My Return to Blogging (for today)

Ok.  So when my sister asked me to help her set up her blog before she made her long trek to Bulgaria, I noticed that it had been since last May since I had updated my own.  There is no excuse for this.  Well, actually, there are a million excuses for this.  Most of them have to do with the three toe-headed monkeys that require more snacks and drinks than a large adult man should consume.  Who knew I would birth three sons, each with a hollow leg?  The nurses never told me about this anatomical anomaly after their initial assessment.  (BTW, the only way I’m getting this posted at this very moment is that the older two monkeys are at school, and the littlest one is in a trance while watching “Gabba, Gabba.”  That show and I have a love/hate relationship.  I despise that DJ and his crazy antics but I love that they hypnotize my youngest into sitting still for a WHOLE ten minutes at a time.  Oh, and they were just singing a song called, “Don’t bite your friends.”  Take a hint, Huddy!)  So anyway, my return to the blogmosphere has to do with my withdrawal I’m having from my beautiful younger sister.  Since I have yet to partake in the crazy iphone/ipad cult, I’m feeling as if this is the easiest way my sister will be able to follow along with the happenings of the crazy Stacy household.  So, Jess, this one’s for you!

*I just had to take a break to let Huddy out of the laundry room (that he locked himself in) because he wanted to eat an equal and he knew I wouldn’t let him. *

Jackson informed me this morning that we flew to see Grandma and Grandpa in Houston so there is no reason why we can’t go fly to see Jessi play her basketball games.  I agree, there is no reason.  I, however, will not EVER be accompanying three boys under the age of 6 on a 20 hour flight to a country where no one speaks my native language.  So, if Jack can find a chaperone, he’s golden. 

*That was a brief two hour hiatus from blog-writing as I attempted to give my youngest some much needed attention and let him release some energy at the park.  I’m hoping for a good nap time now!*

So, there you have it.  My Friday  morning rant. 

The Road Leading Up to Now!

 

Here is a picture of my mother and myself prior to starting Weight Watchers.  I think I had a little Huddy in my belly at this time…but you get the picture!  Having 3 babies in 5 years does some crazy things to your body and before you know it, you are 60 lbs heavier than you were before you started…see the picture to the left! (and that is postpartum!).  I’m mostly blown away by my mom’s transformation!  Its extremely important to never forget from where you came so that you never get to back to that place!  We decided when we joined Weight Watchers this time that there wasn’t ever going to be a time where this was what we did.  They teach such healthy habits so that you lose the weight slowly and don’t set yourself up to fail when “its over.”  (There is no offseason!  Jenni, Carrie, and Katy-that was for you!)  We know now we are on a lifelong journey of healthy behaviors…and its so nice to have a partner in crime!  My leader, Becky, has also been extremely instrumental in my success.  She knows what we’re going through because she’s been there and she is a great support system (and very entertaining, too!).

 

This one is about 8 weeks into weight loss journey!

 

 

 

Here is a picture of me 1 month prior to rejoining Jazzercise.  It was summer of 2011.  I was pretty happy with myself at this point.  I had no idea the changes that were about to occur with my body.  Jazzercise has been so many things for me.  Its mentally stimulating, physically challenging, and, most importantly for my husband and my boys, it is an outlet for me to release the stress of my day.  In the next chapter of this story, I hope to be an instructor for Jazzercise.  I am training my tail off because this is something that I truly believe in with my whole heart.  I hope that I can use my experience to inspire other people who are just getting started to fall in love with it, just as I have.  The Jazz instructors sometimes forget just how important they are to all of us…it’s the relationships I’ve made with those girls that has kept me going day after day.  Starla Yarbrough, the Liberty Jazzercise owner, goes out of her way to get to know her members and has truly found her vocation through Jazzercise.  She has a way of making everyone feel like they are the only ones in the room when she is talking to them, which is especially a feat if you know just how much that girl has on her plate at once!  She is amazing and has been quite the inspiration to me throughout this process.

1 month after starting Jazzercise.

 

This is my sister and I on the day of my very first 5K!  Turkey Trot 2011!  I don’t think my sister will ever know just how inspirational she has been to me.  She has taught me so many things (even though she is 7 years younger!)  I have learned that, just when you think you can’t push yourself any more, you can.  I’ve learned that if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything you want as long as you have the ability to give it your all.  She is a big reason I am where I am today.  I wasn’t blessed with the athletic genes of the family, but I sure love to dance!  She has shown me that if you’re passionate about something, it can take you wherever you want to go! 

