Pictures

I'm pretending like Erika's boogers don't bother me in these pictures.  She has such a steady stream that I think I am just oblivious to it all now.  Too bad it didn't occur to me to clean her face before she got all cute with Jack :)

Oh how I wish Jack wasn't blurry in this picture.... 

This is hilarious :)  

I just love watching these two together!  It's been a lot of fun to be able to get Jack to smile too.  He seems to love the camera so far :)  I'm sure we'll overdo it eventually, but until then :)

Journaling

- So I think we survived Halloween.  It was a long end of the week with everyone all sugared up, but we made it out alive.  I can't believe it actually.  11-3-12

- Sunday, Nate couldn't find his keys in the last minutes he had before he needed to leave for work, and all I could think to do was let him take the Suburban.  I knew this meant walking for the kids and I, but with the "extra hour" of daylight savings, I figured we'd be okay.  It was an eventful morning.  Erika had about 50 mood swings ranging from "I don't wanna go to my cwass" to "I going show dis to my teacho" and "my teacho going wike my dwess!"  Noah had almost as many as well.  They both went in and out.  I was grateful for the walk to church for this reason because I figured some nice fresh air could only do us all some good.  And I was right (finally :) ).  They both went to their classes SO nicely!  I couldn't have been more pleased with that.  I was sweating like a crazy person and got enough looks to know it was abnormal looking :), but we made it!  And we were even a few minutes early!  Jack was unhappy, but the girls had wanted me to watch them do their prayer and article of faith.  So I bounced Jack as I waited and watched.  They are so cute when they get up in front of people.  So brave.  I'm proud of them.  I took Jack into the Mother's Lounge where I stayed for the next 2 hours.  I met a girl who has 7 kids as well, and was in there nursing her 7th.  And then a friend of mine was also in there with her new baby.  It was a fun conversation.  I enjoy talking to people who don't think I'm an irresponsible idiot for having 7 kids.  It doesn't happen very often, but I do appreciate it.  All three of us have quite a bit in common.  As much as I wish I'd been able to go to class, Jack wasn't going to have it anyway and ate the whole time we were in there.... that is when he wasn't pooping-- I seriously changed THREE diapers- BIG MESS ONES TOO- in those two hours-- so I don't think I would have been able to go to class anyway.  In the words of Erika, "He doesn't WUV church".  It's not his favorite yet.  We'll get there :).  In the meantime, I will hopefully be able to enjoy the company of lovely ladies again.

- The words "No School" on my calendar apparently translate into, "Get out and do something fun" in my mind.  I'm not sure why that is, but it causes a lot of frustration on the days like Monday where all I want to do is get out and do something fun and we can't because everyone's creating their own fun here at home!  Darn them!  I kept wanting people to help me think of fun places to go and everyone was too anxious to have friends over and go to friends' houses.  I couldn't, as Nate put it, "put an end to their fun so that I can create fun".  So I let them have at it.  I had been pretty busy with the dinner making for the dinner exchange, so it was good that they had entertained themselves, but I felt bad about it.  I would have rather spent the time with them.  It's hard to not wish I could just have them to myself.  I went down to my Mom's to help her with her computer and then came home to make dinner.  Everyone seemed so happy and fulfilled, so that was good.  We decided to reschedule FHE to Tuesday since time was not on our side.  11-5-12

- FHE this week was my lesson.  I decided a lesson on Gratitude was in order considering the upcoming holiday.  Everyone seemed very full of energy and probably something a little more upbeat would have been more fitting, but it was something we needed to touch on.  At the end I had everyone write a "thank you" card to someone who had done something for them, and I thought it was so sweet that everyone chose someone in the family to give their card to.  With the except of Noah who made his for his cousin Charlie, but it wasn't an actual "thank you" anyway, it was more of a "here's a drawing of my favorite superhero" :) (which unfortunately is now MIA, so he didn't even receive it)  My favorite was Bradley's to Charity!  Those were some sweet words.  Nate wrote to Erika, Charity to Nate, Luke to me!  I think Erika gave up on hers.  But anyway.  It seemed like a useful evening.  We're keeping track of our "thakful"'s on the white board this month.  Hopefully we will fill it up.

