Having 3 kids is kickin' my tail.

It's not so much that I can't handle each crisis, but when they happen simultaneously...that's when it gets overwhelming.

Cooking dinner - no problem

Helping Shannon with homework - a cinch

Cleaning up a potty training accident from Adam - gross, but whatta ya do?

Ethan scream for some milk - coming right up:)

All at the same time - Ahhhhhh!

There are moments when I think, "I can't do this"

but when I look at each kid individually, I know that I'm doing ok. I can be strong. I can do this.

Speaking of being strong, my beyond talented, anything she touches turns to gold, sister Melanie took these pics of Ethan over Christmas while she was 8 months pregnant and without any of her standard studio supplies. Just grabbed a few things from around Gigi's house and viola...magic.

Oh my sweet Ethan. You've changed too much since these were taken.

Stop growing.

I beg you.

I command you.

Please?

Listen to your mother young man.

Oh well. At least I will always have this moment in time.

The others...

Happy Holidays!

Ethan isn't my only child.

I have other children.

They are just as cute and equally entertaining.

Yes, he's gonna kill me for this someday.

But it made you smile:)

Shannon's 7.

I'm old.

The end.

Three

Three.

I have more children then arms.

I'm out numbered.

If they figure this out, I'm toast.

They'll take over.

It'll be a dictatorship.

Pizza for breakfast and marshmallows for dinner.

The TV will never turn off and the bath will never run.

But for now, I have them fooled.

They think I know what I'm doing.

Amateurs.

What have we been up to this past month?
Not much.

I was suppose to be discharged from the hosptial on Halloween, but Ethan had another idea.

That's what we finally named our boy...Ethan Mark Hodgen.

Ethan, because Steve wanted Ian, which I thought sounded like two letters put together.

E and N.

EN.

Like JD.

Me no like. Plus, I saw a male nurse in the NICU that looked liked Steve and I tried to imagine what I would think if he told me his name was Ian. My first thought, "Russian wrestler who runs 5 miles a day through 2 feet of snow in Siberia for training."

No, Ian wouldn't do.

I wanted Easton...after my favorite patient when I was a nurse at St. Jude. Plus, it's cute, right? Steve no like.

Compromise, Ethan.

Mark...after my dad, who is one of the best men I know.

Hodgen...self explanatory.

Back to Halloween. Early in the morning my skilled nurse noted Ethan retracting. Thus started the spiral of chest x-rays, doc exams, etc. that led to being admitted to the NICU for three days.

The NICU is not a place you get sleep. All the babies sound like mewing kittens.

Plus, Ethan was losing weight, thus, I had to feed, then pump, then feed, then pump, etc. By the time we were discharged, I was exhausted.

Ethan's 1st Halloween. Kinda sad.

My mom flew in that afternoon, appearing like an angel.

She took Adam all around town while I slept. She scrubbed my bathroom...the ultimate act of love. She bought us Chinese food and encouraged us to go on a date. She made me spaghetti, then froze some for later. The night before she left, Steve and I looked at each other, wide eyed and admitted that we were scared for her to leave. Mommy, come back!

Since her departure, we've laid low. With Ethan's NICU bought of pnemonia in combination with the cold weather and icky sicky's floating around, we've had to keep him in semi isolation. The lack of socialization has been hardest on Adam, who frequently runs laps around the living room to burn energy. But mostly, he drives me crazy.

Ethan's now over 9 pounds.

I call him chubs.

I love chubs.

Slight change of plans

My goal had been 11/11/11. A birth date easy enough for Steve to remember.

I had made the attempt before and failed...Adam was born on 08/06/08 instead of my intended 08/08/08. But a friend had kicked the challenge up a notch to 11/11/11 at 11:11 and despite the fact that it was 2 weeks earlier than my due date of 11/25, I felt it was attainable.

I went to my 36 week check up this Friday. Exam revealed...dilated to almost a 2 and "thinning." I don't think he was talking about my belly, as it seemed to distend two feet from my body in the form of a triangle. Either way I was grateful to know I was progressing and my induction date of the 22nd would get me and baby Hodgen home for thanksgiving dinner, thus proving all my friends wrong who said their 3rd babies were a week overdue inspight of the fact that the previous kiddos had come early.

My history was just that.

Shannon: two weeks early. Adam: one week.

I felt well balanced with one girl and one boy...skipping on finding out the gender during the ultrasound was well within reason.

