Happy 40-months old!

When all my babies reached two-years old, I sadly no longer referred to them as a certain number of months old.  Instead it's was just two years old and not twenty-four months.  Just this week, Sydney wanted to know how many months old and how many days old she was and she's almost eight.  She was also asking about Brody and as it turns out he's exactly 3 years and 4 months old today (40 months) old, hehe!!  Well, since this is a big year of 40 for both Tim and I, I couldn't help but do a 40 month post for Brody!

40 months ago, we welcomed a fifth member to our family, our sweet little Brody!  As much as I LOVE being a mom, adding a new baby left me feeling like a zombie!  I have cried in my closet more times than I can count, I have been overwhelmed beyond measure trying to juggle it all...being a wife, mommy, maid, chef, poopy diaper changer, bottle feeder, throw up cleaner upper, homework helper, sports mom, car pool queen, laundress, and having a home business to top it off! 

I have given up on trying to be perfect, which is hard for this perfectionist!  There are days when there are dishes in the sink {shudder}, days and piles of laundry with no end in sight, dinner menus that don't always get followed, clothes on the floor that don't get picked up, beds that go unmade, toys that might not get picked up for days, and the list goes on and on.  Oh, and did I mention, these are the days where people just happen to come by my house, when our abode is at its WORST!  Of course, it's never on a day where my house is all clean and sparkly!

40 months - I feel like it's FINALLY a turning point from the last few years of all things baby and sheer nuttiness!  Brody is finally able to find his own quiet time, playing or watching a movie.  He's his own little person!  Brody has supplied us with loads of laughs and we love how he has rounded out and completed our family!   I just can't imagine that we had plans to stop at two.  It's so fun to watch how he acts with Blake and Sydney, he adores his bubby and sissy!  I feel sooo blessed that I have been given the gift to stay home with my little man and watch all his milestones since I was a working momma with the first two. 

At LAST, I am beginning to get little portions of MY life back now and it feels good to finally be able to breathe again!   A happy momma=a happy family!!

Happy 40 months old my sweet lil' monkey man!  I wouldn't trade the last three years of craziness for anything!!

Another ER visit...

Since it's been forever since I have regularly blogged, I'm going to play catch-up for the month of February.  Up until last month, I had only visited the ER twice in my career as a mom for the last {almost 12 years}.  I think that's a pretty good record, thank you kids for playing it safe!  It should have actually been three times, but I won mother of the year award a few years back when Blake broke his wrist, only I didn't know it was broken until three days later :-(.

Enter, Friday night, February 10th, almost a month ago.  My sweet, grown-up sixth grader, Blake, requested to go to the skating rink with his friends.  It's the fun Friday night hangout place to be for the pre-teen crowd.  I lived at the skating rink when I was his age, the same skating rink.  Oh, do I feel old!  Of course, we let him go.  There is a uniformed police officer who stays there the entire night, so I feel safe leaving him there for a few hours.

Most weeks, we don't even get a call from Blake.  We text back and forth, just to make sure everything is ok.  Skating starts at 7pm, and we HAVE to be there on the dot!  A few hours later, he called Tim's phone crying that he fell and hit his head on the skating rink floor, and he wanted to come home.  Tim picked him up and the minute he walked in the door, he ran right to me, and buried his head as he hugged me.  He began sobbing uncontrollably.  My strong boy doesn't normally cry like this.  We talked about it and he said it really freaked him out.  I suggested that he get in the tub to relax.  I began asking him how hard he hit his head, and if he caught himself.  I don't think he liked that I was asking him so many questions.  I think it scared him. 

Kids have fears, certain fears like death.  He asked me if he was going to die {that broke my heart}!  I reassured him that would not happen.  A few minutes into his bath, he began to vomit.  Over and over.   I immediately Googled head injury and vomiting and it pulled up concussion, and to seek immediate medical attention.  My poor baby was hurting, and it killed me that I wasn't there to see how hard he hit his head on the skating rink floor due to him tripping on his skate.  Mommy guilt, check!

So, at 11pm, up to the ER it was.  I stayed home with Brody and Sydney while Tim took Blake to the ER.  They waited and waited, and waited some more.  Blake had to have a CT scan to assess the injury.  I prayed and prayed and cried for my first born, who hadn't been to the ER since he was four.  I prayed to God that he would wrap his arms around Blake and take care of him, and give him comfort.  Finally, Tim called around 3:30am to let me know that he was ok.  The scan came back good.  He had a mild concussion without losing consciousness. 

Blake came home and went straight to sleep.  I knew I wouldn't be getting any sleep though.  I kept checking him so often to make sure he was breathing.  I watched his chest rise up and down, I felt so blessed that God took care of my baby!  All that was left was a nasty looking bruise on his right forehead.  He hasn't been back to the rink since then!

Sweet text Blake sent me telling me he loved me! 

ER Score

Blake - 2

Sydney - 1

Brody - 0 and hoping to keep it that way!  Although, he's a rough and tough little boy...

February Photo-a-Day a-la-Instagram

One of my most favorite things to do is take pictures!  Having an iPhone certainly helps with my obsession.  My family knows that I can't let a day go by without taking a gazillion pictures.  The most popular phrase from two of the kids when the iPhone is held up is, "Mom, not another one, please!"  Hehe, they won't stop me.  I loved the February Photo-a-Day by Fat Mum Slim.  I have to admit though, I only did the first 20 days, then busy days set in!  I'm trying to do better with March so I can collage the whole entire month.  :0

Thanks to House of Smiths for the fun Instagram February Photo-a-Day link-up!

Some of my favorites from the month of February!