3.06.2010

The Middle

He's pure sweetness. And happiness. My new middle child. And he slept on the top bunk all by himself two nights ago and then called himself "Mr. Top Bunk Sleeper" the entire next day. He has started growling at strangers. Growling like a ferocious animal and we have no idea why. He loves using JP and Robin as his own personal jungle gym. He can scale up their legs and do a back flip in under three seconds. Last night he and I snuck away to the bunk beds while the house was still full of people and he curled up beside me and asked me to say his prayers for him. I prayed for sweet sleep and a day full sunshine and running and adventures at the barn. He grinned and wrapped his hands in my hair and drifted off to sleep. Oh, how I needed that. I love him, love him, love him. He is joy and laughter and crooked smiles. And he just may be the cutest Batman ever.

3.05.2010

Fitting In

Our third boy. He looks just like the older two did...just with more hair. And he fits in... perfectly.

3.03.2010

Will

He's here.  And he's perfect.   And so beautiful and yummy. 
William Joseph Standley
 8 lb 15 oz
20.25 inches
1:22 pm

3.02.2010

Them

Tomorrow. The day is finally here. All the months of sickness and tiredness will be a fleeting memory when Will is placed in my arms. My prayer is that all the worry over my own adequateness as a mother of three will disappear the instant that I simply become that...a mother of three.

And while I imagine the day will be full of anticipation and activity and will likely pass all too quickly, there is one thing I know for sure. My thoughts will be consumed by them.
I will kiss them gently before I leave in the morning and will surely feel my eyes fill with tears. They will be doted on, spoiled, pampered and very well taken care of in my absence. But I will not be there. To have Jack wake me with a kiss and a grin. To carry Sam from his bed when he calls loudly for me after waking. To make cinnamon toast and fill milk cups. To strip away pajamas and tie shoes. To dig through the drawer that is overloaded with animals for that one baby pig and that special buffalo. To buckle car seats and break up fights. To kiss boo boos and answer questions. To hear Sam say the blessing. To tell them to stop splashing water out of the tub. To cuddle them and breathe in their sweetness as their sleepiness overcomes them.

My day will be filled with joy. I will meet my newest love. I will breathe him in and kiss his tiny fingers and toes. I will cuddle his tiny body, his sweet head resting under my neck. And I'll wonder where he's been all my life. And as happy as I'll be, I will certainly be thinking of them.

Them. My boys. My babies. My everything. My world. My heart. My happiness. My breath. My life. Thank you, God, for them.

3.01.2010

Fashionista

The Perfect Outfit:
Cannon's shirt, Landry's leggings, Cade's socks, Mama's shoes.  Perfect.

2.28.2010

False Alarm

After two nights of no sleep because of sporadic contractions and unbearable pressure, I packed my bag and we headed to the hospital this morning.  And three hours later, we pulled back in our driveway. My contractions are still too sporadic and I had not dilated any further and my doctor didn't want to push things since we are on schedule for an induction on Wednesday.  I moaned, I begged, I pleaded, but he still said no.  My loving husband didn't help either.  He spoke up and said that he sure doesn't like it when one of his cows "goes early" and he thinks cows and babies are pretty much the same, so we should just wait.  So as I lay in a flimsy little hospital gown on a very uncomfortable table, feeling like an elephant is napping on my bladder, and beginning to sweat, my husband and favorite doctor begin an in depth conversation about cattle.  I should note here that I threatened Jody's life a few days ago and told him in the sweetest way I knew how that if he dared to compare me to one of his pregnant cows again, I would likely hurt him.  Hurt him really, really bad.  I have been told that I appear to be "bagging up"  and "springing" more times than I care to remember, all while being reminded that cattle give birth outdoors in the freezing cold with no help and no medication.  So imagine my joy when I had to endure listening to a very, very long conversation between my husband and my doctor about birthing cattle.  They discussed how the calf comes out (Jody demonstrated this), how they nurse, what to do in the event of twins and just how much cows cost these days.  And I laid there, with my hand draped across my sweaty forehead wondering if I had entered the twilight zone.  At some point I spoke up and said something about breaking my own water which apparently startled my doctor because he quickly told me I could damage one of the babies eyes if I tried that.  The poor man thought I was serious.  I assured him I was only kidding and then rolled over to get more comfortable as I continued to listen to my husband teach my doctor about birthing calves.  After a short discussion on birthing pigs and the value of veterinarians, I was unhooked from the monitors and sent home.  Jody grinned on the ride home as he said, "See, I told you.  I know what I'm talking about.  Calves and babies are the same.  You just don't push things."  I bit my tongue.  Nearly in two.

