The verdict is in!

A few days ago I secretly went to the doctor and got a gender check on Baby Quattro. I was completely anxious to even be there, knowing how close I was to finding out the baby's gender. So it took everything in me to tell the ultrousound tech to not tell me the results. The look she gave me said something like 'pregnancy clearly makes this chick crazy'. After the ultrasound, the tech sealed the results. I walked to my car, put the results in the back seat, got in, and drove straight to my best friend Brittney's work place to have her hang on to the results. The entire time, practically jumping out of my skin. I mean, I had the results to our baby's gender within my reach! And I am so far from a patient person, the thought of waiting 4 days to find out was literally making me CRAZY.

The plan was that Brittney was going to put together a present revealing the baby's gender, and we would open it as a family on Christmas morning. That was the original plan.

I had a photo shoot today, and after the shoot Brit met me to give me the present she put together. Seeing the balloons and gift immediately put me into Crazy Sheryl mode. So I changed the original plan. I called my sister in law Sarah and asked her to meet me at home so that she could video tape us opening the gift from God (and Brittney). I came home, and started gathering the fam together. Nate was trying to take Will to the park to play football, and like an insane person, I made him stay. It was apparent that he was thinking the same thing the ultrasound tech thought of me just a few days earlier.

At any rate, here we are (don't mind Jake and Soph, those poor babies have been really sick with a virus, and Soph has been finding it hard to even keep her little eyes open) before we find out the gender of the new little blessing.                          Please be a girl, please be a girl!

The first part of the gift was to pop the balloons....

The first one I popped had blue confetti blast out of it. Little girls wear Blue right?

The time to open the REAL gift has come. So Nate went to town....





Whaaaaaaaat!!!!

It's a BOY! The ultrasound tech wrote "PEE PEE" and drew an arrow to our little boy's penis. And I'm allowed to say the word "penis" in my blog. There's a plenty of them in my life, so I get the priviledge :)

I feel a little guilty because I had been hoping for a girl. I could hear myself calling her name (that I picked out without Nate's knowledge), and I could see her playing dress up with her big sister Sophia. Even though I had those thoughts, I truly am so excited to have this HEALTHY baby BOY enter our lives (in 162 days according to the Pregnancy app on my phone). Sophia will remain our little princess, and Nate, Will and Jake get another member in their Penis Club. Everyone wins!

Brittney, thank you so much for making this gift such a special one. It means alot to us that you took time out of your life to make sure that found out the gender in such an awesome way. We are so lucky to have you in our lives <3

Thank you God for such a wonderful family, I couldn't have dreamed up a better one. And Happy Birthday Jesus!

Merry Christmas everyone, we hope you have a day filled with love and laughter.

Much love,

Sher & Family







Belly Project: 15 Weeks

I grow people. What's your super power?

I'm not gonna lie- I feel a tad guilty that I didn't do this with my other kids. But I make myself feel better by reminding myself that every one of my kids has gotten something from me that the other hasn't. Like for instance, Will got $5 for lunch this morning, and when Jake asked for lunch money, he only got $1. To be fair, Will really does need money for lunch at school. At any rate, not every child will get the same treatment at every moment.

I'm getting totally off topic (whats new).

Surprisingly I am doing this Baby #4 Belly Project. Of course I didn't do it when I was uber tiny with Will. And I actually did do ONE photo shoot at the end of my pregnancy with Jake. And I tried to keep up on belly pics with Soph, but I just couldn't remember to do the picture! So, why not do this belly project with Baby #4, since I already looked pregnant before I actually got pregnant. Why not showcase how large and in charge this fourth pregnancy is making me :)

There is a time in every pregnancy that is hard for me. That awkward phase from Week 10-20 that just shows chubbiness is hard for me to handle. On the flip side, I will be the first one to talk to you about how beautiful pregnancy really is. A BABY is growing inside of me. And that baby is going to come out just as beautiful as my other 3 kids, and we will take our unconditional love and give that to our new bundle of joy. Its amazing what a woman's body can do.

Anyways, here I am. At this point I'm almost 16 weeks, but this is a 15 week photo. That's important because I grow tremendously. Every day. A lot. So by the next photo in this project, you'll all probably be like "omg, Sheryl is almost due!". But rest assured, my Pregnancy app on my phone tells me I have 171 days left. So cook on Baby Maier!

