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AND

I'm taking this opportunity to revamp who I follow. I'm being daring and not importing my current blogs...Oh my!!!

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Limbo

Analyzing.

Planning.

Contemplating.

Wondering.

Worrying.

The adrenaline rush.

The unknown.

The approach.

The execution.

:::----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------:::

The other side.

Joy or Sadness?

Success or Failure?

Keeping My Fingers Crossed

Someone is turning seven in just a few short days. I can't believe it. Time has just flown by! And all I can seem to hope for, for my sweet girl this year, is that she actually gets to celebrate her day the way she intended. 

She's been hit hard with the flu bug and has been running a crazy fever for the last four days. So far, she hasn't been to school this week and her big Knott's Berry Farm day is fast approaching. 

So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she kicks this stinkin' bug, that the rest of us stay symptom free, and that my sweet sensitive girl's birthday isn't ruined by the flu bug.

Fingers crossed!

The Things They Say {Thursday}

Me: "What does Thatcher want to be when he grows up? A doctor, a lawyer, a baseball player?"

Maddi: "Mom, I think he's going to be a doctor and have lots of girlfriends because he's so handsome!"

Me: "Really Monkey? You think? What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Maddi: "I just want to be a stay at home mom with three babies."

On days when I think I am failing as a mama, I will try to remember this conversation. My daughter just wants to be a stay at home mama with three babies. It's her hearts desire and a choice that isn't driven by education, money, or the desire for things. It is pure and honest. I now know that when I feel like I am failing, on the worst of days, and the most horrible of moments, I am still doing something right because all my little girl wants to be is a mama.

Simply Live {#2}: My Hoarder Tendencies

I wouldn't say I'm a hoarder. Not in the true sense of the word. With that said, I have A LOT of stuff. I think it stems from time...we buy or are gifted things, life gets busy, and somehow I never purge. So I pile, and I pile, and I pile. It's bad!

Over this past summer, when preparing for our little guy, we cleaned and purged all summer long. Then we stopped. It's time again...the stuff is making me crazy!

I had this insane idea that if I documented it here, maybe it will keep me more focused?!?! We shall see! But it's time to eliminate the stuff and I plan to be ruthless!

Life Lately {via Instagram}

I love Instagram!

Love isn't even a strong enough word. I'm obsessed with Instagram!

It allows me to document so much of our life that I normally wouldn't if I had to carry around my big old camera. The only down fall is now I find myself not documenting our life on a real camera. Oooppsss!!!!!!

And, even though I know Instagram is nothing new in "Blogland", I thought it would be fun to recap my favorite snaps every once and a while. Oh, and I may or may not, be sharing a little Instagram project I did around these neck of the woods!

So life lately via my Insta feed:

This guy is getting so big. We finally finished sorting through his preemie clothes. I just had to snap this pic to remember he really was that little!

Laneydoo has taken to Instagram as well! She shoots and picks a "color" for her photos at least two times a week. This snap of her brother is one of my recent faves!

This girl is becoming such a little lady. I look at her and think, wow, we made that...blessed! Then she'll do something that drives me completely insane and I think...what were we thinking? Mama-hood, right?

Over the weekend we stayed the night in Huntington Beach. When we were walking to dinner, I realized the spot we sat and talked on our first date was right up the street. I fondly refer to it as the first date fountain. We drank coffee and talked for hours that night. Fifteen years later, here we are with our babies. If you told me then that in fifteen years I'd be sitting in the same spot with a hubby and three babies, I would have kindly told you what you were full of. I guess sometimes life has different, better plans for us!

The mister ran in the HB half marathon this weekend. That's him waving with the white hat and blue shirt. The tall dude waving is his cousin and Mr. T's Nino. At first I thought it was silly for The Mister to do a half. He's already done the full distance with his tri's but now I get it. It's about training and time. He did good:  01:50:40 something. He finished and said he wants to get faster. Translation: here we go again! Oh, and, I really don't understand why people pay so much money to inflict pain on themselves. I'm working on figuring this out!

The race was on Super Bowl Sunday. Needless to say, we didn't attend any parties. We were all pretty wiped out so this is how we watched the game.

Last, I opened this today, realized it's February and that it's about to get crazy in this hood! No really...crazy, crazy, crazy town. You know, more than usual! We officially slow down in June...say what?

Oh, and P.S., you can find me on Instagram @mjpohl1999.

