Ollie Ollie Oxen Free

Posted by Kat in Boston, Health, John, Julie, Kat, Life, London, Rachel, Work

My name is Kate (the wife/Mommy)and I turned 28 yesterday. I do most of the writing because John (the husband/Daddy) who is a geek by nature and by trade doesn’t seem to pay much attention to email and blogs. Together we have almost 4 children.

Rachel is 6. She is a great kid who is always trying to be friends with everyone she meets. John and I definitely find it a challenge to balance our attention to Rachel (formerly known as Glue or SuperGlue) because she is 4 years older than her (next) younger sibling. Rach is about to start the first grade and she can’t wait! There are a lot of things I am hoping that she will learn early on and it won’t be too painful. We kept her out of public school for the most part during Kindergarten and have recently given up on plans to homeschool her because our proverbial “plate” is too full to give her the attention that she both needs and deserves.

Julie is 2. Formerly known as Firecracker and Fire, she is definitely our “challenge.” The first 9 months of her life I spent walking her around the house, on my hip and in the “facing out” position. She would scream and scream and (!)scream(!). For some reason I never had the thought cross my mind, that maybe she would be a difficult toddler.

In retrospect, I feel like a dumbass.

I remember thinking “If she could just sit-up and play on the floor.” Or “if she could just walk so she could entertain herself a little bit better.” Our Julie has a heart of gold, but she is a very trying child. Lots of screaming, lots of collapsing on any floor: carpet or concrete, at home or in public, wet or dry. Now I am saying “if she could only communicate better.” Right now she is a “hitter” and tends to forcefully try and take what she wants… whether that be from her older sister or her baby brother (Julie is a *very* tall 2yo). Julie is as smart and as high strung as they come. I think she might try and take over my business in a hostile takeover before preschool starts. LOL

London is 10months. The sweetest and most easy going baby I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He is very much like Rachel was as an infant and we are really enjoying him. I think within the next couple of months his vocabulary might surpass that of his sister Julie (18 months his senior). He is sitting up, pulling himself to a stand and flirting with anything or anyone that has a heartbeat. He is a dream baby! Already a member of our family. Clapping, answering questions, and talking quite a bit more than I ever thought was possible. (See the above sisters who were/are late talkers).

Boston is t-minus 6 weeks (I hit the 34week pregnant mark in 14 minutes). Boston is due to arrive 3 days before London turns 1.

Yes. We know what causes pregnancy.

No. It isn’t in the water.

John and I met online in October of 2001 through Yahoo.com after we were both previously married. After living in sin (without the safety pin) we got married in November of 2003 and have been quickly building our family and are *done* after Boston arrives. John is definitely a “foodie” and shares my passion for small business, home improvement and hanging out with our children. Our dream is to continue building our businesses, remodel a large “dump (my word for fixer-upperer) and have a gourmet kitchen and teach all of our children how to do all three (small biz, remodeling/decorating and cooking).

On a totally random note: Next spring we are going on a cruise to celebrate my parents 40th anniversary and we vow not to be “the fat ones” on the ship. Not out of everyone on the ship. We’ve been on a cruise together before and there is no way I could gain *that* much weight, some of the people on cruise ships are unbelievably obese. My goal is not to be “the fat one” out of all of my family members that are going.

All I know is that I have lived in maternity clothes for the last 3 years and I am donating all of my maternity wear in November. Goodbye Motherhood. Goodbye Take9. Goodbye Old Navy Maternity.” I will *NOT* be missing you. I’ll slowly wean myself off of maternity clothes and maybe buy a few Lane Bryant items… and then will work my way back into Old Navy clothing…. I can’t wait to get rid of my dumpy clothes. I love my babies. I love my stretch marks. I love my breasts as they are. I am not ashamed of my body or how it has changed after making four human beings.

But if I never see another maternity outfit with the hideous looking maternity panel again (after Mr Boston arrives), it will be too soon! I am very blessed to have a working body that makes gorgeous babies, but I am done making them. Put a fork in me, Jose Cuervo and pass me a margarita. I am *DONE*!