The End of the World...

So apparently, the Mayan's predicted that today will be the end of the world. While I don't necessarily believe the Mayan's theory is actually going to come true, I do think this gives us all an opportunity to hopefully look a little closer at how we live our lives each day. I guarantee if you knew, for a fact, that the world would end on a particular day, you would live a little bit differently than you do on a day-to-day basis. You wouldn't take the little things for granted. The things that you normally stress over, whether it be your job, cleaning the house, getting the kids to school on time, or even paying bills, wouldn't matter. I know for me, all that would matter is my family and how I spent that last day with them. I would kiss them every chance I got, hold them extra tight when I hugged them and would make sure that they knew how much I loved them (which I try to do every single day, anyways). I wouldn't stress over the floors that need sweeping or the dishes that need washing... I would run around outside with my kids all day, enjoying the fresh air, while laughing and listening to my children. Sometimes I notice that when my 4-year-old begins to ramble on and on about something, I tend to zone out and focus more on what I'm doing and I just nod and give a random "Oh wow!... really?... That's awesome!"... without really listening to exactly what he's talking about. (I do listen, but I have my moments where I am guilty of not giving him my 100% attention)

So the point that I'm trying to get to is this: Don't wait for something to happen, in order to live the life that you truly want to live. It shouldn't take the fear of the world ending to soak in every sweet, little moment with your loved ones. Tomorrow is never a guarantee for anyone, so live each and every day as if it were your last. Don't stress the small stuff in life, and make sure you have your priorities in the right order. Look to God for guidance and pray in times of need. These are words that I live by everyday and I try my best to live in the moment. It may sound strange, but sometimes when I'm playing with my kids, I imagine as if I'm in the future looking back on it. That way, I feel like I am truly cherishing that one single moment in time, and I spend it in a way where I would want to look back on and say that's exactly how I wanted to spend that time with my kids.

So on that note... when the world doesn't end today, don't look at it as more time to get things "right", but look at it as a new day and a fresh start to make any changes to your life that you feel will make a positive difference in your own life, your family's lives and maybe even a complete stranger's.

We had our baby girl!

So I know I have been M.I.A from the blog for a while, but that is because we have been super busy at home with the boys and our newest little addition.  Our princess was born on Tuesday, August 7th at 9 o' clock in the evening.  I checked into the hospital the day before I was to be 39 weeks, due to a decrease in fetal movement.  The doctor's concluded it wasn't anything serious once they got the heart rate up on the monitors and did an ultrasound to look at baby.  They would have been willing to get pitocin started to get labor going since I was full term, but when they checked me, I wasn't dilated and baby's head was still way too high up, so as they were about to send me home, they noticed a quick decrease in her heart rate.  They kept me hooked up for another 30 minutes or so to keep an eye on her heart rate and sure enough, it dropped again.  That's all it took for them to realize something wasn't right and the baby wanted out.  So the doctors threw my husband a mask and scrubs and rushed me off to the operation room right away.  YIKES!  I definitely hadn't come in with the mindset that I would be having a baby that evening, much less a cesarean section.  I had a VBAC with my last pregnancy and was planning on doing so again.  But luckily, the operation went smoothly and our baby girl arrived with a super set of lungs and a perfectly rounded head.  Her big brothers adore her and I feel like the luckiest mom in the world.  I couldn't be more excited to have another girl in the house!  I love all my boys more than you could imagine, but it's about time we get some more estrogen in here.

I just can't believe she's already over 3 weeks old!  The time sure does fly.  Especially that newborn baby phase... it goes by in the blink of an eye.  That's why you've got to cherish every precious second with your babies.  I can't believe my big boy starts preschool on Wednesday.  It seems like just yesterday that he was a little, itty-bitty baby.  And my other little guy will be turning 2 in a couple of weeks!  Wait!  Is that?... Yup!  My little princess is now crying for me, so I am off to go feed my munchkin.  But I will be sure to update you all on our latest family excitement!  So be sure to check in! I will also be posting some of the fun pinterest activities that the boys and I have been doing lately.

Welcome Princess!
6lbs 9oz 19 3/4inch
September 7, 2012
9:00PM

5 Ways to Naturally Induce Labor

Since I have officially hit the 37 week mark and am considered full term (meaning baby is fully developed and ready for the outside world at any time now) I have decided it is time to do whatever I can to help convince this baby girl that it is time to start thinking about checking out of hotel mama.  Don't get me wrong, I love pregnancy and I am all for this baby coming out on her own terms, when I know she's ready, but if I can do little things to naturally help convince her to come out sooner than later, then you better believe I'm going to do it.  With the temperatures rising over 100 degrees this summer and trying to keep up with a 4 year old and a 22 month old, while also making sure the house is presentable, laundry is clean and folded and food is on the table, I am very anxious to get this baby out of my belly and into my arms.