{3} Months

My sweet, sweet baby boy...I can not believe you're three months old (almost four). I know I'm a little late on this post but thought it important for posterity's sake.

At three months old you:

* Sleep mostly through the night. Usually you fall asleep about 8 and wake up at 4. It is AWESOME!

* Are now cloth diapered full time...finally!

* Roll from your belly to your back intentionally.

* Have finally found your hands and they're always in your mouth.

* Don't really care for a pacifier.

* Smile when you nurse.

* Aren't really a fan of baby wearing but we're working on it. You'd rather be carried in someones arms.

* Sleep in your crib like a big boy.

* Are crazy addicted to white noise.

* Are cooing all the time. Sometimes you coo, laugh, and smile at the same time and in those moments I'm reminded that this is what life is all about.

* Spit up all the time just like Daddy did. Which means you and I always smell like baby barf. Most of the time I can handle it but on your worst days, it's no longer a sweet smell...we just smell funky!

* Have the biggest smiles for people but not so much for cameras.

* Have sisters that make you really really happy, then usually scare you with their crazy!

The Things They Say {Thursday}

This Girl:

"Mom, I never want to go to Africa because there are hyenas there. Did you know they can like snap your bone in half?"

Really Monkey, really? I guess we're never going to Africa. You know, just in case we should run into bone snapping hyenas.

In other news, this guy:

Has decided to start rolling over from his belly to his back. We suspected he was doing it last month but had never seen him actually do it. We have now witnessed it three times. It's all just too fast if you ask me but he seems rather proud of himself.

A New Years Resolution: Of Sorts

I vowed to no longer blog during the day. There is simply no longer any time to blog. If I blog during the day time or evening time hours, it's taking time away from my love, from my kids, from our home.

This vow has posed quite a problem of sorts. If I'm not blogging in the day time and I'm not blogging in the evening, when will I blog? When will I write, edit photos, express myself in the way only this blog allows?

Try as I might, my mind couldn't seem to come up with a solution to this problem. Then it dawned on me...get up earlier. Set your alarm, drag yourself out of bed, make a cup of coffee, and write while the house is quiet and my time is my own. And yet, this solution still poses some problems. Mostly, in that, I am absolutely and emphatically not a morning person.

So we'll see how long this lasts, this blogging in the morning!

2013: Seeker of Contentment

Hello lovely 2013!

I have so many things in store for you this year. Big dreams, lofty aspirations and of course goals, goals, goals. And while I would love to say that all of these, resolutions per se, are of the utmost importance for 2013, I know this would be a lie. For me 2013 will be focused on this season of our life. I want to spend my precious days searching for contentment in all things, seeking joy, and above all finding the calm and quiet amongst the crazy.

I want the satisfaction of knowing that while life is not always sunshine and rainbows we are spending our days seeking the best from this life. The moments that are the most resounding, and above all, settling down into being a family of five.

With that, I've already prepared myself to say "No" a lot. In the past few years, I've realized saying "Yes" is a time suck...from my family, from quiet, from contentment, from joy. The more I say yes, the less quality time I spend on the things that are truly important. So saying "No" will be a huge part of 2013.

So hello 2013, it's a pleasure to meet you. I hope that you and I enjoy this time we've been given together!

Till The New Year

Two Months Old

I can't believe Mr. T is two months old. Oh time, you are such a thief. Stop, please just stop making my babies get bigger.

I love this picture of my little guy. I think he means some serious business. Maybe he was over mama taking pictures of him. Maybe he was just going number two. Either way, I think his face is priceless!

At two months old you've:

* Doubled your weight. When you came home from the hospital you were 5lbs. 1oz. You now weigh in at a healthy 9lbs. 12oz.

* Are 20 inches long. An inch a month...not bad!

* Have grown out of all your preemie clothes, are working on your newborn, and some of your 0-3 month clothes are actually starting to fit.

* Nurse like a champ!

* Are a mama's boy through and through but are slowly warming up to your daddy.

* Have the most sensitive bum of all our littles. You're making cloth diapering quite difficult!

* Rarely take a formula bottle as a supplement anymore.

* Could take or leave a pacifier.

* Are having longer periods of contentment and no longer require mama's arms snuggling you 24/7. Insert a really big sigh. This is bittersweet.

* Finally have some meat on your bones and rolls on your legs. They're little rolls but they're so cute!

* Sleep from 10pm to 3am almost every night. I love you oh so much for this!

* And smile, you smile so much now. It just melts my heart!

