How Different Will It Be with Siblings 3 Years Apart?

38 weeks pregnant and no dilation.  That's fine!  :D  I'm STILL enjoying being pregnant.

I can't believe my youngest two kids will be 3 years apart!  Now I'll know what it's like to have kids 1, 2, and 3 years apart.  I had my first three kids within 3 years.  They are now all best buddies.  IT still worked out with my kids that are 2 years apart.  What will it be like with a 3 year gap?  This should be interesting and Juliet SHOULD be potty trained.  Everything has to be her idea.  She really wanted panties and potty training toilet.  She was soooo happy when I presented it to her till a couple days later when I suggested she try to potty on it.  The look on her face when she realized this was something that wasn't her idea anymore.  So now she pulls up panties over her diaper and tries to act big walking around in them.  Cheater pants!!!  I've been changing diapers for so many years I've learned when they are ready they are ready.  I think when Jaxon gets here, I'll focus on it a bit more.  Right now I have my ONE baby in diapers and it makes me happy.  :D

Today we got locked out of our house and had to break the chain lock to get in.  Two of our kids had their leadership class, chain locked the front door, then ran out through the garage while it was closing.  Well, we don't use our garage for the van so didn't have the opener with us. So now I'm in panic that Juliet is going to escape midday right out the front door.  EVEN though we have it locked with a child proof handle.  I'd better replace that chain lock asap. No joke. Houdini's copy cat lives here.

My Diaper Dumping, Underwear Jumping, Table Crawling Child

Jumping with brother's underwear on her head

Juliet has gone from tough to really, really hard.  I need strength.  No joke.  I've had the terrible twos experience a few times but nothing like this.  I have all the doors chain locked.  I had a child safety door handle on every single door knob in the house so she can't freely roam the rooms, bathrooms, or escape outside or into the garage.  I have 4 baby gates that are all now busted.  I'm telling you, she's really difficult.  Today was the first time I just had my head in my hands because I was just done.  I don't know what more I can do to protect her.  Today she poured hand soap all over her body, then went around hugging the kids and I got it in my eyes.  It burned really bad for awhile.  She went through a Costco size diaper box that has always lasted me 2-3 months.  She strips and dumps so many diapers around the house that she went through it in less that one month.  LORD HAVE MERCY!  Yes, she's fun and exciting but let's all hope and pray she channels this energy into a good direction.  (I was a really hard kid for my mom by the way).  Please, God, don't let her be me when I was little.  I'm hoping she mellows out around four years old at least. 

Taking off her clothes at auto body shop

Showing me how she got into my makeup

moving large sign across waiting room

Showing us her clothes selection

The Terrible, Terrible, Terrible Twos

Oh man, I've been feeling yucky.  The other night I tried to go to the store to buy food to make dinners for the week.  Every aisle made me gag.  I walked out with Cup O' Noodles for everyone.  No joke.  I'm gonna try to go shopping again tonight.  After all, I'm starving exactly every two hours of the day.  I have to have food.  So do they.

Juliet pooring milk over brother's head

Now I'm seven weeks pregnant and I take naps every day when Juliet does.  She literally wears me out so it's not all hormone.  I mean, most of it is from pregnancy but she just has me running all over.  For the sake of everyone's sanity I've been trying to mostly keep her gated in the living room with us with some toys.  She constantly begs for bottles but I give her sippy cups which she hates.  She would rather go thirsty than drink from a sippy cup.  Sometimes I'll cave for the sake of sanity and just give her a bottle.  She'll drink only some of it and then poor the rest over her play kitchen, blankets, and toys.  Wow, I am thanking God that this next baby isn't coming till Juliet turns three years old.  Lets hope and pray she's a tad bit more normal.  But, hey, we are talking about the three year old stage.  The one positive thing I could gain from it is Juliet will be on the road to potty training.



Juliet poking her brother's eyes

Lately, or shall I say the last several months, Juliet has been stripping off all her clothes and her diaper and running around naked.  I will redress her constantly because I have boys in the house.  She'll quickly restrip.  The problem with this is the peeing and pooping.  Today, during her nap hour, she was supposed to be resting but I caught her naked with poop smeared all over her bed.  Ohhhhhhhh, this girl..... To make it more challenging, every single time she knows she did something bad, she will kiss me like crazy.  Kiss my leg, my hand, my arm, my foot.  Then she'll give me the most winning smile ever.  Today when Ryan was in trouble and had to sit alone somewhere, Juliet went up to him and kept giving him kisses knowing he was in trouble.  She was wanting him to feel better.  Ha. 

