Bergman's Bruisers

Who Are You?

2012-02-09T16:35:00.000-08:00

And what have you done with my sweet baby, Cannon?!?

They're Clean, Smell 'Em

2012-02-09T10:11:00.000-08:00

The other day Gavin came out of the bathroom butt naked (because that's how he rolls when he does his business, completely naked, even the socks have to come off) He ran out to me and assumed the check-my-butt-to-see-if-I-got-it-all position.

Example of the said position. A very clear shot to make sure it's clean.

I told him he was, in fact, clean and now all he needed to do was go wash his hands.

He said, "I don't need to wash my hands, there's no poop on them, look, smell 'em!" Hands extended out towards me to smell, but only after he himself smelled them to confirm his statement.

I don't even want to think about how many times he's used the sniff test as a way to determine if hand washing is necessary. Clorox should come out with a bleach bomb you can set off in your house weekly.

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Breakfast For Dinner

2012-02-08T14:55:00.001-08:00

Our very favorite and easy dinner in the Bruiser home is 'breakfast for dinner.' You get your protein, starch, and fruit all prepared in fifteen minutes flat. It's only fitting that Cannon be included in these meals so he, too, can develop the same excitement when dinner is served.

Lil' C's first pancake hot off the griddle!

Not quite sure what to do with it...

but he quickly figured it out!

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That's My Gavin

2012-02-01T11:51:00.001-08:00

Gavin had his first day of preschool here in South Carolina. My budding fashionister has such opinions about what he wears.
He picked his school outfit from head-to-toe along with his after
school outfit.

Move over Mister Rogers, there's a new frequent clothes changer in town!

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GigaBall

2012-01-31T12:51:00.000-08:00

Being a big kid himself, Uncle Justin gives my boys the coolest presents! This Christmas he gave them a Gigaball!! What is that, you ask? A gigantic, inflatable hamster ball that you can crawl into and play.

It's been raining here so much there hasn't been a lot of opportunity to play outside. Mother Nature finally gave us some days of mild temperatures and no rain!

(pay no attention to the multiple piles of leaves and stacked wood, by next fall we'll have that all cleared away just in time for more leaves to come!)

Harrison was the lucky one to get to go first!

In like a hamster you go...and then roll, roll, roll!

Gavin was lighter and bounced around a little more going down the clearing on our small hill.

Love the static hair!

There are some perks to being the height of your average ten year-old boy--I, too, was able to partake in the fun! Meeting the height and weight requirements did not clear me of the recommended age and after only one trip down the hill I was just as nauseated as my fellow thirty-something-year-old.

Thanks, Uncle Justin, for bringing us much needed outdoor fun on a Sunday afternoon!

Cannon- 7 Months Old

2012-01-23T20:22:00.000-08:00

My little man, Cannon, is seven months old!

As Quincy, from 'Little Einsteins', says, "I cannot believe it!"

You babble and da-da-da-ba-ba all day long!

If you look close you can see two little bottom teeth popping through! They are not a lot of bark but bring a lot of bite! He thinks it's cute to bite his food source. "Don't bite the hand, Cannon, don't bite the hand!"

Go on with your bad self! Standing up and looking proud!

First Visitor

2012-01-19T19:01:00.000-08:00

We had our first visitor! We were so excited to have a friendly face show up at our front door.

My dad drove all night to spend the weekend with us.

Oh, don't be alarmed by the gun (or weapon as my military father calls it) it was a Harrison's Christmas gift from my Dad. Isn't a bb gun the coolest gift for a six year-old? How about a one year-old? Because that's how old Harrison was when my dad gave this to him! With Harrison finally reaching a somewhat appropriate age to shoot a gun he asked my dad to help him shoot it for the first time. Grandad happily obliged, but only after an thorough gun safety lesson.

It was a test of patience for a 50-something year-old and a 6 year-old alike! Harrison was d-y-i-n-g to shoot the 'weapon' but that was not happening before he understood the basic training basics of weaponry.

Steve set up a couple targets in the backyard. Surprisingly, he hit a couple of the targets!

Day two was spent cooking dinner with Grandad. Growing up my Dad taught me a lot about cooking. It was special to watch him pass the lessons onto my kids.

Gavin helped make the sauce while Harrison prepped and cooked the shrimp.

Buffalo shrimp, Aunt Evelyn's homemade bread (that took me two attempts to get right!), and fruit salad.

No visit with Grandad would be complete without a good wrestling match. Both the boys were introduced to a wedgie! It was a relaxing visit that, as usual, ended too soon.

Family and friends, come one, come all! We need company!

Indoor Swimming Pool

2012-01-11T10:23:00.000-08:00

Gavin didn't let winter or pouring down rain deter his desire to go swimming. He donned a swimming suit, strapped one on Leopard, too, made a pool on the ground of pillows, and got to swimming!

When I asked if Leopard knew how to swim Gavin told me, "ya, I showed him, and he's not scared at all!"

No fears! A belly flop into the 'swimming pool.'

Frolicking in the water!

Gav trying to get the ladies to come swim with him by showing off his muscles. Get in line, girls.

Handy Manny Meet Handy Stevey

2012-01-10T09:01:00.000-08:00

My Dearest Steve,

         My mother loves to tell the story of long ago when you and I were first dating. My mom asked you to hang a mirror for her. Of course, wanting to show off your mad-manly skills you said, "yes, I can do that!"

      I wasn't there for the now-infamous mirror hanging so I can neither confirm nor deny the events. But, as Mom tells the story, you started your handy-man services around the time 'Friends' came on t.v. Friends ended....another sitcom had begun....the drilling continued....she finally opened the bedroom door and found your drill in one hand, screws in the other, shrapnel-like holes on the wall where multiple screws had been both drilled and removed, pencil lines connecting the holes like a dot-to-dot puzzle, a level thrown to the side (along with screws, nails, and several tape measures), sweat pouring down your face, AND the mirror still leaning against the bed. (You deny all of this, except for the sweating part, you said it was hot as hell and Polly wouldn't turn on the air conditioning.) The mirror did eventually make it to the wall, although I think it required the intervention of Mom.

Steve, my love, you've come a long way, baby. You single-handedly turned multi-painted, and weathered floors into their original beautiful condition. I'm so impressed with your crazy, mad skills! You make living in a remodel a total pleasure (sarcastic font inserted here.) Almost married nine years and our favorite show has gone from The Sopranos to This Old House.

     I'll continue remodeling you and you continue remodeling houses. Deal? Deal. By the time we're done with our adventures where I live and who I live with will both be transformed!

                                                            Love,
                                                              Gretch

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The Bergs 2011

2011-12-31T20:08:00.000-08:00

I assumed with the ridiculously-busy few months we've had, a family picture in 2011 was just scrapped. But, my cousin, Kyle, started a photography business and was willing to squeeze us in Christmas Eve morning. These were taken in the town square of Versailles. Gavin was uncooperative because...well, because he's Gavin, and also because it was about 30 degrees! I'm so grateful we were able to capture Steve and I with our family of a six year-old, a three year-old, and a six month-old.

Thanks, Kyle!

Christmas in Versailles

2011-12-31T12:49:00.000-08:00

We spent this Christmas in my parents' hometown, Versailles, Ohio. I took full advantage of not having a job to run back to and stayed in Ohio for ten days. My cousin, Andy, kindly opened his home to us. Being single with no children, I think we were a little 'shock and awe,' but he was a trooper letting us practically take over his house. We didn't take our normal 1,336 pictures because our family photog (Steve) had to go back to work during the week. But, the pictures can be imagined- lots of people laughing, telling stories, swimming, bowling, playing games, cooking, eating, and just spending time together. It was, as anticipated, a fantastic time with family. With the challenging year we've had, it was positive to ring in the new year with family.

My kids loved all the attention they received! At any given moment they had more than one person willing to listen to their stories, requests, and general thoughts on life.

Cannon loved his 'Elmer Fudd' hat from Grandma Pits. It helped keep him warm in the Ohio weather. We hoped for a white Christmas but instead had only a little sleet and a lot of rain.

Godmother Bailey stayed in Ohio the whole time we were there and got in lots of loving time with Cannon...and Harrison and Gavin, too. My boys have a thing for pretty girls. Kinda makes their Daddy proud.

All of the Pitsenbarger grandkids, great-grandkids, and a few spouses. It's always a challenge to get this many people together and smiling, but it's so worth the end result. This was a birthday present for Grandma!

I'm so thankful Cannon was able to meet and spend time with his only living Great-Grandfather.

The farm fields of Ohio....with a random fake deer to climb on. Seems perfectly normal to me.

Steve could not contain himself when he found out my cousin Andy is a apiarist (a beekeeper, Shanita) and was willing to let Steve play beekeeper with him for the day. Steve was the assistant and did an excellent job of 'smoking' the bees to help keep them calm. The bees were so calm we were even able to stick our fingers into the honeycomb and pull out a dollop of honey to eat.

We went to lots of basketball games to watch my cousins play. Harrison thought it was soo cool that he knew some of the players. He keeps talking about how he hopes one day he can play basketball as good as Dominic, Damien and Noah. I think because our family is so big he assumes everyone in Ohio is a relative. At one point during a game I turned around to find him sitting with another family behind us. He's making casual conversation asking them if they're cheering for the orange or blue team. The funny part is...I think somehow, although distantly, we are related to them!

We finally broke down and gave Gavin a real haircut. The winter chapped skin + static-y straight hair + runny nose = a homeless, neglected-looking child. Gavin was so excited to have his locks cut, he kept calling it his

'man hair.' He instantly aged, which hurts my heart a little bit, but he now looks handsome as ever.

Cannon Ball Run 6 Months Old

2011-12-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

You are so giggly and happy....until the camera comes out. You get all googly-eyed fascinated with the camera that I cannot seem to capture your adorable smile and cute face. I love that we've hit the six month mark. Six months is my favorite stage of infancy. You sit up, start to eat solids, sleep (mostly) through the night, and really start to show your personality. And what a personality you're developing! You kick and move your arms as I'm feeding you new foods and get angry if I don't feed you fast enough! You love sweet potatoes and apples but purse your lips to peas (I don't blame you there.) You are patient and go-with-the-flow, but you are the most happy when you're being held. Toonces, the cat, joins us during most of your feedings and he lovingly sits through you patting and pulling his fur. You should feel special, he does not allow the older boys to do this to him.

This month your looks have changed into so much of your Dad. We met our new neighbors, they took one look at you and quickly said, "well, if that isn't a spitting image of Steve!" Daddy says he hopes you inherit all of his good and none of his bad. Amen to that!

All you wanted to do is eat that sticker!

This picture was taken while we were in the Smoky Mountains. You had a major blow-out and thankfully I had this spare outfit in the car. I should've had this outfit on you the whole time--my little Smoky the Bear in the Smoky Mountains!

You are my snuggle buggy and I love you from your head to your toes.

Siblings Help Keep It Real

2011-12-19T10:31:00.000-08:00

Siblings make the best friends. They encourage you when you're down and share with you the biggest joys in life. That being said, they also have a great knack of helping you stay grounded. I think it's impossible to get a 'big head' when spending time with your siblings. Especially if they're like mine....or like my children are becoming to each other.

I remember as a kid my older brother, Justin, would tease me relentlessly that my name sounded like the grunts and groans someone would make while pooping. Yes, pooping. He would wiggle and squirm while bearing down moaning, "Grrrrr-eeetch-ennnn." I hated it and subsequently hated my name.

I used to dress my little brother, Alex, up like a girl, called him Alexis and made him play house with me. Sorry, Al, but I think it's helped make you a more well-rounded person...I hope.

In high school I was so excited when I got a pair of go-go boots. I was prancing around the house thinking I was dressed to impress and couldn't wait to wear them to school. Justin squashed my thunder when he told me my calves looked like packed sausage. Those boots never saw the light of day.

Steve and his brother, Russell, to this day affectionately call each other 'Dummy.' It's programmed in Steve's phone as 'Dummy,' not Russell. It's been very confusing for our kids to know that as a bad word and yet hear their Dad and Uncle use it daily.

The other day Gavin went with me into Cannon's room to pick him up from his nap. I was putting away clothes while Gavin was perched on the crib talking to Cannon. All of a sudden, Gavin says to Cannon, "you have big ears, you look like a monkey!"

What?? It's started already? The baby isn't even six months old! Can't he get a couple years of reprieve before he's teased relentlessly? I know being raised with all boys my children are going to have some thick skin by the time they are grown.

