We proudly introduce...

...Peyton Grace.

She was born Sunday at 8:55am and weighed 7lbs. 15oz. and was 19 3/4 in. long.

Peyton is sweet and beautiful and Mommy, Daddy, Sutton, Reagan, Keaton, Hayden and Landon are so proud of our new family member. We think she will fit right in.

To answer your question...Yes

I'm still pregnant.

Eviction notice

I had my last prenatal doctor's appointment yesterday. I'm 3cm dilated and Dr. Wai said "if" I made it until Monday (he gave me a 50/50 chance), he would induce then.

Of course right now I'm up with less than comfy contractions and not looking forward to several more days of this.

Is it too early to order my epidural?

Um, yeah...this would be me

"I be bwave, Mommy."

We had a pretty violent storm cell come through our area. The city alarm was going off as well as the city phone tree calling residents warning us all to take cover. Jimmy and Landon decided instead to watch the storm from the back porch.

Landon ran off for a minute to raid his toy box only to return with these "super hero" accessories. When asked what his plans were, he told me he was was going to stand there (bravely at the doorway right next to Daddy) and "gonna get those sharks, alligators, and monsters that are outside." He was fine until a clap of thunder sent him scampering.

I guess those construction goggles he's sporting that hold special noise-diffusing-powers were on the blink again.

What I'm prepared to say...

...at my last appointment this morning:

Suppose...

...you are nine months pregnant, extremely clumsy and are dropping anything and everything you touch.

And then suppose you just happen to spill a full bottle of hot pink nail polish on your pretty beige carpet while trying to reach your, as yet, unattainable toe nails because you are so ridiculously vain you think someone might notice your grody, bare toes in the delivery room.

And then suppose (after calling yourself some not so pleasant names) you run (well, waddled very fast) into the laundry room and get every carpet cleaner known to man, as well as nail polish remover, and NOTHING works.

And then suppose you find a wonderful website that suggests that you try Windex.

And it works!

Well, then, I suppose you better be thankful you didn't make a worse mess, greatful you have computer access where you found the answer, and silly because you're too cheap to pay for even a cut-rate pedicure.

...I suppose.

The latest movie-viewing fashion craze

All the coolest Hollywood stars are wearing their t-shirts atop their heads now that our little trend-setter has unveiled his latest look. I would do it too, but I'm afraid my cheeks wouldn't look so sweet and fluffy.

I was forced to sneak a kiss right after I took this picture...he never even looked up.

Singing Cinderella

Reagan had her solo performance tonight in which she sang A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes from the movie Cinderella. She was instructed to create a playbill and to dress as her character.

We were all there to watch as she did an absolutely lovely job. One point of progress is that she smiled during her performance...a huge indicator that she's becoming more comfortable on stage.

Forget the ice

Well...no, I keep going through my ice like a crazy woman and can't do without it right now. But no pickles and ice cream for me. I am huge and swollen and fairly miserable, fighting inconsistent, irregular and probably unproductive contractions. I'm getting close but evidently not close enough.

So I'm getting impatient and testy and my constant if-Reagan-rubs-my-belly-one-more-time-I'm-gonna-scream thought that I am currently, sucessfully suppressing is about to unleash. We've got to get through her Cinderella solo tonight after costume shopping and Hayden's soccer yesterday, Sutton's third day of a volleyball tournament that ends this afternoon and then I think the calendar is as clear as it can be for a few days with this many kids on the go.

Jimmy is off the road for a while and it's wonderful having the extra set of Landon-hands, but did I mention I am huge, swollen and fairly miserable?

Pass my ice, please, and make it a double.














(Credit for the cartoon goes to Wiley. Thanks!)

Forty's not so bad

You get taken out to a steak dinner and get a free dessert:
















You get to spend time with great friends.

David and Fae:















Dave and Miranda:
















Marble cheesecake and Key Lime pie await you when you get home:
















And what a surprise to have the flower delivery guy walk up with margarita flower arrangements compliments of out-of-town dear friends, Mike and Melissa:
















Yep, 40 doesn't seem too bad...but I'm so glad Jimmy got there first.

Birthday wishes for Daddy

We first met when we were ten years old, two bright-eyed fifth graders, each anticipating a life full of endless possibilities and opportunities. Not one of the people present at that meeting would have believed that these two little children from the country, the principals’ kids, were establishing a relationship and embarking on lives destined to be intertwined forever.

Surprisingly to many, we stand here together some thirty years later after experiencing lives lived to the extreme. The hills and valleys we’ve independently faced have made us the couple we are today, a team strong and secure.

