Be careful little eyes what you see

"Be careful little eyes what you see". 

I remember learning that song as a small child and would sing it often.

Fast forward 20 years and that song goes through my head daily, as I pray and seek wisdom for my littles.  Daily, I evaluate on what is ok and not ok for my children.  How do I teach them about this broken world and be cautious without putting fear in them.  How do I guard their hearts and protect their innocence.  The only way to do it, is wisdom from my Savior! And to shut down the influence of people, social media, and society! I have realized it is ok if my almost 5 year has never seen Frozen or an princess movie for that movie. That up until recently she didn't know it was a movie.  My son has never seen a super hero movie and may get batman and superman confused.  My kids will immediately run to us if someone tells them to keep a secret, they may yell the word "boundary" at weird times because they feel uncomfortable, they may even kick you and scream if you grab their hand in the store (the husband gave a class), and they may not know a lot of main stream things.

It was an easy decision, one that you know was God because you and your husband came up with the same thoughts without any conversations and feel so sure about it that you check everyday with each other on that day.  I in no way mean to offend anyone and I believe every parent knows their babies and has to decide what's right for them.  Why, we do we do it.  Well, my babies will only be little for a short time.  They have a short time to be protected from this broken world before they come across hurt, peer pressure, and life.

My little girl has the princess pjs, dress up dresses, and accessories!  My son has an avengers backpack.  They may think that Ariel and Jasmin are cousins under the sea and the next day sisters in a castle.

Right they imagine they are the princesses and prince and mommy and daddy are the king and queen.  That a dad dances with his daughter through the whole house and shows her how she is to be treated.  That a mom takes her son on special outings and he orders the food and learns to be a gentleman.  They watch their parents respect each other, love each other and work out conflict in a good way instead of watching unrealistic relationship.  Right now they do not know about boyfriend and girlfriends and have no need to know.   Right now they have no fears of villains. Right now, my daughter thinks the toy in her happy meal is a not pretty girl, that she threw away.

This is the raunchy stencil that she got in her McDonald's happy meal yesterday!

Is it realistic to do that?  I have to believe for my kids, yes.  

One day when the day is right, I will walk my daughter into a fairytale princess movie and be excited with her to watch.  One day my son may watch super Heroes and realize that they did more than stopping the not nice kid on the playground.  One day, when we believe that it is right for our family.  But until then my daughter will dance in the hallway with her dad and imagine what princesses do.  And my son will save the kids being picked on and learn to be a gentleman from his mom.

"Be Careful little eyes what you see, be careful little ears what you hear, be careful little hands what you do, be careful little feet where you go, and be careful little mouth what you say" 

Remember I am in no way judging any parent, our job as parents is to decide what's right for our kids and it will be completely different for every family.  And every parent has the same ultimate goal to protect and raise our littles the best we can.

My Little Man is 3

A little emotional thinking that my little man is 3 today.  You are the sweetest boy and say the sweetest things but in the next minute you are tearing down your sister's hard work at building with blocks.  You love blocks, you play with those the most, then are trucks and trains.  You are sensitive to other people being loud, smells, and unclean spaces (you do not seem to mind if it is you).  You preferred to be carried over walking, and you only like short distance running but prefer sitting down activities.  Your favorite foods are ice cream or Popsicle, strawberries, and chocolate milk.

I adore your faith.  You immediately pray when something is wrong and then believe it to be done!  You are a calculated risk taker and weigh your pros and cons.  You will go on huge roller coasters with Mommy or daddy but refuse to ride a kiddie ride by yourself.  You have such a personable personality you win the hearts of anyone that knows you!  I love your innocence and that it has yet to be tainted, Mommy and Daddy pray for wisdom and knowledge on how to keep it that way every day!

You are a man that knows what you want and you stick to your guns! There is no convincing you otherwise which we respect and love!

I can not tell you enough how much we love you!!  You tell me all the time that I am the bestest mommy in the world but you are the bestest son in the world.   You daily teach me to have patience, how to think out of the box trying to guide and direct your rampant personality without harming your imagination and who you are.  The twos have stretched me as a mommy and hopefully made me a better mommy but I would not change a minute of it!  I welcome the "trying threes" and excited for what is in store, but a little glum that your getting bigger.  

I hope you know how much we love you!!

Real life

I put the kids to bed early the other night  because they boycotted their nap and were cranky.  My kids are no fun when they are tired ☹ That's why I love a set schedule because it prevents the ugly from coming out.

Such as this video from a couple weeks ago when the ugly came out

Anyways, early bedtime so there was no melt downs.  Which worked well for me since I had 2.5 weeks of laundry to fold for 5 people (rethinking having so many clothes and not doing laundry over the holidays)

Two hours of folding and hanging, but I turned on the classic Pride and Prejudice and the time passed quickly. 

