Girls night

My friends put together a little last hurrah for me on Friday. We went to a Japanese restaurant for some quality girls time. It was so nice of them and very fun. Marci, Jennie, Melissa, Jessica, Heather, Kristal, Amanda, Leeann and Hope were all there. Rachel, Kim, Angie and Alison all could unfortunately not make it. We have some nasty bug going around Louisville and they all were dealing with that. We had sushi, hibachi grill, and cookie cake. After dinner we all went to a patio to sit outside and enjoy the nice weather. By midnight I made myself leave although it was hard!!! Thanks girls, you all are the best!!!!!!

week 37

Well it’s getting close. It’s about time. Very scary and very exciting all at the same time. I know I will be sad to never be pregnant again but right now I am very much looking forward to it. Pregnancy is very exciting and very amazing but when you have 2 little ones at home counting on you it’s just down right hard. Bending over is nearly impossible and every way around it is hard and uncomfortable. When you are pregnant with your first it’s just a matter of “how am I going to get my shoes on?” But with your 3rd, it’s totally different. I have to bend constantly either to take care of the girls or to keep the house in some sort of order. It’s just hard. The worst is that cuddling is so hard right now too. I can manage one pretty well but of course the other wants to join and then someone is leaning on the belly and that is painful. It’s sad. I love cuddling with them more than anything. We manage and it’s nice to have all three of my kids with me though!!! Man I have been a hormonal mess too. Worse than ever before. I had another crying night last night. I will spare you the details but needless to say it had to do with a biting incident (Av bit C?!?!?!?) and J having another evening work commitment come up at the last minute (on top of a board meeting tonight). The burpy problem at night has continued as well. To the point it takes me almost 2 hours to get comfortable in bed after sitting up countless times to let the air out. This morning Camille woke both J and I up at 6. Although she went back to sleep we didn’t. We lay there for an hour enjoying E’s movements together. It was pretty special. The light is at the end of the tunnel. I had a “check” today. I am 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. So it starts!

catch

While Av spends her time putting her “friends” to bed each night Camille throws hers. That’s the difference between them. Av is very nurturing and so far Camille is turning out to be very athletically motivated. Camille picked up one of her favs and said, “catch mommy” and threw it to me. After that it was a game and John got into it as well. She’s got a pretty good arm on her. Lately Av has been getting into it as well and Av and Camille with play catch together. So far neither can actually catch but they both are throwing pretty well. We had the corn hole boards out the other night and they both had fun throwing the bags at the hole. Each was rewarded quite a few times with a score!

which is the real Av????

"daddy be so happy"

About 3 weeks ago after dropping Av off at school Camille and I went to get the van washed. It was right after being at the lake and it had stormed one night there very badly. The hood had like leaf stains on it so I wanted to get it washed for John. I knew he would be glad I did so in my ramblings to Camille I told her “Daddy will be soooo happy with us for getting the car washed.” She repeated that many times that day. “Daddy be so happy daddy be so happy.” It was pretty darn cute. Well 3 weeks later she is still randomly saying it. 2 nights ago the last thing she said to me while I was putting her in her crib at bedtime was, “daddy be so happy we got the car washed.” Then today as I was taking her to school again she said, “daddy be so happy.” It is so cute. I just wish I knew what triggered in her mind at those times to think of that and then say it. She is just something else.