As we celebrate your birthday today, know how much you are appreciated and cherished by us all. We are so proud of your hard work and endless accomplishments. You successfully support a family of (almost!) eight and provide us all with a type of lifestyle for which we are extremely grateful.

I wish you a day filled with hugs and kisses and thank-you’s, a day of back scratches and foot rubs, a day of tummy tickles and wrestling matches.

Happy birthday Jimmy. I love you very much.

She, who shall remain nameless

We had a our final ultrasound yesterday. Baby Girl is 6lbs 7oz and doing well. She was happily moving about and was licking her lips. She and I are jockeying for rib space as she attempts to find a comfortable position among my ribs while I attempt to simply breathe. Dr. Wai says he won't let me go past April 30th before he induces which means the most we have is ten days left.

We still have no name and, frankly, I'm tired of thinking about it and attempting to get any help from her other parent. Each time we ask Landon what we should name her he says, "Baby Stister." Well, it's self-explanatory and easy to remember...at this point, I'll take it.

Slightly inappropriate, but funny just the same

Pawpaw drew my attention to the following "Dear Abby" letter in yesterday's newspaper. Why I got tickled, I'm not sure. However, after working hard to raise three little ladies with a bit of couth, I ended up with two little boys whose greatest joy in life is to try and get away with "hiney burps" (yes, that's what they really call them) . Try as I might to civilize my tooting tots, all that has occurred is that I have become a little desensitized to the subject and can, in fact, find a little humor where it once was lost.

Dear Abby,
I suffer from food insensitivities. Recently, during an important service at a church my daughter and I have not attended for long, I had some extremely loud and embarrassing gastrointestinal symptoms from having accidentally eaten something cooked in soybean oil at a restaurant.

The disturbance lasted more than 15 minutes, and everyone on our small church could hear it. I am now embarrassed to return to the church, as I don't want to be remembered as the woman whose flatulence wrecked the important church service. Is there any way to save face in this situation?

--It Was the Soybeans!


So desensitized have I become that I not only been saving the following out-of-character-for-me cartoon, but embarrassingly enough, I have found an excuse to share it with you. Try not to giggle too loud.

I won! I won!

It just goes to show you that good things can come out of the inability to get comfortable, let alone sleep, when you're uber-pregnant and the size of a small country.

Lilybella Boutique is an online children's boutique containing the most beautiful baby products. I have drooled over many items for months now, as this sweet store carries some unique baby must-haves you won't see elsewhere.

I entered a contest the owner, Allison, mentioned on her blog and was lucky enough to win a free personalized sippy cup seen above. Once Jimmy and I pick a name, (Honey! We're running out of time here!) I will be ordering it and probably a few other items...I love the personalized chalk mats and will get those for the boys, I'm sure.







Lilybella Boutique also carries the greatest assortment of custom diaper bags, diaper clutches, and changing pads. You choose the fabric. Also, check out her assortment of bibs, burpees, and baby bottle wraps and get ready to wipe away the drool too.


Sign up for Lilybella's email notifications of frequent specials. Allison is running a great little company and I am happy to pass along her store information to you.




Now, back to my regularly scheduled insomnia shopping...that "Bling" diaper clutch is calling my name!

**UPDATE** Allison from Lilybella just told me that if you'd like to order from her site, just put in the code MOMBLOG when you order and she will give you an extra 10% off. Thanks Allison!

Waving my white flag

I'm getting beaten up over here!

This baby kicks, squirms, rolls, flips, flops, rotates, stretches, flexes, jumps, turns cartwheels and practices her yoga...all between the hours of 11:00pm and 3:00am. She doesn't stop moving for hours at a time. If you do the calculations, that leaves me sleeping time from approximately 3:00am to about 5:00am when the girls and I rise.

I'm really hoping this non-stop, gymnast-like routine is not an indication of my child's inevitable infant reversal of night and day. However, after doing a little research, it seems all this nocturnal movement usually means just that.

My little girl is destined to be a night owl and I'm destined to accompany her.

Great.

Soccer!

"Super Teachers" Mrs. Constance and Ms. Jamie have put together a soccer team of kindergarten students from their class. Poor ladies...as if they didn't have to spend enough time with our darlings as it is.

Last night in their first game of the season, the mighty Crusaders won! Those children played their little hearts out, not stopping for a second. What a confidence-builder it is for these friends to come together as a team and accomplish such a task. Not to mention what a boost it gives each child to participate and excel outside of the classroom, stimulating their minds as well as their bodies.


