Swagger Wagon

Some of you know I love the Toyota Sienna commercials and videos - Kurt and I are dorks and find great fun in mocking them all the time. Ha ha! This video is the new best thing, thanks to Mandy for posting because I'm not sure if I would have seen it otherwise. Enjoy!

Nurse that baby in public!

Thanks to my friend Becky for this!

I'd say I'm pretty comfortable nursing in public, but being supportive of others is very important. I have a lot of amazing support from my family & many friends, but it has been even greater with my sister Sara nursing. She's so confident anywhere, it's helped me be even more so! Tell a mom she's being supported when you see her breast feeding in public!

Put em in a sling

I had to post this you tube clip on my blog - it makes me and the kids laugh and smile every time. If you haven't seen heard the song Single Ladies (Put a Ring On it) by Beyonce then do - you'll appreciate it even more! I've been meaning to write about the whole Infantino recall too and the baby death because of it. I've been thinking about it a lot because I wear Brennan all the time now and either get comments about it or I over heard people saying things after they pass us. However, I have had no extra time so like most things stirring in my mind for posting, it will have to wait or not get posted!

Baby It's Cold Outside

This song keeps getting stuck in my head and whenever I start singing it Amelia and Landen go around the house singing "Baby it's cold outside..." Love it! Amelia just asked to hear it again!

There even with the honks & heckles

The life chain was again this year and once again a disappointment to me. Very few came once again and to be quite honest it made me really irritated for many reasons. People want to say they're pro-life but do next to nothing to even show that they are. Seriously, what is it saying when not that many people are standing out on a bridge with signs for being pro-life? It's saying that not that many people think that way and those that are on the fence about it think - well nobody else is, I'm not either. I'm not sure what it's like at other places, but our town as 2 Catholic Churches and two schools. If you're Catholic you're pro-life, you can't be both Catholic and pro-choice, so why can't people take 1 stinking hour out of their week to do something like this. I don't know, excuses I guess. I do realize that somethings do come up or you can't change plans, but common. These are big parishes and what we get maybe 5 pews worth of people. You know what it says to me, most people don't really care about stopping abortion. Argh, no more negativity - makes me mad.

On the other side of things - we went. Kurt, Landen, Amelia, Brennan and I! I love my husband so much, standing out there with the kids as I walked back and forth to the van with Brennan (who was having a horrible day.) Glad to say he's mine! Also it was great to see those that did come, and some of my family making the hour drive to stand in support as well. I loved that there were quite a bit more children than last year there as well... I think that's such a beautiful witness and teaching them about what's really important.

Watch and listen to entire video!

I believe -

Brennan's Birth II

Brennans Birth Story Part II

At 10:00 pm when I was finally able to lay down to go to sleep the contractions started, fierce and mean. I kept jumping up from bed, not able to get comfortable. They really hurt! I remember timing them as best I could and attempting to talk to Kurt. I kept thinking, they're nothing I'm going back to bed. I did this, laid down and immediately was up again. I don't really remember how long this lasted but standing next to the sink just feeling a little out of control, not knowing how to handle the contractions or anything. I called my mom and told her I wasn't sure how close the contractions were but I just needed her to come. We timed for awhile, called my mom who was already dressed and coming, who called the midwife and they were both on their way. I set up my Our Lady of Guadalupe candle, my lavender scented one, started the music I had all prepared and by the time they arrived 45 minutes later I had figured out how to breath with the contractions while squatting next to a wall and then walking in between them. It wasn't so bad after all.

