Time seems to be flying by, it just doesn’t feel like it has been four weeks since F was born, and yet it also feels like he has always been here, he is such a part of our family. I am just enjoying all of this time while he’s still so small, it never lasts long at all. (D is proof of that, he turns 15 next month, where did the time go?) F weighs 7 lbs. 14 oz and is still very long and thin and continuing to do great with his eating and sleeping which is all I ask for. And feeling extremely optimistic, I even bought a few patterns and some fabric to make some little jon jon rompers for him, so here’s hoping I can find the time. And, nerd that I am, I have already managed to get H, M, G and F matching 4th of July outfits. Yes, I really do need them all to match, I’m a dork remember? I just have to get some red or navy t-shirts for D, C and N to complete my nerdliness. That is, if they will even consent to wear them. I may just have to satisfy my dorky obsession with matching holiday ensembles with the four little ones. At least until they get old enough to have a mind of their own….

For Memorial Day we went into town for a family picnic and I finally got to see Granny, and she got to see Baby F and snuggle him for a bit. Baby F slept the whole rest of the time snuggled in the sling, and all of the other kids had a chance to play their faces off with their cousins and have lots of fun. I haven’t been into town since Granny arrived with Y and K, so it was really nice to see the boys since it’s been several years and both of them have done a ton of growing since I saw them last. Ryan and his wife Becky were also there with their two big dogs, Cinder and Ossa, who turned out to be quite a hit with the kids. G was especially enamoured, and followed the dogs all over, even throwing her little arms around the dogs necks, hugging them as they tried to escape her many shows of love. They were really great dogs, and so patient, they put up with a lot from all of the kids, G especially, and never even batted an eye. (I was really surprised that G wasn’t scared of the dogs, they were seriously big, and I just thought she would be a bit afraid at first, but that clearly wasn’t the case.) I planned on going out to Grandpa’s grave, but we didn’t make it because it got too cold and late, and and the kids had school the next day so we ended up heading home, but a bunch of the the family did get over there with their flowers earlier that day, and I’m going to stop by there later this week. My life seems to move at an even faster pace these days, and I run out of time before I know it. How does that happen?

   Craig and I took the kids to the park for a picnic and some playtime on friday, and we all had a great time. I’ve been a little wound up lately (I think I am just a tad bit stressed), and didn’t realize just how wound up I was until I began to let myself relax a little. Once I began to unwind I was able to enjoy myself and had a wonderful evening with the kids. They were all over the playground, and loved the slides especially. Miss G is fearless, and was throwing herself down the slides giggling all the way, even going headfirst several times, and laughing her little heart out. I had Baby F in the sling, snuggled up to me, sleeping and happily oblivious to all of the noises around him. The kids loved calling out to Craig and I “Watch me! Watch me!” as they made their way all over the equipment. They just wanted to make sure we saw them at their most “amazing”, which we were more than happy to do, they were so cute. The weather was perfect, and the playground wasn’t crowded at all, so we were able to enjoy the evening as the kids played after a quiet picnic dinner. It was just one of those simple, peaceful, laid back and happy outings, where nothing spectacular or really exciting happened. It was all really normal, regular, family outing stuff, but it was one of those times I will always look back upon and remember how perfect it was, perfect for us, and perfectly fun. My favorite.

   I have been agonizing for some time now as to whether or not I should cut G’s hair and give her bangs. I loved how cute she looked with her hair swept to one side and clipped with a barrette, but the reality is that she’s 2 years old and an active little girl. About 5 minutes after I have styled her hair and snapped the barrette in, she has mangled it and ripped the barrette out and thrown it somewhere. So I finally broke down last night and gave her the bangs I had been debating with myself about for so long. I love how cute it looks on her, and it even made her look a little bit older, more like a little girl, not so much my baby anymore. (*sigh* they grow so fast)

I had the same reservations when I was agonizing about cutting Haven’s hair shorter, but I have never regretted that decision, and she and I both love her cute bob, and how easy and neat it always is. I have a hard time when my kids look disheveled, and G’s hair, no matter what I did, always looked messy and unkempt, it didn’t matter how often I brushed it. She didn’t mind if it was messy, and never seemed to care it was hanging in her face, but it was driving me to distraction. So in the end, I love her cute new ‘do, and I think she will too since she will be able to see now as she runs after the big kids and plays her little heart out.