- Friday was our school's annual Veteran's Day Assembly.  This is really neat and crazy enough, I've never been to it until this year!  They invite any of the family members of students who have served in the military, have them introduce themselves, then the kids all sing to them.  And this year the Principal had brought in about 30 flags of his veteran father, that have been flown in wars, to have the boys wearing scout uniforms carry around the assembly and then line up to have everyone walk through a hall of flags.  This year, Charity got bold and invited Grandpa Russ ( I say bold, but what I mean is she called him on her own without Nate or I knowing and invited him to her assembly :) it wasn't until the morning of- and thankfully Nate was here with me- that we knew he and Ruth were coming!  I was so grateful for the opportunity to have witnessed such an event though, and I think Grandpa and Grandma (despite the crazy snow-on-the-roads weather) were glad to have been a part of it as well.  Grandpa Russ was in the National Guard, so he refused to sit up in the front of the assembly with all the men who had found on enemy territory and actually risked their lives.  He's so humble!  (either that or he just wanted a more comfortable seat :) jk.)  He really didn't want to consider himself ranked with those men.  Interesting.  The kids all got to do their numbers with their grades.  Let's see if I can remember all the songs they did, but Luke did the Air Force's Song "Off we go, into the wild blue yonder..." (I'm not sure the title).  Bradley did the Navy's song, "Anchors aweigh".  Kelly did a fun one using plastic plates as the drums, sounded really cool!  She can't tell me what the song is because she was dissatisfied with the fact that her grade had to do that song.  And Charity got to play her recorder for her song, but I can't remember what that one was either, maybe she knows.  Anyway.  After the singing they brought out the flags.  Bradley remembered to wear his scout uniform and got to carry the flag that was hanging up in the Principal's Father's school!  Pretty cool.  And he was one of the few that got to carry a flag all on his own!  He felt very special.  I think I got a picture on my phone, I will have to add that later.  I LOVE that they do this.  I think it's such a great way to teach our kids patriotism.  Another one of the great things about Holbrook Elementary.

- After the assembly we had about 20 minutes to kill before we needed to be back at the school for Charity's class no-missing-work Party.  We played fruit basket and telephone and then I tried to get them to do this other thing I remembered doing at EFY, but it was a failed attempt.  And Mrs. Thompson came and ended things then as well.  It was too short!  But we had a lot of fun.  I enjoy watching Charity with her friends.  She seems exactly like herself which tells me she is a genuine little girl.  I'm really glad that she is herself around her friends.  11-9-12

My sweet little Erika!

Journaling

- Sunday was our Primary Program.  We scrambled to practice parts with the little ones that morning and both Noah and Luke had memorized theirs!  I was happy that they are as good at memorizing as their older sibs.  Charity and Kelly both knew theirs a long time ago.  Bradley's was longer and since it was a journal entry he had recorded in his scriptures, he read his.  It was a lot of fun to watch them, as always.  This is by far my favorite Sacrament meeting.  I get chills and all giddy when my kids brave the pulpit and perform with such ease.  They really amaze me.  I enjoyed watching Noah on the front row, couldn't hardly hold still, but he was trying so hard to be reverent.  He rejected Jaylee's hand-holding several times which was hilarious, and even sang some of the songs.  They all sang so well, and looked so good up there.  Make their Mommy proud!  I was feeling a little weird about it since I had prepared so much of it before being released, and I wasn't really sure how much of mine they had used, or if they just threw it all out and started over.  I guess I didn't really care either way, it was just a little bittersweet for me to not be there doing it.  But it turned out they used most of what I had planned out, with only a few alterations, so that was kind of fun.  I had spent so much time interviewing and visiting with the kids to be able to write things they had actually thought up and said themselves, that I wanted to hear them that way.  It was a lot of fun.  I'm glad things worked out.  10-28-12

- Monday was the Maynes Family Halloween Party.  I took my camera, but for some reason didn't take any pictures :(.  But we did have a really great time.  We ate soup and rolls (yep, 3rd night in a row for us :) ).  Then the kdis got to do a few games, frosted some cookies and then we all went outside for a little Trunk-or-Treat in Lynn and Ali's circle.  It was a lot of fun.  I am always happy to have such a great family for my kids to spend their holiday gatherings with.  They have so much fun!  10-29-12

