Cannon's Reel

It's Official!

We are now a family of five!

Cannon Smith Bergman

June 23, 2011

7:18 a.m.

7 pounds 12 ounces

20 inches long

Belly X3

 Harrison and me.  2005

 Gavin and me.  2008

Me and beanie baby.  2011

Fun Facts About These Three Photos:

• Steve was the photographer for all of them.
• Picture number 1 and 3 were taken at the Botanical Gardens. Picture number 2 was taken at my house.
• My age was respectively 26, 28, and 32 years old.  Yes, I am aware of how young I look in the first one.  What can I say?  Motherhood does a number on you.
• I am wearing the same shirt in photo number 2 and 3.  I bought it at a resale shop and wore it endlessly, it even took a hiatus to my friend, Kristen, with her pregnancy.  It's been washed at least three hundred times and still is going strong.  I should give it to the Smithsonian--but that would be such a waste of a good maternity shirt.
• I am about eight months along in all three photos.  
• I am wearing a cross necklace Steve bought me in Key West in 2004 in pictures 1 and 2.  In picture 3 I'm wearing a new cross necklace Steve gave me for Christmas 2009.  
• In all three pictures I'm thinking about my future children looking at the pictures years from now.  I hope they appreciate my sentiment and aren't grossed out by seeing my bare belly. 
• My left hand is the lowest on my belly in all three pics.  I don't know why that is, but my left hand is my dominate one, perhaps I count on that one to hold that massive mound up? 

Nesting Anyone?

To know us is to love us and our excess clutter.

I'm happy to report a first in our marriage--two cars parked in our garage!

Steve assures me it won't last long, so I should appreciate it while it lasts.

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Dreams and Reality

I had a vivid dream today while sleeping after work last night.  You know, one of those dreams that feel so real it takes a couple minutes after waking up to realize it was all a dream? 

I dreamed my water broke. It was real, or at least felt that way, and I popped up in bed like I was bitten by a snake. For those friends and loved one who see me on a daily basis struggling to get through these next ten days it might seem like this would be a blissful dream, but for me, in that moment, it caused sheer panic.

A million thoughts shot with rapid fire through my brain.  Am I ready to be a mother of three?  How am I going to handle this?  Will I make it through to the other side unscathed? Will my two older kids happily adjust to our new addition? What if this baby is a hellion and not the angel I'm anticipating? 

I know whether I'm ready or not this is happening.  And I think I'm ready.  Ready by means of clothes washed, crib put back together, car seat in the car, and the two older siblings prepped.  But, ready for sleepless nights, a crying newborn, and the needs of my children far exceeding what my two hands can provide?  Now how do you prepare for that?

I've been thinking about that all afternoon.  Being that I'm not a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda girl, I'm wondering what more I need to do to prepare for what's to come.  I can't stockpile sleep or clean the bathrooms over and over to cover for the month or so it will lag.  I've concluded being grateful and feeling blessed is what I need to stockpile to help me prepare for the coming months. 

I'm blessed to be pregnant for the third time.  This is possibly my last baby, I may never again be 38 weeks pregnant feeling arms and legs move all about.

I'm grateful that I'm being given the amazing gift of raising three children.  It's a life experience that brings the most challenges with the greatest rewards.

I'm thankful for my health and health of my family.  I know it seems blase, but seeing the many families that are plagued with health adversities I'm truly thankful for the health of mine.

I'm grateful for the chaos in my house.  It's not always the cleanest and definitely not the quietest, but it is filled with love and happiness.  One day my home will be quiet and I will miss the days of pitter-patter and clutter.

I'm blessed to have something to get up for in the morning.  Two and soon three children rely on me to protect, feed, and care for them on a daily basis. While this can sometimes be a daunting and overwhelming task, to be needed and loved unconditionally by my children feels amazing.

I know there will be days where I fall short of my personal expectations of the kind of mother I want to be, especially in the upcoming months.  My prayer is to be blessed with enough grace to know that tomorrow brings another day and another opportunity to do better.  And if tomorrow brings the same adversities, my hope will be to remember the wise words of my GrandmotherJane, "this too shall pass."

So, come on, beanine baby, after my day of contemplation I decided I'm ready!  We're all excited to meet you and have to join this boisterous family.  We are all so blessed and grateful you will be here soon.







 

A Day In The Life Of.....

There is a local children's magazine that I love to read.   There are two specific parts of the magazine that I really, really love--one is the calendar of events that lists what there is to do every day of the month and the other is 'A Day In The Life Of.'  This article has an average mom or dad itemize what they do in a typical day in their life of raising children.  I've been wanting to capture what an average day is for me now so I can look back years from now and see how much my 'average' has changed. So, here goes, a day in the life of Greta....