   I know I have said this many times before, but this really is our last baby, and I am happy that we were able to get Finley here safely, quickly, and with only a few hiccups during his delivery. We went in early on May 1st to be induced, and as it turned out no one else came in to deliver the entire time I was there, so we had a very quiet stay. Our hospital has excellent nurses in their labor and delivery unit, two of which I had for my last two deliveries, and again this time, so I was thrilled to see some familiar faces. All of the nurses there were incredible and made my delivery and hospital stay so peaceful and the best experience. All was going well with my labor until I stalled out at an 8. The Dr discovered Finn had moved his arm up and his hand was on top of his head, which was preventing me from progressing any further (the Dr. explained it, but I won’t go into details here as it’s a little bit ‘TMI’ for a blog) and would also not allow me to have a regular delivery.

   Another Dr. was called in for a consult, and after about 20 minutes my Dr was able to get Finley to pull his hand down, and we were able to proceed as planned with a regular delivery, not the c-section that they were starting to prep me for, which quite frankly terrified me, but I would have done if necessary. And for another surprise, when Finn was born we saw that he had the cord wrapped around his neck three times. There were no decelerations in his heart rate at any time though so we had no idea, but it was because his cord was so unusually long that it never tightened around his neck during delivery. The Dr was surprised and said he rarely sees cords long enough to wrap that many times around and not cause complications, and I am just so thankful everything turned out so wonderfully.

   I am just happy to have ended on such a great note, it may not sound like it, but it really was a great delivery for me. I checked in at 6am and got my Pennicillin going, the Dr. broke my water at 9:10am to start my labor, and Finley was born at 1:08pm, so my labor ended up being only 4 hours from start to finish. And while Finley was 2 weeks early, he was ready to be here. And even with the little bit of drama during his delivery he still arrived healthy and strong. So all in all, my labor went even better than I thought it would, and we got our sweet little baby boy here safely, so what can I possibly complain about?

alternate titles: “Finally, a Finley Finale!” “Not another labor story!” and “What do you mean I’m blabbering on?”

  (Pardon me while I rant and rave for just a minute here.) When did it become anyone elses business how many children I have, or that I’m a stay-at-home-mom? I’m constantly amazed at some of the ignorant comments I get on both of these subjects, and I’m tired of it. What do you mean I’m not a working mom, I’m a mom working at raising her kids at home. No, I’m not crazy, why? Do I HAVE to be crazy to have a lot of kids? What do you mean “what do I do with all of my free-time at home”, what’s “free-time”? No, my husband doesn’t “let” me stay at home, we made this decision together. No, I’m not trying to singlehandedly re-populate the earth, I really don’t think seven children are going to tip the population scales in the grand scheme of things. Yes, I know exactly which aisle the birth control is on, and yes, I can afford some. Yes, we can afford to have this many children, would you like to see a current copy of my husbands tax forms showing last years income? No, it doesn’t take a “special kind of mom” to have seven kids, it takes a mom, period. No, when my kids are at school I do not sit at home all day and crochet an afghan. I wish. OK? Just so we’re clear. Whew. Thanks for letting me vent, I feel better now.

alternate titles: “Crazed Mom of 7 Punches Out Ignorant Busy Body At Wal-Mart” “Mommy, what’s birth control?” and “What do you mean I sound cranky?!?!”

   I took Finley to the Dr for his two week check up today ( I know, he’s 15 days old today, but the Dr was out yesterday), and he is looking great! He weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz at birth and was 21 1/2 inches long. When we went home from the hospital he was 6 lbs. 9 oz. and today he was 7 lbs. 10 oz.  and 22 1/2, so we know he has been busy doing some good growing. We are still trying to decide what color his hair really is. When he was born it was really red, but then it looked like it was blond. Now it seems fairly strawberry blond, but that could change too, who knows. Finn has been my mellowest baby by far, and sleeps for 7 hour streches at night, is a great little nurser, rarely spits up, and he is not a fussy baby at all. Believe me, I know how it could be, and I am really enjoying every minute of this.

   I have a port-a-crib bassinet set up by my big front window (he only gets indirect sunlight, I don’t let him tan) and Finley does his napping in there during the day, and sleeps at night in my room in his co-sleeper (how did I live w/o one before, I love the co-sleeper!). I had read an article a while back about newborn babies mixing up their days and nights, which Finn was, and it said to have as much natural light in your house during the day, and in the evenings to keep it as dim and quiet as possible. Apparently the chemicals in the brain respond to the light, and it helps the baby get on a good sleeping and waking schedule and helps in un-mixing their days and nights too. I have to say it has worked like a charm for us, and Finn was doing his big sleeping at night in no time. Finley is the sweetest little baby, and he is definitely the main favorite around here these days. All of the kids love holding him, kissing him, and talking to him all of the time. I feel great, and I am just enjoying every minute with my kids as I can.

alternate titles: “My baby can beat up your baby” “Local Baby Reading ‘Dickens’ by 2 Weeks of Age” and “Baby Finn this…and Baby Finn that…and… ‘Hey Lady, Shaddup Already’!”

