Brutal honesty

I decided on a whim last week to get my hair cut short. It's been approximately 5 years since it's been this short. In fact, I believe I started growing it out again right around the time that Megan was born, so about 5 1/2 years to be exact. But I'd had enough of styling my already short bob hairstyles and so I found a kicky hair style that I don't even have to style and decided to give it a shot. It certainly helps shorten my mornings by having one less thing to do in order to make myself presentable to the public.

As I'm sitting in the chair and the hairdresser is 'styling' me up to leave, Megan walks over with a big smile on her face. She takes a quick look at the hair laying on the floor and says, "Mommy! She cut a lot off. You're hair is really short now!"

"Yes, I know," I replied. "You've never seen Mommy with short hair before. Do you like it?"

"Not so much," she says, with the same angelic smile still on her face.

Nice to know that I can rely on her to tell me what she really thinks.

Wedding

We are back from a quick weekend in PA where my niece got married. (I still can't believe I'm old enough to have nieces and nephews who are getting married!) It was a very nice ceremony and the day just flew by.

Both Megan and Matt were in the wedding as the flower girl and ring bearer. Megan performed her duties beautifully. Matt, on the other hand, decided to change things up a bit and kept us all on our toes.

To start with, the wind was blowing slightly and Megan was having a tough time keeping her petals inside the basket. So Matt helped her out by chasing them around and handing them back to her. That was all wonderful and good as we walked towards where the ceremony was being held, however, once we arrived and they had to walk up the aisle, Megan's job was to scatter them for the bride. I guess Matt didn't quite understand that and thought that they were continuing to blow out of her basket. So he continued to pick them up as she scattered them and then gave a handful of them to my sister-in-law as he made his way to the front.

He had also decided the night before at the rehearsal that he really wasn't all that interested in pushing the bubble mower up the aisle. He played with it for hours around the reception hall but when it came to pushing it up front for the ceremony- it was too much trouble it seemed. So on the way back down the aisle, he handed it off to Megan and she carried it back for him. Thank goodness it was a pretty relaxed atmosphere, otherwise I would have been upset that things didn't run perfectly. Instead it provided some comic relief for everyone. Leave it to my rug rats to mix things up a little!

The girls...

The boys (groom on the far left)...

Moon over Misquamicut

Proof that we are raising our kids right. Here's a photo of Matt washing his hands after going to the bathroom...

Remembering...

Today Robert is officially 3 months old. He's growing like crazy and I affectionately refer to him as our "monster baby". It's amazing to me how much a child grows and changes during their first year of life. Three months ago he was a little 8lb 8oz crying, pooping, sleeping infant. Now he's somewhere around the 15lb mark (He was 14lbs 2 oz at his 2 month check-up), he smiles, coos and has begun laughing when tickled. He's now coming pretty darn close to sleeping through the night (bottle at 8:30pm - goes to sleep by 9pm and then sleeps until 5:30am) although not on a consistent basis just yet. He's eating real food now too and has been for over a month and his dinners have consisted of all the stage 1 fruits and vege's at this point. He really is a pretty content baby.

While we had thought that Matt was our last child, Robert came along as a pleasant surprise. Perhaps it was because someone up there decided to bless us with another family member while proceeding to take away another. Because of that, I don't want to take this gift for granted. I'm trying to remember every last detail, every last smell, every last facial expression.

I don't know if Robert really looks like Bob although he looks a lot like Matt when he was this age. Of course Matt looks like Bryan, who looks like Bill, who looks like his Dad... And Robert has Bob's crooked pinkie fingers although they're not as noticeable now that his fingers are so chubby. And Sandy swears that he has Bob's "turtle lips", as she likes to call them. Heck, he has a double chin just like his grandpa did.

So perhaps it's just wishful thinking but wouldn't it be nice if there really was a "transfer of souls" so to speak? Wouldn't it be nice to know that there is still a part of Bob that is with us through Robert? And when he smiles in his sleep as babies do, I'll always think that it's because Grandpa is whispering to him. It's good to know that Grandpa Bob will never truly be gone.

Cankles I understand, but hippos...??