"I'm a little concerned about the snack situation."













Go Crusaders!













Family and friends fill the stands.













"Hmmmm...Should be about snack time."

















"Maybe if I score, they'll let me eat something."













MacKenzie gets it out of the box.












"What happened?"

















"Maybe your mom brought snacks."

















"Come on guys! Let's finish 'em off so we can eat!"

Tummy trouble?

After an unsucessful attempt at a nap in which Landon coughed and coughed, he sat up in bed and looked at me, grabbing his neck:

"I tan't sleep. I have a tummy-ache in my froat."

Last "Mommy/Landon Only" Day (sniff, sniff)

It struck me yesterday that my alone-time with Landon is winding down. Jimmy was on one of his last trips until the baby comes, the other kids were at school, and we have Granna and Pawpaw coming to stay with us next week for Jimmy's last before-baby outing. Yesterday was the very last day my sweet boy and I would spend alone before we had to share our time with baby girl.

I lamented how incredibly sad this realization must have been for him. Surely he was feeling the same uncertain dread I was. Only problem was he didn't realize it was our last day and in all reality, he probably wouldn't care even if he did. Raging pregnancy hormones and uncontrollable mommy-guilt overtook me...I was bound to make this a fun day for him.

So after a very long night in which he slept a sum total of two hours because of some weird cough with no other symptoms, I cancelled my appointments and prepared to hunker down at home and spoil him a little. It worked for a while until he caught wind of my sudden-onset-Landon-weakness and he made his big request:

He wanted to go to the "Alligator Store."

Mommy-guilt packs a heavy punch so I reluctantly agreed.

I convinced myself that he must have felt a little sentimental twinge as he decided he needed to be carried the whole time at the huge outlet mall which houses his favorite attraction. What a sight we must have been; a long-legged three-year old being carried by a waddling, very pregnant mother whose pants wouldn't stay up (long story). His leg had to be thrown over the top of my burgeoning belly as he held on for dear life.

We looked at toys, ate macaroni and cheese (don't ask), and "fed" the alligator fists full of "monies." He fell asleep in his car seat on the ride home, and in an unusual turn of events, needed me to hold him as he fell asleep again at home for his nap.

Hmmmmm...maybe he did understand the need for us to be together on such an important day. Maybe there is a tiny glimmer of male sensitivity blossoming in this little boy for which his 'someday wife' will thank me.

But, more likely, it's those aforementioned pregnancy hormones justifying his every action and succumbing to his every whim on one of the most important of days...my last alone day with my baby boy. He may never remember it, but I will cherish it forever.

Outnumbered

Jimmy's on a trip and Sutton is at a track meet. I needed groceries so I picked the kids up from school and went. It was me against them for a couple of hours (with a lot more "them's" than "me's") as we tackled Sam's Club and Walmart. The following are snippets of conversations hurled at me throughout our time together. You can probably guess who each speaker is without me even telling you.

"Don't 'wook' at me or touch me!"

"It's cold in here."

"I wanted to push the cart!"

"It's hot in here."

"Is 'dang' a bad word?"

"I have to tell you this other thing that happened today." (13th story while brothers are fighting and sister is calling my name.)

"My bottom hurts."

"I NEED marshmallows."

"Our drink tastes funny." (after mixing every flavor of soft drink available at drink machine into a cup even though they were cautioned not to.)

"I know I asked for a hot dog but I really want pizza." (after first bite of purchased hot dog.)

"Can we buy a bathing suit?"

(Sobbing) "I couldn't find you! You left me!" (after child ran off unaccompanied.)

"I have to tinkle.

BUUUUUUUUBBBBBBBBBAAAAAAA!!!!"

"Don't even think about it."

"My baby 'stister' weally needs this."

"I'm still hungry."

"Can we get a puppy?"

"If Daddy was here he'd let me:
-buy that."
-do that."
-say that."
-go fast."
-eat that."
-have more."

"I'm ready to go home."

"Oh guess what?! I know what I'm wearing on the first day of school next year!"

"Feel my head. Do I feel hot?"

"Do you realize school's almost out and we get to be with you for three months!"

"Can't we go to another store?"

"Mom, you don't look so good. Do we need to go to the hospital?"


And just when I was ready to throw in the towel..."Mommy, I weally love you."

Gets me every time.

"Ice, Ice Baby"

How embarrassing it is for me to admit that I remember this song from my post title. In my defense I was teaching in a high school back then (um, early 90's and I was very young!), so I was exposed not only to the song on a daily basis, but to an abundance of Vanilla Ice-wanna-be-rapper-students who inhabited my classrooms.

