J is for Jacobs

3 down... 1 to go!

2012-01-11T16:23:00.001-08:00

(whoops... never posted this)

i think i can say that hadley is officially potty trained!!! yay!!!!

i thought since she was a girl, that the process would have been so easy and she would have been trained 6 months ago. well, what i know is that when they are ready, they are ready.... and last friday, she was finally ready!

we bought some new ballerina underwear... which she loved!!!

there are so many stages i am going to miss as the kids get older... potty training won't be one of them!!!

photo friday - christmas

2012-01-06T05:20:00.000-08:00

our kids had an amazing christmas... they were all so happy!!! here's the photo recap of the day...

busy busy...

2012-01-05T14:52:00.001-08:00

craig is in his busy season at work... i am not a fan of him not being home for dinner. i am lucky that his job usually isn't like this and he doesn't have to travel. we miss him, and this is only the third day in.

i am involved with doing an auction at 2 different schools, and they are both in march... now that the holidays are over, i am in auction mode. so much to do...

ok... mini-vent over. gotta get back to feeding the kids. how much longer until bed time????

2012

2012-01-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

wow... looks like i still haven't blogged about christmas, or vacation week.

just a quick update... christmas was a huge success for the jacobs family. we survived many days of seeing our family, and running on little sleep. things were going perfect, until i had emergency surgery.

let me give a little background... ever since i was pregnant with hadley i had these pains that came every 6 moths or so, started at night, and felt like my bra was too tight. they were painful, but i could always sleep them off and wake up the next day and be fine. over the summer they were happening more frequently, and i was going to mention it to my primary at my next physical.

so last week i was experiencing a lot of heartburn, and we went to chili's for dinner on wednesday night and i couldn't eat. i came home and was excited to watch "The Holiday" which is one of my favorite movies. i was starting to experience more pain, and as the night went on, i couldn't sleep and popped more advil than i can count and nothing was helping.

finally at 8 am i told craig i thought it was time to go to the ER.

once at the ER it seemed clear that it was my gallbladder. i had large gallstones, and after many hours there the results of another scan didn't come back good and we were given a 10 minute warning that i would need surgery. everything happened so fast... but at the end of the night, my gallbladder came out and i was resting comfortably.

i was released the next day, and cancelled our new year's party. and up until today i have been very uncomfortable. today i finally feel good... but it was a whopping 18 degrees out today, we just stayed put in our pj's.

i need to upload pics soon for the full christmas post...

nothing really...

2011-12-19T17:00:00.000-08:00

not too much to say... just wishing i had a couple extra hours in the day to get everything for christmas done. but it's the same thing every year... i think i'm just about done, and then make a list, and have an "oh, shit!" moment when i realize all the little gifts, and last minute things pile up.

fingers crossed i can keep my sanity this week!!! and here's a couple of photos from the weekend...

our tree and stockings

all four of the kids actually looking in (somewhat) the same direction.

the boys all sporting their patriot shirts... all #12 tom brady!

Merry Christmas... our card!

2011-12-17T07:34:00.000-08:00

Christmas/Holiday cards are my favorite!!! i love making mine every year, and love when they start coming in the mail! i hang them all up in my kitchen so i can look at them often. i even have a folder that i keep them all in. one of these days i will put them all in an album. i love watching how all my friends families have grown over the years. and with some families it has turned into our only way we stay connected.

so... here is my 2011 card.

(front)

(back)

i love how the back is a full picture that can be framed by our families and i didn't have to get try to get prints for everyone who wanted them.

Dear Hadley

2011-12-15T13:23:00.000-08:00

Dear Hadley,

Happy 3rd birthday to my beautiful daughter! I just can't believe how fast the time is going by... You are a girly girl to the extreme! You love all things pink and are quite fond of the princesses. Aurora (sleeping beauty) is your favorite, because she wears pink!

You are finally settled in at school, and love it! Miss Laurie is your favorite teacher, and she just adores you. She even babysat last weekend, and that was awesome! You have a couple of girls in class that you are starting to get friendly with, but you are just so shy most of the time.

Ballet is your favorite activity, and I just watch in amazement as you follow along and do the routine. You are the youngest in the class, but you wouldn't know it. I wish you could do it more than once a week... i can't wait for your recital in the spring!

You love your brothers so much! You can be kinda a pill at times, and even a little annoying, but you are so lucky to have three brothers who love you so much.

You are a complete daddy's girl. You love to snuggle with him, and play. He has a hard time telling you "no", and I sometimes worry about how spoiled you will be.

You are my best little friend. You always ask if we can get our nails done. And when we do you sit so still and let your toes dry. It makes you so happy, and it is a fun mother/daughter activity.

You are in the phase now were band-aids make everything better. Your brothers never went through this, but i am now stocked up on all sorts of pink band-aids. What can i say? It's an easy fix!

I am looking forward to watching you grow, learn and explore a lot this year. The biggest thing we will be working on is the potty. You are not into it, and show no interest at all. Hopefully something will click soon.

I love you my Hadley... Thank you for all the love, joy, and pink you bring to our family!!!

Love, Mommy

xoxo

happy birthday hadley

2011-12-15T06:29:00.000-08:00

miss hadley turned 3 years old on dec. 7th!!! all she wanted for her birthday was a princess castle. she is a girl who loves her princesses!!!

we also got hadley an ornament for her birthday... she loves ballet so much, and when i saw this ornament i knew it was perfect!!!

last sunday we had miss hadley's pink party! we kicked the boys out of the house, and invited a small group of girls and moms over. i made some pink foods and punch, and the girls made a craft, had cake, and then before we had time to do gifts, the birthday girl fell asleep. poor thing!

thanksgiving... better late than never!

2011-12-15T06:21:00.000-08:00

this will be quick... i am home today with a sick little girl who can't seem to shake this fever. i was going to blog about miss hadley's 3rd birthday, but realized i had some thanksgiving pics i never uploaded. so here goes...

this year my parents were coming over for thanksgiving since they are in the apartment until their townhouse goes through. i was all set to cook everything, but we were having some issues with our oven. what a bummer!!! i was able to make all the sides on the stove top, and my parents brought the turkey. (not a bad deal actually)

craig brought the boys to the high school football game... they went last year and loved it. it's a great tradition to start.

we were blessed to celebrate (aka eat) twice this year. our friends were home with no family around, so i thought it would be fun to have a 2nd thanksgiving later in the day with them. my friend loves to cook, so she was excited! it is also nice to see our kids have other kids to play with.

it was a great day!!! after eating lots of yummy food and getting the kids to bed, i headed out with my friend to tackle black friday!!! it was my first time out, and it was fun... we went to the stores that opened at midnight. i will be doing it again next year, but with more of a plan and a list!

i didn't take a lot of pictures, but i did get one of me with the littles...

he's growing up...

2011-12-04T17:42:00.000-08:00

my little man is sure growing up... he's off his bottle and drinking from a sippy cup. he no longer drinks formula either... he's loves his milk! and he eats everything that we eat, no more baby food!!!

did i ever blog after graham's one year appointment? hmmm... i don't think i did. well, i would have to get out the officially paperwork to see, but basically graham dropped from the 50th % in weight, to the 15th. he is so little... especially since all the other kids were above the 90th. so we are trying to fatten him up and we will bring him back for a weight a check.

graham is starting to say a couple of "words"... mama, dada, yaya (my mom), and nie nie for night night. he gives kisses and hugs. he's such a good boy!!! i love him so much!

part of me just wants to keep him my baby forever... i don't want him to grow up because i know we will never do this again. but then there is so much freedom as we finish with each stage. so many emotions!!!

next up... walking!!! then the real fun starts!

4 kids!!!

2011-11-29T12:46:00.000-08:00

i know i should probably write about our thanksgiving, and my black friday shopping experience, but i'm going to skip ahead for a second...

my 15th high school reunion was saturday night. i went with some of my friends, and the majority of the people left their spouses at home. so craig was not able to experience this with me fully!

first of all, you can tell who pays attention to facebook and who doesn't by just the questions they asked... where do you live, how many kids, etc.

let's just say, that i am going to have a button made that says "yes, i really have four kids!"

it was like a foreign language i was speaking or something. four kids!!! who the heck has four kids these days!!! (well actually quite a lot of families in the town i live now... but not so much where i grew up.)

my friend lori who i went with had to deal with the other end of the questions... "when are you having kids?" "why don't you want kids?" "are you having problems getting pregnant?" her button should say "i love my life, and i don't want kids... not because i don't like kids, i just don't want to have any thankyouverymuch!"

it was great to see a lot of old friends... some people i ignored, the same as high school, some people i never made an effort to talk to, i had great conversations with. all in all, it was a fun night.

here's a couple pics that were on facebook - i didn't bring a camera.

my mason...

2011-11-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

i'm so very thankful for my mason... what a joy! i love his smile and eyes! he gets so excited about everything. he wants so much to be just like his big brother... it is cute and annoying all mixed together.

he loves to snuggle, and get hugs! he is a good boy! loves school, sports, and life in general!

when you have four kids, it is nice to have one just like him! he fits into our family perfectly, and isn't high maintenance.

i love my mason man!!!

i love you

2011-11-22T17:05:00.000-08:00

i am very thankful for carter... he is my oldest boy and when he is not fighting with mason, is a big help with the littles. he loves playing with graham, and is really a great big brother to hadley. he and mason have a love/hate relationship going on.

lately carter does the cutest thing... he picks out his clothes at night and leaves a note to ask if what he picked out is ok. often he asks me to write back... my little pen pal. the other night he left his note, and then at the bottom it said "p.s. check under your pillow" so of course i go to check right away, and there was a note that said "i love you".

how cute is that??? it totally made my day!

happy birthday graham!!!

2011-11-14T13:28:00.001-08:00

dear graham,

happy 1st birthday baby boy! you are the sweetest baby ever! i love you to pieces! you are so lovable, cute and happy! you are a lucky boy to have 3 older siblings to love you so much... they always want to hold you, kiss you and give you hugs!

you are such a sport... you go to all their games, schools and activities. blessed... our family is blessed to have you part of it.

you are my baby! and no matter how old you grow, and how big you get, you will always be my baby!

you want to move! you crawl like a champ, and pull up on everything you can. you want so much to walk... you are just not brave enough to try. soon enough you will be on the go, so for now, we will just wait and watch.

i am so proud of you though... you are now finally an eating machine. for the longest time you would gag whenever we tried to feed you real food. but now, you finally figured it out and love it! you eat pretty much whatever our family eats. you love pasta, mac and cheese, yogurt, and cheerios.

graham, i just love you so much... you make my days brighter and happier. i am so lucky to be your mom. i can't wait to see how much you grow and accomplish over the next year!

love you forever,

Mommy

xoxo

my hubby...

2011-11-09T19:23:00.000-08:00

i am so thankful for my hubby! he is my best friend, an amazing husband, and an awesome dad! we make a great team...

i love you craig!!!

xoxo

thankful for my girl...

2011-11-07T18:37:00.000-08:00

i am so thankful for my beautiful girl... she is so sweet! of course she is 2, and sometimes likes to remind me, but for the most part she is a good girl.

she is adjusting well to school, and has even made a little friend (johanna)... they are cute together. she loves her teachers, and they love her! she is clearly teacher's pet, but that's ok. she needs the extra tlc. her favorite part of the day is playing with the play doh and painting. i am even letting her stay for an extended day (until 1:00) once in a while since she loves it so much.

miss hadley loves dancing school!!!! it is her favorite!!! she no longer holds her teacher's hand and participates in all the activities. for the rest of the day she practices what she learned, and will show anyone and everyone all her moves! i can't wait for her recital!

she still loves all things pink, girly, and of course the princesses... today she was so funny. i put on her dress and then some aqua leggings, and she told me that those are her ariel pants for swimming. ariel doesn't wear pink like aurora. we just started watching "tangled" and love it!!! it's nice to get a break from star wars!

catalog season is in full swing and she is my girl! she will sit with me and look through all the catalogs and the pictures and tell me what she likes. she's just so cute!!! we have made quite the list for her birthday and christmas!
my hadley is sensitive too... i have been very sad about stephanie and hadley came into my bed and saw that i was crying. she asked if was sad, i told her yes, mommy was very sad. she laid on my chest and just hugged me for about 5 minutes. and then she got up and asked if was happy now. i am thankful in my house full of boys i have a little girl to keep me company. i can't wait to see how our relationship grows over the years.

not enough hours

2011-11-07T12:39:00.000-08:00

i'm just going to vent for a moment... i don't do it often, but sometimes i just gotta let it out.

lots of parents were not so excited with the time change... gosh, i loved it! an extra hour! there is just not enough hours in the day to get it all done. i could get more done if i was willing to skip naps or have the kids nap on the fly, but i enjoy my quiet time too.

every night there is something to do... a meeting, an appointment, a conference, or a game. most days i just go with the flow and i love my life and everything that goes along with it. but weeks like this, i just need more time. graham's birthday is this week and i need to get some things for his party. and then of course i need to get the little man a gift. i was all set to order him a chair from pbk, but it was back ordered. now what to do?

ok, that's it... my little whine for the day is done. just feeling a tad bit stressed this week with everything going on.

here's a couple pictures of the kiddos... they are all growing up way too fast!!!

so sad...

