It's Gobbles Time!: siblings

Thursday, March 2, 2017

My Precious Rainbow Baby (34 weeks)

Like a small boat on the ocean

Sending big waves into motion

Like how a single word

Can make a heart open

I might only have one match

But I can make an explosion

Dear Rainbow Baby,

Hey there little one! This letter has been a very long time coming. I've been wondering what to say for months and also pretty afraid to jinx anything with you. Now all of the sudden we're coming down the home stretch- 6 weeks to go!- and I can't wait to meet you!

We've finished the nursery and started the work baby pool. I'm expecting you a little early just bc you're measuring big- a whole week ahead! Each day I change my mind whether you're a boy or a girl, my cravings have run the gamut with you- French onion soup in the first tri and Wawa sizzlies. For months now it's been orange juice, grapefruit, or carnation instant breakfast. I'm dying of thirst each night but have heartburn so much as well. I feel a little bit like I did my pregnancy with your big brother Gobbles and a little bit like with your sister the Lil Lobster Roll. Daddy has been solidly in the boy camp ever since he saw your first ultrasound picture at 7 weeks but I keep going back and forth wondering just who you are!

I'm writing this at 5am bc sleep is getting less comfortable- it seems 3am is your favorite time to start a dance party in my belly. I don't mind at all, I'm just trying to embrace every minute of this because I know it is fleeting and you're most likely to be the last one to inhibit my cozy belly. I'm pretty sure you'll be the tallest of the babies bc the alien- like stretches we can see rolling around my belly are unreal. The other night Daddy felt a distinct leg right around my belly button and it freaked him out. The next day your siblings felt it and thought it was so cool. Even though I weigh more than I ever have, I've gained the least amount of weight with you- 33lbs so far as opposed to 46 with the other two. I guess I shouldn't talk just yet with time still to go, but all of that is the last thing I worry about anyway! You've made me dizzy with low blood pressure for the better part of weeks 28-32, but I feel like that has improved as well.

The world you'll be entering is pretty chaotic, we're always running from one activity to the next with Gobbles and the Lobster roll, so there's never a dull moment. You've already been to Disney World in my belly and will be there again at 4 months old with my mom squad and all of your extended brothers and sisters. Get used to it, we're a Disney family and have at least 40 years worth of trips ahead of us! Don't worry, we plan on exploring other parts of the world too as you get older, your siblings have already been bitten by the cruising bug and are begging to hit up another one soon.

Besides your brother and sister you're also entering a home with two senior dogs, Cannoli and Zorro. Cannoli has been with us almost 11 years and we just got 8/9 year old Zorro- it's a long story., but we've only had him a few months. You have a dog up in Heaven named Spoons, you would have loved her so much. She faced a tough battle last year and we lost her when you were about 10 weeks along in my belly. The kids still talk about her every day so I'm sure you will hear a lot about her, always in our hearts.

My little rainbow, you have no idea how special you are to me, to our family. We went through a lot to get you, more than we had to for your brother or sister. A lot of patience, pain, struggle, and heartache. We are over the moon happy that you'll finally be joining us in a little over a month, because you are gonna be one awesome little kid and we love you so incredibly much. I'm so sorry that you will be a whole 5 years younger than the lobster, but it wasn't in the cards to have you closer to her age. That will just mean more mommy and you time when the other two are off in school. You'll also be very lucky to have your brother and sister old enough to help care for you, play with you, read to you (you probably heard your brother reading dr. Suess the other night- he was excellent!), and give you twice the love without the jealousy/ rivalry. And since Mommy and Daddy have been around the block before with the whole newborn/ baby/ toddler thing, you'll realize how much we've relaxed on- you'll get to sleep in our bed, have less restrictions on tv, and be able to eat more junk than they ever did- there are some perks to being the baby :)!

Well my rainbow, the alarm will go off in 90 minutes so it's time for me to try and get one last nap in, Cannoli has just curled up on top of me and you are digging a limb into my ribcage. I'm glad I finally got to let you know how much I'm thinking about you, and always know that Mommy, Daddy, Gobbles, and the Lil Lobster Roll love you more than you'll ever know.

Love,
Mommy

Thursday, May 29, 2014

The Post about Easter Eggs

Gobble's daily from yesterday at school mentioned they did an egg hunt. On May 27th. I guess they were bored, but regardless, I feel like that was the push I needed to finally post the photo dump of Easter Egg hunts that the kids went one seemingly every day for the month of April.

First, who doesn't love a free breakfast? Especially a Chick-fil-a nuggets breakfast? Our soon to be defunct nearby mall hosted a great morning - breakfast with the Easter Bunny complete with egg hunt, followed by the musical entertainment of Mr. Scott the music man, whom the kids have grown to love. The Lobster has grown accustomed to seeing the Chick-fil-a cow at the Mr. Scott events, and now he is associated with the Easter bunny too. You mention any of these key words and she will let you know I don't like the cow!

Yay for nuggets! Boo to the cow!

Look mom, I even got some for our friends D and K who
will be joining us for Mr. Scott!

