Thoughts on three kids...

Jason and I were reminiscing the other day about how far our parenting skills have progressed, or should I say become more laid back, as we've added more kids into the mix. When pregnant with Stratton I came across an article that I think of every so often. It went through a series of scenarios that at the time just made me laugh, but looking back, I believe truer words have never been spoken. With no luck trying to locate the article again, I've decided to recreate it with my own experiences in mind.

Clothing

1 kid: Shirt matches skirt, which goes perfectly with the tights, patent leather shoes, and pink headband. What? She doesn't have a jacket to match? we'll stop at the store on the way....

2 kids: They're dressed and free of stains, put their shoes on and load em in the car!

3 kids: does he really need shorts on? I'm sure he's fine running around the park barefoot in a diaper. Is that snot smeared across his shirt too? well, can't win them all!

Food

1 kid: Do NOT eat that off the floor, we have to throw it away! No you can't have juice, you've already had your one cup week's ration.

2 kids: Here, eat this sucker and have this icee so I can finish grocery shopping. Tomorrow, we'll detox you. wait, tomorrow is the birthday party, oh well, there's always the next day...

3 kids: Is that dog food he's chewing on? hmm...i'm sure he's eaten worse. here... hand him this nerf ball to play with, nevermind the big hole that's missing, he took a bite out of it yesterday while I was busy changing #2's diaper. Yeah, he swallowed it, but its soft, I'll be seeing it again tomorrow I'm sure.

Nap Time

1 kid: No, I can't attend the play date I have to be home so the baby can nap at 11 o'clock sharp!

2 kids: Sure I'll come, can I bring the pack in play over to throw my kid in it at your house?

3 kids: play date here we come! If the baby gets tired, he'll go till he crashes in the middle of the living room with his hands still wrapped around a toy.

Safety

1 kid: Oh my! We must take her to care now immediately, her nose is running and she seems a little warm.

2 kids: Just watch him and if he isn't better by friday we'll take him in to the ped's office to avoid a trip to care now over the busy weekend.

3 kids: (and this was the conversation that took place to prompt the discussion)

me: stratton fell off the couch today

Jason: what do you mean he fell off the couch?

me: he was sitting their one minute then he just rolled off.

Jason: well what were you doing?

me: (short pause) I just wasn't paying attention. He's fine, he only cried for a couple minutes...

...and the list could go on, or at least mine could. Its funny, I know my kids aren't that old and I don't have THAT many, but I look at first time parents and feel like quite the veteran.

Kids really are more resilient than you think, but its a lesson that takes time to learn....

Stratton turns 9 months...

On one hand, I see the light at the end of the tunnel...within 3 months I should be done washing and preparing bottles FOR GOOD! AND, fingers crossed, that we'll have only one in diapers by that time also. On the other hand, where does the time go? Most of Stratton's life so far has been filled with his siblings activities, but he has still managed to create his own identity, adding to the family dynamic in a way that only he could. He is: intense, curious, impatient, demanding, and most of all, quirky. He's thrives on attention, but don't even think about making sudden loud noises, or stroking those locks of curls, least you be faced with bloodcurdling screams in return. He believes sleep is for wussies; he thinks he has full right to be on mom's hip 24/7; he seems to have a bottomless pit for a stomach. He has a million facial expressions that cause him to wear his heart on his sleeve (or rather on his eyebrows and positioning of his lips). He loves toys that move, light up, and make noise, but enjoys teetering with big brothers hot wheels as well. He is nothing like his brother or sister, and I am curious to see how his personality develops over the next couple of months.

At 9 months he:

-Sleeps through the night (finally)

-Is getting ready to crawl (finally) he's pushing himself backwards which only causes frustration and head butts (not good when you've got wood floors)

-Dislikes very much when toys get jacked from him (something that happens very often. you might as well call his brother Beck "the grass is always greener on the other side, now give me that toy now" Alcorn

-Has received 4 haircuts and hasn't come to like the last anymore than the first, rather, quite the opposite

-Makes noise ''talking'' all day long

-Has a mouth full of 8 teeth that make him look a bit like a monster, (uncertain whether its a nice or scary one.)

-Loves playing patty-cake and singing itsy bitsy spider

-Enjoys taking his socks off constantly

-Gets so excited when his brother or sister walks into the room that his whole body exudes love as he kicks and thrashes with anticipation.

Love you my littlest BIG man...

Attempt #1...

So we're scheduled to get family pictures taken in a couple weeks, but I found a picture on Pinterest that I was trying to adapt to fit with the kids. Early last week we got home from picking Ky up at school and they were all in pretty good moods. So I figured...why not? I got them dressed (piecing together outfits they already had laying around) and loaded them up. We went down to the trail at the end of our neighborhood and I tried to snap a couple shots before it started to get too cold and too dark to have them out there. I doubt they will actually be used as our christmas cards (I have to HOPE the ones in a couple weeks will turn out better than these), but nonetheless, thought I would share some of them....It would have been much more successful had I gotten them to stand in the grassy area, but Ky said no way and I was worried about stratton sticking things in his mouth. It would have helped to have the dark background to see the letters (which are painted cardboard made out of diaper boxes, fyi)

Random...

Stratton's new obsession is playing with his bottles after he finishes them. If you walk away with it too quick, he'll break down and start balling...

Looks like trouble to me....

Beck playing uncle john's guitar when he came down this weekend...

Ky's turn...

Ms. Kylie as the flower girl in my good friend Emily's wedding. Her favorite part was being in the room with the ''big girl'' bridesmaids and Em before walking down the aisle...

She did a great job and it was a wonderful ceremony. I'm so glad to have been a part of it...

New bath toys beck got for his birthday, although i think stratton enjoys chewing on them just as much as beck likes playing with them...

I have to share this story before I forget...Beck's newest phrase is "best friends". anytime there is more than one of ANYTHING sitting together, he'll point and say "mama...best friends." Its really cute and makes me smile every time, even when its his and strat's dirty rolled up diapers about to be thrown away, he'll point and state their close connection before doing so.

Halloween Part I...

Ky before school this morning. She was bummed she couldn't wear her costume, but this was our morning conversation while she was getting dressed:

her "mom, what is this on my shirt?"

me "Its mickey dressed like a mummy."

her "well...you're a mummy, why don't you look like that?"

this kid...always makes me laugh....

Loving on the sock monkey my mom made her, isn't it adorable?

Beck playing with his, and ky's monkeys.

Ghost busters...

Chewing on pumpkin while the big kids cleaned out the ''inards''

Ky at work, beck just kept crying ''it's yucky'' the whole time...

Happy halloween!

Loving on the pumpkin before carving began...

Perspective...

A good friend recently loaned me her copy of "Heaven is for Real." I've heard so much about it, but have been in sorta a reading rut lately. Actually, rut isn't the right word. Truth is I haven't picked up a book in about 2 months, and the last one I did start, I never finished (something I can't stand doing). My reading tends to be very cyclical. One month Jason will ask why there's all these charges for kindle downloads, and the next month I realize my kindle hasn't come out of my nightstand, period.

But back to the book. If you haven't read it, and you plan to, be forewarned, I'm going to share openly my thoughts.

In hopes of avoiding a complete synopsis, I'll sum up the book by saying it is written by a Dad whose son claims to have gone to heaven and come back during a near death experience. Maybe its because I read a similar book earlier in the year, "the boy who came back from heaven", or something like that, I can't remember the exact title right now, but I wasn't as blown away by it as others have been. That's not to say it was a bad read, I enjoyed it. Maybe it was just the similarities between this book and the earlier one that took away a bit of the "wonder" of it all. Either that or the fact that there has been many "Heavenly Trip" books to adorn bookstore shelves lately.

Regardless, back to the point of this post. Its nearing midnight and once again I find my mind churning (thanks to a brief section of the book). In it, the boy claims to have met his sister, a child who was never born, due to a miscarriage, during his trip to heaven. Jason and I have spoken several times about what it will be like to meet the two babies we lost before having Beck. But what is nagging at my brain is the idea that the son claims his sister can't wait to meet their parents one day. This seems like a simple, and quite obvious thought. But it was one that hit me hard. Giving those who never touched the earth feelings makes them so much more real. And not that I ever questioned their existence, then or now, but it adds a depth and perspective that is new to me.

As is human nature, I've only viewed our miscarriages from my point of view. I can't wait to meet them. I want to know them. I want to love them. The simple idea that they might want to meet us too is, for some reason, very overwhelming. And it makes it that much harder to handle. As a parent, we have an innate sense to help our children. To comfort them, to keep them safe, to provide for them a sense of security. And I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm just learning that this motherly desire to "mother" stretches beyond the here and now (at least for me)

Life is different for everyone. And different people can experience the same event differently. I don't know what heaven will be like. I only know what I believe to be true, and what scripture tells me, but if this boy's story is real, and I have no reason to not believe (God is amazing), I hope those two beautiful children in heaven are as excited to meet me as I am to meet them.

That time in my life is by far one of the hardest I've ever had to endure (along with Ky's surgeries). There are times when I'm alright talking about it, and times when I am not. I am a mom: a mom of three beautiful children here on earth, and two in heaven. I hope at the end of it all, my heavenly children will be able to say, "my mom rocks!"

Thinking of you both tonight. All my love.

What a goob!

Apparently I don't feed him enough. He'll sit and chew on his toes for hours...

Look at those monster teeth!.

Child of W-O-N-D-E-R

Love this one!