Our Baby Wears Blue...'Cuz That's What Slide Girls Do

Berean mostly wears pink when she is out, but when she is in for the night- she wears blue.

Every night when I put her in a "boy" sleeper I tell her she is my Slide Girl.

Let's back up to 1998.

I went to a National Youth Conference and there was a band there called "Lost and Found". And they sang a song called Slide Girl . They had made it up after they noticed a picture of a girl wearing blue on their slide projectors and no one knew who she was or how to get her image off the big screens.

Silly, I know.

But the boys have caught onto it and now Berean is our slide girl who wears blue, cuz that's what the slide girls do.

And the bonus? This morning Lincoln "said" (even though only I could understand him): "That's what slide girls do". His longest sentence yet. How sweet.

Sense of Humor, Anyone?

Deacon to his aunt, "If you have twins do they both come down the birth canal at the same time?"

Yes. My 6 year old said "birth canal". He then went on to make a joke about the twins needing boats since it is a "canal".

I also came to find out this week that since we have been a family with no girl-children up until 3 weeks ago, that my lovelies had been...um...shall we say uneducated in certain anatomical differences.

2 weeks ago: Deacon discovers that Berean does not have a penis when he walked in on a diaper change. Announces to his Grandma that she does not have one.

I think I get everything clarified.

This week: Deacon and Roman are shocked to discover that Berean still does not have a penis. They are even more shocked when I make it perfectly clear that all girls do not have one- including their aunts, Grandmas and every other girl they can think of. Roman in his cute Roman way wondered "How in the world do they pee?"

We were down the block at our friends today and Roman had to pee. Unfortunately we were a block away from my friend's house and when Roman suddenly announces he has to go, he needs to go. In addition he had clothed himself today over his footie pjs. (don't ask, I don't know). I let him pee in the grass. Lincoln did too. This is a problem because now Lincoln thinks that it is just what we do. But we don't. Really.

Do you notice anything about this post? All of this baby stuff, and me breastfeeding, and diaper changes, and potty training Lincoln, and peeing in the grass...is kind of leading to a sudden overabundance of potty talk at our house. I am trying to curtail it, but it is not going so well.

Any ideas anyone? How do I curb this impolite (and disturbing) habit?

Controversial Monday: Taxing Alcohol

It's been awhile since I have posted a controversial Monday post. I miss it.



And guess what? You actually get a post today that does not have anything to do with the fact that my children played dodge ball with a pee-soaked diaper yesterday, or that we had to start a "penny jar project" to improve our "obeying the first time, everytime" averages or that my husband got more excited about UNI beating Kansas State than he did about the whole NFL season.



Remember how I shared with you all that I get a little crazy when I am not working? Well, I have now been off for over 3 weeks and I have started a new project: couponing. Why? Because I am nuts. Really.



Pretty sure that Noah is already tired of me explaining my coupon strategies and the fact that I made 28 homemade cinnemon rolls for between $2-$3.



Where am I going with this? Oh yes, tax on alcohol. So since I am into coupons right now (pretty cheap hobby, if I do say so myself), I decided to order the Sunday paper. (don't tell my dad that I ordered the enemy paper, 'k?)



I clipped coupons today, reviewed ads and let the children practice their cutting on the toy "catalogs". The boys were enamored with the Sunday comics, and of course Noah laughed out loud- because that it just the way that he is.



But the funny thing is- I enjoyed reading the actual articles in the paper. I get most of my news online, but because of that I miss editorials and well, pretty much anything else that does not appear as a headline on the local news website or the MSN homepage.



Which (finally) brings me to the topic: I read an editorial on Taxing Alcohol.



I.love.this.concept



Basically, the author of the article, Stephen Simon, states that increasing the alcohol tax 10 cents a drink would generate around $260 million per year. That is a lot of drinking going on, people. Can you believe that in our state they estimate that in a year alcohol use and abuse costs us $4.5 billion dollars?!



I believe it. A huge percentage of the patients that I care for at the hospital abuse alcohol. Somehow these people have money for booze, even if they don't have any money to pay their hospital bills. This way they would just be contributing toward "prepaying" their hospital bills a little at a time.



So what do you all think? Am I missing a negative in all this? Or is it is a concept that is really as good as it sounds?

This Girl...

... is so sweet, the rest of us just like to sit and look at her.

The Boat Relocation Project

So I've got these boys.

Who can be very industrious when they want to be. And very unindustrious when I want them to do anything.

Obviously, it is just lack of ambition and not lack of ability.