This went on for a couple hours until I started going into transition - I remember really having to concentrate on the contractions more. The other midwife telling a funny story about her daughter and husband and no longer being able to really laugh and talk much. I found a weird little spot to squat down and started working with the contractions. I don't particularly like this part because I feel like I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. Stand, sit, squat, push, get comfortable or get in a position to make the contractions intense to get this baby out. Of course the last is the good one, but that option stinks. I kind of floated around the room doing this, squatting and really working. I remember them telling me to not waste the contraction but to work with them all to get the baby to come. I wanted to cry, I felt disappointed in myself for just wanting to quit - why couldn't the baby just come out already? I was so exhausted. I didn't remember how to push, what was I supposed to do? I was hating this. By the time I really felt like I couldn't do it anymore, no matter how much I told myself I could - I got into the wonderful amazing birth pool. Kurt was sitting in a backwards chair next to the pool and I was on my knees leaning on the pool next to him. I remember just shutting my eyes thinking how much more relaxing and comfortable the pool was, and that I'm going to just go to sleep for awhile then I can do this, they won't even know. Ha ha ha.. mental. After probably a minute of thinking that I was like. . . what am I thinking? I turned around and asked for them to telling me how to push again - Push like your pooping out a watermelon, okay NO. I had Kurt counting to ten for me so I could push for at least ten seconds without stopping. I remember apologizing because I couldn't make it to ten. Then I remember it just clicking thinking - I can do this, I'm not messing around. I'm made to have this baby and I can do it!The next contraction I pushed and pushed like I was pooping out a watermelon (I love how Kurt has to remind me often about how much poop there is, hey it comes with birth, get used to it), when it stopped I said.. "do you see the baby yet?".. We see about a dime of his head".. Me: "oh no".. the next contraction wasn't much.. the next I pushed that baby out all the way to his eye balls and then a little more so he wouldn't be getting his eyes squished. I remember them asking if I wanted to reach down and touch his head, part of me wanted to but the other part of me needed to continue to work - and this I did. By the next contraction I had my baby in my arms. 3:07am...Woah, that was work! I got him in my arms and Kurt and I just stared at him, thinking the same thing as always.. he's beautiful, perfect, amazing, tears in your eyes a bit. And of course is he okay, are they supposed to be a little purple and is he breathing?? Ha ha, he was completely perfect! I then tried to get him to nurse, he wasn't much interested at first but a little bit. After a minute or two we looked and saw we had a little man and in came our little Amelia and my sister Becca! Kurt cut the cord and I pushed out the placenta. A couple minutes later I, with some help got our of the pool and took a shower while daddy loved up his new baby boy. By the time I was out of the shower things were picked up and I got dressed and into bed. Brennan nursed and then we weighed and measured him and got him dressed. Since it was early I went down stairs and got comfortable on the couch with our new little guy and he cuddled up nursed and fell asleep.

I'm sure there are details and things I do not remember. I remember thinking I did badly with this birth, getting discouraged easily and not wanting to do it, but was told I did great! That's always refreshing. And yes, I want to have another baby - lets just wait a little while. =) I only wish I would have gotten some good pictures of the pool and things. Waterbirth is so amazing, I can't imagine giving birth without it. If you would like to read more information visit Waterbirth International online and here's a video that I really like from their site. There is nudity but it just shows the beauty of birth. This always makes me cry. We are made to give birth and it should be a beautiful experience for us all. God bless!

Someone is in trouble..

...who is in trouble you ask. K.U.R.T! Why.. because my kids keep going around the house moving their hands up and down going "vroom, vroom, party starter." The kids and I had never seen this commercial until the other day (after weeks of Landen saying it). It came on - gross - but anyway... Landen goes "Hey Geek... Vroom, Vroom, Party Starter." Yes, I laughed because it's supposed to be "Hey Conan." Now at random times during the day Amelia says "party starter." Not funny!!!! Click here to watch the video, it's like 35 sec. long. Here I try so hard to put good things in their minds to think about and now this. Ahhh! *lol*

One of My Favorites!

You should see Landen and Amelia when this song plays! It's a family favorite.

*Update* The kids and I watched/listened to this like three times this afternoon. Then I got off here and came back to post. I totally forgot my humps was on the end. I'm to lazy to find another right now. Excuse that part of the clip. =) Mommy Brain!

Love Being a Mom

Oh yes, I love being a mom! This video has got to give some of you a good ol' smile. I can't take credit for finding this. I first saw it on Right here in this moment blog and had to let me readers view it. Enjoy being a mom!!! Have a blessed weekend.

My kind of commercial

I know this commercial is old but I saw it again and it always makes me smile! Enjoy. =)

We Are One Body

I first heard this song at our church when I was pregnant with Landen and every single time it makes me cry. It starts before any of the words and I get tears in my eyes. I wanted to share it because I really like it. This choir does a good job with it, but I like the more upbeat version our church sings a bit better.

Colbie Caillat - Bubbly

This is one of my favorite songs of the day, week, month.. whatever. My favorite song changes as soon as I hear a new song a really like. Anyway, I heard this on some music channel I was listening to and haven't been able to get it out of my head this past week. Enjoy!

Mr Mom

I forgot about this song until today. LoL! I love it.

Dove - Onslaught

What is this world coming too?
We've seen all this before, but wow! **Not sure if everyone would want their children seeing this, just a heads up!**

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

The version of this song is great! I love it! I wanted to share it because whenever I tell people about it, I get a goofy look from them. Someday, I'm going to make a slide show of my family from this song. It's a beautiful song! =)