Friends and Being An Aunt

Monday Kylee was invited over to a friends house from 10-4. We have never really had that opportunity happen before and Kylee was so excited. She had a great time with her friends. They did "sledding" on the stairs, played games, watch a movie, and enjoyed being together. It was so great to be able to send her to a house to play with people I knew she actually played with at school and were nice. Friends have been a struggle for Kylee to find and so it was a great opportunity for her to be able to go by herself and enjoy her friends. It was also an opportunity for the rest of us to figure out life without Kylee. It was weird knowing she wasn't at school, but other than that it wasn't too weird for me. However, I think it was for Tia. Those two do a lot of things together and have since Tia was born, so to know Kylee was at a friends and Tia was with us was a little weird and there were definitely points were Tia didn't quite know what to do with herself, but it also gave her time to do some 'big' sibling things she doesn't get to normally do like play a video game with dad and be the oldest in the pretend play the kids do.

Also on Monday, I finally got together with our neighbors and so the twins had a 'friend' over and so did I. Probably another reason why Tia was like "what am I supposed to do?" Anyway, it was so great to talk to my friend and for the twins (mainly Abby) to have a friend over. It was interesting to watch Abby interact with a friend and for them to figure out how to play. Then in turn watch how Kade handled that. Which, was pretty much playing when he wanted and doing his own thing when he didn't want to. Then Laura and I just got to chat. It is so nice to talk to someone else in a similar boat as me. We are definitely different and do different things, but both a mom to 10, 4, and newborns. Plus, she she believes in Christ and that she can pray and get answers and it was good. It was so good to connect. I really enjoyed it.

Another fun thing for me was Friday I got to run to Costco which is a rarity in itself, but I also shopped for Kitt while there and then ran out to her house to drop stuff off. I love being a sister. I always do, but Kitt is the first time I have had the chance to be supportive to a new mama and I love it. My baby is old enough that I have capacity to help her. Plus holding her new baby is so fun. I haven't ever really held anyone else's newborn and it is so peaceful. So, I brought soup for lunch, and supplies from Costco. We visited over lunch, put kiddos down for a nap (a short one for mine because we had to be back for the big girls), de-boned rotisserie chickens, and enjoyed each other. Man, I know Kitt is really having a hard time just with new baby stuff, but at the same time she is totally rocking it. Her boys are so lucky to have her and her to have them. I am also grateful for the reminder that its hard. Babies are wonderful and special, but they are hard. I am so grateful that I have a chance to be a big sister in this instance and enjoy taking care of my sister.  

I am learning more and more of this truth--I can't do it all exactly the way I want and every way I want, but what I can do is enough and I need to do what I can do. What I can do is still a blessing and I should use it because it is a gift. Sometimes more simply said "Better done than perfect."

Valentine's Day and Play Day

There is nothing quite like Valentine's Day at elementary school. It is electrifying with energy and excitement. I would actually argue that the energy vibe is even stronger than on Halloween. Most kids have their boxes that are homemade. I have noticed some are becoming store bought, but still mostly homemade and in all varieties from super amazing to just a box with stickers and everything in between. Then most kid have their valentines that to some extent they helped pick out or put together and they are so excited to share and receive. It was so fun at drop-off to walk around and see it all.

Oddly enough, as a family we don't do too much to celebrate. This year we bought a dozen doughnuts from Dunkin' Donuts. Everyone got to have 2. My two big girls and Gaupo ate both of theirs at breakfast. The twins and I ate one and then had the other later like at lunch. Gaupo had to work that night, so I fixed the kids their favorite of scrambled pancakes. Other 'fun' included me and Gaupo matching. I meant to get a picture but I didn't. Kylee and Tia had some valentines theme clothes they wore Kade tried, but he didn't have much to work with but did manage to find a shirt that said kindness on it. Abby just straight up didn't want to, so she didn't wear anything V-Day themed. I went and dug hope out some clothes with hearts. It was I felt like a pretty good day of celebration.

We did do a couple other fun things that I linked to Valentine's Day. One was buying Gaupo the ice cream, spinach, and candy he added to my grocery list. He got me flowers. Well, actually I jumped the gun and bought them for myself while I was at the store on Thursday night, but he swore he was going to so we will give the credit for my pretty flowers to him. Then we made fish taco's for a fancy lunch on Saturday.

The other highlight of the week was Friday. The kiddo's had a four-day weekended so we went out to the Blaylock's to visit them and Oma. I took all the kids with me and Gaupo took the day off work. Guapo stayed home and watched a couple movies, played games, and had a much needed day to himself while we went and played. I was pretty worried about how it would go because Kitt only had her baby like 3-ish weeks ago and the girls slept over at their cousins, so I wasn't sure if they would be cooperative enough for it to be a good day, but they did great. I did bring and audio book, a book, and some games to help with quiet time. But really, the kids played well with Jay when he was awake, the twins and Hope took naps, and the big girls played on their own for a bit during naptime. We managed to stay at Kitt's without driving her nuts until 5 at which time we left to get home to have dinner with Gaupo and a movie night. I love hanging out with my sisters and mom. It is just so good for the heart. 

