Family Pictures/ Pictures of the Boys

One Sunday we decided we should drive up to Cambridge and try and snap some family pics before I got too far into my pregnancy. We have a few family pics that are fairly recent, but I wanted something where we all match and all that. Well turns out, our boys don't really like taking pictures and out of like 200 pictures we maybe got 2 nice family pictures. But we got a lot of the boys that I love! So here's some of my favorites!

Baby Boy #3!!!

Can I just tell you guys how excited I am to have 3 boys???

I can't wait to meet our next little guy and hold him and kiss his cheeks! There is just nothing like having a new baby, and November can't get here fast enough!

So if you've been following along with my blog, you know the last few years have been CRAZY. So we actually really wanted to have another baby about a year ago. That was the plan anyways. But when we started talking about trying for another baby, our life was so hectic we decided it would be better to wait. We thought maybe it would just be a few months, not another year/ year 1/2. Right after we decided to wait I started getting gall bladder attacks. I had no idea what it was at the time and just figured I had an ulcer or something. So the more I researched it, the more I wanted to get it out BEFORE I got pregnant again. I didn't want to risk having to have surgery while I was pregnant and all of that. At the time I didn't have insurance, So I applied to school so I could get student insurance, get out my gallbladder, then have a baby. So I did all that only to find out online students no longer get insurance. At that time we were dead broke and Dan was between clients. My attacks were becoming more frequent and worse so we decided to go see if we could get on Medicaid. The first time they told us we couldn't because he was self employed and his average income over the last year was too high. So we waited a few more months and things didn't improve, so we tried again and were able to. I got in ASAP and got it all taken care of. That was the biggest silver lining to us going through such a hard time. I am so glad I was able to get on some insurance and get that taken care of.

Anyways, I'm rambling, as always. So we started trying right away once I was all healed up. We've been so blessed and never had to "try" for very long before I'm pregnant. This time around was a little different and it took a few months. Dan had been traveling a lot for his job with Jennifer and it was just hard to time everything right.

So I took a test and it was negative. Again. So I just tossed it up on my dresser and tried not to think about it. I thought for sure that that was the month it was going to happen. I was so bummed but tried to just brush it off. Maybe we were under too much stress or it just wasn't the right time. So the next day I was cleaning and I looked at the test again and was feeling all bummed when I saw the faintest second pink line........ I called Dan in and he's like, let's wait a few days and take another one.

Well I'm not a patient person. I lasted one more day then I took another one, and sure enough! There were two pink lines! We were so so excited! We had been stalled for so long and everything in our life was being post poned, so to finally be moving forward with a decent job (we thought!) and a new baby on the way, we were on cloud nine!

The first main symptom I started to notice was how tired I was. I found out I was expecting at 3 weeks, which made that first trimester DRAG on forever!!! I was so tired all the time, then the morning sickness started to set in. We were living with my parents so I knew they would figure it out soon, they knew we wanted to have another baby and had been trying so we told them pretty early on. The morning/all day sickness was so much worse with this baby than with Damon and Rafe. It started earlier and lasted until about 16 weeks and I just couldn't handle food. I didn't throw up. I HATE throwing up and talk myself out of it every time. And I knew it wasn't going to make me feel better so I just would fight it. Everything I ate made me feel so sick. I started taking Unisom so that I could sleep at night, and that stuff is pretty much amazing! It took me a long time to get up and going in the morning, but at least I could sleep. Dan slept on a mattress out in the living room for that whole first trimester because I would just toss and turn all night and keep him up. and he likes falling asleep to movies and I couldn't tune it out. So we slept in seperate beds. Hahaha it worked well at the time, but once we got moved into our new place and got our King bed back, we were pretty happy to be next to eachother again.

