My thoughts from January...

I apologize ahead of time since I am pretty sure I am writing this just for posterity purposes and everyone else may think its pretty dumb. So like I said before January went by super dang slow, however, there were quite a few things I had time to contemplate while sitting around waiting for this baby. After the holidays we (the kids and I) fell into a sort of go nowhere and do nothing slump, then I started to feel a little guilty that we were just stuck in the house all day. They started to get cranky and I reciprocated the crankiness. One day I said to Baylee, "you are really starting to make me mad" with which she replied, "no, YOU are starting to make ME mad." To remedy the tension in our home we went to lunch at McDonald's one day, swimming the next, the library the next and then by Thursday I sent them to play at friends'. The weird thing is this actually didn't remedy anything. They were even more cranky than before. So I decided to slow down, only this time, spend quality time at home, not just sit around with the t.v. on while mom gets chores done. We have played with play-doh, and read millions of books, many of them multiple times, built trains and race tracks, helped each other clean rooms or empty the dishwasher, and colored at the table. If I step back I realize that it doesn't take much to have quality time. I am so grateful for my three babies! I can't believe how big they are getting. I am a stay-at-home mom and still feel like the time I get to spend with my kids is whooshing by. I used to hate the winter months because of being cooped up, but the last few years I have been grateful that my kids are stuck in the house with me so I can just watch them grow.

I also realized this January, and this makes me a little nervous, that this baby may come so fast I won't have time for my "dear" epidural. As most of you know I am a huge epidural fan, and not just because I am free of the pain, but because I have TIME. Time with no worries, pains, or distractions. Time for me to listen to that tiny baby's heartbeat on the monitor next to my bed. Time to reflect on my pregnancy and how excited I am to meet this new joy that will be mine to hold and love forever. Thank you Mr. Epidural inventor for TIME.

Lastly, I am so grateful for my amazing husband who has put up with me being pregnant for what seems like forever! I have been pregnant for 3 years (36 months) of the 7 years we've been married. And he's been such a trooper. I couldn't raise our kids without him and I am grateful for the work he puts in during the day and then the work he continues to put in once he gets home. I just so enjoy my 3 day stay at the hospital with my new baby and my husband. I just can't wait!