The making of a mama...

So about this time (5:15ish Florida time) 7 years ago, I said to Kevin "Wow! That one was different!" in reference to the contraction I was having.  Such began the event that would change me as a person to the very core.  I went from being "Annette" to "Mama" from caring a whole lot about myself and not being much of a worrier-to feeling like a part of me was walking around outside of me and worrying way too much.  So here is how it went down :)

It took several months to get pregnant with Seamus (which in hindsight was nothing, but felt like forever at the time) Kevin and I knew we wanted a big family, and we wanted to start young. So while on summer break from teaching (actually the day before a job interview!) We found out I was pregnant. We had already picked a birth center we were 90% sure we wanted to deliver at, and after meeting Marianne, the fantastic midwife, we were sure!  I didn't tell my principal until I was into my second trimester.  I taught 1st grade through the pregnancy.  My last day was a week before my due date, to give me a little time to get things ready.  After a week at home relaxing (well nesting...)

Came Saturday, February 28, 2004.  I woke up at about 2 pm (I know! I cannot even fathom doing that now!) and had a few signs that things were progressing.  We called Marianne to let her know, and she said to keep in touch.  At about 5:15, things changed a bit and I thought things might be getting real :) (as an aside, with all 4 pregnancies I have been worried I wouldn't know when I was in labor...when will learn??) I continued to putter around the house, making chocolate chip cookies, and spaghetti for dinner.  At about 7:00 Kevin and I sat down for dinner-well Kevin did, I tried to, but as I sat down my water broke.  It was just like in the movies! Kevin had to run and get towels, I had to change clothes, very dramatic!
I went to get my things put together to leave for the birth center, and by the time I was finished I was crawling around the house.  On the 20 minute drive to the birth center, I sat backwards in the car seat making all kinds of noise while Kevin called family and friends to let them know what was happening.  Everyone was exciting, because they all thought we would be having a leap day baby-what woman has her first baby in less the 5 hours, right??
When we got to the birth center at about 8:30 things began to happen pretty quickly.  I spent a good amount of time in the shower which helped with the contractions.  At about 10:00 pm, I said I was ready to push (by this point my parents, brother and his wife, and sister-in-law were there...my Dad apparently had to walk around outside, he couldn't handle all the umm "vocalizing" I was doing!) Seamus McKoy was born at 10:42 PM, weighing in at 8 lbs 2 oz.  He let out one good cry and the began grunting (which he did for the first several weeks of his life-grunted all the time!)


And here I sit 7 years later, a Mom.  Through and through to the core.  Mom is something I know I was made to be.  I find so much joy in my children and husband, truly they are my world.  Seamus, my precious first born, the child who made me the person I am today.  I have so many things I could say about him..he is insanely bright, inquisitive, funny, compassionate, honest, gentle, agile, and truly just an amazing kid to know.  I feel so blessed that God chose me to parent this child.  Everyday I make mistakes, and everyday I learn something new.  Many days, I think he is teaching me more then I am teaching him.  To my first born, I love you more then you will ever know-well at least until you have kids of your own...then you will understand.

Party Time!

We had a great party for Cappy today! A great group of kiddos showed up and they had a blast.  I must confess, as crazy as they can be-I love kids parties :) Even the noise (ok, well some of the noise) Ijust adore watching kids have a good time together.  Tomorrow is an early morning (as are all Sundays) with all the stresses of a Sunday for  me (working at a church means Sunday is my hardest work day).  I already have 2 teachers who can't be there tomorrow (in my hardest class to find subs for no less) Ah well, the family fun time was wonderful while it lasted!

Days like this...

    Days like this make me want to ditch all responsibility and take the kids outside! I would love to zip off to the zoo or a park.  The air is cool and crisp and clean, the breeze is wonderful, and the sun in sparkling.  Really it is just perfect
outside. 
    But, alas I am not ditching all responsibility.  Instead, I am calling Sunday School teachers, planning for Easter activities, labeling Spring curriculum, and all the other things I need to get finished for work. (well right now I am taking a little break to feed a certain sweet little baby, who by some miracle drank his whole bottle...but was still hungry!)
    I think we have to do something outside tomorrow, this weather is just too perfect to squander.  We have recently started Geo caching (searching for fun little hidden treasures with a GPS), so perhaps that.
   Oh tomorrow is also a certain big boy's birthday party.  Our first born will be 7 on Monday, which is practically impossible to believe.  So tomorrow we are headed off to play Lazar tag with some of his friends.  On Monday, I will continue the tradition I have of telling the birthday child about the day they were born.  They really love hearing their birth stories-and I love to retell them.  I think on Monday I will type it up here, so I have it on official record :)
   With Cappy's birthday coming, it means mine is just around the corner.  I remember my dad calling me on my birthday after he was born.  (my birthday is 4 days after his) He asked me what I was doing for my birthday, I replied "watching Survivor". This was the first of my post kid birthdays, which go by with little fanfare or excitement-which truly is OK by me.  I love the planning and excitement of the kids' big days, and there is little energy left for mine by the time they all pass by! However, this is my 30th birthday-how did that happen? I suddenly realized I am closer to 40 then I am to high school!!! Seriously, I was just in high school, wasn't I? Ahh well, I don't mind getting older.  Really I have been looking forward to 30 for several years now.  Something about being "in my 30's" has always been exciting to me.  Dorky, I know.

