4 days and counting...

So there are only 4 days left until I have this baby and I have a list of things I have/want to do first. The problem is I got Sam's nasty cold and all I want to do is sit or lay down and do nothing, which is probably what I should be doing so I don't go into the whole surgery recovery with a new infant and no sleep thing with a cold on top of that. Some of the things don't really matter (we can set up the crib when we get home, right?), but some of them are important to me and can't wait (like I'd like to be able to use my camera and video camera at the hospital, and we probably should at least get the infant car seat out of the attic before we leave for the hospital). I guess I will just take it one item at a time and see what happens. But, for all you first time moms out there: I finally discovered all you really need to have done before the baby comes is a car seat and something to bring the baby home in. I guess the whole scheduled c-section thing is a blessing and a curse. You know when you're having the baby so you can plan, but you also know when you're having the baby so you can procrastinate. Oh well, it'll all be fine, I am just excited to get him here and see what he looks like and finally pick out a name.

30 Things I Love...

In celebration of my 30th birthday (I LOVE my birthday!) I am making a list of 30 things I love. Things you may or may not know about me and probably don't ever care to, but here they are anyway: (they are in no particular order)

1. My birthday

2. A really good dancing/driving song

3. The first sounds and smells of lawnmowers after a long, wet, rainy winter

4. Food

5. Baked goods

6. Anything with chocolate

7. My husband

8. The little seats in public restrooms where you can strap in a younger child while you help the older child take care of business

9. The smell of barbecues on a sunny day

10. Being a mom of all boys

11. The feeling of the sun on my skin

12. A bowl of cereal and milk just before bed

13. Singing (mostly when I know people aren't listening)

14. Kincaid

15. Henry

16. Miles

17. Having an empty laundry basket and no clothes to fold

18. Looking at my toes when they are tan and newly polished

19. Hot cocoa with hazelnut or almond roca flavoring and lots of whipped cream

20. Shopping (without children and with money to spend preferably)

21. Sweater cardigans

22. The color green (more specifically lime-avocado-ish green)

23. Getting a new pair of great fitting jeans

24. Playing the piano (and singing along, if no one is listening that is)

25. My in-laws, all (30+) of them

26. When people ask me if this is my first baby and then the look on their face when I tell them it's my 4th

27. Baking pies and muffins in the fall

28. My parents, 4 sisters, and their spouses and children

29. When Sam plays with my hair or puts his hand on my arm or the small of my back

30. Fred Meyer's Playland and the race car shopping carts that make my shopping experience so much easier

Garden update

Since my last update my wise mother-in-law advised me to water my tomatoes like crazy and I should still get some. I did and I now have 8 beautiful tomatoes growing (I even left the ones Miles picked out in garden and they are almost red now. I don't know if they will be fit to eat or not, but in case your child does the same thing, you might still be able to use them). I also have 2 pumpkins (so far), 4 big zucchini, and 2 cucumbers. I am not ready to enter the blue ribbon contest at the fair quite yet, maybe next year, but I am seeing the fruits of my labor and it is oh so satisfying.

Boo-Hoo!

I have to lament. I had (notice the past tense here) 4 small beautiful tomatoes growing on my tomato plants; until Miles decided to pick them and throw them around the yard. Those look like the only ones I was going to get too. He also decided it would be fun to pluck the blossoms off of my squash and zucchini plants. My spinach is dead, and I am in a constant battle with bugs to save all my pumpkin, squash, zucchini, basil, and cucumber plants. I had such high hopes after seeing everything do so well up until the last week. The good news is my carrots still look really good and I already have 4 zucchini. I am so sad for all we lost (and may still lose, unless I refuse to let Miles play outside if Sam or I is not out there, but that is not entirely possible at the moment- I'll show pictures later), but at least its better than my first go around. As long as I get a few decent Halloween pumpkins however, I think I will be okay.

