Reading or Napping?

This is what I found when I checked on Ethan during his nap time. He fell asleep reading a book that weighs as much as he does! The greatest part is that it was upside down.

Our Little Pixie

Yesterday morning Brian found Alyssa behind the lazy boy recliner with a pair of scissors. He quickly took them away, not knowing what it was she had been cutting. It wasn't until evening that we noticed she had cut a chunk of the hair above her forehead to about one inch in length. It obviously wasn't too noticeable, because it took us all day to find it, but the main reason for that was because it was covered is by other hair was hanging over it, into her face. Alyssa refuses to have her hair done each morning, and the times that I actually succeed in convincing her, she fights the whole time and takes it out again within the hour. It is constantly hanging in her face, which is the reason she gave us for cutting off the chunk that she did. "It was in my eyes," she said.

So taking all this into account, I decided to cut it. At first the goal wasn't to have her hair match the part she cut, but to get it out of her eyes. We put Curious George on the televsion and I gave her a very cute, chin-length bob. It was great to have her hair out of her face, but now it wasn't covering the one-inch spike on top of her forehead. So I kept going, and we ended up with this.


It really is quite cute (the picture doesn't do it justice), especially with her little pink headband, but it's going to take quite a while to get used to. I lay in bed for over an hour last night grieving the loss of my little girl's hair. Why didn't I just leave it alone? Why did I chop it all off? What is Brian going to think? She has to go to kindergarten like this!

All in all, it will grow out, and until it does, it will just have to do. The great part is that it's out of her face. There's about five different facial expressions I've seen her do today that I never knew existed. She really is a cutie.

I Really Do Love Him

Despite yesterday's link to Brian's horribly rude and funny comment toward the "shape" I am in right now, I would like to take a moment to say just how much I love him. He is such a wonderful guy! He works so hard for our family: going to school, studying for boards, practicing for clinic, etc. And he always takes time each day when he comes home to play with the kids. He's always doing little things to let me know that he loves me. On Thursday night I was having a rough time putting the kids to bed. We extended their bed time by an hour to see if they'd go to sleep better, and by the time they were down, I was absolutely ready to "clock out" for the day. He saw that I needed a break, so yesterday he found a babysitter and surprised me by taking me out a movie. (It was crazy to take a bathroom break halfway through and think, "I'm actually walking somewhere by myself. There's no kids with me." If you don't count the baby, that is.)

A while ago I was thinking about how important Brian is to me, and I realized that I know him better than anyone in the whole world. My mom sees Brian as being perfectly confidant in himself. When finals were approaching in May I told her that Brian was so nervous for the proficiencies coming up. She was baffled. "Brian? Nervous?!? He doesn't get nervous, does he?" There's so much you can learn about a person that comes only from living with them. It's crazy, because thinking back six and a half years ago, I hardly knew him at all. He was just this tall, good-looking guy that I was madly in love with. I don't know if it's that I really didn't know him back then, or if it's just that I know him so much better now. I love being so close with someone and loving them for the wonderful things about them and even loving them despite their faults.

I know that even though Brian likes to tease me, that he loves me so much. I can see how happy he is when he makes me happy, or when he says something hilarious that makes me laugh. And I can tell he worries about me when things aren't going right. When things were at their worst when I was pregnant with Ethan, Brian's mom came to stay with us to help out. I was in and out of the hospital, and nothing they did would help me to stop throwing up. Brian's mom told me that one night before Brian went to bed, he came into the living room and said, "I'm scared." He didn't say anything else, just paused for a moment and turned to go to bed. It makes me feel so loved that my tough and manly husband stepped outside of himself for a moment to let someone know just how much he cares for me.

I'm so glad that I found such a great man to spend the rest of my life and all eternity with. I was only nineteen when we got married, and Brian's apartment manager told us that we would be divorced before five years were up, because I was so young. I told him that when I fell in love and got married that it was forever, and that I was in it for the long haul. So far so good. I couldn't have chosen anyone better to spend eternity with. Someday, after this life, when Brian and I are making worlds together, we'll still be loving each other. And with Brian, I'm sure there will never be a dull moment.