    Before I finish up, I have to share a funny Rowan story (which are oh so numerous)  This morning, while I was brushing my teeth, he was standing next to me and observing.  Suddenly he looked at himself in the mirror and said "Oh no!" I asked him what was the matter.  he relied "the fire truck on my jammies! The bear is driving it, but he left!" "Where did he go?" I replied.  "He went home to eat some pizza". I cracked up! A few minutes goes by and I hear Rowan exclaiming "He came back, Yay bear! Good job, thank you for coming back! You ate all your pizza, say 'yes ma'am'.  You did a good job you comed back".  I went to find him and asked what was going on and he proudly pointed at his PJ's and said "See bear camed back"
This kid's imagination cracks me up! Where does he get this stuff! Neither of the big kids were big imaginers-(is that a word? It is now) but Rowan is always coming up with some story. Often they involve the animals or vehicles on his cloths.  Dinosaurs on shirts that bite, cars that win races.  He is just awesome.  Love that kid!!

Starting a blog

     So starting a blog is something I have thought about for awhile, but really feel like I don't have much time to keep up with one.  I doubt I wil lbe a very prolific poster-but there are so many things I want to write down about the kids, that I really felt like this would be a good way to do it.  I decided on the name, because in all honesty, carpool line is probably when I will get some blogging accomplished.  It is one of my only "free" moments in the day.  On that note, I think I will start by giving a run down of what a "typical" day looks like for this family of 6 :)

-6:50-the earliest time Julianna (5) and Rowan (2) are allowed out of bed.  The TV is preset to Disney Jr, and they sit and watch a little bit of "shows" while I get my tired butt moving. (and often nurse the baby)
-7:30-Wake Seamus (7) up
-make breakfast for the 3 older kids (generally consists of one of the following choices: oatmeal, yogurt, frozen waffle and yogurt, cold cereal.  I simply do not have the energy to make a hot breakfast on weekdays, and it works for us)
-7:45-get in the shower while the kdis are eating/ Seamus gets himself dressed
-8:00-Seamus's carpool picks him up
-8:00-8:45-get myself and the 3 "preschoolers" ready-including bags (all 6 of them, I kid you not!) packed.
-8:50 (on a good day) leave for work/school
-9:00 school starts/work starts
-9:00-2:00 I work while Julianna, Rowan, and Teague (7 months) are in "school" at the church, where I work.  Teague (who is finicky about bottles) is sometimes brought to me to eat, and sometimes I pump-depends on the day.
-2:00 pick up the preschoolers
-2:30ish make it home for a few minutes of down time.
-3:15-leave for carpool :)
-3:45-boys in the car
-4:15-home from carpool
-after school varies a bit day-to-day.  Seamus normally has a bit of homework to do.  We try to play outside, pick up the house a bit, etc. 
-5:15- on Monday and Wednesday Seamus has karate
-5:45- on Tuesday we have "Life together group" (bible study type group)
-4:45-on Thursday julianna has gymnastics
(are you lost yet?!)
-Monday nights Kevin has class and doesn't get home until 9:30, so I am on my own with the kids. We eat dinner, take baths, and try to get everyone asleep by 8:30.
-Tuesdays with LTG we don't get home until close to 9:00-so the kids make a "beeline for bed" and we try to have the lights out by 9:00.
-Wednesdays we eat dinner at the church after karate and the 2 big kids go to choir, then we are home at 7:30 for books, teeth, and bed by 8:30.
-Thursday, things are pretty calm.  My mother-in-law takes Julianna to gymnastics. So I cook a nice dinner, we eat together, play and enjoy each other.  Then to bed by 8:30.
-Fridays vary.  Sometimes we have something planned, but often we watch a movie on netflix and have dinner "picnic style" in the living room.
-I am out of the kids rooms by 9:00 on a good night.  At which point I put in a load of laundry (current goal, get that done earlier in the day!) and make lunches for the next day/try to ge tthe kitchen picked up a bit/spend time with my husband/catch up on TV shows :)
-I would love to say I am in bed by 10:30, but that would be a big fat lie.  Most nights I am asleep by 12:00.  11:30 is a great night!


Whew! Writing it down it looks even crazier then it feels.  Somedays I feel like life is simply zooming by.  Somedays I really miss being a Stay at home mom, but I do love my job.  I try my hardest to slow down when I can, and enjoy my precious children.  My life is busy, but happy. 

So how is that for a first blog post? I will try to make the others a bit more interesting, but I felt the need to start off with a bit of an explanation of what our life looks like right now.  So with that, I am signing off!!