And I wanted a surprise.

A good surprise.

Not the kind of surprise when you get rear ended (like I was 2 weeks ago) or your child takes it upon themselves to cut their hair. But a good, old fashion, shock you to to tears surprise. Not finding out the baby's gender would satisfy such an urge.

Although it should be noted that Steve was never 100% on board with this idea. More like 12.2%.

The ultrasound took forever. The tech spent a fair amount of time searching for the umbilical chord insertion site (between the legs) and let me tell you...there was nothing there. NOTHING between those legs. I was 99% it was a girl and the look on Steve's face told me he knew it was as well. If he could have willed a tiny peepee to appear, he would have, but we both knew...it was a girl. I accepted it. Embraced it.

Saturday was to be a full day. Run errands, possibly fulfill my desire to chop off my hair, clean chapel, trunk or treat. Stuff like that. Nothing too crazy.

I woke up around 5am for a routine trip to the restroom. Couldn't fall back asleep though. Again, not uncommon for me at this stage in the pregnancy. But around 5:30 I felt some...oozing, shall we say. Never had that happen before, but my friend had lost her mucus plug early on in her pregnancy without any complications, so I figured that's what it must be.

Back to the bathroom for some investigation.

Hmm, suspicious.

Put on a pad just in case and took the computer downstairs where I planned to take a bolus of fluids (cause that's the first thing the docs tell you to do if you feel contractions) and watch Netflix while resting on my left side.

Some time passed with nothing. Whew. I'm a drama queen.

Then...gush.

Oh snap, a gush.

No, no, no...a gush.

This can't be good.

Up to the shower. If this is what I think it is, I'm going to have freshly washed and blown dry hair. Make up. The works.

I would have to let go of the sparkly silver nail polish I had intended on applying after Halloween and settle for my pumpkin orange, slightly chipped, toenails. Not ideal.

My matching silver flip flops hadn't arrived in the mail yet either. Oh well, they would be nothing without the silver polish anyways.

Steve knew something was going down and I fessed up.

I would call the doc AFTER I ate a protein packed breakfast and started running my errands. New glasses needed to be picked up. Halloween candy purchased with the latest and greatest coupons. Important stuff.

The doc's call killed any hope I had of getting a hair cut.

Right to the hospital. Now.

I went by myself, still slightly... OK, mostly...in denial that I could be having a baby at 36 weeks. No sense in worrying the kids if it was nothing. Unfortunately, it wasn't "nothing" and the kids were whisked away by my saint of a visiting teacher/friend/the lady in charge of trunk or treat for a fun filled day of candy, costumes and friends.

I, on the other hand, was in for 12 hours of labor that didn't progress quite as I had planned. The gravity of having a baby too early overshadowed the excitement I had anticipated I would feel by not knowing what we were having.

I wanted a healthy baby. Simple as that.

Watching Netflix was a great way to take our minds off of the hustle and bustle around us. Although knowing we were on the clock based on the time my water had broken was in the back of our minds.

As always, the epidural was a beautiful thing and my constant companion. Luv u Doc Maxwell! Dad, your job is heroic.

Around 7 pm, the epidural wasn't feeling as kind as it had been and I started pushing the redose button, frequently. I could feel the baby dropping with every contraction.

Internal exam conclusion...DON'T PUSH!

We waited about 25 minutes for the doctor. 3 pushes and 8 minutes later...

I saw a peepee.

Huh?

What?!?!?!

Come again?

A boy?!?!?!

The word SHOCKED does not adequately describe what I was experiencing.

After those 10 seconds, my mind cleared and I realized we had no crying. But, everything feels like an eternity when you are in that situation and shortly thereafter, we got our whimpers.

We are still dealing with issues of an early birth but for the most part everyone is healthy and happy.

Well, except for Shannon.

Her reaction...Uhhh! As in, "How you could do this to me! Now I'm out numbered. Now 2 boys will be chasing me with a sand shovel and ripping apart my Barbie doll house."

It's ok Shannon. The boys will go fishing and you and I can get pedicures.

No name yet. Weren't really expecting a boy. Weren't really expecting him this early.

Open to suggestions although I'm pretty sure the hospital staff is going to hate us when we are discharged without signing the social security papers.

I'm too young for this

Since when do I have a 1st grader?

Since August, that's when.

I dragged her kicking and screaming out of summer.