December 2011…Feeling so much better!

 

This is the family about 3 months ago…the best I’ve felt in a long time!

 

So proud of my beautiful mama!

…and now the outside really is starting to match the inside!  I remember feeling so guilty at first leaving my children to go Jazz…but then I realize what an impact it has on the entire family for me to take care of myself.  I’m happier, have much more energy and most importantly I’m so much more patient with those beautiful kiddos!  I feel so lucky to be at this point right now and I’m excited to see where this path will take me next!

3 Day Pre-K!

I remember thinking last year (during 2 Day Pre-K) “Gosh, I can’t imagine Jackson being away from me for 3 whole days.”  It was just in the last few weeks that I realized there is a natural occurrence that comes with the aging of your children.  I compare it to when I was a senior in high school and could not wait to get to Mizzou.  There is this natural separation that starts to happen between yourself and your parents.  It’s not a hateful or ugly separation…as a matter of fact, its very healthy.  Its just a natural progression into individuality, security and autonomy.  I’ve noticed this happening with my 5 year old.  Its on a different scale, of course, as he is nowhere near ready to move out on his own or take a college course.  He has grown up so much in the last six months, though.  He gets himself a drink (and a lot of times gets me a drink at the same time), he gets himself dressed (sometimes his shorts are on backwards and underwear is optional), and he is extremely opinionated about what the schedule for the day is (“Mom, I want to do something today”).  I love how grown up he has become.  I love it so much that I am so ready for him to be in PreK (3 days a week, of course!).

                                    

Swimming lessons, Round 1!

We decided that this summer would be a perfect time for Jack and Brady to start swimming lessons.  It is a challenge for us to go enjoy the pool in the neighborhood this summer because of Huddy…and the lack of proficiency of the older two in even keeping their heads above the water.  Since we hadn’t done lessons before we thought we’d put them both in the parent-tot class (this requires BOTH of us to be in the water with them as we’ve had a near drowning with Brady just walking out of the ramp in the 3 foot pool.)  They have done unbelievably well and I think they’ve both learned quite a bit.  They were even the first two off the diving board into the 14 foot deep end last week!  Tuesday they were the first two to go down the slide in to the deep end…I’m so impressed!  I have been blown away by B-man and his courage to do whatever his big brother does!  He’s barely 3 and jumping unassisted off the diving board! (to the instructor, of course!).  This is quite the foreshadowing, I must say, of what their childhood is going to be like.  Jack and Brady…the fearless Stacy duo.  (In a few short years Hudson will complete the trifecta of Stacy-ness!)

Fort Stacy

We have been looking and looking and swing sets for the boys.  You name the store, we’ve been there eyeing what they had in the way of monkey bars, slides, swings, and forts.  We came across the one at Sam’s and it just looked like a little boys’ dream.  A 4 level fort complete with picnic table, rock wall, slide, and swings.  A little out of our budget (we have to pay with cash, of course!) but we decided that it was now or never with this stage of the boys’ lives.  It is a little too difficult to take them on a family vacation this summer with Huddy being so young so this is our ‘Staycation.” We read all the reviews that said it would take a good 24-36 man hours to put together. (and by man hours I mean just that…hours put in by the man of the house, thank you Jason!)  With my dad all in to help with the dirty work and my mom willing to be the instruction reader/equipment gatherer we decided to make the purchase this past Monday.  We went in to Sam’s and found that they had dropped the price by $70 just in the few short days since we had been there last.  This, to me, is a sign from the swingset gods that we were meant to have this one.  (I am, of course, the discount diva )  We only became slightly nervous when, from the wizard of oz-like door at the dock of Sam’s, the blue collar man told us he was going to get the “swing set forklift” to get our boxes.  My dad asked if we had a “swing set forklift” at home to put this ‘damn thing’ together (paraphrased, of course).  After about 5 hours inventorying all the Cedar wood (best smell ever) and the millions of nuts and bolts, the guys were ready to begin! 