Then the real fun started (said in complete sarcasm). My little man was not acting right real fussy said his tummy hurt.  We laid him on my bed and My husband came out to the laundry madness and we were chatting away.  All of a sudden I hear some thing and go to the bedroom to check, strawberry throw all over my bed.  I grabbed little man took him to the bathroom, on the way strawberry throw up all over me.  Good news we made it to the toilet and he felt much better and was all done.  My weak stomach husband wants to throw everything away!! My sheets, pillows, blankets, pjs! I quickly told him pile it all take to laundry as I am running water for little man that is singing and begging bubbles!  Clean bed with baking powder, start washer, clean child, put new sheets on, find clean pillows, clean floor and husband comes in after dressing little man gagging, "you still have throw up on you."  SILENCE 

Good news! little man was not sick anymore and everyone got sleep.  Putting away laundry waited! 

Some days are like this. (Perfection, well almost)

Others involve throw up, laundry, no naps, and a bed with no sheets! 

Anyone have a crazy real life situation out there you want to share?

A few little funnies

Little time for blogging as it feels like yesterday, I had Cora and now she is 7.5 months. Did I mention I have an almost 5 year old, just merely typing it makes me want to break out in bitter sweet tears.  Oh don't forget my baby boy who is not so baby any more but a boy who is almost 3!  Life is going way too fast so we are trying to soak it up!

Life with my 3 littles is amazing but comes with a few changes.  3 means you have to be a lot more careful in public because you only have 2 hands.  So we are well planned and go over the rules, the goal maintain control and keep everyone safe while not breaking anything. We are successful 99% of the time!  We won't talk about the other 1% where mom's look at you and know exactly what you are going through and people without children think, "if I had kids....."

But I thought I would leave you with some absolutely adorable stories about my babies!!

Malachi is my ornery, sweet boy.  One minute he is just doing something you could never think a toddler would think of such as, Just this week he was mad at me because I made him go to the bathroom by himself (which he 100% can and I believe in making my kids be self sufficient to set them up for success in adulthood) and he comes out in the cutest scrunched face and says, "I tried to go to the bathroom like a big boy and missed!"  What!  You never stand up, we go in there and he missed, he got everything but the toilet.  Bath number 4 this week and it is only Tues!  In the same hour, he grabs my hand while I am sitting and says, "You are my best friend."  Something he does often and says with such sincerity!

Niah, is my compassionate girl!  She thinks about people and feels others emotions (similar to me).  I was hanging the stockings and she asked whose stocking is whose.  I began to tell her and I said I am one short so I will have to buy one for me.  She replied, "Mommy you can have mine until you get yours"  Of course I told her, "We can share."

Malachi has just now figured out he can climb out of his bed and he was taking a nap and I kept threatening him and knew the next time he got out I was going to have to lock the door.  He of course got out again and he saw the door was being locked.  He began to beg me not to lock the door.  I told him I would give him one more chance and his response was which has does often, "Mom I just really need you to pray for me."

Cora is army crawling everywhere!!  All over the house, she goes.  She is really struggling with separation anxiety and begins to cry if she crawls out of the room I am in or I leave the room.  She has begin to play the game where she won't let certain people hold her and then smiles as she turns away.  She has began eating food.  Did I mention I can not believe my baby is mobile!!

So we enjoying life and embracing the chaos!!

Cora Faith's Birth Story Part 2

Sorry for the delay but hey I have 3 babies, 4 and under, so sometimes things don't happen in a timely fashion.  We are also busy doing life and having fun.

As we are driving to the hospital, the contractions begin to have a little pain with them and they were beginning to be pretty close.  I was sure that I was in labor at this point but I was hoping that I was progressing, as far as dilation goes.  We get to the hospital and I start filling out the paperwork.  The nurses were surprised my contractions were so close since I called in and very nonchalantly acted like I could be in labor but maybe not. 

They took me back to a room and decided to check me.  It was 10:15 pm and I was between a 7-8 dilated and I was a station 0.   Then the nurse said, "your water is right there.:  Matthew said, "bring on the epidural" and I said, "let's wait."  So we called our families and let them know I was in fact in labor and this baby was coming.  If I had her in the night another doctor in my doctor's office would deliver her because he was on his way home from being out of town. But she was in fact going to let me try for a vbac as well.

The contractions were getting stronger and harder and they decided at 11:15 to check me again.  They said you are still around a 7-8.   The nurse kept saying, "your water is right in the way of allowing your baby to come down and help with progression.  If it wasn't night time we would have the dr come in and break your water and you would probably have the baby right away but we can't call her in unless you are having the baby or something is wrong."  So at 11:40 we decided to get an epidural since there was no progression and we could literally be waiting all night for the dr to come.

My hopes of having a baby at night and being home by morning to surprise the kids with their new sister slowly started to diminish as I learned that a doctor is not going to come in unless there is a baby ready to be born at that very instant.  So we tried to rest and I secretly kept hoping that my water would break on its own but I was way to anxious to sleep.