Thoughts on boys

So since I recently discovered that I am going to be the mom of 4 boys, I have several thoughts on my mind.  The first is people's reactions when I tell them that I am expecting another boy.  I found it humorous, and honestly sometimes almost upsetting when everyone wanted us to have a girl.  Most were people who didn't know we liked the idea of having all boys and just figured, well I won't guess all the reasons why I think people wanted us to have a girl, let me just say I assumed they were all well-intentioned people who wanted us to be happy.  And while it did get a little old to hear "I hope its a girl" from pretty much everyone (no exaggerations),  I have to admit that I also at times had similar thoughts.  (Just to clarify, and I am going to be perfectly honest, I always wanted and thought I would have mostly or all boys. I have nothing against girls.  I wanted a boy with the first 3, but only because I wanted at least mostly boys.  With this pregnancy I loved the idea of all boys, but I was having a great time thinking about having a girl and shopping trips, pedicures, buying a bunch of cute girl clothes, passing on my womanly experience/pseudo-wisdom, planning a wedding, etc.)  So I mostly understood and only rarely got even slightly bothered.  What I am finding now that surprisingly bothers me more is that when people find out I am having another boy they feel they have to offer condolences, even after I've told them I am excited and always have been about the idea of having a bunch of boys.  They say things like "at least you have everything and you don't have to buy anything new... at least you are already in the groove and know what you're doing (as if that's really possible no matter how many children of the same gender you have)."  I even had one sales clerk apologize to me when she found out I was having another boy (I only had Henry and Miles with me at the time, too. She didn't even know this was boy #4).  She realized halfway through the "sorry" that maybe that was not the appropriate response, and asked me how I felt about that.  But even after she found out I was thrilled she added the "at least's".  I am sure I am over-reacting, but its on my mind at the moment and I'm in rambling mode, so you get it all.  Speaking of rambling mode, this is getting way too long and Henry wants a turn on the computer so I need to hurry and finish.  Thank you to all of you who were excited for me and offered genuine congratulations and positive remarks about me having another boy.  It helped to hear from people who understood how happy I was and would celebrate with me.  And just in case someone reading this is afraid maybe they said something that bothered me, please don't think a thing about it.  I know I don't understand what its like to have a girl or both genders and I totally get that everyone meant well and really did just want me to be happy, and there is a very good chance that it didn't even cross your mind that I would take it that way.  I am not hurt or upset, I just find the whole thing interesting.  Henry is hanging off my arm now, so I will save my funny boy story for another post.  Stay tuned...

P.S.  I recognize that for whatever reason it is not always socially acceptable to care about what gender you're baby is and that you really should just hope for a healthy baby.  I recognize that.  But I also recognize that that is what everyone hopes for so why is not ok to say how you feel about having one gender or another.  Of course I, like all parents, will love whatever my baby is, boy, girl, healthy or otherwise. But lest I sound ungrateful or too caught up in the unimportant details I am adding this disclaimer.  :)

New name for the blog?

I had my ultrasound today.  I thought maybe I would have to change the name of my blog, but much to the (seeming) dismay of everyone but us, we are having another boy.  4 Boys!  We are very happy and excited.  It means easy room arrangements (2 per room), nothing new to buy (although I am sure I'll think of something), and not ever having to buy princess plates or own a barbie movie.  I must admit I was a little disappointed about some of the things I was looking forward to in the possibility of having a girl, but I really love having boys, and since you can't have everything, I am more than satisfied with what I got.  Thanks to the other 3 of you who voted.  I was excited to check my blog periodically and see I wasn't the only one who voted. :)  Congrats to whoever (Kandy?) also voted for boy along with me.

Spring

Spring is a time of renewal. So I am going to renew my efforts toward blogging.  First of all, I am going to take a selfish approach and instead of trying to get pictures or think of things I think are funny, I am just going to ramble out whatever is going on in my mind or my life, so at least I have it recorded somewhere (that was the original idea, but the pressure of it being out there in the world made me feel obligated to entertain everyone).  It might still be interesting, entertaining, and even funny at times, but not on purpose.  Anyway, I rambled on about that more than I meant to already.  I'll probably still be a terrible blogger (how's that for a self-fulfilling prophecy?), but maybe I'll be better?!

Second, spring is when you work in the yard.  I am so proud of us.  Usually we just cut back stuff that looks dead, or take out stuff we don't like or don't know what it is or how to take care of it.  But this year we actually have a plan and have gotten some things done.  We now have grass in our front yard, instead of spots of dead grass, spots of moss, and a big patch of dirt where our tree used to be.  We also have 3 blueberry plants and negative space around them, as opposed what used to be next to our driveway, which was crammed with way too much stuff, most of which was overgrown and/or partly killed (because of our lack of skills and the 2 feet of snow last winter).  And finally we (dun-du-nu-NUH!) planted a garden.  I tried once 5 years ago at our house in West Seattle, but for several good reasons it was a terrible flop.  After all my work and sweat and time we got 3 carrots about 2-3 inches long and 1 or 2 cherry-sized tomatoes.  After that experience I was a little nervous about going through all that again only to discover that I really do have a brown thumb and am destined to kill anything I try to care for (luckily my children seem to be heartier and more resilient than plants).  But after going through all my excuses, I gave in and gave it one more shot.  If all goes ideal, in a few months we will have carrots, potatoes, spinach, zucchini, basil, cilantro, tomatoes, cucumbers and our very own homegrown halloween pumpkins, orange AND white.  If all goes terribly wrong we will have a patch of dirt in our backyard that will make me very angry to look at until we fill it in with grass again and move on enough that I can laugh at it.  I'll keep you posted.  Speaking of

 posts, this is getting too long, so I am going to end.  Happy Spring and best of luck with whatever projects you are undertaking.

P.S. This weekend is the father and sons camp out for our church.  Sam may or may not take Miles with him, the verdict is still out, but can I just say that one of the bonuses of having all boys (at least for now, it may all change in 2 weeks - I'm sure I'll post about it) is that for one 24 hour period every year you get peace and quiet and the house to yourself and nobody complains about it.  I don't know what I'm going to do yet, but I can't wait!