a busy 6 month break from blogging......

Well I must say that one of my most favorite things to do is share what fantastic things my children are doing, saying, and dreaming and I love sharing them with folks I don't get to talk to much who I know love my kids and would love updates.

I had this blog public and will be making it private tomorrow so is you want to join, please do....I plan on sharing again and a lot about each of my munchkins-pictures too.

Unfortunately I had to go this route because I had a bad bad person reading this for nosey purposes and leaving some pretty hateful comments. I am a busy mother and wife and do not have time for the bs so this is the easiest way to get her to stop.

Can't wait to share with you what has been going on with Jasmin, Caiden, Jordyn and Dillon.....there is never a dull moment-they weren't kidding when they said that:)

And now we make 6!

It's hard to believe that it has been 2 months since my last blog entry! Can't say that I don't know why it has taken me so long. We have been busy:) Our baby pickle was born on Feb 16 at 7:37pm. It was a long day but well worth the wait.

Chris, Jazzy, and I woke up bright and early to drive to the hospital for the induction. On our way, the most gorgeous sunset greeted us and I couldn't help but think there was a special reason why. I even put it as my status on facebook and my neighbor commented that she was thinking the same thing, how nice.

My midwife was amazing! It was such an awesome experience having her there with us. I told my husband it was like having a long lost friend in the room with me. She was in and out all day as was everyone else! At first, my contractions were so strong and close together that she thought the baby would come by noon, however, the pickle had other plans. So it turned out to be quite a long day at the hospital especially for the bean and superman but they were awesome and did a lot of hanging out with mamaw.

Believe it or not, the fact that I was about to have another child was completely unreal to me until the minute I started to push. I expressed this concern to my midwife and she said that it would be very real in about 5 minutes. How right she was.

As I pushed, my hand was held by Jazzy who whispered encouraging words and a million i love yous, Superman and my husband counted to 10, and my mother was there right behind them taking pictures. The only person missing was the bean but we knew she would be much to overwhelmed by the experience. I wasn't sure until right before if superman was going to be with us or not. I wanted him to all along but just wanted to make sure we were making the right decision. Well, he played doctor all day and by the conversations he had with my midwife and the viewings of just about everything-we knew he would be just fine. What a beautiful and magical experience this was for our family. I highly recommend having your children at the birth of others if you are able. Jazzy even cut the cord! Her and I definitely have our moments (especially now that she is now in the wonderful teen years) but watching her be there while her brother and sisters are born has shown me how truly special she is and how very proud I am of her and what a beautiful young woman she is growing up to be.

The pickle was born weighing 8lb with a full head of hair! She was, she is......stunning. She has completed our family and I am completely in love with her. I can't believe once again how truly blessed I am. She is already 2 months old and has just grown out of her newborn clothes. She is now smiling and trying to talk and is a pretty darn good sleeper at night!

I am excited and nervous about being a mother of 4 but am going to try my best to be one that each of my children can be proud of. They are all so special and full of love and Chris and I are so so lucky!

The time has come......to welcome baby girl #3

It is currently 11:42pm and I am suppose to be at the hospital at 6:30am. Of course I should probably be getting some shut eye but still trying to pack, clean, and do laundry. I have been joking about my "hospital stay" and how it is going to be more like a vacation for me but i miss my kiddos already:( I will see them throughout the days while I am there but it's not the same as going home with them.

Even though I know things will be a little hectic when I get home, I will be thankful to be there with my whole family, my husband, my mother, my 4 kiddos, and Uncle Brook! I can't wait to tuck my babies into bed all together and start our family as the family we are soon to be..the Clark-Wimmer clan of 6.

Into the final stretch...

I had my 36 week appt yesterday and I have been cleared, meaning if I go into labor again-Terbutaline will not be used to stop it! How happy I am to hear that:) Our baby girl weighs approximately 5lb 15oz which sounds huge to me at this point but only happens to be in the 43 percentile. They did remark, however, that she seems to have a good size noggin....that trait she would inherit from superman her big brother! Of course her weight isn't exact, it can be 1/2lb off so actually she weighs between 5 1/2 and 6 1/2 lb. She is also in position, thank goodness because she has really enjoyed spreading out sideways for most of the pregnancy which 1-has been pretty uncomfortable and 2-terrifies me because I would much rather not have a cesarean.