* Oh, and when your really mad, you've been known to roll over from your back to your belly. It's happened once or twice now. You my love, are a strong little mister!

Welcome to Crazy Town

This is crazy town...

via PBKisses

Welcome!

Crazy town was established in October of 2012 when Mr. T joined our lives. When we ventured from two kids to three. When somehow life got flipped completely upside down and The Mister and I became outnumbered.

Most days are insane, literally insane. First born off to school, homework, dance, soccer, catechism, etc, etc. Middle child running through our home like a tornado creating utter destruction as I nurse or rock a little man. It's fun and enlightening. A few tears have been shed. Especially, when my sweet Laneydoo began thinking that a solution to her potty problems, when mama is distracted with brother and can't help her onto the potty, is to pee on the bathroom floor or poop in her hand. YES, I said poop in her hand! She has now carried two poops out to us with a smile on her face. Disgusting!

This is parenting at it's finest. This is what making memories is all about.

And yet...

Some days I think to myself, what did we get ourselves into. We are officially outnumbered. I find myself crying as I mop pee off the floor or ask my two year old to please put her sh*t in the potty. I now drop The Monkey off at school instead of walking her in and let's be honest every single morning I'm in that car still in my pajamas. Most days when The Mister comes home, before I kiss him hello, I do a mental check as to whether or not I've brushed my teeth that morning. Yes, not brushing of the teeth happens too! Disgusting but honest. I no longer dress Laneydoo. It requires too much time and too much effort. A solution to this problem is simply to let her choose which costume she will wear for the day. It's working and yet I know we will end up having issues because at some point, you just can't go to preschool dressed as a ballerina...whatevs! And Mr. T, he's just a mama's boy through and through and is the most finicky of all our children. Hello white noise for naps, say what? I've never had to do this (and quite honestly thought it was a bunch of new age parenting craziness) and I still think it's just one more bad habit but it helps that stinker sleep and I get a few moments of peace. I am now thoroughly and completely relegated to my place of never say never.

But...

This is our crazy and it's good...oh so good! Life is different, it's so much better and sometimes it's not. Sometimes I want to run away just for a day of peace and quiet, but most days, I just want to savor all these little moments of crazy for surely they are fleeting.

So this is it. Our new life. Our new place. It's beautiful. It's messy. It's Crazy Town!

On Giving Thanks

As our holiday weekend slowly comes to an end, I find myself rejoicing in all the things our family has to be thankful for.

We were fortunate enough this year to slip off to the family cabin for an extended five day trip. This year The Monkey got an extra day off from school, so we were rewarded with five glorious days of cabin time. Every other year we spend Thanksgiving up here with The Mister's family...all thirteen of us. And this year was the year!

I love the cabin because the cabin represents family. It embodies many other things too like romantic weekends, girl trips, snowboard trips, or just need a break trips. But the cabin is a place for quiet lazy days and most importantly family. Walks through the woods, movies, fires, games, reading, and eating. This is how we spend our days as a family when we're here.

With a new little man who loves his mama's arms, and a mama with tired nursing arms and an aching back, I have never been more thankful than I was this weekend for a house full of family. So many loving willing arms to pick that sweet boy up and give this mama's tired arms and back a break. Nannies, Ninas, and Aunties, that's what I'm most thankful for this year! They allowed me so many peaceful quiet moments, the kind you forget how much you love when you're snuggled up to a sweet smelling babe or when you're in the midst of your new constant "crazy." But when they're presented to you, those peaceful moments of quiet free arms, you remember how good it is to be just you and not fulfilling one of your many roles. You just get to be. And it is glorious and invigorating and you find yourself recharged.

OH, did I mentioned we moved? We reside in this new place called Crazy Town. More on that later!

So this year I'm thankful for the big stuff, the little stuff, the frivolous stuff, and quite honestly some of the selfish stuff.

Thankful 2012:

1. My life.

2. My hubby.

3. My babies.

4. My family.

5. A family cabin to escape to for some peace and some not so quiet.

6. A house full of crazy, happy, joyous, healthy, loud, and not always getting along cousins. But, none the less, cousins who are having fun and making memories.

7. Nannies, Ninas, and Aunties who hold a baby so a mama can read her book or enjoy her dinner without an attached barnacle. Eating sans attached progeny is something I never new I'd be thankful for...just keeping it real!

8. Movie/coffee date night with my sisters to see Twilight. And a MIL who is willing to watch a babe that likes to nurse constantly and who can be quite fussy when he's not in his mama's arms, making afore mentioned date night possible.

