We are not dead

It has been a month.
A month of fun.
And, apparently, no blogging.
In fact, the more time that passes, the more I avoid blogging due to the sheer size of the post that will inevitably need to be written.
Not because I feel there are droves of followers awaiting my witty repartee but because my camera is becoming clogged with photos and I need to put them somewhere.
Somewhere for bored friends/family to see documentation.
So without further adieu, I will now give you the Reader's Digest version of all our shenanigans.

In keeping with tradition, a pic of Britney, Kari, and myself at Breaking Dawn.
We have been to see all the previous movies together, and this time Heather (who has so generously lent us her home, which is for sale ... and if you would like to buy it, call me) and her cousin Heidi joined us.
Three words: Best. One. Yet.
Yes, I may be a bit of a Twi-hard.
And yes, my shirt says Team Edward.
Don't judge.
Thanksgiving was delicious (have I mentioned my sister is a genius in the kitchen? Well, she is. Go to her blog www.eatitupfood.blogspot.com and you will see why. You're welcome)
So dinner was amaaawwww-zing.
This is the only picture I managed to capture in focus.
Yes, I am a stellar photographer.
Loved spending time with my family and all the sibs.

Christmas tree decorating was a little hectic.
The kids started the evening by running in manic circles in anticipation of the festive fun.
After I yelled at them to stop and that we would certainly not be having any fun, they started yanking out ornaments left and right.
You woulda thought it was speed decorating at the pace we ornamented that tree.
There was no messing around.

p.s. Never mind that I had a lapse in judgment when getting dressed that morning. What am I wearing, and why does my hair look like Flock of Seagulls?
I am never wearing those pants again.
There are no words.
After, we had hot chocolate and cookies.
Well, basically the kids ate all the marshmallows off the top of the drink, scarfed a handful of cookies, and then continued their frenzied race around the house.

Except my angel Micah.
He watched, happy and drooling in his bumbo.

And fiiiiinally, we took some family photos.
We haven't taken any since Ezzy was about 10 months old.
And we have all changed quite considerably since then.
That, and we have added a whole new person to the family.
I have included a few of my favs.



I am not sure what I am doing with my foot here.

There are at least 30 more where that came from.

The rest of my time I spend with my sister and her kids (crafting, chit-chatting, doing Jillian Michaels' workout video, and visiting Goodwill).
And my husband.
Who is able to come home every night, without having to study.
It's glorious.
It's like having a real job, except that we pay for him to work.
Anyway.
There we go.
All caught up.
And I am pooped.
Good-night!

Spectacle?

Here are my new specs.
I love them.
They are a little retro.
But still modern.
I really like the cat-eye silhouette.
And black glasses go with everything.

And the other pictures?
Mostly to tease Scott.
He makes fun of me for taking too many pictures of myself.
But in my defense, he never snaps 'em so I need to document myself, myself.
Am I the only one who does this?

Whatev.
This was supposed to be my model pose, but now that I look at it, I realize I have two chins.
Cute.

A few things

1. Halloween (yes I am still blogging about it) was a success. My children made quite the haul. We still have at least 8 pounds of candy sitting around that will probably find its way to my love handles.
2. My friends are incredible. They took such good care of my and my kids while Scott rotated in Tacoma. Our time here in the Grove would not be what it is if not for them. (Does that sentence even make sense?)
3. I hate my neighbor.
4. Okay, hate is kind of a strong word; let's just say I will not miss her or the music that she plays loud enough for us to listen to as well.
5. All hours of the day and night. When does she sleep?
6. Ryan got her ears pierced for her fifth birthday. It was all her idea. She begged and begged. Really. She literally said, "I'm begging you." She was really excited, until this point:

And even though I held her hand,

the grape lollipop was ultimately what took the pain away. (p.s. She loves her new earrings and doesn't remember it hurting. Whew.)

