8 Favorite Things

I have so much to be thankful for. And in fact, I'm really trying to cherish these last days with my family as a family of five. So in honor of Day 8, you can have a taste of 8 of my favorite things right now.





1. One of my favorite things is that these sleepyheads greet me every morning. Seeing their tousled hair and sleepy eyes starts my day off right...I love walking into their room every morning to greet them (unless it's an usually early morning-like before 6 am but that doesn't happen too often).



2. Thursday morning donuts is one of my favorite things right now. Steve meets his Dad for coffee and donuts quite early every Thursday and Grandpa always sends home a donut for each of the boys. I love that I don't have to worry about breakfast and everyone else benefits from the arrangement. And even though I tell Steve to please NOT pick-up a donut for me, I do get a few bites off of the boys' so that makes me smile too.


3. One of my favorite things is seeing how excited the two older boys are about having a baby sister. They really like feeling her move and kick. This is the first pregnancy that I've been able to involve the kids in. Before, they just weren't old enough to understand. Now, it's a mystery and wonder to them and I love watching that. As for Josh, well he just likes pulling my shirt up, patting my belly and saying "baby". That's about the extent of it for him. But it's still cute though.

4. All right...I'm not going to lie. One of my favorite things is getting a Minute Maid Light Lemonade from Safeway when I have to go to the grocery store. It doesn't have any caffeine, has very few calories and just tastes refreshing. Good thing I don't live that close to the store or I'd be tempted to go more often. Right now, I probably get one once a week and it always feels like such a splurge.

5. So even though everyone's kinda been a little crazy this week, Isaac and Caleb have been saying some pretty funny things. So their comments lately have been one of my favorite things. Here are a few examples:
Last night before drifting off to sleep, Caleb informed me that in the morning, if there were any bad guys or pirates, he would save me. He also reminded me that he had 100 big guns and 100 little guns and they had a lot of "stuff" (namely "blood pokes") in them. And that as a back-up, he had swords too. Wow...I'm feeling pretty safe. Thanks buddy.
I mentioned to Isaac that he was almost five years old and was SO big. Very matter-of-factly he said to me, "Yeah mom. Everyday I just keep eating and eating and eating and so that makes me grow bigger and bigger and bigger. If I keep eating so much, I'll be as big as Dad." That one made me laugh out loud. They've been making me laugh a lot lately.

6. One thing I'm very, very thankful for is the outpouring of love our family has experienced over the last few weeks. I'm not going to remember everything (so please forgive me) but here are some highlights and things people have done to bless us. We really have wonderful friends and family.
-One of my friends has been helping me catch up on my ironing by taking four shirts for me a week for the past month. I didn't want to let her do it but she insisted. I'm happy to say that I finally caught up this weekend. She's also helped me change the sheets on my boys' bunk bed because there's NO way I can take them on and off now, especially off the very top.
-A few friends have offered/brought meals to me in the last week which has been a HUGE lifesaver for me (remember the hotdogs and mac n cheese?)
-One friend called me last night to just encourage me and tell me that she loves me and that I'm doing great. Such a blessing. It meant so much to me.
-My Mom always comes weekly to see the boys but has been extra attentive and helpful with all sorts of things. Both of my parents helped me two weeks ago too when Steve went out of town. I love you guys!!
-My in-laws have also been a huge help! They watched the boys for our last date. And when I had to take Joshua in to get his leg x-rayed, Steve's mom met me there, helped me with the kids and then took Josh to get his x-ray since I couldn't do it (pregnancy). I usually don't mind taking the kids to the doctor but this appointment was soooo long and I'm soooo large/slow it was very nice having her there! Thanks Grandma!
-One of my friends brought me a dozen roses today, just because. And they're so beautiful.
-Seriously, I could go on...people have been blessing us left and right. Thanks everyone!!

7. One of my favorite things is that it's summer. And this is pretty much the scene at our house. The boys go outside after nap/quiet time and "water" the garden. They usually get so wet that we strip them down and they come to dinner in their underwear. Then, they wrestle with Dad which always involves hilarious costumes and weapons for all three of them. Most nights they get a bath and then Steve reads The Chronicles of Narnia before they drift off to sleep. Can't beat that summer schedule. Watching it all is one of my favorite things.

