True Living... The Small Things

The thought that I was once scared of thirty makes me realize that I was not living life to it's full potential. I thought I had to beat the guy on the other side of the world or living room at the game. I thought I had to know if Elena ended up with Damon (for the sixth time mind you). I thought true parenting comes at teenage years...

The t.v. hasn't been turned on in weeks unless it's watching Disney movies on Thursday's night. The gaming system have only been touched with a feather duster except the Wii. And quite honestly? I feel younger than I did at 22. I think it's because I have discovered what really matters in this life. It's finding causes that you believe in and giving it your all. 

Matthew and I were even joking about how much more money we have saved by turning off the tv and getting off our butts. I have slowly started becoming active again since having Kate. The baby weight is completely off too and my stomach needs some toning but that's to be expected. We have been playing Just Dance on the Wii with the kids. It's hilarious watching Matthew, all six feet and five inches and 310 pounds of him, dancing with the kids. I love watching it. You can't buy that kind of entertainment. 

As far as our relationship? We feel closer than ever. You read that right. We can't have sex right now and yet we are closer than ever. I think it's because we have reverted to back when were just friends. Dancing in the front yard after washing the cars completely drenched after the hose pipe fight. Listening to him about his work even though of it is greek to me. Play the piano together once the kids are asleep with candles lit. 

That man still makes me weak in the knees after all this time. Matthew is and always be Sex on the Beach to me. Just seeing his uniform hanging up reminds the dedication he has put to his country and the dedication he has put to bettering himself. There are the times where I am worried when he gets called to duty but I knew that since the moment he sauntered into my bar in his uniform. 

It's going up to my son's room and smelling the cedar smell he loves so much. Asking for his new drawings because he always has something new for me to scan into my computer. It's the eating at Cracker Barrel because it's his favorite and he eats the most there. It's playing the peg game and watching him get at himself and showing him the cheating way because I memorized that a long time ago.

It's seeing AJ stand up and walk to me because he wants his ball so bad. It's hearing him say "woll wide" and grinning at Matthew's crushed face. War Tide, Baby. It's knowing that AJ won't have to go stay at one or the other's parent's house. It's seeing him doing his bath dance when Matthew gives him a bath.

It's hearing Bella act out her little skits knowing how badly she wants to be an actress. It's watching her give away her tiaras to sick little girls. It's watching her become a humble child. It's putting the top down and watching her sing her heart out. 

It's realizing that Kate is still size the baby doll even after all this time. It's watching her swing in her cradle. The holding her close while she nurses. It's finding Matthew awake just watching her. The hiding in the bathtub while Matthew is hogging her anyhow. 

It's finding my niece working on her planner. Her telling me I am old. The squeals erupting because Disney gets a day closer each day. It's the hugs and telling me I am back to being normal. It's the laughter of bunch of kisses being placed. 

Watching my baby twin sisters continue their families. Ridge overcoming a miscarriage. Bre finally giving birth to a real Ray. It's them laughing at each other's parenting style. The laughter we all share at how we born to give birth. Don't fret we can repopulate the world if needed to be.

It's my cousin's girlfriend asking me to her bridesmaid. It's hearing her in awe of my cousin when I knew him when he was the geeky kid trying to fit in the cool kids. Realizing how happy my cousin is with her that he is singing and taking pictures again. 

It's these little things and more that me glad I got to thirty to experience.

In My Next Year

I love this song by Tim McGraw, now, but there is one thing I don't like. He tries cramming so much into his next thirty years as a whole. I was sitting around after I got home with Kate looking around at the years I had wasted trying to hold onto my youth and trying to fit in. I smiled at my planner knowing that it would help me grow up and become more responsible. I can keep track of one of my next thirty years in it and that's just fine.

• Watching AJ's milestones continue; talking, scribbling, etc
• Moving possibly
• Seeing so many wedding
• Sing on stage again
• Have family portraits done
• Serve a shelter as a family
• Get down and dirty - grass, dirt, paint
• Scream loud and proud for my kids
• Dance like no one is watching with the kids
• Hoola hoop
• Go on more dates 
• Have family dates
• Kiss through the pain

It doesn't have to be anything huge. I just want more time together. You will see it through my blog I am 100%! People are already seeing it.

Roll That Footage

Hunter's blog is fantastic, but I have to say her last creative rush is amazing! I have absolutely loved her last few! One of my favorites being her Last 10 post. That is what inspired this post.

Most of the pictures are of my newborn, Princess Kate, but I have some of my nieces with and without Kate as well! I hope you enjoy!

The Princess Has Arrived

My tiny bundle I have carried since November has arrived. She is snuggled against me as I write this. She is so beautiful. Her arrival was something I will cherish for a lifetime. 

I wrote my last post while in labor and she was in my arms a few short hours later.

I do not like quiet I have to have something going on around me. Probably why I am not the biggest fan of nature and all that jazz. The TV noise didn't help. It annoyed me. Instead when I hit Stage 1 and Active Labor stage I turned on some music like the one above in the video and I called my friends. 

The water felt good but I had decided to change to chair and before Matthew had a chance to help me with the breathing I was pushing her out while standing up. My friends were hearing her birth and everything. I was amazed at how little pain I was in. I have always heard that laying on your back wasn't a good thing and now I completely agree. 

She was placed against me and Matthew came over there to look her and check on me as well. Her arrival was so peaceful. My niece thinks that fairies brought her. And perhaps they are right. I was talking to three fairies when I gave birth to Kate so just perhaps that is why. Plus I hear one of those fairies knows Tinker Bell personally, may one day she can help Kate believe in fairies. 