Since the morning sickness stuff has stopped, I have been doing great! The only thing that's annoying is heart burn! Like what in the world! That started way too quick too. Braxton hicks probably hit me about 3 times a day. This pregnancy has just been so different. I totally thought I was going to have a girl because of all of the differences. So I was shocked that it was a boy. I was set that it was a girl and had even started buying a few things I just HAD to have. Those are now in a box in the top of the closet hahaha. Someday maybe I will get a girl. I was really happy when it was a boy though. I kept telling Dan if it was a boy I was going to cry. But I didn't and I am kind of relieved in a way. I mean a baby is a baby. They can't be THAT different to raise, but I know boys. I have everything I need for a boy. I LOVE my boys and they are so good that I could have 5 more. If they were hellians and crazy bouncing off the walls everyday, I would probably lose my mind at adding another. But they're the sweetest.

Rafe will almost be 4 by the time this baby comes, which is a much bigger gap that I wanted, but I am looking forward to them being my little helpers. When I had Rafe, Damon was still a baby pretty much and I just rolled with that. But i will love having some extra hands to grab me diapers and wipes and all that. They are going to be the best big brothers. They are so so excited.
The boys want to name him Michael.....but that's not really our style haha. You know it's going to be something off the wall, that you probably haven't heard of too many times, if any. We're used to people either loving or hating our boys' names, and this one won't be any less crazy;)

As of today, I am 23 weeks 3 days. I'm kind of hoping the rest of this pregnancy will fly by. The first part has been slow. But I'm sure before I know it, he will be here. I'm starting to get a little bit of the nesting bug. I pulled out all my baby stuff, which is a ton, and started going through it last week. I had donated a TON of stuff because it's all yellowed from being in the boxes and already been through two boys and I kinda want some new stuff. Damons old bedding set, which I loved, is all yellow and so I kept the blanket and sheet, and tossed the bumper pads and mobile and all the rest. I thought I would have a hard time with that, but I think I'm just ready for some new stuff and to get rid of some of this stuff that takes up so much room. This baby's nursery is going to be navy and white maybe with some gray. It's just going to be simple and cute. No real theme.

This baby kicks so much and is so active. With Rafe my placenta was on the front part of my stomach and I hardly felt him. Damon never ever slept or chilled out, and this baby is very similar. He's always kicking and moving and I love feeling it. It's my favorite part about being pregnant.  I can't wait to see what he looks like because Damon and Rafe looked so different as newborns. Rafe had huge eyes and was our little oompa loompa. His jaundice was so bad for such a long time. And Damon had squinty eyes and dark hair with olive skin. They looked nothing alike, so I can't wait to see what this one will look like!

Damon

Rafe

Actually now that I see those side by side they don't look THAT different. 

Life Lately

I've been meaning to get on here and update my blog for quite a while now, but have just not gotten around to it! I just re read my last post and oh my goodness. Lots has happened since then. Some good some bad.

So let's start with me "starting my bachelors" yeah that lasted a week. The MAIN reason I was going back to school was to get insurance, to get pell grant/student loans, and then of course for the degree. Well to get all my pell grant money I had to take a full semester, 12 credits. I ended up signing up for 13 because I have done online and thought I could handle it. The boys are older and easier to handle most days, but that first week killed me! There is a huge difference between 13 credits for your associates and bachelors. Don't get me wrong, it's all hard but the busy work and the reading was insane!!! I was staying up until 4 am almost every night and spending all my spare time on my classes and totally neglecting the boys to get my school work done. I'm not ready for that life. Damon is going into kindergarten and Rafe preschool this fall. I only get them for so long before they are in school and I didn't want to put that time with them to the side to do my school. The thing that really made me throw in the towel is they stopped offering insurance to online students. So forget that I'm done. Haha I don't quit many things but that was one I just am not putting my time toward right now.