8. But really, most of all, my favorite thing is this amazing man. He is such a gentle rock, a servant leader and a tender tower of strength. He works SO hard to keep us all well provided for and has been balancing teaching summer school, an intensive Geometry grad-school class, a very pregnant wife and three small boys. He does it with class, patience, gentleness, strength and tenacity. Eight years in, I love him more now than ever.

These are a few of my favorite things.

9 Days to go

9 Reasons I Know I'm at the End

1. I woke up from a short nap yesterday and couldn't shake the feeling that I just wanted to cry. Did I have any reason? No! And I had a difficult time getting out of my funk. Hormones are reaching peak levels...caution...beware. I'm trying to keep a lid on things but the pressure is building. This is not an excuse for bad behavior but I can definitely feel that I'm not my normal self.

2. I've had a perpetual eye twitch for a few weeks now. The only other time I had such an eye twitch was in the weeks leading up to my wedding. It's a combination of subconscious stress and fatigue. Yeah, definitely getting close.

3. None of my shirts fit. Nothing more to really say about that.

4. My patience with the children is wearing a bit thin. Part of it is probably my own attitude which can translate to the boys, but it seems to me that everyone is having a tough week. Joshua still isn't walking whatsoever (sprained his leg/ankle this last weekend wrestling with Dad and brothers) so that means that when we go anywhere I have to carry him around. And the older two have been skirmisching (is that even a word?) more than usual. Maybe all of us know change is around the corner.

5. I've still got a few little things left on my To Do List but I have absolutely no desire to complete them. I'll be forcing myself to do them. A week ago the nesting urge was still strong. Now...I'd rather sleep.

6. As far as cooking dinner goes, we've sadly had to resort to things like hot dogs, grilled cheese, mac n' cheese and pancakes. These things aren't bad at all sometimes; however, I've been using them a little more than I'd like to. And to top it all off, I'm hungry but nothing really sounds good to eat.

7. Except, I have been craving the largest Diet Coke known to man and chocolate chip cookie dough. When you go so many months without, it just sounds so wonderful at the end. Over the weekend, I had some Diet Coke...she's developed now so I don't feel too bad. However, after getting a little taste of caffeine, all I want is more. Who said caffeine isn't addictive?

8. When I lay in bed to go to sleep at night, I have to reach out my arms to find my poor husband. It's like he's in a different country. My belly has gotten so big, I can't even cuddle close to him anymore and we're usually pretty close sleepers. Not to mention the jungle gym of the pillows. Shoot!

9. But here's the kicker...I must be nearing the end because I'm actually looking at the hospital stay with me, Steve and the baby as a vacation. All of you moms out there who just had their first child will probably be horrified by that statement. Vacation!!! How could it be? But trust me. To me, that extended weekend with the three of us (even without a full night's sleep) is pretty much sounding like paradise to me.

All in all, we're doing fine. I'm just trying to keep things light and laugh at myself a bit as I reach the end. So ha ha ha!! But truthfully, all of us here are really starting to get excited to meet that little girl.

10 days to go

In honor of our little girl's arrival, scheduled to come in ten days, I've decided to post a sort-of countdown. I think it'll help me get through these last days...mentally that is.

So today's countdown is....

10 Things I'm Really Excited About Having a Girl

1. I can't wait to teach my daughter to cook and bake.

2. Dressing a girl...after 3 boys, need I say more?

3. How her presence will influence our family. We've been tipped so heavily in the boy direction, I'm really interested and excited to see how her addition to our family will affect our boys, my husband and myself.

4. Doing her hair. I've always wanted to have a little girl so that I could do her hair all cute. Lots of braids and pigtails. I LOVE little girls with pigtails.

5. Just have someone like me in the house. I'm not saying she'll look like me-in fact, all of my boys look SO different that I am not really sure what she's going to come out looking like. I just mean, that it'll be nice to have some more femininity in the house besides myself.