9. Three square yummy home cooked meals for five days straight. This is no joke, we are fed well and I'm not just talking about the Thanksgiving feast!

10. AND, the littlest of moments, because truly there are so, so, so many.

Remember, where you invest your love, you invest your life. As M & S would say, "this is what we believe," and I think never a truer word was ever spoken. This is what I believe!

So, be thankful. Be fulfilled. Be joyous. Just be...

My Boys

For the girl who thought her heart wasn't big enough or strong enough to have a loving and enduring relationship with a boy. You were wrong, oh so wrong! Turns out that your heart is big enough and strong enough for two boys.

And oh, how I love them!

Introducing

Thatcher Greyson

04-05-2012

4:08 p.m.

5lbs. 10 oz.

                                                

Oh how we love you so!

{7} More Days

Time is flying. If life were a stop watch, I would hit the stop button, not for long but for just a few seconds, to stop and take a deep breath. To look around this life of mine and freeze frame everything that surrounds me in that 30 seconds because life is flying by and flying oh so fast.

In seven short days, we will welcome our new little man to this world. I am filled with an abundance of emotions. So many, in fact, it's difficult to formulate the words to even express how I feel. Yet the clock is ticking, and seven days will be here in the shortest whisper of breath.

As we walked through this mornings routine, I wanted to freeze frame my own little moments.

For my Monkey, I realized that while we are in a sticky spot of her exerting her independence, it is also a marvelous thing to watch occur. Especially this morning, as she reminded me of all the things (book orders and privacy folders) to which I have yet to turn into her class. I think my pregnant self is slacking in these last few moments.

And for my Laneydoo, her language is developing so drastically. Yet, today, she still sounds like a baby. I know that sound is fleeting and one day soon I will wake up to a normal toddler voice...sigh!

And in just seven short days, we will enter our new season...

Twists & Turns

It's that moment when you realize your life is full of twists and turns. Your path is laid out before you, on that long winding road, and while you know that's the path you will travel, you still fear it. For it might be a long and arduous path but it will also be filled with the sweetest of victories. You know deep in your soul this road is the one you must take, even when the journey is extremely unclear.

I've realized this is my road and this is my journey. I don't know the end result, or really want to know; where I'll be or what is planned for me, but today I'm moving along my road slowly and steadily. There have been some bumps along the way, there are always bumps. Somehow, that is okay. The bumps and potholes are getting easier to manage. The revelations of life, less shocking and less stressful. More often than not, just joyous. For it's the journey that counts, not the end result.
My tank is full.

I'm ready.

My winding road has some twists and turns ahead but I finally feel equipped and ready for all that road has to offer.

34 Weeks

I'm 34 weeks along as of yesterday. Boy, has the time flown right by. Today, I met with my doctor and we discussed all the basics. As we went through the run down, we began discussing contractions. I explained I was having between three and four good contractions a day but never the magic four within an hour. She thought it best to check my cervix to see if the contractions have been doing their job.

Turns out they are...I am approximately 30% effaced...hmmmmm. This is so weird for me since with both girls I never once showed any early signs of labor. But no dilation.

So now we wait. My c-section is scheduled for 10/05/2012. We will see if I make it that long! I'm guessing I will but one never knows...

Back To School

My Monkey is a big ole 1st grader...say what?

I think I'm still a little dazed by the passing of time. Wasn't it just the first day of preschool?

Last year we started the tradition of our front porch pictures. In keeping with that tradition here is my girl and her BF for life...

The girl doesn't really do serious anymore. Oh well, this makes me laugh!

This is what you get after a summer of surf camp...Shaka Brah...yep, that's my girl!

And for posterity's sake, a sweet toothless grin. Those teeth are no where near growing back. She lost them back in kindergarten and still no signs of her front teeth. I think they may have come out a little to early just like the dentist had suspected.

What's up school? This is a prime example of little sis trying to copy big sis and it not working out as it should. Yet that face on Laneydoo is PRICELESS!

Sister love! These girls will be best friends for life. It's one of my #1 goals for raising these two. The may dislike me, be angry at me, want to move away from home but they will always, always have each other. I read over at Joy's Hope about how they have preached over their girls Carson's are best friends, no matter what. Then the realization strikes...why didn't I think of that. Such a simple reiteration of the value you hope to instill.

So what are Pohls? Pohls are best friends no matter what!