Help me, Lord!  These terrible twos are the worst I've ever gone through.  Eek, I'm starving again.

Why Can't I Be Like Everyone Else- Mommy Insecurities

I need to step up on my game.  Sometimes I feel so insecure because I can't get the house perfect like I see in all those Instagram and Facebook photos.  I don't get it?  Ha.  I was the baby of the family.  Babies are known to be the messies.  Whyyyyy can't I retrain myself to be like this fantastical, amazing, pefecto woman, wife, mom, everything?  My husband said, "All those women you compare yourself to, are they homeschooling a large family?  Because it's just not the same otherwise and it's not fair to compare yourself to someone where their life is just completely different."  I love my husband.  It always puts it back into perspective for me.  :)

Not sure how clutter gets back into my house but it does.  We are not shopaholics here but it just makes sense that which 9 people, stuff can just add up quick with birthday and holidays.  It's like this never ending carousel for me that I've learned to just deal with rather than loathe.  Some people can just stay right on top of it.  I'm amazed by them.... unless something or someone(s) important in their life is being replaced to do it.  I want my kids to grow up and really feel they know me.  I hope they'll say we had a relationship.  I promise, the clean house doesn't matter because that's such a faded part in my memory of my own past.  I remember the relationship stuff.

Juliet has got to be the world's lightest sleeping baby.  She will go to bed on time but because she hears people going to the bathroom in the middle of the night, she'll wake up.  She never puts herself back to sleep but instead calls for us to come play with her.  I have to keep certain pajamas on her and keep a gate up at her door or she'll run naked throughout the house in the middle of the night.  She doesn't just strip and run, she laughs wildly while she does it.   Ha ha.  So cute but soooooo much work. 

Usually the softie to come to her side is Ivy.  Ivy will hug her, change her diaper, get her a bottle, and they'll snuggle.  However, Ivy got trapped into playing in her castle with her at 1am.  Anytime Ivy tried to walk out Juliet would cry.  In fact, when I took this picture, that's exactly why Juliet was crying in it.  Ivy felt bad, came back in, and when she did, Juliet pushed-forced her towards the castle. Ivy and Juliet are giggling their heads off right now. 

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.

Living a Purposeful Life and Living with a Terrorizing Toddler

I'm sure there are lots of parents that see things I post about and say, "she'll learn", and, boy, I have and still am!  Parenting has been such an amazing journey for me and through blogging I can see how wildly my views on it have changed.  Back in the early days I used to parrot what other people said about not being your child's friend but their parent.  Well, till my husband told me he'd rather I know my kids than bark orders at them from a distance.  I wasn't a mean parent but I was definitely afraid to build a relationship because I thought it'd be crossing that parent line into friendship.  (Rules without relationship breeds rebellion.)  Now I can honestly say I am enjoying a deep friendship with each and every kid. I might have to hold back on saying that about two year old Juliet for now. She just wants hugs from mommy in between all her terrorizing. 

I'm holding newborn Juliet and Ashley is copying me. Soooo cute.

 I want each day with my kids to be purposeful.  Every day is a new day to learn about stories in the bible and/or something new about God's amazing creation.  A new day to build on the friendships with each other. One of my boys has been extremely hard to train about matters of the heart.  He tends to hold onto things that people did to hurt him.  I realize before I would always focus on the negative when correcting.  This last few months I've turned it around to focusing on all his positives. To show him scripture on the right response rather than using threats and intimidation. Sadly, I've even used the bible as a weapon to scare him into doing what is right.  There is a time and place to talk about the scary stuff but it shouldn't be used in that way.  He would lay awake at night afraid at times.  Makes me sad.  I've gone through a huuuuuge life changing journey in my own faith and personal walk with God.  Now that I see God as an amazing loving father who wants to spend eternity with me rather than this angry being that is on the verge of wanting to flick me into hell, it's completely caused me to change my approach in teaching my children.  The result?  AMAZING!!!!  I saw this boy of mine go from a depressed individual to someone truly learning about love and forgiveness.  Someone who's wanting to help his siblings get closer to God as well.  I mean, it's shocking to see the transformation.  I was depressed and burnt out spiritually and was putting that off onto my kids as well. Thank goodness for new beginnings, right? 

