BEN IS HERE!!!!

TODAY, we are parents of SIX!

He's Coming...

We're contracting...

Matthew is 4!

Yesterday, Matthew turned 4. Since he already had a birthday party daddy took him to a boy's movie and then we had a Shakey's lunch with Nana and Papa. We finished up with some awesome monster cupcakes. It was a nice relaxing day. Kids are so funny. My kids love being whatever age and 1/2, if you know what I mean. That 1/2 is a BIG deal to a kid. So, when he woke up he was four but by lunch time he told Nana and Papa that he was 4 1/2 already!

Today, the day after his birthday, he wakes up and the first thing he asked is, "Am I still 4 1/2?" followed by "Now can I go to school with the girls?" Slow down, buddy. I still have a few more months with you before you go rushing off to woo the girls with those big brown eyes!

Matthew- here's your birthday poem:

Four years ago this day

I had a little boy

our prince that we'd awaited he filled our hearts with joy.

We went from pink, pink, pink

to lots of blue and blue

out with the old stuff

and in with the new.

I dreamed of you for so long

I wondered what you'd be

who would you look like

daddy, sissy, or me.

You've no idea what love is like

til you look into those big brown eyes

giving you away one day

will be the hardest of good-byes.

From broken elbow bones

to "mommy, watch me run"

God heard my prayers one day

He finally gave me a son!

"Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional." ~Chili Davis

Not Me Monday!

I did NOT recently protest to NEVER sweep or mop the kitchen floor ever again. Why Bother! With a big family like this I can NEVER keep it clean longer than 5 minutes. Then again, I LOVE the smell of Pine-Sol and the appearance of a clean house, even if it is for a whole 5 minutes. So, I did NOT change my mind and mop the floors again anyway. Okay, I did! I mopped again even though I said I wouldn't. But... I did NOT watch Megan dump her cereal bowl on it minutes later! Thank God there was no milk in it! I did NOT take a deep breath to calm myself down and I most surely did NOT get down on all fours and manage to pick up every Fruit Loop on the ground. I did NOT find a stray one an hour later and I did NOT use the "lazy" excuse to avoid the two extra steps to the trash can. So... I did NOT talk myself into just popping it into my mouth out of convenience. Okay, maybe I did. After all, the floor was just cleaned, right?! Wrong! A stinkn' ant surely did NOT beat me to that darn fruit loop that I had just munched on!!! Heck no, not me! After puking a little in my mouth, I did NOT go running to the sink to spit out the remnants of vomit, Fruit Loop, and ant. Have you ever tasted an ant before! YUCK! Ahhh, the joys of motherhood and ant eating! I did NOT decide to peek out the front windows early one morning to see what the weather was like before waking up the girls for school. When doing so, I most certainly did NOT step in a fresh surprise that Ewok left behind! I did NOT cry! I did NOT call the dr. to reschedule my appt. for a later one that same day. We all know what my memory is like when I'm prego, so... I, of course, did NOT call the nurse back two minutes later to confirm the time again! I don't have much of an appetite lately. Unless, it's frozen yogurt. Yogurtlicious, specifically. I have NOT had yogurt for lunch just about everyday last week. I am NOT STILL pregnant with baby #6!!! You'd think he woulda walked on out days or even weeks ago!

"Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness." ~Richard Carlson

38 Weeks and counting down

We are at the 2 week mark til baby arrives. We're counting down the days. I just got my pedicure and eyebrows done so mom's ready whenever Ben is. Here's one of the LAST pics of my LAST pregnancy!!!

"A grand adventure is about to begin."-- Winnie the Pooh

Bye-Bye Brace Face!!!

I've been wanting to post this for awhile but the day after Brianna got her braces off she hightailed it outta here for Boston. I haven't gotten a decent picture of her since she's been back so I'm stealing one of her vacation pics to show you the difference.

Before:

During:

After:

Logistics of a Large Family

In a large family like ours, there's always something going on. There's always chaos in the house. A hustle and bustle of things happening. Managing a family as large as this should be considered an Art or a Science.. I think I've almost attained my PhD. I haven't been in blogging mode lately so this blog entry is full of catch-ups.