Second, dans job. Oh man. The saga continues! So Jennifer turned out to be a crazy short adventure. It seemed so good and so promising yet all fell to crap within a few short months. She had some personal issues that affected her business and her funds so cloud nine disappeared real fast. And where did we land? Back at square one. Back to job hunting and dead ends and back to stressing about finances and being stuck in a huge rut we just couldn't seem to dig ourselves out of! Luckily we were still living with my parents and had some money to get us by for a few months. So after about 2 more months of job hunting and no success, Dan made a call to one of his long time family friends to ask for advice. That phone call ended up turning into a job. Now remember how bitter and cynical I have turned through the last two years. When Dan came to me all excited about this potential job I thought yeah right! No way it's that easy! So we came down to Idaho falls and he interviewed for the job and met with the CEO and they offered him the job! I picked dan up after the interview and was on the phone with our insurance and I was trying to read his face while I'm talking on the phone and I just was not getting a good vibe. So once I was finally off the phone dan starts telling me how it went and it sounded good but he didn't make it seem like he nailed it. and then he says, so yeah, I got the job! I pulled the car to the side of the road and just started crying. This was what we have been searching for and praying for. It's a normal corporate job, he is doing something he's passionate about and enjoys, and my favorite..... We get a little normalcy to our life again. After everything fell through with Jennifer we both agreed this whole working for yourself stuff is way too hard to start up right now. We gave it a good run and everything we had in us. It was time to go back to reality and stability. And this job has been a huge answer to our prayers.

So now we are in Idaho falls, in a cute little rental with ALL of our stuff and we couldn't be happier. The other day I was cleaning the kitchen after lunch and I started crying because I'm just so happy to finally be settled somewhere with a good job and a normal life. Of course there are still stresses and little things that come up, but nothing like what we were dealing with before! It's just nice to have a routine and schedule and a steady income. Dans job can be really stressful but we both agree it's nothing we can't handle. What we have been through has made us realize how strong we are as a team and how much we can handle. It makes me appreciate the small things so much more and just the simple ness of daily life with my crazy boys. I love cooking dinner for my family every night. I love cleaning and organizing and making this rental our new home. Our boys are so happy and have handled everything so well and I think they can just sense that mom and dad have taken a deep breath and calmed down about life. I know nothing is easy and nothing stays the same for long, but I'm learning to really enjoy the times when things are good and to look forward to growing and changing as life happens. 

Rafe turns 3, Damon turns 5

I'm so bad at keeping up with my blog! Both of the boys had their birthdays and I didn't write about either of them. Now it's been so long it's hard to remember all the little details. 

Rafe turned 3 January 6, which is so crazy to me because I feel like I was just bringing him home from the hospital. He has grown up into one of the funniest kids I know. His personality is so big and funny, you can help but just love him even when he's being a stinker. We spent a week in McCall before his bday and did all kinds of fun stuff. Then once we got home we had a big party and celebrated his birthday, my dads, my brother drakes and his daughter Harlows birthdays. It was fun to be around family and have so many birthdays in one month to celebrate. We spent the day doing some shopping and took him for lunch at chick fil a then for ice cream. Rafe has added so much to our little family. He is either the sweetest kid or the feistiest little man you've ever seen. I always call him my sour path kid. Luckily he's more sweet than sour and when he's acting like a punk if you just say "don't smile Rafe!" He will break out in the biggest smile and just laugh off whatever he was mad about. He is so sweet and tells me "I love you mommy" at the most random times. I swear he knows when I need to hear it the most. Lately my favorite thing he says is "hey mom! I like that baby in your tummy!" Or he will tell me when he thinks I look pretty or tells me I look like a princess when I get ready for church. I LOVE that. Both Damon and Rafe do that and it melts my heart. Nothing makes me feel prettier than when my 3 guys tell me I am. A few more fun facts about Rafe are: he LOVES his big brother and follows him everywhere. No one can make Damon laugh the way Rafe can. Their bond is so special and sweet. Rafe is constantly eating! We always joke that he's part hobbit because he eats 2 breakfasts every day. He wakes up and eats cereal then asks for more about an hr later. He probably asks me for a snack every hour of every day. Even tonight, right after dinner he asked me for a snack! He loves to play monster trucks, color, ride his bike, and play in our little pool and slip and slide. Since Mother's Day, he comes in my room in the morning probably 3 times a week and says "happy Mother's Day mommy!" I hope that never wears out. He has a hard time saying his L's and instead uses a w sound. His favorite phrase lately is "you cheeky wittle rascal!" He always keeps us laughing!