See that mischievous look?  Haha

Juliet the terrorizer is by far the hardest toddler I have ever had.  She makes a beeline for either cat litter, cat food, cat water, toilet A, toilet B, getting on a computer, pouring water on a remote, escaping into the garage, pouring out the bathroom garbages onto the floor, climbing onto the dining table, then back to the cat litter and the toilets.  I mean, she really rotates all of those with no rest in between.  When her nap time comes, and trust me I know when that is, I have to actually sit down with a new cup of coffee in my hand and just breathe. I spend an hour of staring into nothing and sipping my coffee and then the next hour doing laundry because she's not awake to dump my newly folded clothes all over the floor.  Oh, and by the way, she dumps out all of our drawers in our bedrooms as well.  I just know that if I hadn't been raising toddlers for the last 13 years straight I'd be a much heavier woman.  Need exercise? Get a toddler!!  Haha.  Seriously, she's so cute though when she's sleeping.

Speaking of.....Guess who turned 2 today?  Juliet!!!!

Happy birthday, my sweet snuggle muffin!!!

My little innocent newborn Juliet.  :D

Messy Toddler in the House!

 

My little toddler is like a tornado that runs through the house and destroys everything.  I love her like crazy, but yikes!  Juliet is like the queen of destruction!  Haha.  She empties out the bookshelf every single day.  As soon as I catch her I immediately tell her no and pull her hand away. This must've been when I used the restroom.  Yeah, cause I keep an eye on her like a hawk.  The girl doesn't go anywhere without me knowing where she is at all times. 

 

All my kids loved to make tents around the age 6-10.  Well, this time it's my girls.  They are occupying space in the living room for their tent.  The hard part was keeping baby Juliet from pulling it down.  Man, my kids are gonna grow up with some serious patience.  Ladies and gentleman, these kids with be TRAINED with patience.  They constantly have a toddler in the house and don't mind it one bit.  They've just learned to put their valuables up a little higher.  Juliet's lucky because she has so many to go to for comfort and snuggles and they give it to her.

Baby and me. My little messy one.  She was upset but the moment I put the camera on her she smiled.  Such a girl. 

Nursemaid's Elbow- Juliet's Pulled Arm Injury

The other day Ashley, my 6 year old, went to pick up Juliet by only one arm.  Big no, no but I had looked down right at that moment and didn't catch her in time doing it.  Juliet screamed so hard her lips turned blue.  Ashley was scared and ran away crying.  I know she was just trying to be a mommy to her but that's just why I've never let my little kids hold my babies. They just aren't mature enough. 

People wonder why I'm so strict about young kids holding my babies but it's just kids sometimes are too immature and don't understand.  My daughters' friend picked up Juliet a couple of weeks ago and while adjusting her on her hip, made Juliet's head snap back. Juliet was fine but I instantly took her back and gently told her to please not pick her up.  I'm just as strict with my own kids.  So I don't blame Ashley because she just didn't understand. 

 I had watched for swelling on Juliet's arm and didn't see any so I knew it wasn't an immediate emergency. I still was worried.  Juliet didn't use her right arm all day and would only pick up things with her left.  She cried on and off all day. I was getting to where I was just thinking about taking her in because it should have gotten better by the next day.  Well, it hadn't.  Kyle, my 10 year old, heard Juliet crying from pain in her arm and started praying for her. Instantly she stopped crying and was happy.  Literally, she had been miserable all day till that point.  She ran around the house happy, clapping her hands, and using her arm again. Whew!  However, a day later my 12 year old went to pick her up by both her arms and she screamed out in pain. Once again she wouldn't use that arm and was hurting.  My son felt sooooo bad but I saw how he picked up her and it wasn't bad.  I went ahead and took her in and doctor said it was a displaced tendon.  From now on she'll easily get that displaced.  I can't walk her by her right arm in case she pulls away.  We can't ever lift her by her arms, only by trunk of her body.  The nurse also showed me how to put it back in place now that it'll happen again. The bummer part is it's an injury that lasts several years called Nursemaid's elbow.