Matt has a way of saying certain words that I find pretty darn funny. And although I know I should be teaching him the correct words, so far I've refused because...well, I'm lazy for one...and with the chaos that surrounds you after having 3 children, one needs to find humor in the little things in order to get by.

One of the words is "elmos". "These are my elmos," he says referring to his elbows. And this one I understand. It's just a mispronunciation of the actual word.

But the other one is "hippos". One might think he is referring to his hips, but no, I assure you that is not it. He's actually referring to ankles. Hhhhmmmm... the only way I can rationalize it is to think about my own ankles which proceeded to disappear towards the end of each of my pregnancies and instead morph into what I affectionately referred to as cankles. (Calves + Ankles = Cankles) So perhaps he is referring to the enormous size of those cankles which were relative to the size of hippos? No? I don't know, this one has me stumped...

I'm back! But I don't have to like it!

After 12 weeks on maternity leave, I have to say just how easy it was to leave the electronic world behind. At first, my guilty conscience ate at me when I wasn't checking email but I quickly got over that. And now that I'm back to work...well I can only imagine that I will have more time to check my email, update the blog, do some laundry, take a shower....oh sorry...I got a little carried away there. But in all honesty, one can accomplish more working a full-time job than you can when spending all day at home with 3 kids.

So what have we done all summer long? Take a look...

Of course, first came the introduction of Robert into our family...

Then Megan "graduated" from pre-k. The ceremony was held the day after Robert and I came home from the hospital. So I apologize for not taking more pictures of the event but let's just say that stitches and metal chairs do not make for a comfortable combination. It was all that I could do to shoot this one picture and unfortunately it's a bit blurry. Here she is accepting her "diploma"...

Along with a visit from his Aunt Chris from Tennessee, Aunt Tam and the girls also came up from PA for a visit. The kids and I also made 2 trips back to PA as well with one of those trips occuring when Robert was only 2 weeks old. He is now a seasoned traveler just like his older brother and sister. (Here are the kids playing at a playground back in PA.)

We also made a trip to Sea Isle City, NJ with some of the family. Here's Robert's first trip to the beach...

Here's Matt, learning how to boogey board. First he started on solid ground...

Then he went into the water with some help from Dad...

From there he was on his own... (and no, I was not quick enough to snap the picture of him getting slammed by another wave and coming up choking and sputtering which resulted in the end of the boogey board lessons. Why? Because I was too busy yapping at Bill for letting him go when the kid doesn't know how to swim. Let's prioritize Bill!! Eliminate the oldest child first and then move on to the younger ones!)

Walking to the lake...

The boys, playing in the ocean...

Matt was often found just staring at the water and giggling...

Exhibit AExhibit BExhibit CExhibit DPosing for Sports Illustrated, Swimsuit Edition...

Megan and Matt, sitting along the water and having fun as the waves pushed them around...

Taylor and Bill...

Zach, the funny kid...

Some good natured rivalry...

Seth...

Goofy Megan...

Mommy Taylor... best babysitter EVER!

Uncle Bill taught Matt how to pop a wheelie - here he is practicing...

Peeking out from the tent...

Uncle Dan, taking Megan on one of many bike rides...

Crazy kid...

Jocelyn...

Taylor...

Dad and Megan...

Matt in a hole...

So now the summer has come to an unofficial end with Mommy going back to work, the boys are at day care and Megan is starting Kindergarten. She's doing well (although her first morning going off to the extended day program was a little teary) and enjoys going to school. She loves to wear a uniform and thinks of herself as one of the big kids now. She also proceeded to tell me last evening while I was tucking her into bed that this year she might get a boyfriend. "Lord, help us!"

Introducing...

...Robert Paul Baker... born 6/12/07 at 4:28pm
...8lbs 8oz - 20 1/4" long

Last Tuesday I woke up around 4am with some "cramping". Nothing more and since I had experienced this two weeks earlier I managed to to not get overly excited about this. Around 5am I began keeping track of them and found that they were coming on every 10-15 minutes.

At 6am, when it was time for Bill to get up for work I told him what I had been experiencing for the past 2 hours but also noted that it had been over 20 minutes since the last one had hit. He got up and showered and when he was done I still had not had any further "cramping". My initial thought was, "here we go again...false labor!" So off to work he went and back to sleep for me.

