Three Oh

My birthday was not as scary as I'd imagined.

Not that I am "delighted" about having to answer "30" when people ask my age, but because of a little epiphany I had in the shower (obviously), I am actually looking forward to leaving my 20s in the dust!

Not uncommon, my early 20s were all about a) establishing a career and b) finding a hubby. I happened to totally luck out in both those areas and blissfully sailed through the mid 20s. Wheeeeeeeee.

The late 20s however, as we made a big move, added soon-to-be THREE more children to the batch and true motherhood hit (see previous post), have sufficiently rocked my little world. In a wonderful, very very demanding and challenging way. I just love when older women say things like "Honey, those were the hardest years of my life. Hang in there."  Phewsh! Thank you ma'am.
I truly enjoy the majority of moments with my three little daughters, my busy-bee husband, and challenging job but I also expect my 30s to offer a bit of a smoother course. Y' hear that?!? Smoooothie.. I expect to slowly gravitate back to my "self" through various methods.
So, to my 20s: as my baby making days come to a close I bid you good riddance. You have taught me many priceless lessons and I will look back on you with revulsion fondness.
And to my 30s: (maybe not the first couple) thank you for arriving. I look forward to you with hope and zeal!

This is what I'm telling myself anyway. 

MC

Well, this is one for the books people.
Let's take a walk, shall we? Back to...say....November. When Mama's Cough (MC) started. The girls and Nate had all had and fully recovered from a cold/cough. I assumed mine would get better too. But as the weeks went on and  MC was only getting worse (we're talking HARD, 24/7, vomit- inducing coughing), I finally called my OB and begged for something...anything. I had tried EVERY OTC drug I could take. Although I had never "felt sick" (no fever, green stuff, malaise, etc) he gave me some antibiotics. Well, I was convinced MC would finally pack up and leave.
She didn't.
It is now Christmas and I am really getting tired of MC. I take another round of zithromax and put myself on schedule robitussin laced with codeine. I'm telling ya by about Jan 10 MC had surrendered.
Mmmkay, so in addition to the above condition, I'm also 32 weeks along with my 4th little cherub in less than 5 years. NOT COMPLAINING....JUST SAYIN.
Okay, now I'm complaining: Every muscle, tendon, ligament, cell, corpuscle, fiber I possessed "down there" had been convulsed into oblivion. I then started having this....pain that, within 3 days, progressed to pure agony. I.COULD.NOT.MOVE. This was not "pressure." This was not "Braxten Hicks." This was not "bowling ball between the legs." This was .....insane. I had never even close to hurt this bad...even post postpartum!

Quite the predicament for a working woman trying to take care of a house and three littleuns. I had tried cold, heat  (don't ask), and resorted to taking leftover Darvocet from Ellie's birth even though it was recalled for dangerous side affects. Whatevs. Even that did not help the pain...it only make me even more brainless. Sistah here was desperado!! Went to church this way, went to work this way...and had finally caved to the reality that I'd better stop praying for this to go away and start praying for strength to get through it because it was only going to get worse until I delivered this baby.  Oh, and how was I supposed to do that might I ask? It's like telling someone who has just maxed their biceps every single day for 2 months that it is now time to head to the worlds toughest arm wresting tournament...and pin their opponent.

So I go to work last Saturday and I am totally taking it easy, but I notice that I don't feel that bad. Hmm? Bonus? Sunday is even better and by yesterday, the pain was pretty much GONE. Wha?!? So, now I'm thinking it was a really bad baby positioning????? I don't know how or why but I am a new woman and you will not hear a complaining word from these lips for the duration of this pregnancy. Nate, not included.
Nothing short of a miracle.

We are alive! And very well. Loving how 2012 is shaping up so far....healthy and happy with lots of fun things coming up including two family weddings, and a fourth little sister finalizing her arrival plans.  These are beloved "winter" months here in NC. I love the fact that we can play outside every day.  Following are some individual skill set demos of the girls we got this morning. Since poor Hannah has two more years until kindergarten and preschool is so darn expensive, a friend recommended this book to me to initiate her reading skills. It has been so fun to watch her little mind work. And the rest of us are just surviving as best we can and trying to get a firm hold on our basic needs until our new little one gets here. Without further ado: