This Week

• I'm ready for Spring (go away, snow showers that are threatening tonight)
• My kids got a new baby cousin...a girl, finally, for my sister, Alexis!
• We re-arranged the furniture in our room - a fresh look never hurts
• Baby S cannot be stopped.  She is one mean rollin' machine
• Miss M cannot be stopped either.  She dances around the dinner table until she is finally motivated to finish to get her dessert.  
• Miss M has a new favorite past time - taking her little chair and pulling it right up to the buffet with the mirror on top.  She stands on the chair that gets her to the perfect height where she can watch herself in the mirror - she is such a girl.  She brushes her hair there, sings herself songs there, dances there, you name it.
• Mr. A participated in a rite of passage - he got to watch the "original" Star Wars with his dad - just like his dad did when he was 5.  I'm not sure who was more excited.  
• I have much to be grateful for. 

Babies

I'm in that phase of life right now where I feel like I am constantly in some kind of "baby" mode.  Baby feeding, diapering, napping, rolling, scooting, growing, gummy smiling, drooling, spitting, noise-making, cooing, laughing, singing, reading, changing, grabbing, gnawing, sitting, drinking, playing, observing, etc, etc.

Because of that baby mode, I do a lot of thinking about what comes next for that baby.  How do I best help her to grow, learn, feel challenged, discover passions, explore the world, speak kindly, treat others with respect, be independent, yet still rely on me?  All sorts of questions.  And, then I realize that I shouldn't worry so much about all of that because moments like this one (the one above) are fleeting and should be lived in now.

Love you, Baby S.  Thanks for making us all smile so big and so bright.

Followers

Miss M has a steady stream of little male admirers that like to "dote" on her in Nursery class each Sunday.  Most often we hear about each one on the way home. "Mom!  Henry Smith push me in my Nursery class." or   "Mom!  Freddie hit me in my Nursery class!" or "Mom!  Ben take my fruit snack in my Nursery class!"  She's learning about the crazy things boys do to get the girls' attention at a very early age.

This past Sunday, apparently, she'd had enough.  Freddie had decided that he was going to follow Miss M around the whole class.  His mom is the Nursery leader and she reported that Miss M had some conditions for the follower:

"Miss Amy, dat's ok por preddy to pollow me, but I not kiss him."  (Miss M says p's for her f's)

That's my girl.  Way to play hard to get, Miss M (seen here on the far right)!

Another "How Did This Happen?" Moment

Today I registered Mr. A for Kindergarten.  Kindergarten!!!  Hard to believe my first baby will be off into the big bad schooling world come this Fall. 

It feels like my first real "wings" moment as a mom.  I'll continue to give him roots and now I get to start giving him some wings too.  All sorts of great changes coming for Mr. A and for all of us.  Fly!  Fly!!

How to Keep the Commandments

While in church last week Mr. A listened to someone at church talking about how to keep the commandments.  He immediately turned to me with all the confidence in the world and said,

"Mom, I know how we can keep the commandments."

"Oh good!" I whispered.  "How?"

"You take them and you hide them under the pillows and you don't tell anybody where they are and that's how you keep them!"

Brilliant, I tell you.  And, we now have our next topic for our Family Night lesson.

Hoping...and Wishing...and Dreaming...and Deserving

Like some of you, I have a dear, dear friend, and her awesome husband who would love love love to be parents.  And they will be pretty darn amazing ones, if I do say so.  So, if you know anyone who may be wanting to find some fan-tas-tic parents for their baby, please send them Holly & Kumen's profile.  And, did I mention they're awesome??!

Click here for their profile and information

Aren't they cute?!  Good luck, you two!

Baby S is Born

I realized the other day that I have not recorded Baby S's birth story.  It's nothing too outrageously fantastic, but I like it just the same.

I was originally due on 08/09/10.  How cool of a birthday would that have been?  But, then I went to the 12-week ultrasound and was told that it looked more like 08/01/10  (I had NO idea for the dr's on possible conception date - don't ask).  I have delivered my other 2 kids 6 and 5 days early, respectively, so I had to wonder with this one.

Fast forward to Saturday, July 24th.  DH had been gone on a week-long trip and was due home that evening.  He called me around 3 pm, though, and said he didn't think he would make it home because there was weather in some city that would prevent him from making it back to Chicago in time to catch the last flight to Philly.  At 3 pm that was no big deal.

At 2-ish I had gone with my friend, Sarah, to her parents' home about an hour away to swim with the kids, have pizza, and drink root beer and eat ice cream.  It was hot and we thought it would be fun.  And it was!  My 2 kids could not stop jumping off the diving board.  I had to be there to catch Miss M so I spent a lot of time treading water.  At about 4-ish, I started feeling a few contractions (I had had some the night before, but drank a bottle of water and laid on my side and they went away) again.  Didn't think much of it.  Until another one came a few minutes later.  And then another.  And another.  I finally grabbed Sarah's phone and started timing them.  9 minutes.  8 minutes.  8 minutes, 30 seconds.  Hmm.  I was sensing a bit of a pattern.  They were pretty uncomfortable, but I could still talk through them.