See in the picture above how they just noticed the obstacle of a gate? Yeah, Deacon is telling them all that they are going to have to come up with a plan to get the boat through the gate.

I love watching them assess and discuss situations

Deacon decided that the boat would probably need to be tilted. He has watched us move a lot of furniture in his little life.

The younger 2 were losing interest. They are into quick results and not a lot of sweat.

Oooo...I think he finally got it.

Or maybe not.

Try again.

Got it. To his credit, Deacon included the other 2 in his proud statement that they had figured it out and got it through the gate- even though the photographic evidence shows that it was mostly him and not them.

Roman is back on board once the hard part is done.

The baby has been distracted, however, and remains in the green tube.

Ahh, free sailing.

Onto the empty lot!

Can't wait until they are big enough to do actual work around the house and yard! It is going to be great!

2 Quick Links

This post from the Pioneer Woman made me laugh out loud. "socially acceptable shoes"?! That is blogging awesomeness. The underwear and mismatched clothes...that is my life on Sunday mornings too. Trying to get the (un)tidy baby anywhere without spit up, Roman anywhere without inside out pj pants on...well, it is challenging. Love it. And maybe one day I will see my 4 men all dressed in coats, jeans and cowboy boots. But probably not.


And then there is Amy Lawson. I started running this week, but I haven't taken all of her suggestions to heart. I guess I will be heading out this week for some high calorie cupcake goodness and some super sports bras.

I love that there are other people like me in this world.

The (un)Tidy Baby

The nurses at the hospital like "their" babies to be tidy.

At least that is what one of them told me as she changed Berean's sheets and bundled her up like a little burrito for the umpteenth time.

I had never heard of a baby being "tidy" before and it amused me greatly.

So now whenever Berean has spit up on her face, snot in her nose or poop in her diaper we dash upstairs in order to make the baby "tidy". And I giggle.

I watched carefully each and every nurse who tidied up my baby. They all had great skills in the burrito technique, but they each put their own spin on the process. Some used 2 blankets to wrap. Some used one to wrap and than tucked one over and put the ends under the mattress. Some snugged up the arms real tight, some left a little more freedom. But I marveled how every style made the baby truly look tidy. It is a definite skill. Every time I tried it the baby looked like a rumpled mess.

It must be subliminally taught in nursing school- this need for our patients to look "tidy". No matter how a patient feels, they must look like they feel good.

We certainly do it in the ICU. We are pros at linen changes- of course doing so with the patients still in the bed and just rolling them side to side- and every nurse has their own style. Some put the pad at a diagonal. Some put two pads on. Some horizontal, some vertical. Some use powder, some love lotion. Everyone has their own way.

And can you imagine the horror of a drop of tube feeding landing on a newly placed sheet? The twitching starts and the nurse just can't help but replace the sheet- even if it is only a drop.

No matter what, the patient must be tidy.

But there is a point of ridiculousness. For example you can't keep a withdrawing patient tidy. That, of course, doesn't stop a nurse from boosting the patient up 2 minutes before change of shift and than apologizing profusely for how untidy the patient continues to look. We reached that point of silliness at the hospital with Berean.

Berean is a spit-up-er, and although it has gotten much better in the last 2 weeks, her first couple days of life were rife with spit up.

So the nurses kept changing her. Because, of course, above all else, she must be tidy.

And they would give me new ninja shirts and blankets so that I could make her more tidy.

But here is the thing: I am not hung up on tidiness, nor did I think she needed to be changed when 5 cc of spit up would hit her blanket. See, here is my secret- ICU nurse or not, I believe that unless there is a massive disaster, linens only need to be changed every 2 hours.

So I thanked the nurse for the extra blankets, gave Berean a kiss on her untidy forehead and let her sleep until her 2 hours were up.

And then, and only then, I got down to the business of tidying her up.

Managing 4

Berean is now 2 weeks old and so I now feel like an expert on having 4 children. (that is, of course, a joke).

Here is a little secret: taking care of 4 kids isn't actually that difficult.

The problems start when you throw laundry, cooking, homeschooling, cleaning, carpooling, volunteering, projects and yardwork into the mix. Oh, and sleep. Can't forget sleep.

So, yes, I acknowledge that things would be going more smoothly if I employed a laundress, a cook, a tutor, a housecleaner, a chauffer and a full time handiman. Oh, and if I eliminated all other responsibilites from my life. And maybe a nanny for the the nighttime so I could get some sleep.