2011-11-06T17:26:00.000-08:00

today miss stephanie passed away. i am so sad! she was so amazing, and so positive. she will be missed so very much.

i pray for her children... that they have the strength to get through this difficult experience, and always hold close their memories.

rest in peace stephanie...

miss stephanie

2011-11-03T21:06:00.000-07:00

it's after midnight and i can't fall asleep... too much on my mind, and i feel like crap.

my thankful post today is dedicated to miss stephanie. who is miss stephanie you ask? well, she is the most amazing, giving, loving, and generous woman. over 5 years ago she started babysitting for me. she is in her 40's, with 3 kids, and due to her terminal cancer diagnosis, was unable to keep her job at the preschool she worked at.

she was my mary poppins... always showed up in her big black suburban, with the back filled with toys, ready to play and do crafts with the kids.

she would be there for me as much or as little as i needed, and in return, when she had treatment, or wasn't feeling well, she could stay home.

she loves my kids. and they love her. we all do.

when i met her, she told me she had colon cancer... it wasn't curable, but treatable. and she has been doing her best to beat cancer, and live her life to the fullest. around the 4th of july she got bad news... her tumors were spreading and they were giving her 6 months to live. it took her over a month to tell me the news. i was devastated, and i cried for days. it just broke my heart.

she continued to babysit for me for another month, and then her health was going downhill. i was scared and nervous when i didn't hear from her, and texted her daughter. my gut was right... she was in the hospital, in the icu. i felt so helpless.

she is home now, and i think this is it. i send her texts every week to let her know i'm thinking of her. and i send pictures of the kids to make her happy. but it has now been another week with no word, and i am worried.

hadley asks for miss stephy all the time. it breaks my heart...

i am just so thankful for the time we had with her... and all the love and support she gave me as a mom, and to my kids.

(here's a pic of her with her daughters)

Thankful...

2011-11-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

it's november. seriously, i feel like we were just at the beach yesterday!!! september just flew by. soccer sure does keep us busy! and i couldn't imagine spending my saturdays any other way! i love it. carter is on a travel team, and the games are fun to watch. i am the assistant coach for mason's kindergarten team, and it is just so much fun! he just loves it so much!

i am going to do my best to blog this month with the little things i am thankful for... today, it is easy. power!!! we had a storm saturday night, and although we don't usually get snow this early, it wasn't that crazy either. but man, you would think a tornado came through my town... trees, poles, and wires down everywhere!!! we woke up sunday morning to no electricity. i was a little shocked, since we were one of the lucky ones that didn't lose it when hurricane irene hit.

at first it was fun... we had to bundle up, because it was freezing out. but soon reality was hitting... it was going to get dark and colder. the patriots were playing at 4:15 and craig wanted to find a tv to watch (priorities), and they were predicting power outages until thursday. so when our friends called and said they could book us a hotel, we jumped on it. and so glad we did... hotels were selling out everywhere!!!

so we packed up and moved into one hotel room, for our family of 6... it was a "staycation"! schools were canceled monday and tuesday... heck, even halloween was postponed until friday. we made the best of it... we were with friends and we kept the kids busy, although they were going a bit stir crazy!

i was very thankful to come home today to my nice warm house... and a little personal space too!!!

11 months

2011-10-12T08:13:00.000-07:00

seriously... 11 flipping months old!!! my baby... my last baby... he's on his way to becoming a big 1 year old and i am starting to really get sad. in a blink of an eye, he will be walking and talking... so then what???? on to the next chapter of our life without pregnancies, newborns, and infants!!!

graham is such a sweet boy... he just goes with the flow. i just love him!!!! and no, i'm not biased at all! ha!!! i just love watching his personality develop.

i am now officially in party planning mode. i am really trying to enjoy him, and all the kids, because it really does go by way too fast!!!!

big weekend for mason...

2011-10-10T19:46:00.000-07:00

mason had a big weekend! he had his first soccer game after three weeks of practices. he was so excited! i wasn't feeling that great saturday morning, but i wasn't going to miss it. this year i am the assistant coach for his team, and the boys are so sticking cute!!!! i'll have to get some pictures next week.

mason also got a mohawk... he has been wanting one for quite some time. and it isn't the most authentic looking one, but his hair was so short from the summer, that we did the best we could and hopefully as the middle grows, it will look more like one. although if you as mason, he is thrilled!!! so happy!

and mason finally started riding his bike without training wheels... he took a spill on his new bike, and has been nervous to get on a bike without the training wheels. this weekend we got out his old bike, which is so little, but it was just what he needed! such a big boy!

moving...

2011-09-29T16:56:00.000-07:00

my parents sold their house and moved out today. i have a lot of mixed emotions about it... but the best news is that they are just 10 minutes away now, and not an hour!!!

lots has happened since i took my break from blogging... my dad lost his job, and his feet/legs are still feeling the results of his chemo, so at this point the doctors are assuming it is permanent. the house, the yard and everything that goes with it was a lot to keep up with for him, so they deciced to sell!!! 12 days and 2 offers later... sold!!!!

they have an offer on a townhouse down here, but it's a shortsale, so they are doing all the steps that are necessary. in the meantime, they moved into an apartment today. tomorrow they will go up and close on their house.

we had a final sunday dinner there a couple weeks ago, and here's a picture of all the cousins.

i'm looking forward to having them close, and hopefully babysitting more on saturday nights too!!! :)

princess ballet

2011-09-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

i signed hadley up for a princess ballet class... she is a little on the young side, but i figured it goes until june, so it was best to start early than see if they had space later. i also liked that this class runs all school year and not just for an 8 week session like the ones at the ymca.

the first week she wouldn't let go of miss judy's hand. but not tears, and she seemed to like it. she is getting more comfortable each week, and she loves it!!! she shows off her moves and talks about it non-stop!!!

there is a recital in the spring, which i am sure will be priceless!!!!

for the last 15 minutes of every class the girls get to dress up in their princess dresses! so.stinking.cute!!!

back to school

2011-09-27T06:41:00.000-07:00

ok - let's try to get back into my blogging. i really love going back to look at everything i have documented, so i know i will be mad at myself if i don't do this.

carter - 3rd grade

this week of back to school was a bit different then other years. we got his by hurricane irene right before school started. although it didn't do much damage it did knock out 98% of our towns power. not sure how, but we were one of the few houses that never lost power.

it was a debate whether school would still open on time, but once they got power back, they went ahead with everything as planned. my guess is that while parents where running around trying to figure everything out, the kids could have a safe place to go.

i guess i never realized how many of our friends have well water... no power = no water
our friends that live down the road ended up staying with us while they waited for their power to come back... the kids all got along so good, and my friend love is a kick ass cook, so she made dinner each night. they stayed with us from monday - thursday, and although it wasn't ideal (especially for them) it will be a great memory. i can't imagine my kids every having a sleepover on the first day of school again.

mason - kindergarten

all the kids going off to school...

hadley also started school this year. she is going to the same preschool the boys went to. she just makes the cut off for the 2.9 program. she goes on tues/thurs from 9 - 11:30

the first day of school is poured!!!! so i didn't get too many good pictures. she has also been very shy and timid, and easing into the whole school thing. everyday she gets a little better and more comfortable.

now that we are settled in to our back to school routine, i am hoping to start organizing my house again!!!! and enjoying my trips to target with only child!!! especially since he doesn't ask for anything....

summer of fun!

2011-08-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

wow.... long time no blog!!!

i completely took the summer off from blogging... i just needed a break and wanted to really have fun and enjoy my family.

we had so much fun this summer! let's see if i can start back up with this blogging thing...

there's no place like home

2011-06-02T06:51:00.000-07:00

after watching the nation being wrecked by tornados, i was surprised when my phone alerted me to the "breaking news" ... tornado watch in massachusetts. i watched the weather and didn't think too much of it. but then the storm was coming closer and was estimated to hit the town next to me in 20 minutes. all the emergency broadcast interruptions upset carter, and down to the basement we went. luckily, nothing more then thunder and lightning hit us, but western MA sure did get hit hard.

i am thankful that we are all ok, and pray for the families that have been left with nothing.

6 months

2011-06-01T13:10:00.001-07:00

better late than never... my baby boy is 6 months old!

he is such a sweet baby... a love bug! he is so happy and just goes with the flow.

he is still dealing with the wheezing issues, and we now have an appointment with the ent at the end of june. maybe then we can get some answers or get referred to the next specialist.

when graham is feeling good, he sleeps a good 11 - 12 hours at night, but lately he has been waking up while having a coughing fit at night. this makes for one sleepy mama! he is also not really into solids at all. i finally stopped and will try back soon. i hate force feeding him.

i am looking forward to watching him have fun and enjoy his first summer!!!

wow, i suck...

2011-05-22T18:20:00.001-07:00

well, i guess i officially suck at blogging these days... still haven't uploaded any pictures, or had time to write about what's going on.

the good news is that the auction i have been working on was last night and a huge success!!!! not only did i have a rocking fun time, the school made over $9000!!! cha-ching!!!

craig and i had a blast... we drank a little too much, and laughed, and spent some fun times with our friends! with four kids, it doesn't happen often, but when it does, we appreciate it!!

hopefully now that i have some free time, i can get back to my blog!

tired, overwhelmed, and a little sad...

2011-05-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

gosh, where to begin? somehow things are just crazy busy around here these days... sports, school, doctors appointments, 4 kids, work, house stuff... the list goes on!

i don't want to complain, because honestly i have nothing to complain about... just some days are busier than others, and i feel like i am juggling a lot right now. graham is the happiest baby ever... he's so good! but he is now 6 months old and doesn't sleep all the time anymore. and hadley is full of life!!! she is funny, cute, and sweet... well, that's when she is not whining, yelling and having tantrums (hello terrible 2s). mason is good, but has been a bit oversensitive these days and it drives me crazy!!!! and carter just is carter... when he's good, he awesome, and then there are the mornings that we are fighting before the bus comes at 7:30 because i won't let him wear shorts to school when the high of the day is 57 degrees.

i feel like i am not as organized as i usually am and it is driving me crazy!!! i have never looked forward to a summer vacation before as much as i am now... i just want to be done with home work, and getting up and out early, and schedules.

i am spending a lot of time and energy on the auction we are having for mason's school... when i shut my eyes at night, my mind is racing and i hate it!

graham has been sick with his wheezing cough forever now... we tried a new medication in his nebulizer that didn't work ($150 for the month's supply) and today i picked up something new his doctor recommended ($110) which i am not optimistic about. on monday i need to make an appointment with the ent to see what he says. and i already know when hadley has her 2 1/2 year checkup this summer. they are going to want to schedule surgery for her hernia... we've been putting it off for a year now.

ok, and here comes the part when i'm sad... i know craig feels this way too. carter's on a travel soccer team and he's not so good. his heart just isn't into it. there are 8 kids on the team, and he would be ranked 8th. it's a small team because so many boys are doing baseball or lacrosse. if there was an "A" team and a "B" team, he would be on the lower skilled team and be fine, but since there is only one option, it is just hard to watch. once you are on travel teams, and it is no longer just a fun in-town league, it's hard to face reality.

let me just say that i/we are not sad at his ability... he is, what he is. i just hate the idea of him noticing that he's not in the top tier.

tonight were the try-outs for summer baseball. now, carter does well in baseball... he is a good player and loves it! again, he is not in the top group of players, but can usually hold his own. well 15 kids tried out, and craig said he didn't do well tonight. if 12 players make the team, it breaks my heart to think he will be one of 3 that doesn't. he'll still have an opportunity to play on the lower team. not a big deal if any of his friends would play with him, but if they all make it and he doesn't, that breaks my heart.

around 50 kids play 2nd grade baseball... and he does fall right in the middle of that group. but when only 15 kids try out, it's hard to see where you rank. who knows, maybe he'll make the team and have a great summer? i just don't want him feeling discouraged in baseball the same way he does in soccer.

oh well... those are the thoughts going through my mind tonight. i still need to upload graham's six month photos... and tackle all the chores. or maybe just go to bed!!!!

there are lots of things i don't say on my blog because it is public... i am thinking of making it private, but i need to figure out how to do that. you know, i do have my loyal 3 readers! ha!

baby names

2011-05-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

today is one of my favorite days!!! the social security administration released the list of the top 1000 baby names of 2010. i just love looking at this list... watching the trends, and checking out my favorite names.

i gotta admit that i am a little sad that i will never have the chance to name another baby. I have so many favorites... i think i would need about 15 more kids to use them all!

Graham
2010 284
2009 260
2008 322
2007 382
2006 430
2005 408
2004 422
2003 395
2002 410
2001 398
2000 405

Hadley
2010 216
2009 363
2008 417
2007 469
2006 494
2005 624
2004 692
2003 702
2002 875
2001 857
2000 921

Mason
2010 12
2009 34
2008 35
2007 37
2006 40
2005 42
2004 51
2003 54
2002 53
2001 53
2000 64

Carter
2010 48
2009 50
2008 65
2007 80
2006 75
2005 77
2004 88
2003 102
2002 108
2001 111
2000 152

how are things?