Is it terrible that I laughed when Gavin teased Cannon? Probably so. But, it was really funny. I mean, they are kinda big.....cute, but big.

Pigeon Forge

2011-12-19T10:26:00.000-08:00

I would love to tell the truth for why we made an impromptu visit to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, but I'm not sure of the statute of limitations. Rest assured I will share the story one day and it's worth waiting for, but for now I'll give the same reason for the trip we told the kids--to celebrate Harrison's 6th birthday, of course!

We stayed in this awesome cabin! In addition to all the comforts of home it had a hot tub on the upper deck and two huge jacuzzi tubs.

Pigeon Forge is like a kids Las Vegas in the Smoky Mountains. There are endless family activities, we only sampled a small portion of what the area had to offer.

The ducks were so friendly they would eat the food from your hand. We fed and fed and fed the ducks until they were so stuffed they turned away to swim off the calories.

Exhibit A: Cheesy family activity. A Jurassic Park ride with dinosaur animatronics. Bored me to tears, but the kids LOVED it. They begged to go again and again....I begged to wait in the car.

I loved going to the Smoky National Park. I've been channeling my inner-outdoors-man lately and I'm loving it. Don't get me wrong, you'll never find me backpacking anything, but I'm more than willing to venture within a day's walk from a heated cabin. I'm even thinking about becoming straight up Griswald-like and try to visit all the National Parks.

A lovely family photo with the Cataract Falls as our backdrop. Although last minute, it was a much-needed family vacation.

Six Birthdays In The Bag

2011-12-19T10:22:00.000-08:00

Shortly after arriving to South Carolina Harrison turned six years old. It was the smallest, most low-key birthday to date and I felt bad about it. Not because there wasn't the big hooplah like years past, but because there were no Grandparents, Uncles, and friends. I know, I know, kids all over the world celebrate birthdays with only their immediate family everyday. But, my kids have been much more fortunate than that and have been blessed to celebrate birthdays with a room filled with people who love them.

We did our best to make the day special for our guy.

I brought cupcakes to his new classroom. The teacher told the class how much she's enjoyed having Harrison in her classroom and how smart and well-behaved he is. Everyone then sang him 'Happy Birthday'

When he came home from school it was present time!

I love the 'fist pump' after he opened the Zombie Lab game. He didn't even notice the wrapping was a Target plastic bag. Oh, how I love the age of oblivion!

Like most three year-olds who think the world revolves around them it was a good lesson for Gavin to spend the day thinking about his big brother. He went with me to the store to pick out presents and balloons. It was sweet to watch Gavin take charge of giving Harrison his presents.

It was then off to Gatti-Town for pizza and games. Harrison was beyond excited to finally be tall enough to ride on the bumper cars. At the end of the night he said this was his highlight.

No birthday is complete without a cake. It was a challenge to find a cake small enough to feed our small party. Definitely the smallest birthday cake I've ever bought. My birthday wish for Harrison is to celebrate his seventh birthday with a cake big enough to feed thirty!

First Day Of School....Again

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

Harrison was the happiest boy walking into his first day of school in South Carolina. I am amazed at how resilient kids are. He wasn't nervous or shy or any of the things I would have been feeling. I had ants in my pants picking him up from school wanting to know how his day went. He was giggly as can be hopping into the car telling me about the cool playground and the two new friends he made.

I could take a lesson or two from my son about dealing and adjusting. I can only hope to transition as easily as he has. He's set the bar pretty high.

Thanksgiving-Yes, I know it was Almost a Month Ago

2011-12-19T06:45:00.000-08:00

Oh, blog, how you've been neglected! Life has been so busy I've barely had time to live it much less write about it. I'm determined to get back on track and caught up, this blog is about to be on fire with so many posts!

Let's start all the way back at Thanksgiving. Remember I posted that the kids and I were boarding a plane? That was only after a very emotional goodbye to my Mom and Steve's parents. It's been weeks and I still get emotional when I think of saying goodbye to them. The only thing that saved me from a total cry-fest was the busy-ness of going to the airport and flying with the kids. My friend, Nancy, said she would rather have three root canals than fly alone with three kids. I will admit, it took a lot of mental focus to keep all of us together and moving forward in the airport and finally get us all situated on the airplane, but the kids were fantastic! May I even go so far as to call them angels? Yes! Angels, indeed.

Instead of taking a straight path to South Carolina we made a detour; Steve met us at the Miami airport to spend a couple days with my Dad and Florida family.

Swimming in the pool in November is not a problem in Florida. Well, not a problem for rambunctious kids, a little chilly for adults.

I think the total head count was somewhere around fifteen that day. I'm truly blessed to have such a large family that makes the effort to spend time together.

Uncle Dave really enjoyed firing up the creme brulee. Not surprisingly, Steve was enamored with the torch and was quickly trying to find other things that needed a little added heat. His favorite? A chocolate covered Rice Crispy treat torched to perfection.

Harrison was able to fulfill his lifelong dream of being a waiter. He did a great job and took his role very seriously! He even went around to each person in between courses (yes, courses, this was a meal like no other! Alligator, pumpkin soup, shrimp cocktail, creme brulee) and offered various breads from the bread basket.

Interview With An Almost 6 Year-Old

2011-12-06T18:38:00.000-08:00

Like most soon-to-be six year olds, Harrison has been counting down his birthday for months. When he woke up this morning he said, "Mom, I only have to go to sleep one more time before I turn six?!?" When I told him yes he fist pumped the air with excitement! I thought it would be entertaining to interview Harrison and get his outlook on life at the ripe ol' age of six.

How would you describe yourself? A human that is nice to play with
If you could be any animal, which one would you be and why? I would be a lion because they have four legs and can make a scary face with their mouth and can pretend to eat people. ....Pretend?!?
What would be the ideal allowance? And how would you use it? What's allowance? Oh, okay. 25 cents a week and I would use it to buy a Toy Story game.
What's the grossest thing you can think of? A stinky trashcan.
What do you want to be when you grow up? A waiter. I want to carry a tray in one hand and walk around the table and ask each person what they want to eat and drink.
What do you think makes a person good-looking? A pink dress, beautiful pants, and smelling good.
What's your happiest memory? My mommy tickling me and kissing me as a baby.
What's your favorite thing to do with friends? Play on the playground and go down the slide.
Do you want to have kids when you grow up? Yes. Five kids, three boys and two girls. Their names would be Boxen, Polka Dot, No-No, Bella....and I don't know the last name.
Name two things we should do on the weekend as a family? Hiking and going outside to talk.
What's the nicest thing you've done for someone? Playing with my new friend, Conner, at school.
What's one thing you would like to tell your parents? I love you!!!

Ahh, sweet boy, we love you, too!!

Thanksgiving Thanks

2011-11-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving is the most unusual one in recent memory. No turkey, stuffing, or any of the fixin's. I'm boarding a plane with my three children and leaving Texas. Although I am incredibly sad to leave my family and friends here, I am most grateful to once again be a complete family.

Cannon 5 Months

2011-11-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

You and your brothers. You three are what get me out of bed in the morning. I mean literally--out of bed-- there is no sleeping-in with you boys. And, although getting up so early is not my favorite thing to do, it makes it a lot easier waking up to your three smiling faces. I couldn't ask for a better baby. You are the sweetest, snuggliest, patient-est, happiest baby boy!

You have your first cold. It was kindly passed from Gavin to you, and to Harrison, then to me, and finally anyone else within a twenty mile radius. The snot I'm getting from your nose is snot funny.

You have found your toes!

I am putty in your hands when you look at me like this. You seal the deal when you reach for my face and pat my cheeks.

You smile and we all smile with you.

It Was Time

2011-11-22T20:56:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that I'm in love with Gavin's hair. When those dark blonde curls started forming at nine months, it was love at first sight. But, something has happened to his hair over the past year. Those curls faded and left me dying for them to come back! Sometimes I'm a little slow on the pick-up, it takes me a little longer to see what others have noticed for a while. Sure, my first clue he needed a haircut should've been when I was questioned if he was a boy or a girl. My second could've been the rat's nest I've had to tame every morning for months. When I got this picture back, I couldn't believe what I saw! There is but one lone curl left on the left side of his head. How have I allowed my son's hair to look like this? And why hasn't anyone stopped me?? He is going to hate me when he sees this picture (and a bazillion others just like it) as a teenager.

I finally said goodbye.

With the promise of two Dum-Dum's, he patiently let G-Jo get to work.

New and maybe not-so-improved Gavin!

This is his 'man pose.' I've tried to tell him men don't put their hands on their hips like that or sashay their other hand, but he doesn't listen. So, Gavin, when you're older, I'll take the blame for the hair, but the questionable posing? That's all you, son.

Homecoming and Halloween

2011-11-02T07:33:00.000-07:00

Papa Bruiser came home Halloween weekend and life was just how I remembered it, only sweeter. We were all so grateful just to be together. The boys wrestled and played video games, they had their buddy back doing their boy thing again! Anytime Steve left the room Gavin was left looking around saying, "where my daddy go?" The homecoming reaffirmed what I already knew, that life runs smoother and is copacetic when we're together.

With Captain America, Spider Man, and Flash to take care of me I will be protected for life!

Our trick-or-treaters patiently sat for a picture before before getting started.

We went trick-or-treating in G-Jo's neighborhood again this year. The neighborhood really gets into the spirit of Halloween--making it so entertaining. A couple houses even turned their garages into mini haunted houses! G-Jo made a picnic in the backyard so our little monsters would have some nutrition before eating copious amounts of candy.

Cannon's Flash mask was his low-light of the night, but his highlight was getting a ride on Daddy.

Scary monster! This freaked out Mario and Luigi (Evan and Ian)

Sweet baby! Trick-or-treating is exhausting.

I don't know how many houses we went to, but after every single house Gavin would run towards us screaming, "Mom, Mom, I GOT CAAANNNDDY!!!" That pure, complete excitement is what makes kids the best and so fun be around. It was definitely my highlight of the night.

We told Harrison this was his one day a year he could eat as much candy as he wanted. And eat he did! He ate and ate and ate until he finally pushed away from the table and said, "I have a belly ache." I told him that he was probably going to poop a Snickers bar the next day.

Even Cannon got in on the action having a couple licks of a Dum-Dum.

Spidey was worn out and had to be carried into bed by Dad. Steve left before the kids woke the next morning which was a good idea, I don't think either of us could have handled the tears. Our visit was a reminder of how bonded our family is and how truly thankful we will be when we're all together again.

Free Agent

2011-10-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

I had my last weekend at work. Retiring from my job of ten years. Saying goodbye to my beloved coworkers who have seen me through a wedding and three pregnancies. They have helped me raise my babies with endless advice and lots of laughs.

a small sample of those beloved coworkers

So, I'm officially a free agent.

What's that you say, South Carolina? You don't have a need for an experienced NICU nurse?

I'm willing to work nights....weekends....holidays...still, no?

Oh, you have hospice and home health. I see. I suppose there can be similarities between the very old and the very young; diapers, soft foods, repeating yourself over and over, stubbornness, but my passion is for babies.

Well, South Carolina, maybe you'll come around. I suppose I'll be in retirement until my services are needed again.

.....Please let my services be needed again.

Cannon 4 Months

2011-10-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

Oh, my sweet and peaceful baby. What a difference this month has made for you. You are now sleeping nine to ten hours, waking only to nurse and then quickly back to sleep. An added bonus--given the opportunity, you'll take three naps during the day. The sleep for me has been ah-mazing!! You are a go-with-the-flow kinda baby, nary a time have I said, "Well, that won't work with Cannon's schedule." You are often pulled out of a dead sleep and loaded into the car or feedings are cut short due to crisis with your brothers--and you just go with it. Now, there are some things that you stand your ground on, like you hate riding in the car and you make sure I am aware every time we're in the car. Being put down in the evenings is a no-go, too--you want to be held and then held some more. But, for all you give in to, I think these are reasonable demands.

You have found your thumb! I know this is only cute until your first dentist visit.

Cannon, you are the only baby I know who has toe jam and finger jam!

I don't want to throw the word 'advanced' around, but, come on, what other four-month-old sits up unattended for 4.2 seconds?!

You continue to look so much like your oldest brother, Harrison, with a little bit of Gavin thrown in the mix. I think your favorite part of the day is in the evenings, after the older boys have gone to bed and it's just you and me. I prop you up on a pillow on my bed and we Skype your Dad or we just play and giggle. Sometimes when you are restless, I'll put you in your baby bath hammock and we'll take a shower. You'll lay in your hammock for as long as I'll let you, you are so peaceful as the water just pours over you. You fall asleep almost instantly after a good shower.