Love,
Your largely friend

Chores smores

Every couple has their roles in life, and every family is different. That's cool. Nowadays moms work full time, and dads stay home to care for their kids. Women are powerful. Men do the grocery shopping.

Like every family, we have a situation that works for us - Nathan works, he is the breadwinner for this household. I stay home with the kids, and have a growing photography business on the side. Since I stay home, I'm pretty sure that its assumed that I will take on the most chores: cleaning the bathrooms (gag), doing the laundry (my worst enemy), the floors (upstairs and down), picking up rooms (which needs to be done every time a child enters a room). Yes, its true, Nathan is extremely helpful when it comes to cooking meals and helping clean up the kitchen. But let's be honest, the vast majority of chores are written with my name next to it. In stone.

Whenever I go to a friends home (whether they stay home too or not), I feel like their house is always clean. And my house is almost always disheveled. And by "disheveled", I mean TORE UP! Let's not kid ourselves though, when I know someone is coming over, I clean up, and this house looks (somewhat) presentable. And I love love love when people compliment my house. Makes me giggle inside. I wonder if my friends do the same.....

Anyways, the truth is about to be revealed, and I'm sure Nathan will love my pure honesty. Here it is: Taking care of our energetic kids all day tires a prego out. Just to get a meal ready, kids fed, cleaned, and mess picked up, I genuinely feel like I just had a solid 30 minute work out. Seriously. Soo.... this is what the house looks like during the day:

Nate usually calls me on his way home, so I'm able to get my hustle on and pick up the house.

That also makes me giggle inside :)

So there it is friends. I'm a lazy bum who lets her house fall apart while her husband is at work. I mean, I can't be alone in this right?

Tiredly yours,
Sher

Welcome to the Zoo.

For realsies.

I'm even going to make a sign that says 'Welcome to the Zoo'. And I also want a sign that says 'Please excuse the mess, my children are making memories', but that sign is irrelevant.

So I've been listening to alot of people in our lives lately analyze our kids. I'm not sure if its because our kids have huge personalites and are full of passion, if its because they can't handle the life my kids fill a room with, or if its because they are the type of people who don't like puppies. At any rate, no one knows my kids like I do, and a blog post sure as heck isn't going to even shed a little light on their amazingness, but at least it'll give a little explanation for the next time you are around them.

First and foremost, I am a firm believer that birth order makes a difference in personality traits. So let's hit that first (you can go here and here to read the articles I am quoting):

First borns are natural leaders. "They also tend to be reliable, conscientious and perfectionists who don't like surprises. Although, firstborns are typically aggressive, many are also compliant people pleasers. They are model children who have a strong need for approval from anyone in charge."

Middle children "are the most difficult to pin down" and "does not openly share his thoughts or feelings". "They can usually read people well, they are peacemakers who see all sides of a situation, they are independent and inventive."

"While lastborns may be charming, they also have the potential to be manipulative, spoiled or babied to the point of helplessness." "Younger children tend to get along in the world better – a trait known as 'agreeableness'".

Ok, so with that being said, I also think that nurture has a lot to do with how children act and grow. I'll be the first to admit that we aren't perfect, or even in the vicinity of perfect, parents. We don't beat or starve our kids, so they are pretty lucky nonetheless. We let our kids be themselves, and I take pride in that. We don't make them feel bad for being too silly or loud (though there are times and places for that). People say my kids are loud. Guess what? I'M loud. So shocker that my kids would be too right? Nate likes to play fight with the boys, so our boys play fight with other kids. It's just what kids do. They learn from their environment, take that info, and mold it to fit their personality. Accept it, because thats how you became who you are today too!

Will - is silly. Is a people pleaser (which I always say, and what the article above says!). He truly loves to make others smile, at all expenses. He is creative. He loves to draw. Tell stories. Dance. We should all be lucky to have him share his huge imagination and creativity with us. He loves to know that people love him, and even though he is 8 and tries to act so tough, I still find him trying to cuddle with me sometimes.

Jake - is Jake. The kid has more silly faces than any other human. He is definitely our loudest child, most outspoken (yes, at 3). He wants what he wants, and he'll fight for it. He's a leader for sure. He is the furtherest thing from a push over. He loves his family, and for as long as I can remember, puts people in their place if he thinks anyone is talking meanly to another person. He is super smart - I can't wait to see what he grows up to be! He is the most energetic child I have ever seen, and some days I couldn't keep up with him if you paid me.