So I continue to wait, knowing that Wednesday will be here soon. Rebecca came over tonight to rub pressure points on my foot that are supposed to make you go into labor.  And sweet little Landry has rubbed nearly an entire bottle of lotion on my belly, while saying, "Okay Will, pop out.  Pop out!"   Oh, if it were only that easy.

2.25.2010

Around Here

What's been going on around here....

Sam continues to be obsessed with animals and informs me regularly that he desperately needs a yak, lynx, okapi, bobcat and water buffalo to complete his animal collection.  And for his birthday he really, really wants a black bear standing up, looking through a garbage can, just like he saw on a bear special on Animal Planet.  Needless to say, I haven't had much luck finding that request.  Jack has begun calling me "Do Do God." Terrible, I know.  I have no clue what it means, where it comes from, or why he chooses to say it all the time.  The past couple of days he has added a twist and I am now "Apple Do Do God."  My goodness. Landry stayed with us the other morning while Allyson was at Bible study.  She is a sweetie but I found myself breaking up more than my share of fights between her and Jack.  She takes zero junk off him and he loves to aggravate her.  She belts out a deafening scream and they lock up.  I think Jack should take a look at the chick's calf muscles and reconsider making her mad.  I'm not into reality television, but the Bachelor has me extremely stressed out.  I've never really watched this show before and I can't peel myself away from the television on Monday nights.  If he chooses Vienna, I'll probably go into labor.  I am pimping the mini van with great pride.  My boys and Ally's kids act like they are getting on Space Mountain when I pop the doors open.  Forget Disney World, we spin the seats around, roll the windows down and ride to Target.  Sam was showing me how he "exercises" yesterday and I told him he should try a push-up.  I explained to him how to do it and he tried his best.  After almost doing it, he proudly yelled, "Hey, Mama!  Did you see it?  Did you see it?  I did a popsicle!"  The bunk beds are being slept in every night.  Sam and Jody man the bottom bunk every night and Jack still sleeps on top of my head in the king size bed.  And I'm not the least bit bitter that I gave Allyson my beautiful, fluffy, soft, Pottery Barn duvet and ordered a quilt for our bed because Jody had begged for one for over a year and he has yet to pull the flat, itchy thing over his sleeping body.  Enough on that.  I am scheduled to be induced on the third.  I went for my final doctor's visit today and I am dilated two centimeters.  And I think everyone should have the experience of taking two boys, age three and two, to your final appointment.  You know, where you have to undress from the waist down and be examined.  With those two boys sitting in the chair for thirty minutes while you sit on the table, half covered by a thin sheet of paper as your youngest continually yells in his deepest voice, "Mama took her pants off.  Mama took her pants off!"  And every woman should then have that same youngest boy crawl up in her lap, using the stirrups for leverage, and rip your thin sheet in half so that you are now naked from the waist down and uncovered.  And every woman should then have to send her oldest son into the small dressing room to retrieve his humiliated Mama a new sheet.  To pass the time in the examining room, we talked about Sam's birthday party...the theme, what he wanted to eat and who we should invite.  The doctor came in before we finished the guest list.  So after my exam, as we walked through the very crowded nurses area to the check out, I resumed the conversation, asking Sam if there was anyone else he wanted to invite to his party.  He quickly and very, very loudly yelled, "Yeah, Mama.  How about Michael Jackson?"  I felt all eyes in the room piercing the back of my head and the receptionist nicely said, "Well, okay then."  Yes he did.  Wow.  Michael Jackson.  Really, Sam?  Life around here.  Boy do I love it.