Going....

Gone is my baby who was three months old and is now four.

Slow down, baby, there is no rush to grow up!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-23T22:22:00.000-07:00

We made our sixth annual trip to the pumpkin patch. The shirts that Gavin and Cannon have on are the ones that Harrison and Gavin wore in 2008. Harrison didn't seem to notice he was the only one not festively dressed and I surely didn't bring it up, I would've had to confess I just forgot about getting him a new shirt. We love this place, it really gets you in the spirit of fall. Bales of hay, a bazillion pumpkins, lots of character cut-outs, bounce houses, carnival food, and hay rides!

Always a good time when you're with your friends. These guys have been playing together for years!

♫ Which one of these is not like the other? ♫

Gavin has already developed quite an affinity for the ladies. He spots 'em quick and hooks on like a tick. Ava kindly allowed him to stay steady on her heels.

I'll be honest, Cannon didn't love the pumpkin patch. I guess I'm not surprised, what's a four month old going to enjoy at one of these things? Not even the hay ride or all the bouncing did much for him.

He did pass a little time looking at hay.

These friends have been playing together for years, too.

Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day

2011-10-23T10:02:00.000-07:00

I'm working on this post trying to share my struggles of parenting and Blogger is not cooperating! My pictures won't align, my text is going awry, and my words aren't coming easily. Oh, the irony!

My dearest children,

        There is no greater gift in life than being a parent. It is a job that comes with a tall order of raising children into adults that have good character and are blessings in this world. It's a responsibility that I don't take lightly; I read, learn from others, listen, and genuinely try to be the best mother I can. I'm not sure what you'll remember of this time in your childhood. My hope is that you only recount the smiles and hugs, but I'm not that naive. As with my childhood, it is when you see your parents' vulnerability and imperfections that memories are seared. As it was with me, you probably won't make sense or understand the emotions until you, yourself, become a parent. The greatest challenges yield the greatest rewards. And, right now, it is challenging having our family spread apart. I know it's not intentional when you spill your drink (for the third time during dinner) or behave as you always have, rough housing with each other. The only difference now is me and my ability to handle all of these things at once. When you cry and carry on with, "he's looking at me, tell him to stop looking at me!" and I've just gotten off the phone finding out there is no imminent closing date on the house in South Carolina, I'm not as tolerant as I should be. We are incomplete without your dad and our actions are showing it. Gavin, I'll forgive you for carelessly pulling my computer and coffee off the table causing it to crash to the floor if you forgive me telling you I didn't have enough room in my lap for you to snuggle while I was feeding Cannon. And, Harrison, when I told you that helping with your homework was a beating, I'm sorry about that, it wasn't nice for me to say. But, I say we're even after you told me you hated me. I know we both didn't mean it, we're not at our best right now. Oh, and my baby, Cannon, I feel terrible when you're crying and I'm helping your brothers do something and can't swoop you up and stop the tears. I hope you don't end up with abandonment issues like the Russian orphans. Although we're having our fair share of 'terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days' let's take the good with the bad and try to roll with it a little easier.

                                                                                        I Love you beyond words,
                                                                                                          Mom

P.S. If one day you end up in therapy make sure to throw around your dads name, too. I'm not going down alone.

I check on you and give you kisses before I go to sleep and then I say my nightly prayer

Lord, grant me the serenity to

Accept my children as they are;

Courage not to scream uncontrollably;

And the wisdom to know how to fix and replace things.

Living one moment at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting broken furniture as a test;

Taking, as other parents before me, this crazy environment

As it is, and not how I dream it;

Trusting that somehow things will be okay

If I surrender to parenthood;

That I may enjoy the good times.
And be supremely happy when the day comes to an end
and I say 'I did my best today.'

Amen.

Spurts of Fun

2011-10-18T07:10:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty lame lately with parenting and doing fun stuff with the kids. I'm working on the guilt I feel trying to convince myself this is temporary and soon we'll be back to the good ol' days of leaving toy rooms messy and endless play time. As for now, we're making a big deal out of the small things we are doing. Like, on this day when I took Gavin to eat lunch with Harrison at his school. Gavin was really excited to walk through the cafeteria and pick his lunch and Harrison was equally excited getting to be the leader showing Gavin what to do.

Gavin slowed down the line a little bit by being a slow chooser, but for his first time he got the gist fairly easy.

Cheesy boys!

Getting to carry his tray to and fro was Gavin's highlight. Although, a close second would be the ridiculous amount of attention he received from all the kindergarten girls.

On another day of excitement we joined Harrison's elementary school in a mile and a half walk-a-thon through the neighborhood. Making up at least one thousand people, the entire student body, faculty, and many families joined in the fun.

These outings, while small, are helping pass the time and are keeping some level of normalcy for our family while in this awkward transition. Steve often calls and tells me about another place he can't wait for us to go to when we get to South Carolina. It's sweet because he wants us to experience it for the first time together as a family so he drives by places or reads about things to do but doesn't stop. We are going to have a long list of things to visit when we arrive to our new home--I can't wait!

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Free At Last!

2011-10-17T02:23:00.000-07:00

Harrison is free! I think I was more excited than Harrison to say 'bye-bye' to the cast. For three weeks I had to crawl in the very back of the van to buckle him in and covering his cast in Press 'n Seal before every bath was time consuming.

I was really interested in seeing what the pins in his elbow looked like. I pictured small sewing-like pins, clearly this is not what he had holding his bones together. These pins were big and thick! It did make me a little squeamish looking at them wondering how the doctor was going to take them out.

Harrison was pretty anxious, too, wondering how those pins were coming out. He was wide-eyed as the doctor approached him with clamps and proceeded to just pull and tug until they were free. I distracted him by telling him it was like Wolverine claws in his elbow that were being pulled out. I'm surprised by how much he continues to guard his arm. We are having to do daily rehab trying to extend his arm straight and then bending it to touch his shoulder. He's getting stronger but I think he may be on the disabled list through wrestling season this year. The pee-wee team has been spared a year of whoopin's while this Bruiser heals. As for next year? Watch out!

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What's The Word On The Street?

2011-09-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

For all of you who watch Sesame Street you know what I mean with the word on the street. The word in the Bergman house is "quarantine."

Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous.

Harrison is sick with a fever and sore throat and Gavin is sick with croup.

I have one healthy one left!

My healthy child, Cannon is playing in his area of the house. The older two can't step foot on the rug without hearing the word, 'quarantine' being yelled at them.

Harrison and Gavin can share their nasty germs in this area of the house. Times like this I would love to have one of the isolation tents with helmet like in the movie E.T. so I can bring them their medicine and food without cross contamination!

"Harrison, what does quarantine mean?"

Response,"It means, stay away!"

Covering the cough like he's taught.

Gavin, what do you think quarantine means?

Response, "Go away! Don't come any closer, you're sick!"

The best part IS, in the middle of being elbow deep with sick kids, Steve sends me a text with a picture of this soda and a caption that reads: "Look at what I just found! It's so smooth!" I'm picturing him sitting back, relaxing, watching ESPN while drinking an ice cold Mello Yello. He's lucky there are a thousand miles between us right now because if my arms could stretch....

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Cradle Catholic

2011-09-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

English

Noun cradle Catholic (plural Cradle Catholics)

A person who has been raised in the Catholic faith since birth (in contrast to a person who has converted to the faith). It is usually implicit that the person has not lapsed in the faith.

For 120 years babies in our family have been baptized in this gown. Kind of like Santa's naughty or nice list, my Grandma has a list with every baby's name who's donned the gown. Although not every family member has worn it, Cannon's great-great grandmother Emma did and so did his Godmother Bailey.

Bailey and I were so careful putting Cannon in the gown. He had not one, but two diapers on and a onesie to help keep the gown stain-free. What we didn't account for were the chunky-monkey arms that sausaged into sleeves causing one to tear! I just hope that when Grandma adds Cannon's name to the long list his doesn't have an asterisk next to his name: Cannon, son of Gretchen, *the one who tore the left sleeve.

Beautiful Godmother Bailey, what a blessing she will be in my boy's life.

My angelic baby, he's patiently awaiting for the anointed oil to be put on his chest.

Grandma Pits, Grammy, G-Jo

No celebration is complete without food, lots and lots of food, in this case. Grammy rolled up her sleeves and did an amazing job preparing most of the food. Waffles, breakfast casseroles, fruit, ham, cheese, endless breads and cookies left us all stuffed. Good food, good company, good day, what more can you ask for?

With Bailey coming from Michigan, Grandad from Florida, Grandma Pits from Ohio, Justin and Dixie from Austin, and our close friends and family here in Fort Worth, the love and support that continues to fall on us is overwhelming.

Cannon with his Godparents, cousin Bailey and Uncle Alex.

As a family with three boys, our odds of taking a decent family photo with all smiles and eyes looking at the camera have dropped to 5,365,978:1. It doesn't really matter, I suppose, goofy pictures or not, we're a family all the same.

Tradition

2011-09-28T14:37:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for traditions. I take them seriously, especially when it comes to my kids. There will be no, "you were the last child and I didn't have time." No, I'm not at all a bitter middle child. Not at all. Some traditions are easier than others, like, filling out a baby book and updating it monthly or taking professional pictures every three months--HARD. But, other traditions, like taking four generation photos or adding the latest hand print to a sweatshirt--EASY and FUN.

I think this is one of the best four generation photos in my collection. I love the botanical gardens, the surroundings and lighting make for beautiful pictures. A cute little baby helps, too!

Now, onto another tradition of adding a hand print to Grandma's sweatshirt. First you strip your baby's clothes off to make sure no paint ends up on clothing. Or in this case pull him out of bed in what he slept in--just a diaper.

Next, you cover his chubby hand in purple paint and stretch open five little fingers. Press down firmly and hold.

Lastly, you marvel at your great hand print and are proud to have it take it's final resting place on the "Hands Down You're the Best Grandma" sweatshirt belonging to none other than Grandma Pits. Including grandkids and great-grandkids, there are something like 25 hand prints on there, right Grandma?? As an adult I know now how much time it takes to keep traditions alive, I'm so appreciative of people like my Grandma Pits who worked hard to show me the importance of it. Like the green outfit, it's the little things that bind you together and make you family. My children are going to be raised with so much stinkin' tradition it'll make them sick! It is then I'll know I've done my job well.

Cannon 3 Months

2011-09-23T16:07:00.000-07:00

Three months old and developing such a personality! We love it! You weigh 14 1/2 pounds and are 25 inches long. Although these pictures don't show it, you are cooing and giggling and love to smile. You will never be labelled a 'great sleeper' but you are getting better and giving me some four hour stretches at night. You have officially taken over Daddy's side of the bed, he says he doesn't mind sharing with his baby boy (and we'll keep the pee and drool you cover his side of the bed with a secret, okay? *wink, wink*)

Oh, you and that tongue! The only thing you do more than stick out your tongue is drool! You leave a 'snail trail' on whoever holds you. Your daily dose of Prevacid keeps the drool drool and not throw-up, although shake you up just right and you can serve up a mean milkshake.

Your favorite daily activities (in order of preference) continue to be nursing, swinging in your swing, playing on your floor mat, and taking baths (can't promise a daily bath, though, but when you get 'em you love 'em!)

Note the tongue.

Cannabanana, you continue to fill our lives and hearts.

Words of Encouragement

2011-09-20T18:10:00.000-07:00

**as I'm sweeping the floors**

Harrison: "Mom, thank you for working so hard to keep the house clean so somebody will want to buy it so we can move to South Carolina and be with Daddy."

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Bruiser Bones

2011-09-18T10:27:00.000-07:00

I woke up Friday morning feeling more rested than I have felt in months. My pal, Shanita, had called me the day before and told me she was picking up my children to come spend the night with her. My initial reaction was, "no way, that's too much!" but she insisted, telling me she had taken a nap that day and she was ready for whatever Cannon would bring her. Before she could change her mind I packed up my kids, their stuff, an ample amount of milk for Lil' C and they were out the door! It was really hard to fall asleep without my boys, I even thought about going to pick them up. I must have drifted off in mid-thought about driving to Shanita's because the next thing I heard was my alarm at seven a.m.