2011-05-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

hey, shan... how are things going?

so glad you asked!!! things have been slightly busy here. yes, we are finally over with all the birthday and religious celebrations, but there is always something. i guess with four kids there will always be something.

sports - carter is playing soccer and baseball, and mason is playing t-ball. baseball is the only sport that the kids do that has weeknight games. craig is coaching both the boys teams, so he has to leave work early a lot to get to the games. it's great he is coaching, but that leaves me on the sidelines with the kids. mason just plays with his friends, and graham chills in the stroller, it is our crazy two year old who loves to run around, and run on to the field to give her daddy a hug. cute, yes... but i need to keep my running shoes on!

graham is still our happy wheezer... it has been 2 months and he is still wheezing. the nebulizers and steroids have not helped. last week i brought him to children's for a chest x-ray and it showed he has asthma. for now we are watching him closely, and making sure he is hitting all his milestones and gaining weight. the doctor said her biggest concern was that he wheezes so much when he is not sick. at his 6 month appointment we will discuss which specialist to send him to (pulmonologist, ent, or allergist). i am just so thankful that he is such a happy boy!!!

hadley, hadley, hadley... i just love her so much!!! she is so cute and sweet... well, except for when she's not! ha! one on one she is perfect! but she loves to bother her older brothers. she wants to do everything they do, and doesn't understand why she can't. she is perfecting the art of tantrums and just really keeps me on my toes. she is OBSESSED with pink!!!! (she informed me she wants a pink DS... she didn't get the memo that 2 year olds shouldn't even know what a DS is.) so for any of you moms out there who have boys and think it would be fun to have a girl... come borrow her!

house improvements - we haven't really had to do much to our house since we bought it almost 6 years ago. i had a couple of ideas, but then when i got a quote for our front door to get fixed, we were told we need a whole new entry way. and then we had the domino effect. new door = change color (green to red), then change the shutters (green to black) and i have really been wanting new garage doors, and the fence needs to be replaced, and craig wants our irrigation system added to the back yard. so yes, lots of things going on... i also met with the landscaper to share my ideas with him. i am so excited to see what we get accomplished this year!!!!

ww - i fell off the wagon! not really, i just haven't counted my points in the last 2 weeks, and hence haven't lost any weight. i need to get back on it, and step away from the easter candy!!!!

that's all i got to share for now... thanks for asking!!!

p.s. how are things with you? (yes, i would love to know!!!)

busy busy!

2011-05-02T05:49:00.000-07:00

wow! i can't believe it is may! i feel like i say this all the time, but the months are just flying by!!!!

last weekend was easter, and that was the end of april vacation week. we went out to brunch with our friends the lappins. after we ate tons of yummy food, we headed up to my parents for a visit. it was a good day!!!

easter baskets & egg hunt

family photos

more easter pictures

on april 30th, carter celebrated his first communion. it was a beautiful day and we were so proud of him!!! we kept things very small, since we have been having party after party since graham's baptism in march.

carter is not a fan of photos at all, so i had to keep it fast and simple.

carter then decided it was his turn to play photographer... not bad at all!

we also decided that it wouldn't be a good idea to bring hadley to church... she is at a very active and loud stage right now, and i didn't want her to be a distraction. our church doesn't have a crying room or a nursery... she stayed at home with the lappins and kelly painted her toes pink with sparkles... she loves them!!!!

this was my happy face on saturday night... no more parties to plan for a long time!!!

yesterday craig and mason were invited to go to the red sox game with friends. it was mason's first time going, and he got to go with his best bud matthew... their seats were amazing!!!

now let's see how fast may flies by!!! before we know it, it will be memorial day weekend!!!!

petey the penguin

2011-04-23T18:58:00.000-07:00

mason's class has a "pet" penguin... this week it was our turn to host the little guy!!! mason had so much fun!!!!

first things first... bath time!!!

i was shocked with how attached mason got of this class pet. he loved the whole experience! he then asked why we don't have any pets in our house... sorry kid, that's not going to happen!

let's play ball!

2011-04-19T19:35:00.000-07:00

baseball season is here!!! our schedule is crazy busy, but in a good way. (note to self: when planning on having four kids, make sure you really think through the sports/extra curricular schedules.)

craig is an assistant coach for both boys teams... this is a huge help because he always has to be there. but then again, it always leaves me on the sidelines with 3 kids. fun fun!

i just love being outside, and watching the kids play... mason is so happy just being part of a team, and he literally smiles nonstop. carter is getting better and he has an awesome team this year!

and let's not forget about our home town team... we need to root, root, root, for the red sox!!!!

5 months old!!!

2011-04-18T12:29:00.000-07:00

how can graham be 5 months old? seriously, he needs to stay my baby forever!!!

he is just the sweetest thing ever!!! so calm, and mellow... just goes with the flow. he loves his activity mat! it's his favorite hang out these days.

he's finally rolling... and by rolling i mean he can do both back to belly, and belly to back. it's more like a roll than rolling!

back when he had his 4 month appointment his was wheezing and diagnosed with bronchiolitis. he's finally over the cough, but his is still wheezing. last week i had them listen to his chest when we were there for mason's 5 year check up and sure enough still wheezing. they put him on an oral steroid for 5 days... i'm bummed that it didn't help at all!!! i need to bring him back in to see what the heck is going on.

my little man is a complete joy!!! he has been sleeping from 8:30 pm - 7:30 am, and i am loving that!!!

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

2011-04-16T06:46:00.000-07:00

it's vacation time!!! hip hip hooray!!!

now that our schedule is full, and we are on the go non-stop, i am really excited to have a week to just relax, have play dates, and maybe have a little down time.

who knows, maybe i will find time to upload some photos and update my blog? or work on my disney album that has been a work in progress on shutterfly? or in reality, maybe i can actually enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning, and not feel stressed and rush to get out the door and to get all the kids ready?

now i just need to keep my fingers crossed that the weather is nice so we can enjoy playing outside!!! (it was 40 degrees when carter left for baseball practice this morning... brrrr!)

ww check in

2011-04-15T10:52:00.000-07:00

i am so happy i found time to get weighed in today... it can be hard to fit it in with the kids schedules, and the ww center is a good 20 minutes away.

down 1.4 lbs this week...
total weight lost - 11.4 lbs.

it's coming off slow and steady but it is still coming off so i'll take it!!! i also don't feel deprived at all... i have my points and i am keeping to it for the most part. if i have a craving, i'll eat it (usually a smaller portion) and move on.

time to enjoy the day!!!

Happy (belated) Birthday Carter

2011-04-13T18:46:00.001-07:00

i can't believe my baby boy is now eight years old!!!! how did that happen??? it seems like yesterday i was put on bed rest and just counted down the days until he got here.

we started off the day with the traditional birthday donut! for as long as i can remember my parents always had a boston cream donut waiting for me on my birthday, and i am happy to pass it along to my kids!!!

carter asked for some books, legos, and a new ds game for his birthday. he also really wanted a north face jacket, just like his dad. i originally said no, because it is spring, and soon enough the weather should be getting warmer. i told him he had to wait until next fall. well, i then kinda ruined his fleece while washing it with mason's new star wars towel, so i made a last minute purchase. zappos.com is amazing... next day delivery, with free shipping!!! i kinda splurged on all the kids, but i couldn't help myself! mason loves to be just like carter, and the pink one was too cute!!!

we then spent the afternoon at the museum of science... it was a fun day! i think carter and craig are going to go back again and spend more time there... there was only so much we could do with everybody.
(all the pictures i took came out so bad! the little canon camera i have just sucks!!!)

after spending the day at the museum, we were all tired, and going out to dinner was just asking for a disaster! we ended up getting take out from carter's favorite restaurant, came home and had a movie night. we then finished the evening with brownie sundaes, for my child who doesn't like cake!!!

Dear Carter,
I am so proud of you... you are such an amazing well-rounded boy! your teachers always tell me how good you are in school. you have some great friends, and i even think that you like sharing a room with mason.

you are daddy's little side kick, and you guys are like two peas in a pod. you are the best big brother to hadley and graham... you have such love in your eyes when you talk to them. and you still love to crawl into bed with me in the morning and snuggle.

you are still a picky picky eater, but you are getting better.... food really is good, and i want you to enjoy it! 99% of the time you have a pb&j at lunch time with a chocolate milk.

i want nothing more than joy and happiness in your life... i want you to continue to be a good boy and to always value what an amazing family we have (even when mason annoys you).

i love you so very much...
Mommy

WW check in

2011-04-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

after all my whining, i finally got weighed in today... i lost 1.8 lbs, for a total of 10 lbs.

i'm so happy! i'm glad i didn't give up! slow and steady, slow and steady...

and now for a couple cute pictures... so happy to be enjoying some spring weather!

april already?

2011-04-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

i know it's april, we just celebrated carter's birthday last weekend (post to come), but i can't believe it. time is just flying by so fast. every time i blink the weeks are just going by.

i just said to craig that he really needs to tap into his vacation time so we can get stuff done... but i know how he loves to keep his 8 weeks of vacation time available and not actually use it. (does anyone else hoard vacation time?)

i am also just going to whine for a moment... hey, it's my blog and i can whine if i want to. i am really struggling with my weight loss right now. the first 2 weeks were easy, and now the scale isn't moving. i am trying not to get discouraged, but it's hard not to. and i have no desire to drive 20 minutes and drag hadley and graham to a meeting to get weighed in if i am not going to get good news. i really need to stick to this plan, because i know it does work, and i am hoping that one day the scale will just jump! (a girl can dream).

losing weight is not easy, and there is no quick fix. i need to keep reminding myself that his is a journey, and to keep the big picture in mind. my goal is not to wear a bikini this summer, but to fit into my clothes more comfortably. craig is being supportive, and now that i have officially vented, i think i can move on.

ok, off to bed i go...

2, 4, 6, 8...

2011-03-31T13:51:00.000-07:00

2 - two is a hard age. everyone has heard of the terrible 2's. i never really experienced it with the boys, but no worries, hadley is making sure we know exactly what the terrible 2s are.

i am tired! some days are just not fun at all, and others she is a complete joy and so fun! today has been a good day, which is why i have a few spare minutes to blog. today she was perfect while mason was at speech and colored and did stickers with me. she played perfectly with all her toys, and has been full of hugs & kisses. but some days are so bad, and full of arguments, and everything has to be PINK and she needs to do everything herself! (hadley do, hadley's turn.... yes, she talks in the third person all the time.)

PINK - it was so cute when she first discovered her love for pink, but now it is just obnoxious. she was freaking out on craig the other night b/c her pink kitty towel was in the wash, and he was looking at me for help... too bad bud, you are on your own. welcome to my world.

monday i had an hour before mason needed to be picked up and i thought we could take a quick trip to whole foods... well the terrible 2 monster showed her face, and there was a change of plans. i put her in her car seat to keep her locked down, then put on a movie so she didn't fall asleep and ordered my salad for lunch from a local place w/ a drive-thru. hey, a moms gotta do, what a moms gotta do.

i really adore her, and love how cute she is, i just prefer to do it without all the drama!!! (have i mentioned how much i love that i only have 1 girl?)

4 - graham is four months old, and we finally had his well visit week. and by well visit, i mean sick visit. i would have brought him in for a sick visit but we already has his appointment scheduled. he is a big boy @ 15lbs 5 oz. he has bronchiolitis and just sounds awful! luckily, he is a happy boy, and a happy wheezer.

i was suppose to bring him back on tuesday for a recheck, but he sounded so bad on monday, that we went back in. he tested negative for rsv, and other than nebulizers, there is nothing we can do. i am praying he gets better soon... we go back next week for a follow up.

6 - the number of people in our family, which makes for a busy calendar. carter started soccer and baseball practice this week. mason starts t-ball practice on saturday. i love this time of year, seeing everyone at the fields, and getting outside... it's just that it is snowing as i type, so it is hard to embrace all the spring activities. yesterday we were teased with a beautiful day, and now snow... i guess that's new england for you.

8 - i can't believe carter is going to be eight years old on saturday. how is that possible?

last weekend we brought him and his friends to the movies to see Diary of a Wimpy KId: Rodrick Rules. it was cute and the boys loved it!!!

tomorrow we need to figure out our plans for this weekend (other than baseball practice)...

ww check in

2011-03-21T13:04:00.001-07:00

i went in for my 2nd weigh in today... i had graham and hadley with me so i couldn't stay for the meeting, but i like going for an official weigh in.

i was happy to hear i lost 2 lbs! that makes 8.2 in total. i really didn't keep track over the weekend with mason's birthday celebrations, but i did my best.

once i hit the 10 lb mark i'll have to do something special... maybe a new pair of flip flops just incase spring decides to join us!!!

happy birthday mason!!!!