This Explains Everything

So maybe this is why there's a lack of intimacy around here...

Improve Your Intimacy In Five Easy Steps!

Step 1. Stop being pregnant.

I received an email from Mommy Without Pounds (an exercise program that I signed up for that I never did any of the exercises from) that said, "Carrie, improve your intimacy in five easy steps," and I didn't even have to open the email because I know exactly what needs to be done.

I need to just stop being pregnant.

Brian tried cuddling up to me last night when I was reading in bed and he was studying, but when I'm pregnant I just can't be touched! I feel sickest in the evenings, so all I want to do is lay still and be left alone. And then there's the pregnancy claustrophobia. I think it's because my body is undergoing a complete overhaul to make this baby and so many things are out of my control, that when someone touches me it makes me feel even more out of control and my whole body goes, "Whoa! I need some space!"

I remember before Ethan was born the first thing on my list of things to do once he was out was to kiss Brian. I can't give Brian more than a peck without feeling completely overwhelmed. (In a bad way, though, not like when we were dating.) When I watch a chick flick I think, "That's so cute, they're kissing...I want to be able to kiss my husband!" I can hug him, but if he hugs me back I can only take it for a couple of seconds before I have to push him away. Nicely, of course.

It's a problem with the kids, too. Actually, Ethan's body is too small to intimidate me, but if Alyssa climbs up on my lap for a hug, I give her a quick one and tell her to hop down quick before I feel too sick.

I know this is only a small inconvenience, but why do our bodies have to get completely whacked out when we're pregnant? I want to be able to love my family!

Well, there may not be any intimacy in my life right now, but come November there will be plenty of hugs and kisses going around in the Jacks household. We'll even have one more person to take part in all that loving.

A Moment to Rant

Yesterday I was sick. I threw up all morning long, and then felt like throwing up all afternoon long. Brian was extremely helpful by going grocery shopping for dinner, and then when I wasn't feeling up to making dinner, going to McDonalds to pick up some food. So even though yesterday stunk, it wasn't that bad. It just explains why I've got to spend today catching up on everything that needs to be done.

First thing on the agenda: Mow the lawn. With me being out of town and Brian being super busy, the lawn hasn't been mowed for a couple of weeks. We have foot-tall flowers growing in both our back yard and front yard. The front looks awful for people to drive past, so it must be done, and the back is really hard for the kids to play in, so it must be done. (We spent the day inside yesterday because I wasn't feeling well. Believe me, I've got to get those kids outside.) I mowed about twenty feet of our grass, and the lawn mower died. No problem, I filled up the gas...but it still didn't work. So I tried calling my mom for help in what to do. "We're sorry, all circuits are busy," the phone said. I've never heard that before. You'd think if you're paying for phone service, you'd get phone service.

So I got online to ask Brian what to do. He had me check the oil, and apparently that's the problem. (I hope that's the problem!) The whole time I was typing to Brian, Ethan was cranky and Alyssa was making water messes in the kitchen (she fills up glasses all the way with water and drinks it with a spoon!) and then Ethan came to me with poop running up his back. So I changed his diaper and even though I washed my hands afterward, I can still smell poop. I now smell like gasoline and baby poop.

* * *

Scratch that! Brian came home from class with a bottle of oil, and found out that we didn't need it. He started the mower and it started just fine for him. So he mowed the lawn for me! When he came inside I asked him why class got out so early, and he said it didn't. He just didn't want me mowing the lawn in 102 degree weather, which he says it's supposed to be this afternoon. He is so much my hero today!

So our phones are working again and I was able to call my mom. The lawns are freshly mowed and I've got the slip n' slide out and ready to go for after lunch. I guess my day is going to turn out fine.

If Only It Were True

Alyssa spent about ten minutes kneeling on the kitchen floor, singing the "Sing Sweet Nightingale" song from Cinderella, then she came to me and announced, "I just cleaned the whole kitchen!"