At 5 I called DH -
Me: "Where are you?"
DH: "Leaving Dallas on my way to Atlanta, why?"
Me: "I'm having contractions that are about 9 minutes apart and I'm not sure that it's anything, but if it IS something, I would hate for you to miss it.  Can you fly home from Atlanta?"
DH: "Yep.  I'll be there."

By 7 we were on the road back to home.  I got home, put the kids to bed, drank a big bottle of water and laid down on my left side willing my contractions to go away.

By 11 DH was calling me again.  He had missed the last flight out of Atlanta to Philly (it was full and he couldn't get a seat on it).  He told me the earliest he could get there in the morning was 9 AM, by the time he got to the hospital, it would be 10-ish.  Alright. I'll cross my fingers.

11:30 - DH calls again - "Can you get me a rental car in Allentown?  I can get in there tonight."

You bet.  Rental car booked and he's on his way.  Allentown's an hour away, and he gets home at 2:30 AM.  I'm awake because I only slept from 1:30-2:15.  Contractions were 5 to 6 minutes apart at this point and I was not comfortable.  By 4:30 AM I was in the shower and getting ready to call the dr. But first I blow dried my hair.  Priorities.

5:10 - I call the dr and leave a message with the answering service.  Go downstairs to eat breakfast.
6:00 - Come back upstairs and sit on the exercise ball waiting for the call back.
7:00 - Still nothing, but the contractions have gone back to being closer to 7-8 minutes apart, but they're harder.
7:30 - Call the dr again and tell the answering service (it's Sunday, remember) that I did not get a call back the first time I called.
7:35 - Dr. calls me back.  "So sorry - they told me you were 29 weeks, not 39 weeks."  Still.  She leaves it up to me.  I can come in or I can wait a little bit more.  I tell her I'll get my kids off to church, go walk some curbs, and then come in.  Sounds like a plan.
9:00 - Kids leave and DH and I start walking the curbs in 90+ degree heat
9:30 - Contractions are now 2-3 minutes apart.
9:45 - We leave for the hospital.
10:10 - Check-in to the maternity unit
10:45 - I'm at a 4 and they're keeping me (really??? only a 4??? after all that laboring ALL.NIGHT.LONG????)
11:00 - I tell the nurse that I'd like to have this baby with no epidural
11:30 - They break my water.
11:45 - These are very painful contractions
12:10 - My DH has no blood left in his wrist because I've squeezed it all out.  MERCY!!!  The thunder and lightning of a quick summer thunderstorm have begun.  I feel the same way. 
12:20 - My epidural comes - I'm at a 7 - so much for that resolve!
12:45 - It finally kicks in 100% and I snooze for a bit
2:10 - Nurse comes to check on me.  "Oh wow!!  You're ready to have a baby!"
2:30 - The Dr. comes in and gets situated.
2:33 - Start pushing
2:36 - I get to pull sweet, screaming Baby S on to my chest and be the first to cuddle her and cry and be so thrilled that all went well, that my DH made it in time, and that we all get to sleep that night.

The end. :)  But, really, only the beginning.  Love you, Baby S.

Merry Christmas from the Seamons Clan

Home for Christmas

We had an unusual first in our 10 1/2 yrs of marriage this year - we stayed home for the holidays.  All of them.  Hard to believe, but we have never once been in our home for Christmas.  We have always been able to celebrate with family, but this year we had decided to stay close to home when DH tore his Achilles, and it ended up being absolutely delightful! 

A few things we enjoyed:

• A visit from Nancy, Clint, and "Baby DAbid" as Miss M likes to call him for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
• A visit from Santa Claus - he got a bit carried away, we think, but I've heard he's apt to do that
• A visit from the cold/cough fairies - they enjoyed time with Miss M and Baby S and now the rest of us are hoping they stay far far away
• A yummy Christmas dinner with fun family and close friends - 28 people at ONE dining room table!  Go Sarah!
• A trip to the Crayola Factory and Canal Museum
• A New Year's Eve celebration with super great friends playing Reverse Charades (I'll never talk about the Ten Commandments again without thinking of Rob's flubbing of it) and Dance Central on the Kinect, and eating eating eating!
• Miss M's renewed passion to say all of the prayers - which she starts by saying "Dear Harry Potter" - because that's how she says "Heavenly Father."  I smile every time.
• Our "live" Christmas Eve nativity - complete with a great Joseph (Mr. A), a large Baby Jesus (Baby S), a heavenly angel (Baby David), and a standing Mary (Miss M) because, just as she entered "Bethlehem" and was instructed to sit down, "Got poop" - all caught on video camera.
• Miss M's explanations for why she does something - "Pa-cuz" instead of because.
• Taking Mr. A to black-light mini-golf and the arcade (thanks, Groupon) as entertainment one afternoon
• Making homemade cinnamon rolls 
• After-Christmas decoration bargain hunting/shopping
• Watching the Rose Parade on tv and eating our donuts (even if we couldn't be there in person)
• Spending time together as a family

In 2011 we have much to look forward to - a healed Achilles tendon, a newborn becoming a toddler, my first "baby" becoming a Kindergartner, Miss M starting preschool, many fun memories to be made, visits with family, my baby brother's wedding, and figuring out what life as we know it should really be!  It'll be a great one. 

