It Has Arrived

College football season is here! Hooray! Husband and I are big fans of college football. Of course our first and truest loyalty is to our Mean Green. But we are so excited about the season that we will watch just about any game, including Baylor vs. Wake Forest, which is what we watched last night. UNT kicks off against Kansas State tomorrow. We're not deluding ourselves into thinking we can win, but we are hopeful that we'll put forth a good effort. Next week is the first home game and tailgating will commence. If it doesn't conflict with soccer. Which will be a real bummer. And might make us reconsider this whole kid sports idea. Also, we have the busiest weekend ever this weekend. So I am going to be absent from the computer until Tuesday, most likely. Unless we win the contest, and then I might find time to publish a quick victory post.

Six Months

Butterfly is six months old. I can't believe it! It truly does seem like ages ago that we were coming home from the hospital and starting life with five children. I can't help but notice the differences in our family with the addition of this newest one. When we brought the other babies home, we had careful plans to have someone with me at home at all times for the first two weeks. After having our first baby, we realized that I had a hard time adjusting to the new normal. Also, Husband or my Mom would spend at least one night in the hospital with me, if not more than one. But with Butterfly, we changed things up. I stayed at the hospital by myself. I had a lot of quiet time, as Husband worked from home and took care of the kids. When it was time to come home, the whole crew picked us up and we came home to just the seven of us. It was really great. I think Husband and I finally feel like we can handle things, and it was such a blessing to have just our kids and each other on that first day at home. My parents did come in shifts to help out, and drive me around, and that was a big help. I do like having someone around to be my parent too. :)

Butterfly has changed so much in the last few months. The addition of baby food to her diet has been a big change and one that has been so great. Apparently she was really hungry before. She is now a happy, predictable baby. We know her routine, we know what to expect. She laught and smiles and babbles at us. She is rolling over. She has teeth! I've given her cheerios a couple of times and she is not sure about them, but I know that soon enough she will be gobbling them up. Really, the change in her disposition has been like getting a new baby. Finally we all feel like we can breathe. We can take her out with us and not be worried that all she will do is cry. She likes to be carried in a sling, which is an adjustment for me, but one that I am happy to make.

The picture from yesterday really reflects her life. All of the kids love her and want to hold her and play with her. There has not been even a hint of jealousy among them. We are so blessed!

P.S. She is sleeping through the night!

Wordless Wednesday: Well Loved

Six months old today!

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

The Obligatory First Day of School Post

Hi there. School started today in our neck of the woods. My girls were very excited. They practically jumped out of bed, which is more than I can say for myself. They will both do great I'm sure. Here are our pictures.

This is My Birthday Present?

Today is my birthday. My last year in my 20s. My kids all remembered when they woke up and wished me a happy birthday, which was very sweet. Husband did the same. We are not celebrating today though, because we are in the final week or our weight loss contest and we really want to win. So, no cake or fancy restaurant dinner for me today.

Speaking of the contest, I'm totally frustrated. I went to the gym five times last week, and I increased my workout intensity. And last night, when I wanted to eat popcorn, I did crunches instead. Today, I got to the gym early, so I jogged a mile before the boot camp class. I really expected to see at least one pound of weight loss. But no, I didn't lose a thing. Still holding steady at the same weight. We do some weight training in the classes, but I wouldn't expect to see it keeping me from losing weight at this point. But maybe I am wrong. So, this week is all about more exercise and being really strict on food. I can do it for a week.

My real birthday present will be some cold hard cash to shop for new clothes. I'm waiting until after the contest for that too. Mainly to give myself a little more time to exercise. The best part of that present will be time to shop all alone, with no kids to drag in and out of dressing rooms.

Will you give me a birthday present? Find one thing you think I have to buy--shoes, shirts, accessories, whatever. I know a lot of you don't know me personally, but it would be fun to see what you suggest.

Oh yeah, because I'm not doing the cake and presents thing until next week, I'm pretending I'm still 28 for this week. Because I can.

Favorite Things Swap

I found this fun thing at Because Wendi Said So via Elaine's blog. Elaine is providing all of my blog fodder today. It is essentially a giveaway where you are guaranteed to get something fun in the mail. Go visit the blog and get the details.

