Last Day

Tomorrow I get to go pick up these guys:

And I am SO excited! Jason won't be home for a few more days, so I'm about to go from quiet and peaceful to total craziness - and I can't wait!!!!

I have LOVED it being just Josiah and I...with multiple kids, it becomes harder to bond with the littlest because they just kind of get thrown into the mix, but this week has been a treasure with Josiah. And to top it off, he SMILED at me for the first time this morning!!!!

Another treasure this week has been spending a lot of time with my 10th grade cell group girls. It has been so much fun. I told them last night I feel like we are at camp and I'm their counselor this week because I have gotten to hang out with them almost everyday. It's helped the time pass in a perfect way - they are so much fun!

I talked about this some in my last post, but here are some observations from only having a newborn in the house:

1. I never knew it until this week, but all of my kid dishes DO NOT FIT IN MY CABINETS! Half of them are always being used so I never knew this nor had this problem until this week! I had to rearrange!
2. I  have folded clothes ONCE.
3. I have run the dishwasher ONCE.
4. I haven't had to pick up a single toy...ALL WEEK.
5. I don't have to be home from the hours of 1-4 for naps.
6. I can go to the gym whenever I want...not at 10:30 when kid's class starts.
7. Josiah and I get up between 10-11 - seriously?!
8. Their bathroom hasn't needed disinfecting every 2 hours.

But I just got back from a 2 hour grocery store trip to re-stock the house for kids and husband coming. And I'm ready for them and all the messes and noise they bring. Can't wait for the sword fights, the wrestling, the boxing matches (yes Jason teaches them how to box all the time), tutu's and princess dresses, pool time, playing with the neighbors in the front, and making PB&J sandwiches again.

6 Weeks

Yesterday marked 6 weeks since Josiah Abram was born.
And it feels like he has been part of our family for lot longer than that! The little guy just fits right in (not that he really had a choice though).

6 wks.

His eyes are BLUE (for now), he spits up a lot (but not as much as Lincoln), if he's not sleeping in the car, he is crying - uncontrollably, he eats every 3 hours (4oz) and takes a nap in between each bottle still, he falls into a deep sleep between 10-11/wakes up around 3-3:30, then at 6:00, then at 8:30ish (which is when i get up)...I am in the process of working to eliminate one of those, he looks like a McMahan, is soooo close to smiling, loves sitting outside, and that pretty much covers a 6 week old's life. :)

As far as my transitioning:

- The hardest transition for me was going from zero to one kid (Lincoln); The 2nd hardest transition was going from 2 to 3 kids; this one hasn't been that bad for me. I think recovery has a lot to do with it. Noah and Josiah have been the easiest recoveries but Josiah actually wins out in this category (which I think is weird??). I had some major pains with Adelynn in the coming month, but Josiah has been a breeze. I started working out 2 weeks post-partum (walking and such), and running 3 weeks post-partum - and I am feeling great! I think that's one reason it's seems crazy to me he is only 6 weeks old. It's been a blessing though!
4 kids under the age of 5 definitely is insane at times. It's forced me to slow down a little because just shuffling them around to do errands gets exhausting.
I now go to wal-mart at night, for instance. Josiah does great at our pool just hanging in his seat, and Adelynn is pretty independent in the water (praise the Lord!) so we have done the pool a lot...and I can just sit there, get a tan, and enjoy watching the 3 kids swim. I like those days. I will get in eventually but our pool is way too cold right now and I am not a fan of bathing suits yet. :)

Jason's currently in Africa and the older kids are at their grandparent's house, so Josiah and I have had lots of sweet bonding time! Gran Gran sent me some pics of the kids at her house...they LOVE spending time with all 4 of their grands - thankful for that!

Positives of kids being gone for a week:
1. My house is clean when I wake up, and it's still clean when I go to bed
2. No sudden shrills jostle Josiah from his sleep...lots of quiet
3. I don't have to plan my days around naps
4. No cooking
5. The laundry was done 3 days ago...and it's still done

Negatives to kids being gone for a week:
1. There are no Elsa dolls or swords lying around reminding me how fun and adventurous my kids are
2. It's too quiet
3. It's too clean
4. The dogs are starving because they don't get all the table scraps they are use to
5. I miss my naps with Lincoln

The dichotomy. It's nice to rejuvenate but I miss my kids and husband! Can't wait to see them soon!

Africa

On Saturday my husband and all 3 of his assistant coaches leave for Mali, Africa to run a basketball skills/evaluation camp for the top 50-60 players in the country. This is an incredibly unique opportunity they have been presented with and I can't wait to see how it all unfolds! There is supposedly great natural talent and athleticism throughout this country, but a desperate need of qualified coaches willing to come and invest in skill development to help these players achieve potential professional goals. We've been told there is great excitement for this next week and that it is a national event that will be kicked off with a televised press conference - which I'm so hoping will be somewhere I can watch online! Under Armor is sponsoring the camp and funding for the elite athletes to attend. The athletes have been scouted by some American NBA agencies over the years and have been marked as potential talent.
This is an extremely poor country that is in the middle of terrorists conflicts, so what a great opportunity to bring some fun and joy to a nation that is in the middle of experiencing some difficulties. But also a great opportunity for y'all to pray for our husband's safety - and energy (their schedule is relentless!!).

As for the rest of my family, Jason's parents are taking all 3 older kids while they are gone! So a little vacation for Josiah and I...we should head to the beach. Ha.

Can't wait to hear all the stories of the precious people in this country and their experience! My small experiences in Africa have been nothing short of incredible and I know theirs will be the same. There's lots more details with all of this and I'd love to share more if any of you have interest...just email me! :)