Damon turned 5 on May 6. I'm having a hard time with this one for sure. A few days after his birthday he lost his first tooth, and he just seemed to turn into a little man more and more every day since then. For his birthday we had a party with all his friends at his favorite park. He had been asking me for paw patrol party for months and I have never thrown him a big birthday party besides his one year, so I figured it was time. And we were going to be moving so it was perfect timing to get him together with all his little buddies. We had pizza and cupcakes then topped it all off with a piñata. He told me it was the "best birthday ever!!" So that's good! Haha I'm not a big party thrower and like to keep things simple so I was glad he had fun. Some fun facts about Damon are: he is seriously the best big brother.he has been sweet to Rafe since the day he met him. They are as thick as thieves and just love to be around each other. Damon always watches out for Rafe and makes sure he's ok whether we are at a park and he needs help, or if someone is picking on him, he's always got his back and vice versa. Damon is definitely the more sensitive child. Movies scare him easier, his feelings get hurt, and he will often come to me telling me he's sad because of xxxxx. Sometimes it's if no one is playing with him at the playground or if I don't give him enough attention. He's sensitive to his feelings and other peoples feelings which is a good thing and I love that about him. But some days I can get frustrated at all the different emotions. What would I do with a girl??!  Sometimes I think that's why I keep having boys, I just don't know if I can handle the drama and emotions that can come along with girls. Haha that's what I tell myself anyways;) but Damon is just a little sweet heart. He can be rough with Rafe but 9/10 he will take a beating from Rafe and not do anything back to him because he knows he will a) get in trouble, and b) hurt his little brother and feel guilty. Damon is so smart and picks up on things quickly. He has a hard time focusing so sitting him down and doing preschool is always a struggle. He learns much better if I just teach him through daily things. Letters, numbers, his name. But if I sit him down and try he doesn't handle it well. So I'm a little nervous for kindergarten but it will be so good for him to be around other kids and I think if he sees everyone else sitting and doing their work, he will too. Damon's a very social kid. He loves playing with his friends and every time I take him to a park or play place he makes a new friend. He is a very obedient child. I don't have to ask him very often to do something twice. If I ask them to clean their room Damon always gets right on it while Rafe plays. sometimes he will even clean then come tell me he had a surprise, and I'll come downstairs and his room will be spotless! Or his toy room will be all organized the same way I would do it. He's been doing this on his own for a few months now and I'm just amazed at how well he does it. He likes things to be clean and organized. Likes his bed to be made. Every morning before he comes upstairs to my room he changes his clothes and if Rafe is with him he says "k Rafe lets get dressed!" It's so sweet. He likes to brush his teeth and come breath in my face to prove he's done it! Haha same with washing his hands, he shoves them right up to my nose and says something like "I washed my hands mom! And even used soap!" Damon has the softest cheeks and skin you have ever felt! I smooch on him all day long and one of our jokes back and forth is,"im going to eat your face!" He loves to talk and talk and talk and tell stories. He's still obsessed with cars and trucks and trains. We are going to get him a big boy bike soon so he can learn to ride it, we just haven't lived in a great spot for him to ride bikes so he's still on his big wheel trike. He's getting a lot more competitive and we need to get him in soccer or something! Now that we are finally settled somewhere we can do that soon. And lastly, he is the best eater! He will eat anything you put in front of him. Even if he doesn't like it he will eat it if you tell him what a big boy he is after! Haha he did that tonight with his chicken noodle soup. He loves chicken noodle but thought mine was too "spicy" but he ate it all gone.

Well there's a nice novel about my kids! I just feel so blessed to be their mom. Some days I feel like I'm totally screwing them up, but when I think about how awesome they are I can't help but be proud of the little men we are raising and it makes me SO excited to be having another one in November! I love my boys and can't believe how big they are getting!