Coaching and Ice Skating

This year I decided to make an investment in me. I had some free coaching sessions at the end of 2022 and it started to change me in so many good ways. I was doing fine, but there was so much I just felt like I couldn't do and having five kids really rocked my world and I wasn't sure how to straighten it out. My cousin is a wellness coach, but her foundation is that wellness is primarily our connection to others, ourselves, and God. Then food and nutrition is secondary. Anyway, long story short I loved that having someone on my side to talk with me, and help me see the ideas and make them happen. I saw such a great change in myself that I decided to hire her for another 12 coaching sessions and it is still changing me. The biggest thing that has happened is I am learning to better recognize how I receive personal revelation. I also love that its small and simple steps. Like starting this blog again. The goal is to blog, but if nothing else happens I start with bring the computer downstairs and turning it on. So, I am really short on time today, but I wanted to write this and then mention yesterday.

Another small change is getting out for a walk in the morning after I drop the kids off. Here is Hope on a cold morning when we did a super fast, short walk.

Yesterday, we went ice skating. We try to go once a year and this year was a big moment for us because Kylee and Tia could skate without help. They were not fast or graceful but it was all alone. Abby got on the ice this time. She didn't skate long, but she did get out and do it a little bit. Abby is our perfectionist so being not good at something is hard for her. Kade rocked it. He learned how to move the walker and was skating pretty fast, doing jumps, and loving it. Gaupo and I took turns skating or holding Hope. It was a fun end to a busy Saturday.

Abby

Kade

Tia

Kylee

Gaupo and Kade

Me and Hope

Abby and Gaupo

Watching the Zambonie after we were all done. Definitely the highlight for the kids.

Introducing Hope

 Hope is our baby number 5. She is so patient with this super chaotic family she came to join. She pretty much lets anyone hold, carry, and love on her. She still doesn't sleep through the night but is making gains towards getting there. She does have 2 teeth that popped through just after Thanksgiving. She uses them to bite her food and every now and again mom if I don't take the cues that she is done eating soon enough. Overall though, she is a very happy very chill baby. She is definitely our kid that was without a schedule the longest, eaten the most variety of foods by 6M, cries the least when tired, rarely gets grumpy when she doesn't need some thing, rolled back to front watching football on New Years Eve, and is just the perfect kiddo for us. I am so blessed to have her in our family.

Hope was born on July 21, 2022 at I think 2:45 in the morning. I don't remember the exact time or the details in the exact order because well she is now 6 1/2 months and I am just writing it down. She was an uncomplicated vaginal delivery, although two doctors did have to be present because they were concerned about her size and if she would deliver fine, but she did. I started labor on the 20th after losing my mucus plug sometime in the night. It took most of the day to really get the contractions going though most of the day I felt kind of funny. I was actually scheduled to be induced because I was over due by a day and I only had my mom for so long. However, the hospital called and said they didn't have room so I couldn't come in that night. Lo and behold Hope was ready to come room or not. We went to the hospital at about 11:00PM. I was at an 8 I believe and wanted an epidural. The anesthesiologist was in a c-section at the moment so I got the pleasure of waiting. However, he did come when he was done and on the second attempt he got the epidural in and I was out of pain by about 1:00. Once the epidural was all kicked in I had a little chance to breathe and enjoy for a bit but then they checked me again and I was at a 10, so the doc had time and for the first time I actually pushed a baby down. On all my other deliveries they just kind of waited for the baby to work its way down, but not this time. This time we pushed. We did probably like 3 sets of 3 pushes each. Then took a little break to kind of let Hope do some on her own. Then I probably did like another 3 sets of 3. Then the doc put on her like baby delivery clothes and got the room at all setup and the second doctor in and we did pushes to get the baby out. It took a couple of sets but out she came. I was given my beautiful 9 lb. 2 oz baby and I was like "Wow, I can tell you are big for a baby, but you are still so small." I couldn't believe she was here. I fed her, at some point got the epidural out, and all the things, and then fell asleep. When I woke up they moved us to the mother baby unit where our old nurse informed our new nurse we needed sleep we were not the people who stayed up late or pulled all nighters. It was pretty funny because she was right though since having Hope we consistently stay up later than we have previous to this time. The hospital stay was good and we enjoyed having our kids come meet their sister. Uncle Jack and Oma also came to welcome her too. I loved my time in the hospital for probably the first time ever. I loved that no one except Hope needed me and I could just love and cuddle and take my sweet time feeding her guilt free. It was such a treasured time because since coming home we have had to share each other with everyone else. I am so grateful for the bonding time we got in the hospital. 

Here is Hope

Isn't she just so cute

Kylee and Hope

Kade, Hope, Daddy

Abby, Hope, Daddy

Tia, Hope, Daddy

Oma and Hope

Kylee's note to me on my due date: "Have the baby. Love, Kylee"

Me and my first time being over due.