How It's Goin'

"So, how's it goin'?" you might ask. "It's going well, thanks for asking," I'd reply. It is, actually going well. Overall, we've transitioned really easily I'd say from being a family of 5 to a family of 6. Now that's not to say we haven't had challenges...
For instance, about 3 weeks after Cade was born I had to do my shopping. I do Wal-Mart and grocery shopping once every 2 weeks (for the most part) on the Friday afternoon/evening Drew gets paid. We're in town and I can get it all done at once and it just works better that way at this point in time. Well, at WM Ward was in the buggy, Evie and MF were walking or hanging on to the cart, and Cade was in the Baby Bjorn strapped to me. The trip went really well until we got to the checkout lane and I was trying to get everything unloaded to be paid for and the older children were getting hungry. They weren't being terrible but I admit that I lost my patience and talked rather harshly to them. At that point, I called Drew (who had to stay at the office a little later for a meeting) and said, "I can't do this. I need help." Like a knight in shining armor he met me at the grocery store and took the older 3 to eat dinner while I grocery shopped and we met at home before I needed to nurse Cade again. We've shopped since then and it's been just fine but that would be what I call a "bump in the road."
Otherwise our lives are about the same and ever so much fuller now that Cade is here with us. We've taken a week break from our "curriculum" this week because Drew found a monarch caterpillar last week on a milkweed plant and brought it home for us. It started hanging on Saturday and by the time we got back from church on Sunday the chrysalis was fully formed. Needless to say, we've spent the week studying caterpillars and butterflies!
Yesterday Mary Fran had her 4 year old check-up and it went much better than last year when she literally screamed the entire time. She does have some reason since she's had to have urine caths done in the office twice and blood taken. However, this year we practiced beforehand and she, for the most part, did well. We ate with daddy at Panera afterwards so she got to have a date with daddy and mommy (and Cade) which was nice.
I also had may 6 week check-up with Carrington yesterday. I weighed Cade on their baby scale and he was a hefty 13 lbs, 7.4 ozs (at 6 1/2 weeks old)! He eats about every 3 hours like all our other babies have but I guess he just knows where to put it! Master Cade slept though the night Saturday night and last night so I'm expecting him to start doing that full time in about 10 days (at 8 weeks). I'm also planning to start back really exercising in the mornings at that point. I need a full night's uninterrupted sleep if I'm to get up early! :) Daphne and I have been walking our street during the day with the kids which has been nice but I'm ready to really get back at it! I'll let you know how that goes. :)
Ward is showing signs of being ready to potty train. I noticed it a few weeks ago but tried to shrug it off as he's a boy (average age I've heard is 3) and it's not really the most convenient time right now. However, Monday he popped up from eating his afternoon snack and said, "Mommy, I go tee tee." Then, he raced around the corner towards the kid's bathroom. I asked Evie to see what he was doing as I was nursing and she informed me he was sitting on the training potty. Guess if I wanted a sure fire sign that was it! We'll be getting training pants tomorrow and start in on it Monday when we'll be home all day for the majority of the week. If he doesn't "get it" within the first few days, I'm going to put it all away and wait but he seems ready so we'll try to capitalize! I can't wait to see that little man walking around in underpants. He will be so cute!!
You know, my dad told me when I started PA school that it was a time that I needed to "pull my wings in" because it was such a demanding season of my life. It was tough because it was also the time in my life that there were lots of friends getting married and having showers but I took his advice and was so glad I did. I've reminded myself of those words many times lately and I think that has helped make the transition easier. There are lots of things we could be going and doing but it's OK to find that fun and time here at this point in our lives. There will be plenty of time to go and do down the road but investing in our children's lives right now is foundational.
So that's the long and the short of it whether you were wondering or not. We're enjoying life with four children and the children themselves say they love having lots of kids in our house. I am blessed beyond compare!