Sophia - is our tiny little baby girl. She really is so sweet. She carries baby dolls around (which is new for us, and I totally love), and she quietly plays to herself. She loves to dance, and she absolutely LOVES when her big brothers pay attention to her. She is also very sassy. She wants us to know when she is unhappy, and she is figuring out ways to let us know. I'm definitely in no hurry to see what the arrival of her little sibling will do to her attitude!

My kids are the loves of my life. They are my whole life. And I get so beyond frustrated when I hear people say things about my kids; "Your kid is too wild" "He is too loud" "Doesn't that kid calm down". I literally could shake the people who say these things. First of all, my kids are KIDS. They are supposed to be crazy. They are little people who don't quite know that most adults are cranks. They are figuring out the world. They don't know rules like 'don't scream at Target, it annoys people'. Or 'don't run through the racks at Ross, someone might steal you'. These are things they are learning. But do believe me when I say, my kids will learn these things. And while I teach it to them, I will continue to let them be themselves.

And don't judge my parenting, by the way. I have 3 pretty fantastical kids, and I didn't even get a manual on what to do after child comes out of the birth canal. No one suggested a 'Raise human this way for correct results' book. No one said "Hey, take the Right way to Parent class". I say that as long as you love your child, show them kindness, teach them to be a kind and productive member of society, and let them be themselves, you are doing good.

So in good 'ol bragging rights fashion, I leave you with this - my kids are cuter than yours ;)

xoxo,
Sher

Guess what?

Baby butt!


Soooo..... I'mmmm.....!

It's true!

Well, 7 if you count Jack the Dog.

We are beyond thrilled, and feel so blessed that we are adding a new member to our family. Our kids are our lives, they are our pride and joy, and we honestly couldn't be happier! Actually, I suppose I could be a tad happier if I weren't so sick :)

I am just under 9 weeks, and we weren't planning on shouting it out to the world until I was out of my first trimester since I have had miscarriages in the past. However, people talk whether we want them to or not, and I was feeling guilty that people dear to us were finding out, and it wasn't coming from us. I don't want anyone to feel like we weren't sharing this information with them. {If this is sounding super dramatic, its because it is. Listen, my horomones are on overdrive people, cut me some slack!}

At any rate, baby #4 is due on June 4th, so luckily I don't have to pregnant throughout the hot hot summer, yeah baby!

Congrats to Will and Jake to becoming big brothers again, and to our little Phia Phia to becoming a big sister. This baby is the luckiest!

Nate says our kidney bean looks like a boy, what do you think? :)

xoxo,

Sher



Spaghetti dogs

I found the cutest idea on Pinterest the other day, and just HAD to try it! So I gathered up my favorite red head, and we had a little fun! It was one of a few projects where I wasn't a complete control freak ;)

xoxo,
Sher

You spent HOW much at Costco??!?!?!

I recently discovered the awesomeness of Costco.

With our family growing so much, bulk is definitely the way for us to go! Last week I bought a ton of meat and groceries to start stocking up our new home, and I spent less than $180! When I went that day, I wanted to show Nathan what I bought, because I was way excited, buuuuuut, I had to put the stuff away before he got home.

So I decided that today I would show him! You're looking at $193.57 worth of stuff (not including the 2 cases of water and dog bed I also bought)!

Jake's diapers will last him at least a month and a half, and the baby wipes will last at least 3-4 months. The coffee and creamer will last us over a month for sure!

I'm not sure if Nathan will be as excited as I am once he sees the bill, but honestly, I feel like I hit the motherload!

Bookworm babies

When I was a kid (and even as an adult!), I used to lose myself in books... it was my escape from the world. I'd feel completely in touch with the character, like I knew them. I'd create the vision in which the setting took place. I'd lay awake at night and think about how the book impacted me.
I was a complete bookworm. I even looked like a bookworm (you will not be viewing a picture of those days today)!

Well my kids love to read too, and it touches me... Will gets so lost in his books too, and it brings great joy to me. Yesterday I went to look for Jakey, and he was sitting on the couch reading! Or looking at pictures. Same diff.

Luckily for me I always have my camera handy, so I was able to capture some of these special moments. Sophia even brought all her books outside to read! Hee hee

Enjoy some pictures of my bookworm babies.

Much love,
Sher