The kids were out of school on Friday, and taking every opportunity to show the kids a good time, Shanita and I planned a fun morning of swimming, parks and lunch. Our plans went awry at the park when Harrison pulled an 'Indiana Jones' stunt and tried to jump onto a zip line. As one might guess, he's no Indiana and as his grip slipped he fell with his arms extended to brace himself. He's a pretty tough kid, so I quickly realized this wasn't just another bump or bruise when he wouldn't stop crying and holding his left arm. My heart broke for him during the car ride to the hospital, he moaned a moan that let me know this was really, really painful.

After some Motrin and nasal Fentanyl Harrison was feeling good! Thank goodness my Mom was there when the tech said it was good Harrison hadn't eaten anything since breakfast as he would be able to go to surgery right away. Surgery wasn't on my radar, I thought they would push and roll his arm back into place, slap a cast on it and send us home. It was in this moment that I desperately wished Steve were at my side. I wanted to be just the mom--not the nurse, planner, and insurance dealer. I quickly dried my tears in the hall on my Mom's shoulder, Harrison was being so cool, calm and collected I didn't want him to see me upset.

After the nurse let him cover his body in stickers, Harrison picked out the color green for his soon-to-be cast. It was then they gave him a healthy dose of Versed (this children's hospital isn't shy with the pain meds!) and he said night-night to me. It was very strange being in the pre-op room as a mom, I had been there many times before as a nurse--taking someone else's baby to surgery--this was quite different. The nursing side is much, much easier than the parenting one. Off to the waiting room where Grammy, G-Jo, Cannon and I waited for updates. We waited for about an hour before the doctor came out to tell us the surgery was over and Harrison had three pins in his humerus and elbow.

The pre-op nurse promised Harrison three Popsicles after surgery. He was very groggy post-op but had no trouble nodding his head when asked if he was ready for his promised treat. He quickly ate the Popsicle and nodded off until another was brought to him.

The sedatives hadn't completely worn off but we were cleared to go home. Harrison slept the whole way home, even through the torrential rain that fell over us.

Home and happy with another Popsicle in hand. Steve couldn't stand being so far away when his family needed him, so unbeknownst to me, he had boarded a plane home. The storms shut down the airport here and delayed his flight five hours--having him arrive home after midnight. It was a special treat when Dad brought Harrison his pain medicine at five a.m.!

In true Bruiser fashion, Harrison woke up Saturday morning and said, "Let's do something fun today. I know, let's go to a bounce house and jump!!"

.......I know this will be my first of many trips to the E.R. and O.R.

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A Day In the Life of

2011-09-17T13:38:00.000-07:00

Oh, how my life has changed since I did my last 'a day in the life of' back in June, these lazy days of summer! And, just so I will always remember what a day in my life is like now, I feel compelled to do another. I keep telling myself I'm not doing anything many mothers and wives across the country do everyday. I have a whole nutha level of respect for military wives--at least I know my husband is safe and I can talk to him daily. My hat and my prayers are extended to these families, for what they deal with far exceeds what I have on my plate. But, here goes, come with me on a day in my life as a single mom trying to sell a house...

6:14 a.m.- Alarm goes off, but it doesn't wake me up because I've been awake for a while--with Cannon. I put him down so I can get dressed, I'm volunteering in Harrison's class this morning so I have to look more presentable than my usual morning drop-off-get-up. I have only about 15 minutes before Cannon is demanding more food.

7:00 a.m. - I go into the guest room where the boys have been sleeping lately. They like sleeping together in the full bed instead of separately in their bunk beds. It works well for me because it's only one bed to make and they stay together in the bed instead of coming to mine during the night. Harrison still needs help getting dressed; tucking in his shirt and tying shoes are not skills he's mastered yet. I make the bed and pick up clothes as we make our way to the kitchen.

7:20- I have a showing this morning at 9:30 so I have to leave the house ready to show. My realtor sets the bar high for how showing should be and I don't like to disappoint, so it takes time to get it all ready. I have this great idea to have the kids eat breakfast in the car! I hyped it up so they thought it was cool to take their milk and breakfast bar in the car and watch cartoons while I finished up the house. I was so proud of myself for coming up with this plan, that is until Harrison came back into the house to show me the chocolate milk he spilled down the front of his white shirt while drinking it in the car. I did not see this coming, I know I should have with the messiness that is my children, but I didn't. The only other school uniform shirts I had for him were in the washer I just started! My tight schedule didn't allocate for a stain removal, and for a second I thought about sending him to school stain and all, but I squeezed in with what little time I had left a t-shirt cleaning with my best friend, bleach. I turned on all the lights in my house, t.v.'s were tuned into a nice classical music channel, a.c. turned down a couple degrees, movie room turned on and ready to play a movie (today it was Thor) Crap, I didn't have time to pop popcorn, I'll have to come back and do that before the showing.

7:55- Pull away from the school after dropping off Harrison. My car desperately needs gas, Steve always takes care of this for me so it makes me especially miss him as I pull into the gas station.

8:20- Drop off Gavin at preschool. He loves this school, and so do I, which is why it's hard to get out of there without chatting with everyone. Fifteen minutes later Cannon and I buckled in and are on our way.

8:40- Quickly stop by my house, feed Cannon while trying to pop popcorn and start Thor. Give kisses to my last child as I drop him off at Grammy and PopPop's house.

9:00-11:00- Volunteer in Harrison's classroom. While it's stressful to get there, I do enjoy the time I'm in his classroom. I like being with the kids and helping them with reading and Harrison is still young enough to think it's cool that I'm there.

11:15- Pick up Cannon and visit with Steve's parents. Lois tells me I need to ask for her help more and not stress to do this alone and she's right, I know she's right. It's just hard to ask for help and when things are so busy I don't take the time to think about how to lighten the load. I just go, go, go.

11:45- Back home, showing over, feed Cannon and scarf down some lunch before it's time to pick up Gavin from school.

12:30- Gavin chats on the way home about the songs they sang and who his new friends are.

1:30-I dust and sweep while Cannon takes a nap. What's considered fun has changed in our house here recently, so entertainment for Gavin often consists of helping me clean. Give that boy a can of Pledge and he's happy as a clam! He hears the sounds of an aerosol can and immediately comes running, "I wanna help clean sumpin'!"

2:45- Pack the kids up and get it that dreaded pick-up line for Harrison. Cannon has zero tolerance for being in a car seat in a parked car. Just about everyday when the van door opens for Harrison to climb in, the entire school gets to hear what great lungs Cannon has.

3:30-Back home to begin what I call the witching hour. This consists of wrestling, yelling, running and overall chaos from the boys. Lucky for me a copy of Thor has arrived in the mail and with the promise of good, quiet behavior, I let them watch it with a snack. There is peace in my house. Cannon is sleeping and the boys are quiet. I make myself a cup of coffee and return a long overdue call to my GrandmotherJane.

5:00- This is how family dinners look in our house these days. I'm grateful we have Skype as it really has helped us stay connected.

6:00- Cannon watches from his Bumbo as Harrison tackles his homework and Gavin plays on the train tracks. It is torturous to help Harrison work on his handwriting. I'm not as patient as I know I need to be, but I think sometimes he messes up just so he can use that stinkin' eraser. "Look Mom, I erased it!" Now watch me write that d backwards again!

6:45- I clean the kitchen, fold and put away laundry, clean the pee stains from all the toilets (I ask myself why I haven't banned the boys to only one toilet so as to avoid this daily task.) and finally help the boys pick up what few toys they have left in the game room.

7:15- Showers, brush teeth, read stories, do an impromptu rendition of the Hokey Pokey, kiss and hug my two oldest goodnight.

8:00- It's down to me and C-Ball and he's looking way more alert than me. We snuggle, nurse, nurse, and snuggle some more until he finally gives out about ten p.m.

10:02- It's lights out for me, too. My body is exhausted. I fall asleep thinking about an ongoing to-do list that I assure myself will get tackled tomorrow.

Green Outfit

2011-09-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

This is Steve, in green sailor pajamas, less than a month old. Adorable, I know.

Kinda looks like three other little boys I've held before.

Harrison Lee- about 1 month old.

Steve's mom saved the green outfit and I'm so glad she did because when Harrison was born I thought it was special to put him in the same outfit around about the same age. He was such a serious baby. I remember trying to get him to smile and this was all he'd give me.

Gavin Paul- about 1 month old
So when my next one was born we had to get out the green outfit again! Gi-Gi Gav, my little ham. Definitely my most smiley, giggly baby to date. I remember taking about twenty pictures trying to get a serious one like his older brother. Gavin just kept smiling and cooing making us all laugh. He has continued to fill the role of the family joker.

Cannon Smith- 2 months old

I almost waited too long to put Cannon Ball in the now infamous green outfit. He turned two months old in the midst of getting our house ready to go on the market. It was late at night and Cannon was grumpy, but I wasn't even able to snap the legs together so I knew we had to get the picture STAT! I couldn't let my third baby be the one that was overlooked, he's special just like my other two. It was like Cannon knew how important it was to me to get this picture because he fussed up until the camera started snapping and once Steve said, "okay, I got it." he started fussing again.

Steve and I almost got teary looking at our three boys' pictures side by side (okay, so me way more than him) I remember the day I took all three pictures and how I felt looking at my babies. Whether it be from an outfit that's almost forty years old or familial similarities that's shared, it warms my heart seeing what binds us together and makes us family.

It's Happening.

2011-09-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

How fitting is was that Harrison picked this book up from the library at school the same day Steve left for South Carolina. I smiled when I read the title and smiled even more when I saw it wasn't a bazillion pages like the 'Curious George' book he brought home the day before. That monkey is entirely too curious for entirely too long in my opinion.

I still can't believe this move is really going to happen. This is real. It's really happening.

The kids miss their dad although probably not as much as I miss my husband.

My Little Nemo

2011-09-04T11:31:00.001-07:00

YouTube Video

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Sleeping Like A Baby

2011-09-02T06:36:00.000-07:00

"The only thing worth stealing is a kiss from a sleeping child."

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Chapter Endings And New Beginnings

2011-09-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

I have been sitting at this computer trying to put into words what's in my head. I'll write five lines and then erase two. This is pretty much how my last ten days have been spent--scattered and unorganized. Not able to express exactly how I feel, mainly because I'm not exactly sure what I feel.

Ten days ago I would have never imagined I would see a 'for sale' sign in my front yard, never imagined I could sell most of my worldly goods in two days flat, and certainly never imagined I would be saying goodbye to the life I have known for the past fourteen years. But, here I am doing just that.

Steve has a job opportunity in Greenville, South Carolina. We are leaving to start a new adventure and try this new venture. Growing up a military child moving all over the world I would have assumed this process would be like riding a bike. It's a lot harder that I thought getting back on that bike. When I rode that bike as a kid I had my parents as my 'training wheels' offering support and shouldering the responsibilities. I now have to be the training wheels for my children. I don't get to cry and sulk about leaving my friends and family. I don't get to drag and stomp my feet when it comes to selling our house and making this transition smoothly.

While we are nervous for the unknown we are excited about what the future holds. As the old adage goes, everything happens for a reason, I have to believe that to be especially true in this situation.

Godmudder

2011-09-01T07:34:00.000-07:00

To My Godmother

Maddison

I want you to know how lucky I feel
to have a Godmother like you.
Someone who always loves me
no matter what I do.

When I think of you I count my blessings,
and thank the Lord above,
that I have you for my Godmother,
because Godmothers are chosen with love.

Love,

Gavin

Gavin loved his visit from Maddison. Anytime she ventured out of his sight he would wonder aimlessly around whining, "Godmudder, Godmudder, where are you?" He was too sad to say goodbye when we took Maddy back to the airport. He buried his head in his car seat leaving just his quivering chin showing. While it broke my heart it also filled my heart with happiness seeing that special bond that's created with Godparents.

Thank you, Maddy, for spending your hard-earned babysitting money to come visit us here in Texas!

Cannon 2 Months

2011-08-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

Two months old sweet baby. Weighing in at thirteen pounds and twenty-four inches long you are a healthy big boy. Your features are taking shape; you have Harrison's eyes and Gavin's mouth. You also have the Bergman hands that match you to your two big brothers. Harrison continues to smother you with love and affection. He kisses no less than one hundred times a day. Your hair is often crispy from his smoochy kisses. While you're often in competition with his leopard for your toys, clothes, and diapers, Gavin always gives you the most hugs and affection.

I know, Cannon, my sentiments exactly! This reflux is the pits!! Starting Prevacid has helped, but you still cry out in discomfort and wake up often during the night.

Such a cutie and such a joy in our lives. We love you to pieces.

I'll Be Honest

2011-08-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize when this came home in Harrison's backpack that it was truly homework. I thought of it as more optional handwriting practice. An option we opted not to do.

When we walked into class this morning his teacher told the students to get out their homework.

Ooops. About that. Again, this is where kindergarten 101 for parents would have been helpful.

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School Days

2011-08-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

I have so many blogs to write. Godmother visits, chocolate class lessons, funny stories from the mouths of babes, and new life plans to discuss--I am, oh, so behind. And as much as I hate blogging out of turn, I couldn't let the sun set without sharing my big boy's first day of kindergarten!

Harrison has been making me count down the days until kindergarten since June. Like any child of mine should be, what had him the most excited was lunch and getting to go to the cafeteria. We looked at the lunch menu online and he had his lunch all picked out: chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, green beans, crunchy bread and chocolate milk. I could have guessed at least half of what he had by what stains he brought home on his shirt.

I think they need kindergarten 101 for us first-time parents. We were not prepared for the carpool lane, prepaid cafeteria cards, pick-ups and drop-offs. We ended up in the bus lane with Steve yelling at me to, "go, go, go!" It was total chaos, dropping off and picking him up.

Gavin went back to the same preschool as last year. It was a familiar calmness we needed after the chaotic elementary school drop-off. Gavin greeted his teacher, put up his lunch and backpack then went quickly to playing at his designated chair. Smooth as butter.

Gavin summed up his entire summer to his teacher by telling her he had a baby brother, his name is baby Cannon and he cries a lot. After school when I asked how his morning went he excitedly said, "Mom, I didn't say poop or butt!" Does it make me a bad mom that the bar I place for my kids is low enough that a successful preschool day is measured by not saying inappropriate words? Quite possibly, but I was pleased nonetheless.

After school Harrison showed me how he learned to hold his backpack only with one strap on one shoulder, like the big kids. He also told me as I got out the car this morning that I didn't need to walk him in because he was big enough to do it by himself. He reluctantly agreed to at least one week of me walking him in so I can make sure he knows where to go. After I helped show him where to put his backpack and how to find his seat he turned and said, "you can go now." This boy has been ready to start school for quite some time. I'm just not sure he realizes it's going to be everyday for the next sixteen years. No need to squash that excitement just yet.

Girls' Weekend 2011

2011-08-06T15:26:00.000-07:00

Another girls' weekend has come and gone. Our numbers have grown in the fifteen years we've been getting together with this year being the biggest yet. The mellow weather in Detroit was beat only by the fun we all had being together. Cannon experienced his first plane ride and, I must say, was a stellar passenger to and fro sleeping the entire time.

Ashly worked hard putting together our wine tasting party. Grandma's favorite part wasn't the wine but the chocolate that each was paired with. Having not had a drink in almost a year I really enjoyed this event.

Ever hear of feather bowling?? Probably not unless you're from the area. It's a fun game similar to bocci ball. Not sure if it was beginners luck or I'm just a natural--but I was the closer for my team helping bring in last minute points. (Insert sarcasm here.) I guess I wasn't that good because I ended up on the losing team!

Nothing brings out the claws like a ~~friendly~~ game of kickball. Daughter against mothers, sisters plotting against sisters, nieces on aunts--it was ruthless and left a lot of us really sore.

Cannon still has his nights and days confused causing him to sleep like a lamb during the day while kicking my toosh at night. He loved his morning nap, sleeping peacefully on his Great-GrandmaPits.

Craft time has become a must! We made finger bracelets, purse scarves, and even homemade applesauce with apples we handpicked using Grandma's recipe.

Game night introduced many of us to Bunco. A game that required very little thought which is perfect for ladies that really just want to chat. Oh, and on this night was potluck dinner, everyone contributed part of the meal. Aunt Julie and I went healthy with making a salad, but Roxanne and Aunt Peg hit a home run with fruit pizza. Check out this website for the recipe.

The weekend always includes lots of group pictures. Getting this many people to sit still and smile is a challenge but it's worth it for the memories we capture.

Cannon had lots of snuggle time with his Godmother, Bailey. Not counting my thumb and pinkie I could count on one hand how many times I changed a diaper, an outfit, or hassled with the car seat. It was su-weet!

The obligatory foot picture. Not sure how long ago it started, but girls' weekend isn't complete without pedicures and a resulting picture to show them off. Cannon enjoyed being the center of attention even if that resulted in him laying in the grass.

A Drawback to Being the Third Child?

2011-08-04T13:13:00.000-07:00

Six weeks old and already having to share your toys.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Cannon, 1 Month Old

2011-07-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

It's been a month my sweet Cannon Ball since you joined our family. You weigh 10 pounds and are 21 1/2 inches long. You are not giving me much sleep at night getting up every 1 1/2-2 hours to nurse. I think some of this may be due to reflux you seem to have developed. Dr. J started you on Zantac so hopefully this next month will bring less pain and discomfort for you and more sleep for me! You're growing stronger by the day and learning how to hold up your wobbly noggin. When on your tummy you can push and kick until you end up on your back. You're so close to smiling, your lips are curling like you wanna do, like you're gonna do it any second!

This is how you've been spending most of this past month...

Lately, we've been seeing a lot more of these deep baby blues. When awake you are inundated with stimulation from your brothers. They are always bringing you new toys to look at, touch, and play with. You don't appreciate this as much as you will in months to come. I love the peacefulness of evenings and early mornings when it's just you and me and we stare at each other.

After about three minutes of stimulation and less-than-gentle maneuvering from your brothers, we tend to see this face. This is my sign that I need to swoop in and snuggle you.

After some snuggle time and nursing we usually see this adorable face.

Getting sleepy and in need of some rest.

Off to sleepytown you go.

This continues to be how you spend most of your time.

So peaceful and beautiful while you sleep.

Those little piggy's are too cute! They get about a thousand kisses a day from me.

Questions....

2011-07-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it's because I haven't slept more than two hours at a time in over a month, but, lately, Harrison's questioning of everything is leaving me with a short fuse. I feel bad because he can see it in my face when I'm over the interrogation and he quickly says, "sorry, mom, sorry."

To be honest, not only is it the constant questions, sometimes it's that I don't know the answers. Here's an example conversation from last night, we went to TCBY to get frozen yogurt, we had just finished roller skating so I wanted the boys to wash their hands before they ate. Let's face it, have you ever been to a clean roller skating rink? I think musty smells and stained wall carpeting go hand-in-hand with those joints. I digress.

We're washing our hands in the sink and I tell Harrison he needs to scrub his hands for a little bit with the soap and then rinse under the water. Thus, the line of questioning begins...

Harrison: "Why do I need to scrub my hands and then rinse?"

Me: "Because scrubbing with the soap is what kills the germs."

Harrison: "What germs are on my hands?"

Me: "I don't know, but judging from where we just came from you have a lot of them."

Harrison: "And germs can make make me sick?"

Me: "Yep."

Harrison: "How do they make me sick?" "How do they get into my body?" "Do the germs have names?" "What do they look like?" "How does the soap kill the germs?" "What happens if they get into my body?" "How will I get rid of them?" "Will I have to go see Dr. Jones?" "Will I have to get a shot?" "What about the hospital, will I have to go there, too?"

Me: "Aaahhh! Can we just finish up and talk about what flavor frozen yogurt you want??"

Harrison: "Sorry, mom, sorry."

Cue the 'mom guilt' because I feel terrible every time I lose it with his spitfire questioning. I tell myself I should be thankful I have such an inquisitive child. And, I am thankful. It's just sooo many questions and every answer brings about more questions. Harrison is very ready to start Kindergarten. I hope his thirst for knowledge follows him throughout the years, and I hope he has a very patient and smart teacher!

Made With Love

2011-07-19T21:10:00.000-07:00

We were given so many gifts for our new little bundle of joy. The amount of handmade and personal gifts really touched me. I had to do a post about them so Cannon can see one day how special he is to so many people.

My best pal, Nancy, knit this beautiful blanket. It is filled with texture and colors, even I can't help but snuggle with it! If Cannon is anything like his brothers this blanket will bring him years of comfort.

Who knew a burp cloth could be this cute? Dotty and Nancy made sure Cannon would be spitting up in style.

Dr. Sward, a neonatologist I work with, lovingly knit this sweater for my sweet boy. I can't wait for the weather to cool down so he can be stylin' and profilin' around town.

Dixie couldn't have picked a more appropriate theme blanket when she handmade The Very Hungry Caterpillar quilt. My boys love, love, love this book. Having nearly every page memorized we turn the pages just for kicks. The quilt is beautiful and so colorful, I know Cannon will love it as he grows just like that little, hungry caterpillar.

My friend, Kristi, gave me my three peas in a pod necklace. Gavin loves to crawl in my lap and tell me which pea represents what child. He says he likes being the middle pea.

I love that Katie thought to give me this, what a cool way to watch Cannon grow! Each month I'll put a sticker on a onesie and take Cannon's picture. It will be so exciting to see the year in review.

How Does It Feel?

2011-07-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

So exactly how does it feel to be a mother of three? That seems to be the question many are asking me. As with most life-changing experiences it's not just one emotion that I feel. It's more like a rainbow of feelings, the feelings are often blended into one another and seem to teeter back and forth multiple times a day.

Red- Red is considered an intense, or even angry, color that creates feelings of excitement or intensity. An easily-explained postpartum color emotion; frustration or anger. Harrison and Gavin are getting the brunt of this emotion lately. The brotherly bickering and picking at one another is relentless, especially since we've been spending an ungodly amount of time at home. I feel like an umpire in a game that's in triple overtime. My mommy guilt kicks in about 10:30 every night when I reflect on the day and feel I've said more words of discipline than words of encouragement. I ~~know~~ hope this gets better. It has to, right? I don't want my kids to remember me only as mean mommy. It doesn't help that Steve (trying only to be helpful and give me a break) comes home and takes the older boys to go do something fun. It furthers the divide making me ultra lame and mean.

Orange- Orange calls to mind feelings of excitement, enthusiasm, and warmth. I actually feel orange a lot. I'm excited about what the future holds. I feel kinda like I'm on the sidelines warming up waiting for the game of my life to start. I hope I don't choke, will cover the spread, and come out the MVP of momma's.

Yellow- Yellow is a bright color that is often described as cheery and warm. I'll be honest, yellow is probably the emotion I feel the least. I guess I feel physically warm having three kids in my lap most of the day. To me, cheery denotes a well-rested body that's full of energy--definitely not me at this time. I do hope in the near future to feel more yellow.

Green- Green represents tranquility, good luck, health, and jealousy. I feel immensely fortunate to have had three c-sections and come out relatively unscathed. I started the day on June 23 with two requests from the Big Guy; let my baby be healthy and let me live. I'm about two weeks from delivery day and I feel a million miles away from where I was struggling to stand and walk. I'm getting stronger and healthier everyday. Oh, and if I have to be honest, I suppose am jealous of those Heidi Klum's out there who walk the runway three weeks after giving birth. It's an emotional struggle finding clothes to fit in this awkward in-between stage.

Blue- Blue calls to mind feelings of calmness, serenity, sadness or aloofness. Those baby blues have a way of catching up with me no matter how hard I try to escape them. I think I've handled most everything of the past two weeks with relative ease, minus a small breakdown here and there (like coming home from the hospital and being in shock when the scale only showed a two pound weight loss! Two pounds?! I birthed almost an eight pound baby!). Steve has kindly shared with me, and anyone else who will listen, that I've been the most emotional with this pregnancy and delivery. Look, it's hard having a baby, okay? It's not easy having your emotions out of whack, your body looking grossly disfigured, and a newborn baby that needs your constant attention. Add on top of that two other kids with lots of family and friends--even the strongest woman is bound to crack a little.

Indigo- Indigo represents religion, spirituality and intuition. Being a mother to a newborn, toddler, and growing child requires me to hone in on all three of these. The deep spirituality felt when holding your newborn is second to none. In addition to my three, I have witnessed hundreds of babies being born, and every time I feel the presence of God. Religion helps me answer the really tough questions my little ones ask, like, "What happens when you die?" and intuition let's me know when it's best just to distract and deflect and save those tough answers for when they're older.

Violet- Violet represents the harmony of the universe because it is a combination of red and blue. There is a true harmony that I feel looking at the wholeness of what my family is now. Three children is always what I wanted, what I hoped for. There is a peacefulness Steve and I both share looking at our three boys. We are content, happy, and in no rush for the next thing to happen.

Another Addition?