2011-03-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

i can't believe my little boy is 5 years old!!! that's a whole hand!!!

on friday mason woke up and was so excited it was his birthday... we are keeping the donut tradition going, and he started his day with a chocolate frosted donut. nothing like some sugar to get you going in the morning...

then we got him a couple of presents to open, but his big gift is a new bike and we just need to find time in our schedule to have him try some out. he is obsessed with sticker books these days and they entertain him for hours! i found 2 new ones that he didn't have yet, so i grabbed those along with a new ds game.

then off to school we went... march 18th is a fun day at school. not only is it his birthday, it is also his friend brady's b-day and his teacher mrs. t too! brady's mom and i brought in ice cream cups, and toppings so the kids could make their own sundaes. it was fun being able to enjoy myself at his school w/out having hadley and graham there to worry about.

later in the day we headed up to pick up craig from work and go to the cheesecake factory for dinner. mason got to pick, and he was torn between the cheesecake factory or mcdonald's.... let's just say i helped make that decision!

we headed to the lego store after dinner so he could spend the money my parents gave him, and then finished the night at ben & jerry's.

yesterday we had his party at the house. the theme was a movie party, and it was so cute! he invited a couple of friends over and they watched Megamind. i was shocked with how well they did, and stayed focused on the movie. then pizza and cupcakes!

even though it is more work, i always love having a home party with a small group of kids... i am now tired, and exhausted and need to get ready to have carter's party next weekend. really what was a thinking with the baptism, and two parties all in a row?

spring forward

2011-03-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

so, along with the time change, we also had a room change in our house. on sunday, hadley finally decided she wanted to sleep in her big girl bed!!! she was so tired from the baptism, and lack of nap that day that she fell right asleep. go hadley!!!

i hated the thought of kicking her out of her crib, and i am so happy that she made the transition herself.

once she was out i set up the crib for graham so that she wouldn't want to go back and forth. he's not sleeping in there at night yet, but he has napped there. he also loves to watch his mobile go around and around.

by 4 months all the other kids were all set in their rooms, but for whatever reason i am having a hard time moving graham. he's my last baby, and i just love having him in my room.

here's the newest addition to our family... yes, this makes my 7th stroller.

i do love the phil&ted's, but i wanted something smaller that hadley could hop in and out of w/out throwing off the balance. after much research, this is what i settled on.

lastly, here are some pictures of graham doing tummy to tummy time w/ craig... they both love it!!!

happy st. patrick's day

2011-03-17T12:55:00.000-07:00

today the weather was beautiful!!! but unfortunately, carter stayed home sick and we didn't get to enjoy it. i have so much to do to get ready for mason's b-day party this weekend, that i had to drag all the kids to bj's to pick up some snacks.

here are a couple pictures from today... hadley isn't a fan of green and refused to wear her green sweater and added as much pink as she could. she cracks me up!

what a difference a year makes...

WW = 6.2

2011-03-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

well, i finally had enough and re-joined weight watchers. i really don't know why i waited so long. i would keep giving myself more time, knowing all the baby weight came off by 6 weeks postpartum. well, no more excuses, no more time, no more next week or month.

last sunday i went in for my first official weigh-in, and let me just say that i was not so happy... i guess it was a rough winter with lots of baking going on here in the jacobs house.

yesterday i wasn't able to get weighed in b/c of the baptism, so i headed there today after i dropped mason off at school. i knew i wouldn't be able to stay for the meeting but i just needed to see how well i did. i was shocked to learn i lost 6.2 lbs during my first week! go me!!! i was hoping for 4... especially since i had some of that yummy cake yesterday.

i am excited to continue on this journey... my first goal is 15 lbs.

Graham's Baptism

2011-03-14T18:48:00.001-07:00

yesterday we celebrated graham's baptism... i am so proud of my baby boy! he was so good! it was a great day, and although there were more than a few moments that made me want to pull my hair out and never host a party at my house again... but we survived.

my friend christia made graham's baptism outfit... it was so perfect!!! thanks so much!

the timing was after lunch but before dinner so we just had some snacks...

4 months

2011-03-11T18:27:00.000-08:00

how is my baby boy four months old? the months are going by so fast!!!

he is still the happiest little guy. he just smiles and smiles... his laugh is contagious, and he loves to cuddle.

he really is a low-maintenance baby... he eats every 3 hours or so. he just hangs out during the day, and we are going to now start trying to get him in a routine with naps. i think around 4 months is when i did it with the others.

graham still loves to be swaddled at night, and will go down anytime between 9-11, and sleep until 7ish the next morning. not too shabby.

pure joy... that is all i can say. he is such a love bug, and we are all really enjoying him.

trying to grease up his head to rid him from cradle cap... any suggestions? i have tried a ton of things...

ready... set... go!

2011-03-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

march madness is here! our calendar is so crazy busy this month, i get sick thinking of everything.

today the boys had dentist appointments, then carter has a ccd retreat at the church for 2 hours in prep for his first communion, then we have dinner plans with friends. i want to take the kids to get some new sneakers, and squeeze in a pedi today b/c i am in desperate need of one!!! (update, got my pedi! but pushed shopping until tomorrow.)

next weekend is graham's baptism, then we have mason's birthday and party the following weekend, and finally carter's birthday party at the end of the month.

play dates, kindergarten registration, graham's 4 month well visit, indoor soccer on friday nights, baseball clinics on sundays, school work, field trips, etc. the list goes on and on.

i guess this is just the beginning... we have four kids now, and our schedule is busy busy. as long as i keep organized i will be ok. (at least that's what i tell myself.)

date night!

2011-02-27T17:45:00.001-08:00

last night we went out to celebrate craig's birthday... my back still isn't 100%, but i was really looking forward to going out.

we went to patriot's place, and did a little shopping first. craig was in a great mood and i somehow ended up with a new watch too! we then met our friends rick and ilana at the movies. we were there early enough to have a drink before we went to our seats. pineapple martini's are yummy!!!!

i got us tickets to Hall Pass, which truth be told, craig was not happy about. he thought it was going to be some stupid movie. well, it was one of the only new releases that was playing in the lux that i haven't seen. we got settled in our chairs, and ordered dinner more drinks, and enjoyed the show. we all laughed so hard... it was hilarious!

after the movie we headed over to Davio's to have dessert. i have been carrying around a gift card with almost $50 on it, and just wanted to use it up.

it was a perfect night! craig maybe had a couple too many drinks, and was feeling it today.

what to do?

2011-02-25T11:36:00.000-08:00

sometimes making parenting decisions can be difficult...

ok, so here's the deal. carter is in the 2nd grade, and there was a new boy in his class this year. when we asked carter who he played with at recess, or sat next to at lunch time, he would always talk about this boy. great, carter has a new friend.

then in september when i went to the open house night at the school, this boys mother was there. now i know they say don't judge a book by it's cover, but i'm just going to put it out there... i did, and i do. the mom wasn't dressed nice at all, didn't seem to fit in with the look of most the moms i have met in town.

whatever, so i probably won't be friends with this women, but it wouldn't stop me from having carter play with her son. and then one day on the way to the soccer fields, carter points this boy out. he was playing outside his house, which is a set of low-income town houses. really, i didn't even know this section of town existed. through my eyes, i thought our town was mostly middle - upper middle class.

ok, so now i am thinking, if carter wants to have this boy over some day, that would be fine, but i didn't want him going to his house. i told craig my thoughts, and he agreed.

so now the tricky part... last week our phone rang a couple of times, and on the called id was this boy from class. he didn't leave a message, so i kinda ignored it. the next day i ran into another one of carter's friends moms at the store. she told me that there was a message for carter on her answering machine from this other boy. he was inviting him to his birthday party. the party was at his house next week. then the mom said she was glad her son wasn't invited b/c she wouldn't let him go. her husband is a cop in town and is always called to those housing projects. she said what i was thinking... i felt validated, that it wasn't just me making judgements.

last friday, carter got off the bus telling me all about the party, and that this boy had him write down all the info. to go. i told carter that's not how we do things. his friends mom would have to call or email me...

today the phone rang again and i let the machine pick it up... the boy was calling again, reminding carter about his party. at this point my heart was breaking for this little boy. he is planning his own party, inviting friends, and everything. the image of this boy waiting by his window at 2:00 on saturday to see if his friends show up, knowing that most wouldn't, just seriously breaks my heart.

craig called back, and of course the boy answered. craig talked to his mom and just let her know that carter wouldn't be able to make it.

i know we are making the best decision, but it still sucks. i feel bad for this little boy, who has done nothing wrong, but i have to follow my gut. if we didn't have other plans with our family, then maybe i would consider letting carter go if one of us could stay and supervise, but that's not going to work.

change of plans

2011-02-20T19:17:00.001-08:00

first let me start by wishing craig a very happy birthday... i am so sad that your birthday wasn't fun filled, but i promise we will make it up next weekend.

yesterday my mom was supposed to come down for the weekend. i was looking forward to her visit for so many reasons. i love when she is here, the kids love it too. she helps out so much, and she is so happy just spending time with the kids. i love seeing the joy on her face. i was also looking forward to going out with craig to celebrate his birthday. we were going to go out to dinner, and go watch shopping for craig's birthday gift.

yesterday morning i woke up to discover at some point i had completely thrown my back out... i couldn't even stand up straight. so we canceled our plans, i laid down and craig has been mr. mom. not exactly fun, but that's life.

the kids were bummed, so craig brought them to the Y to play. apparently he decided to see how hadley would do in the child watch, and he said she loved it! she made some friends and they were coloring together. i would have love to see that.

today craig brought the boys to get haircuts, and i was putting hadley down for her nap. she did the same thing she usually does and went into her big girl room and said she wanted to nap there. but today she didn't then run to her crib when i went to tuck her in... she actually went to sleep. i couldn't believe it! she napped for about 2 hours, and just played in her bed when she woke up. once my back is feeling better, i will work on the transition to her new room.

i'm so happy that craig has tomorrow off to give my back another day to recover... it is hard to take care of the kids when i'm not feeling great, and have a cold. it is a whole different situation when physically i can't even pick up my baby. i may need to visit the chiropractor this week... for now i am just praying it is better for tuesday.

legos

2011-02-18T19:21:00.001-08:00

the boys love legos, but the problem is that hadley does too... they build and she destroys! i took some pictures so they could remember their creations.

let's review...

2011-02-18T18:13:00.000-08:00

wow, this week has gone by so fast, and i can't even count how many times i thought i was going to sit down and type, but never got the chance. i guess four kids has me running around a bunch...

saturday - graham is 3 months old!!!
i feel so lucky to be his mom... he is just perfect! he smiles all the time, and it is just the best and totally warms my heart. (did i really just use the word totally?) now that he no longer has a nasty cough, he is getting back into sleeping through the night, which makes me very happy!!! he still hates tummy time, but that is usually the only time he cries. he loves his bath, and just enjoys hanging out in his swing or bouncy chair.

sunday - the lion king
i surprised carter with tickets to see the lion king. my friend jen and her daughter olivia went too. we had a great time, and carter loved it! we also went to dinner at the cheesecake factory. it was so nice to have a date with my 7 year old.

monday - happy valentine's day
i spent valentine's day with my family... i made craig his favorite dinner, lasagna. the kids gave me a box of chocolates, and craig gave me the twilight movies. yes, i love edward!!!

tuesday - jump jump

i'm the room mom for mason's class and also sit on the parent board... tuesday night was our meeting to discuss the spring fundraiser. as we were all sitting around the table, i saw a frightful look on one of the teacher's faces. before the words came out of her mouth i jumped on my chair and screamed. there was a mouse in the little red schoolhouse. thanks to that little furry creature, i wasn't able to sleep at all tues. night. i have a huge phobia of mice.... gross!!!

wednesday - hadley's haircut
hadley's hair has been slightly out of control these days. we finally got it cut... about an inch off, and now we are still trying to let her bangs grow out. there are way too many decisions when it comes to girl's hair.

thursday - the day they tried to kill me
one of those day, that i wish i had a job to go to... i actually wish i had anywhere to go w/out my children, who i love so dearly. hadley, hadley, hadley... she is really trying to remind me every minute lately that she is two, and everything is mine! one minute she is playing and having fun, and then her alter-ego takes over, and she is a monster child. mason has been close to perfect for the last 4 1/2 years, but lately he is so whiney! fighting, crying, whining... i had enough, and just needed to go. so off to bj's we went, just to get out of the house. i took the long way home just to enjoy the quiet in the car.

friday - tgif
we have had a tease of spring weather here the last two days... it has been beautiful! i had an exchange at the outlets, so i thought it would be fun to let hadley walk around and release some energy. she was so darn cute, and said hello to everyone, and stayed right with me and loved holding my hand. yesterday she was a mini-satan, and today an angel. after enjoying some fresh air, we went to target, and then to pick up mason from school. next week is school vacation!

so there you have it... my weekly review.

bye bye binky

2011-02-12T07:37:00.001-08:00

we are binky free here in the jacobs family... hadley had decided about 3 months ago that she only liked one of her binkies, and had no need for the other 6 that were in her crib. she only used it when she went to sleep, and it always stayed in her crib.

last week i noticed the binky had a little tear on the bottom, and showed it to her. she was sad that her beloved binky was broken, but still held onto it tight. then on monday when i was looking at it closer, i accidently pulled the nipple right off. yup, it was officially broken. i showed hadley and she was very sad. i asked her if she wanted to throw it away, and she agreed. off she went to my bathroom and tossed it in the bucket.

i was nervous for nap that day, and was sure she wouldn't be able to comprehend exactly what happened, but to my surprise, she did great! occasionally she will ask "where binky go?" and then i just remind her it broke, and she'll say "oh, binky in trash." and then off to sleep she goes.

what a great transition it has been! carter loved his binky and would hide in his room just to get a fix! lol! finally we traded the binky for christmas presents and made him give his binky to santa the day after christmas. he was 2 1/2 at the time and i wanted him off the binky before mason was born. he cried for a day, but then got over it. luckily mason and graham never liked the binky.

next step is getting miss hadley into the big girl bed!

cancer free

2011-02-11T19:18:00.000-08:00

not only did my dad finish his chemo treatments this week, when he went in today to get the chemo pump removed and they gave him the results of his blood work.... no more cancer!!! 11 months of treatments and surgery, and it is finally over!

i am so happy for my dad, and my mom... it has been such a long and emotional journey, and even though the side effects of the chemo can last for up to 6 months, it is so good to know he is on the road to feeling good again.

i love this picture... over the last year, the happiest i saw my dad was the day we told him we were pregnant, and then the day graham was born and we told him that graham's middle name was after him.

my uncle (dad's brother) was battling throat cancer, and he also learned that he is cancer free today... i know that was added stress, so it was really a good day in the jones family!!