I love how cute they are on her. So pretty.
7. I cannot for the life of me, get Ezra to eat dinner. Most nights he elects to go to bed hungry rather than eat what I fixed for him. Waffles, macaroni and cheese, it doesn't matter. It makes me livid. I end up stomping into the kitchen and flinging his food into the sink all the while trying to convince myself that his reaction to my cooking must be induced by a sensitive gag reflex. That boy.
8. I am getting excited to move down to Eugene (temporarily) for Scott's third rotation. Two words: washer. dryer. That and I will be 15 miles away from my sister! Oh the fun we will have!
9. I must go to bed. Micah has been nursing a cold and hasn't been sleeping very well. If I don't hit the hay soon, I will be regretting it come morning.
p.s. I got new glasses that I have yet to take a picture of. But they will knock your socks off. Scott is still scratching his head. hehe

It's coming

My brilliant Scotty, fixed my camera (that Ryan dropped on the ground while snapping pics of herself) by unscrewing the whole thing into 6,972 little pieces and then putting it all back together.
So all the pictures of Ryan crying while getting her ears pierced, and the kids dressed up for trick-or-treating will be yours to enjoy as soon as they are uploaded.
Tomorrow perhaps.
I am pretty tired.
And watching Dancing with the Starts: The Results.
Nancy Grace, kiss your dancing career goodbye.
Watching you was a little painful.

A Halloween sneak peek

Every year (well for the last four years) we have attended the university PAVA Halloween party.
I can't remember what PAVA stands for, but it translates loosely as the "lonely optometry wives' club."
Except for we ain't really lonely 'cause we have each other.
Anyway, it is always a hit and we love it because it gives us another chance to dress up, eat candy, and gawk at everyone else's stellar costumes.
I kinda dropped the ball this year.
Make that every year.
I had every intention to create mind-blowing outfits and yet I still ended up pulling something together in the last minute ... made with felt (which any dummy can do).
Let's just say, no minds were blown.
But, hey, I have a newborn so, whatever.
And you best believe that I will use that excuse for as long as I can about whatever I can.
What? I haven't shaved my legs in 6 months? I can't, I have a baby.
And I don't make dinner any more? Or show up to church on time? I can't, the baby needs me.
Juuuust kidding.
Anyway, I wanted them to at least coordinate ...

So we took a cue from their personalities.
Only joking.
The baby has a little devil costume too.
I will have to get a picture of that on the actual holiday when we go trick-or-treating.

And here is a picture of "the gang."
These are the kids we play with every day (R to L: Ryan, Dawson, Ezzy, Harper, and Sophie).

And these are the mommies.
And two of my besties, Tracy and Lyndsie.
Aren't they beautiful?
Yes. They. Are.
I only hang out with pretty people.
I also didn't realize my hair looked that dark.
And look, my 'stach is fading! Holla.

And last but not least, a picture of my big boy.
He missed the festivities because he was on a playdate with my friend Jenny (thank you!) but don't you worry, he will be decked out for the next go around on Monday.
Is he not the most darling 3-month-old?
I do not believe how big he is getting!

He is a really good boy!
And very talkative.
Boy, he was talking my ear off all evening.
Speaking of which, I am quite tuckered out, but I will be back with more pics and all the deets on our upcoming move to Eugene for rotation # 3!

Things I know you are dying to know

I have been trying to post about once a week.
And even though my life is riddled with riveting events (like for instance yesterday when I had to take my baby back to our apartment to change his clothes and possibly give him a bath because he had pooped up his back only to discover that I had been locked out by my four-year-old when she had returned for a string cheese, and then proceeded to try to jimmy the lock with a Safeway club card all while my three-year-old was brawling with a neighbor boy over a discarded/broken water gun), I thought I would refrain from regaling my loyal readership with yet another tale of an inept mother who struggles to keep her wits about her.
Even though that's kinda what I just did.
Anyhoo, instead I thought I'd share a few thoughts slash pictures.
Really there is no connection between any of the following tidbits other than that they all occurred in my head.
This is often how I start my day.
Once Ryan is off to preschool, me and the boys go on a jog.
Here's a little look-see of the babes all bundled up in our buffalo blanket (it isn't made of a buffalo, but has the outline of one printed on it ... weirdest Christmas present to date.)
They are both very good.
Ezra talks non-stop (while pointing out every bird/squirrel/vehicle that crosses our path) and Micah sleeps non-stop.