But I digress.

The true reason for this post has nothing to do with annoying trips down pop culture memory lane, but rather about the product pictured: ice...not just any 'ole ice, but Sonic nugget-like pebble ice that is yummy to crunch and easy on the teeth.

With this pregnancy I am eating two ten lb. bags of Sonic ice a week. I don't use the ice in my drinks to make them colder, as all other rational humans do. Nope. I have to eat the ice...huge glasses full of ice that I down in minutes.

I've been told by my doctor that my infatuation could be in response to low iron (mine is not super low, just borderline), but more likely I am experiencing Pica, a strange, non-food craving associated with my pregnancy.

I eat ice in the car as I'm driving, all throughout the day as I go about my business and in the middle of the night while I don't sleep. I am a woman possessed, begging my husband to get me more on his trips out and even taking all the children with me to get it when dear husband is AWOL. We buy multiple bags at a time and I feel a little shaky when I realize I am getting dangerously close to a no-ice-state.

I've had this ice infatuation before with two previous pregnancies and each time my need for ice subsides as soon as the baby arrives, so I guess there is hope for my poor family who has patiently listened to me chomp and crunch for months.

As I type this, I am being forced to share my ice with Landon. I'm generous to a fault with my children with just about everything I own. I will give up anything I have so they can have more. However, this sharing of my precious ice is proving very difficult for me as he hoards my cup and covets my frozen treasure.

I'll let him have a few more hands-full then I'm moving in. Surely, he would rather have a stick of gum, a lollipop, a candy bar, or a big piece of chocolate cake. As a mother I know he doesn't really need any of those foods this time of morning, but my pica is in control; the ice beckons, and my parental common sense is quickly faltering.

Yes, I am a pregnant woman possessed. My drug of choice is ice and a 12-step program is probably needed. But for now those 12 steps are my own two feet taking me straight to the freezer for more ice as Landon has decided my cup is his and my ice his own.

He's really pushing it with me today.

Just keepin' her seat warm

We've been telling the children for months and months that the baby would come after Easter. Well, Easter was three days ago and no baby. The boys, especially Landon, are having a hard time understanding they still have to wait.

When I can't find him, I usually don't have to look far. The baby's seat is on the floor and big brother has easy access. He likes to get inside the baby clothes hamper (seen behind him) and peer at me, and I have stopped him from climbing into the baby swing; all the while wearing that red glove...the red glove we can't leave home without.

He's definitely a unique little guy with his own set of rules, so I will stand guard over the baby's items for a few weeks longer. Hopefully, "baby stister" will appear on time and big-brother-the-squatter will be willing to share those comfy, cushy spots when the rightful little resident moves in.

Doctor's (dis)appointment

Yesterday I had my 36+ week doctor's appointment where I was poked and prodded, measured and weighed (UGH!). I am "swelled" up like a blow fish, wearing shoestring-less tennis shoes on my cankles and no rings on my sausage fingers.

My appointment was at 8:30am and I almost kicked my doctor when he said with such revelation, "Wow! You're already really swollen this morning!" He followed that comment with, "Don't worry. It's impossible to gain this much weight in two weeks...It's just water weight."

I guess I'm some sort of an anomaly then.

I reminded him that I have quite the diminished appetite so I'm not eating much and I exercise daily, usually twice daily, so I don't know what else I can do to stop this gain. He assured me that I was doing everything right, that the exercises was probably the culprit.

So, let me get this straight. I am exercising more than I ever did with my other five pregnancies and have done so for 36 weeks. But all this exercise is why I've gained more weight?

I think I need a double scoop of chocolate almond ice cream and a nap...Or better yet, make that a triple scoop and wake me when this is over.

Easter egg-citement

Before church the kids were quite anxious. Easter baskets were full of goodies from the Easter Bunny's overnight visit, hidden eggs were in need of finding and cakes were visible, yet unavailable.

Waiting is so difficult when you're a kid...especially at Easter.

Daddy's in charge...(YES!)

Thankfully, Jimmy took over Easter lunch duties this year, sparing me the work. After everyone arrived at our house, he surprised us all by having two limos arrive to take us to lunch at our favorite Mexican food restaurant; a little unconventional for Easter dining, but delicious just the same.

Had I been in charge, we would have had turkey and dressing and sat at home...He's such a show-off, and obviously, the favored host.

Tickled girls:













Poppie and Dayden:














Dave and Miranda:

















The whole crew!