So here are the top 5 ways I've found to naturally induce labor:

1.  My favorite: EAT PINEAPPLE!  This is one of my favorite fruits and I could eat an entire pineapple in one sitting, no problem.  The key is to get only fresh pineapple though.  The reason for this is that pineapples contain a natural enzyme called Bromelain, which is believed to work like a prostagladin and aid in the ripening and softening of the cervix.  If you buy the canned fruit, the enzyme has already diminished and will not help to induce labor.  (You can read more here)

2.  Eat Spicy Food!  Not sure if this one really works or not, but I love spicy food and if it could possibly help induce labor, I'm all for it!

3.  Walk!  As I mentioned before, I have a 4 year old and a 22 month old, so evening walks are my favorite!  We get some nice quality, family time, it wears the kids out before bed and it hopefully gets me a few steps closer to meeting my baby girl.  Not to mention, it helps me get my lazy, pregnant butt up burn some extra calories.

4.  Sex!  While sex is not the most comfortable thing at this point of my pregnancy, it does prove to help induce labor.  Like the pineapple, semen releases prostaglandin, which is said to stimulate the cervix and possibly cause contractions.

5.  Nipple Stimulation!  This is said to produce a release of oxytocin (the body's natural form of pitocin, which is what doctor's use in order to induce labor in the hospitals).  The release of this oxytocin causes contractions and can ultimately lead to labor.  So get to rubbing those boobies! lol

I've heard of others, such as using Castor Oil, but this is not one that I would actually try out, myself.  Although my mom did it with her third and she went into labor that night (after sitting on a toilet for a couple hours first).  Sorry, but flushing out my intestines and causing intestinal contractions is not my idea of a fun labor, but go for it if you're into that).  Other ways that I've read about, but haven't tried and probably won't try, include: Bumpy car rides, accupressure, raspberry leaf tea, Cohosh and Evening Primrose Oil (which are herbal solutions that can help ripen the cervix) There haven't been enough studies done on herbal use during pregnancy for me to trust that these are completely safe and effective, so definitely consult your doctor before using any of these methods).  

Please feel free to share any methods you may have used or share with us whether any of these actually worked for you.  Wish me luck!

Watch out for the hormonal, pregnant bitch! (that would be me)

Okay, so I just spoke with my friend who I was flipping out about over my blog, the other day.  After a few days to cool off and rethink the whole situation, I realized that I was definitely overreacting.  We have been friends for a very long time, we seem to have a lot in common, and yeah so what if she does a lot of the same things I do... maybe that's why we're so close to begin with.  Maybe she genuinely has a lot of the same likes as me.  After all, I did find out while speaking to her on the phone earlier, that she made s'mores in her oven the other day because of a serious craving she was having.  And no lie... I made a s'more in my conventional toaster over the other night since it was way too hot to ask my husband to build a fire outside.  To me... that was very strange.  I know for a fact she wasn't copying me, because I hadn't spoken to her in weeks.  So unless she has a spy camera set up in my house, there is no way she would know I was also craving smores the other night!

So I've decided that I am perfectly fine with her using the same color scheme and owl theme in her daughter's nursery.  The name thing, I've been over that, since my husband wasn't crazy about it anyways.  It was just another excuse for me to bitch and rant on my earlier blog post.  I normally don't blame the hormones, but I seriously think it was a combination of that and the fact that my friend and I hadn't spoken in weeks, which is really abnormal for us.  There was a bit of tension over a beach trip situation that happened a few weeks back, and I think I was just stressing that she was mad at me and I'm sure she was thinking the same about me, so neither of us would reach out to the other.  I decided I needed to break the ice and give her a call today to make sure things were alright between us, and within a few minutes, we were right back to being besties... sharing all of our pregnancy complaints and all the cute baby things we've gotten on our latest shopping sprees.  So I guess the moral of the story is to not let petty little things get between you and a best friend.  If they truly are a good friend, they will hopefully understand where you're coming from and respect your opinions.  I found that the owl issue really didn't bother me as much as I had built up in my head... I think I was just taking out frustration that I had held in about us not speaking for almost three weeks.  I was having to keep up with my best friend via facebook because I was too stubborn to pick up the phone first.  But we are good now and I am happy to help find her some cute owl decor for her nursery (although if it's too cute... I may have to keep it for my own) *wink wink

Copy cats drive me CRAZY!

Okay, so I need to vent. I know it's probably trivial and I shouldn't be stressing myself out about something so dumb, but it's really bothering me! So one of my best girlfriends is now pregnant and due at the end of October. When I found out I was having a girl, I mentioned my favorite girl name (that I've had picked out since I was pregnant with my now 4 year old son) and she instantly tells me, "NO, that's MY middle name if I have a girl" Umm...okay? This is the first I've ever heard of this, and there's no real significance of it to her, she just likes it. (Whereas I kind of liked the name because it was my friend who introduced my husband and I's name). 


Anyways, when she found out the other week that she was having a girl also, she throws up the name for everyone on facebook (with the middle name I had chosen, of course). Luckily, my husband wasn't crazy about the name anyways, so I've decided to move on and choose something else. But now she sends out the info to me and the other two girls planning her baby shower and she has decided to go with an OWL themed room for her little girl (which I know for a fact I had told her I wanted to do the owl theme for mine).  I mean, hello, I even wrote a whole blog post on my obsession over owls before I even found out I was expecting this baby!  And not only is she taking my theme idea, but she's doing the same exact color scheme as me for her nursery as well. 

I know I should just take it as a compliment and brush it off, but she has been doing this since I can remember.... She'd go shopping with me and I'd get a cute outfit and guess who went out and would buy the SAME outfit the next week! It's driving me crazy!!! Have any of you had a friend that just doesn't have a mind of their own and copies everything you do and know what I'm feeling here? And she's even made a whole private facebook group for us "baby shower planners" and has told us pretty much everything we need to do for her, down to the details of the cake, which invitations she wants us to specially order for her online, what games she wants played, etc etc... the list goes on. I'm not sure why she really even needs us if she's got it all taken care of. Not to mention, I'm going to have a newborn at the time of this shower and I'm not so sure I even want to help anymore. Am I a bad friend for feeling this way? There's more that has caused me to be irritated with her lately, but I think I've said enough! lol Sorry... I just really needed to vent and get this off my chest.  I know I am 8 months pregnant, hormonal and tired and am probably over reacting.  She is a great friend, but I guess I just really wanted my daughter's nursery and theme to be somewhat original.  Luckily my husband didn't agree on the middle name I chose, because our daughters would not only have the same names, but the same nurseries as well! 


So on that note, if anyone has some cute, ORIGINAL nursery theme ideas, I'm open to them! Although I've only got about a month before baby comes! (If I even make it that long)

Our 4th of July Festivities!

 Happy Independence Day to everyone! I hope you all had as much fun as I did this year! The funny thing is, we really didn't go anywhere or do anything too eventful, which I think is why I enjoyed this 4th of July so much.  Usually we are busy running around to visit the in-laws or heading here for a cookout and there for some fireworks and we have to worry about the kids getting cranky and having to pack them up in the car, only to fall asleep for 30 minutes and then wake them when we get home... But no! We hung at our house this year, just us four (mommy, daddy and the two boys), we did some fun festive cooking together, grilled out in the backyard together, did fireworks and the boys were more than willing to climb into bed without a fight after it was all said and done.

What a fantastic day! We even got to see some fabulous fireworks from across the street that someone must have been doing from the local pool or something.  I hope you all had a fun and safe holiday as well.  It's just a shame that there are still two days left in the work week for those of you who have to return to the office tomorrow.  Oh well, it will feel like Monday, but it's already Thursday! (I try to be optimistic about these things).  But anyways, here are a few highlights from our fun day!

Red & Blue pancakes topped with confectioner's sugar! (They were clearly a hit with my boys)

I put together this fun collage of pictures from my favorite garden, CrystalHill Gardens, named after me!  If you haven't checked out their facebook page, you should definitely see some of the fabulous varieties of daylilies that they have! Be sure to like their page and follow them on twitter for the newest photo updates! 

CrystalHill Gardens on Facebook

Follow @CrysHillGardens on Twitter

Check out their website

My boys and I made these fun, festive strawberries as a nice healthy snack this afternoon.  I got the idea from pinterest of course.  Not only were they fun to make and pretty to look at afterwards, but they were absolutely DELICIOUS! (The kids ate them up as soon as I was able to get a picture of them)

 My little cutie pie with his strawberry! (annoyed that mommy had to snap another picture before he could bite into it!)

And last, but not least, here are the boys enjoying daddy's firework display! 

Daddy is a bit of a pyromaniac! lol But he definitely knows how to put on a show for us!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!! 

Making Room for #3

I am quickly approaching my 34th week of pregnancy, which leaves me a short 6 weeks until my due date (but neither of my other babies ever lasted that long in the oven).  The closer I get, the more I realize how little I've done so far to prepare for my little girl's arrival.  My two boys (4 and almost 2), will be moving into a room together so that the nursery can be used for the new baby.  So the biggest issue is... well hold on, there's a few issues here:

1. My little guy has been using the crib up until last week, where he finally refused to stay put and would climb out every time I put him down for bed.  So we removed the railing and now gate the doorway so he can't wander out of his room at night.

2.  We are moving the little guy into his big brother's room once the baby arrives, but this room barely has room for a second bed.  If we do get another twin, they will have no room to play in there.  Bunk beds are too dangerous for the little guy, who would probably try diving off the top, toddler beds would be a waste of money because they will grow out of them in no time, which leaves me with what choices really? Hmmm? I need help!

We just moved into this house a little over two years ago and are already growing out of it. Has anyone else had this dilemma, and would you mind sharing with me how you overcame it? I'm just quickly running out of time and ideas. We have a spare "bedroom" in the basement, but it's become my husband's office room and I don't think I would feel comfortable having any of my kids down there alone quite yet.  Ohhh decisions, decisions.  I'm sure I'll figure something out (I better).  But any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.