Obviously, since I don't have all those things, everything is a little bit...less smooth...than optimal.

However, I do believe that things could be worse.

*I have been keeping up with the laundry.

*The main floor is usually at least somewhat tidy.

*The 2 year old is throwing fits and hitting his brother for only 40% of the day.

*I have been sleeping enough to be functional during the day and I have only been napping on the weekends

*the baby is a quick nurser so when I get up at night to nurse I am usually only up 20 minutes, tops.

*I am blogging during the day on a Monday.

*My sister and my mom have been around a lot to help me out, especially in the afternoons

And the biggest blessing?! I have a sweet little girl to gaze at all day long if I want to. So I have been.

My mom used to have this saying in our kitchen "Cleaning and Scrubbing can wait for tomorrow, for babies grow up we've learned to our sorrow. So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep. I am rocking my baby. And babies don't keep."


I have a bunch of other things I have been wanting to blog about, but Berean is up for her nap and everyone else is clamoring for lunch.

Time to be Chef Julie!

What we got...

when we suggested Roman add at least a pajama shirt to his ensemble...

Or wait...ensemble? I guess one pair of loose, thin pj pants can't be considered an ensemble.

You have to admit though, the piece is versatile. Who knew pj pants a size too big could give an off the shoulder evening wear flair?

Contest Winner!

Remember when I posted that contest long ago? You know the one about guessing the babies height, weight, gender etc? And then remember how I forgot to post a winner because I have been too busy looking at the above sweet little face. Don't you love the milk bubbles on her little lips?

Then when I went to see who won the contest I had to grant my husband a "you were right" because my point system did not work well enough to declare a definitive winner.

But after a series of charts were made, and a few consultations were finished it has been decided that the prize should go to Laura for her guess of Girl (exact) 7lbs 12oz (2 oz off), 20 inches (exact) and date of 3-6 (1 day off). Peter came in a close second and could arguably be the winner- but if he complains I will give him a candy bar.

So congratulations Laura! I will be contacting you so I can get your prize in the mail!

And Then There Was 6

Roman keeps talking about "the 6 of us". It sounds pretty hard core, doesn't it?

It feels pretty hard core when I am driving them all somewhere and glance in my mirror and all I see are kids and carseats.

And figuring out how to get everyone safely from point A to point B requires a degree in logistics. Which I don't have.

Actually, logistics probably wouldn't help. Coming up with a good plan is only part of the problem. You need a good plan and a 6 year old, 4 year old, 2 year old and 1 week old who are willing to go along with the plan.

That is the tricky part.

6 year old and 4 year old on bikes and 2 year old and 1 week old in double stroller. Sounds simple, right?

Only the 6 year old is overly cautious and keeps stopping.

And the 4 year old has an amplified sense of his own skill level.

And why would a 2 year old EVER be willing to SIT in a STROLLER like a BABY? He definitely thinks he should be riding his OWN trike all over the road, AND that mommy should be willing to carry the trike whenever his little legs decide it is time to BOLT.

But I will figure it out. Even if I have to bribe Lincoln to sit in his seat, or always carry the baby in a front carrier.

It has been kind of a hard week.

Berean is a really good, mellow baby (so far anyway). (By the way, it is not Bereen, not Brianne, not Brianna, and there is NO U in it!)

But the boys have been somewhat (somewhat?!) difficult.

Deacon has shown a defiant streak which he usually doesn't pull with me.

Roman has been throwing tantrums frequently (wondering if he has a sinus headache...hoping that is what it is?)

Lincoln has been doing his 2 year old pushing the limits thing...it is just more difficult for me to enforce the limits when I have a baby attached to me more often than not.

And of course the nature of the beast is that this is all happening when I am tired from being up with the baby, sore from the delivery and establishing milk supply and also during the rainiest week of the winter.

But if there is one thing I know beyond a shadow of a doubt - it won't be like this for long.

The stages, attitudes, behaviors, trials just don't last.

The good times, the hard times.

The stressful, the fun.

There is a constant shifting, changing.

Newborns turn into independent 2 year olds.

2 year olds turn into creative but headstrong 4 year olds

4 year olds turn into Joe Cool 6 year olds.

A 21 year old husband suddenly is a 31 year old husband.

A 20 year old wife is suddenly a mother of 4 (and suddenly almost 30!)

Coming this week:

1. Announcement of contest winner (sorry- I completely forgot about the contest what with all the diaper changing, laundry and brownie eating I have been doing)

2. My panicked thoughts on having a girl

3. Plan for getting my house out of it's shambled state (this should be interesting)

4. And maybe I will post some new pictures of the ginormous boys and their tiny sister :)

Brothers come to visit

The older two seem quite pleased with their new sister.