Once Ryan returns, we head to the park if it's sunny.
This entire park full of kids is produced from the following small group of women:

And there are at least half as many children, not pictured, behind me playing "school" in the grass.
We're not messing around.
It makes for a lot of friends for me and for my kids, and lets be honest, we go to the park just as much for me as for them.
Probably more for me.
So I can talk to other adults.
And so we're not sitting around at home bugging each other.
And lastly, a picture of my celebrity crush:

Yes, Cee Lo Green.
Doesn't he have the friendliest smile?
Scott is aware of how I feel about Cee Lo.
I get the feeling he isn't much threatened by my infatuation.
These are the things we talk about when spending time together.
That, and which couples in our ward we think are hot.
And what would happen if a super virus spread throughout the world killing everyone but our family and it were up to us to repopulate earth.
And why polygamy was invented.
And the pros and cons of different dog breeds.
We are really mature and only talk about the important topics.
The things that really matter.
And all the things I discussed today definitely matter.

Just a little longer

It is so nice when Scott is home.
I feel less stressed.
I am not so completely outnumbered.
I have a little time to myself.
I don't have to wipe everyone's buns after they go potty.
This rotation is nearly over.
I. can't. wait.
We are headed to Eugene, as a family, and I am looking forward to a little more balance.
And hopefully a few dates with the hubs.
And maybe more of this ...
I know our kids are super excited.
I can't imagine why.
Don't they look to be having the time of their lives?

At least they are holding hands.

This kid ...

Is going to be the death of me.
In fact, I am feeling a little comatose right now.
History's longest week has yet to draw to a close.
And next week will surely prove to be just as draining.
Chasing this wild man around is truly exhausting.
I have no photographic evidence of our adventures because I am too busy disinfecting scrapes, kissing his humongous head after yet another bonk, and yelling at him to stop jumping on a discarded mattress someone left next to our dumpster that cats have been mating on.
That and I am too embarrassed to admit that we do indeed live in a complex that not only turns a blind eye to residents discarding their crusty furniture on the lawn but that he managed to rip off his shoes and socks and leap onto said furniture before I could stop him.
It is government-subsidized housing.
In my defense.
I don't know what to say about the cats.
Anyway, not only did I have to drag him off the mattress, twice, but then he tells me he was definitely not jumping on it.
Even though I saw him do it.
And we made direct eye contact.
It is all so illogical.
There are no words.
And that was only Monday.
The rest of the week has proved to be just as disgusting ... and irritating.
Last night he stepped on Ryan's glasses (although in his defense, she broke the number one cardinal rule of responsible eye wear care and left them on the ground) and broke off one of the arms.
Now she has a very fashionable pair of opera glasses that will definitely need to be replaced.
Then he crawled into bed with me only to wet it several hours later.
And when I say wet, I really mean drench.
It smelled spectacular.
And then, as I was washing the pee bedding, after hauling it to the on-site laundry facility this morning, he comes to tell me that he has accidentally spilled his entire bowl of cereal (with milk) and is very sorry.

Needless to say, today I didn't get a shower but have freshly laundered sheets.
And a small pile of grass-stained clothing I need to pretreat after our trip to the park.
What is that endearing saying about boys being boys?

I don't know.
What I do know is that he is sound asleep, uninjured, fully fed, clean, and knows he is loved so the day wasn't a total wash.
He is a handful.
And a little bit of a maniac.
He farts on purpose and laughs.
But he makes me smile.
And I can't imagine my days without him.
I could do without some of the antics, but I keep telling myself I will miss them when they pass.

Preschool ... and a disciplinary chart

I love a new year!
I feel like that instead of celebrating New Years on January 1st, we should party in September.
The real holiday is too close to Christmas anyway.
I digress.
The fall just feels like beginnings to me and I am super excited to have a baby in "school."
She is super excited too.
Just look at that mug:
(She was much more excited than her apprehensive look implies).
Ryan now attends Wonder World preschool.
She loves it!
She jumps out of bed each morning , gets dressed without being told, and screams at Ezra to shake a leg.
Ezra doesn't need any persuasion.
He wishes that he attended too.
He tries to bolt in to her classroom when we drop her off, and I have to drag him out ... crying.
It is actually quite sad. Poor second baby.
I try to tell him that being at home with Mommy will be more fun.
But neither of us really believes that.