I know one of the gifts I have treasured was from Hunter herself. She gave me the files of Disney's Princess Lullabies and we have had it on repeat. Kate has been sung to, rock to, fed to, and held to these songs on repeat. It makes me feel like a princess myself. Hunter said it works amazingly with her tiny Luna and I see why now.

My tiny princess is in already loving books and fairytales. It makes me smile that us reading to her makes her content and stop crying. She just loves to stare at us. I blame Matthew and the three fairies for making this so magical, but I am not complaining. I love magical, sparkling memories. 

Royal Arrival

Here I sit looking at the mountains and feeling every contraction,

Yes I am in labor and blogging.

I am in the first stage of labor so don't worry. I am not dilated to 10 cm yet and the contractions are not strong but my water has broke. I have done this twice before so this isn't new to me at all. I love this miracle. My children are a blessing to me. I remember each time I have given birth before now.

The triplets, Bella, Edward, and Jake were born in a hospital but naturally. Yes I hurt for weeks after that one, but I survived and so did they. Jake was on the scrawny side and was very sickly. I know that he is in a better place and not hurting though.

With our little quarterback, AJ, well he was determined to steal the show from the beginning. He was born on the side of the road. We did spend a night in the hospital against my will. 

But little princess below is being born in home environment in TN. Which is where we are at right now. I have a birthing ball, water birth pool, a mattress on the ground and everything. I feel very confident in my decision of having a homebirth. 

I have her baby book ready and I have already written the pre little notes like what I have experienced in this pregnancy. I look forward to finishing up her book like I did with Bella's, Edward's, and AJ's. AJ isn't even a year old and here I am in labor which a lot of people are frowning on me at but I am not the first woman to have kids back to back and quite honestly, it's none of their business. My little family is safe and happy. 

I cannot wait to tell you all about the active arrival of Princess Katherine Ember. 

No Matter How Much Of A Man

... You Are When A Little Girl Wants To A Princess, You Spin Her Around Because She Is.

Where I am sitting at right now I can see Matthew spinning around my nieces, Avary, Frances, Zoey, and Khloie and my daughter, Bella. They are dressed up like princesses. He is bent over and actually dancing with them and they are loving it. 

I have to admit this is one of the reasons I married him. He loves Disney Princesses and he loves to treat girls as such as long as they act like it. He goes out of his way to treat me and my daughter like a princess and a queen. 

One of things that I just laugh at people about; I married Matthew for his money. Uh huh, right. Pretty sure my net worth is triple his. I earned mine, myself, pretty cheeks. He grins when people say he married me for my money. These are the people who have no idea about the behind scenes with us. Trust we will be happy to tell you but have a strong stomach.

Matthew proves to me every day that he wants to be with me and it's not about the money, sex or anything like that. It's the being called beautiful every day, it's having my breakfast picked out, it's him wanting my opinion on what he wears to work and it's him showing me his latest accomplishments in his new hobbies. That's when I know I have found the best man on the planet for me. 

And trust me right now I feel our next tiny princess dancing with him already and I told him such. He got misty eyed on me and knelt down and kissed her and then danced with me a few times around the room. Little Katherine daddy is twirling you too already. 

Keep On

Dating You Husband

Tonight was a blessing and I truly felt love and happiness from Matthew. We went on a date tonight. He did the whole asking and everything which made me giggle. That extra effort of really asking me to go on a date makes a world of difference. It shows he really wants to go out and that he cares about our relationship.

We got babysitters for my children and they were happy to go somewhere else instead of just hanging around home or Gene's house. We actually dressed up and then went out. It felt good. I bought a new maternity dress and some maternity stockings. I felt gorgeously drop dead sexy. I curled and waved my hair and I piled on the make-up (even though my 5 year old niece Avary told me I look better without make-up.) 

It honestly feels good to know I can still make his jaw drop. I know it's sort of vain, but it's good for a girl's morale to see their significant other with their jaw down and their eyes big because of how you look. Sure the look of endearing is amazing. But knowing you have that man sweating in his socks makes you feel like a bombshell. "Woah..." Plus knowing I have a small beach ball protruding from my middle section and he still thought I was "svelte" made me have a thousand mega watt smile. 

We haven't forgotten how much in love we are like a lot of couples who start thinking of their future of getting old or their families. We reminiscence a lot about how it was when we first met and how we were in the same locations a lot of the time and never really got to know each other. It always feels good to remember the beginning and we laugh at how nervous we were and how he thought for sure I was a lot younger than I was. Our car ride tonight consisted of us listening to old music. "Ignition" by R. Kelly anyone? 

I had know idea where we were eating. He wanted to surprise me so much so I decided to let him. Epiphany was where we ended up. I love the environment there and felt good to talk over good food. We talked about things with our careers. He intrigued me with his questions about my planner. I am way too excited about this planner. So while I was eating my scallops we got onto the discussion about our tiny princess who didn't have a name. We came up with a few but none that we really like. Little Katherine Ember will be here soon!

He drove down to the Riverwalk and he turned on his music on his phone and we danced by the water and laughed. It felt amazing. The baby was kicking and we were laughing, singing, and dancing. People complain too much during pregnancy. Get over yourself people have been having babies forever, you having one is nothing new. This is why I try to stay upbeat and refuse to lay around unless my midwife tells me to do so. And thank goodness she hasn't. So Matthew and I went dancing in the moonlight. We felt warm and bright and it was such a natural sight.