- Tuesday we took it easy!  Rested up for the big day ahead :)  And then Tuesday night, I wore a hole in my pants between my legs where they rub together.  Maybe this is more than I should share, but I need to remember it.  I had one pair of pants that fit me- my fat pants- and now they had a hole!  I really didn't want to go buy pants!!  I hate the thought of staying this size.  I don't want to buy clothes that fit me now!  But I needed some pants, so I went shopping.  Nate was nice enough to tell me to get a few things.  It should have been a really pleasant evening, out shopping all by myself, but instead I was totally depressed!  I had to keep leaving the dressing rooms in search of bigger and bigger pants.  I've reached an all time low with my body image.  I totally got all bitter and started feeling like it was really unfair that in order to have children, and do the thing that we're commanded to do, I have to get fat.  It's really frustrating.  And since I was unable to lose anything after Erika I've been even more discouraged.  But as I was thinking this, the Spirit whispered to me, "you know it's not just because of the pregnancies".  I was totally hit with the reality that I got myself this way because of my poor habits too.  It was a rude awakening.  But it was really motivating and I am just so pumped to do better!!  I've recommitted myself to the no sweets/no candy thing again, and I am going to be better at eating healthy.  I've been working out now and hopefully things will look up soon.  I'm hopeful.  And I'm going to put forth the effort I need this time.  I want to take care of my body.  It's not just about looking good too, it's about feeling good and I want to.  So anyway.  There's my little wo is me.

Two Months

I doubt anyone else would have noticed, but it's been sort of weighing on my mind that I haven't done my monthly posts about Jack and his development, going on and on about how much we love him and couldn't imagine life without him.  The reason it weighs on my mind is because I just haven't had the time!!  He's not like my other babies who have let me do things while I nurse :).  Namely, sitting at the computer.  Even just sitting here to look on Pinterest is forbidden ;).  And to his defense, it means I sit on the couch, focused on him, focused on relaxing, and focused on letting him get a meaningful, filling, feeding :).  I think this is why he's doing so well, why he's such a good eater, and why we're not having the same problems I had with my other babies as far as nursing goes.  It's been really nice to have things go so well, so I'm actually thankful that he's so picky about how it happens :).  SO having said that.... I still want to do my monthly updates on him!  And even if I take a week (or 11 days in this case) to post about it.

Jack Jack is 2 months old!!!  It's so hard to watch him get older and bigger, but I LOVE that he's doing so well.  I'm brought to tears, tossing the newborn and even some of the 0-3 month close into the storage box because he's outgrown them.  At the same time, having a healthy baby who's growth brings up little question, is priceless!  To not have to go in for several weight checks, or wondering if I'm making enough milk.  It's been VERY nice! Jack has almost doubled his birth weight, weighing in at 12 lbs 5 oz at his 2 month check up.  He's such a cute, little chunk.  He is really just an awesome baby :).  He LOVES to be held and will let just about anyone hold him.  He's so tolerant of his younger, big siblings, but I think he feels their love.  I've seen him calmed so many times by just the presence of his Erika or Noah's touch.  It's sweet.  He's so peaceful and so calm.  So many people still say that when they hold him or even just look at him.  He sleeps SO well.  He's a very deep sleeper, so he's easy to move around, and he's also started sleeping longer at night!  That's priceless.  Six hours straight two nights in a row!  He loves to eat, and LOVES to be with his Mommy :).  He has started smiling, cooing (which I LOVE), and is a lot more alert.  He'll actually look you in the eye now.  I feel like he's WITH US more now.  He seems to be really sensitive to temperatures.  If he's too hot, he's not comfortable.  If he's too cold, he's not happy.  He lets us know.  I love that he's pretty easy to read too.  He HATES having a poopy diaper!  I think we go through about twice as many as we need to because he needs to be changed immediately and doesn't wait for the second half to come out until he has a clean diaper on :).  He'll poop the instant we put the last tab on :).  It's actually kind of funny.  And I"m sure he'll love that I wrote about this when he gets older.  He still seems like such an older soul to me.  I look in his eyes and see so much wisdom and so much experience for some reason.  Maybe he's still able to see through the veil.  Maybe I'm just crazy :).  I just think he feels like an older Spirit.  I love that he is like that.  I wonder what it means.

So there's my little Jack in a nutshell.  I know I say this about all my kids, but I'll say it again- how could we ever live without this little guy in our lives.  He's lightened our home so much.  Everyone loves him.  Everyone is cheered up by just his presence.  The kids ALL have to hug him and kiss him (usually several times) every night.  They give him a hug goodbye in the morning.  They stop what they're doing to help out with him, to smile at him, to watch him smile and giggle about every new thing that he does.  He's such an important part of our family.  We just love him.