Unexpected Loss

I think I'm not just losing weight when I exercise. I think brain cells are leaking out too. Or burning up or whatever. I just can't put any thoughts together these days. So the blog suffers. As do you, dear readers. For proof of this strange phenomenon, here is my offering of the day.

Go to google and enter "your name needs" and post the first ten appropriate entries. Elaine did this on her blog and it looked like fun.

• Nicole needs a new computer (yes! a laptop please!)
• Nicole needs to grow up a bit (what, I already live the life of a 30-something)
• Nicole needs no food when she can shop 'til she drops (preach it!)
• Nicole needs help (send some this way)
• Nicole needs photoshop (and the ability to use it well)
• Nicole needs a reality show (not really)
• Nicole needs to eat more chitlins and fried chicken (never tried chitlins)
• Nicole needs an Urban love nest (minus Keith, yes)
• Nicole needs money (who doesn't?)
• Nicole needs dairy to protect her bones (I know, I know)

So the parenthetical comments are mine obviously. And I think some of these were probably captions of pictures of Nicole Richie or Nicole Kidman. Two women I have little in common with, beyond a name.

Happy Weekend!

One Word

HAY-K tagged me.

The Rules: Answer the questions using only one word. Then tag three others.

1. Where is your cell phone? nighstand
2. Your significant other? funny
3. Your hair? short
4. Your mother? loyal
5. Your father? integrity
6. Your favorite thing? pizza
7. Your dream last night? didn't
8 Your favorite drink? rum and dr. pepper
9. Your dream/goal? heaven
10. The room you’re in? bedroom
11. Your hobby? reading
12. Your fear? tornado
13. What do you want to be in 6 years? closer
14. What you’re not? tall
15. Muffins? banana nut
16. One of your wish list items? laptop
17. Where you grew up? texas
18. The last thing you did? gym
19. What are you wearing? shirt
20. Favorite gadget? DVR
21. Your pets? none
22. Your computer? on
23. Your mood? impatient
24. Missing someone? yes
25. Your car? almostwagon
26. Something you’re not wearing? jewelry
27. Favorite store? Barnes&Noble
28. Like someone? yeah
29. Your favorite color? purple
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? can'tremember

I'm supposed to tag 3 people, but this has been around a while. So if you haven't done it and feel so inclined, knock yourself out.

A New Way to Save

If a penny saved is a penny earned, what is a penny swallowed?

In our case, it is a trip to two ERs and one ambulance ride. It is an unnecessary IV port and two different x-rays. And in the end, a penny in a sample cup and not in the esophagus, which is good news.

It all started yesterday around 11:30 when Buddy came to tell me he had swallowed a coin. He was not choking, thank goodness. I would have truly freaked out at that. I mean, technically I know how to do the heimlich maneuver and CPR, but the reality may have played out differently. He was crying and gagging a bit though, so I called the doctor. They assured me that if he was in fact breathing that he would probably be fine. So I kept an eye on him as he struggled to get comfortable. We spent the afternoon on the couch, getting some rest in between crying jags. Finally at 4:00 or so I called our doctor again, telling them he was still complaining of pain in his throat. They said to go to the ER to have it checked out.

We went to the ER in our town and got in fairly quickly. They wheeled us both to the x-ray room, and I saw the picture of the perfect circle lodged in his esophagus. Since it was not already in the stomach lining or whatever, they were going to have to send us to a children's hospital in Fort Worth. We were going to ride in an ambulance! A friend of mine with four kids of her own was watching my other four until we knew what was going on. Husband was on his way into town from work. He managed to get the car from the hospital (I rode in the ambulance obviously), then picked up Butterfly and met us at the children's hospital. We spent more time waiting there. The first hospital had inserted an IV port, anticipating sedation. Turns out that was not the plan. The second ER did do another x-ray, just to make sure the penny was in the same place. It was. So, Husband went with Buddy to the room for the procedure. They wrapped Buddy up like a burrito and then stuck a tube in his throat with a balloon at the end. They inflated the balloon, and brought the penny out with some gagging on Buddy's part (which is why he had to be awake). Husband said it was very hard to watch him go through it, but thankfully it was fast.