2.23.2010

Corny

Okay, I have been called out on my "corniness." Allyson told me my last post title "Gettin' Piggy With It" was by far the corniest title ever. I should defend myself a little by saying that I ran the title by Jody, who swiftly rolled his eyes and told me to go with it, saying that people would chalk my bad humor up to my hormones. I, as sad as it is, thought it was clever and it made me chuckle. Maybe it is my hormones, or my lack of sleep, or it could be my lack of adult conversation during the day. I mean, really, if all you heard all day was Moose A. Moose, you might find yourself lacking an adult sense of humor too. But I'm not changing the title, I still chuckle when I read it. Yes I do.

2.22.2010

Gettin' Piggy With It

One of Jody's pigs had babies last week. Eleven of them. But, unfortunately, she hasn't been a good mama. She has actually killed seven of her babies by rolling over on them or stepping on them. Sam has been especially concerned as to why a Mama would be mean to her babies. I tried my best to explain to him that, sadly, there are some mothers out there who just aren't good Mommies. Thankfully, she seems to have taken to her last four babies and appears to be caring for them. And if she doesn't love them enough, I know someone who does. My boys. They adore these cute little piggies. Jody got them out on Saturday and let the boys play with them while they were down at the barn. Jack fell in love with a black and pink one, one with a distinct black dot on his back. It is "his baby pig" and he had the snubs when we had to take the baby back to his Mama. Yesterday Jody brought a couple to the house for the boys and their cousins to play with. Landry was thrilled since pigs are her very favorite animal and Cade and Cannon enjoyed holding them too. Sam just loves cuddling them in his lap and even knows how to carry them around the proper way, by the back legs. I cringe every time I see him toting one around that way, but it is the only way to carry them where they don't squirm and squeal. Both boys would really love to bring them in the house and bottle feed them, but I've reminded them that we have a new baby coming in just a few days that we'll all need to take care of. If they love their brother half as much as they do those baby pigs, everything will be okay.




2.21.2010

Sunshine

You are my sunshine...
my only sunshine.
You make me happy...
when skies are grey.
You'll never know dear...
how much I love you.
Please don't take...
my sunshine away.

2.18.2010

Big Babies

I got out the car seat, swing and bouncy seats for Will.  I cleaned them up and placed them by the door so I could sit them in the office until he arrives.  I walked in after baths and found my two big boys testing the bouncy seats out.  I'm pretty sure Sam bent the frame with his fifty pound body.  And yes, Jack  is using the seat to get comfy and check out his favorite body part.  Lovely.

2.17.2010

Sweet Dreams

Jody was sleeping with Sam on the bottom bunk the other night. In the middle of the night, Sam woke up and said, "Dada, I'm all done dreaming about Yellowstone Park. What should I dream about now?" To which Jody made up a dream about Africa and leopards for my sweet boy to go back to sleep and dream about. Pure sweetness...even in the middle of the night.

2.16.2010

Not Good

While sitting at my computer, Sam sprinted past me.  "What's wrong, Buddy?"  "Nothing, Mama.  I've gotta stinky."  Two minutes later...

"Mama!  I'm done!"
And before I can say, "Okay, I'm coming to wipe you," I hear Jack, in his deepest Daddy voice say, "Okay, Sam. It's okay.  I'll wipe you.  Okay."

Cue my screaming, "No, no, no, Jack!  Stop!  No, I'll wipe him."  I round the corner and see I'm too late.  There is my oldest, completely nude and bent over with his bottom stuck high up in the air.  And there stands Jack, who is now naked too, doing his best heini cleaning routine.  And he was thoroughly enjoying himself.  And so was Sam.  Not good.  



2.15.2010

Seven Steps

How to Brush Your Teeth...by Jack Standley:

1.  Squeeze nearly half the contents of the toothpaste container onto your legs.
2.  Dip your toothbrush into the pile of paste on your leg.
3.  Brush, brush brush.
4.  Reload your tooth brush by dipping into the paste that is caked on your other leg.
5.  Brush, brush brush.
6.  Wash your hand thoroughly.  Attempt to wash the pile of paste off your legs.  
7.  Yell for your Mama to come dry your legs and remove you from the sink.

2.14.2010

Feel the Love

Some of us understood that Valentine's Day is about being happy, sweet and loving...

Some of us didn't...



My little Valentines...one happy, one grumpy..both the loves of my life.