I am not one for too many electronic gadgets and toys for my kids. It’s not that I’m against them, we have quite a few over here, it’s just that I don’t like ALL of their toys to flash lights, make noises, move, or sing at the push of a button. I like them to develop their imaginations and creativity without the aid of batteries. But, there is one toy I am a BIG fan of, and it has proved to be an invaluable teaching tool as well. It’s the LeapFrog “LeapPad” learning system, and it comes in three different age appropriate versions. The “LittleTouch LeapPad” is for ages 6-36 months, “My First LeapPad” is for ages 3-5 years, and the “LeapPad” is for ages 4-8 (although C even plays with it on occasion, so the age range is only an estimate). Each age appropriate system requires their own books, so they are not interchangable which is the only drawback, but I cannot tell you how popular they are with my kids, and how invaluable they were in helping my kids with their reading skills. Right now, H’s current favorite is the map of the U.S. with no names on the states so you have to use the stylus, and each time you touch the stylus to a state it says the correct name. She is learning which state is which, and loves to show me what she knows as she goes through them.

The books are on all different subjects and stories, some are based on popular cartoon/movie/TV characters, and tell stories, teach music, and all sorts of stuff. Some teach Spanish, Math, Science, How To Write A Book Report, Music, Colors, Shapes, Animal Names and more (each age range is different), so they really are a learning toy. I didn’t want to spend a whack of money however on all of the different books and systems, and in my search for a bargain I discovered that Ebay is the best and cheapest resource for these systems, and I have found several amazing deals there. There are tons of different books available for all different age ranges, and subjects. In the store they run around $13 per book, give or take a little. But like I said, Ebay is your best resource, and I have already found several fantastic deals, all under $20 total, shipping and everything, for a huge lot of books, and sometimes another LeapPad system too. So if your interested check it out, I highly recommend these, they are fun and learning all in one, so how can you go wrong! (*note* on Ebay I have found that your best searches are under “Leap Pad”, “My First Leap”, and “Leap Touch”. These yielded the most, but you can also type in different word combos and “Leappad”, and “Littletouch” also get some more hits too. The first ones I mentioned just gave me the most, but not all of the auctions so don’t hesitate to type in lot’s of different word variations.)

alternate titles: “Robots Good, Humans Bad” “7 Utah Children Speak only In Monotone After Over Exposure To Electronic Toys” and “Shhhh, ‘Days of Our Lives’ is back from commercial!”

   Ok, I get it now, and frankly, I don’t know how my Mom did it somedays. I know my Mom doesn’t claim to be perfect in any way, she never pretended it was all hearts and flowers, or that we were the picture of “perfection”. My Mom is real, and she gives it to you as the real deal too, she doesn’t sugar coat it, she is never afraid to speak her mind and say it like it really is, and she is the farthest thing from fake. I love that about my Mom. How she ever made it through all six of us though is still a mystery to me. You know, we were not the easiset of children, we were pretty active and full of life (a nice way to say we were stubborn and rambunctious). I remember bedtime at our house was often the hardest part of my Mom’s day, and we really gave her the run around. We knew we outnumbered her, and used that to our advantage on many occasions.

   I don’t know why my Mom isn’t in a straight jacket somewhere muttering to herself, she had 6 kids in 8 years and a husband that was gone A LOT of the time. I had my 7 spaced out over 14 years, my husband is home a lot more often than my Dad ever was, and still, I struggle somedays and find it quite challenging to be a mother. How did my Mom do it? And how did she do it without doing severe bodily harm to us, we were always into some mischief or another. Did you know that my parents struggled to get babysitters for us, and that we even made one of them cry? Or should I say, my brothers made her cry, the girls were always nice to the sitters, the boys….not so nice. Ah, the follies of youth. I really do love being a Mom, and I love my children, each of them, with all of my heart. I am grateful each day that I get to be home with them, and be there for them, and that I am the one here, raising them.

   Some days are harder than others, and I don’t know how I am going to make it to bedtime with my sanity intact. And other days I want to read them just one more story while we’re all snuggled up on the couch and I don’t want our day to end. I love their sweet little faces, covered in jam, or sparkling clean, they are still so cute and I wouldn’t give up what I do for anything in the world. So while I know we were seriously trying children, and we gave my Mom a run for her sanity, I also know she must have loved being a Mom as much as I do now. I also know for a fact that she REALLY loves being a Grandma, and all of her grandbabies love her to pieces. And I want to say again, I know I could not have made it through this time, after the baby arrived, with as much peace, if it weren’t for my Mom. She really stepped up and has been the most tremendous help. So Mom, thankyou for all you do and have done. We love you so much, and we hope you have the Happiest Mothers Day. Thankyou Mom!