February?

2011-02-07T10:35:00.000-08:00

seriously, i can't believe it is february already... and it's already the 7th! i totally lost tract of time with all the snow/sick days we had.

poor mason got hit hard with the flu. he missed almost 2 weeks of school... the one day i sent him in b/c he was fever free for over 24 hours, i got a call right before pick up that he started going down hill and his fever was back. i felt horrible for sending him in. it is going around his class too... everyday there seems to be about 5-6 kids out with the same thing.

at this point he has no more symptoms of the flu. his fever is finally gone, and staying away. his runny nose has cleared up, and his cough is just about gone too. the thing he, he now seems so... depressed. i'm not sure if he just has no energy in him, or what. i figured i'll give it a week of finally get back into a routine and see how he feels then.

today it is beautiful out... the sun is shining, and snow is melting! it's 40 degrees and you would think it is spring here in new england. i even got an iced coffee today instead of a hot. not too worry, tonight into tomorrow we are scheduled for more snow.

tomorrow is my dad's last chemo session!!!! i am so happy for him! he started this (post surgery chemo) back in august, so it has been a long journey. i am sending him up a gift card to go out to dinner w/my mom once he is feeling well to celebrate.

ok, time for lunch!

photo friday

2011-01-28T16:46:00.000-08:00

even our little cheerleader couldn't help the patriots win in the playoffs... better luck next year!

my target is getting remodeled, and i am so excited. i love the new carts...

what i am not excited about is the coyotes i have been seeing in my yard... they scare me!

graham is not excited about being put in a pink bouncy chair... i don't blame him. i didn't want pink, but it was the only one they had at the time. i keep it upstairs, so he doesn't get embarrassed when all his friends come over. :)

bubble baths usually help sick boys feel better...

graham is all smiles these days, well except for when he is in a pink bouncy chair... i just love him!

snow days and sick days

2011-01-27T10:51:00.000-08:00

ok, so i know i live in new england and i shouldn't be shocked by snow, but come on... we have had 1 or 2 storms every week since christmas. at first i loved it, but now there is nothing special about a snow day. it's kinda cramping my style.

and in between the days we have been stuck at home with the snow, we have had some sick kids. first mason had the stomach bug, then graham had a horrible cough, followed by mason spiking a random fever for 3 days and now hadley's nose is pouring.

i actually love the winter, don't mind the snow, and enjoy staying in my pj's all day watching movies, but enough is enough.

let's put it this way, the snow is so deep the kids can't even play in it. mason lost his boot in the snow this afternoon after i warned him how deep it was, but he wanted to see for himself. the benefit of living at the end of the cul-de-sac is that we now have incredible snowbanks for the kids to play on.

today's agenda included baking a cake, building with legos, and playing in the snow. after the boys clean up their legos i'm going to put a movie on for them.

now that all the cute spring clothes are in the stores, i am ready to move right along... but we are still in january, i don't think that will be happening any time soon.

not too much going on here these days...

2011-01-23T10:30:00.000-08:00

not a whole lot going on here in the jacobs family...

* Twilight - yes, i am late to the twilight party. i did want to read them a while ago. i just couldn't get into the first book, so after 100+ pages i put it down. fast forward to right before christmas, i was wrapping and nothing was on tv that i wanted to watch, so i tuned in to the first movie. to my surprise, i liked it. a couple weeks later i saw the 2nd movie, and then i was hooked. i watched the 3rd movie the next night and was left wanting more. since the final book hasn't been made into movies yet, i had to suck it up and read it. it's a thick book too, but after staying awake way too late, i finished it friday night. now i can't wait to see the 4th movie when it comes out.

*3 hours - that's how long graham goes between feeding during the day. i feel like i am on this schedule and i am amazed with how fast the day goes by when i have to stop every 3 hours and feed the little man. he is also staying awake for longer periods during the day too, so not so much free time to get things done. at night my perfect baby is still sleeping like a champ! love him, love him!

*sahm - since i stay home with the kids, i really try to be involved. craig is awesome with all the sports, and is always willing to help the teams out. i enjoy being involved with the schools. i am the room mom for mason's class, and i am also co-vice president on the parent board. this has been taking up a lot of my time lately. we are trying to organize a spring auction, and even though there are 40 families that go to the school, the same 5 parents seem to do 99% of the work. i am actually really excited that hadley is going to go there next year! just 2 days a week for 2.5 hours, but she will love it!!! i want to become more active in the elementary school, but haven't yet. maybe next year when both boys are there, i will. honestly i can't believe mason will be going to kindergarten next year!!!!

*snow, snow and more snow!!! - we have got hit hard with the snow this year. last week we had two more storms, and now they are predicting another one for next week. i can't remember a winter that we had so much snow. and on top of all the snow, the temperature is dropping. i think we are heading into the negatives.... brrrrrrrrr!

*mason had his first sleepover - he got to sleep over my neighbor's house on friday night. they have a daughter skyler who is mason's age, and an only child. we get along great with their family. last time i picked mason up i made a joke that i should just pack a sleeping bag since he never wants to come home. i guess skyler heard me, and asked if he could sleep over. i think he's a little on young side, even carter hasn't had a sleepover with a friend yet. since they live next door, and mason is sound sleeper (once his head hits the pillow he is usually out for 12 hours) i figured it would be ok. worst case, we get a call and had to walk next door to get him. i am happy to report all went well! they had a great time! on friday night, while he was over their house, we brought the other kids out to eat. we used to go out to eat all the time, but right before graham was born i was so annoyed with the way the kids behaved that we haven't done it since. the boys bicker, and hadley throws her food... and i didn't want to push my luck with a newborn. going out to eat was a hit, and we loved the new irish pub in town. i am looking forward to trying it again with all of us!

see, nothing too exciting... just trying to keep warm!!! boring i know, but boring = no drama! :)

got snow???

2011-01-14T10:09:00.001-08:00

too many?

2011-01-14T09:45:00.000-08:00

i saw this status on facebook and it made me chuckle. but it also got me thinking... how many kids are too many?

To the lady with the 6 screaming kids all under the age of 9 at the store: If you're asking how that box of condoms got in your basket, you're welcome!

i get asked all.the.time. if we are going to go for #5... nope, nada, ain't gonna happen. four has always been my personal limit. and as much as i would LOVE to be pregnant again, and have another newborn, i also know my limits, and i am there.

having four kids in my house, is not a problem. we have our routine, and life is good. it's figuring it all out when we are out and about. it's not hard, but it does take planning, and i often wonder if it is worth it before we do something. hadley is the tough one right now... she is two years old, and doesn't let us forget it. she goes from a happy and funny little girl, into a full tantrum. the boys never went through that stage, so it is new to us.

anyways, i often wonder at what number does it go from a large family, to a crazy (as in they lost their marbles) one? i have always been drawn to families with four kids... i think having five is entering the world of crazy, but six and beyond is just nuts. right now we only have 2 of our kids in school, sports and activities... i can't imagine what it will be like when graham starts. i never want our kids to be the one without either of us there.

ok, here's another one i saw on facebook that made me laugh...
women should not have children after 35. Really... 35 children are enough.

2 months

2011-01-14T08:54:00.000-08:00

i can't believe my baby is 2 months... it is going way too fast!!!

graham is such a good little guy!

he is smiling now, and it just melts my heart... i have yet to get it on camera, but i am constantly calling for craig or one of the other kids to "come see his smile"... you would think by the 4th time i wouldn't get so excited about the milestones, but i do.

ever since christmas night, graham has been sleeping through the night. he goes down after his 10:00 bottle and sleeps until 7:00ish. i couldn't ask for anything more!!!

as of yesterday he weighed in at 12lbs. 2oz. he's moving out of his 0-3 month clothes... it makes me so sad. i love him so so much!!!

calm. cool. collected.

2011-01-06T16:52:00.001-08:00

this afternoon has been quite a challenge. it was the first time i have really been tested as a mom of four... up until today things have gone smoothly. not that everyday is filled with rainbows and lollipops, but today i had to put my multi-tasking and prioritizing skills to the test.

around 2:00 mason started to complain he didn't feel well. sometimes he says that when he is tired, and we had a play date earlier today, so i thought he just needed some down time, so i let him put on the tv. 2:30 graham starts screaming for his bottle, but after taking a little he falls asleep. 2:45 i need to get carter off the bus. by 3:00 we were all back in the house and settled (so i thought). graham decides it is time to finish the bottle and as soon as i sit down with him i hear mason cry and carter yell for me. as i walk up the stairs i can hear mason puking all over the bathroom floor. i was trying to tell him to go to the toilet, but he was scared and just continued to puke everywhere. usually i would jump right in to help, but i have a baby in my arms, so that didn't happen. i put graham down in my room (where he screams) and try to assist mason. at this point he is done, so i just grabbed towels, threw them all over the floor and shut the door. really, i didn't know what else to do.

once everyone seemed to be settled, hadley woke up. i tried to keep her and carter away from mason in hopes that nobody else gets sick. then the drama continues, and by this point i have no idea what time it is... mason, is puking again, this time in the bonus room where i had him set up on a blanket with a bucket. as i was going to run up to help him, i heard a loud crash, a couple of bumps and then hadley scream. she fell down the stairs. good lord! she walks up and down the stairs all day with no issues. man, when it rains it pours. and to top things off, craig is crazy busy at work, and not only can he not come home early, he is working late.

it is now 8:00 and all four kids are asleep. craig just called to say he is on his way home, and i made it through the day with not having a break down. i'm pretty sure if i were a wine drinker, i would be pouring myself a large glass right about now. but nope, instead i will be tackling the large pile of puke filled laundry and gearing up for grey's.

it may not sound like a lot, because really i didn't go on and on about every little detail of puking, crying, yelling, etc. (all while taking care of an infant, assisting with homework, making dinner, and doing the bedtime routine by myself) but i am proud that i stayed calm, and handled all the situations today as best as i could.

i am also proud of carter, because he really did try to help me out, and he didn't make things worse, which is sometimes what happens.

i'm praying mason feels better tomorrow and nobody else gets sick... i don't want to see what my breaking point is.

everything else can wait...

2011-01-03T12:15:00.000-08:00

today i had so much i wanted to do... so many things to cross off my to-do list, but guess what? it didn't get done. why? one word - snuggles.

after i dropped mason off at school this morning, i came home ready to tackle my list, but after i fed graham he just snuggled into my arms. i just couldn't resist. hadley was playing soooo good, and i was just enjoying the moment.

graham is my last baby... and he is growing so fast! who knows how long he will want to cuddle with me, so i am going to enjoy every last minute of it.

our life is busy, and this year i really want to make time to enjoy our day to day activities... i want to enjoy my family and remember these everyday moments before they are gone, and the kids are another year older.

hadley's big girl room

2011-01-02T09:53:00.000-08:00

hadley's big girl room is ready and waiting for her. i am really hoping she will want to move into it sooner rather than later, but i also don't want to just kick her out of the crib. right now she sleeps so good, and i am hoping that will continue once she transitions.

happy new year!!!