Haha! I found a whole bunch!

Bring on the music! We are ready!

A little break with my girl K - MY FRIEND. Not yours gobbles!

Waaaahoooo Mr. Scott!

Thanks for breakfast Mr. Bunny!

D, you and I could be sisters!

Look, let's pick the flowers!

No! I don't like the bunny either!

Alright, I smile if i can sit over here!

The next weekend, we went up to the in-laws for an Easter visit. The kids loved egg hunting in the backyard with the princess Poozers, and loved even more when they swiped her cars and had Nana push them around. Now that the girls are old enough to realize how much fun it is to play together, they are inseparable! After a relaxing, fun afternoon we went to dinner at a local country inn with both grandparents and the Poozer family. Between the three kids I think there were 5 bathroom trips, including one where the Lobster had to poop (classic, she always does this when we're out to eat). She took so long that a line started to form outside the bathroom. Thankfully she had Nana in there with her for that one!

On the way out of dinner there was a grab machine with some stuffed animals. Of course Gobbles wanted to give it the old college try, and on his first one he got a cute pink stuffed bunny. He immediately handed it over to his sister since it's her favorite color. We were unsuccessful in our next few attempts to win something for Gobbles, but he was fine with it, happy to have gotten his sister a prize. The kindness of my son makes my heart melt, he is such a sweet little boy.

The next day, we woke up to find a flat tire so the boys went off to get repairs made and the kids, sister-in-law, Nana, and I dyed eggs and enjoyed another beautiful day of springtime fun.

Look Poozers! A purple one!

Um, Lobster, you're going to spill your eggs on that slide!

Eggs for everyone! Yea!

Let's see how this thing works here, hmmm.

Well Nana, then you drove me around, then I got some eggs!

Uncle M, the least you can do is hold me after everyone
else at the table made a bathroom trip with me!

I love my bunny, Gobbles! Thank you!

Yay! I have Bobby on my pajamas!

Cousins Selfie!

I'm very serious about my yellow eggs!

I'll make purple! Yay!

We're so mean, drawing on Gobbles' sun!

This will keep the eggs from cracking!

Bobby, how can I sleep with you just WATCHING me?

Finally, it was Easter weekend, but of course we were just getting started with our egg hunting! On Good Friday, we hunted for eggs with our neighborhood kids at a nearby playground. We all contributed a dozen filled eggs per kid and a few of the moms hid them all. I was a little nervous having the kids on the younger end, but the neighborhood kids pulled through again and actually made sure all the little ones had a good deal of eggs before hunting for their own. I shouldn't have underestimated them!

Saturday we met up with our old pals D and K for another hunt at a local tot lot. The kids of course had a ball together, and Gobbles was excited to find a golden egg to gain a special prize. The town put on a great even, having a hot dog and candy lunch after the hunt. The Lobster showed her loyalty to her brother while he was off in the potty. A kid came up to look at the toy Gobbles had won with the golden egg and the Lobster narrowed her eyes at him No! That is Gobbles' prize! Not for you! That's my brothers'!

I didn't even have to question where she learned something like that, as my momma-bear low came after lunch when the kids were playing in a moon bounce. The Lobster and K were the smallest ones in there, which is normally fine, because they're 2nd child toughies. However, there was a kid a little older than Gobbles who was following the Lobster all around the moonbounce, knocking her over from behind repeatedly. The first two times I let go because it could have been an accident. Then I realized he was actually following wherever she went and I called into the bouncer Hey kid in the blue jacket, please leave her alone. We looked around for his parents to stop him but they were nowhere around. When he didn't stop, I put my face up right to the side of the moon bounce and yelled in HEY YOU! YES YOU! You TOUCH my daughter ONE more time and you are OUT of this moonbounce!!! He looked at me like I was crazy, but complied. I was shaking when it was over and I heard some other moms talking to each other "where are the parents", but didn't really say anything to me. I totally scared myself because I didn't think I had it in me to yell at someone else's child.

Ready to egg hunt, front and center!

We're waiting so patiently!

Mom! Let's play tictactoe instead!

I don't want to hunt anymore! I just want to eat!

Hold my hand, K!

Look! We found our other school friend, Z!

C'mon Z! Check out these eggs!

Lots for us to find!

Cheese!

Creepiest bunny ever!

Swing with me, D!

Here K, this is how you fly the ship!

Easter Sunday came and the kids by then long knew the drill. The checked their baskets briefly and collected all the eggs from around the house in a flash. After a breakfast of chocolate we attempted a few windy photos outside and went to church. After church - more chocolate, including the bunny's head for Gobbles and the bunny's butt for the Lobster (per her request!?!). Naps followed, then we were off to my sister's house for Easter dinner. Before dinner the kids got, you guessed it, another egg hunt. The kids ate at their kiddie table while we had fun discussing how the big table will grow by one high chair next year with the arrival of their cousin, baby Macaroni. And with our bellies full of ham and lots of chocolate, the egg hunting season was over, until next year.