Nursemaid's Elbow-  when the ligaments that connect the elbow bones are weak, and a bone slips out of place.  Children's ligaments are weak until they reach 5 or 6 years old.

 I went home and had a talk with the kids about how to pick her up, the older ones, and told the younger ones not to pick her up at all.  I'm hoping they remember!  When I said the pulled arm injury is permanent, Kyle corrected me and said, "Don't forget about Jesus!  He's the healer!"  I smiled and wanted to kiss him.  Of course!  He prayed for her the first time and the pain went away instantly.  I gotta keep him around with his faith.  Tee hee.....

How to do a Nuremaid's Elbow reduction on Youtube.  Click HERE.

Mom's Don't Get a Sick Day

Yesterday I woke up really, really sick and could hardly walk around.  It is soooooo hard for moms to be the one that's sick.  I just had to put up a baby gate in the living room and lay down on the couch.  Thankfully, the little ones were contained in just that area with me so I didn't have to worry.  Man, moms sure don't get sick days.  I kind of ended up with one later.

 

 We needed some van repairs and yesterday I was supposed to be the one to take the van in with the kids to get worked on for several hours.  Since I couldn't, Charles got off work early and took four kids with him to take care of the van.  Then I had just the baby and some older ones plus a friend.  Juliet got into everything possible that you can get into even though I had her in the living room with me.  A good friend came to pick up the kids I had for Vacation Bible School.  Thank goodness for them!  Once Juliet went to sleep I finally could just peacefully lay down without hopping up to rescue her from something.  It was so quiet for several hours.  It was soooooo nice but later it felt a little lonely.  :P

This morning I woke up and felt my old self again.  Thank goodness!!!! I can't afford to be sick with all the kiddos to take care of.  So it was just a 24 hour flu.  Phew!  Back to cleaning, laundry, and taking care of the babies.  With a large family this house falls apart extremely fast. 

Summer has felt so weird not having as much of a schedule.  The kids have had more time to just goof off.  I don't mind but when it's time to do chores they complain more.  I knew it was from just having no schedule.  So we all had a family meeting and voted on a new summer schedule.  Basically no games till noon and chore time starts at 4pm.  Off all devices by 8pm and be in bed by 9pm.  They were getting to where they felt entitlesdto just party, party, party because it's summer and forgot about their regular responsibilities.  When I was sick though that all went out the window.  I think they were surprised when mom got better in one day.  Ha ha.

Meatoplasty Surgery on My Toddler

Yesterday Caleb went into surgery for Meatal Stenosis.  He has been in a lot of pain and it was causing an infection.  We didn't have time to try alternate routes because it was worsening fast.  It's not fun when you have a toddler that is screaming and jumping up and down every time he has to pee.  Poor guy.  My friend came over to watch the kids so we could go alone with Caleb.

In waiting room before prep

Good thing I left an extra half hour early because we got lost and barely made it on time.  There was several other little kids there and I wondered what they were there for.  Can't help the curiosity but of course I didn't ask anyone.  After they led us back they gave him a little gown and socks.  He would not keep the socks on and kept taking them off no matter how many times we put them back on.  Finally they just brought him a blanket.  :)

In prep before surgery

It was sad when they took him from us and we saw him walk away holding the nurse's hand.  What parent excitedly waves bye to their baby going into surgery even if it's minor surgery?  It's scary when you know they are getting an epidural and being put under.  We couldn't wait till he woke up and when he did he had a sad face for a long time.  He was begging for us to take his I.V. out but he had to wait.  He's in a lot of pain now and on some strong medication.  I'm supposed to help keep it open every diaper change and it's tough because he doesn't want anyone near that area.  Poor guy. :(  The medicine knocks him out thank goodness because he needs to let himself heal.  

I got back from the hospital and my poor friend looked tired with nine kids in the house.  She has three kids herself but you know it's quite a jump when you come along and go, "Here is six more!"  She so amazing because I don't know of anyone else that would do that for me.  She went a step beyond and had them do their chores while I was gone so I could come back to an easier evening.  Phew.  Thank goodness for such an amazing friend!  :D