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.

A Day in the Life Part 2...

So now that the weather is getting nicer and people are beginning to emerge from hibernation, I decided it would be nice to have some friends over for dinner last night. I have ALSO decided that IF I wait to have company until I have the energy or the time to plan an amazing meal and present a spotless house, I will live a life of complete solitude. SO... I recently made the decision that I'm going to invite people over into my life AS IT IS. I will not kill myself trying to present a home that is mis-leadingly clean or a dinner that is to DIE FOR. I just want food, friends and company and to be able to focus on the important stuff. SO...that's what I did last night. I had some dirty dishes in the sink and I made hamburgers and frozen french fries. AND IT WAS GREAT! I did, however, question my new-found philosophy when in the middle of dinner, we all glanced over to look at the kids playing by the window. Our house faces the west and the setting sun that pierces into our living room is really REALLY unforgiving. I've never cared much for how it brightens up the dust bunnies in the corner or casts a spotlight on the layer of fuzz on pictures or tables. BUT I was completely unprepared for the show it was going to give everyone this night and I began to think MAYBE there were SOME things I should have thought of tidying up before company came....just check out the pics for yourself.







Yeah that IS a window. You can't even SEE out of the right side. I swear it doesn't look this bad until the sun shines through it. I had no idea! I don't even KNOW what the heck is on the hands of children that allows them to leave marks like that on the things they touch. Ryan said it looks like we're torturing kids in here. I laughed at the dinner table and pointed out the obvious to our guests and yes, pulled out my camera to take a picture. This is what you get when you come to my house for dinner. Me, sitting at the dinner table, actually MARVELING at my own poor housekeeping so much so that I see it as a photo-op. ALL in front of company. Perhaps I've crossed over the edge...you'll all let me know won't you???

Just another thing to laugh at myself for I suppose. More things to laugh at:

Mackenna spent all day today begging me to open each and every Dora band-aid in the box because she desperately wanted to see what they all looked like. I don't even know how to begin to respond to an inquiry like that. I was just too in awe of the workings of the Three-Year Old brain to even formulate the proper response.

Later on in the day, we had a "dance party" to celebrate the end of Mackenna's dance class at the Park District. Mom's were asked to bring a "finger snack" for all the kids to enjoy. I KNEW I should have planned something long before the day of, but I stupidly convinced myself I'd have time to run to the store before class and pick something up (I always forget how NOT EASY it is to "run to the store" now with all these laws about not leaving your children in the car. ANYWAY, I of course end up not having any time at all so I was forced to improvise last minute. Everyone arrives at the party and I take a quick look at the spread on the table. In one bowl are tons of HAND-WASHED perfecltly red strawberries WITH all the leaves cut off and divided into tiny little baggies for each of the kids. Someone else brought a deli tray and juice boxes for every child. DO YOU KNOW WHAT MY SNACK WAS??? A half open box of animal crackers that I already had in my cupboard that I dumped onto a paper plate when I arrived. I AM NOT MAKING THIS STUFF UP, PEOPLE. I tried to do it quickly so the mothers wouldn't see it was from me BUT then again, I wanted them to know that I at least DID bring a snack. I think the offense of not bringing ANY snack is way worse than bringing a crappy one right? I just want to know how on EARTH that strawberry-mother did what she did. I even commented to her on the 'great snack" and she said "Oh I was late to class today, don't be fooled". Oh yeah? I was late to class too and all I had to do was shove a box of crackers into a plastic bag.

Dinner time - I was feeling especially tired tonight so I set Grayson down at his little table with a dinner he could eat himself so I could take a much-needed break. Trying to push aside any guilt of opting out of the fabled "family dinner", I try to enjoy my rest. When I glance over to see how he's doing, I catch him doing "airplane" with his spoon TO HIMSELF - complete with sound effects. Tell me that wouldn't make YOU feel like the worst mother in the universe.


On a happy note, Mackenna has learned to ride her Dora powerwheels tricycle and I was literally BEAMING watching her little feet pedal that thing with the tenacity of an Olympic athlete. She rode that stinkin' bike all over the ENTIRE neighborhood tirelessly...and Grayson was perfectly contect to sit in the stroller and let me push him while he watched. It was peaceful, it was productive, and I LOVED IT!!!! Check it out...



Lastly - I had an awesome-mom moment today when Grayson woke up from his nap tired and cranky and SCREAMING. I was JUST getting ready to pick up the house and get stuff ready to head out the door (to the afore-mentioned dance party) when he woke up so I brought him out into the living room and tried to set him on the couch while I continued my work. BUT he wasn't having it. I sat with him for a second, wondering how and when I was going to be able to part with him so I could start picking up the toys and getting stuff ready to leave, when he grabbed his blankie and leaned over onto my shoulder. I held him for a bit, seriously struggling while I looked at the clock fast-approaching the time to leave AND over at all the toys I desperately wanted picked up before Ryan got home. BUT... he wasn't budging so I finally resigned and tried to focus instead on the moment, holding him and just enjoying the rest. We spent the next 15 minutes laughing as he pulled the lint balls off of his blanket and handed them to me, prompting me to give him and exaggerated "EW YUCK!!!" that he would return with a big belly laugh each and every time. It was cute, it was silly, and it was glorious...and I would have missed it had I not checked myself and just STOPPED. NOW you can see why I had to resign to animal crackers on a paper plate. And...I think he's worth it.

Oh but he DID poop in the bathtub AGAIN tonight. I'm beginning to think this is a real problem.

Well that's all for now...KEEP KEEPIN IT REAL, PEEPS!!!