Birth Control

I am nigh unto positive the local pharmacy gets the biggest freaking kick out of me.  Once a month I go in there to pick up my birth control pills.  And usually I bring in four little boys with me, ages 4, 3, 2 and baby. 

Like today, we did this.  And seriously I feel like I have a stamp on my forehead that says "I NEED birth control!" or "My husband is really attractive, I just can't help myself."  Usually the clerk has to contain a smile or won't look me in the eyes or makes some casual reference to how many kids I have.  But that's okay.

I was so thankful that today I lectured those kids pretty firmly to be on their VERY best behavior in the store.  And they were awesome, they didn't even touch anything (minus Matthew trying to test out all the canes) and we even walked back through the candy aisle (which I thought for sure would end in my utter demise).  So of course I gave them each ten skittles when we got home.

Our entrance to the store: Caleb and Logan are walking oh so very slowly, holding hands (I told them to, somehow they help keep each other in check) while I kind of push them along with the car seat that I am lugging along that I swear gains ten pounds everyday even though Andrew is still underweight, and holding very tightly to Matthew's hand.  We have to walk to the very back of the store past all the many tempting treats, bottles, packages, etc.  And then we walk up to the counter.

Me: "Hi, I have a pick up for Camden Cooper."
Clerk: "Okay..." (typing something into the computer, I'm assuming my name) Then she laughs out loud and quickly stops herself.  "Cooper?"
Me: "Yup."
She turns around and goes to get something.  She brings it back and as I pay/sign for it, she comments,
"So, four boys huh?"
Me: "Yup." (I am trying not to blush.  I think about explaining that one of the little guys isn't biologically mine, but then I realize I have another one at school that is, so what really is the point?)
Clerk: "Hm"  I think she was thinking "Does she even know how these pills work?"

I thank her and away we shuffle back out the store.  I want so badly to make some funny comment every month like "Yeah, obviously I need these pills" or something clever, but alas, I can't ever think of anything.

But I am so proud of these boys, they are so good and make me proud.  I may have lots of them (compared to the worldly standard today), but they are really good kids.  I mean, not always, like the time where Matthew tried to grab every pair of glasses off the shelf and Andrew was screaming, or when Caleb and Josh disappeared down an aisle and I had to decide to go find them or keep my place in the eternal line of waiting, or when Caleb was a baby and Josh ran off and I quickly finished paying thinking he would just run around the store but turns out he ran outside into the parking lot (SOO thankful for the clerk that retrieved him).  Maybe that is why all the clerks smirk when I walk in, they all remember me and tell my stories so it lives on and on over the years and I will become a local legend.  I think I'm okay with that.

But for today, I am so thankful for these boys and their awesome behavior and I am SO thankful for modern medicine in the form of birth control.  Cuz as much as I love these boys, I don't think I could handle another just yet.

Six Months Young

 

My little baby is getting so big so fast!  He turned six months old today.  And what a cute little person he is becoming.  I mean, we have had a rough road getting here, but maybe that is why every smile seems so extra precious to me.

I really can't complain, because little Andrew isn't horrible and he doesn't have serious health issues, but I have realized that near constant sadness, crankiness, irritability of one of my kids for an unknown reason will drive me completely bonkers.  I think I held it together pretty good, but there were many moments that I felt very un-Cami and so horrible to be around.  We never went anywhere because if you messed with his schedule (or lack thereof), then well, you could kiss any what would have been happiness from the little guy, goodbye.  He puked constantly, seriously, I would pick him up.  Puke.  Set him down, clean it all up, clean me up.  Pick him up.  Puke.  Or he would just puke while he was laying there.  I changed what I ate, drank more water, tried not to move him at all after feeding him, nothing worked.  Well, not eating chocolate helped, and I really did try.  Blast Caleb and his tattle telling.

Caleb: (whispering) "Andrew, I am so sorry, I saw Mom eat a Hershey kiss.  You are going to puke and be so sad now.  Mom wasn't very nice to you."

Yup.  What a stinker. 

Anyways, I think little Andrew is finally outgrowing his pukey, cranky phase.  And believe me, it is like spring time.  I feel like dancing every time I get the kid out of his crib.  He still isn't the happiest of kids, but he is soooooooooooooooo much better.

He figured out how to roll over from his back to his tummy, and today he rolled back several times.  But I think he thought one of his big brothers rolled him back because it freaked him out and he cried a lot.  But so funny and so bizarre to baby proof things again.

He has the sweetest smile, with his one dimple, and he giggles, oh does he giggle.  And we have nicknamed him Tigger and Thumper since he is constantly bouncing and kicking, like seriously ALWAYS.  The other night I woke up to this super loud thumping noise.  So I follow the noise in the dark and what do I find, little Andrew curling up his legs and them throwing them down to make a loud thump in his crib.  Yup, wide awake in the middle of the night, just making noise.  What a boy.

So yeah, we all just love him to pieces.  All day long his brothers are kissing him, hugging him, tugging on him, or in Matthew's case trying to shove all kinds of things in his mouth or "swinging" him in his bouncer/jumper.  Seriously, he is one loved little fellow.

We are so thankful he has been with us these six months.  And my love for all the boys grows and grows.  How it works, I don't know, but I am so thankful and so blessed.

You Just Had to Marry Him

On this fabulously warm day (in comparison to the last several far below freezing days), Tyson and I took are little ones to the LDS temple in DC.  It is quite the drive with four small boys, but as Tyson is wonderful and often reminds me, we are very blessed that it is within a days drive and we can go as often as we are able to.  Plus, it is so good for our boys to see us making a sacrifice to go to the Lord's house.  So I repent and try to have a better and more optimistic perspective.

So anyways, we get there around noon and Tyson goes inside the temple to do some work and I hang outside with the boys (we switch off every time we go, this time was Tyson's turn).  Our boys are so good, it just makes me so happy.  I didn't dread watching four little boys for two hours by myself out of the home (it really freaks me out taking all of them anywhere).  But at the temple, it is just different.  The boys are so happy to be there, and the visitors center is full of videos from apostles and stories about Jesus.  Plus, Oma gave them crayons and coloring books, so Caleb was in heaven (and she was there with Carmel and took the three older ones ALL the way home, so they are pretty much amazing).

But before all that, I walked the boys around the temple, kind of to get their energy out, but also to get them as close to the temple as they can be at this point in their lives.  It is such a special place.  So we are walking around and I stop them at a point in the sidewalk.

Me: "Guys, guess what happened here 8 years ago?"
Caleb: "I dunno."
Me: "Right at this spot, almost to the day, 8 years ago, this is where Daddy held my hand for the first time."
They all looked surprised and excited.  So cute.
Josh: "Really!? Right here?"
Me: "Yup."
Josh: "Wow, is that when you were dating him?"
Me: "Well, after that we started dating."
Josh: "And then you just had to marry him."
Me: "Yup, I couldn't help it."
Josh: "That is because he loves you so much, you just had to give in."
Me: (laughing of course) "Yeah, you got that right.  That is basically how it happened.  And then he gave me four adorable boys.  So I am basically the luckiest girl in the world."
Josh: "Pretty much."

So ladies and gentlemen, driving all that way was so worth it.  If anything, just to remind me more than usual, I am one lucky girl.