I'm officially on maternity leave!!! Yeah!!!! I'm hoping to squeeze in as much family time and field trips as possible before Ben makes his debut. A couple of things on our To Do List this week include:

• parent/teacher conferences for Brianna, Elizabeth, and Emily.
• A belly casting mold.
• Finish Ewok's Halloween Costume
• Download soothing, quiet songs for Ben's delivery onto Dad's IPOD.
• Pickup Brianna's retainer
• Costco trip (yikes, I'm scared, we all know what Costco trips cost this family)!
• Finish taking pics of Halloween decor
• Take pic of 38 week tummy
• Maybe, have a baby

Here are some updates on the kids...

Brianna: I got a letter from her teacher the other day inviting me to the first award assembly of the year. Looks like she'll be a lucky recipient of yet another award. This kid always has her nose in a book and reminds daddy and I just about everyday that she's going to Harvard after graduation. To give you a better idea of how bad her book obsession is, I make all three girls do at least 1-2 chores everyday after school. Elizabeth and Emily must do their homework first and then their chores before playing going outside to play. Whereas Brianna must complete her chores first because once she starts her reading homework we won't see her for the rest of the night! She thinks its quite hilarious that I say to her "chores before homework" as soon as she walks in the door and I say to the others "homework, chores, then play!" Brianna recently got her braces off, then got retainers. Then lost said retainer after one week. Remember the cruise she took with Nana and Papa not too long ago? Well, let's just say that Bri left the waiter a little surprise on the table after enjoying one of her last meals on the ship. LOL! Sigh......replacement retainer...$175 ...... ugh!!!! Sigh, again!

Elizabeth: She's also getting an award at this week's assembly. I was just telling daddy the other day that this one's personality is so perfect! Don't get me wrong, she's got her moments, but overall, she's just soooo easy going! The other day she walks up to me while I was outside talking to a neighbor. She said she wanted to wake Ben up and talk to him. I know her all too well, it was an eavesdropping attempt! I told her go inside the house. Rather than complain or ask why, like some of the other kids do, she grabs my belly with her two small hands, shakes it vigorously, and then runs inside as fast as she could laughing the whole time. She made me laugh too. She is so unique. So perfect! She wants to be a witch (again) for halloween. She was a witch last year. In her words, "I want to be a different kind of witch this year." Parent translation: "I don't want to wear the same costume twice! I love that she wants to be a witch though. She's sweet as heck, everybody's best friend, not too girly girl, and not afraid to show others that there is a dark, halloween loving, vampiress secret side to her that not everyone knows about. It's evidence that she is her father's daughter indeed.

Emily: I'm curious to see what her teacher will say about her at this week's teacher conference. I do have to say, we are getting less and less 'talking too much in class' notices about this child. I couldn't be happier. On most days, she's much quicker getting homework done than she was last year. Her latest thing is coming home and asking to use the telephone. She loves to call her classmate and talk as long as I will let her. Once she's on the phone, she disappears, usually to the piano room. Mind you, she's in 1st grade. She also, without confirming with mom, likes to schedule playdates with this friend and invites her over to the house unexpectedly, ugh!!! I'll have to snap a pic of her next time she's on the phone, her composure is just too funny. Her gestures suggest that she's so much older than she is. Her legs are crossed at the knee while she sits on the couch, her free hand flies in the air every now, and she's deep in conversation. Scary picture, I want to curl up and hide when I think of what it will be ten years from now!!! She's wants to grow up way too fast!

Matthew: Geez, the stuff that comes out of this kids mouth lately. His latest thing is to tell mommy how beautiful she is. You can imagine how much I'm eating this up. He usually tells me right before bed when we are saying our 'goodnights' but he's also been doing it during the day and out of the blue. I'll be washing dishes or making breakfast and he'll tell me, "I love you Mama" followed by "you look beautiful, Mama." The funniest thing is that he'll tell me when I'm totally looking my worst, like first thing in the morning with bedhead, stinky breath, and yesterday's makeup smeared on my face. Because of that, I don't believe a word he's saying but nonetheless it still melts my heart. What a gentleman he's turning out to be. He also likes to open doors while saying, "girls first" then allowing mommy and Megan to walk thru before he does. He asks about Ben all the time. He is curious as to why Ben doesn't have clothes on. Oh and last week Nana babysat so daddy and I could have what might be one of our last date nights before Baby Ben comes. When Matthew was told that she was coming over he had a few questions...

