New Post-Imagine that?!

It has been 7 months since my last post...7 months!!!  So much for trying to keep my Blog updated on a regular basis..haha!

My life has been full of craziness, chaos, excitement & love!  Let me start by saying how much I LOVE living here in Smithfield!  I love the area, the people we've met, the activities the kids are in and - most of all - our home!  Floor board by floor board, nail by nail Jim continues to make my dream home a reality.  His incredible talents combined with his unique & creative tastes are shining through as he customizes every inch of our house!

The kids are also very happy here - they spend 90% of their days playing outside!  We're having a fantastic pool season- the water is always crystal clear and usually quite warm, too (it's almost always over 80°!).  Everyone is really good about following my rules - even Sebastian!  When they aren't swimming in the pool, the kids are out in the yard -  swinging on the playset, catching bugs, riding their ATV's etc.  There's never a shortage of things for them to do around here!!
We successfully trained Lucky to stay in the yard - she loves not having to be confined to a leash!! - which is awesome.  Like the kids, she's free to wander around our property (but usually she just finds a shady spot and naps!).

I'm very thankful to live in an area where we don't have any noisy traffic...or really any traffic at all!!  We are only surrounded by the beautiful sounds of nature, which is amazing to me.  I sit in the yard, watch the kids play & just "listen" - we have all kinds of birds and wildlife!  Not hearing cars, motorcycles or big trucks zipping down the road is something I'll never take for granted!  I feel incredibly lucky to be living here and so very happy to be giving my kids the *exact* childhood and lifestyle I've always wanted for them.

Of course, this kind of life comes with a price tag of sorts.  Taxes are not cheap, nor is the general cost of living.  Jim continues to work feverishly to make ends meet for us.  I've long since learned how to cut back on expenses and shop frugally, which certainly helps with the bills.  But even still, living "financially comfortable" requires Jim to work long hours.  This can be both stressful and challenging at times - for both of us.  You'd think I would be used to flying solo - as Jim has been working crazy long hours for quite a few years now!! - but there are definite times in which I feel overwhelmed...

God has blessed Jim & I with fabulous children.  Each one is as unique and as individual as our very own fingerprints.  They're all at different ages and stages, which can make things tricky to balance as I try to meet everyone's various needs.  My parenting techniques vary depending on the child.
Sebastian needs my full, undivided attention on a near constant basis.  Of the 4 kids he remains the most challenging/difficult one, bringing new meaning to the hilarious term "tornado toddler"!  Sebastian is smart, curious and - hands down -  incredibly high maintenance.  If there's trouble to be found, he'll find it -- or create it!  I will say that he's *really* good when he's outside.  Like Kyle, he has a passion for his battery-powered ride on toys and drives with experience well ahead of his young age.  He will spend hours riding around the yard, which gives me time to focus on the others when need be.  He still takes a nap (usually), too - which is a much needed blessing on a daily basis as its the only time in which I can actually get things accomplished around the house!  But not a day goes by where he doesn't do something mischievous or misbehave in a dramatic fashion...and if I'm being completely honest, these moments happen rather frequently!  (His tantrums and meltdowns are exhausting - for everyone involved!) I try to stay one step ahead of him but I fail at least 3x per day.  Sometimes he's just too smart and quick!  Blinking once is not an option, nevermind twice- hahaha!  That said, I know that he will eventually become easier to handle.  He'll learn how to calm himself and he'll understand the meaning of consequences and the basic concept of right vs. wrong.  Until then I need to dig deep for the patience he requires and stay true to my "tough love" parenting techniques...

 I do try to take a little time for myself..but that doesn't ever seem to happen for too long, haha!  In January I decided (yet again) that I needed to get control over my weight gain.  For 3 months I exercised multiple times per day and ate very healthy meals.  I was almost at the 20 lb weight loss mark when I started to feel sick.  I was having dizzy spells and I just didn't feel very good.  I figured it must have something to do with my weight loss - maybe my sugar levels were off.  You can imagine my complete and utter shock when I discovered that I was 100% healthy AND pregnant!!  I was SO caught off guard - never once did the thought of pregnancy even cross my mind!

The next 12 weeks were not pleasant for me.  Don't get me wrong, both Jim & I were very excited to learn of this pregnancy- but I was very nauseous and tired for what felt like an eternity.  I couldn't eat because I felt sick - yet I felt sick because I couldn't eat.  The typical feeling of exhaustion that comes with all pregnancies seemed ten times more extreme - probably due to my lack of nutrition.  For close to 3 months I spent my days on the couch, nibbling on dry toast and sipping on gingerale.  The kids quickly became accustomed to eating pancakes, waffles and cereal for their meals because I just couldn't stomach cooking meals.  It was awful. Fortunately my extreme nausea and exhaustion disappeared once I entered the 2nd Trimester of pregnancy - praise God!!

I am now just about 4 months pregnant.  So far this pregnancy is *nothing* like any of my others. From the 3 month long constant sickness to my emotions being TOTALLY out of whack, everything feels so different this time around!
Some tidbits:
*I am due on Christmas Day.  Yep.  Dec 25th!  (Anyone who knows me well *definitely* knows that this pregnancy was not planned..as Christmas is *the busiest holiday ever* for me!!)
*I am addicted to McDonalds Sausage Muffins..to the point where McBaby here gets at least 2 every few weeks!! (I'm embarrassed to admit that for almost a full week I had 1 every day!!  Now I have better willpower..!)
*I love, love, love gingerale and bullseye candy (the caramels with the white filling? So good!)
*I cry over the dumbest things, lose my patience quickly and have a fire hot temper sometimes!

So, it goes without saying that life is keeping my hands busy and my heart full.  Just when I think I've got everything under control God throws me a curve ball as a reminder that He is always in charge - which is a good thing.  He has helped to put me on a good path - one I pray my own kids will travel down some day!