Spring Break!

Ahh.... the last day of school before spring break was today. We had a great evening tonight (the kids and me, clayton's working) and I'm really looking forward to a fairly relaxing week at home with the kids. I know Madison is in need of a break... her mouth always starts to get her into trouble when she's stressed and tired. Last night I thought about shoving a sock in her mouth to muffle her so I didn't have to listen to complaints, whining, and backtalking anymore. Erasing one of the 3 most favorite shows of hers on the DVR did the trick... after many warnings she just would not stop the backtalking, and deleting a cartoon was all it took to snap her back into the real world where she is a kid and I am the mommy. Lesson learned... and she's been her usual jovial self since! Now that she's back under control I think I'm going to have to start putting the smack down on Carter. That boy... he's a neverending story! lol He's sleeping like a normal child now, all night long, every single night IN HIS OWN BED. Even napping each day! However, I think all of this new sleep is giving him even more energy than he had before so he's almost double the crazy each day! Super loud, rough, and wanting to go from one thing to the next so quickly that it's making my head spin. So.. now to work on him. I think I said "shhh.. quiet.." a zillion times today. I even brought out the "quiet signal" which he actually liked. (you know.. ask for the 'quiet signal' and teach them to put their finger over their mouth) We'll see if the quiet signal catches on and becomes a successful tool in my parenting box! I'm encouraging him to be loud and insane outside, and more calm and quiet inside. With as much as we're outdoors lately I really don't see how he has the energy to come inside and run a muck! He's like his daddy... the two of them just seem to have endless energy! So, be thinking of me each day... we'll see how long this "phase" with Carter takes to work through. And once we work through this one, I am afraid to see what the next one might be!

Josiah David

Is such a beautiful boy! We had a great visit with the Parkers at the hospital yesterday evening. We were lucky enough to be the only company they had when we were there so we got to just relax with them and they were kind enough to let us snuggle the baby! (I even got to change a diaper! So sweet when they're so tiny.) He has very little hair, which is so typical for the Parker kids at birth. lol I must say his little face was so cute! He is nursing well and so far everyone seems to be in great health. Praise God! Here are two pics that we got.. I'd add more but remember, my dialup makes this ridiculous!

Suzanne called this morning...(edited)

... on their way to the hospital for the induction. (around 7:15am) She said she was already having contractions every 5 minutes, but they weren't very strong. I think that's fantastic! :) I have butterflies in my stomach just waiting for the BIG phone call. She said she'd call later if she could, but would definitely call as soon as she could after Josiah makes his appearance. I'll keep a running update going on here for those of you anxiously awaiting news like I am. My plan is to go for a short visit this evening if they're up for company and post pics for you all. I know they're really excited to share him with their friends! That's all I know for now.. check back throughout the day and I promise to update asap with any new info! Pray pray pray for a healthy mom and baby!

**edited to add** Just got a text message (10:20am) saying she's 6cm and 90% effaced! Won't be long now!

**12:30am** Matt text mess. me again and said "Done! All is well!" I have no details but little Josiah is here already! I'll let you know when they call with more info!! I'm so excited to hear all about him! :)

**1:00pm** 7 pounds, 11ounces; 20 inches long! Suzanne called and sounded overjoyed and very well! Talked for about 15 minutes... she said he's beautiful and healthy. Nearly bald but a few little blonde hairs here and there. I'll post pics as soon as I can tomorrow after we see them this evening.

Update for Suzanne

Sorry I've been absent from blogworld for a while. The great weather we've had lately (minus today) has kept us all outside and there's been no time for indoor entertainment. I wanted to let everyone know that Suzanne will be induced Friday morning (March 16) and hopefully Josiah will arrive that afternoon sometime! I'll take pics and post them with Suzanne and Matt's permission. I am so excited for them! So be praying for a safe delivery for everyone... I cannot wait to meet the newest Parker. :)

6 months!

I am 6 months pg TODAY. :) Yep... a big 24 weeks.. I can't believe it. It's flying by now. Clayton has finally started talking names.. sort of. He still hasn't said that he likes my name (Samuel) or told me a name that he's thinking of, but at least he does keep saying "we need to name this little guy!" To which I keep saying, "I've named him already.. you need to name him.." I go for my checkup tomorrow morning. Should be fairly boring. Boring is great in pregnancy! I had way too much "fun" with Carter by this point. I'm really loving this no stress growing a baby business. My Sciatic Nerve has calmed down a bit this week, thank God! I really thought I was not going to be able to walk if it got any worse last week. Why would your body be designed so that's even POSSIBLE? I don't get it!

Well, on the home front, Madison was sick but is over it... Carter now has what she had as of midnight last night. (yep... no sleep for us!) The only symptom he seems to have is a fever.. possibly a sore throat b/c he doesn't want to eat anything. (but I never want to eat when I'm sick so who can tell) I hope he's over his as quickly as Madison was over hers. I'm sooo tired of being the sick house... seems like everyone in blogland is having or has had the same problem. Go away winter yuckies!!

I haven't read my Bible at all this week... sick kids to blame but that's no excuse! I'll find time... and I'll let you know about it! :)

This is easy...

I will probably eat these words in the next few days, because that's just how 'it' works. But I was just thinking about a brief conversation I had with Brandy F. at small group the other night. I asked her how old Kynlee was.. (9).. and I told her how glad I am to get to be around a child a bit older than Madison. It always seems like such foreign territory dealing with a child any older than my own. I told her how I can remember holding Madison as a newborn and looking at other people's two year olds and thinking "How will I take care of a two year old?!" Being the mom to a 5/6 year old was beyond imagining to me at that time. It just hit me today that I AM the mother of a CHILD now. Not a baby... not a toddler.. a child. And it's pretty easy! It's nothing like what I had imagined it would be. She's such a sweet girl. So empathetic, so smart, and so so so wanting to please. This is just her nature... she was a perfect child to start out parenting! I was worried Carter would be my insane crazy child, but so far he really is not a big deal either! He's definitely more physically active than Madison was, but as far as his behavior, now that he's almost a big 3yr old.. we have almost no problems with him. I don't know the last time he even had to sit in time out! The hitting has almost totally stopped, and other than a few yelling episodes at other kids, he's basically lost his aggressive side. He outgrew it! Hooray! :) I have just been surprised at how 'easy' parenting has been up until this point. Sure, you have days that you want to run away and hide lol. But, as a whole, God has just blessed me with this whole raising kids thing. Once I was willing to work on being patient, he gave me patience! I don't always keep my cool, but MOST of the time I do. That's such a big achievement for me. I'm not a yeller, not a spanker (no offense everyone else in the parenting world lol), not a briber, and not a mom that gives in and caters to my kids every whims. These were the things I feared I would become as a mother.. I actually worried I would no longer like my kids much once they weren't sweet babies anymore. (that sounds awful.. just being truthful though) Imagine my shock when my almost 6yr old can still bring me to tears by saying something sweet. That my soon to be 3yr old still melts me with those sporadic kisses and hugs. I could've never seen this coming! Isn't it wonderful that God gives us children? Seriously... I'm so undeserving of mine... and he's given me three. He's given me three humans that, at least for a short time in their lives, will see me as the most wonderful person in the world. Someone they really can't imagine not having in their lives each and every single day. What a huge gift! Thank you God for the children! For mine especially :)