Been a Long Time

It's been a while since I last blogged. I keep thinking of little things to post, but it almost feels like I should update things before I continue with my regular posting.

The kids and I went to Tri-Cities, Washington last week while Brian spent all of his "free" time in a KMK Course to help him study for boards. We stayed with my sister, Christina. She has five kids, with another baby girl coming in a few weeks. Alyssa and Ethan loved living with their cousins, and instead of calling Christina everyday like I normally do, I was able to see her all of the time!

We went to swimming lessons every morning. Alyssa only lasted two days. She didn't like to bob, and she found that splashing around in the wading pool with her cousin Marian was a lot more fun than hanging on to the side of the big pool and sitting through lessons. We stayed at the park for about an hour after swimming lessons, and Ethan and Derek would always fall asleep in the swings. (They're not asleep in this picture, though.)


The Fourth of July was great! Alyssa was incredibly tired that morning and put up a big fuss getting ready for swim lessons. This was when we decided to stick her in the wading pool. Brian's dad had the day off, and Alyssa had invited him to come to her lessons, so he came by the pool and took some pictures of her, then he and Brian's mom took off for Farmer's Market to buy cherries and Ron's Original Kettlecorn. (Now available with Splenda!) I figured with Alyssa's mood, she needed a change of pace and some time away from everyone, so we headed to my parent's house, where they were knocking out the wall between the kitchen and the living room. That was fun to watch and to help with. Ethan especially liked all the power tools that his Papa was using.

We had yummy steak for dinner, with strawberry shortcake (with blueberries to fit the Fourth!) for dessert, then we headed back to Christina's to walk to the Trac to watch the fireworks. We ended up going right into the stadium and sitting on the grass on the side. What great seats! Alyssa and Ethan both loved the fireworks, but they also both fell asleep.
















On Friday we went to the park for a McDonalds picnic with Grandma and Grandpa Jacks. We threw a rubber duck in the water for their dog, Kimber, to splash in to get. Alyssa followed Kimber into the river and got soaked up to the waist. Then we put swimsuits on the kids and let them play in the wading pool. The kids and I took off straight from the park to go roast s'mores at my parent's house, but when we got there my dad asked if Brian had gotten ahold of me. I called his cell phone, because he said earlier that afternoon that he was going to Costco and some other places. He said he wasn't out anymore and that I could call "the house." When I tried calling our phone number, he didn't pick up, which I thought was strange, so I left a message saying I would call back in a minute. Then the phone rang again and caller ID said it was Brian's parents. When I picked up the phone and found Brian on the other end, I was so shocked! He had come to get us! Originally he said he couldn't come pick us up until Tuesday, but class was canceled Friday morning and he was able to get everything done to that needed to be done over the weekend. What a great surprise! We were missing him so much!

We spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with Brian's parents, then we drove home on Sunday. We had a great time, but it's good to be back in our own house and back on schedule. Christina and I had the best intentions of getting the kids to bed on time each night, but it never worked out. Ethan would wake up at six or six-thirty every morning, and we would play hard through the day. It was exhausting, but we had a blast!

When Brian and I were first married I had two different people, at two different times, in two different states compare the way Brian runs to a gazelle. With his long legs he can bound across a soccer field or around a baseball diamond in no time flat. Apparently, Ethan either hasn't inherited this trait or he hasn't acquired it yet. When Ethan runs, he sounds like a herd of elephants. Yes, one boy sounds like a whole herd of elephants. He picks up his feet when he runs, and almost slams them into the ground, which amplifies ten-fold on a hard wood floor....and he runs fast.

The kids and I are staying at my sister's house for a while so Brian can study for boards. As I lay in bed this morning, I could tell everywhere that Ethan went as he thundered around downstairs, following his cousins. Maybe when he's older he'll run like a more graceful animal, but for now he's quite content sounding like a whole herd of elephants.