weight on them...so I've been sitting down a lot.  Who knows, maybe I'll get that nesting instinct in the next 3 weeks, but for now I'm pretty sedentary.  And glad to have help from Lena and Demetri :).

The boys are enjoying their time here, don't quite understand the idea that we're only going back to California for a month, but are pretty excited about Texas.  They're making the most of the snow and the hot tub.  I told Shawn someday we may have to get a hot tub, because I think my children are half fish.  A pool might be a little more appropriate but I'm pretty sure they'd get by with a hot tub, haha.  On the other hand I feel children are drowning in privileges today and it's not good for them.  I guess I may rethink the idea.  

Progress

Good things:

I am safely ensconced in Kamiah, and the drive was the least stressful 16 hour drive I’ve ever been on- thanks to my wonderful father-in-law who flew to California to drive me up here.

My midwife says I’m doing great, and as of tomorrow I have 6 weeks left.

Teddy seems to be healing quickly!

My sister and two adorable nieces are here for a week :).

Taxes are done, and we now have $0 in credit card debt (…student loans are another story, but it’s definite progress).

My husband sweetly took the time to redo the budget with me, even though it took several hours and a lot of repetition on his part so that I could understand it.  (There really are many different ways to think about money.)

I have been sleeping much better.

The boys and I love it here!

Have a great day :)