Clearly, Lincoln is not the baby anymore.

A Big Day

So today was the day that we took little Berean home from the hospital AND the day we closed on our new lot! Wahoo!

Noah closed on the lot while I wrapped up things at the hospital. Then he picked us up and headed over to my parents to get the boys. The afternoon was spent getting caught up on laundry, picking up, putting away, feeding the baby (and everyone else) and managing to get some outside time in and a trip to the library. Of course my sister stopped by for awhile, so we were able to split some of those tasks up.

Here are some more pictures of our little daughter!

Her first name is from Acts 17:10, her middle name is the name of one of my grandmas.

I enjoy making my children look like little birds :) This was after a session with the comb, trying to get the rest of the vernix out of her hair.

I think she rocks the off-the-shoulder ninja shirt look, don't you? And maybe she looks just slightly drunk on milk?

Wow. We have a pink hat. What will we do? We are still a little surprised (but pleased) to have a girl!

New Baby!

I'm pleased to introduce Berean Joyce, born March 7, 2010. She came into the world, after some waiting, with just two pushes. Her stats came in at 7 lbs 10 oz and 20 inches long. (I'll figure out later who won the contest. Some of you type A readers may beat me to it).

She came out so fast she picked up some bruising, hence the purple face. Otherwise, both mom and baby are healthy.

Long Time, No Post

I try never to post when I am crabby and on edge- which is why I haven't been posting this week.

The kids had my cabbage patch doll out and they were pretending it was our new baby. But then the game morphed into the doll being Princess Leia and they were hurrying her off to hide her from Darth Vader.

I think she is now laying forgotten in the bottem of the toybox while they are saving the galaxy.

One week ago I worked my "last" shift at work. There is still no baby, so I am getting twitchy. I have been pouring over coupons and how to lessen your grocery bill kind of books. It is amazing how much life slows down when you have 16-20 extra hours a week. I now have time to focus on the fact that we go through about 5 gallons of milk in a week (thanks to our resident milk-a-holic...I need to detox him). And that our grocery bill is just going to go higher as our boys get bigger.

QOTD: "Should I get some more hot water so we can sit down in our bath?" I think they accidently filled the tub with cold water. See me jump to go save the situation.

On the baby front: I am fairly convinced that my body is incapable of going into active labor on it's own. I was dilated to a 4-4.5 on Tuesday and completely effaced but still have not had progressing contractions. I get them and then they just peter out. They are not sure why. So we are just waiting. I feel a little bit like a ticking time bomb. And since there is a possibility that things could go really fast when they do start, I am slightly nervous that it will be a little stressful if Noah is at work when it happens. It is kind of nice to know that early labor is already done though, and I can check that one off my list :)

I am actually thinking, however, that an induction is in my future.

Well, I need to go started with my daily routine of laundry, walking and picking up toys...

Hope everyone has a great Thursday!

A Contest

When you are about to have a baby and you belong to the world of blog, you turn it into a contest.

And I happen to have a super cool kitchen gadget to give away. Of course, after I do I am going to have to buy another new one- since the still-packaged item I have was actually intended for me. But that is ok.

Anyway, I don't have a picture yet of the fabulous prize, but it will be forthcoming.

Now for the contest. I, of course, like to make everything complicated and this is no exception. There will be 4 points available per entry and the person with the most points will win.

1. 1 point will be awarded for the correct gender
2. 1 point will be awarded if your guess on the babies weight is the closest to actual weight
3. 1 point will be awarded if your guess on the babies height is the closest to actual height
4. 1 point will be awarded for the person with the closest date to the actual birth date

In addition, a 1/2 point bonus point will be awarded to you if you guess an exact height, weight or birthdate.

So pull out your calculator and decide on a strategy, people!

Here is some helpful information:

1. This is my 4th child and the 1st 3 are boys. We don't know what this is.
2. I have gained 30 pounds. That is about 20 less than with my other pregnancies
3. The boys weights were 8lb 5 oz, 7 lbs 14 oz and 7 lbs 12 oz.
4. The first 2 were induced about 5 days after their due dates, the 3rd came on his due date
5. My due date is March 5th
6. I don't remember how long the boys were. I suppose I could look, but I am lazy.
7. I was dilated to a 3 last Thursday
8. They won't let me go past 41 weeks.

Good Luck!