Does one have a 3rd Baby Shower? I think not...

I suppose lots of women have a baby shower for each child and that is totally great. Personally, I am not going to have a big shin dig for the 3rd baby.

With each baby we had I tried to do something original and unique. My first daughter, I was barely 18 and still living with my parents. We had a traditional baby shower and I was so thankful for all my friends and their moms who came and joined in the fun.

With my 2nd daughter (my husband's first) I thought it would be fun to honor him- since it was his first baby. We themed the party "Daddys little princess" and decorated in black and silver and pink. We had a huge pizza party and invited all our couple friends. We played funny guy games so they felt involved and it was a blast!

So with our 3rd bundle on the way, I am ordering a belly cast kit from offline (only around $20) and I am asking just a handful of ladies over for a potluck lunch and their help in assisting me cast myself. I will then do some sort of mosaic design and hang on the nursery wall. I'm super excited to do something different!

When I lived in London I had a friend who was expecting their first baby. They were a young couple just starting out and were overwhelmed with the amount of items they needed for their tiny thing. I suggested a baby shower and they were shocked- that is such an American thing. Brits dont usually have showers, but excitedly she agreed, always wondering what one would be like and thankful to have an overwhelming amount of friends wanting to bless her. This was a super fun party to be a part of.

On the flip side- I had another friend here in the US that was pregnant with their 3rd baby. They were going to have another shower. Their 2nd baby was barely a year old and as I strummed through their registry I couldnt help but feel a bit annoyed. I saw baby monitors and cribs and bathtubs and thought "if you wanted to have another baby, why did you save things from the baby you just had!"

Im sure my friend didnt intend to annoy anyone by having a shower for her 3rd, but I would wager there were people - like myself, who wondered where all the stuff was that we all just bought 9 months prior. I understand if you had a boy and now its a girl and you need clothes and such, but things like a bathtub and baby monitor and crib which can be gender neutral shouldnt matter.

With our 2nd daughter, we knew we wanted to have another one right after. We asked for everything to be gender neutral in color (the car seat and bathtub, boppy, cloth diapers, etc) that way we could save it for the next time we got pregnant.

I will post pics of my finished cast when its complete- still a few months away :)

Soccer Season is OVER... for good!!!

To anyone who doesnt know me, I am a soccer fanatic.  I played all through high school.  Then, my oldest daughter started playing when she was 7.  I coached through my 2nd pregnancy and even got my E license - which means I can coach Select or Competitive.  I love soccer!

I looked into starting to help with the high school here in town since the head coach and I are good friends.  He encouraged me to come join him and maybe someday I'd be able to coach the Girls HS Varsity team.  Then... I got pregnant, again!  The Lord must have other things in store for me.  Coaching while pregnant was difficult with a team of 10 year olds.  I couldnt imagine doing it with  15-18 year olds who take much more time than the little girls recreation team I was use to.

So, with a bit of sadness, I didnt take him up on his offer to help.  My family was thrilled as they couldnt imaging me adding one more thing to my already overflowing plate.  As my daughter's U11 Competitive season got underway, I too was thankful that I did not decide to coach again.

The season was rainy- which isnt too bad except my husband works Saturdays so its just me there by myself most games.  The baby was NOT happy to be out in the rain cooped up in my front pack for 2 hours.  When my baby bump started protruding it was too difficult to wear the front pack.  So, my infant was equally as upset to be strapped in her stroller.  Had it been a sunny season, she may have enjoyed crawling around on the blanket and grass while mommy screamed like a lunatic for sissy.

Funny how the screaming parents are at their kids games, huh?  I admit I am one of them- I have tamed my tongue quite a bit throughout the years- after hearing what other parents sound like.  But still, the coach in me sees plays and passes and openings that I cant seem to help but blurt out:

"Watch #10"  "Go up line" "Call for drop"  "Megan, go center"

Of course the girls cant hear me, they are too involved in their play and trained to listen to their coach.  I think I do it to make myself feel better.  Its like seeing a car crash about to happen and you cant help but yell, oooh watch out!  Of course, to some soccer may not be as serious as a car crash... lol

As the season progressed and my eldest got seemingly more and more burnt out, I was a little heartbroke and happy to hear that she no longer wanted to play soccer.  Her play level was diminishing, not because she suddenly lacked talent, but because you could tell her heart was no longer there.

I look forward to not having to bundle up two infants next year and stand in the rain for 2 hours by myself with 2 miserable cooped up babies.  I look forward to not having to pack up the car with double strollers and toys and snacks that could entertain and feed an army.  But mainly, I look forward to seeing what new thing my oldest daughter will get involved with.  I love seeing that spark in her eye when she "gets it."  Something clicks that says "I like this" and it such a joy to watch her grow into her own person.  To see a child use the talents and gifts that they have been blessed with is every parents honor and hopefully a goal.  And maybe, if other parents are lucky, she will choose something that I know nothing about so I dont scream on the sidelines like a maniac :)

About Me

Well… I am a very busy mother of, soon to be, three little girls. I also am a business owner and wanna-be domestic diva. Life is never boring in our home and that’s what makes it memorable.  

My husband and I have been married for 2 years and we live in beautiful Southern Oregon. On our boat, he is the anchor and I am the motor. This boat, named “The House of Estrogen” due to having 3 daughters, is on a journey wherever the good Lord will take us.

I think that I am way more organized than I truly am. I consider myself hyper-competent and hyper-confident. In my ideal world I would have an amazing craft room with old mason jars harboring all my ribbons and buttons (because I love the vintage look) on tidy decorated shelves. My kids would also sit quietly the entire time I work on projects and the dog would pick up his own poop. But, in actuality, my craft room/garden shed is still piled with a landmine of boxes. The dog has dug up my garden yet again and will someone get that crying baby… Im trying to type!!

My main purpose of sharing this blog is to talk about my day, because frankly I process things by talking them out. My journey of starting my own business, getting the kids to soccer practice, play dates, doctors appointments and having dinner on the table when my honey gets home is a juggling act I have yet to manage without dropping something. But I try to do it with a smile on my face… and always in heels!