After drinking some orange juice and keeping it down, we were sent home with an admonition to not swallow any more coins. I don't think Buddy will need a reminder any time soon. His throat is still hurting and he has only had a little bit of water and some jell-0 since yesterday. We're letting him watch as much TV as he wants and indulging most of his desires. Overall, it was definitely a memorable but not too scary first emergency room experience for all of us. And we are reminding him that he can save his coins in his piggy bank from now on.

Free Stuff!

I love free stuff. Free jewelry is even better. Unfortunately, I never win any. Still I keep trying. The fabulous Jo-Lynne is hosting another giveaway this week, for some very tasteful jewelry. Swede at Heart makes mom jewelry and kid jewelry, and it is very nice. So go check out Jo-Lynne's giveaway and the Swede at Heart site and start dreaming of winning.

Hobbies: Have Some, Want More

Happy Friday! It was raining this morning when I woke up, which made me very happy. Also made me want to wear jeans. Rain equals jeans in my little world. Is that weird?

So I have a few hobbies. Here's a list.

• Blogging
• Reading (does that count?)
• Baking (much to the dismay of my waistline)
• Following Sports

I would like to develop a few more, but I am not wanting to invest the time to be good at them. I just want to have instant talent. Here's another list.

• Sewing
• Photography
• Cooking
• Writing
• Making something, not sure what

Don't you love my vague and undefined interests?

Finally, one more random piece of information about me. It is scandalous. I read blogs in Explorer. I just got in the habit. But I use Firefox for my email. And I have most of the blogs I read bookmarked in Firefox so I could use it. But they are in a different order than IE, and I am a creature of habit and I like reading things in a certain order. I'm ridiculous that way. Is there hope for me? Oh yeah, I don't use a reader. I like looking at the blogs. And I think seeing all the new posts at one time would be overwhelming. Especially on Mondays, since I usually don't get online on the weekends. Now that I have revealed my crazy to all of you this will probably be a lonely blog.

Enjoy your weekend!

Kickboxing for Dummies

So I went to my first cardio-kickboxing class today. I have to admit, I was pretty sure I would die. I thought it would be incredibly difficult. But it was not so bad! Now, it is only an hour after I finished the class. By tomorrow I may be telling a completely different story. The class was taught by the same instructor that leads the Boot Camp Class I've gone to three times. She's very nice and she doesn't laugh at me when I do something wrong. Which is often.

I don't know exactly how I expected the class to go, but I was happy with what we did. We did a lot of the same stuff we do in the other class, but with some kickboxing thrown in. As I'm typing I'm realizing there is some residual tightness in my arms, from the eight million pushups we did between sets of other things. And we did a lot of kicking, so tomorrow could be interesting. Anyway, I'm glad I went and I will definitely go back. I like the variety. It makes my jogs on other days not so bad.

And again, in unrelated news, I apparently know nothing about my baby. Not only was I wrong about the turning over, I was also wrong about the number of teeth. She actually has two teeth poking out. I promise I look at her and notice her. Really.

I Blame Michael Phelps **UPDATED**

I can't seem to come up with one single thing to post, and I've decided it is all the fault of Mr. Phelps and his fellow Olympians. When a mom to five children, one of whom does not sleep through the night, finds herself awake until at least 11:00 p.m for many nights in a row, something is going to deteriorate and it is clearly my posting. I'm probably flattering myself in thinking a decline in quality would be evident, since it assumes quality is there in the first place, but I'm into self-delusion. And really long sentences. Except for that one.

I have been swept up in Olympic fever, but that can't be the only problem here. I'm just not focusing on much of anything right now. Also, I've got a stack of books from the library and when I'm reading a book I find it hard to put any thoughts in order for a blog post. So read Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner and then you will know what's on my mind, or at least what is keeping me from the blog.

In completely and totally unrelated news, we have two baby milestones to report this week. Butterfly is rolling over from back to stomach. She does it quite well, but is not quite there going the other way and gets frustrated when stuck on her stomach. Also, she has her first tooth. I stuck my finger in her mouth and felt the sharp little bud. I think the second tooth is soon to arrive as well. Happily, this has not affected her disposition at all. I would not have even suspected teeth except that she was chewing on her hands in an especially fervent manner. Also, she is the cutest kid ever and this is causing serious issues in the shopping department. I see little leggings and dresses and things and imagine her in them and want to buy every last one. So far I have limited myself to one dress and one pair of pink leggings that will go with many things. But it is only August and the kid will have to wear something when it finally gets cold around here.