2011-01-01T17:59:00.000-08:00

today is the first day of the new year... 1-1-11

we rang in the new year last night with friends, and had a great time. to keep things simple, we ordered in pizza, and made ice cream sundays. i also made a yummy strawberry champagne punch... it was so good!!!

enjoying ice cream

i was shocked that all the kids stayed awake until midnight... with no melt-downs!!! (and they all slept in today! yippee!)

today i spent a good part of the day cleaning and organizing. all the new toys have a home, and the basement doesn't look like a major disaster.

this year i don't have any major resolutions... let's face it, i usually don't keep them anyways. i want to continue working on making only one meal at dinner time, and not being a personal chef for everyone. i also need to get my ass on the treadmill. i'm really involved with mason's school, but this year i would love to become more involved with the pto at the elementary school too.

when looking back at 2010, the main highlights would probably be my pregnancy, delivering a healthy baby boy, and our family trip to disney.

the hardest part was that my dad's cancer came back, and he has been dealing with radiation, chemo, surgery, and more chemo since the spring. he should be done with treatment in february, and then hopefully we can put this chapter behind us. i just want to see my parents happy and healthy in the new year.

i am really looking forward to watching my family grow in 2011... there will be so many milestones to experience and cherish.

here's a flashback of hadley and i ringing in 2010 last year...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

vacation week

2010-12-29T16:08:00.000-08:00

we are having a great vacation week... lots of fun family time. we haven't really done too much, and it is perfect! after 2 months of running around, getting ready for the baby, then the holidays, i finally can just sit down and enjoy the moment.

the kids are having a blast playing with all their new toys, and the "blizzard" was the perfect start to the week. i just loved being home, hanging out in my pj' and having nothing to do. by the end of the week, i will be ready to get back to our schedule, but it is nice to take a break every once in a while.

here's our week in photos...
hadley and her baby

6 weeks old

blizzard of 2010

snow much fun!

i am taking full advantage of having craig home. so far i had my 6 week pp appointment, a blood pressure check with my primary, and tomorrow i am getting my hair cut and colored. then it will be new year's eve... man, this week is going by fast!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-25T17:01:00.000-08:00

we survived our first christmas as a family of six... we have an obnoxious amount of toys to show for it. we really had a great day, and enjoyed the memories.

plans changed, and my dad had to work on christmas... so we switched some things around and we went to my parents on christmas eve day to celebrate with them. we exchanged gifts with them, had some coffee and munchkins, and then were on our way. it was a quick visit, but it was perfect!

soon after we got home, craig's family came over. again, the kids loved all of their presents and really started getting excited about christmas morning. everyone left by 5:30, and we enjoyed a yummy dinner. after dinner the kids decorated some treats for santa, then enjoyed some dessert for themselves.

after baths we snuggled and listened while craig read "twas the night before christmas", and then we put out cookies for santa, and sprinkled some reindeer food on the front lawn. after a long fun filled day, the kids were out cold! then it was time for santa to get busy.

this morning carter came into my room around 5ish while i was feeding graham... i told him it was a bit too early, to lay back down. at 7:00 he came back with mason and they jumped on our bed. it was party time!!! the boys went into hadley's room and woke her up. she had no idea what was going on, since she was half asleep.

we all walked downstairs together, and carter shouted "we hit the mother load". it was so funny! they kids were so happy and they loved everything!!! santa did great!! craig ordered me my "graham" charm for my necklace, and i love it!!! i ordered craig and i north face jackets, and i love them... so warm! the pictures say it all! we had a fabulous day, played with all the new toys, stayed in our pj's, ate chinese food.

craig is on vacation this week, and i am so excited to have him home! the word on the street is that a blizzard is rolling into town tomorrow night, and we are "suppose" to get a foot of snow!!! i wonder if i'll be able to make it to my 6 week post-partum appointment on monday? i was excited to see my doctor.

anyways, i'm going to go finish watching "my sister's keeper" and cry my eyes out!!! i hope everyone had a great christmas, and enjoyed spending the day with the people they love.

what a difference a year makes...

2010-12-23T10:49:00.000-08:00

i can't believe how fast the last year has gone by... last year when i went in for my 10 week ultrasound, we discovered that i had miscarried. the news was devastating, and heart breaking. it was not the way i had imagined the holidays. we were so excited to share our news with our family on christmas, but instead i had to call my mom and tell her that i was pregnant and miscarried all in one sentence.

i spent christmas eve recovering from a d&c, and not enjoying the magic of chirstmas with my kids.

this year not only will i be able to really enjoy christmas with the kids, but i will be able to snuggle with graham. he is so perfect, and there is something so special about having a newborn over the holidays.

i try not to live in a world of "what ifs" but i do often wonder about the baby we lost... but i also know that without that m/c i wouldn't have graham. and now that he is here, i couldn't imagine my family any other way.

christmas traditions

2010-12-21T11:18:00.001-08:00

i am really trying to set our family traditions... it's tough because we don't have a a large family, or traditions that have been handed down to us.

i don't have any siblings to share the holiday with, and even though my sister in-law lives in the next town, they are spending christmas eve and day with her husband's family. i really wanted to celebrate x-mas eve with them, i thought it would be great with the kids, but they are just going to stop over after nap time to do presents. my inlaws are jewish, and we really have no desire to spend any extra time with them.

so we really have no plans on christmas eve... i am trying to figure out a meal that my family will eat without fights, then christmas morning. my parents will come over for lunch/dinner and we will have a spiral ham, salad, roasted potatoes, and some veggies.

growing up i have so many fond memories of getting together with cousins, and neighbors. my grandparents always came over with a huge bag of toys, and it was so much fun. i want for my kids to have memories that they will cherish, and one day (far far away) when they get married and have kids, we can continue with some traditions.

craig and i both really wanted a large family, and i want to start traditions with them now. so if anyone has the perfect meal idea, or special tradition, please pass it along. so far the only thing we have been consistent with is christmas pj's for the kids on x-mas eve.

also, do all your gifts come from santa, or do you make sure some are from you too? i grew up with only santa gifts on x-mas, but now i am hearing all about parents taking some credit. last year we gave the boys the wii from us, but i'm not sure what to do this year.

thanks in advance for any help/suggestions.... merry christmas!!!

p.s. i always buy a new personalized ornament for the tree to represent our family. and craig loves to read twas the night before christmas, and we make treats for santa.

after i wrote this post earlier i was talking with the boys about ideas to help make this year special. i think we are going to make rice krispie treats (since carter doesn't like cookies), and pick up some bagels from panera for christmas morning. for christmas eve we are just going to have pasta - i know it's boring, but at least everyone will eat it. (and i make my own sauce) i struggle because i want the kids to be happy, and all they want is mac and cheese or pb&j. i really don't want to fight over food.

a couple years ago we decided to just stay put on chrsitmas day and let my parents come to us... best decision ever! the kids stay in their pajamas all day and just play.

i also think i am putting a lot of stress on making this year special since last year just sucked! on the 23rd we learned about my miscarriage, and then i had a d&c on christmas eve. i felt so guilty last year, and i just want this year to be perfect!

busy busy...

2010-12-21T06:40:00.000-08:00

wow, this time of the year can get busy. i thought i was actually doing well, and then all the little last minute things seem to really add up. on top of all my own stuff to do, i am the class mom for mason's class, and coordinated the teacher gifts. it was fun and i love doing it, but it was just a lot of running around.

yesterday we hosted a work party for craig's team. it was also fun, and even though i ordered most of the food, i still had to get the house ready and organized. oh, and i have four kids to manage while trying to get everything done... just a couple more days until christmas, and then hopefully we can just rest and enjoy!!!

here's my holiday card this year... i just took a picture of it, so the quality isn't the best, but you get the idea.

in other news, i am squeezing myself into my regular pants and jeans... they are tight, but they fit! i think i still have about 5lbs. still to lose, but i am not going to worry about it until after the new year. i donated all my maternity clothes, and lots of newborn items. it sure does feel good to know we are done having kids and i don't have to keep bins and bins of clothes for the next time. there will not be a next time... and yes, i'm sure! craig fulfilled his part of our agreement that once we had four kids he would get a vasectomy. back in september he had his consulation, and booked his procedure. last week, he went in, got it done, and came home to rest. he said the procedure itself was painless, and fine, and he just had a bit of soreness after. i think his exact words, was that he felt like he got kicked in the balls... anyways, i am so happy that it is done, and we are done and we can move on now as a family of six.

i am a bit sad that graham is my last baby... i LOVE babies! but i know my limit, and i am there. just look how cute he is...

i am so excited that we have a few friends that are having babies this spring, so graham will have some buddies. my friend cindy just found out that she will be having her fourth boy in may... her oldest is friends with mason, and she is also the one who took the picture for my holiday card. my other friend ilana will be finding out soon what she's having, and craig's best friend from his childhood is having his first boy. it's such an exciting time!!!

ok, and here's 3 of the kids in the tub together... we usually don't do this, but we were in a time crunch the other night. usually hadley and graham take a bath, and the older boys shower.

1 month

2010-12-12T18:52:00.001-08:00

my big boy is now 1 month old... how did that happen? he is such a little peanut, and a complete joy!

it's funny when you have a baby... in some sense it feels like he has been here forever and i can't remember a time without him, but then again, he is only a month old.

so far, life with four kids is still going good... graham is just the most amazing little guy! he loves to be cuddled, doesn't fuss too much, and seems to be enjoying his role as the baby in the family.

we survived!!!!

2010-12-09T19:15:00.000-08:00

we survived our first attempt at getting photos of all four kids!!! i was stressed, and not looking forward to it at all.... but with the help of bribes and threats, we did it!!!

here's the link if you want to take a look...

http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/viewalbum.aspx?a=778952

The password for the album is jacobs

would you like an insult with your latte?

2010-12-09T05:45:00.000-08:00

yesterday after hadley's 2 year appointment, we went target to waste some time before we needed to pick up mason from school. on our way out, we stopped at starbucks so i could get my favorite peppermint mocha latte.

we were not in a rush, everyone was happy, the day was going good... i ordered my latte, and the lady looked at me and asked if i was ok. i told her i was fine, and kinda looked confused... did she know something that i didn't?

she then proceeded to tell me that i looked tired and down. well, ok then. tired, sure even if i was tired, did you have to tell me i looked tired? you know i am here getting my caffeine fix. but on top of looking tired, you are going to tell me i also look down today?

really people, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all!!!! i see this women all the time, and hello, you can see i just had a baby... she also told me she always wanted four kids, but couldn't get past two. she was full of information.

i actually came home and took a picture of myself to see if i looked as tired and down as this women said.... i thought i was looking just fine.

daddy's girl

2010-12-08T13:17:00.000-08:00

happy birthday hadley

2010-12-07T12:51:00.000-08:00

dear hadley,
happy birthday princess... i can't believe you are already two years old!!! wow, that sure did go fast! you are such an amazing little girl, and i adore you. you are funny, silly, kind and loving. you bring so much joy to our family.

carter is very protective of you, and you really look up to him. when i was pregnant with you, all he wanted was a baby sister, and it was an instant bond. you like to pick on poor mason... he is your buddy, and you guys play great, but you can be more aggressive with him and he doesn't seem to mind. he thinks you are just so funny. and now that you are a big sister, you are just so sweet. not a jealous bone in your body... you love to help with baby graham, and you are constantly checking in on him.

hadley, you are the girl i never knew i wanted. i never had a strong desire to have a daughter, i loved having boys, and never thought otherwise until i had you. from the moment daddy said "it's a girl!" i was in love... you are the princess in our house, and you take your role very seriously. you love to dress up, and look pretty. you are always checking out my toes to see what color they are painted. as i look into the future i am so excited about the special things we will do together...

you have a new love for barney... i'm not thrilled, but it is the only show that you will actually stop and watch. it's actually funny for me to watch you watch barney... you love to sing and dance along. it is very cute.

you are growing up so fast! you love to count, and can count to 15. you can( almost) sing the alphabet, and it is cute to listen to. you can walk up and down the stairs like a big girl. you ask to sit on the potty, and then cheer "yay hadley!" even though nothing comes out.

our days are not all rainbows and lollipops... you are a 2 year old, and are not afraid to throw a tantrum if you want. if you are not thrilled with your dinner, you simply throw it which drives me crazy! but at the end of the day, you are our little sunshine, and are a good girl.

i was very torn on what to do about a birthday party for you. we weren't sure when graham was going to be born, and then the stress of the holidays and everything i was just not going to do a party. i then felt guilty and decided to have a play date here. it was perfect! just a couple of kids and your cousins came over... we had pb&j sandwiches, and then cupcakes. when daddy came home we had some cake as a family to celebrate your birthday... it was perfect!

you love your new kitchen we gave you!!! and your big girl room is almost complete!!!

keep being you, because you are the best!!!
love and kisses,
Mommy

my little diva

2010-12-03T12:31:00.000-08:00

it is as clear as the day is long, that hadley is a girly girl... and now with 3 brothers, she is sure taking her role as the house princess very seriously.

she loves to dress up, and wants to wear "pretty clothes", and always has an idea of what she wants in her hair. she is so funny!

last week our friends came to visit and gave each kid a gift bag for becoming a big brother/sister. hadley's had a princess purse in it, with some ariel lip gloss. you would have thought she was 13 and had been begging us to wear makeup. she was obsessed with it. for 2 days she did nothing other than apply it over and over again. finally i had to take it away... it tasted like berries so she just kept licking her lips.

a couple of weeks ago i had my hairdresser trim hadley's hair... well, she really didn't take enough off, and i just have no idea what to do with long hair. i prefer shorter hair, so until she tells me otherwise, i will be keeping her hair above her shoulders.

we went to snip-its, and everything was going great. the hairdresser really did a great job, and at the end we were chatting and i didn't realize that she was "styling" hadley's hair. good lord... not only did the pony and bow look silly, she then asked if she likes things that sparkle. well, of course she does... i figured she was asking b/c of hadley's twinkle toes that she was wearing. next thing you know glitter hair spray all over.... i almost just laughed out loud. my poor little girl, looked like she was going to some white trash party. these pictures just don't do it justice... trust me when i say it was bad!!!

and here is the after... much better

ok, speaking of the diva, she is getting up from nap time now, so my rest time is over...