Labor day weekend

We had such a nice weekend! My parents came to visit so that is always a treat. Friday I kept Av home from school. She just has been fighting a cold and looked and sounded horrible on Friday. So we just had a nice lazy but productive morning. We got the entire basement cleaned and ready for G&PP and for the new bed that was being delivered on Saturday. Now we have a very nice guest room with a new bed, dresser and there is a full bathroom down there so it is pretty much a great space for company. Anyway, we took Av to the doc and it was confirmed she had a sinus infection. Poor thing. I got a dose of meds in her and after lunch and quiet time she was feeling better. John’s friend Matt came over to see the girls that evening and brought them tattoos, which they loved. The girls were in bed when G&PP arrived so I got some time with them!!! On Saturday the girls were very happy to wake up and see G&PP there. We played for a long time and then my dad and I took John to the game. On the way home we stopped for an impromptu chilidog and did some underwear shopping (hehehhe) at Target. When we got home the girls and Grandma had walked to the park so we went and joined them. After the park we had a nice dinner at a pizza place while we watched the end of the game and then picked daddy up!! The girls were so happy to see him. On Sunday we played most of the morning away. We had a party to go to that night so after much convincing with the girls, esp Av, we made them take naps so they would enjoy the party. While they napped my mom got out for a bit and shopped. We had sooooooooooo much fun. Her and I had not shopped alone together for so long. Over a year I think. We got lots of cute stuff for all 3 kids and had the best time doing it!!! On the way home we learned the party had been canceled. Which was horrible news when you had made your almost 5-year-old nap in anticipation of a party that night. Hehehehe. Luckily some friends offered up their house and so we just moved the party. All the parents there were in the same boat, made their kids nap with the promise of a party at the end of the day so we had to do something. Monday the girls did more playing with G&PP while I tried to help John finish up all the projects he was working on. He finished scrubbing all my hairspray off our bathroom floor, finished Camille’s and E’s sign and started painting our bathroom cabinets. It looks so great. He was very right on that one. My dad took apart the toddler bed for us so we could store it easier and we got the 3rd dresser moved out of E’s room and into the guest room. Our house is really coming together and looking great. John is doing an amazing job on it. Then last night we had a cookout with John’s dad and fam. It is always so great to see them as well. It was a very nice night with us leaving about 7:30. It was a half an hour drive away and the girls had, had no downtime so they were exhausted. They were both totally out in their car seats 4 minutes into the drive home. We were able to get Camille changed into her PJ’s and into bed without her really waking up. Av woke but of course went right back to bed in, “my cozy big girl bed.” I had to drag them both out of bed at 8am today so they got some good sleep!

too much

It’s been a little bit of a crazy week in the Hoekstra house. Somehow John ended up with 3 different social things and 1 work thing this week. Bad bad bad luck. Not usual at all. One is an end of the season softball party that his team has every year that he has not gotten to go to, the second is a good friend is coming into town that he rarely gets to see and the third is the U of L vs. UK football game. I see why he would want to do them all and I do not have the heart to ask him to skip any of them. So I have been trying to grin and bear (not doing the best job, hehehe) it all knowing that next week he is home all week and I have a few fun things coming up. So the work dinner was Wednesday night, softball thing tonight, seeing Matt tomorrow and game Saturday. Ugh!!!!!!! So on Tuesday after working all day and rushing home to get the kids and knowing I would have to rush and get dinner together and looking towards the next few days and being hot and 36 weeks prego and just not comfortable I get to Av’s school and there is a big tracing of her that we have to decorate and bring back Thursday. Thursday?!?!?! What? How am I supposed to add that to my schedule??? My Wednesday was already totally filled. We were going to play with a friend in the morning, then head straight to Av’s speech at 12:45 and then I had to drop Camille off at a friend’s so she could nap there while Av and I had 2:30 and 3:00 dentist appointments to rush back and pick up Camille. Then I guess off to the craft store to get stuff to decorate Av, then rush home to make/decorate Av, do dinner, bath and bed by myself. Thursday (today) I have to work all day, rush and get the girls, rush to hbr, rush home (hopefully get home by 7) to have a late dinner and put the girls in bed again by myself. At that point I just lost it. I sat on the couch Tuesday after work with the girls playing around me and cried and cried and cried. I could not pull myself back together. I was crying so hard I could not even explain to John why I was crying. So overwhelmed and uncomfortable and hormonal and just done. Now I love my husband dearly and I know he means well and was just trying to help but his suggestions were to skip the friends in the morning and put the girls in school another day?!?!? What?!?! Skip the one thing I had in my schedule in the next 72 hours that was fun so you could make it to all 3 of your social things?!?! Are you kidding me? I just wanted to punch him at that point. The suggestion to put the girls in school another day is totally meant to be sweet and when I have baby E I may for a month or two but right now? Put them in school another day now??? NO!!!!!! I am home, I want to be with them, I just want help at night when you should be home!!! He is the best husband though; I don’t want to make him look/sound bad. He is trying and would stay home if I asked him too and he went to the craft store for me and got GREAT stuff to decorate Av with so that was a huge help. We made it through Wednesday and although the girls were pretty bad we actually managed to have a fun day and I canceled hbr for today so that just makes things 100% better. Av has a cold right now and her energy is lower so I just felt like after being at school all day hbr would be too much on her anyway so I felt it was best for her and I to cancel. So that takes a LOT of stress off of me and I feel a million times better. He got home after the kids went to bed last night but still in plenty of time for us to get some time together so that was nice. Tonight he will not be home at all but he is not leaving Friday until the girls are in bed and Saturday he now has a ticket for me if I want to go to the game with him so it’s all fine. As it usually is, bc he makes it that way for me after I have my little dramatic fit. Hehehehe He’s so good to put up with me.