Goodbye, 2010.  You brought us our sweet Baby S, our Mr. A's tubes in his ears, a wonderful 10 yr anniversary trip to Hawaii, a fantastic 2 weeks at the beautiful S. Carolina coast, 2 crutches, a cast, some reminders that we're not as young as we think we are, and developed patience and growth.  Thanks a bunch!

A Neglectful State of Mind

I really do love me some good Christmas spirit.  I love cookie exchanges and burning pine candles.  I love flurries of snow and well wishers at the store.  I even love the Salvation Army bell ringer standing outside my Acme who helped me teach my two oldest kids the spirit of giving the other day.  I love Christmas programs at Church, constant Christmas music playing in my car, at my house, in the stores.  It is all a joy to me.

This year, however, I find myself feeling like I'm constantly forgetting something - or someone.  I'm so worried that I will be wrapping presents at 8 pm on Christmas Eve and realize that I missed someone or something.  I make lists and run through everything 100 times in my mind, but still!!  Maybe it all has something to do with the craziness that we claim as ours right now. 

DH's achilles tendon is now firmly sewn back together and fortunately was not re-torn in a small tumble in the bathroom last week (to get Windex, no less).  Only a few stitches popped a few days early!  It is solidly in a plain blue cast that comes up to just below his knee and has his "little piggies" sticking out.  He has assured me the dr told him he could put weight on it around the house, but when he goes out he needs to use crutches.  I'm not so sure the dr knew how very little he leaves the house.  :)  I worry, but I try not to nag.  Easier said than done as my DH would tell you.  He probably wishes I would "neglect" him more!  I offered to take him to Target or Costco where he could ride around in the motorized wheelchairs and complete all of his Christmas shopping (my stocking, in particular).  He declined the offer and has been exercising his "Prime" shipping on Amazon.com.  The UPS man shows up at our house at LEAST once a day.  He's got to start wondering. 

I hope my children aren't feeling neglected with all of the pulls and demands on my time.  I'm sure having a lot of fun with them.  Belle, our resident elf, is doing her fair share of watching and reporting and has certainly helped me out a bit.  The kids like to break the eggs and stir the sugar into my recipes.  They absolutely love watching their hot cocoa brew in our Cocoa Latte machine.  And, they particularly enjoy a nice excuse to eat 10 marshmallows at 8 am!  Mr. A has no qualms about sitting on any Santa's lap and telling him exactly what he wants.  Miss M on the other hand, gets close enough to give a "Hi 5" and calls it good.  I feel really blessed to be their mom and need to remind myself of that more often. 

Their innocence kills me.  Mr. A prays every night that Baby Jesus will have a good birthday on Christmas and asks me what many words mean (i.e. dawdling, when I told him to stop dawdling and brush his teeth!).  I never know is he's Mr. A or "Skywalker" and he is a MASTER hider and seeker.  He even likes to play it after he's been let out of his church class and before we can make it to the car.  Ask me how much I like that.  He asks anyone and everyone to play with him.  Miss M is his favorite one because she'll ALWAYS be the counter and he can go hide anywhere. 

Miss M counting for hide and seek: "ONE!  TWO!  FOURTEEN!  EIGHT!  ELEBEN!  TWELBE! TWENTY!"  Her v's come out sounding like b's and it's adorable.  Her new favorite: "OH MY GOSH!  OH MY GOSH!"  She will eat everything in sight (or not in sight currently, but that she has memorized is there once the pantry door opens) and does not miss a meal - for anything.  She loves to tell us how she's been wronged by Mr. A and loves her binkies at bed time.  I was hoping when I took her to the dentist last week that he would chide me for giving them to her for so long and make me promise to get rid of them.  He didn't.  He just said "she's ok for now."  And she loves them so.  And she sleeps until almost 8 every morning and takes her 2 hr nap every afternoon and goes to bed between 7 and 7:15 every night.  Do I really have to mess with a good thing?!  I need to.  But I haven't.  I blame the dentist. 

And, my best for last tonight - my oh so sweet Baby S.  That girl is a dream.  She has been sleeping through the night for months.  If she wakes up before 7 it's a rarity and we pop a binkie in and back to sleep she goes for at least another hour.  And, when she's awake she is so happy.  She is so quiet that many don't even know she's there!  While her lungs have certainly developed as of late (she knows the decibel levels she needs to meet in order to compete with her siblings), it is only when she has pooped, not eaten, or is ready to go to sleep.  The rolls on her arms and legs are to. die. for.  I really wish she could take more of mine and add to hers.  She is content to hang in her pajamas all day and rolls with our punches.  I love love love her. 

And, so, tonight, I'll try not to keep myself up with all of the things I've forgotten to do.  I'm going to focus on the positive.  I got my Christmas cards out.  I got almost all of my packages sent.  I paid the bills.  I swept the floor and wiped the counters.  I did some laundry.  I changed diapers and fed hungry tummies and wiped unhappy tears.  Little victories.