At 7:15 the dr., my doctor, came in and broke my water and left to go change.  The nurse came in and told me to do a few practice pushes we did one push and she said don't do anything this baby is coming!  She had someone run to get the doctor.  The next thing I know is a few pushes later, my sweet baby girl was in my arms.  She was born at 7:47 am and weighed in at 6 lbs 12 ounces and was 19 inches long.

I was hoping to be released soon, I just needed my pediatrician to discharge the baby, when I was sorely disappointed that she was not going to discharge us because she was out of town.  I then secretly thought I should have had the baby at home (kidding, kind of).

My babies came to see me and meet their new sister and it was so sweet to have my 3 babies together.

We waited the entire day before we named our sweet girl and came up with Cora Faith.

We were home from the hospital and home by 10 am that next day and my heart was so happy and relieved to be home with my 3 babies!

Cora Faith's Birth Story

Lets begin with the past before we get into her story.   With Niah I was induced at 41 weeks and was barely dialated to a 1.  Never had a braxton hick or pre labor contraction only felt contractions on pitocin.  Malachi, his labor was so weird I was 4 at one appt and the next week I was 6, never felt any contractions.  Went to the hospital a few hours after my drs. appointment only because my husband was a nervous wreck (dr jokingly asked my husband if he was ready to deliver a baby in car when I told him I was not ready to go to hospital) not because I thought I was in labor.  Turns out I was in labor having active contractions, I could not feel them and I was dialated to a 8 when I arrived at hospital.  I started feeling contractions after I started pushing but it was more painful when the dr tried to hook the vacuum up then the contractions.  I pushed for almost 3 hrs before we ended up with a c-section.

This was while I was at home having contractions 

Skip to March of this year.  Baby number 3, so ready for her to be here but also did not get my hopes up that she was coming anytime.  I am pretty comfortable in my 3rd trimester and it does not bother me to be pregnant so I just decided I was not going to anticipate an early arrival to be let down when she did not make it.  I also knew that she was measuring really small and I was planning to go to 41 weeks because I did not want pitocin.  I also knew I had not had any type of contraction, braxton hick, nothing.  At my 39 week appt, I was dialtated to 3 which was the same thing I had been since my 37 week appt and 50% effaced.  I went to silver dollar city at 38 weeks thinking the long day of walking would change something but no change anywhere.  I just went on with life trying to put as far back as possible baby was coming and went about life enjoying my 2 babies.

  Playhouse project we had been working on
March 24, Malachi went to ER for ear infection.  My thought, "Good thing I am not having this baby so I can take care of my lilttle man."  March 29, was a sunday, we went to church, I did children's church.  When we got home, I and the kids took a nap, Matthew worked in playhouse.  When we woke up from nap the kids wanted to go for a walk.  We walked around, Malachi (2) walks for a few feet than always wants to be carried.  I carried him, Niah (4) walked, and came home.  We then decided to go to my mom's house to finish baby girls, "bring home from hospital outfit."   We finished the outfit and it was getting close to bedtime, the kids and I went home.  I started getting the kids ready for bed and felt a cramp.  It was around 7ish and I felt a few more while I was getting the kids ready for bed and I began to wonder, "are these contractions or just braxton hicks?"  Around 8 I got in the bathtub, they continued and as I was in the bathtub I decided to time them.  I was timing them about 4 minutes apart.  I was not really worried but began to think if I am in labor maybe I should call Matthew.

  This was 4 days before I went into labor

I called Matthew, "Hey honey, will you come up to the house for a second?'  He was in the playhouse.  I was still in the bathtub very calmly said, "Honey, I am not sure but I think I may be in labor?  But I am not sure?"  He answers with, "How close are your contractions? Maybe you should call the hospital?"  He went to the playhouse to clean up and I called the hospital but was in no hurry to get to the hospital.  I got out of the bath started packing a bag, cleaned the house a little, Matthew waited anxiously for me to say lets go!  I didn't so he finally said let's go to the hospital.  We took the kids to my mom's house, didn't tell anyone that we were going because I didn't want to be in false labor.  Now contractions were 3 mins apart.

Come Back for part 2

A little extra Income

Remember, at the beginning of the year, I had a goal, a pay off my house goal, and a give more than we have ever given before goal.  Well all of that inspired me to do something I never thought I would do, I signed up to sell products.  Not a makeup company as you are all familiar with but a Health and wellness company called ItWorks.

I watched as friends and acquaintances were making huge bonuses while selling products I was already buying.  I inquired about it in January on how it all works and just kinda researched the company and thought about it.  The day I got home from the hospital after having my 3rd baby I decided to go for it.  A little scared but really excited for the opportunity to make more money to help pay off our house and provide for our family.

I am so glad that I did sign up.  I am one month in and have already had more success than I thought I would.

The reason I joined.

The products I sell. Only a few of the great products.

Looking to find out more about these products or how to help your family financially let me know.  I am excited about how this will help us reach dreams and goals for our family!  

Email me at cbwasham@gmail.com