She was ready to drop out of school all together. Get a dog and an apartment in Chattanooga.

She claims to want to be a vet, yet they "make you work" in 1st grade, so education had lost all appeal.

But...she was blessed to be kept in the dark as to the hours and hours of phone calls and buckets and buckets of tears that were shed on her behalf to get her back into her top rated school. Let's just say this past year hasn't been a picnic for Steve and me. I'll leave it at that. Still in the thick of things and the term "exhausted" doesn't scratch the surface of what is going on. One day we'll look back and laugh.

One day.

But not anytime soon.

Or the distant future.

You get the point.

But the point I was attempting to make was, and I'm getting to it...was that every time I pass the Ghettoville Elementary School that Shannon is zoned for, I say a prayer of thanksgiving that I'm not homeschooling Shannon to keep her out of that building.

That's all.

1st day of school

This pic makes me cringe. But, when you're little lady takes 30 minutes to eat a bowl of cereal because she's still on "summer time"/slow as molasses mode, you get what you get and you don't throw a fit.

And because little miss was as slow as molasses...and because I was experiencing this new schedule for the first time as well...little Adam was left to wander around in his pj's. But, not to be left out of the festivities, he jumped into most pics and demanded a few individual shots of himself as well.

He'll start preschool next year. Hallelujah!

...on a side note

Dear Adam,

I miss your long hair. I'm sorry I buzzed it. I promise to never do it again even if that means that mommy is no longer your hair stylist and I have to, heaven forbid, PAY for a haircut. I have repented and changed my wicked ways. You will be looking better in a few months, just in time for your noggin to be covered with hair for winter. Your "winter coat" per say.

Love,

Melissa

When life gives you lemons...

make lemonade, right?

Or, if you're Shannon...when life gives you a little brother (but you openly prayed for a girl), make a sister instead.

It was quiet upstairs.

Too quiet.

They must be getting along...I hoped.

Still, I had to check. That's my job, right? Risk management.

I found this scene...

Sure he wails on her. Steals her stuff. Demolishes her treasures.

That's how immature boys show their love. It's a timeless truth.

He adores her. Wants all of her time and attention. Another younger sibling traditional.

Nothing new. Nothing to worry about. Not calling the Psychiatrist anytime soon.

Then we, as older sisters, in turn dress our baby brothers as the sisters we wish they were.

Daniel has forgiven me for the "oh la la sassony" purple and white striped ensemble I paraded him around in during the early 90's. And Adam will forgive Shannon too.

Unfortunately, these pictures will most likely resurface during a pre-wedding pictoral slide show in which Adam's fiance will be impressed that he managed to survive such a family and vow to protect their future offspring from potential emotional damage by swearing off all future family functions.

Fortunately, after these pics were taken, Adam stripped down to his diaper and proceeded to chase Shannon around with his boxing gloves.

Ah, somethings never change.

Thank goodness.

Fortification

Fortify

Before a major change in my life, I get to go to the beach. It's the Lord's way of fortifying me for things to come. When Mom called in March with an offer of a trip to Hawaii, I knew I was in trouble. Looking back, I was right to be scared. But a week on the Big Island has helped a little...

Wiakola Hilton, not to shabby

Apparently I wasn't the only one in need of some R&R.

They really do this...everywhere.

Green Sand Beach. Hmm, how do I feel about that hike?

Scenic, yes.

Longest 2.6 miles ever. For sure.

Too dangerous to actually slide down to the beach. Definitely.

Something I would do again on the day I fly out nor have access to a shower. No, duh.

But worth it? Jury's still out...but probably not.

Hapuna Beach.

Best beach by far. Didn't spend enough time there. I'll be back.

Mel's dedication to the perfect shot.

Spiritual fortification.

Kona has a Costco, Target, Farmer's market AND a temple.

All my requirements for a future residence.

One pic sister's have to do...at least we didn't "Charlie's Angel" it.

But activities weren't limited to lounging on the beach or floating in a pool.

State parks, rain forests, botanical gardens, etc.

I'm a well rounded chick.

Gonna plant a few of these one day.

My interpretation of Adam's fig leaf from the Garden of Eden. Full coverage.Spent some quality time here...Bless you state parks and your full service facilities.Gastronomical fortification

Kona farmer's market

Strawberry papaya, apple bananas, and the biggest avocados ever.

Kahlua pork and poi

Spam sushi

Not bad

I'm ready for some more fortification.