**UPDATE** Mere minutes after posting this, Butterfly managed the stomach to back rollover, and I'm officially parenting yet another mobile child.

Hopefully tomorrow I will check in with my feelings on my first cardio-kickboxing class. Assuming I have normal bodily function. If you don't hear from me, feel free to imagine me still lying on the floor at the gym, gasping for breath and praying for mercy.

It's Go Time Now

It looks like Mondays will have posts related to exercise. Since I know y'all can't enough of my exercise talk and all. Something about enduring the "Boot Camp" class inspires me to blog about it. And yes, I said 'Boot Camp.' I didn't know that was the name of the class until I looked at a schedule of classes. And how sick is it that I actually feel the burn and like it now? While my legs may be screaming in pain there is a part of me that is enjoying it. Am I on the path to sadism?

So I weighed in because it is Monday and that is weigh-in day. And I was disappointed. I gained a pound. A friend is trying to convince me it is muscle gain, but I'm doubtful. Seeing as how I ate my share of mini-cupcakes and chocoalte drops this weekend. And a cheeseburger for dinner last night. At least I'm off the regular soda. Of course, I've acquired a taste for diet soda alarmingly quickly. Looks like I'll be hitting the gym more frequently for real. We have 20 days left before our final weigh-in for the Biggest Loser contest. We are not winning right now. Not good. I might even try the cardio-kickboxing class this week.

And then I might go ahead and check myself into the loony bin, because clearly I am not myself.

It Is So Worth It

I hope what I have to say is not offensive. I don't mean to judge or make someone feel bad. There is just something that has been bugging me lately. This is not directed at specific people at all. Just a rambling thought I have.

If you are married and you have kids, get out of the house already! I mean you and your spouse. I'm sure you get out of the house with the kids, more often than you would like if you are anything like me. It seems that I regularly encounter people who just can't believe that Husband and I ever get time without the kids. Frankly, it does not happen nearly as often as I would like, but they can't stay here forever (we'll kick'em out if we have to). Granted, getting a babysitter takes effort and money. And really the money is what keeps us from going out more often. Still, we make it a point to get out and do something without the kids on a regular basis.

Many women have expressed sheer terror at the thought of leaving their kids with anyone but Grandma, who inconveniently lives 300 miles away or something. I'm all for family care when it is available. We're blessed to have Husband's parents nearby to babysit, but we don't rely on them as our sole childcare providers. In fact, they didn't live here when the girls were babies so we had to branch out. I'm not suggesting you leave your kids with a stranger. No one should leave an infant with a twelve year old probably. But we're talking about a couple of hours, at least at the beginning. We are active in our church and got to know quite a few teenagers and their families. We made the effort to get to know people and to find people we could trust to babysit for an evening out. There are agencies that recommend babysitters, although I'm sure they are expensive. Still, start looking around and you will find that you have choices. Maybe there is a mom at the playgroup you really admire; ask her for suggestions for babysitters. Make an arrangement with a friend and take turns babysitting if you have to--just do something!

Why is this so important to me? Because my marriage is important to me. Husband and I were married before we were parents (well, barely, but still!). We'll be married when the kids move out. Our relationship does not get put on hold just because we are parents. Honestly, when we are in the trenches with small children, it is more important than ever to nurture and grow our marriage. Being a parent is tough, draining work at times. We need to turn to each other to refill our wells, to remind us of the relationship that led to these children. So often we think that the kids come before everything else, but I don't think that is accurate. Our marriages are a crucial part of raising our kids. What they see at home will stay with them when they go out into the world and start their own family. I want my kids to know that my marriage is important, something worth nurturing. And ladies, your husband may not be saying it, but I bet he wishes he got more of your time and attention. How are we serving our children if they become a source of bitterness or sadness as our marriages falter due to lack of attention? I know that everything is better in my house when my husband and I have had time to reconnect and remember what it is that made us want this life together.

