The Change-Up

It's been a rough few days.  I've fallen deeper into this baby fog as little D has hit his first growth spurt and requested demanded that he be attached to me at ALL times...to which I have dutifully obliged.  This makes for a sleepy (and possibly grumpy) momma.  Add to that the fact that the rest of my brood is still adjusting to the newest member of our family and it has made life interesting.  Jilly has shrieked her way through the last week or so.  She screams when she's happy, she screams when she's sad, she screams when she is excited, she screams when she's bored and she SQUAKS when she is angry.  My ears are ringing at this point and I'm over it.  The boys tend to antagonize her and draw out the best of her squeels all. day. long.  On top of that, they (the boys) are beating on each other, "annoying" each other and then will be buddy buddy a moment later.  I guess I have THAT to be thankful for, but it's the beating on and annoying leading up to the buddiness that is bound to put me into a straight jacket one of these days.  Adjusting...I have to continually remind myself.  This too shall pass and some day I will miss them all being little.  

Until then, I must use my powers of distraction and persuasion.  X-man has hounded me all morning long about "doing something fun"...it's his daily quest to make sure he is good and entertained from start to finish.  The only problem is that I have to be the one to figure out how to entertain him. :)  My mom tells me this is most definitely payback...I too liked to have an agenda full of fun during every spare moment as a kid.  Today, after being up since 4:15 this morning, yet still not able to find the time to get myself dressed (I use the term "dressed" loosely here...yoga pants, nursing tank and ponytail...that is the full extent of my "dressed") I had to figure out something fun to do without leaving our property after FINALLY getting little D to crash for more than 30 minutes.  I suggested that we have a backyard picnic and it was accepted with resounding exuberance, screams (you can probably guess from whom) and much bouncing and jumping on tippy toes.  So...I loaded up sturdy plastic plates with PB&J's and bananas and to the playset we trekked.  They thoroughly enjoyed our "excursion" and we listed all the things we loved about eating outside.  I mentioned the breeze, the fresh outdoor smell and the sound of the birds chirping.  X-man expanded my mention of birds by making some whippoorwill, chick-a-dee and bob white calls.  Gokey proclaimed his joy of eating outside among the elephants, lions and giraffes (maybe we frequent the zoo a bit too often).  Jilly screamed when Gokey's gaze rested on her PB&J a little TOO long.  All in all our picnic was a success and took the boring right out of our day...even if Jilly required a dip in the tub after slathering herself in peanut butter in the playhouse out back (***Note to anyone with a peanut allergy...you might want to avoid our playset until we get substantial rain). :)

The Big Trio

My Peanut Butter Queen

X-man always in the middle of it all...

A girl and her crew :) 

The truth is...I WILL miss this.  I know it already...I almost DO miss it, even though I am in the midst of it right now.  Not sure that really make sense and I know it's all these silly, sappy post pregnancy hormones getting the best of me, but I already feel the tug.  I look at X-man and Gokey and if it weren't for the more than 16,000 photos and 400 videos that have been snapped and clicked over the last 5 years, I would have a hard time remembering what their tiny newborn mugs looked like.  I look down into D's 3 week, cross-eyed expression complete with furrowed brow as he chills on the Boppy pillow between my deflated belly and this keyboard and start to daydream about his little toddler self wedged between his brothers and sister on the playset during some future backyard picnic and it sets a lump in my throat because I can literally see him...ahem...THEM growing up in the span of moments!  So...I am doing my best to laugh at my frustrations, and marvel at the little being that has me up in the wee hours of the morning AGAIN and revel in the magic of being little. You four can keep me up for the next 18 years worth of nights...there's not a thing in the world I would trade it for...

Growing before my eyes!!! *sniff sniff*