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas...

2010-12-02T13:57:00.000-08:00

our tree is up... although if it were up to me, we would have a small table top tree from llbean. it was hard finding a place that would work this year. we have baby stuff everywhere, and i wasn't sure how well hadley would do. so far, she hasn't bothered it too much. there are a couple of ornaments that she enjoys playing with, but other than that, nothing destructive. so for the first time, the tree is tucked away in the dining room...

the stockings are hung, and we have graham's right up there too... my friend ilana ordered it for me, along with an ornament.

and on dec. 1st "Lucky" our elf on the shelf arrived... he has been visiting our family since 2007. carter named him lucky after i told him that not every family received an elf from santa. if you don't know about the elf on the shelf, you should google it... this year lucky brought with him the lego advent calendar. man, i wish i got two... but the boys are so excited to share it, and carter gets to open the odd days, and mason the even.

busy?

2010-12-02T11:57:00.001-08:00

i am so sick of people asking me if i'm busy, or if i have my hands full... really are they trying to see if my house is in chaos? maybe they are just being nice, but it always sounds like a negative comment. i'm sure once graham wakes up more and needs more attention things will get crazy, but for now life is going on and everyone's good.

actually, i am more than good... i'm great!!! this week has been my first week home alone and so far, so good. there was one little incident with hadley when i brought mason to speech on tuesday. she wanted to be a "big girl" and run around the school, and shed some tears when she was told "no"... but that was only 30 minutes out of the last 4 days. we went grocery shopping just fine,and we also managed to get hadley a hair cut.

every night there has been dinner on the table by the time craig gets home from work... i was able to give carter lots of one on one time with his homework, and mason still had my neighbor over on wednesday for a play date like we have been doing for the last year.

hadley is definitely the one who is the most challenging, but she is also turning 2 years old next week, and is acting like a 2 year old. i don't think it has anything to do with graham... she doesn't seem jealous at all, she just wants to be independent and is having a tough time transitioning from one activity to the next.

to top it off, i got sick yesterday and still feel like crap today.... maybe i am a little hormonal, but i am just so sick of people asking me if i'm busy.

ok, vent over...

wish me luck...

2010-11-29T05:17:00.000-08:00

today is craig's first day back to work after a wonderful 2 week paternity leave. it sure has been nice having him home and helping out. today is also my official due date... i can't believe graham has already been with us for over 2 weeks.

carter is already off to school, and craig has left for work. i just finished my first cup of coffee, and need to get mason ready for school. i was trying to think of what i wanted to accomplish today... which store to go to, what to cross off my "to do" list, but instead i think i will drop off mason while in my pj's... come home enjoy more coffee, give hadley some much needed one on one time while graham sleeps, and then just snuggle with graham while hadley naps.

i also want to put away my fall decorations and start getting out all the christmas stuff. let's see how different my plan for the day goes compared to what actually happens.

here are some photos from the long thanksgiving weekend...

heading to mason's thanksgiving feast at school...

craig and the boys going to the KP thanksgiving day game... hadley really wanted to go too, but it was way too cold!!

so many great memories... i just love long weekends, holidays, and having craig home!!!

so thankful

2010-11-25T06:40:00.000-08:00

i love thanksgiving. it is just a comfort holiday, and it's my favorite. i love this time of year... i enjoy putting on my comfy clothes when i get home. i love snuggling with the kids and watching a movie, and drinking a hot cup of coffee. i actually don't even mind that it starts getting dark at 4:00. and i can't wait for the first snow fall...

this year i have so much to be thankful for...

* i am thankful for my husband. not only is craig my best friend, but he is an amazing husband and father. he is my soulmate and together we tackle our daily chores and raising our kids. i am also thankful he had a 2 week paternity leave... it has been great to have him home!

* i am thankful for my four beautiful and amazing children. they make me so proud, and they are really good kids. sure, they have their moments like anyone, but at the end of the day, i am thankful that they are who they are. i look forward to watching them grow, learn and change over the years. i can't wait to watch their relationships with each other form, and see how everything falls into place.

* i am thankful for my parents. they are so supportive of us, and are always willing to help. the last year has been so hard for them as they have dealt with my dad's cancer, but they are still so involved with us as much as they can be. my mom was able to come and stay with us for five days while we welcomed graham to the family, and it was such a big help!

* i am thankful for an amazing group of friends.

happy thanksgiving!!!!

39 weeks

2010-11-22T11:53:00.000-08:00

today i should be 39 weeks, and i was hoping for an induction today.... clearly that isn't going to happen. i am over-the-moon happy to have graham safe and sound, but a small part of me is disappointed that i had him a little early.

i loved being pregnant. especially since this was my last pregnancy, i tried to really enjoy every moment of it. of course i know that the most important thing about a pregnancy, is to bring home a healthy baby at the end. so maybe disappointed isn't the right word, but you know what i'm saying... right?

i guess now that we are settling in to our new routine of a family of six, it has finally set in that never again will we experience a pregnancy. the fun of trying... the excitement of learning that you are pregnant... waiting for your belly to grow... sharing your news... feeling the first kicks. i'll miss it all.

family photos

2010-11-22T05:57:00.000-08:00

i find family photos to be very stressful... that being said, i really wanted a good family pic to use as our holiday card. sometimes we go to portrait simple, but the thought of heading out to the mall just isn't appealing. once graham gets a bit bigger i would love to go to a location with a photographer, but with the cold weather, and a newborn, that really wasn't an option for now.

my friend cindy lives down the street, and also works for a photographer. the other day when she was here visiting, i asked if she could come over and take a family picture outside. it worked out really well... i gave her my memory card from my camera, and she took a bunch of photos and i was able to upload them, and order my holiday card last night.

were they perfect? well, no... mason has a very strange smile these days. hadley only smiles when she wants to, and carter complains about wanting to be done exactly 30 seconds after we started. it was quite chilly out, so i kept graham snuggled in a blanket, so you really couldn't see him up close, or what he was wearing.

here's a couple of pics from yesterday... i'll hold off on sharing the picture i used and card until they are mailed out to my friends and family. (all the family pics were done outside... the boys each just really wanted to hold graham in the house, so i took a quick picture.)

next up, i need to do hadley's 2 year photos, and graham's newborn. i brought mason and hadley when they were 3 weeks, so i am going to get some done of graham when i bring hadley. let's see if i am brave enough to do all 4 of them? i would love a picture of all of them in their christmas outfits w/out craig and i, but i just don't know if i am up for the stress of it. i may need to bring out the big guns in bribes for the boys - a trip to the lego store!!!!

* i am very thankful to have photographs to look back on and watch our family grow and change... as stressful as it may be, i cherish all my photos. and i very thankful to be in these photos with my kids. i wish i had more family photos from my childhood, and not just the standard photo from picture day at school.

so in love...

2010-11-17T18:37:00.001-08:00

i am so in love with graham... he is so perfect! i love to snuggle with him, hold him, feed him, and sleep with him. i just love having a newborn. it fills my soul.

i realize as i watch graham grow and he changes, each new phase will be my favorite, but for now i am 100% enjoying every moment of this.

i am not the only one who is loving the newest member...

hadley has been so funny! she just wants to be wherever graham is. she walks around saying "hello baby graham" in an almost british accent. it is so cute. she checks in on him about once every five minutes. yes, i think she is enjoying her role as the big sister.

the boys both adore him... mason just wants to give him hugs, and carter likes to talk about all the things he is going to teach him.

i think graham is the perfect final addition to our family... he has been the perfect little angel, and is doing exactly what he is suppose to do - eat, sleep and poop. he is very content and peaceful.

i could go on and on, but for now i am just going to snuggle the little guy until the next feeding time.

{my birth story}

2010-11-15T13:10:00.001-08:00

the house is quiet... everyone is sound asleep except for me, so i figured i would try to jot down my birth experience.

on friday, november 12th i had my 37 week appointment. i dropped mason off at school, then headed home to meet my sitter who was staying with hadley. i was up really late on thursday night, was tired and my belly wasn't feeling so great. really nothing new and different, but i didn't want breakfast when i got up, so i stopped at panera on the way to the doctor's to get a drink and an oatmeal raisin cookie. i needed something to settle my belly.

once at my appointment the medical assistant had me do the regular routine - pee in a cup, get weighed, and have my blood pressure checked. she informed me that my bp was 140/100, which was the highest it has ever been during this pregnancy. she told me to wait a minute and the doctor would be right in.

sure enough, a minute later georgia (my doctor) came in and started chatting with me. we listened to the baby's heartbeat and then she asked how i was feeling and checked me. after my internal she told me to go ahead and get dressed, she would be right back to talk with me.

i was informed that due to my high bp she wanted me to head over to the hospital to be monitored. she then said i had progressed to 4cm, and that while i was being monitored they would check me again and if i continued to dilate then that alone may keep me at the hospital. my group b strep test had been positive, and i would need to be on antibiotics before i delivered. since i live an hour away, this is my 4th baby, and i have a history of going fast, she said they may keep me to be cautious... she was sad that she wouldn't be there, but gave me a big hug and assured me that everything would be fine.

i called craig and tell him to meet me at the hospital... called my sitter to let her know what is going on, called my parents and tell them they may want to head down to my house before traffic gets bad, and called a friend to pick up carter from school.

i must have had a feeling something was going on b/c i packed my hospital bag and left it in the car.

after i got checked in at antepartum, craig showed up, they did some lab work and then got hooked up to the nst machine. everything was looking good (so i thought) and then i was told the doctor on from my group wanted to check me. i was shocked to learn i was now at 6 cm... she showed me small contractions the nst picked up that i didn't even feel. at that point, regardless of my lab results, i was admitted and it was going to be the day i met my baby. (turns out my lab results weren't so great so i would have been induced anyway...)

the nurse who came over from l&d was just as shocked as i was that i was 6 cm. without any pain or discomfort. they started an iv for antibiotics, then a little pitocin to see if that kicked things up a notch. i was told i could get an epidural whenever i wanted. i waited a bit since i still wasn't having any pain.

final belly pic - 37 weeks 4 day (and yes i got my pedicure the night before!)

at 7:00 pm the doctor on-call (who i really liked) came in and said i had been on the antibiotics for 4 hours, it was now safe to break my water. so she checked me, and i was still at a 6, but the head was lower. luckily i had decided right before that to go ahead and get my epi since i knew the pain would come and i didn't want to miss my window.

(enjoying my epidural)

around 7:15 i started to get really uncomfortable, and asked the nurse to check me again... yes i know it was only 15 minutes, but i was in so much pain even with the epi. i was bummed when she said i was still a 6. grrrr......

from then on i was in pain and could feel all my contractions. i was offered more pain medicine, but i declined. in my heart i knew the baby was coming soon and i didn't want to be too numb to push. maybe around 7:50 the nurse checked again and i was fully dilated. see, i knew it would be fast!!! she had me do one push, and then said to stop, and called in my doctor and a back up nurse. i remember the doctor coming in, and suiting up fast and then at 8:03 i started to push... the doctor encouraged me go slow so i wouldn't tear, but the pain was intense i just wanted to push. at 8:12pm my baby was out, and craig got to make the call... "it's a boy!"

it is amazing all the emotions i was experiencing at once... i was so in love with this baby. i was still in shock it was actually happening, and i was a bit surprised that it was a boy. i was really thinking girl... but guess what? it didn't matter... i finally got to meet the little person who was growing inside me and who i loved with all my heart. i was so so happy. Graham was the final addition to our family, and he was perfect in every way. i couldn't believe how dark his hair is, and how much he has. my first thought was that he looked so much like mason.

the kids were already in bed by the time we called to tell them they had a new brother... but craig went home so that he could be there in the morning when they woke up. i was so excited for them to meet baby Graham. we also never shared our final decision on names, so that fun to share too. my dad was so happy to hear that Graham's middle name is after his. also for those who were wondering, i had ordered 2 hats from etsy, one with Graham for a boy, and one with Emerson for a girl.

(more photos)

so for now we are adjusting to life as a family of six... graham has been the perfect baby. he only cries every 4 hours to eat... other than that he is sleeping 99% of the time, and looks around for a few minutes before going back to sleep. he loves to cuddle, and i am enjoying every moment.

tomorrow my mom is going home, and graham has his first doctor's appointment. craig's will be home on paternity leave for 2 weeks, which will be such a big help!

(ready to head home and desperate for coffee and a shower)

i am so excited to start the next chapter of our life... we have been blessed with four beautiful and amazing children.

it's a boy!!!

2010-11-14T16:22:00.001-08:00

i'm so excited to announce the final addition to the jacobs family.... introducing Graham Frederick Jacobs. he was born on friday, november 12th @ 8:12 pm, and weighed 7lbs 8oz.

i'll write the whole birth story later, but for now here's a couple of pictures... we are so in love!!!

hanging in there...

