Motherhood...

  Some days there are times when the only way to define myself is by saying I'm a Mother. I think those days are the most exhausting, but also the most memorable. My most recent mom moment was while letting Quade run around without a diaper (first mistake), and suddenly he started to poop.  Without hesitation I dove off the couch and caught it in my bare hand. Earlier that day I was trying to catch one of our goats so I could give it a shot, and yet I couldn't make myself dive to catch the goat. But when my mom powers kick in I have no problem diving towards a pooping kid in the middle of the living room. Funny how those things work. I also have to say that in my last post I had said that Quade had never woke up in the night since 6 weeks. Well that came back to bite me in the ass. Friday night he woke up screaming. And the only thing he wanted is to be held and rocked. So I pulled my first all nighter with Quade and had a nice handful off poo all in a 24 hour period. And I didn't mind either one. The glory of being a mom. I'm sure that's not the last time I stay up all night for one of the kids for whatever reason. Down the road I bet I'll be wishing I was holding and rocking my baby in my arms at 2 am instead of wondering and worrying what he's doing at 2 am. Not sure I'll be wanting to catch anymore poop in my hand, but I'm sure that's not the worst thing I'll end up doing. I'm just forever grateful that a few sleepless night of teething is all we have to worry about. We have been blessed with amazingly perfectly healthy kids. I can't even begin to imagine how hard it would be if we had serious health issues to deal with. 

  Austyn is our little spit fire. Sassy as ever. With an enormous imagination. She loves to help anyone do anything. She likes cooking/baking the best. She is still enjoying her pony, but with quite a cautious approach. And that's ok, because she is only three. She is learning so much in school. I love seeing her learn new things and then I love seeing how proud she is of herself. One of Austyns more funny/irritating at times traits is singing and talking. I'm surprised she doesn't talk in her sleep. From the time she wakes up to the time she goes to sleep, she never stops talking or singing. And sometimes when I put her to bed, she will sing to herself until I go in and tell her it's bedtime. She makes up songs about what she's doing or have singing conversations with me. It's pretty funny. I'm told I was the same way when I was her age. 

  Quade is walking all over now. He is getting so good at walking on uneven ground. We are working through his picking eating, and I can see if we keep up the consistency it will get better really soon. He loves the men in his life. He is a mans man already. Everytime Jordan walks through the door he freaks out and starts yelling DaDa over and over. He is getting all four eye teeth at the same time. He doesn't handle teething pain very well. It gives him the worst blistered bloody diaper rash for a day or so. It's miserable for him. But when he's not teething he is his happy self still and loves his new freedom that comes with walking. He loves to have his little hands busy with toys that require a little thinking. 

   Jordan is doing good. He's been busy trying to clean up all the trees and limbs that came down in the ice storm. He almost has all the brush done. But then he still has all the logs to work up and split and stack. Wood, the heat that warms you more than once(like four or five times)! He is beginning to take classes for his officer development program. He is always moving forward. 

   I'm just chugging along. Enjoying the kids as much as possible and the time I get to have with them. Because I know it won't be like this forever. I'm still working out and losing weight. Although slower than I'd like, but it's coming off. I have 7 more pounds to go, to get to my goal weight. Not too bad. Definitely doable before summer hits. 

   Hope everyone is doing great.