Recipes Needed!!!

Needless to say, time is approaching fast for us and our little one! I am looking for casserole recipes that I can make now, freeze, and warm up the afternoon of and as many as I can get my hands on! Our family eats mostly chicken and turkey as far as meat goes and are also welcomed to vegetarian dishes. So, please, if you have a recipe that fits-please share under comments!!! Thank you:)

Preterm labor, again

Last Thursday morning as I was sitting down at my desk and writing a check for school lunch to give Jasmin that morning, I felt it. A true painful contraction that just took place everywhere in my stomach. It hurt so bad I had to catch my breath. Jasmin asked if she should stay, I of course told her no, it's fine-don't miss your bus.

Crawling out of my skin, Part 2

When I woke up Thursday morning, I had to check my phone/texts because I had no memory of my communications the night before after taking the Ambien. The last text was from my mom saying that she would be here around 7am! I did respond with it's okay, I'm fine. But she didn't listen and was here around 7:15am Thursday morning which truly was a godsend. I felt terrible because my mom who is working and also taking care of my Aunt Tona who just had her knee replaced really should be driving out anywhere and spending any of her valuable time anywhere else other than home but that's what my mom does and I am so thankful and grateful.

Crawling out of my skin, Part 1

Unfortunately, it is another middle of the night for me-completely wide awake. The time now is 3:28am and my children will be waking in exactly 3 hours. Let me warn you before reading this entry that I am not in the best of moods, cranky is an understatement, and men who don't want to know some of the details that go along with a woman's body/pregnancy, stop reading now.

I so want to be one of those women who love being pregnant and I have been at times with each pregnancy but then when it starts taking over my body and more annoyances start happening especially at the same time that just make it utterly impossible to go on with my daily life, well I just dislike it more and more. Do those women not have any problems or are they just able to disregard them because of the miracle taking place in their body? I so need some of that positive energy right now.

Perfect gift for that special lady in your life!

I have never been a big fan of jewelry but ABSOLUTELY LOVE the necklace that my husband and children gave me for mother's day~! I think that whether or not your special lady likes to wear jewelry, she will also love this necklace especially if she is a mother!

Each necklace is handmade so that each one is unique! I have 3 charms on mine with each child's name on one side and their birth date on the other. Above their charm is their birthstone in swarovski crystal. You can wear this necklace whether you are wearing a casual outfit or dressing up! Check out the link below for more information:
http://www.blissliving.com/moms-name-charm-necklace.html

Handprint Christmas Wreath

Materials needed

Paper Plate
Green construction paper
Red or gold yarn
hole-puncher
glue
ribbon

This is yet another easy one but a little more work involved. I also think this is a great craft to send to family members ESPECIALLY if you can add a photo of your little one to it!

Trace your child's hand approx 12 times on green construction paper. Cut out hands as well as the middle of the paper plate. Use hole puncher to make a hole in the top of the paper plate. Cut a piece of yarn and tie so you are able to hang your wreath when you are finished. Glue the hands around the edge of the paper plate (covering all of it) with fingers pointing outward. Tie a bow with ribbon and staple/glue/tape to the bottom center of the wreath. Your child can decorate the wreath with stickers, glitter, etc or keep with just hands. You can attach a picture of your child in the middle of the wreath either hanging from top or coming up from bottom. You can also get a few different pictures of your child over the last year and attach them to the palm of the hands.

Homemade Wrapping Paper

Materials needed:

Tissue paper
stamps
ink pads

This is also an easy one for the kids where they can be as creative as they want. I'm sure many of you have already done this before-I can remember doing it as a child:) Lay out the tissue paper and let the kids stamp away! They will enjoy themselves and will love seeing gifts under the tree wrapped in their creations! Have fun:)

No fuss seasonal craft

Here is one that's easy for us all-and the kids LOVE it! If you need to do some baking, chores, or get a little time on the computer, sit your kiddos down with construction paper and a box of themed foam stickers! My kids absolutely love doing this project and love that they can do it on their own! I buy these foam stickers at AC Moore but I'm sure they have them available at other craft stores such as Michaels. This is a way for them to be creative as they like and independent-which is a favorite of superman and jojobean:)

Hand Christmas Tree

Here is one of my favorite crafts to do with the kids this season. You can change it up according to the age of the child. For older kids, I like to write "I love..." on the star at the top of the tree and then have them tell me in their own words 14 people/things that they love and write an answer on each hand.