Strange obsession…

I have been oddly obsessed with the Casey Anthony trial.  It’s not that odd to me, though, because I was completely obsessed with the story when it was happening in 2008.  I just can not fathom any situation in which a mother could contemplate taking the life of her child…the very life that she just helped to create a few years prior.  Don’t get me wrong, there are days where I  think that I would do just about anything to have 5 minutes, even 5 seconds of peace where no one is tugging at my shirt tails and the “gimmes” are silenced.  I look at my children in awe, however, and that 5 short years ago their existence was a mere ‘twinkle in the sky’.  I love every cell in their body.  Every quirky thing about them.  Even the most difficult things I am able to be thankful for (in those quiet moments right before bed when I review the day.)  I dislike the arguments and the squabbles between them but I am thankful that they are intelligent, communicative individuals that have their differences.  I appreciate each child individually for the person that they are and the personality that they possess.  As I often proclaim, I used to think that children were shaped solely by their parents.  This is one thing that I have become more wise about in the last 5 years.  They come into this world with the personality that has been bestowed upon them and it is our job as parents to help “polish" them (as my mother says).  Jackson is so strong willed, witty, and compassionate.  I am constantly having to outwit him, even in my disciplining.  Braden is my peacemaker.  He is passionate about what he wants but won’t let that passion infringe on anyone else’s presence.  Hudson lights up the room with his smile.  (and it doesn’t take much to get that smile out of him, either!)  He is a true 3rd child…easy going, easy to please, and so quiet that you forget he’s there (yes, it’s already happened.)  I am most thankful for their health and secondly, that they each have a heart of gold.  A heart which their mama owns a piece of…and always will.

Omaha bound!

WE had a blast this week on our first family trip as a party of five!  We took Aunt Jessi with us since she was home for Spring Break, too.  We went up on Wednesday and spent about 3 hours at the Childrens Museum of Omaha.  It was a blast!  The boys’ favorite part was the science center which was a big conglomeration of balls and cranks and pulleys that move the balls around.  We spent the majority of our time here.  There were also fun things like the water table, grocery store, and fire engine where the boys really used their imagination.    When we go back to Omaha, we will definitely visit this place again!  It was a huge hit!  Maybe by then little Huddy boy will be able to enjoy it a little bit more!

The boys were able to swim at the hotel when we got home that night-always a highlight of vacations!  The next day (after a long night of not so much sleeping) we went to the Henry Doorly Zoo.  This zoo really puts the Kansas City Zoo to shame.  Most of it was indoors although we picked the perfect day to go!  It was overcast and just the right temperature.  We paused for a family pic in front of the waterfall in the Lied Jungle.I think that the boys’ favorite part may have been the penguins…or the chimpanzees playing with a box…or the Tigers…there were lots of favorites!  Here are a few pics of them:We loved this trip and can’t wait to go back again! 

Field Trips!

Today Jackson had his last field trip of the year.  They went to Mercury Gymnastics for a Fun and Fit Field Trip.  There was a lot of jumping, flipping, and running and the kids had a blast…all except Brady.  I took him thinking there would be something for him to do but it really was very focused on the Pre-K kids.  It all worked out okay because Brady got to go to McDonalds and play (and eat a cheeseburger-his fav!)  I’m feeling so much more at peace with our decision to let Jackson have another year of Pre-K with each passing day.  I met more parents today who have made the same decision for their son who’s birthday is June 30 (he will be 5 too).  I have no doubts that Jackson would be intellectually ready for Kindergarten but I worry about his emotional maturity.  It’s such a big decision that I feel will affect his whole academic life.  I see so much potential in him.  This kid has a photographic memory (not sure where in the world he got that from.  Couldn’t be from his Statistic-loving father???)  It’s just that he keeps coming home and telling me that he cried at school (but just a little bit) because he wanted his mommy.  His teacher assures me that this has only been since Hudson was born.  I can buy that.  It’s such a major life change to add a new sibling.  I just don’t want to put him in a position where he is the follower because he is more immature.  I think he will have so much more confidence if he is the oldest in the class.  We shall see…

Church Sundays!

