Middle Child

RIVER TURNS 2!

I wanted to blog on his actual birthday, but of course as I say, life got in the way. On May 27th River turned 2! As the middle child I often fear that he gets overlooked a bit, so today he gets a blog post all about him.

My feisty River, born two days early. There is a lesson in there about me trying to plan life instead of letting life just unfold. I am still working on learning that lesson, but the learning began with River.

River was originally supposed to be Dylan John. Named after two great musicians & my grandfather. But after a day at the park & some lady screaming "Dyl, hey Dyl" at the top of her lungs, I just couldn't use the name anymore.

As I am laying in the hospital bed getting prepped for my c-section, I look at Jason & say "River, I think we should name him River." Jason is completely shocked as I have sworn over and over again I would never use this name due to the association of River Phoenix who died of a drug over-dose outside of a club. But I like it & in that moment I felt it. We worried what the family would think, but figured they could call him R.J. if they hated it. So, River he was named & he is living up to the free-spiritedness of this name.

River-my free-spirited child,

I love the way you run at me arms wailing yelling "Mommy!" and give me a big hug. I love watching your determination to conquer whatever you set your little mind to - from scaling the entertainment center to attempting to carry all of your balls at once. I love your wavy blond hair & your blue eyes. I love the way you look over your baby sister & take care of her by making sure she has her comfort items (binky & blankie) whenever she cries. I love watching you wrestle your brother. I love the sound of your little giggle. I love watching you dance to music - Weezer being your favorite band. I love the mischievous look in your eyes - though I am sure it will cause me some worry in the future. I love that I am certain there is a stash of lost items from the house that you have collected along the way. Happy Birthday, River! Your Mama loves you more than words could ever express.

When I Grow Up...

Here's a little secret...I wish I could be a party planner.

Before I had my kids, I loved planing parties. I never made any money off of them, in fact, I probably went into debt for most of them. I was the one that always volunteered to host the events. I just love creating a theme, finding or creating the perfect favor, organizing, selecting a menu, and finally watching everyone enjoy themselves.

I started with small birthday gatherings and then New Year's Eve parties. I then moved on to my favorite, bridal showers, which have only been for family members thus far. This I hold dear to my heart because of a very special promise I made with a loved one many years ago. Then came the babies & their showers.

I wish I had the business knowledge to turn this little hobby into something that could contribute financially to my family. I wish I had the time to devote to actually developing this idea and going with it. I secretly wish the wedding coordinator at the church would resign & I could have her job.

I have come to realize this is for another time in my life. The time now is to focus on my kids and devote my time & attention to them. I can, however, throw them the best parties of all!

So, when I grow up I can become a party planner!

Weighing My Options

Well, I did it and by posting it in my blog I will be held even more accountable...I joined Weight Watchers.

I've done this before and have been very successful at it, life just kept getting in the way - back surgery, fertility concerns, babies, knee surgery. I've tried doing it on my own, but I am a cheater. As much as I wish it wasn't true, I need the discipline of going someplace & having a stranger weigh me. I talked to my PCP about it & she agreed this program offered the greatest success among her patients. So, I did it, with no more excuses to get in the way.

What I hope to accomplish on this journey...weight loss is the apparent, but I want to create healthful eating habits for myself & my family. I want to explore & experiment with new recipes. I want to look for daily exercise that fits into this crazy life of mine. I want to set a good example for my kids. So, followers of mine, your job is to keep me on track, encourage me, & you will be rewarded with some yummy recipes!

Random Tost happenings/quotes:

Gav "Mom you are a rock star! Wait can girls be rock stars?"

Riv has turned his training potty into a basketball hoop.

Riv is binky free except at bedtime!

Livvy just continues to be the cutest thing ever. She is becoming more alert everyday.

Jayce starts a new job next week.

Big Bottomed Gal!

I am super excited...I have made the switch over to cloth with Livvy. I was so disgusted with the amount of diapers being disposed of around here. It was a necessity at the time. I didn't have any newborn sized cloth diapers & she was such a peanut, but she now fits into the size small ones.

We used primarily cloth with Gav until he was about 2 years old. Oh, the questions I would get when it was viewed as part of my baby shower registry. I liked living on the edge. See I truly can be a nature girl. Riv...well I tried. We'll say that he has been his own person since he entered this world. I love him even more because of it. As much as I wanted to use the cloth, he had other plans & would freak out at the slightest bit of moisture in his pants.

Back to Livvy, my laid back, go with the flow girl. Cloth thus far does not seem to bother her & her diaper rash has disappeared. I do realize that I am the mother of 3 now & that cloth all the time may get to be a little much, so I am making a small investment in the gdiaper system. www.gdiapers.com They have a disposable that is flushable/compostable/biodegradable. I made a trip to Whole Foods this weekend to get a trial pack. Verdict...I like them. They are a bit pricier than regular disposables, but the idea is that I will only use them when out & about or when I just get to overwhelmed & need a break, so in theory I should not be using them too often. I was also looking for an alternative that I would be able to send in to daycare. I understand that even though I am comfortable with cloth, others are not. I am hoping gdiaper will be the go between.

So, cheers to my big bottomed girl! She instantly graduated to her 0-3 month clothing.

Now, I have to check out these flannel wipes & wipe warmer my friend Julie is gushing about!

Safe Haven

Lutherlyn - my safe haven. It's my place to visit when I need to feel recharged.

Yesterday we packed the family up & headed to Lutherlyn for the annual Open House & Hike-a-Thon - a feat in itself! Extra diapers...check, change of clothes for everyone...check, mud play shoes...check, bottle & pump...check, etc. A simple outing has turned into an event that could potentially require a suitcase!

Our car rides would be a comic event for any outsider. We could take the easy way out & pop in a video in the DVD player, but when we inherited our van Jason & I agreed that this feature should not be used for any trip under an hour and a half. I could go off on a tangent with that but will save that for another time. So, if you were a bi-stander in our car you would observe, Jason & I pasting together sentences around interjections from Gav in the back..."I need a BIG backpack for camp" "Where's the tent?" "Are we going on an adventure?" "Can we play Dungeons & Dragons?" (cartoon, not role playing) "I'll be Bobby." Riv immediately takes off his shoes, then pretends he is an Indian & randomly shouts out "Bumble Bee!" (as he does frequently with no rhyme or reason). Weezer is playing in the background, everyone randomly bursts into song. It's chaos. But then the sacred drive up camp's driveway...radio off, silence observed, peace flows through the car.

Now the part I love...seeing & catching up with our camp family. Everyone there has been an influential part of my life at one point or another. Makes me so happy that I get to share this now with my kids & surround them with this unconditional love. Very few places I feel completely calm letting the boys run as far as I can see them & know that they are safe. I hope that Gav, Riv, & Livvy will grow up feeling like camp is a second home for them.

So, I feel recharged...I got to catch up with some of my closest friends and lounge on the dining hall porch with Livvy. Jason got to begin the planning of his annual guy's trip. Livvy got to sleep peacefully and soak up the fresh air. Gav & Riv got to be free spirits and run free for hours on end.

Now I feel ready to face the week ahead!