Matthew: Is Uncle Joseph and Kenzie coming too? (he's loves having cousin Kenzie over)

Me:No, sorry Bubba.

Matthew: Is Nina going to come babysit us too? (he's getting used to having a 2nd Nana around)

Me: Nope, sorry.

Matthew: Oh. What's in the bags for me?

Me: (Perplexed look on my face) What bags?

Matthew: The bags Nana brings when she comes. The bags with cool stuff in them?

Me: (Laughing Out Loud cuz Nana always brings goodies for the kids when she comes)

Megan: She's getting four teeth all at once, ouch! No complaints whatsoever though. She is the sweetest and happiest little baby girl in the world, even with a fever of 102.4! God, I love her! She just got her 1st pair of tennis shoes (Dora the Explorer ones) and loves to walk around sporting them. She imitates everything that her siblings do. We've learned to keep markers away from her as she sees her body as a blank canvas. Her latest thing is saying, "Awwww" whenever she sees a baby or a puppy dog.

Speaking of dogs...

Ewok: Ewok went M.I.A. yesterday. He was gone the whole day!!! It was already dark outside when I arrived home from work to find Brianna in the driveway with a long, sad face. She was worried about him. (Secretly, I wasn't... shhhh... don't tell her that though) This dog loves to go exploring and runs away about 3-4 times a week. The local high school kids walking home from school are usually the ones who find and return him. But, like I said, it was dark and he's never gone that long! Silly 'ol me was already envisioning the dark wood floors I want to put in the house but refuse tp until we no longer have a dog who has 'accidents.' I was already envisioning the 'Ewok isn't coming home but maybe we could buy a fish' talk we'd have with the kids when all of a sudden my thoughts were interrupted with a Ding Dong. Hmmm, wonder who that could be!!! I open the front door and find 2 gardeners carrying the darn dog, errr... I mean 2 gardeners carrying sweet... sweet.. Ewok. Needless to say, Brianna slept well last night with her doggy at her foot.

Weekend Plans:

We're hoping to make it to the Griffith's Observatory to watch one of their planetary shows. Our kids have never been. And I don't think daddy has either. I can remember going with my parents once when I was a small child. It was the coolest thing ever. I'm thinking the kids will like it just the same, I may even get more out of it this time around, especially because I just finished up one of my last college courses, an Astrology class. Did I mention it's cheap too!

We also have several halloween parties to attend to, not sure if we'll be able to make all of them but we'll see.

Enough for now. Don't forget to vote for me!

"I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich." ~Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford, "Identity Crisis," M*A*S*H

PRETTY PLEASE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP

So, I have really good news. Remember that little photo contest I joined in on? And remember me telling you that I still haven't won a contest yet? Okay, here comes the good news... You can change that!!!! My winning lies in your hands!!!! It's up to you-VOTE FOR ME, please. Pretty please, with a cherry on top! Hop on over here and vote today. The winner will be announced on Oct. 22nd. Keep your fingers crossed for me. If I win, I'll be spending my $25 gift certificate at Target and most likely buying baby diapers, lol!

I heart Photo Contests!!!

Fall Photo Contest

I haven't won one yet, but it hasn't stopped me from entering them. Never give up, right? Especially when there's a prize involved. So, here's the latest one I'm entering:

Karen, from Write from Karen will be giving away a $25 gift certificate to the store of your choice (must be on the list) if you win. Don't be shy, hop on over and join the contest. Better yet, maybe NOT, it will increase my chances of winning if you DON'T join! Here's my entry:

"A photograph is usually looked at - seldom looked into." ~Ansel Adams

Wordless Wednesday

Autumn '08

Never Bite A Swollen Lip!

Matthew went to the dentist the other day. He had to have 2 cavities filled. The dentist warned him not to bite or suck on his numb lip.

Do you think he listened?

Ahhhh, so that must be why they tell us parents to "keep an eye on him" and "make sure he doesn't play with his lip!" HA! Easier said than done!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Too many of today's children have straight teeth and crooked morals."