2011-07-06T11:14:00.000-07:00

For the nine months I was pregnant Gavin said he was pregnant, too. Whenever my baby kicked, also did Gavin's. So, it would only be fitting that when Cannon was born, Gavin's baby leopard was born, too. This is a stuffed animal he's had for a couple years, it wasn't until recently that leopard became a very helpless baby.

All of a sudden leopard needs a diaper, because, like his little brother, Cannon, leopard doesn't know how to 'hold it' until he gets to the potty. I indulge this a little, but I draw the line when Gavin says leopard needs to be changed as often as Cannon. Leopard is a one diaper kinda animal.

Leopard needs to be soothed in the swing just like Cannon. Gavin is very protective of his baby and even thinks Cannon should get kicked out of his swing if his leopard is upset and needs soothing.

Cannon even kindly shares his wardrobe with leopard.

Oh, this is the best part! Gavin uses a toy screwdriver to, um, 'get the milk' from his boobies. He even makes sound effects that sound kinda like soda coming from a soda fountain. This is the funniest and yet strangest part of him caring for his baby. I would assume that he's going to feed his leopard the way he sees me feeding Cannon, but this isn't how I feed Cannon. I'm breastfeeding, not pumping or bottle feeding. But, who am I to judge with the way a mother provides for her baby??

The screwdriver is then full of milk and given to leopard....on the nursing pillow, no less.

I don't know how long baby leopard will be sticking around, although, he seems like a pretty good baby. He sleeps through the night, never poops up his backside or pees on the front of his shirt, is okay being ignored for hours and hours, and is always where you left him.

Cannon's Reel

2011-06-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

It's Official!

2011-06-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-17T14:18:00.000-07:00

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?

2011-06-14T18:17:00.001-07:00

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

2011-06-12T23:20:00.000-07:00

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.....

2011-06-08T15:56:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-03T17:48:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-01T21:37:00.000-07:00

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.

We Need A Tooth Fairy STAT!

2011-05-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

I received a very excited phone call at work Saturday night. "Mom, you need to call the Tooth Fairy, tell her I have a tooth and I will put it under my pillow for her to come get!" I told Harrison I would make the phone call pronto! I was so bummed I wasn't home to witness his first tooth finally coming out. Together, we have been wiggling and wiggling that tooth. Don't my kids realize I work nights so I don't miss these kind of milestones?!

The exchange rate in the Bergman house for a first lost tooth? Two dollars. Harrison told me he was going to buy a wotta wotta (a lot of, a lot of) video games with his two bucks.

I asked Harrison what he thinks the Tooth Fairy does with all the teeth she collects. He told me she takes the teeth back to her castle and stores them in a tooth container.

How Much Do I Love Thee?

2011-05-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

Let me count the ways.

I love thee enough to go to a place I hate, eat nasty pizza, and watch you play germ-covered games all because you about wet your pants with the excitement of going.

You're welcome, my children.

Oh, but don't hold your breath for Disney World,

even my love for thee has limitations.

XOXO,

Mom

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Pamper Party

2011-05-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

I work with the most amazing group of women. They came together to celebrate the impending birth of baby Bergman #3. Being that this is my third baby in five years I refused to let it be called a shower--seemed a little excessive, really. There is little this little one needs. So, it was coined a Pamper's Party or a Diaper Dinner. I may just have enough diapers to last me until this baby will be potty trained! It was humbling seeing the tables filled with friends sending me endless love and support.

Aren't these cupcakes adorable?! There were also ones with bottles and baby rattles.

Plus, they were de-lish!

The kids loved helping unload the car of diapers and goodies.

They kept saying, "it's the baby's birthday!!" They made diaper castles...and then had wars knocking the castles to the ground. Oy, my boys!

I had a sonogram yesterday, just to make sure everything looked good--and it does! Yah! Check out this 4-D sonogram of my baby. Isn't this amazing?! **Yes, the baby does have a complete skull and two completely formed eyes. The picture just kept cutting it off.**

So Many Firsts....

2011-05-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

I experienced so many firsts last week. For the first time I turned 32. I tasted a record breaking number of desserts made in honor of my birthday. My mother-in-law, Lois, made a coconut pie, strawberry pie, and red velvet cupcakes......

The kids made me these beautiful cake tops.

I'm still cleaning up sprinkles from these confectionery beauties.

Then, my mom made me a Strawberry Shortcake just like she had made when I was little. I went to the spa for the first time this year :) and redeemed a gift certificate from my dad. It was wonderful be doted on for hours. Also, I tasted my first frittata at my friend, Katie's, house. It tasted fantastic, I'm making it for the first time this week for my family and I know they'll love it, too! After we were full from breakfast I had my first experience creating a belly cast! Not sure what a belly cast is? Let me explain...

First, you cover your belly in sorta a Vaseline film (I absolutely have never done this before!) Looks like my belly has been dipped in a vat of frying oil!

Next, and still a first for me, you cover your belly in plaster strips like a broken arm. And, while your cast is drying.....

Your very artistic friend paints your first Henna tattoo! What a great way to improve swollen, achy pregnancy feet--a new pedicure and fun Henna tattoos.

I have to wait until after the baby is born to reveal the finished belly cast. We are going to paint it to match the room and write the name and birth information on the cast. Six months from now I know I'm going to hold that cast next to me and be shocked at how big I was.

You Decide

2011-05-19T18:38:00.001-07:00

Domesticated feline?

Or ferocious dragon slayer??

Toonce has been venturing outside lately and bringing back inside his latest kill. Wanting us to take notice he leaves his slain lizards in our walking path for us to step on them! I know, ew!!

I wish there was a bell I could ring to alert all the lizards when Toonce goes outside to run for their lives! Take shelter! The mighty Toonce is coming for them!

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Negotiator

2011-05-19T16:29:00.000-07:00

I know it may be a little premature to say what I think my children will grow up to become. However, if Harrison doesn't go into a field of negotiating/defense I think he could miss his mark. He is relentless (as I know many kids can be) when he wants something or is trying to defend his actions. Although there is plenty of whining with Harrison, he also throws in these arguments that sometimes make rebuttals a little challenging. Here's what I mean....

Harrison has been playing on a soccer team for about six weeks. He loves playing, well, almost always loves playing--except for one particular morning.

We pulled into the field and Harrison didn't want to get out of the car, didn't want to line up with his teammates, and, most importantly, didn't want to play. He was a forty pound sack of potatoes.

Steve tried to talk with him, I tried to talk with him, even his coach was unsuccessful. We embarrassingly packed up our family and returned home.

Harrison spent the morning and most of the afternoon in his room. Steve allowed him out for a thirty minute lunch. Solitary confinement to think about his poor choices, Steve thought, was the best discipline.

In the afternoon, while I was still sleeping, Steve talked with Harrison about the unfortunate events of the morning. Harrison completely caught Steve off guard with his defense by hanging his head in sorrow and saying, "I'm sorry, Dad. Sometimes I make bad choices. God made me this way. But, I'm going to try really, really hard to make good choices from now on."

I asked Steve how he responded to Harrison's defense. Steve said, "Gretch, I'm not good at that kinda stuff. A huge lump came into my throat, I didn't know what to say. But, I really think he was sincere." He said, "I just hugged him."

I told Steve he had just gone to court with a five year-old and the child had swept the floor with him! In the case of Bergman vs. Bergman....little Bergman won.

_________________________________________________________________________
Case-n-point two:

Instead of owning that it was Harrison's fault he clumsily hit his head on the kitchen counter while playing on the bar stools, he stood up crying and said to me, "Ugh, this house is too dangerous for kids! Look at what that counter did to me! And, look at the fireplace, it has stones that could hurt kids. This house isn't safe for kids! We need to move to a safer house!"

__________________________________________________________________________
Case-n-point three:

Harrison comes into the living room and asks Steve, "Dad, are all the people in the houses around here nice to their kids?" "Ya, I think so." Steve replied. Harrison quipped, "Well, I think you need to be more like these people around us and be nice to your kids. You're not making a good choice when you're not nice to us." Is this not an example of totally being judged by a group of your peers?! Steve asks Harrison what it is he does that makes him mean. Harrison told him it wasn't nice that he only played one round of Plants Vs. Zombie's video game and he was sure the other people around us would play more with their kids.

______________________________________________________________________________
Case-n-point four:

Our last trip to the zoo ended horribly with Harrison having a meltdown because I didn't have fifty cents to get food to feed the fish. He bellowed and threw his arms up until I couldn't take it anymore and put him on a bench in time-out. Through my gritted teeth that only a mother could possess, I told him he was embarrassing me in front of all the people with his behavior. He quickly responded, "Why does it matter what these people think? You don't know them. You're never going to see them again."

I'm Loved!

2011-05-09T09:11:00.001-07:00

I came home from work early Mother's Day morning and found the best present ever! My beloved spent his Saturday night diligently cleaning our house. For those who visit my house often they can agree with me that my house rarely looks like this and certainly not on the weekend!

It was the best Mother's Day present I've ever been given. I mean, Steve even cleaned the laundry room and wiped down the washer and dryer! Who was this man Saturday night?? And what do I have to do to see him weekly?

Then, he even completed the day with a card filled with heartfelt words and a large box of limited edition Twix (his words, not mine!)

In true Bruiser fashion, because I am in a house full of boys after all, we finished the day with a trip to the movies to watch Thor.

What more could a Boy Mom ask for on this day of admiration?

Absolutely nothing. I am loved.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

In Just A Few Short Months....

2011-05-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

My oldest will be starting school and we won't be able to do stuff like this!

Mohawk, anyone?

My Little Man G

2011-05-01T18:21:00.000-07:00

My soon-to-be middle child has turned three. I want to write down all that makes Gavin Gavin before it gets lost in my Mommy memory.

Gavin wakes every morning, and without fail, the first words out of his mouth are, "I want milky." Followed quickly with "my tummy hurts..needs milk. Needs milk, Mommy." This is often how our days end also. Don't ever try to come between this boy and his milk!

Favorite color: Blue

Favorite superhero: Batman, Robin, Spider man, and Cat woman. And, no, he can't narrow the list, they are all his favorites so, please, don't ask.

Favorite cartoon: Spider man and his amazing friends

Favorite book: My First Animal Picture Book. Gavin will point to every animal and ask if they can bite.

Favorite snack: Cool Ranch Doritos (or the blue chippies as he calls them) and it's best served with cold chocolate milk.

What he wants to do when he grows up: Beat bad guys. He answers this while simultaneously giving me a visual of beating up those bad guys.

Favorite sport: soccer

Favorite pastime: snuggling with Mom while she scratches his back.

What Gavin can't go to bed without: his favorite blue blankie.

Dad's Favorite thing about Gavin: His dynamic personality. He's full of character.

Mom's Favorite thing about Gavin: Hands down, our snuggle time together! It's the best!!

Harrison's Favorite thing about Gavin: That he's my best friend...and he wrestles with me!

We had a small family birthday celebration for Gavin. It was small but perfect with pizza, cake and presents!

Gavin loved hearing everyone sing 'happy birthday' just for him.

It was a family effort to make Gavin his Batman cake. He wanted a pink (strawberry) cake with blue icing. Grammy kindly let me use the same cake pan and Batman face that Steve had as a child. Gavin loved the cake just as much as Steve did when he was little.

Hoppy Easter

2011-05-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

As always, holidays are best celebrated with family and friends.

The kids were very excited to wake up and find their hidden Easter baskets. We did a fun game of 'warmer-colder' to help lead them in the right direction. Gavin found his in the shower while that sneaky Easter bunny hid Harrison's on top the arcade games inside of a small tent.

No Easter is complete without an Easter egg hunt...

.....or a boy dressed head-to-toe in a Batman costume....

....or friends to make the hunt that much more exciting!

Two Days of Fun

2011-05-01T17:36:00.000-07:00

G-Jo attended a conference in Grapevine and decided to make a mini vacation of it, she offered for us to join her and we happily accepted! It was just a couple weeks before Gavin's birthday so we made it an early birthday celebration for him also. Harrison was soo excited he was finally tall enough to ride the slides at Great Wolf Lodge. He had G-Jo going down the slides until she wanted to puke! Thank goodness Dad stepped in to finish the rides. Gavin and I loved the wave pool and kiddie slides.

The next day we took the kids to Lego Land. They loved this place! Look at the picture of Gavin--he was like Noah collecting the animals two-by-two for the Ark. He would have played here for hours if we let him.