6. Being a mother of the bride. Not to say that being a mother of the groom is bad because it isn't. But being a mother of the bride is different and really special.

7. Tea Parties, ballet, dress-up and dolls. I'm a little more suited to that kind of play. Nevertheless, I have gotten pretty good at guns, space ships, trains, legos and tinker toys.

8. Taking her with me, when age appropriate, to girly events like showers.

9. The honor of teaching her what it means to be a Christian woman. I'm not really sure I know all there is to know but...through seeking the Lord's wisdom, I look forward to finding out how to pass on and instill values in her that will benefit her for a lifetime.

10. But the thing I think I'm most excited to see with having a girl, is how my husband reacts to her and their relationship. I think he has no idea what is in store for him.

AND.....

10 Things That I'm Intrigued/Scared About Having a Girl

1. So I just have to say this. I don't know how to change a girl diaper. I'm sure I'll figure it out but...so different!! At least I don't have to deal with a circumcision this time. I'll take learning the girl diaper over circumcision any day!

2. I'm scared of the attitude. Not that boys don't have attitudes from time to time but, I hear (of course I wouldn't know, ha ha) that girls can be more sassy. If my boys talk back it's pretty tame and they don't do it again once they're told to stop. Yeah...definitely concerned about the sass.

3. How to teach our daughter modesty. I'm not even sure how I learned it and I wonder how to communicate its importance to our little girl.

4. How to apply our principles/rules to a little girl. We must have the same standards but, I'm anticipating their application will be different and at times softer. How to work that boggles me. She could possibly be our last (not sure) so I also don't want her to be spoiled either. Finding that balance will be hard. I guess we'll figure that out as we go.

5. How to let her be girly in the midst of boy land. Trying to let her be who she is will be interesting when all she has around her are three older brothers.

6. How to switch parenting modes from boy to girl. I know parents do this all the time but I've never had to switch. It's always been the same. Maybe it won't be that hard. But to me it's a mystery.

7. Drama. Like sass, I hear girls can be more drama. I know they're definitely more emotional. I mean, I am. Not sure how to deal with that.

8. The teenage years and all of their "changes". My husband and I both agree that boys should talk to Dad about that kind of stuff and girls should talk to mom (when the time comes). Until now, I had pretty much gotten out of talking to anyone about the birds and the bees. Ah man...at least I have some years to prepare.

9. Protecting her. Mostly this will come from her Dad but I just want to shield her from so much of the world and have her make wise decisions. Letting her fail will probably be harder for me to watch than my boys. I don't know why.

10. But the thing I'm probably most scared about is me being a good role model. Of course she's going to look to her Dad but she's going to take her cues about femininity from me and I hope I'm up for the task. God willing, through lots of learning, failing and being covered with God's grace, I'll be able to show her what it means to be a woman.

The Last Hurrah

Last night Steve and I ventured out for our last date (for awhile that is). We dropped the kids off at Grandma and Grandpa's and then headed to the harbor for a relaxing dinner on the water. It was beautiful out and it was so nice to look each other in the face and talk without any interruptions. Seriously....sheer bliss. It's always fun to talk and process through the upcoming events and all the changes that will be coming to our family. We always end up marveling at how God has so graciously provided for all of our needs. I have no idea how the transition to four is going to go...I'm trying to keep my expectations realistic and low.


This is the scene we left and we didn't have to pick them all up again until this morning. So we got some great time together. Steve did have a project due for the grad school class he's in last night so we headed home after dinner. But seriously, that was fine with me. I'm not really one to paint the town red when I can no longer see my toes. So we had a quiet evening in after his project was sent off (he pretty much had it ready to go). This morning we slept in until 7 (meaning we didn't get out of bed until 7-hardly ever happens) and then went for a walk. I don't even remember the last time we took a walk by ourselves. That was wonderful too.