Showing off our first-day-of-school outfit and a sticker she received in class.
Isn't she darling?
And with a new school year, comes a crack at a new disciplinary tactic: positive reinforcement.
It is a revolutionary idea.
Scott and I were discussing our parenting techniques and decided that threating the children with vinegar and a visit from Nanny McFee wasn't cutting it.
I don't want my kids to be ill-behaved.
And I don't want to be that mom.
The disheveled one that all other's look at with pity as all my children simultaneously pitch a deafening fit in the paper towel aisle at Walmart as I am scream-whispering for them to be quiet or else, while frantically/haphazardly throwing various items into the cart, which in turn leads to overlooking the one object that we came to Walmart to buy, which then results in a mad dash back through half the store, which produces the opportunity for one particularly clumsy boy to mash his head into someone else's shopping cart, which only triggers a fresh outburst from said boy, who in turn scares the baby that has just barely managed to fall asleep. All we needed was toilet paper for crying out loud.
Anyway, hopefully this new reward system will be effective.
We picked three things for them to work on.
At the end of each day they can earn a total of three stickers for good behavior, and once their chart is full, they can pick out a treat at the dollar store. (Nothing but the best for our kids.)
Hopefully, this will encourage Ryan to stay in bed at night and Ezra to eat his dinner, among other things.
So far, so good.
It has only been one day.

And finally, to tie into our new beginnings theme, I made some new headbands for Ryan to wear to school.
See what I did there?
They were really easy, and really cute.
So cute that I took them and wore them myself.
Well, I tried that "hippie-type" look with it wrapped around my forehead, but probably looked like a fool.
Maybe it would work if it had more flowers on it.

Well, here's to a happy new year!

Beachtastic

We finally made it to the beach.
For the first time this year.
Even though we live but a mere hour from the coast.
But at least we saved it for the only true scorching week of the summer.
And our trip out there didn't disappoint.
And it was windy, cold, and damp.
My kind of weather.
Those conditions, however, didn't keep the kids (or husbands) from donning their swimsuits and braving the frigid water.
I did not. (I like the cold, but I ain't crazy.)
Instead, I snapped a few distant pictures of my family enjoying the sand.
I will spare you a shot of me in my swimsuit with an uncharacteristically generous amount of cleavage (a perk to nursing ... I guess?)
Barf.
Anyhoo, we had BBQ ribs (which sadly fell in the sand, but were still delish) on our teensy grill (which sadly fell apart in the sand, right before we threw the corroded piece of crap in the trash),
and flew our enormous kite (which ended up crashing down on a passerby once the wind died ... hehe).

Here is the fam.
Floating our bath toys down an errant river that empties into the ocean.

And I've also included a picture of the ground, where someone wrote "LOSER" in the sand.
'Cause that's how I roll.
All in all, it was a success.
And I have a car filled with 15 pounds of sand to prove it.
And on an unrelated topic, this is the first picture I have captured of all three of my children together.
And they are naked.
Classy.
And to round out this incredibly riveting post, I have included a picture of Micah along with my baby announcement.
I have been told that he looks a lot like me.
I tried to match the black & white effect used on my ol' baby picture of yore, but didn't quiiiite do it.
You get the idea.
Micah:
Me:
Just for funsies.

What we be doing

Well it has been four grueling weeks since Micah was born.
Just kidding.
No, I really am not.
However, the adjustment necessary when adding another baby to your family is becoming less painful and more enjoyable.
I am sleeping better and crying less.
I mean, HE ... he is sleeping better and crying less.
And as for the older kids, they are getting their fill of Sesame Street and Jurassic Park.
But in between nursing and nursing, we try to fit in a few fun things.
I am becoming more confidant in venturing out by myself and the three.
That, and Scott is gone on rotations, so I have no other option.
We have blessed said baby, hit up a few spray parks (to beat this unbearable 85 degree heat ... I am not being sarcastic but wholeheartedly serious. I feel like Pedro on Napoleon Dynamite and want to shave my hair off just to cool down), and enjoyed a few regular parks as well.
In fact, on our last visit to our neighborhood playground, I was chatted up by a talkative local (translation: creepy loner) and now have a new BFF.
Theron and I are thisclose.