For younger children, you can simply put a picture of them at the top and have them decorate the rest of the tree with ornaments, stickers, etc.

Christmas Cheer

I was thinking earlier today about how much fun it might be to share Christmas craft/recipe ideas with other moms/teachers for our kids to do this month. I personally think there is not a gift that can compare with a homemade one from a child. As I sit in my living room tonight by the lights on my Christmas tree that makes me giggle just by looking at it....will explain in a bit-I have a new inspiration on how I would like to start my Christmas cheer blogging!

Do you pay your teen for grades?

Luckily, I have been blessed with a daughter who is very motivated when it comes to school work. I can remember always making it a priority for her even before grades were given because I wanted it to sink in her head-how important learning, grades, etc are. I believe at first she did so well because of all the positive feedback she received whether it was from me, grandparents, and/or teachers. Then she REALLY started enjoying certain subjects and learning and would always use what she had learned in everyday life and I think that really excited her.

Now, as a 7th grader in a school of 1400+ students, she has to do well for herself and of course us. We still encourage her and congratulate her but I seriously doubt she gets the same kind of recognition from her teachers who have a couple hundred students to those teachers we were lucky enough to have in elementary school!

The Bean masters the "terrible twos"

Jojobean turned 2 on September 25th and has wasted no time transferring into a strong-willed, independent little girl. It didn't happen overnight but it wasn't a slow transformation either. All of a sudden my little baby has taken it upon herself to grow up in so many ways!

Because she doesn't have 100% of her hearing in her left ear, she has started speech therapy. She has had 3 sessions which are every other week at our house. Of course I was nervous about a stranger coming into our house and putting so much focus on jojo because she isn't to keen on strangers or other people beside her family in general. However, we have seen 2 different therapists (our first left because of pregnancy) and I am so proud of how willing and friendly she has been! I'm not sure if its the therapy, the age, or just the awareness from us all but she is REALLY trying so hard and doing such a great job! When we started (2 months ago) she had about 5 words. She now has about 20 and is even trying to say 2-3 words together AND repeating us!!!

Moving right along...

In the last couple of weeks, I have noticed a change in all 3 of our children. Jazz is becoming a full blown teenager and will make that a fact when she turns 13 in early October. Jojobean has been throwing full blown tantrums as a 2 year old should and is less than one month away from turning 2 and then we have Spiderman-truly becoming "all boy" in every way possible but also surprisingly growing up in a funny kind-of way.

It's about time to bid the "baba" (pacifier) farewell...

So I have been through this twice before and both children survived so why is it still so hard the third time around? My bean is going to be 2 in a month and that has been my cut off for the baba with my other 2 children. Keep in mind that I know of course that according to the pediatricians, they should not even have the pacifier at this point but I'm a sucker.

Make-up and my middle schooler

So the famous question (well 1 of them as far as teenage girls go) was asked of me last night, "Mom, can I wear a little make-up when I go back to school this year?"....."just some eyeliner and mascara?". She also asked me when I started wearing make-up which I couldn't remember exactly. I belive it was 8th or 9th grade but I can't remember having "the talk" with my mom about it.  Grrrr I wish young girls could see their beauty without make-up! I mean let's be honest, once you start wearing make-up for the most part, you don't stop. Even a trip to the grocery without it can leave a woman feeling like she's leaving the house naked. Only recently, have I stopped wearing make-up everyday. I don't know if its because I just don't have the time or I just don't really care which I'm not saying is a good thing:)

12 week appointment-pass?

Today was my scheduled 12 week appointment. I woke up with a migraine which is very common these days and could barely keep my eyes open from exhaustion, which unfortunately, is also very common these days. Good news is I was able to refill my prescription for tylenol #3 with codeine which seems to be the only thing that works these days. My appointment with the neurologist is at the end of the month so hopefully I will get some answers. Answers are very important to me.