And today...well, it's shaping up to be a pretty good day. Birthday party this afternoon....Sabbath Dinner tonight. Earlier today little Joshua sprained his ankle while wrestling with his Dad and big brothers but, not too much damage was done. He just can't walk. And with how active he is and how incredibly huge/tired I am...I'm thinking that may just be a blessing from the Lord. I'm sure he'll be back up to speed in just a few days giving me just enough time to catch my breath.

Happy Saturday!

Doing our Duty and an Update

Sorry for the lack of blogging. I'm 38 weeks today and just trying to keep up with the masses here. My To Do List is shrinking though and I'm starting to feel as though we'll be "ready" when she comes. But who knows what the next two weeks will bring. Friday night Steve and I will get one last date by ourselves for quite some time and I'm looking forward to that as well. Everything seems to be on schedule to deliver the little girl two weeks from Friday. Let's hope I make it.

But onto other things. So, last night we participated in California's Primary Elections. We usually try and make the effort to vote even if it's not convenient. It's important. We've got a system down now where one of us goes in to vote and the other watches the kids in the car. Then we switch. I always tease Steve and ask him who he voted for and why. Most of the time we're the same...every once in awhile we're not quite. Well, before we went, Isaac asked me what voting was and I tried to explain it to him as best as I could. He then asked if he could go with me. I thought, well, why not?! So I took Isaac in with me to vote and when it was Steve's turn, he took Caleb.

When Steve got back to the car, he looked like he was going to burst. My mind immediately went through the turn of events and what possibly could've happened. I asked him if all was well and he said, "Not now...get in the front." Intrigued, I got into that front seat as fast as I could considering my size. I'm sure it wasn't pretty. He then went on to tell me that Caleb did great inside and watched him vote and everything. He even got to put the ballot into the electric ballot box. I'm waiting for the punch-line. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then Steve said that he had noticed Caleb looking all around like he was waiting for something. Steve thought he was just intrigued by being inside the Fire Station (that's where we vote).

However, that evidently wasn't it. As they were walking out, Caleb grabbed Steve's hand and very respectfully but forcefully said, "DAD! Why didn't we get on the boat!! Where's the boat?" It took Steve a second to realize what he was talking about. The boat?! What?! Aaaaahhh...that whole time, Caleb thought they were going on a boat, not going to vote. No wonder he seemed so pleased to go. The poor kid had waited so patiently all that time only to find out there wasn't any boat. Steve held in his laughter as best as he could and then explained to Caleb that they weren't going on a boat but had gone in to vote. To which Caleb replied, "Oh, okay." At least he was all right with the switch. Who knows where he thought they were going.

Man, I love that kid.

The Walk of Shame

So I'm going to let you all in on a little event that happened to us today. I'm not sure why I feel like laying it all out, but I guess it's just therapeutic to write about it and be able to laugh a little. It also goes to show that we're just not perfect, our kids can have rough days despite our training and it's just the nature of motherhood. So...you can all be encouraged that this wasn't you today because believe me..in the moment, I wanted to walk out of the store and leave myself there with the brood.

Errands aren't usually a problem for me. Sometimes I have issues with one of the children and we need to take a visit to the car to deal with an attitude. However, you don't have to do that often for them to know that you're serious and that you really will deal with them if they don't listen, so usually, my children are fairly pleasant. Normally I get a lot of comments, mostly positive, some weird looks but I know we're quite a crew. Not only do I have three small children who are fairly close in age but, I'm very pregnant and I have all boys. So the usual comments of having all boys, being busy, and am I having a girl, come quite often but they don't bother me much. I know this can bother some moms but, really I know I'm sporting a little army with me everywhere I go so I don't blame others for their curiosity or even their disdain at times. It's just the way it is. But in general, my boys usually do just fine on errands and I feel I can take them anywhere with me. In fact, I enjoy taking them with me places.

So, I decided to run a few errands today. Nothing unusual. I needed to head to the fabric store to pick-up a bit more fabric to finish a blanket I'm working on for #4. I thought the craft store would be the hardest stop so we went there first. I mean, what kid doesn't LOVE looking at craft stuff. And what a disaster for me if I don't have a plan. We started off well and I reminded the boys of the rules before we got out of the car. Isaac basically spelled it all out for me..."No running, talk quietly and obey mom." Great! We all understand each other. I spied a cart and decided it would be best for me to put Joshua in it. We went in. We picked out our fabric. Both older boys listened fairly well and we were out of there in no time. Success!!