Two full days of fun for the kids and exhaustion for Steve and me. When the kids go to bed each night I ask them what their favorite part of the the day was. It's always entertaining to hear the answers they come up with and I think it's good going to sleep thinking about what makes you happy. I just knew all of the hard work of the two days would pay off as Harrison told me his favorite part of our mini trip. "Harrison, what was your favorite part of the trip?" dying with anticipation he responded, "Remember when we were waiting for Dad to get the tickets to Lego Land and we went into Game Stop? The man told me I could play that demo game for 10 minutes! That was sooo cool! You think we could go back there?!" "Do you mean you want to go back to Lego Land?" I asked. "No, Mom, to Game Stop so I can play that game!"

Isn't that so sweet? I'm having contractions, swollen feet, and a suitcase waiting for me to unpack thinking it was all worth it to show my kids a good time when all I really needed to do was take them to Game Stop.

Grateful

2011-04-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

When life is easy, being grateful is too.

It's being grateful and thankful for my blessings when life throws me adversities,

that is the challenge.

I have to admit, I've never been labeled an optimistic person. While I don't think I'm Eeyore, I do struggle with seeing the positive in bad situations. Opposites definitely attracted Steve and I to one another, as he is eternally optimistic and thinks we will always end up on top.

I was excited when I read my friend, Shanita's, blog post about the book Daniel's Gift and all the wonderful things she learned from it. I wanted to learn and feel all those great lessons she took from it. She kindly let me borrow her Nook so I could gain all the insight I was dying for.

House cleaning, laundry, my recorded shows on the DVR, and even sleep waited two days while I read. The book did bring great insight to life and why things happen when they do. I took comfort in the idea that struggle and adversity will continue to find you until you learn the necessary life lesson God wants you to. As for me, I am a worrier. Often I worry about things I have no control over. It has and continues to be a challenge for me to realize the things I have control over (which I'm learning is very little) and the worry I need to turn over to the Big Guy. As I'm working on this I must admit, it feels good to not feel like I have to fix everything for everyone.

I learned that we all come to our own crossroads and decide to turn right or left. If you're stubborn, like I tend to be, and you turn the same way you always have, inevitably, in time, you'll end up right back at that same intersection. Different scenario, but same underlying lesson you haven't learned yet.

So, have I mastered being grateful when I end up at that same dang intersection faced with the same challenges deciding whether to turn right or left? To say that one book has turned me around completely would be a lie, but it has helped me try really, really hard to make better decisions that are based on good intentions, a good heart, and a trust that God will ultimately put me on the right path.

If I live my life by that mantra no worry should ever come my way, right??

I'm working on it, always working on it.

Fort Worth Nature Reserve

2011-04-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

G-Jo had a great idea for us all to go to the local nature reserve. Just when I think I have learned of all the fun things to do in this city I learn something new. The kids were very excited to go hiking in the woods, they thought we were camping! Harrison mostly wanted to find and capture as many bugs as possible and Gavin simply wanted to scale and jump off as many rocks his little legs could climb.

Harrison was disappointed the bugs just didn't jump into his collection container. This is him trying to pick up an ant, he had a really hard time getting the ants into the collection container without smushing them to death. I think the death toll of ants that day was at least ten--not one made it into the container alive! Gavin, of course, quickly picked out a walking stick to help him with his adventures.

To spend a Sunday afternoon climbing and hiking--a little boy's dream!

Gavin jumping off a very ~~big~~ little pebble pretending he was the 'king of the world!'

G-Jo schooling Harrison on some land navigation. Who needs boy scouts when you have G-Jo to teach you how to read a map?? **Note- she went hiking on the same trail just the day before and ended up on a 4 1/2 mile detour (a.k.a getting lost.) But, Harrison doesn't need to know that. He can live a little longer thinking G-Jo always knew exactly where she was going!**

Our little 2 1/2 mile hike sufficiently wore us all out. We had pink cheeks and hungry tummies when we made it back to the car. Nothing like walking out of the wilderness into a nice air conditioned car to make you appreciate technology.

**One last note** Steve was present for this family outing. As always, he's behind the camera capturing the family moments.

To Say And What Not To Say

2011-04-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

Three times I have gone through the gamut of comments people make to me when I'm pregnant. Yet, I'm still shocked at what some people have to nerve to say to very vulnerable and sensitive pregnant women. Especially when it comes from women who have been in that very vulnerable place. I have compiled a list, from the personal comments that have been told me. This is to say and what not to say.

No:

How much time do you have left?! Gosh, I hope you make it.
Oh, how cute! You've got the pregnancy waddle!
How many babies are in there??
You look miserable.
Were you this big with your last one?
It's okay that you're eating that....you're eating for two right?
Hey there, Big Momma.
Were you this tired/cranky/slow moving (insert any other crappy adjective) with your other pregnancies?
Pregnancy makes your face look different. --What the heck does that even mean?!?

Yes:

Pregnancy agrees with you.
You were born to be a mother.
You have such a pregnancy glow.
Gosh, you're that far along? You don't look it.
You can only tell you're pregnant from the front.
You look beautiful!
This baby is so lucky, you're a great mother.

A Change In Scenery

2011-03-30T18:58:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has been to my house can attest to the obnoxious amount of toys my children have. Often, they have a toy that is the 'flavor of the day,' only to be forgotten the next. Think Toy Story here and those sad, sad toys just waiting to be played with. The kitchen in Harrison and Gavin's room is one of those long lost forgotten toys. Even the bazillion-piece kitchen set G-Jo bought--complete with pots, pans, food, and utensils--has long been stored away for the incredible mess it makes when scattered throughout the house. Then, the most brilliant idea came to me.....

Make the indoor kitchen an outside one next to the sandbox where they can play with those bazillion pieces and make mud pies all at the same time! (Harrison even added the kitchen towel for true authenticity.)

The kids were so excited! Simply moving the kitchen from a bedroom to the outdoors brought new life to this toy. They played, no kidding, for 2 1/2 hours straight! They made wunch (lunch) in the oven and put pretend vegetables in the garden as if they had instantly grown.

Had I known this is all it would take to bring life back into this toy I would have done it months ago. It's the perfect combination--boys playing outside, learning about fruits and vegetables, playing with an all but forgotten toy, and best of all--a quiet house giving me peace to read a book (more on that later.)

Ouch!

2011-03-28T13:29:00.000-07:00

Maybe the next time Mom says "no running in the house" they'll listen. But, odds are likely that they won't and we'll have many more goose eggs like this one. (Look at the way the bump forces his eyebrow down. I know it sounds mean, but I can't stop laughing at the sheer size of this thing.)

Sledding Texas Style

2011-03-26T00:45:00.000-07:00

After working hard in the garden we spent the next day with fun and relaxation. We started at the Fort Worth Car Show (the Honda Odyssey--amazing!) and ended up at the park for some Spring sledding Texas style. It's a simple concept of finding a really steep hill and a nice, flat piece of cardboard, race to the top of the hill and slide down.

If you don't have cardboard or just don't want to wait your turn, it's a lot of fun to just run down the hill as fast as your little legs can take you while trying not to tumble.

Wearing play-clothes is a must because you will end up covered in grass stains and dirt.

I can't wait to try this for a Tuesday play group. I think all the little kids will have so much fun racing down the hill together.

A Birthday Celebrated With The Birth of a Garden

2011-03-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

When I asked Steve what he wanted for his birthday I was really surprised when he responded with, "I've always wanted to plant a garden." To me, this sounds like more work than enjoyment, but it was a simple enough request, so a garden he shall have! He enlisted the help of his boys' and even recruited Justin to come from Austin to help. It was a family affair. No 'The Little Red Hen' here!

The attention span of our children, while normal, leaves a lot to be desired. It wasn't five minutes into working before......

Harrison asked if it was time for a break!

It took some investigation finding the perfect backyard spot. Time will tell if we chose wisely.

I told Justin he looked like the creepy man next door with this get-up. What is it with guys and tools? I think getting to cut the rebar was a highlight for Steve and Justin both.

Stay away from 'Ol Man Smitty who lives next door. And, seriously, what's up with the hat??

The kids were excited to have someone to play with them while the guys worked.

Steve and Justin can make a game or competition out of anything. Emptying forty bags of dirt into a raised bed? Boring! Trying to cut the bags with a kitchen knife while being tossed into the air like a Ninja? Thrilling and excited while being slightly dangerous, a mans dream come true!

This boy is our family clown, even down to this half smirk he's recently adopted. It quickly can morph into a great pirate impression--a family favorite!

Tomatoes, squash, peppers, strawberries, watermelon, and blackberries--grow baby, grow!

We taught Harrison the three things required for plants to grow; dirt, sun, and water. And after being covered in the dirt and sun all afternoon nothing feels better than being drenched in water. I think the plants and our children would both agree......

A very happy birthday to my love. I hope your garden is a gift that keeps on giving.

Bend It Like Bergman

2011-03-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

We decided to bring Harrison out of retirement after a two year break from sports. The embarrassment of t-ball has faded and we've been told by parents much more experienced than us that soccer makes for a great kids' game--we took their advice and have given it a try.

While I wouldn't call Harrison a 'natural' I can definitely tell all the practice from Uncle Justin has paid off.

Harrison is most excited to be on the same team as his buddy, Evan. And, Gavin loves his best bud, Ian, is on the sidelines to entertain him for the hour the big brothers practice. Ian and Gavin practiced their cheers, flips, and finally settled in for a movie and snack in the minivan. At bedtime, Gavin told me it was his favorite part of his day.

Coach Ellie did a great job keeping the kids attention. They played 'Simon-Says' soccer skills, crab crawl ball kicks, and human-cone dribbling. I'm really excited about this upcoming season. Now, if only I can stay awake on Saturdays for those noon games that are in the middle of my weekend of night shifts!

I'll Prove It

2011-03-22T22:43:00.000-07:00

Me: "Alright, who smeared poop on the bathroom wall? And, more importantly, if that's what's on the wall then what's left in someone's underwear??"

Harrison: "It wasn't me, Mom, promise. Look, I'll show you." (he promptly drops trou and grabs his ankles to give me definitive proof he wasn't the culprit)

Gavin: "I didn't do it either, Mom." He quickly follows his brothers example and clears his name also.

Harrison: "Maybe it was Dad, we should check him."

Me: "Probably not a bad idea."

Steve: overheard us talking and interrupts, "I didn't do it and I'm not proving it."

Missing!

2011-03-12T15:57:00.000-08:00

One beloved blue blanket...

Last seen being snuggled with while watching Jimmy Neutron Friday, March 11, 2011.

A blanket substitution has been provided, however, the owner complains it isn't nearly as soft and sniffable as the original.

Reward: Although the owner has been diligently saving his money to buy a video game, he has offered upon return of the blankie (unharmed and intact) all the money in his train piggy bank. Finder disclosure: this may only amount to a couple dollars in change, but it is prized money nonetheless.

Brothers

2011-03-06T15:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero.
-Marc Brown

It was nice growing up with someone like you, someone to lean on,

someone to count on... someone to tell on!

-unknown

From Florida To Texas

2011-03-04T09:13:00.000-08:00

My GrandmotherJane came for a visit all the way from Florida. It means so much to me that my children are able to get to know their great-grandmother. How blessed are my boys to have three great-grandmothers in their life? Very blessed. Very blessed indeed. Spending time with family is always a highlight and this visit was no different.

As always, Steve, our photographer had us posing all over the place.

Harrison and Gavin were soo happy when GrandmotherJane found fifty cents in her purse so they could ride this coachmen.

Another family photo.
Steve was laying on his back for this one--there is no line he won't cross to try and get the 'shot.'

I love the Stockyards; the brick roads, the old buildings and train tracks, and especially the locals riding through the streets on their horses. Most of the horses and their riders are so friendly, willing to stop and let you ask questions. This is Jim, the horse, he patiently let my boys love all over him.

Gavin said he was big enough to pet Jim all by himself. Jim thought Gavin was big enough to get a big kiss on the back of his neck while covering his hair with slober. Gavin didn't agree with that assessment.

Oh, how Harrison and Gavin love their Uncles!

GrandmotherJane keeps us all laughing. It was such a fun visit, the only bad part is it ended too soon.

See ya next time, GrandmotherJane!

100 Years

2011-02-23T06:57:00.000-08:00

Harrison: "Mom, when I grow so big and turn 100 years old will I be able to destroy the world?"

Me: "No, and why would you want to destroy the world??"

Harrison: "Will I be able to hold houses on top of my head and be super strong?"

