The Flood

 After a night of heavy rain, this is what we woke up to.  Ack!  I was momentarily panicked that the water would keep rising, but thankfully it didn't and was gone by lunch.  So of course we had to have fun in it.

 Our own backyard wading pool!  It was a tad chilly but that didn't stop my children from trying to float various things, such as this chair, on the water.

Spencer kept finding these GIGANTIC worms, he had a big handful of them!  Ick! :)  So there is our flood, and a good reminder that part of our backyard is in a flood zone.  Which we knew, but now we have seen it first hand!

My new view

This is what 5 kids in a packed minivan looks like. Is it shallow of me that I am not looking forward to getting a 10 seater van? I won't be able to park it in my garage and I've waited 10 years to have a garage.

*sniff*

I wasn't looking forward to three kids in a backseat and the fighting and mean elbows that were sure to come, but it hasn't been too bad. There were a few of those elbows at first and arguments about not being able to reach their buckles, but after about a month they settled down and got used to it.

Being completely honest- five kids is hard, yo. I've been feeling really overwhelmed. Mostly because of homeschooling, but also because of a big house and me not allowing the kids bigger responsibilities. Well no more of that! During spring break, the kids mastered: (well, kind of) vacuuming, doing the dishes and cleaning the bathroom. We also employed good ol' Mr. Gunny Sack who promptly ate up two pillow cases full of their toys because they weren't cleaning up after themselves.

Since they've been helping with more of the cleaning, things are going MUCH more smoothly. I just need to allow myself more than three weeks time to adjust to adding a new baby to the mix. Most of the time I love my kids and can be the happy mom. If not, I shut my bedroom door and snuggle my baby for a few minutes. That always helps. :)

Stuff I've made recently...

We took some plain t-shirts and jazzed them up a bit using fabric paint and a freezer paper stencil. This was my first try with freezer paper, and it was really easy and fun! On to painting everything!
This idea I saw on my family fun magazine, using a heart doily as a pattern. The trickiest part was poking out all the little paper hang-ons on the doily. I don't know if that makes sense. But I was really pleased with how they turned out.
And I made this little guy a few months ago. :) Simon is two months old now and is a very sweet mellow baby. (Thank you!) He's chunking up (well, as much as my skinny kids ever do) and loves to smile at us. The kids all love to hold him- we're so glad to have him!

Baby #5

Simon David Hall
January 14th
3:04 am
6 pds 6 oz
19 inches long

And only four days late, that good boy! This is me, recovering from being slightly freaked out because my labor was really fast and I didn't have time to get my epidural. I had been slowly laboring the night and day before, and then after an evening of no contractions I figured that nothing was going to be happening. I woke up at midnight with pretty painful contractions (back labor again, ack) but they stayed about 8-10 minutes apart. After an hour I woke James up so he could help with some counter pressure on my back. I called my midwife and told her I was about ready to come in, and we called James' parents to come over and woke up my mom who was coming with. We left for the hospital at 2am. When I got checked in I was dilated to an 8. I asked for an epidural and they were really coy about it, like, "well, we need to get a bag of fluids in you and get you all checked in and then we'll see where we are." I guess that's better than saying, "there is no way there is going to be enough time, silly lady, you are on your own." My midwife came in and checked me and said that I was complete and crowning and that the best pain relief would be to push that baby out. Eep.

In between contractions I was going to a deeply zen place also known as exhaustion, and trying to relax as best I could. I know a lot of ladies put a lot of stock into "natural" childbirth, sans drugs and all, but I have never been one of those. I have always appreciated my epidurals, but mine have never made me a limp noodle. I can still move my legs, feel contractions, and even get up and walk afterwards. But I only have mine going for a few hours, not all day. Mebbe that makes a difference. And maybe in a month or so I'll be talking about how beautiful and naturally wonderful it all was, but right now all I can remember is HOLY CRAP MY CROTCH. 'Cause that's what it felt like. And the stitches afterward? I remember reading something about how you're all numb because of the pressure and all that, but that is BUNK. Felt. Every. Tug.

I really loved my midwives and the hospital I delivered at. James actually got to deliver Simon, isn't that cool?! After the head was out, he got to pull out his shoulders and body, wipe him off with a towel and put him on my stomach. He said it was "fun". And I'm SO GLAD. SO GLAD that this could be a fun experience for him. Snarky sarcasm aside, I am happy for him that he was able to do so much. He's wanted to since baby #1.

I'm really big into asking for lots of help with my other kids the first week after a baby so I can get lots of rest. So of course as soon as I bring this baby home my other kids all get sick with yucky croupy colds and are stuck at home. And I tell you, I'm not responsible for what I might do if they all keep coughing incessantly. It turns out I'm really short on patience and sympathy when I'm tired. Hmm.
So to sum up this long post, I now have 5 kids (ack!), my bottom hurted, I like epidurals, and sleep. The End.

Made me giggle a little too hard

I was trying to explain this cartoon to my husband a few nights ago, and seriously I could not stop laughing long enough to get to the punch line. But it's so true, right? And then after a few weeks you calm down and don't need to be on Pinterest all the time.

Funny!