Fargo Marathon 2011

Okay, how cute is the newest Capouch addition Max? Holding him is my gorgeous cousin Kayla who is going to be an Obstetrician-so proud of her!

Kayla and Faith in the dome, they both had really good times...ta da!

LOVE this picture of my sister...she ran past us and didn't see the boys. Anthony took off and ran next to her outside the gates, screaming her name. Obviously saw my aunts and uncles. I think this is one of my all time favorite pictures of her!

My cute marathon family. Mallory, Faith, and Kayla ran the 5k Friday. The other Kaila ran the 10k Saturday. Faith and Kayla also ran the half on Saturday. Bunch of overachievers... :)

Not the best picture of us but we were there to support and celebrate with them. CANNOT BELIEVE how many people were there. Very cool event to attend and if you haven't been I would encourage you to come in 2012. Shall we run together? Or watch together?

Girlfriends

This last weekend on Sunday a group of my closest girlfriends got together to celebrate "being a girl" and spoiling me rotten with many girlie things that I will treasure for our newest addition. Kris and Holly took charge of it and had it at a very fun venue which you can check out here. I am a huge fan of the Hodo, a huge fan of their dirty martini with bleu cheese olives when I am not with child but I have not been to "Stoker's" their private room downstairs where the shower was at. Perfect place for a good time! Not to mention gorge on desserts-any kind you could imagine, it was divine.

As I looked around the room I was very honored to have all those beautiful women surrounding me. Most I have known for 15+ years. I have known a large portion since high school. They have been with me through break-ups, okay me breaking up with Erik only to get back together with him a week later. They had all been at my wedding or in my wedding, the exception being a few co-workers that I have become close friends with in the last couple of years. They have all come over to see me new babies, held my hand when I have cried, and laid down next to me laughing uncontrollably. These are the women that have been by my side during the everyday good, bad, and the ugly. If they only knew how much I appreciated each and everyone of them.
Opening their gifts I think I could have picked what each person hand picked without reading the cards. Our new baby girl was showered with tutus, leopard hats, nail polish, books, toys, her first jewelery box. The list goes on and on.

I cannot wait for our new little girl to meet all of her "Aunties". All so different and unique. All amazing mothers. Thank you for being my friends, thank you for making me feel special for a day, and thank you for always being a constant in my life. Here's to the girls who wear cute shoes...

It's getting hot in here!

Holy smokes I am on fire! I swear I cannot cool down. Today my lovely co-worker Jenny brought me my own personal fan for my desk...have I been complaining that much? It is so dang cute, you can see it here. Except mine is hot pink! I love it so much I went and bought a few more over lunch. Yes, I am kind of obsessed. I bought a pink one for the camper, another pink for the babies room, and 2 red ones for each of the boys rooms. Plus my co-worker Brandon had me pick him one up for him. The cashier gave me an odd look but I took it in stride.

Erik slept with 2 down comforters last night. I had one thin blanket that I kept kicking off. The good news is they say that June is suppose to be cool...sorry to everyone else. I will take it, because I am on FIRE!

I am a summer widow

Summer is slowly but surely coming. With summer my husband begins to disappear with each new day. Not because he has a hot summer romance or a fascination with happy hours but because he is working like crazy. I classify it that I am now a "summer widow". He may not be a farmer but with his work he keeps the same hours. He is gone from before the sunrises and does not get home until well after dark (usually 9 or 10). The first week is the hardest. I am accustomed to having his help. I am accustomed to eating dinner with him. I am accustomed to a second pair of hands to help with the boys. The first week I almost get resentful to him which I know sounds completely absurd.

The second week I mourn his loss. I miss going to bed at the same time. The boys ask even more,"When is daddy coming home?' I do the dishes for the 19th time in 2 weeks and don't care any longer, the resentment is gone. I feel kind of like I have been left for some other saucy tart when the reality is he is spending all of his time with public utilities people, contractors, and workers. He is living off of gas station food and missing out on my grilling sensations. Sometimes he eats the plate I have for him when he gets home, sometimes he doesn't because he is plain exhausted. I feel bad that all he is eating is loaded with preservatives and sodium. I can tell his body is adjusting to the long hours but his back hurts, his feet throb, and he's exhausted. I completely relate.

By the third week I am in motion. The household has adjusted. The boys understand that daddy is at work but will be available to play on Friday-Sunday. I have my rhythm down with the cooking, cleaning, and homework. On Saturday morning he gets after the boys and I will jump into defend them. Almost becoming territorial. He will reprimand me that he is one of us meaning mommy and daddy, that I need to back him up. I sheepishly agree and back off. He leaves his clothes on the floor, I become eager to reprimand him. I cook, he doesn't eat, I storm downstairs angry at the world.

By the fourth week we have all adjusted. I am 100% accustomed to my summer widow status. He is accustomed to working 60+ hours a week plus having to contribute to the house by picking up his clothes and playing with the boys as much as he can. I am no longer resentful but respectful of all the work he is putting in. He reciprocates with the same appreciation realizing he has left me as a summer widow. Commending how good the house looks and how good my dinner was that he is now eating each night because he cannot stand gas station food any longer. We snuggle when we go to bed and talk about our days.