(This is the only example I could find of a really strong old man. Unfortunately, there were no images on Google of an old man holding up a house. )

Me: "No, you won't be able to do that either."

Harrison: very exacerbated, with arms tossing around, "Well, then, what will I do when I turn 100?!"

Me: "You give thanks to God you've lived to see a hundred and call it a day."

Harrison: "That doesn't sound like very much fun."

Half-Way There

2011-02-21T22:31:00.000-08:00

Actually, I'm a little more than halfway finished, but who's keeping track? Not me! I was reading a magazine today watching my tummy bounce around courtesy of the little feet pictured above. I think most mothers-to-be will agree, feeling your baby move about is the best part of pregnancy. This is the only nine months in my baby's entire life that will be spent exclusively with me. Being a working mother, I appreciate this time of never having to leave my baby.

I think most parents assume they are having a healthy baby until told otherwise. As a neonatal ICU nurse, I assume just the opposite. I see terrible and awful things happen to completely undeserving people everyday. I am never blind enough to think that couldn't happen to me. So, when my sonogram last week showed every part of my baby appears healthy and developing perfectly, I breathed such a huge sigh of relief and thanks to God.

I continue to give thanks for my healthy report and continue to pray for those mothers who aren't as fortunate.

Minimum Monday

2011-02-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

4 Nights and 5 Days

2011-02-05T03:17:00.000-08:00

It has been 4 nights and 5 days since I left my house. The snow and ice have left us isolated from the outside world. My family of four have been getting in lots of quality time exhausting all activities our house and the snow has to offer. PJ's have become all-day wear, and basic hygiene like hair combing and teeth brushing has become somewhat optional. We have been on a repeat cycle of eating, watching a movie, play outside, eating, lounging, another movie (or two!), and then start again! Amongst all this monotony we have managed to reach a few milestones. Steve and I celebrated eight years of marriage on Tuesday, yah! Gavin gave us a wonderful gift of finally not needing a diaper at night! Yah, again! It's a toss-up for which had me most excited. Only kidding, of course, no more diapers win hands down!

The boys had a sword fight with icicles. They were very disappointed to discover after only one clash of the swords they crumbled into edible chunks.

When your sword lets you down, you eat it!

I cleaned out my pantry and made lots of desserts from all the food that I discovered. I should do this more often. I found some good eats!

This is our 'special' snowman. Plungers for arms, Flash (a superhero) for a mouth, a grill lid for a helmet (because all snowmen need helmets, right?) All that and he barely measured twelve inches off the ground.

Note: Harrison's bed-head. See, hair brushing has been optional!

A Bruiser Or Beauty?

2011-02-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

↓ Click Here

Click on the picture above if you want to find out what we're having! We are thrilled and continue to be grateful for all our blessings. T-Minus 21 weeks until we meet our new family member!

How A Bruiser Earns His Name

2011-01-31T21:43:00.000-08:00

Being a mother shows you strength and perseverance a woman never knew she had, being a mother of boys brings about even more challenges and obstacles a woman never thought possible, and finally, a mother to Bruisers earns you membership to a club where dues are paid in E.R. visits and stories that are shared for years.

I don't think all boys are created the same. I talk with some boy mom's who look at me cross-eyed when war stories are shared. So, perhaps my club is small, and membership is not necessarily a badge to wear proudly. But, seeing as how I seem to be the local chapter's president I feel compelled to share my stories.

This brings me to a day in the life of Gavin. One day.

Gavin was climbing on Steve's back, my boys' often regard Steve as a jungle gym, he seems to happily oblige. After reaching the summit (Steve's head) the descent went all wrong and Gavin fell, his mouth hit a miniature grocery chart. This resulted in causing his front tooth to become somewhat of a back tooth. The immediate bruising and swelling was even more evident this wasn't your everyday busted lip. Steve's previous experience as an athletic trainer with the Brahma's hockey team has made him well-equipped to handle such situations. He man-handled his tooth back into somewhat of its original position and applied pressure to the rest of the injured area. No need for a doctor here.

Later on that same day, (I would like for the courts to note I was at work and not present) Harrison and Gavin were supposed to be quietly watching a movie before bed. I suppose during the intermission the Bruisers decided to start a rowdy game of wrestling. Wrestling is nothing new in our house, nor is Gavin's famous 'finishing move' he lovingly calls 'booty-face.' For those who aren't sure what 'booty-face' is, please reference the picture below.

Yes, it is exactly as it looks. He puts his booty on your head and bounces up and down while he yells, "booty-face, booty-face!" Harrison is often the receiver of Gavin's antics and usually takes it pretty well. Something snapped in Harrison during that wrestling match, Gavin must not have honored Harrison's request to "stop", because the next thing heard was a blood curdling scream coming from Gavin. Harrison pulled a 'Mike Tyson', except he didn't bite Gavin's ear, he bit his.....uh.....please look below, a picture explains it better.

Through a thick layer of pants and undies, Harrison bit hard enough to draw blood. This warranted a call to me at work, "uh, Gretch, we have a little situation here." Having no idea what to do I had Steve call the after-hours nurse while I referenced my good friend, Google. I was even more disturbed when Google presented me with little answers- man, Google always tells me what to do!

The after-hours nurse gave Steve a list of things to look for and if those symptoms didn't appear a trip to the pediatrician could wait until Monday morning. Ya, Monday morning, when I was available to take him in. It was really embarrassing having to explain to the doctor how both things happened in one day. The doctor's advice to Gavin? "Come up with a different 'finishing move." Amen!

And, that, my friends, is why my boys are Bruisers.

GOAL!!!

2011-01-31T10:18:00.000-08:00

Harrison is going to play soccer this Spring. Steve and Harrison have been diligently practicing, he's been working on his dribble, his speed, and agility, to name a few. Steve also felt it necessary to teach him the importance of acting like a soccer player, too. You know, like taking off your shirt after making a really big goal while your name is yelled, "Haaarrrriiiissssoooonnnn Berggggman!!"

Clearly, Harrison needs a little more practice with speed of clothing removal, check 'em out below....

Beanie-Baby Expert

2011-01-27T16:30:00.000-08:00

Harrison: "Mom, I know why your allergies have been sooo bad. It's because Beanie-Baby has a nose and every time he sneezes, you sneeze. Yep, that's why. I know everything there is to know about Beanie-Baby. Just ask me and I'll tell you the answer."

Swells With Pride

2011-01-27T16:21:00.000-08:00

Steve: "Harrison, stop whining, I want you to grow up to be a man (Steve then flexes his arm muscles to elicit a manly look.) A man, like a football player or a wrestler.

Harrison: "Dad, ugh, I already told you, I want to be a dancer number one, then a garbage man number two, then a football player, number four a wrestler, and number five a pitcher."

Steve: "A dancer, huh?"

Just so we're all on the same page I uploaded a little video of Harrison's dancing skills. Every little boy should have a dream, right? What kind of mother would I be to squash that at such a young and fragile age?

I mean, it's not like he's 'Gabby, the Next Tina Turner'

How Could I Forget?!

2011-01-16T08:45:00.000-08:00

The other thing I really, really, love about winter is the view it gives me to downtown! Once the trees bloom my view will be barely visible, but all winter long I'm able to sit at my dining room table and watch the sun set on this pretty skyline. Throw in a cup of coffee (or tea these days) and it's pure serenity. Now, how could I have forgotten that?!

It's A Numbers Game

2011-01-15T08:41:00.000-08:00

Hours of sleep I had before the first puking child came into our bed :1

Hours between the first upchucked child and the second pukey child climbing into our bed :1

Total number of times Gavin barfed :6

Total number of times Harrison ralphed (Yes, I am trying to list all the different names for vomit. Really, I have a tab opened with a list of all the names) :3

Number of Wal-Mart sacs sacrificed to catch the spewed chunks :4

Amount of laundry in need of washing :4 bath towels, 3 sets of sheets, 8 dish towels, 5 blankets, 3 sets of pajamas, and 2 pillows.

Total number of hours of sleep I got :5 (this may be enough for some, but not nearly enough for me)

Total number of hours of sleep for Steve : a lot more! Somehow, after the first couple rounds of chum he managed to sleep through the noise and commotion. One day I hope to be as talented as Steve.

After the final blow-out the amount of prayers I said that the sun would rise to bring a new day free of the regurge :okay, so, I don't really know this number, but it was a lot! I'm thrilled to report my prayers were answered! What little food was eaten stayed down all day.

Parenting is made up of the good, the bad, and the oh-let's-not-do-this-again. This night was definitely the latter of the three.

I Heart Winter

2011-01-14T09:39:00.000-08:00

I love the winter. Although, this year the cold has been bothering me more than normal, I still enjoy all the things that winter brings. Here's what I have on the top of my list:

Making big fires in the fireplace. And, an added bonus when you roast marshmallows and make s'mores.
Soup. I love making soup, eating soup, and having it as left-overs is even better. Something about soup in the summer just isn't quite as appealing.
Taking really warm baths at night before bed. I do this year-round, but in the winter it's especially nice getting out of a warm bath, into warm clothes, and finally a warm bed and husband to snuggle with. Snuggling definitely increases in the winter....maybe that's why more babies are conceived in winter months.
Winter clothes are better than summer, for sure. I love all the scarves, jackets, and hats. Although, if you wear a hat you're pretty much committed to it because of the ferocious hat-head it causes. Small drawback for such a cute look.
Playing in the snow. Unfortunately, we haven't had any stick yet, but we did enjoy just watching it fall. I have my fingers crossed for a remake of last year.

Gavin was trying to 'beat up' the snow. For anyone keeping track, he has on a Spider Man costume under his jacket.

One Down Two To Go

2010-12-31T08:57:00.000-08:00

I have officially wrapped up my first trimester.

This is the third time I've journeyed down this path, and, honestly, I thought I had the route well navigated and roadblocks just wouldn't come my way. Oh, how wrong I have been.

From nausea to exhaustion to a multitude of other less-than-pleasant pregnancy symptoms, these past three months have been a whooping. I have failed miserably at trying to channel my inner 'Mother Earth.'

In previous pregnancies I would be complimented on the 'pregnancy glow' that I radiated, this time I had a co-worker say, "oh, this is going to be a long nine months!"

Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled to be pregnant and blessed to have an addition to my family. And, I am absolutely thrilled that my first trimester is over and I'm starting to come back to the land of the living.

I have great hopes for the next three months: I hope to make some appearances at 24 hour fitness, I hope to shower and change my clothes before picking my boys up from preschool, I really hope to make dinner and be able to clean up the kitchen all in one day, and I really, really, hope my boys see me more vertical than horizontal (i.e. lounging on the couch.)

But, hearing my beanie-babie's heart beat has been the best reward for all the discomfort. There is a huge prize at the end of this journey and I'm thankful to be a third of the way there.

Mrs. Clean

2010-12-30T22:21:00.000-08:00

Car gel intended to paint car bumpers black.

Mrs. Clean gets rid of dirt, grime

and germs in just a minute.

Mrs. Clean will clean your whole house

and all the boys that are in it.

Markers intended to write letters and color pages.

Reach For The Stars

2010-12-30T22:13:00.000-08:00

Harrison: "Hey, Mom, I have a great idea! How about we get a rocket ship and fly into outer space?? You, me, Daddy, and Gavin, is that a good idea?!"

Me: "I don't know how to fly a rocket ship."

Harrison: "It isn't hard, you get inside and then count numbers the other way, 10, 9, 8, 7, 5, and when you get to one you say blastoff, then, when you leave planet erff (earth) the rocket ship will tell you open, you push a button, and you can then be in outer space. Wouldn't that be sooo cool? There are so many planets we could go to, like eight of them! But, we would have to be careful of the stars, they are pointy and can hurt you."

Me: "I don't know where to buy a rocket ship."

Harrison: "I bet Target or Wal-Mart."

I could maybe knit Harrison a rocket ship and we

could throw it really, really high into the sky!

Winter Zoo Trip

2010-12-30T13:52:00.000-08:00

A lot of my holiday plans were spoiled by bad weather and long lines. So, unless a winter tornado whipped through North Texas I was determined to at least make it to the zoo to see the new babies that had been born. Everyone bundled up and headed to the zoo with a smile.

It's impossible to resist covering those cheeks with kisses he's so cute!

Steve has really gotten into photography, hence why he's always behind the camera and not in the photos. I thought this was a neat one of my brothers and me.

The kids love feeding the birds.

Clearly, this well-fed bird enjoys the seeds on the end of the stick.

Harrison hamming it up for Dad.