Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This...

So...life with a new born, a toddler, and a pre-schooler has been a whirlwind. I've heard varying opinions on the subject, but I would definitely say THREE is a whole lot different from TWO. Suddenly I found myself looking around at all of these little people and thinking:

"Dang, there sure is a lot of them".

It kind of snuck up on me though, as these little humans typically do. It's not until you get them home and unwrap them that you really get a clue as to what's in store. As I mentioned before in my summation of my labor experience, Garrett started things off awesome by behaving himself and graduating to the status of a regular nursery baby, rather than a Special Care baby like our other two. This allowed for two days at the hospital filled with visitors and presents and laughter and joy...a first-time experiene for Ryan and I.

And it seems that the blessings just continued after we got home. Ryan was on paternity leave for two weeks (can you believe our world has come so far that men actually get PATERNITY leave?? I can just hear older men scoff...40 years ago, I thinks kids were lucky if their dads knew their first names). BUT alas, this is a new era and Ryan took advantage...and we enjoyed every minute of it. We had people bringing us meals and non-stop visitors for those two weeks.

THEN just as Ryan was getting ready to return to work and I thought reality might set in, his parents came to visit for 5 days...yea! I can prolong real life for a little while longer! So we're up to three weeks now, and I had yet to experience what real life was going to be like...though I knew it was looming and I would soon find out.

Well that day finally came. It was just a few days after Ryan's parents went home to Cape Cod. It was like I woke up to a newborn-hangover. All the noise and lights from the 3-week party still spinning in my head...yet the house was eerily empty. Except of course for those three little humans I was now charged with taking care of all by myself for the first time.

Welcome Baby Garrett Ryan Howe!

SO...he's finally here! Baby Garrett Ryan Howe joined us on July 25, 2009 - 11 days early! (I was SOOO happy about the early part) I had started preparing for labor to happen "any minute" at about month eight. Perhaps I was a little over-anxious...and I was DEFINITELY exercising some wishful thinking, but he came through for me... (atta boy!) But, before I talk about all the good stuff, I absolutely HAVE to talk about the storm BEFORE all the good stuff....that beautiful thing called Labor and Delivery. What a trip! As they say... "every woman's labor is different"...and that has been true even for my own labors - all three have been vey different. But this one takes the cake. I think if I had to title the whole experience, I would definitely have to call it "What the Crap".

Here we go...

So that Friday started out like any other day. I had an amazing morning with my neighbor Elizabeth...we took the kids to the park and then came back to her house to eat lunch and let the kids play. But then that afternoon when I got home, it happened. My water broke.

I wasn't sure what had happened...this never ocurred with my other pregnancies. So I called the doctor. She said either my water broke or I peed my pants. I was DEFINITELY crossing my fingers it was the first one. Not just because I was really hoping I was in labor but because I was really REALLY hoping I wasn't facing an incontinence issue - pregnant or not.

So I got to the hospital and my water had indeed broken. Weirdness set in a bit for me here...with my other two labors, there was something amazing about arriving at the hospital...there was such an air of excitement that kind of helped to distract from all the discomfort. BUT for SOME reason, this time around, the novelty had completley worn off. As I prepared to get admitted (i.e. signing paperwork and getting that stupid I.V. drip started), I was already over it. I was asking for my epidural before I even got out of triage.

Holy Smoothie, Batman!

Ok it's been a LOOOOOOOONG time since I've gotten a chance to post updates on here! As everyone knows, I've recently added number three to the mix - Garret Ryan Howe entered into the world on July 25, weighing in at 8 lbs 5 ounces...BUT more on that later. I first have to backtrack a bit to share something that happened a few weeks BEFORE Garret arrived. Everyone who's had a baby knows that the last few weeks of pregnancy, you are ready to reach in there and pull the baby out yourself if you could just be sure you wouldn't get arrested...or locked away. And with baby number three, that feeling started in with me at about month 5. SO that's how I was feeling this particular morning...very, very pregnant and very tired one (and also pretty hormonal but what else is new). I was also (of course) in a mad rush to get out the door. I don't even remember now where I was trying to go but apparently it was important. I decided to be a "good" mom on this day and make home-made smoothies for the kids...fresh blueberries included. THat is one thing I do enjoy doing for the kids...and it helps me get a fast breakfast down for myself as well. So I make the smoothie and hand cups over to the kids, asking them to please drink it in the kitchen. The plan is, they drink their breakfast while I get everything ready to head out and then I'll scoop them up, throw on shoes and voila! I will be walking out the door on time with kids who've eaten a healthy breakfast - SUCCESS! However, plans were once again thwarted when (and don't even ask me HOW this happened), Mackenna and Grayson collide into each other, each with their respective smoothies in hand...and (now this is the part I don't quite understand) this collision somehow caused Mackenn's smoothie to spill....no that's not the right word...ERUPT from her glass...I mean like VOLCANO style. It was ALL OVER THE KITCHEN. Let's remember this smoothie was made with blueberries...which makes it a PUTRID PURPLE color that is now melting down the sides of my cupboards, the refrigerator...I even found some in the bathroom off of the kitchen. I almost couldn't conceive of what had just happened. As I stood there in shock and amazement, Mackenna began crying because of the departure of her beloved smoothie...which then caused Grayson to cry because...well because he's two. So I now am trying to get out the door with purple smoothie all over my ENTIRE kitchen and two crying children. LIFE NEVER WORKS THE WAY WE PLAN!!!! So I will include some pictures but they don't do justice. For a LIVE ACTION VIDEO of this event, see below. Oh my life can make me laugh sometimes.

Oh and PS - In the Video you will several cries of "I WANT MY PROTEIN DRINK!!"......this is what we call the purple smoothies because of the shot of protein powder I put in them...just so you know.