One thing that I really wanted to do while I was on maternity leave this time was take the kids to church as often as possible.  This is by far the number 1 thing I miss the most about working weekends.   There are other things that bum me out like not getting to see my husband during the basketball season and not getting to go to family functions.  I miss church the most.  It’s not being in the church or the Mass itself, even.  It’s the extreme family bonding that I feel when we are all there together.  Man, is it a lot of work though.  Boys are just not made to sit still, and since I am surrounded by boys, there is not a lot of sitting still going on.  I come away from church with such a fulfilled feeling, and this weird feeling of confidence because ‘we did it!’ We survived Mass with 3 little boys!  I think that more than what it does for me, though, we are sending a more important message to the boys that we have so much to be thankful for.  I could very easily take them to the sunday nursery with the lady that watches the kids during Mass but that would not be a challenge   and I would feel very empty not having our complete family wriggling around in the pew.  This is what made me happy today!

Huddy’s 8 week check up

We went in this morning for Hudson’s 8 week check up.  It seems as though he might be a tad smaller than my first two boys were.  He was 12# 4 oz this morning (between 50th and 75th percentile).  I looked last week to see what Jack was at his 8 week appt and he was 14# 10oz!  What a chunker he was.  But, as my mom and I remembered, I did a lot more ‘comfort feeding’ to Jackson as he was very colicky.  This baby has just been perfect.  Today has been the roughest day so far.  He did not like getting shots this morning and has been very fussy and not himself since.  This should make going to Jessi’s game at Municipal tonight lots of fun!  Oh, what I would put myself through to go watch that girl play a game of basketball.  It’s quite the sight to see.  I wish I had an ounce of the gusto that she has in sports.  (That would mean I’d have to sweat though .

Where does the nakedness come from?

I consider myself a fairly modest person.  Although, I have to admit that I have much less modesty after having three children.  I guess being a nurse has contributed to that as well.  I find it very intriguing, however, that my children strip down to their nakedness to play basketball in my living room.  I get the whole shirts vs skins thing but the shirts team never seems to show up.  I guess I’m glad that they are comfortable here…It does make it extremely exciting when the UPS man comes to bring a package and my children run to the front door to see.  Its not that I don’t try.  I dress my children in full clothing  attire every morning.  Its just that the minute they step on their ‘basketball court’ they feel the urge to be free.  I must take a little bit of the blame.  My mother tells me (and I can remember this a little bit) that anytime I would get a drop of moisture on my shirt I would have to go change clothes.  This is exactly how Jackson is.  My only problem with this is that the amount of laundry we do every week is overwhelming.  I guess that is to be expected with three boys.  My only fear is how bad it will be when they are all teenagers.  I am enjoying every second of it though, because I know in the blink of an eye there will be no more laundry to do, and no more boys in their skivvies playing basketball in my living room.  I love my boys

Hide and Seek with an almost 3 year old!

Today is Tuesday which means that Jackson goes to Pre-K and Brady, Huddy and I have quality time together. We start out the morning by Braden telling me whether or not he wants to go to Target. I’m beginning to see a pattern that when he needs to go number 2 he wants to go look at toys simultaneously…the man thing starts young. Lately, though, he’s been saying he wants to go home, which is much better for our checking account

Our new favorite game to play together is hide and seek. My Braden has a fantastic sense of humor so I like to think of creative ways to make him laugh. Today it was as easy as standing in the laundry room and pretending to hide under the laundry basket. I treasure this time! I am so struggling with the thought of Brady being old enough to go to preschool next year. I think we have decided to do a Parents Day Out program a couple of times a week just to get him some social interaction with children other than his brothers. It will be nice to have Huddy and Mommy time but I will miss Brady when he goes to school.

Wow...how time flies!

