I Have the Best Job in the World, except...

I just need to say a few things. First of all, I have the best job in the world. I am a Stay at Home Mom. This is my choice and a blessing. It is a financial sacrifice my family makes to give me the opportunity to be the kind of mother I want to be. My husband is supportive and helps in any way he can. I love what I do, I love my kids and am grateful for this opportunity.

Having said that I would like to just vent for a minute. I am a STAY AT HOME MOM not a SIT at home mom (yes, someone has said this to me, yes, recently). When I am sick I don't "lay on the couch all day" (yep, this one too, recently). Actually, it is not in my contract to get sick days, holidays with pay (or really any monetary pay whatsoever), lunch breaks, pee breaks, or even shower breaks. I work weekends and nights. I have not blogged in months, not because I don't want to, or I'm over blogging,  because it involves me taking the time to come and sit at the actual computer and spending several minutes staying here. I am currently nursing a baby, eating my lunch and fighting with my 6 year old about why I need the computer more than him. It's for my sanity, so I win... THIS time! If I have a "no call no show" I'll go to jail. The very first time. I have been limping around on a broken foot for almost 3 weeks now cleaning toilets, putting away laundry, changing diapers, washing dishes, cooking meals (from scratch), wiping butts, running errands and all the while carrying around an 18+ pound 3 month old. This brings up another point, my job can actually be dangerous! I broke my foot while cleaning my kitchen! The people I work with depend heavily on my being at work every day. Maybe you do too, actually. I'm helping to raise the next generation of  Doctors, lawyers, teachers, parents, Presidents, congressmen/women, computer programmers, weather persons, business owners, home builders & innovators. This is a collective effort of ALL parents (stay at home or not) & teachers, so I don't mean to imply it's just my job.  Did I mention we are currently homeschooling too? Also, believe it or not we do have a bit of a schedule here, and there are lists of things to do before the end of my day. I'm not sure when my day ends really, as I am ALWAYS on call 24 hours a day 365 days a year. But if you are going to "stop by" do it within a reasonable window of when you said you would. Also, when I do get the rare chance to "hang out" with other SAHM's we most often talk about our kids which will often lead to the "my kids sleeps/eats/travels/sings/listens better than yours" competition/conversation. That conversation alone is enough to make us doubt ourselves. We don't need extra comments to keep us humble. Thanks though. Believe me, I could edit this paragraph and add something new to it a million times, but you get the idea; hopefully.

I guess what I am trying to say here is just because I stay at home doesn't mean I'm not working. I promise not to insult you on the job you do, if you don't insult me by saying I'm not doing one. All mothers (who choose to raise their children), working out of the home, or staying in the home, are working and deserve applause, not put downs. I'm being summoned from the bathroom, so I guess I'm done venting for the day. Sorry that this is the only blog I've made time for. Maybe this weekend I can get some pictures up! To all of you moms out there- Stay strong Sisters!

A few new pics

He's Here!!

Last Tuesday I went to my weekly appointment, sat in the waiting room for over an hour and when I finally saw my Dr he told me I was almost 4 cm dilated and 75% effaced. At least there was some progress after 5 weeks of being told "any day now". I went home planning on at least one more week of pregnancy. By 6 o clock that night I thought maybe I was feeling something going on but since I wasn't sure I cooked dinner, ate and went about my business. After three hours of counting contractions to make sure I was really in labor (no I'm serious, not sure what I was thinking) we decided it was definitely rime to head to the hospital. Anyone who has delivered at Forsyth knows that often times you spend a lot of time waiting around on the people there. When we checked in I was 5cm, but the time they put me in a room I was 8 cm, and then I sat and waited and waited for someone to catch the baby :) Parker Lawrence Applegate was born at 2:19 am on Wednesday July 20th after 8 hours of labor and two and a half pushes. 6 pounds 5 ounces and 20 inches long.He is a great baby, good nurser, good sleeper, immune to the insane noises that occur in a house with kids who love Star Wars- he is perfect. Really my only challenge is the lack of sleep that comes from having such a different set of age groups with very different schedules. Since we are only one week in though, I'm not too worried, we  will all adjust. Aarik started a new job and so all of our scheduling is crazy. After three and a half years on third shift he is now on a regular work schedule. Konnor and Mckenzie are very much in love with their new little brother. Mckenzie is very possessive and very helpful. Konnor started out a little stand offish but is coming around nicely and especially enjoys the times when Parker is awake. We are all very grateful he is here healthy and handsome. I've learned a lot so far, first of all back labor doesn't go away after the baby is born like regular labor does
:( secondly, adjusting to three kids is nowhere near as hard as adjusting to two IF you can keep people out of your house. Parker was born Wednesday, I came home Thursday evening and Friday I was alone with all three kids and had slept maybe five hours in 4 days. It was hard but not as hard if I didn't have to worry about putting a shirt on for people to come in the house, or if the front room was clean, or if the kitchen was clean, or if the kids had been wearing the same pair of pj's for 48 hours straight. If you take out those worries and just let things happen it's not half bad. Maybe even pleasant. I've learned a lot more than that but off the top of my head (swirling with exhaustion) those stick out. For right now, I have to say, Life is Good!

Still Here

Finally closing in on 36 weeks when I'll be allowed to resume my regular pregnancy exercise routine. I've been surprised how many people STILL give exercise during pregnancy such a bad wrap. This is my first pregnancy that I have exercised the entire time and the first one that I haven't been angry the whole 9 months. The past several weeks, while ordered to cut out my exercise, that familiar irritability is back. Wednesday can not get here fast enough! In the mean time I got a little support and encouragement as well as a mood booster when I opened an email and found this.