Don't You Feel Seven Kids is Enough?

I'm in such a weird stage of my life.  I never thought about it coming.  EVER.  I'm 35 and I've been blessed with 7 beautiful, fun, amazing, challenging, heart wrenching, adventurous kids.  One is in heaven, although it's heartbreaking, I'm excited to meet someday.  ;) 

Last week I dismantled the crib for the first time in 14 years.  Not super excited about it.  Why am I feeling that way?  Aren't some parents happy to get out of those diaper and crib stages?  Doesn't it mean less physical slavery work but more drama? (Older kids come with more drama.)  Ha.  I wasn't happy about putting the crib in the garage.  I was sad. I love the little pitter-patter of the feet across the house.  I love the kisses and babbling.  I don't care about all the diaper changes.  I've never had a break so far for 14 years and that's just fine with me.  

On the other side of it, no more babies means less work, less sleepless nights, no strollers, no diapers, no crib, no packing a diaper bag, no nursing, no binkies, no bottles.....

I don't know...... I'm extremely content.  The weirdest thing is before I got pregnant with baby Genesis that we lost, I constantly was setting out 10 dinner plates.  We'd be sitting at the table and I'd look around to see who was missing.  It would dawn on me that we are only a family of nine.  I'm talking about for months I did this.  Once I got pregnant and lost the baby, I've never accidentally done this again. Weird, huh?  My heart hurts thinking about never, ever having a little baby in my tummy again.  Never again experiencing the miracle of birth. I don't mind waking up to those newborn cries a zillion times a night.  I'm so used to it now.  And believe me, it's not baby fever.  I have person fever.  Every single kid I have is so uniquely different that I just love learning about each one of them and I love their differences!  It's so fun to see all the different personalities.
 

 

I'm sure lots of people go through these feelings.  I just don't personally know anyone.  If I express these feelings to people in my life they'd most likely say, "Well, don't you feel seven is enough?"  When did it ever become a number?  They are not a group to me.  I know each and every kid personally.  I make it a point to spend personal time with each one.  And boy, I enjoy it!  Yes, it's sooooo much work.  Yes, housekeeping is a battle for me because it's getting messy as we're cleaning.  Okay, so what?  Who said a perfect house even matters?  Good grief.  I love toys strewn across my house.  It shows we love living.  A perfect house just feels unlived in and kind of empty.  Besides, I have no friends that are perfectionists.  I find that personality a bit annoying.  (Sorry if I offended anyone).   I'm not saying I like it messy but to me there is a balance.  If you randomly show up at my house, it's gonna look lived in. 

When is it time to move forward?  I thought by now it'd be so obvious to me.  People have told me many, many times that you'll always just know when you are done.  Well, good grief, I'm still waiting for that definite feeling.

Diaper Rashes & Dinosaur Food

Wow, I have gone through a horrible battle with my baby regarding diaper rashes. I've only talked a little about it but it had gotten so bad that I was getting up every hour of the night to change her diapers. When I was nursing her I never had that issue.  Unfortunately, because I switched her to formula and also changed her brand of diapers at the same time, I didn't know the cause.  I wish I could have kept nursing but it just wasn't possible since I ran out of milk.  I tried eating more, which is why I gained weight.  I tried drinking tons of water and even took Fenugreek pills that lots of moms were telling me about.  Nothing worked and I hesitantly did what I always end up having to do.  I had to switch Juliet to formula.  Well, her bottom started to get really pink and it gradually got worse and worse.  Eventually I had to take her to the doctor and get a prescription.  When that didn't work I tried all the different brands of diapers, including switching to cloth,  then tried different formulas.  I've spent so much money buying one here and there, using it only one time and then having to find another.  Then I tried all the sensitive ones.  By now her bottom was bleeding and she was pooping almost every 15-20 minutes.  After being up with her all night to keep changing her after every poop, I had enough and was calling the doctor again.  That's just not right.  The nurse was perplexed since they originally said it couldn't have a link to the formula.  They called a meeting and then called me back to tell me to switch her to soy.  By now I've spent a lot of money on finding different brands of diapers, cloth diapers, switching formulas without even using most of it.  I had recently discovered a hidden shop inside of a church that is majorly discounted so I paid a visit and found 3 cans of soy formula and spent a total of $8.  That's my kind of deal!  Well, she no longer has a rash.  She's happy and mommy is happy having some sleep at night.  :)

