Handling Life Lately

This week I am six weeks postpartum and finally starting to feel a bit normal. My incision and abdominal muscles are still sore and I have a bit of pelvic floor pain still, but overall I feel more human. This recovery was a doozy and I knew it would take me the full six weeks AND more to fully recover. I'm still trying to figure out how to juggle all three kids - the dishes are always piled up, laundry is never done, the bills and bank accounts aren't paid or reconciled, the weeds are HUGE and spreading, I barely have time to shower, I'm always late, and I've got big bags and dark circles under my eyes. I'm just plain tired!! Every day I remind myself that the newborn stage passes so quickly and to enjoy it, even in the wee hours of the morning when I'm up with Ezra. I try to remind myself that the dust and dirt will always be there but I won't always have a 3 and 5 year old who want to play. Kimball is going to be in Kindergarten so these summer months are the last months I'll get to be his main influence and that is scary. I never have a minute to myself unless I sacrifice my nap (which is what I chose to do so I could write in this journal today) so my cup of giving is usually empty rather than full. I give all I can throughout the day to my children while longing for just 30 minutes to myself. And then I have to pause and remember that they will never be this little again.......and then I usually cry of exhaustion and eat some chocolate.Gah!
Ezra is such a good baby, he's a champion eater and is already eating 6 ounces at just 6 weeks old! The last two weeks however he's become a projectile vomitter. His distance is that of Olympic proportions and the volume reminds me a lot of Cora - so much spit up! I've been getting frustrated and discouraged because it creates SO MUCH laundry and baths and messes. His pediatrician just switched him over to Similac For Spit Up to see if that will help and if not then we'll try some reflux medicine. I'm really hoping for either of those to work because the alternative would be the same stomach surgery that Cora had and I really, REALLY don't want to go through all that again.

Things I love about newborns:

• skinny legs with loose skin waiting to be filled with fat
• unbelievable amount of sneezes
• tired sighs and squeaky breathing
• fresh, newborn smell
• how they roll up into a ball 
• can sleep anywhere
• so squishy 
• velvety hair
• so much sweetness in such a tiny body

Lynn Pettingill Reunion

It was decided very spontaneously to have a Lynn Pettingill reunion and with me having the baby so close to the reunion dates I wasn't sure if I was going to make it. Grandpa's health has really declined this year with multiple surgeries and hospital stays for various reasons so I really wanted to go. BUT I was only four weeks postpartum from a c-section and really wouldn't be able to physically handle the kids by myself. I was in a dilemma and knew I couldn't make it without Lance.

The sunday of that week after church was over the idea hit me to make the drive to Twin Falls in two days while Lance flew in to meet us later in the week. After a quick nap I loaded up our bags and the kids and was on the road by 5pm. We stopped in Pendleton, OR for the night, unbeknownst to me at a really shady hotel (I feared for our lives that night and slept with one eye open when I did sleep). The kids did really great although Kimball wasn't happy about sharing a bed with Cora. The next day we finished the drive and somehow we made it Mom's house.

 Girls night/bachelorette party for Makenzie

The reunion was at the Elba park which was perfect for everyone to pitch tents and camp together. We rode four wheelers and went horseback riding, there was fishing, shooting, marshmallow roasting, baseball, kickball, frisbee, swimming, and lots of visiting. It's been over 3.5 years since I've seen Scott! I absolutely LOVED having the whole family together, it has been such a long time since we've done that. Karen and Sally and all of their troops were there and Grandpa was able to make it out for lunch!

 The man of the hour - the oldest and the youngest.

Lance and I went shooting with Scott and Tim and while Lance was aiming for a clay pigeon with the .410 it completely fell apart in three pieces. I've never seen Scott laugh so hard in my life!

 ALL  SEVEN SIBLINGS!!!

After the reunion we were supposed to leave to go home the very next morning but Lance just slept and slept. So I decided I was going to make the most of that extra time. Christine and I went shopping for Father's Day and then went to Daisy's to treat the kids to a Volcano drink and a gumball. We didn't leave go to back home to Spokane until 5pm (we would have stayed longer if Lance didn't have to work in the morning).

 

 

Random Photos

A few Sundays ago it was quite warm and the kids wanted to play in the water but couldn't. So I filled some containers up with ice and let them smash ice cubes with hammers. It was a hit!

 Enjoying the warm weather

I taught the kids to play Hopscotch and Cora's still learning to jump on one foot so Kimball held her hand the whole time so she wouldn't fall. He's such a great big brother, at least when he's not incessantly teasing her.

Preschool Graduation

The preschool Kimball did this year was at the high school just a block away from our house. It's part of the early childhood development classes given there so there's an actual teacher and then the high school students are "buddies" to each child and are hands on in teaching them various kindergarten skills. Kimball has loved it and so have I although I'm glad it's over for a more relaxed summer! Here he is at the little graduation that was put on. The students introduced each child, they all sang Slippery Fish, and we had cookies and juice for a snack.

This was one of Kimball's buddies, Tammy, and Kimball LOVED her! She even gave him a gift at the end of the graduation program and gave us her phone number in case we ever needed a babysitter.

 First and last days of preschool!

Sibling Love

Morning snuggles with this girl

 Kimball had to teach Ezra how to work his tractors

Such A Sweet Babe!!