2010-11-11T12:18:00.000-08:00

so, i have physically been feeling pretty good. but when i do too much i will start feeling contractions and lots of pressure. usually after i rest it goes away. but man am i in a mood... i snap pretty quickly, i don't have a ton of tolerance and patience, and i generally feel annoyed.

today carter had the day off because of veteran's day. it was nice not to rush this morning or do anything. my friend jen and her kids came over for a play date and lunch. it was fun! although carter was in his own mood, which i could have done without. after our play date, hadley went down for a nap, and put on a movie for the boys. at that point i was really feeling crampy and needed to rest.

i just had a cup of tea and some oreos and now i am feeling better. i am meeting some girlfriends out at chili's tonight... i am looking forward to a night out. it's not that i can't go out once the baby comes, i just don't want to. especially this time of year... i just want to cuddle in my warm house wearing my pj's and slippers. i am crossing my fingers that craig comes home early so i can run out and get a much needed pedicure and get my eyebrow waxed.

i have been very anxious all week about going into labor. i keep waiting to see if my contractions will start getting into a regular pattern. every day i have to think about what my plan for the day will be depending on where the kids are, and where my friends are. it has been stressful. tomorrow i have my weekly appointment with my doctor and i am really looking forward to it. i am looking forward to finding out if i have dilated any more, and see what else is going on...

so far i have been able to do what i needed to this week... checking things off my never ending list.

* went to the american girl store and bought hadley her bity baby for x-mas, along with some other items so now i am just about done.

*ordered curtains for hadley's big girl room... annoyed i went to pbk and they didn't have the ones i wanted in stock.

*had carter's parent/teacher conference and was so pleased to hear that he is doing so good both academically and socially... his teacher just kept telling me what a good boy he is.

*brought hadley for a hair cut... or should i say trim. you can hardly tell, but the curls are bouncing better, and i'm trying to grow out her bangs so it just looks more healthy, not shorter.

* i went to a meeting at our church to learn about upcoming events for carter, and was able to pick our date for his first communion.

the final things i would like to do before the baby comes is get a pedicure (hopefully tonight) and see carter's last soccer game on saturday. i also have tickets to a fundraiser saturday night, but if i can't do that, i'll be fine. carter's game is really important to me because this is his first year playing that he is really into it, and scoring. his team is also undefeated, and i am praying they win the last game.

well, that's my update. i'm going to enjoy my final moments of quiet time before hadley wakes up and the boys need me.

37 weeks

2010-11-08T10:51:00.000-08:00

37 weeks = full term

well my turkey is officially considered full term... but that doesn't mean i am quite ready to meet him/her yet. i think this baby better keep baking a little longer!

i had my u/s today with mfm and it went well. the baby is in position, and we couldn't even get a look at the face it was so low and facing down. the estimated weight is 6lbs. 9oz. so not too big. the doctor who has been seeing my the last couple of visits there said all is looking good but she is going to recommend an induction at 39 weeks due to my blood pressure. so i guess i'll see what my doctor says on friday.

nesting

2010-11-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

nesting is in full effect over here now... laundry, packing, baby items, organizing the kids, actually making a plan. we are just busy checking things off our list.

i think i have been in serious denial about the baby coming this month. last night i went to a fundraiser for mason's school, and i had a great time talking, eating, socializing, eating, laughing, and eating. before i knew it i was dropping off my neighbor and i looked at the clock and it was 12:09. yikes, i guess i had a late night! once i was home i wasn't even tired. so off to the bonus room to watch the real housewives of beverly hills. my brain just had too many thoughts going through it, and i don't think i finally fell asleep until around 2ish.

i guess what i am freaking out about the most is that i just may not have any control when this baby comes. i understand that's how is goes for the majority of women, but it just has never been my experience. i am a planner, and i feel so much better when life goes according to my plan.

i've never gone into labor on my own, and although i am sure it is a wonderful, at this point in my life with 3 kids i was really banking on something more scheduled.

so yes, nesting is going on at the jacobs house this weekend!!!!

today i am thankful for my loving husband... he has been doing so much to help around the house. he even brought me home chinese food for dinner, even though it isn't his favorite. together we make a great team and have been busy checking things off our list.

freaking out

2010-11-05T10:26:00.000-07:00

36 weeks + 3 cm dilated = shannon freaking out

today i had my appointment... i had to get undressed from the waist down for the gbs test, so i figured i would ask my doctor if she would check me since i have had a couple of contractions and it feels like the baby has dropped. as she was checking me, she asked me to remind her when i usually start dilating, and how i was when i was induced in the past... so i told her i usually am around 1 cm at 37 weeks, and 3 cm by 38 weeks when i was admitted to the hospital. well, i am already at 3 cm... i know that this means nothing, but i have so much planned next week, i need this baby to stay put until 38 weeks.

so this weekend we really need to get the house prepared for the baby, and maybe make a plan just incase i go into labor? a plan would be good...

seasons of love

2010-11-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Moments so dear.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights
In cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.

In five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure
A year in the life?

tonight as i was rubbing my belly, it really sank in that the end is in sight... soon there will be no more baby in the belly, and there will never be one again. as much as i can't wait to meet this baby, i am sad that i will never have this amazing experience again. i looked over at craig and said we have really come full circle. last november i found out i was pregnant with a little surprise baby... we were so happy, and then when we lost it, and our world fell apart. now, this november we will be welcoming another little bundle of joy into our family and then our family will be complete.

will it be a boy or girl? i am getting really anxious waiting... there are so many wonderful things about each, that either way i will be over the moon!!!

tomorrow i have my weekly appointment, and i am hoping to check out my doctor's schedule for the month and see if there is any opportunity for inductions. hey, a girl can dream!

today i am thankful for my kids... carter stayed home from school today because he wasn't feeling well and we all stayed in our pj's and watched a movie and played. it was cold and rainy out, and i just loved staying in with them and snuggling. i love this time of year!

i also played in iphoto and put together a photo book of all my favorite pictures from 2010... after i finished i played the slideshow for craig and the kids, and it was so great! i love looking back at everything we did this year and watching the kids grow and change.

here is a funny story from mason. he is kinda obsessed with how the baby is going to come out. i told him that all mommies have a special whole for the baby to come out. so tonight at dinner he asked where my special whole was, and then before i answered he said "are you sure the baby isn't going to explode out your belly... it's getting big and the baby might just fly out."
he cracks me up! carter has never once really questioned how babies come out, and has always accepted my simple answer that the doctor takes it out. mason sure is curious...

it's november...

2010-11-01T12:22:00.000-07:00

well i made it to november... do you know what that means? we're having a baby!!!! i realize i technically have 4 more weeks left, but who cares, it's november and i'll be having a baby this month!!!!

36 weeks today...

during the month of november i will try to add something i am thankful for in each post... so, today i will start will my parents. i am so thankful that i have 2 amazing parents. they are so supportive, and are always there for us. even as they have plenty of things to deal with as my dad is going through chemo, they are still so willing to help. i spent saturday with my in-laws and yesterday with my parents, and what a difference.

ok, me and my big belly are going to check out the halloween candy....

halloween weekend

2010-10-31T19:32:00.000-07:00

well, i think we have been partying and eating candy for the last 3 days... first we had mason's school party. then i picked up carter from school and we headed to craig's office for the kids to go trick or treating and have a little party. saturday we celebrated my nephew tyler's 1st birthday, and the kids dressed up to show off their costumes. and then of course today was halloween! after mason's soccer game we headed up to my parents house. we got take out from one of our favorite restaurants, watched the patriot's game, and then my mom and i took the kids out trick or treating. it was a perfect night... and a great weekend!!! here's the photo recap...

Friday (Mason's school)

Friday (Craig's office)

Saturday

Sunday

now, what to do with all this candy???? last year the elementary school collected it to send to the troops, so i am hoping they do the same thing this year. i really need to get it out of the house... and it's me i don't trust. the kids really are not that into candy. although hadley did wake up and get herself a lollipop for breakfast...

35 weeks

2010-10-26T09:52:00.000-07:00

i'm 35 weeks and i feel like the countdown is really on. which means i really need to start getting prepared for the newest little member of the jacobs family.

last night i made craig finally bring up the car seat we bought to make sure everything looked good, and i think we will install in my truck this weekend. yup, this is all starting to feel more real. all the newborn clothes are washed, my mom has purchased a ton of diapers so we are all stocked up. i just need to get out the bottles and sterilize them, and we are on our way.

(this is me modeling the new car seat...)

i had my first nst last friday and it went well... the baby was sleeping at the beginning, so i drank some water, had a lollipop and then some juice to get the baby moving and grooving. i am up about 25 lbs so far, so hopefully i don't pack on another 20 lbs. in the next couple of weeks. (damn halloween candy) i am feeling pretty good for the most part. my back has been much better since i started back at the chiropractor.

hadley has just been so cute lately!!! i just love the age she is at so much!!! she sings justin bieber's song "baby" all the time, and loves to talk about my sitter's 4 month old "baby wyatt". i really hope she loves being a big sister as much i think she will.

(just enjoying a cupcake)

craig and the boys did some pumpkin carving over the weekend... they came out great!!! craig loves to do it every year, and i just stay out of it. in fact while they were doing that i met my friend kelly for lunch and pedicures.

Reflections of Motherhood

2010-10-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

34 weeks...

2010-10-18T12:45:00.001-07:00

today i am 34 weeks... and the belly is getting bigger!!! much bigger, which means this little baby that is growing inside me is getting much bigger. when the baby moves and kicks it is not cute anymore... it hurts! not that i don't still love it, because i do, but i can really feel how much stronger the baby is getting in there.

today i had my follow up u/s with MFM. the baby is growing great, and is quite cute if i do say so myself. the heart rate was 150, and the estimated weight is 5lbs 11 oz. here are a couple of pictures of the baby's face... look at those chubby cheeks!

the results of my 24 hour urine collection were normal, and this week i start seeing my doctor for weekly appointments and NST's. i go back for another u/s at 37 weeks... i can't believe that this pregnancy is almost over.

i have mixed feelings about actually giving birth. once that day comes, that's it... no more pregnancies ever again. and that makes me a little sad. then there is the small fact that i will have another baby to take care of... and i love love love newborns, but i will have to juggle a newborn in with my 3 other kids, and i just pray that i can handle it.

this week i also started the project of changing mason's old room, into hadley's new big girl room. it's going to take some time to get it done, but we are in no rush. she loves the idea of a big girl room, but thinks jumping on the bed is fun fun! i am not taking her out of the crib anytime soon, but maybe early next year? anyways, it is a work in progress right now.

i need to finish going through the newborn clothes, and open up the new car seat we bought to see how it will fit. we also need to bring the bassinet up to our bedroom. time is ticking...

oh, and here is a funny story from yesterday. as we were driving to mason's soccer game he says "how is the baby going to come out?" i simply say the doctor will take it out... i try to keep it short and simple. then from the way back we hear carter say "oh, i thought jesus was going to?" so funny! i wonder what they were learning about at CCD?

here are some of my favorite pictures from the weekend...

2010-10-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day - October 15th

in honor of pregnancy and infant loss remembrance day, i am taking a moment to remember the baby that was in my belly for 10 short weeks... for whatever the reason, that baby was not strong enough to grow, survive and join our family.

i know that i am so blessed to have three amazing children and be pregnant with my fourth. there are so many women who want to become mothers more than anything in the world, and have dealt with way more heart ache than me. today not only am i taking time to think of the baby that i lost, but i am also saying a prayer for all the mothers that will never hold their babies.

please take a moment and say a prayer for those who have suffered a miscarriage, an ectopic pregnancy, a still birth, or the loss of an infant.

thankful for thursdays

2010-10-14T07:08:00.001-07:00

thursday is my only day to do nothing... with soccer and ccd, our weekends have been busy with little down time. today i am staying put, staying in my pj's and relaxing. my back has been acting up for the last couple of days and finally yesterday it was unbearable. as soon as craig got home we ate dinner and i just laid down while he got the kids ready for bed.

i called the chiropractor yesterday to see if i could get an appointment, and the earliest they can fit me in is tomorrow night. so for now tylenol will have to do.

today not only am i hanging around trying to take it easy on my back, i am also doing my 24 hour urine collection. wow, doesn't that sound like fun??? i'm sure it will all come back fine, it is just annoying that i have to do it at all.

man, all these pregnancy issues are just creeping right up on me now... next week i have an u/s, nst, and doctor's appointment. i am starting to feel like a professional patient again.

today i will be resting, maybe baking some cookies, ordering take-out for dinner, and settling in for a date with grey's and private practice. mason is over his friends house for a little play date, and hadley is enjoying playing with her toys, and watching sesame street in her pj's. today's biggest adventure will be getting carter off the bus!

here are some pictures from this week...

my big 33 week belly

funny kids... just playing around

hadley's all dressed and ready to go... such a girly girl!

i noticed that the leaves are starting to change colors... i love this time of year!

and finally, the yummy cookies that mason and i made today.... so yummy!!!

today was a good day... as i count down the weeks until this baby comes, i really need to enjoy the gift of thursdays.