Journal

I have decided I need to journal more. The older I get (or maybe the more kids I have), the worse my memory gets. So I decided I am going to do that here. I have tried a hand-written journal, I have a few entries spread out over years. And I don't love my handwriting.

Today, Friday, February 24, 2012:
• I am trying not to have a baby. But I want things done before I have a baby. So I did laundry, the never-ending laundry.
• Jill took the 2 littles to run errands. Which was perfect because then I could return some stuff to Target and get a couple things there. And if I had them, I doubt I would have done it. And I wanted to return the stuff before baby because I know how much Bryan hates returning things.
• I washed and remade the boys' beds before going to Target too.
• I had the big boys clean out and vacuum my car. I hope it looks good :)
• I vacuumed the downstairs. I also swept before I went to Target but Ben ate again so I decided all the floors needed to be done.
• Ben missed refused his nap today. And I decided it wasn't worth the battle today. He is now drawing on a magna doodle while watching The Fresh Beat Band. Before I gave up, he got out of his bed and went straight to Jill's room and got on her iPad. I guess I should be happy that he has napped for as long as he has since Isaac was done a lot younger.

• Tomorrow we have 3 soccer games one at 10am and the other 2 at 10:15am, good thing Jill is going :)

• Sunday we are having Jill's birthday dinner. I still need to figure out what she wants with Pulled Pork. And what cake/dessert she wants.

• After Sunday dinner, I can have a baby. My doctor thinks that is a good goal.

• I don't want to miss the Kindergarten Horse Stick Rodeo on March 2nd.

I don't know how often I will be doing this but hopefully frequently.

For Me to Remember and WARNING: LONG POST WITH NO PHOTOS!!!

I haven't gotten on the desktop since Bryan has set it up, so still no photos since I don't like what the blogging app did to all my photos from previous posts.

Anyway, I don't want to forget some things.

Ben climbs.
Ben climbs out of bed. A big crib. And Bryan's comment to it "3 points of contact" He has been teaching the other boys how to climb down the ladder from attic space in the garage- yes, the others seem to take after me and my dislike for ladders but it is so cool up there (so I'm told), they are willing to go up.
Ben climbs on furniture. The couch. My bed. The boys bed, though I am grateful he hasn't figured out how to get to the top bunk. Yet, anyway. The dining chairs and to the table. Step stools in the bathroom to play in the water. Park equipment.

It's tiring.

Isaac is independent. When he wants to be.
Isaac is a great helper. When he wants to be.
Isaac is also having bites of food he doesn't like. This is a big deal. And there are a lot of things he doesn't like. Potatoes. Noodles. Beans. Most vegetables. Rice. "I like meat. And bread. And cheese."
Isaac can spell his name (he has been able to do this for a while) and is practicing writing it. He also likes to practice writing everyone else's name. Mostly during Sacrament Meeting but he's quiet.
Isaac is worried about the baby in my tummy. Asks on a regular basis if the baby is still there. Does my tummy hurt. Mostly because I can't do as much and I'm not suppose to be doing anything right now. One more week and I think I will feel more comfortable (and more importantly, my doctor will feel more comfortable) doing stuff because they won't stop me from having a baby now.

Austin is reading so well. He asks what things mean. Even though he can read words, he wants to know what it means. For example, tonight while he was reading "'Josh,' laughed Dad" He said "that doesn't make sense" so we talked about what that meant.
Austin loves to help. He likes to be the only one to help. Like he will clear the table all by himself or he will "watch" Ben for me. And he does a good job.
Austin has a great imagination. I only enjoy being on the couch when I can nonchalantly listen in on the playing.
Austin says he doesn't like playing soccer. But he does.
Austin likes being a big brother. He can make Ben laugh all the time and is really good about playing with Isaac.

Adam. Adam is my first born. And he acts like it. We remind him all the time, he is not the parent. But he is very responsible. I have had him "babysit" while Jill is getting ready for work upstairs.
Adam likes chores. He says he doesn't but he does. He vacuums. Austin and he clean bathrooms. Today, we had an issue with clothes and some whining. So Adam folded 2 laundry baskets of clothes. He did a great job and wasn't whining (like he was when he got started). And then when Bryan took Austin to soccer practice with Isaac and Ben was napping, he switched laundry, carried laundry up to my room, showered, got clothes ready for school tomorrow and helped clean up dinner.
Adam likes playing soccer.
Adam likes being outside.
Adam learned how to ride a 2-wheeler. And wishes we had more concrete. Like at the old house.
Adam likes being the oldest brother. And he is good at it.