So if it has been a year since you last ate a meal without children, do something about it. I know it is not easy and I'm not advocating wanton disregard for the needs of your children. I am advocating the idea of making your marriage a priority, even if it means making sacrifices elsewhere from time to time.

It is so worth it!

Wordless Wednesday: Catching Up With the World

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Planning Ahead

I like to think I'm pretty organized. We are rarely late for appointments/playdates/activities. I can efficiently pack the family for weekend trips and outings. My diaper bag has gotten smaller with each child, as I realize how little I actually need.

But there is one area where I do not feel too organized. That is the gift-giving arena. I like the idea of having gifts purchased in advance and having a low stress holiday season. But I rarely carry it out. Further pushing me to get my act together is the fact that 4 of the 5 kids have birthdays in Septmber and October, so I have to think of gifts for that and for Christmas. And I like to give lists of ideas to my mom and my mother-in-law. And of course I want to be thrifty but not cheap.

So I've started writing down websites that look to have potential gifts in my price range. I usually find the websites in my magazines (Wondertime, Faith and Family). If I see a toy that I think a kid might like, or that is in a price range that I like, I write it down. I have a nifty little list going in my planner. My plan is to give the family lists of things that can be purchased in any store and I will buy the things online.

So are there any websites y'all use consistently for gift-giving purposes? And not just for kids, but for anyone? I used Etsy a lot last year for holiday gifts. I love giving unique things to my friends and family. And how do you approach your Christmas shopping? It seems early to talk about it, but it really is not. Already August people!

Just Don't Expect to see Downward Dog

I bought a yoga mat today. I have never done yoga, and I don't think I'll be taking it up soon, but I bought a mat anyway. Because the backside of Nicole? Not so cushy. Sorry for the awkward mental image. I have joined an interval class on Mondays at the gym. We do quite a bit of ab work on the floor. All kinds of torturous crunch type things with and without medicine balls. The gym has some mats to use, but they are not an option. You see, they are the stinkiest, most disgusting pieces of weird foamy type material around. Apparently they get used and don't get cleaned and get put right back in the closet. So the teacher suggested bringing our own. And since my tailbone hurt after the last session, I decided to do just that.

Turns out yoga mats don't come cheap, at least from the Bullseye. I had to drop twenty bucks to protect my backside while enduring self-inflicted abdominal pain. But oh the fun little dragonfly print and mini-dvd that I will never watch make it all worth it.

Look out world, I've entered the world of purchasing gear for my exercise.

Resistance

Maybe it was a good thing I was on the treadmill the other day, since it gave me some time to think about blog posts.



I've been "running" for about three months now. I've worked my way up to jogging 4.25 miles and walking an additional .75 to make an even 5 mile workout. It took me some time to work up to it. I had to push myself to go longer or faster for a while. But now I'm comfortable. The workout is a bit of a challenge, but as I'm running I realize that I am not struggling. It has almost become easy. My weight loss has hit a plateau. I know that if I want to see more changes I'm going to have go harder. But I don't want to do that. This is easy, relatively speaking. Trying to do more would be uncomfortable. I will probably not like the new challenge at first. However, I know that if I do challenge myself and go a little harder that the results will be worth the effort.



Thinking of all the above got me to thinking about my spiritual life too. Or my life in general. We're blessed that Husband still has a job that produces income, considering he sells mortgages for a home builder. Still, the income is not what it was six months ago. We are looking for ways to save money. And some or most of those ways involve making sacrifices. And I don't want to do it. It might make my life a little more difficult. It might require me to get a little more creative in terms of entertainment and diversion with the kids. But maybe I've become too reliant on things like our TV and movies.



What does this have to do with my spiritual life? I think God is calling me to do more. To really begin to examine my life and what is important to me. I know that I'm not doing much searching or examining or anything really right now. I'm just living. And while I think that I'm in tune with God's will for my life, I'm not necessarily doing anything to achieve that will. He's calling me to go deeper and I'm resisting. Resisting for the same reasons I haven't really changed my workouts. It might be uncomfortable. It might even hurt a little. But the rewards can't even be imagined!