Ryan at the park.
I love everything about this picture.
Her smile, which is absolutely posed.
Her killer haircut; it suits her to a tee, and I luurve it so very much.
And the perfect cat-eye glasses.
Could she be any trendier?
Why actually yes. She is also sporting a sweet romper.
Wish that was made in my size.

Ezra's small birthday party.
Admittedly, he got a little short-changed this year in the celebration department.
Hopefully next year, things will be a little less hectic (and sweaty) and we can have a big blowout.

Blowing out his candles after singing happy birthday to himself.

And Micah, asleep in his bouncer.
He loves to be swaddled like a burrito and in this seat.
He is seriously cute.
Yeah ... that's all I got.

Birthday Boy

Ezra turned 3 on Monday!
I cannot believe how grown up he is!
It was pretty low-key.
Just me and the kiddies.
We started off the day by going to the store for doughnuts and chocolate milk.
Ezzy picked out the messiest one and ate only the sprinkles off the top.
Then we spent some time at the park while I tried to coax out of him a list of his favorite foods.
I told him that he could pick what we had for dinner.
A special treat for his birthday.
He said that he really wanted french fries and a banana.
So that is what we had.
McDonald's fries and bananas.
So healthy.
He is truly the funniest boy.
He is also very athletic.
In fact, he is getting a little set of his very own (real) golf clubs for his birthday.
He loves golfing.
He insists we watch it every Sunday after church (snore).
He also loves the movie Jurassic Park.
I dare say it is his favorite.
And as for other favorites, he also loves the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk.
He picks it every night for his bedtime story.
He loves getting wet, whether it be in the tub or at the spray park,
probably because it involves being nudey.
He eats raisin toast for breakfast every morning and loves to snuggle.
He also must wear his baseball hat everywhere, just like daddy.
And he claims his name is really Ife (pronounced life without the "L").

He is such an awesome part of our family.
I cannot imagine my life without him in it!
Happy Birthday Fezzy Wig.
We love you.

Micah Grayson Pitts

He arrived Thursday, July 28 at 7:48 in the evening.
7 pounds, 14 ounces. 20 inches long.
The delivery was pretty short.
Less than 6 hours from induction to delivery.
A bit more traumatizing however.
My epidural didn't kick in until about 20 minutes after Micah came quietly into the world.
Apparently he was saving up his screams to unleash at home.
At 3:30.
Every. Morning.
But I digress.
Here is the obligatory shot everyone takes immediately following the birth.
I look nuts.
Kinda like Ozzy Osbourne with the eyeliner.
But everything went really smoothly.
I am so grateful for the undramatic (is that a word?) experience.
Micah is perfect.
Ryan is a little bit more enthused about our baby than Ezra.
She is very helpful and sweet.
Ezzy pretty much just ignores Micah altogether.
But in a non hostile sort of way.
I think he is just unimpressed.

Here is the babe.
He is so handsome.
At first I thought he looked a lot like Ezra, but he is slowly developing his own look.
His eyes are a dark grayish blue and he has a dimple in his right cheek.
Love that.
I hope when he plumps up it is more noticeable.
He is a great nurser.
And by great I really mean he nurses all the live long day, and is pretty much upset if he isn't nursing, or sleeping.
This is probably a better depiction of who he is right now.
Such a sweet face, but so fussy.
His sleeping schedule is a little backwards as well.
He sleeps like a champ during the day, and, let's just say, he struggles to relax as well during the night.
But last night we may have had a breakthrough.
Hopefully it will be a habit for many nights to come.
Crossing my fingers there are no more sob sessions in the wee hours of the morning, for either of us.
Hence why I can finally sit down to type a quick note.
This is literally the first chance I have had to function coherently.

But he's worth it.
Just look at that sweet thing.
Oooohhh, there's his dimple.
See it?
In the words of my daughter, "I just can't stand it."
We just love him.
Welcome home, Micah.