At 8am I was woken up by a nice little contraction and the sound of the kids running around downstairs. So I got up and decided to start the day. And this time the contractions, although still only slightly more painful than cramping, were coming at an even 10 minutes. Bill had already decided that he would work for a while at the office and would be home before noon unless I notified him otherwise so I gave him a call to give him the latest update. He decided to finish up what he was doing and head back home.

When Bill arrived sometime after 10am the contractions had dwindled once again. So off we all went for a few laps around the block with the hopes that it might trigger labor to begin again. Unfortunately it seemed that our attempts were futile at this point.

Around 1pm we put the kids down for naps and I snoozed off and on downstairs in the living room while whining the entire time about how this child was never going to come out and that I had no idea what I could do to alter things. And then somewhere in the midst of my complaining they began again. This time they were worth noting and so we began to keep track of them...12 minutes...10 minutes and so on.

Finally, around 2:45pm we decided to get the kids up and drop them off at our friends' in Hamden where we would also wait things out. This would put us 10 minutes from the hospital as opposed to the 30 minutes from our home.

By 3pm we were packing up the car when I noted to Bill that they were suddenly becoming much stronger and were now coming every 5 minutes. So we placed the call to the Doctor's office and we were told to come in to their office for a quick exam.

We were less than 2 miles down the road when the contractions were coming every 3 minutes and the rush began. We made alternate plans for Bill's Mom to meet us at the doctor's office and take the kids to our friends'.

When we arrived at the doctor's office and informed them the contractions were coming every 3 minutes, I was rushed in for the fastest exam ever. I was told that I was 8 centimeters dilated and fully efaced and if I left the office that minute we would still be able to make it to the hospital and that they would be calling in my arrival ahead of time.

We must have hit every red light and school bus on the way to the hospital. We arrived at 4pm, wheelchair waiting for me at the curb and off we went. But even the elevators would not cooperate...so off we went to faster elevators. (Why we didn't head that direction in the first place is beyond me.)

From that point I had just enough time to change into a hospital gown and for them to break my water before we began pushing. And I thank God it went fast because honestly, no matter how many kids you have, no matter what size they end up being...they all hurt like hell coming out with no pain relief! But the end result is so worth every last minute of pain. Just look at the beautiful family we've created!

You're still here?

If I had a dollar for every time I've heard that, well I wouldn't be rich, but it sure as hell feels like I would be.

But yes, I'm still here...sitting at work...willing my cervix to dilate...wishing for painful contractions... Anything at this point would be better than where I am now. The worst part of it all is not that I'm uncomfortable and miserable physically. I'm just emotionally "pissed off" and impatient. I'm only 1 day past my due date and yet it feels like an eternity. Most likely because Mom and Dad made it up here early this time and now they are sitting and waiting......and waiting..........and waiting........and I can't do anything to control this or speed things up.

So with every little twinge, cramp and braxton hicks contraction that comes across my body, a little part of me gets excited that perhaps "this is it"! And then as it passes and fails to return within that nice little 10-15 minute time frame that contractions begin to fall into, I grow a bit more insane.

What could'a been an eventful weekend turned into...yawn...

The kids were gone Friday AND Saturday night. Let me repeat the AND portion of that sentence. Bill and I took advantage of the quiet evening on Friday and headed out to dinner together. There was a lot of baby talk of course and I don't mean the sickening sweet baby talk of new lovers. We talked about the kids, about the 3rd/4th on the way, about how I'm apprehensive once again and how it could happen "any time now". That seems to be my standard response when asked when I'm due..."any time now"...

After dinner we headed home and my comfy bed along with my need for sleep called for me. Bill, on the other hand, heard the Red Sox calling his name that evening. And with the rain delay that he patiently waited out, he fell asleep on the couch, coming up to bed around 3:30AM. (And might I add what a blissful sleep I had during those 5 hours of non-snoring, no bed sharing required hours.