Right now we are going into week four. Looking forward to it. I am going to plant my Mother's Day hydrangeas and grill lots of good food. Rain or shine I need to feed him because the reality is I am  not a widow, just a summertime single mom with a hard working partner. I miss him when he is gone but really do appreciate him when he is home. Clothes on the floor or not.

33 take 2

Yesterday was the big event. I turned 33. The day started off awesome, I received a gift from Anthony in a birthday bag with a little kitty wearing a party hat. He drew me one of his best pieces yet, a giant red flower with the perfect butterfly. He even attached a string at the top for me to hang it. I also received a card from Erik that was very fitting and another store bought one from the boys with a monkey that pops up to give me a high five. We are a high fiving monkey kind of family.

Went to my doctor's appointment yesterday and my c-section is scheduled for Tuesday, July 12th. If everything goes smoothly I will be out on Friday. My last day of work will be July 8th. I am taking 8 weeks completely off and work from home for 4 more weeks. It really sunk in yesterday that we are doing this. No turning back now, the girls at the office told me I came back looking like a deer in headlights. Ironically that is exactly how I felt.

Came back to work for a solid 45 minutes and was off to lunch with my sister and Leslie. Headed over to Mexican Village for some birthday lunch. My sister bought me another night shirt that I am in love with- it is black with little pink flamingos scattered about wearing tiara's, I do look dead sexy in it. Les made a scrumptious fruit tart from scratch-it was divine. For sure 0 calories.

Once I got back to work I shared my  fruit tart and got a call from Nurse Karen that Anthony wasn't feeling well. I asked to speak with him. "Buddy you know if I pick you up we can't go to Chucky Cheese tonight." I had to test him to see if he was truly sick."Mom, I don't want to go to Chucky Cheese." Yes, this an emergency-mom is on the way! This child would never pass up going to a game infested, pizza serving, birthday celebration. I was there within 15 minutes. He looked tough. Brought him in and was shocked when the doctor told me that he had bronchitis. Seriously? He had a cough that started on Monday and I assumed it was the same cough that a large population has because spring is here FINALLY and all the molds are out harassing everyone.

Poor guy, brought him home and he slept for 6 straight hours. I really felt like mother of the year. How could I have not known he was so sick? When I bring the boys in because I am convinced they have the jungle flu the doctors send me packing with no diagnosis. When I bring them in thinking they probably just have a cold we walk away with bronchitis? I am definitely not medically inclined.

So Grandma Eileen, my lifesaver brought over KFC and DQ Cake to celebrate-again a low calorie meal. Alex, her, and I sang happy birthday to me while Anthony slept and Erik worked. We did go into the baby's room and cooed over some of her things. Made some arrangements for the week I will be in the hospital. When she left I gave my sticky middle child a bath and put him to bed. I went in and woke Anthony to feed him, change him into PJ's, and put him into his bed. I waited for Erik.

I thought this is exactly what 33 appeared to be to me when I was 23. The difference being is when I was 23 I thought it looked so dreadfully boring. At 33 I find it exhausting but totally worth it. Happy Birthday to me!

33

1. Marriage
2. Baby #1
3. Baby #2
4. Baby #3
5. Grandma's
6. Heaven
7. Love
8. Laughter
9. Lake
10. Friends
11. Flip-Flops
12. Sun
13. Morning
14. Mom
15. Dad
16. Fall
17. Wine
18. Cake
19. Nachos
20. Bike-rides
21. Campfires
22. Cereal
23. Playgrounds
24. Pink
25. Black
26. Honest
27. Endearing
28. Stubborn
29. Passionate
30. Hippy
31. Happy-wife
32. Happy-life
33. Content

This weekend...

Is going to be a busy one! Alex is going to join my sister and head up to Baudette to see my parents for the weekend. He has never gone without me so I am a little anxious but I know he will love all of the one on one attention. I can guarantee he will ask about Anthony though. When they are together they fight but when they are apart they miss each other. Anthony has a birthday party, 1st soccer game, and is very excited! I have 2 benefits to go to and may celebrate my birthday with the hubs. My mother-in-law offered to take Anthony after soccer so we may hit a movie or late dinner on Saturday. I told Erik we need to take advantage of as much alone time as possible because soon with 3 kids nobody is going to offer to watch them unless we are paying with some serious Benjamin's.

Speaking of baby, we have a name. A name that we all agree on and "feels just right". Our little girl is going to be named Kaycee or Kayce Marie, not 100% on spelling yet. Very excited to be able to call her by a name. This weekend I am going to put the rest of the things away in her room and get the crib up. I go in there and just sit sometimes, soak up all that is to come with her. It is the same room that Alex was in so I have many fond memories of late nights with him in the same chair. To think that we are going to have another little baby is very surreal to me. Truthfully, I think that Erik and I are still processing it. Especially after trying for so long for Alex, going through infertility. Crying and begging God for another baby. Frustrated with my own body for not delivering what I was wanting so badly. We just assumed if we wanted another baby that was the path we would be going down again. Content in the fact that it was the four of us. But we didn't and she is thriving everyday, getting bigger and bolder with her kicks. AMAZING!


Children are a blessing. There are days I have to count to ten to remind myself but I am daydreaming about this summer on maternity leave with us all snuggled in my bed, taking afternoon sunny walks, and me snuggling our new little girl while I watch the boys going crazy through the sprinkler. Life is good.