~Unknown high school principal

Halloween Sneak Peek

Here's a few of the decorations up. Definitely, more to come. Here's Elizabeth leading the tour through what will be the graveyard. Those aren't ALL of my kids, so don't even go there! In fact, only 3 of them belong to me, lol! Our house is definitely the 'hangout' for all the neighborhood kiddos.

Megan excited to show you the lady in the window. And yes, Megan's crib is right on the other side of that window. Poor Baby!

My inside decor is much calmer than daddy's outside, wouldn't you say...

Once again, I promise we are a God loving NOT a devil worshiping kinda family. Daddy, just can't help himself. This is his FAVORITE holiday.

"Eat, drink and be scary." ~Author Unknown

Last But First

See this picture. To me, it says: "Oh no, there she goes rambling again!" Yes, Emily, here I go again!!!!

(Emily, 2004)

Right now, I'm a bit emotional. Just a little bit. No need to worry though, I think its all very normal. My pregnancy is coming to an end. And I can't help but think of the ugly word "LAST". This is my LAST month of being pregnant, with my LAST child. It will be the LAST time I feel a playful little kick, a foot in the rib, or the soothing rhythm of hiccups from an unborn child. I will NEVER again be approached by a perfect stranger asking to rub my belly. Or asking me if this is my FIRST pregnancy! I will NEVER again get to play along with her and tell her that indeed, it is my first pregnancy, the whole time laughing to myself because I have soooo many little rugrats at home! If only she knew! This will be my LAST time rushing to the hospital in the middle of the night- eager to meet my child. My LAST time getting pampered by the nurses in the hospital, or even by my visitors. My LAST time nursing a hungry baby. NEVER again, will I get to watch my unborn child move about inside me, or an elbow slide across my belly. I will NEVER get to hear another unborn baby's heartbeat or watch a new life appear on an ultrasound screen right before my eyes. So many LASTS. It is bittersweet because with the end of all these LASTS starts so many FIRSTS!

(Matthew's FIRST time at the beach, 2008)

I have soooo enjoyed this LAST pregnancy, although it flew by! Right now, I'm a bit uncomfortable. My lower back aches and my tummy itches. Somebody let "charlie" the horse out of the corral, he's been running loose in my calves! I have lots and lots of Braxton Hicks contractions. Oh, did I mention my sausage legs, I'm swelling too! Fortunately, daddy reminds me as often as possible how beautiful he thinks I am. Although, something tells me he's missing the 'old' me. Ya know, the skinnier version.

(Hawaii, 2007)

Baby days.

They. are. coming. to. an. end.

My childbearing days are really over with. It is almost time to say goodbye to this chapter of my life. Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited to start the new chapter. The one where I get to watch the children grow up and enjoy them all in the different ages and stages of life. I get to help my daughters grow into beautiful young women and my sons into strong, yet caring gentlemen. I'll get to spend more time with my husband without a wiggly child between us begging for attention or interupting another 'adult' conversation. No more bottles, no more diapers.

(Matthew, 2006) Perhaps my future holds some more 'adult' kinda vacations. More dates with daddy. And the best part, less childcare costs!!

(Anniversary trip, 2007)

But I know that when I'm old and I ponder back to my younger days in life, I will always remember these years as my favorite. There's just something about a new little baby in the house!

(Megan, 3 months)

Ben, When I go to my Dr appts, I get to hear your heartbeat. My own heart skips a beat and I break out in smile. My Dr. laughs at me. Perhaps, he thinks I should be used to this by now. Perhaps, because he gets to hear fetal heartbeats a hundred times a day it is no big deal to him. But, please know, as with every one of my pregnancies, (and even though you are my LAST child) to me, it is still music to my ears, like hearing it for the very first time. Mommy's eyes still fill with tears; I am still in awe. I am reminded of how amazing conception is. The ending result= YOU. If you think about it, pregnancy is a miracle. So many things can go wrong, and yet I've been blessed with 5 healthy (and beautiful) babies. You will be here very soon, son. Boy, oh boy, are we excited to have another 'lil guy around the house! I can't wait to meet you! ~ Love, Mommy

"Before you were conceived I wanted you. Before you were born I loved you. Before you were here an hour, I would die for you. This is the miracle of Mother's Love."-- Maureen Hawkins