Shortly after he came up stairs, I became a bit "crampy" and I remember falling back to sleep thinking about how I haven't experienced that feeling in 9 months now. A little after 4AM I awoke to my first contraction. No, nothing painful, just a nice tightening of the stomach, but along with that same crampy feeling from earlier that had not yet disappeared. I drifted in/out of sleep while the contractions came about 15 minute intervals. Never increasing in intensity but certainly enough to make me feel excited about what was surely somewhere on the horizon.

Sometime after 6AM, I noticed that Bill had woken up and I explained to him what I had been going through for the past 2 hours. As we were both still more interested in sleeping, we let it go at that and drifted back to sleep.

The alarm went off at 8AM and although the crampiness had not subsided, I had not had any further contractions since around that 6:30AM time period. So we debated whether or not Bill should go to Bryan's baseball games that day and concluded with the stand-by of "don't leave the cell phone behind for anything." I assured him I would call at the first sign of any commotion but that if things remained the same, I was heading out to my hair appointment at 10:30AM anyhow...so why sit around the house and wait for what may or may not come.

As it turns out...what may never came. I napped for at least 3 hours in the afternoon and the day passed by with only minor discomfort on my part as those cramps never went away until the evening hours.

By the time I crawled into bed that evening, I felt as good as new. And have continued to feel that way ever since. The only irritation being the heat which Bill alleviated by turning on the A/C in the TV room for me.

So no further signs of a baby and at this rate, this will be the kid that 18 years from now refuses to leave home...just like it's refusing to leave my womb!

I'm still here

Need I say more? Ok - I will, because I feel the need to elaborate.

I feel great - pregnancy wise. As for the cold that has come upon me and has instilled it's death grip on my head this past week? Well it's simply kicking my fat ass right now! I crawled into bed at 8:30pm last night and would have been much happier had it been 6:30pm instead. And for those of you who know me (night owl) know that I must be feeling pretty darn crappy to have gone to bed that early.

I got up at 10:30pm (yes - I had to pee already) and was feeling all exhausted, crampy and just nasty overall and I remember thinking that if I was going into labor that God must really hate me. There was no way that I would have had enough energy at that point to push a baby out of my cooch feeling the way that I did then.

Today is a little better. And now the kids are off with Aunt Alicia for 2 WHOLE NIGHTS!!! So I figure I've got a few options. I can:

• Catch up on my sleep
• Get romantic with my husband and hopefully kick start labor
• Catch up on my sleep
• Put the crib together
• Catch up on my sleep
• Clean the house (maybe strenuous vacuuming will bring on labor!!)
• Catch up on my sleep

Oh well - no matter what I choose to do, this kid is coming out whenever it's ready and there's really not much I can do about it. But as another expectant mother said to her unborn child the other day, "This due date thing...it's just a suggestion really. You can come out at any time. Really. Any time. NOW!"

Baby #3 update...

As of 1pm - Wednesday, May 23rd - 1 centimeter dilated and 70% efaced...

WOO-HOO! Got some movement going on down there. Granted, it could be another week before the kid makes it's grand debut, but I'm holding out hope for some time during the long Memorial Day weekend.

Stay tuned!

Mother's Day

This Mother's Day was by far the best one ever! The kids are at the perfect age where we no longer need to prompt them to say or do things and in my eyes, that's the best. Megan convinced her Aunt Alicia to buy a gift for me the week before at the dollar store and she had been patiently waiting all week long to give it to me. She also reminded me on a daily basis leading up to it that I was "not allowed to look inside". I didn't have the heart to tell her that Matt told me what it was the day that they brought it home. (So much for keeping secrets when he's involved!)

Sunday rolled around beautiful and sunny. Megan and Matt woke up, came into our room and the first thing that they said was "Happy Mother's Day". Then they both dragged Daddy out of bed so they could get my presents. After opening up their gift of a teddy bear tucked into a rose coffee mug, a handmade gift that Megan had made at school, and a beautiful eternity diamond necklace from Daddy (combo Mother's Day/anniversary gift), the kids went off to play in Megan's room while we lounged in bed. A little later, Bill got up with the kids and fed them breakfast while I took my time showering, shaving and general grooming in peace!!! No interruptions!!

The afternoon was spent at Nanie's and with the Cole side of the family where Matt practiced skate boarding with his cousin...