I am impressed with how much Bryan gets done in a day. It is obvious to me since I haven't been able to do very much lately and with moving. I keep thinking things will slow down a little and he can relax a little. But then I remember that he is doing so much, partly because I'm so pregnant. So life isn't going to slow down. If anything, he is going to be even busier with the other kids and soccer just started up again...with 3 of them playing. Life will slow down just as football games start happening, which is what he would prefer anyway :)

Jill is so good. She helps even though she doesn't have to. She watches the boys. She takes them on errands, and sometimes it is one at a time so it's like a special date. She watches stupid shows with me and doesn't make fun of me for watching them. She sometimes takes ALL FOUR BOYS! like the other day, Bryan and I went out and she watched the boys, picked up pizza, had them showered and in bed asleep before we got back.

Me. I get to watch. I get climbed on (I forgot to list that on Ben's stuff). I get heartburn. I limp around. I try to have dinner most days, especially on Jill's work days but sometimes that is a huge challenge. I go to doctor's appts. all. the. time. (it feels like it anyway) Austin reads to me while I'm lying down. Okay, that sounds pathetic. I do more than that. It just feels like not so much since I like doing things for myself and I did vacuum the dining area today after taking the boys to the park and having dinner mostly done (yes, that is me tooting my own horn).

Thankful

I have decided (more than once) that things happen when and how for a reason. Even if it is difficult, there is a reason. I'm not sure of the reason this time but there must be one.

We are moving. I am 8 months pregnant. And I have 4 boys. That need attention and love and food and supervision.

I knew I would be slow moving and not tons of help with the actual moving of boxes. But I thought I would be able to pack everything myself. Turns out, not so much. I thought I would be able to clean (both the house we are moving out of and moving into). Again, not so much. I thought I would be able to help with getting things organized. I must toot my own horn here because I have done more than I had expected with all the previous failures.

Celeste came by on her way home from the temple last week. So she could feel better about leaving her kids with her husband for the morning. And packed a good portion of my kitchen. I really appreciated it but didn't realize at the time how great that was.

I went to a regular doctor appointment the day after we signed papers for the house. I wasn't put on bed rest but pretty close. And instead of going every other week, I'm going every week to make sure I'm not dilated too much.

Bryan and Jill have done SO much this week. Meeting with painters and carpet guys. Loading and moving bins. And loading and moving bins. And moving furniture. And taking boys with them on trips to various places (including the new house and the old house, Lowe's, to get lunch and dinner, the list goes on). And cleaning.

Oh the cleaning. Jill vacuumed and vacuumed and vacuumed after the new carpet was put in. She wiped down baseboards. Cleaned the entire kitchen (even using a Shop Vac). After the painters and carpet guys were done. She cleaned all the bathrooms. She wiped out closets. The list, again, goes on and on.

And Bryan. My dear, sweet, hard-working husband. Actually accepted help. Has worked (the job he gets paid to do) and moved and packed and cleaned and still been a "dad."

And they both have encouraged me to "take it easy" and "are you sure you should be doing that?" and taking over with the boys when I couldn't.

So many people have offered to help. And me, being stubborn and thinking "I can do this," have taken some. But again with encouragement.

On Friday, the "big moving day" of furniture and such, a couple men from the ward came over for a couple hours with their trucks and moved and moved and moved (I never realize how much stuff we have until it is being moved). And my 2 boys that are home with me, we're not. Thanks to Isaac's friend having a "birthday party at Legoland" (he was the only friend invited) and Ben invited over to "play" at my SIL's parents' house. Ben was going to go to Celeste's house and then shortly after I called to tell her "thanks but no thanks" her wonderfully helpful husband showed up. Jill was beyond excited (or maybe that was just me glad that Jill wasn't the one helping Bryan move stuff).

A couple car loads this morning and a few hours of Jill and Bryan cleaning the old house. And me with the boys and the pool fence people. I think we are set. Jill went to her Stake Meetings tonight and we are headed to Sam's Club, since I have been saying "I'll buy that after we move" to almost everything.

Now we just have to "finish" unpacking. And try not to have a baby for a few more weeks, well at least 2 weeks.

And once a desktop computer is set up, I will try to post photos. Until then, Instagram is my photo place right now :)