8:02 a.m.- Alarm goes off, house is still quiet so I hit snooze.

8:10 a.m.- House still quiet but I get up because I don't want to hear that annoying alarm again.

8:15 a.m.- Make myself coffee and sit at the computer to check emails and read any current events.

8:30 a.m.- Gavin makes his way out of his room and looks surprised to see me up (okay, so maybe sometimes he's my alarm clock.) He has to be immediately snuggled and loved on; once content,  he then wants milk and cartoons.

8:45 a.m.- Take a quick shower to get ready for a swim get-together for our local play group at my friend, Alissa's house.

9:10 a.m.- I'm dressed, working on getting our swim bag packed, getting kids breakfast, swimsuits on, and  doused in sunscreen.  This is where time gets away from me, I want to leave my house by ten, I have plenty of time, but somehow we fall ten minutes behind.

10:10 a.m.- We finally get loaded and as I pulled out of driveway I noticed my right front tire was reading low. I've been telling myself for a few months that I have to get that tire fixed, but, for now, I pull out my air compressor thingie, add more air and we're finally off--at 10:20.  The swim party starts at 10:30. Alas, even the best laid plans...

10:30 a.m.- I know many people will cringe at this, but for me, the car is the best time I have to return phone calls.  The kids are usually quiet and always contained, allowing me 20-30 minutes of uninterrupted talk time.   I call my Aunt Mindy and catch up until I arrive at Alissa's.

10:45-1:45 p.m.- We swim, swim, swim, eat lunch, and then swim some more!  I love hanging out with my friends and their kids.  Play group has been getting together every Tuesday for about four years, it takes a dip in attendance here and there, but overall we enjoy getting together and getting the kids out of the house and experiencing all the city has to offer.

2:30 p.m.- I'm whooped!  We're back home and I tell the kids we're going to watch a movie (a.k.a. nap time for Mom!).  They're content and gathered in one room and I'm able to sit with them and nod off a bit--gaining some much needed energy for the rest of the day.  

5:00 p.m.- Dinner time and another terrible confession: we don't all eat the same thing. I would love to insert an amazing dinner menu of homemade this and that with my kids begging for seconds, but that won't happen here. Steve is eating mainly lean meat and fish, the kids eat leftover pizza, and I have a B.L.T. (although, the Tomatoes are fresh from our garden!)

6:30 p.m.- I recruit the kids to help me clean our car.  It's filled with sand from taking them to the 'beach' last week at Lake Granbury.  Gavin vacuums for about ten minutes, well, five minutes actually cleaning the car and the other five spent suctioning the hose to various body parts.  Harrison cleans the windows and he's done helping, too.  They play outside while I finish the car cleaning.  I would love to blame the messy car completely on the kids, and while most of it is theirs, I do clean up a fair amount of coffee spills and loose papers. 

7:15 p.m.- Harrison and Steve have harvested more vegetables from our garden.  We are about to be overtaken with zucchini so I find a recipe for zucchini banana bread and the kids and I get to baking!  They love helping cook.  They are good at helping gather all the ingredients and pouring them into the mixing bowl.  As for cracking eggs?  They need more practice.

8:30 p.m.- A quick shower for the boys.  With the bread still baking in the oven they settle for a snack of cinnamon toast with the promise of tasting their homemade bread in the morning for breakfast.

9:15 p.m.- Kids off to bed and finally quiet time for Steve and me.

10-ish p.m.- Not my usual bedtime, but I'm turning in early tonight because of a super early OB appointment. Steve stays up to finish the Mavericks game and then watch all the sports commentary.  

Belly Full Of Laughs

Funny...

Funnier...

 

Funniest.

 

Somehow I don't think this is the look the designer was intending when designing this shirt.

How To Be A Sibling 101

 Harrison attended a sibling class, just as a refresher course in how to be a big brother and all.

....Oh, and it was free to employees at the hospital I work. But, I had to work the night before so I wasn't able to take him so I enlisted the help of the other employee/family member I know-- G-Jo.  She kindly took him and made a day celebrating him being the oldest Bergman child.

 After his cookie snack Harrison picked out his baby, learned how to put on a diaper, shirt, hat and blanket. 

 The teacher talked about supporting the baby's head and how to hold the baby carefully.  They were then given a tour of the hospital with the option of taking their baby with them.  Surprisingly, Harrison opted to take his baby!  Check out Harrison's superb holding skills of his baby while he tours the hospital.

 The kids were able to look through the newborn nursery window and see a real baby.  

Harrison was most excited about that, well, second to eating the cookie and getting to take a ride "up and down" on the hospital bed!

It was a fun day for my big, big boy.  

Gavin wasn't able to go because the children had to be four.  But, I'm sure Harrison will share with him all he learned. I will have endless little hands to help me in a few short weeks.