On to the next stop. I needed to go to Trader Joe's but decided to stop at the mall play area before going there since it's right across the street. Sometimes I like to surprise the kids and just pull-in there first when they're not expecting it. Of course, they were elated. "You just wanted to bless us Mom!" Isaac squealed. Well, yes I did. Plus, I won't be doing too many of those stops after the new baby comes, at least for awhile, so I'm trying to fit in some "blessings" in these last weeks. In they all trekked, happy and ready to play. I again reminded them that when I told them it was time to go that they were to have cheerful hearts and attitudes. They played. They laughed. They all slid down the slide together holding onto each other...all three of them. I wish I had my camera. It was great. And I merely sat and watched for almost an hour. Bliss for me. Once time was up, they happily put on their shoes and headed out. Success!

But something smelled...bad...and I realized it was Joshua's diaper. And then I noticed I didn't have any wipes. Wonderful. I had to do something. I found a diaper in the car and some napkins and did the best I could. I could clean him up better when I got home. We just had one more stop. Meanwhile, the older two started fighting in the car. I knew I smelled a rat. I should've known that trouble could be around the corner. Yet, I got them calmed down, Josh in his seat, and across the street we went.

Trader Joe's is my happy place. I love it there. If I just want to smile while on errands, I go there and we all get a snack from the sample area. Therefore, the sample lady who is often there, knows us well. I'm the big pregnant lady with three little boys. But I'm digressing. The point is that Trader's is just a wonderful place for me. I don't know why. I just love all of the different cheeses, yogurts, gourmet items and I especially love the prices for certain things. It just makes me feel at ease when I'm there. We started out our trip well. I even splurged a little and got the boys some banana chips which are way too expensive but fun for an extra treat. They were gurgling with excitement. And I was feeling good. I knew I was already getting a few stares with my burgeoning belly and mini army but I was all aglow. As I turned to check the price on an item, all of the sudden, I heard a very loud crash.

Within a split second, I had whirled around to see our cart lying on its side, Caleb pinned underneath and Joshua sprawled on the floor. The loud thud I had heard was Joshua's head hitting the concrete. Both boys were screaming at the top of their lungs and people were scampering away from me like mice. I'm trying to pick them both up off the floor amidst screams and I'm not having much success (remember the large belly). The sample lady, who knows me well, came over to help and got the cart off of Caleb. Luckily, she didn't recoil from me like everyone else. I swear, it was like we had the plague. My middle child can scream quite loud and it takes some time to get him to calm down when he's upset. I've got the baby in my arms, Caleb in a puddle on the floor and Isaac is checking with everyone to make sure they're all right.

I had to do something fast. Suddenly, an idea came to me. The bathroom. Just get to the bathroom so you can comfort everyone and calm the little boys down. I begin to make my way over there and the herd of people parted like the Red Sea. Every step was labored and I didn't know if we were going to make it to our refuge on the other side of the store. Caleb was getting more upset because I was literally dragging him, while lugging Joshua, still screaming, in one arm.

Once I made it past the fruits and veggies aisle, I started to get more than the frightened, scampering looks and people were just staring me down. I'm sure they were all thinking, "Someone tell this lady to stop having children!!" You see, those people didn't know that my children had just taken quite a huge fall and they thought that I was just dealing with tantrums. But I was too determined to care. I continued to trudge my way over to that bathroom as I could see it gleaming at me in the distance. It took for.ev.er to get there. And the thought that kept running through my mind was, "Wow...it's been quite some time since I've had a Walk of Shame. I guess I was due (in more ways than one)."

The walk of shame is what Steve and I call it. It doesn't happen often and usually it's due to bad behavior. But you all know what I'm talking about. You've got a screaming child that you can't deal with properly in public, mostly due to the child's hysteria, so you must remove them from the situation to properly address the problem. Nevertheless, you must walk through a sea of people to get there, who are all staring at you like you're a lunatic. That, my friends, is what we call The Walk of Shame. And today, I had another, labored, trudging, outright embarrassing, Walk of Shame.