Did I tell you I switched my family over to the Paleo diet?  Basically we are meat and vegetable eaters now.  I do have some compassion about it and haven't forcefully taken away all pastas.  My husband and kids are lovers of it.  However, I have GREATLY reduced it.  Last night I made homemade chicken noodle soup and it had mostly the meat and vegetables in it.  I personally didn't eat any noodles at all but I added a tiny bit for the ones that insist they have to have it.  I asked them for a compromise on it and told them I'd at least like to get them special noodles that are high in protein.  I hope to eventually win them all over.  :D  I feel fantastic and I don't have sugar crashes in the day from so many carbs. I will be making visits to meat markets and to the farmers markets on the weekends.  Should be fun.  ;D  Because of this new way of eating my couponing is definitely being cut in half.  Most of all coupons are about bad foods so I won't be couponing for food anymore, only for toiletries and stuff.

Yeah, I know.  I make everything hard in my life rather than taking the easy route.  Lots of kids, cloth diapers, chickens for fresh eggs, couponing for deals, healthy food planning and homemade meals every day.  It'd be so much easier to just go pick up a pizza.  But... it's a good life.  :)

Bad Days with Kids and Cars

Yesterday was just one of those days where you are so grateful the sun eventually went down and a new day could begin.  I can be a schedule nerd and have certain things scheduled for a certain day of the week.  Tuesday is Kroc center day and I went with a friend.  Between both of our kids, they fought at least half the time.  Someone kept coming to one of us to constantly tattle.  I always teach that you never tattle unless someone is being a pervert or someone is in danger.  It was just one of those days where tattling went rampant, and was over the most dumb stuff,  so I felt more like a referee than a mom.  I think this week we are gonna focus on the subject of tattling and nip it in the bud.

After the KROC center we went to IKEA for the kids eat free and to get my favorite meatball plate. I had to keep reminding my kids to sit down, we are not in McDonalds playland.  No running around tables or sitting under your chair.  This is common sense stuff I've taught my kids for a loooong time so I was frustrated.  On a good note I found something fantastic for organization in the boys room.  It was hard to relax because I had left Juliet with Charles before going.  I was fine when I left because I had just nursed her.  By the time I finished eating at IKEA I needed to really nurse her.  BAD. I started to be in a lot of pain and by the time I purchased my items and checked, all I kept thinking about was that I needed to get home.  My husband said she was happy and sleeping but I needed to get home quick.



Finally, we make it to the van, loaded the kids and the purchases, but my van doesn't start.  Argh!!  IKEA was closing and there were not many people left.  My friend thankfully hadn't left so we just had to find someone with cables.  I found a family and we sat there for a half hour trying to get the van to start.  Ashley kept telling me she had to use the restroom but by then everything around us was closed.  NOTHING was open anywhere near... or far. Just before we finally got the van running Ashley starts screaming that she pooped and peed her pants.  Ashley had diarrhea and that's why she couldn't hold it.  My friend cleaned up Ashley (which was soooo nice) while I loaded the kids in the van.  By now I was in TONS of pain and just needed to nurse Juliet.  She was fine at home with a bottle but I wasn't.  It only took 3 minutes to load everyone but once my friend drove off my van died again.  I was supposed to immediately drive off so the van would make it home but I couldn't.  By then the kids and I were really alone and I had to call my husband to come rescue us.  As soon as my husband pulled up with Juliet in the car, I immediately nursed her.  I didn't care what anyone else was doing, I was just so relieved and Juliet was happy to eat.  He drove off in the van so I could just sit and nurse before heading home.  Sigh.  When I went to bed I was so happy there was a new day coming in the morning.  This one I just wanted to forget about.

As frustrating as the day was, I was so happy waking up today to just peace and the comfort of my own home.  :D  After bad days like that it makes me just want to curl up with a good book and sip some hot tea...