Okay...so I know I vowed to be religious about blogging. I also realize that this promise was made over a two years ago. I can't believe how fast time is flying by. So many things have happened since I last blogged, most important of them being that my beautiful Hudson Nicholas was born. He graced us with his presence on 1/3/11 with the easiest labor of them all. He has been sleeping at night pretty much since the night we brought him home from the hospital...and for that I owe much gratitude to the Man Upstairs! I prayed my entire pregnancy for a healthy baby first. My next prayer was that this baby would be calm and subdued. I told God that I knew he wouldn't give me more than I could handle (that has been my mantra since my last pregnancy and miscarriage.) I think about that little angel that is up in Heaven shining down on us. I mostly think about how its hanging out with my Grandpas up there and how I will meet him/her someday. What a difficult thing that was to go through. I, for some reason or another, felt as if I was immune to that whole miscarriage thing. I guess when you have two seemingly perfect pregnancies and deliveries you feel like nothing can ever go wrong. Boy was I blown away when that actually did happen to us! I was devastated but I knew that it was all in God's hands. Little did I know at that time that my little Huddie Bear was waiting to come down and meet us! I feel so blessed. That brings me to this...the fact that I am all alone in the female department. I am surrounded by boys. In all actuality, I am very very okay with this. I hear tell of how much drama comes a long with little girls...and then they grow up...and more drama ensues. I am met over and over with the question, "So are you going to try again for a girl?" The answer is that I haven't been 'trying' for a girl with any of these pregnancies, so no...I won't be trying again for a girl. I can't say, however, that I am done having babies. It must take a really strong feeling of being done to say that. I am, after all, only 29 years old. I'm struggling just a little bit with saying goodbye to my twenties and I can't imagine at all saying goodbye simultaneously to my childbearing years. I, luckily, have a husband who is completely open to having more children so, who knows? I know one thing, though...it won't be anytime soon! I need a couple of these rascals to be in school first! I think I could ramble on forever but I will cut this off here for now.

A White Christmas Indeed!

Our Christmas Eve plans were trumped this evening due to Mother Nature and her sleet/snow mix. Althought Jack was slightly disappointed about not being able to go play with his cousins it turned out being a cozy night for us to just spend time as a family. Jack and I spend 45 minutes putting together Christmas puzzle books (I'm amazed at his attention span when there's a task to be done) while Brady ran around like the monkey that he is. Hopefully we'll be able to make it to church in the morning and to my parents for brunch. One thing is for sure. This house will be far from quiet in the morning when the boys see what Santa has brought them. I may be more excited than they are ;) Oh yeah, and Go Tigers! Thank you, Santa, for letting us beat the Illini for the first time in 10 years last night. That is the perfect present for those of us who bleed black and gold.

Figuring out this toddler language

I am a true believer that I am multi-lingual. I do know a tiny bit of spanish but I am nowhere near fluent. I do, however, count myself among the few that are able to speak their toddler's language. I can't explain the empowerment I feel when I finally figure out one of my sons' words. I can only compare it to watching the spanish speaking soap operas on tv and feeling great about comprehending one of the 5000 words they say per minute. On this note, I just figured out yesterday that when Jack says, "What somebody overthere doing?" He is asking Who that person is. Fantastic. Now on to Brady...this might take me awhile ;)

Favorite Jackson Christmas Song Lyrics

Here they are:

"Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way. Elmo fun, it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh."

"Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere. Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is Four."

New Years Resolution

Okay, so I promised I was going to be better about blogging and now its time to put that plan into action. So much has changed since the last time I posted that I don't even know where to begin. Its almost Christmas which has been extremely challenging to explain to Jack. We went and saw Santa at Bass Pro (the boys did great!) but its so hard for him to comprehend that now Santa won't come bring him presents for a while. I've tried the whole "Elf on a Shelf" thing. I thought (and still do think) that it is the cutest idea to keep kids in line (let's not kid ourselves, it is truly made for parents to get better behavior out of their children for atleast 2 months out of the year.) For those of you who don't know, The Elf must not be touched by the children but they can talk to him and tell him things they want to tell santa. Each night the elf "flies off" to the north pole to report to Santa if the kids have been naughty or nice. Great idea, right? Well my brilliant eldest son (after finding our elf this morning in the chandalier in the dining room) asked me "daddy moved elf last night after I went to sleep?" I give up. This kid leaves no stone unturned.

Brady's 1st Birthday

I can not believe that we are 1 day shy of celebrating Braden Michael's First year of life. we have had so much fun this past year even though it is more work than I ever thought it would be. This is a very very busy household right now, but I sure wouldn't have it any other way. Here are a few pics of Braden's 1st (of 2) Birthday parties. This one was at my Grandmother's (GiGi's) house and was pretty low key. Brady loved the cake (mom has those pics) but he, true to form, was very gingerly touching the icing. He is so timid with textures and new things. He really is the antithesis of his older brother. Jack is the adventurer, for sure. I love them both for their differences.

Blocks

We had fun tonight playing with blocks. We were singing a song (build up the tower, build up the tower, build up the tower...and Brady knocks it down). Both Jack and Brady thought this was hillarious! It's the first time I've heard Brady laugh out loud for a reason other than me tickling him or playing peek a boo :) He really is getting a cute little personality.