After what seemed like an hour and many stares/shakes of the head later, we made it to our refuge, shut the door and all huddled on the bathroom floor. Yes, the floor. I know, at this point, I was just shameless. And I'll admit it right now, I didn't even wash their hands before we left. It had taken all of my energy to get to that bathroom. I couldn't do another thing but simply comfort my boys. So, I calmed them all down, pulled myself together and then determined to finish the shopping trip. And that's what we did. We walked out of that bathroom and finished our shopping.

Events like this remind me that no matter how good the plan, or how well everyone may be acting, trouble can always lurk around the corner and you never know what you might be getting yourself into. And it's good to experience these things as tough as they are. I'm not perfect. My kids aren't perfect. I never dreamed Caleb could tip that cart over on accident like he did. The kid doesn't even weigh 40 pounds yet. But God gives us grace in the moment and helps us navigate our Walks of Shame. I was pretty embarrassed but knew it would pass and that I'd be able to go home and laugh about it all later.

Maybe Super Mom would've been able to handle it differently. I don't know because I'm not her. But what I do know is that God gives us humility in many forms. Some are easier to swallow than others. A lot of times mine come from an experience with one of my children. Today was no exception. But as a wife and mom, these things shape me and help me be a better Christian.

And it's not Trader's fault. Still without exception, even with the Walk of Shame today, Trader's is my happy place. But I've learned my lesson: next time, I'll just be sure to remind Caleb not to grab onto the side of the cart and I won't let that cart out of my sight, not for one split second.

Showered

I have some great friends. Today I was given a shower by my neighbors who are also my buddies and it was simply wonderful. I told them from the beginning that I didn't need a shower as this is my fourth child. Yet, they still went all out and showered us with many blessings. From the amazing cake my friend Monica made to the decorations, everything was simply perfect. It was a really special time. Both my mom and Steve's mom made it and my dear sister-in-law from San Jose also came. There were various Monte Vista staff as well as friends/neighbors who are all a part of our community here. I am so blessed to be loved so much!! I must say...it was QUITE fun to have a girly shower. I've never had one of those before. I couldn't stop smiling and all of my boys had a great time too (especially when all the yummy food came out).

My friend Monica MADE this cake. Isn't it amazing? She really is talented.


All of the food was so incredibly delicious and so thoughtful. Basically, they made all of my favorite things from the pineapple cheese ball to broccoli and bacon salad. I felt so honored by the careful thought they put into the food.

My mom with Caleb and my nephew Christos. Good things both grandmas were there because they really helped with the kids. Thanks Grandma and Yia Ya!!



Isaac helped me open all of my presents. Truthfully, it was really helpful because I couldn't reach very far into the bags to get stuff out. Isaac dutifully helped (yeah right...he was more than happy to "help" my open stuff).


Josh ate just about everything in sight but he was a trooper. The shower went well into his nap time and he pulled through just fine. Thanks Grandma for getting him home right after to take a nap.

Things started out a bit rough for this one when he couldn't have a chocolate covered strawberry right off the bat. Nevertheless, he bounced back when the food came out and helped himself to quite a few Wheat Thins. I just love this kid.


Isaac and his best buddies at Monte Vista. These kids have grown up together these past five years and love each other so, so much.


Me and my Mommy!! Of course, in her style, she showered us with a TON of cute stuff and helped watch the boys too. Thanks for coming and bringing Theodora Mom!!

I didn't get a picture of the two girls who put on this wonderful show for me today so, I'll just mention their names. Monica and Allison, you gave me the most beautiful shower ever. I felt so overwhelmed by everyone's generosity and I'm truly thankful you guys are my close friends and that we get to raise our kids together and just do life together. Thanks for all your hard work!!

We are truly blessed and are excitedly waiting the arrival of baby girl, #4, in three weeks. It'll be here before we know it. And after today and all that loot...I've got a lot of work to do!!