Those really are questions I asked my doctor.  I may have even asked a few innocent bystanders at the grocery store too.  Don’t judge.

I was a nervous wreck and I read any bit of information I could get my hands on.  Mainly that consisted of books, magazines, and a few websites on the internet.  If only I’d have had access to the fabulous app that Intermountain Healthcare just came out with called Baby Steps!

Baby Steps gives you access to week by week photos, information, and basically calms the nerves of any mother.  There is a connection to a community of mothers on the Intermountain Healthcare Facebook Page and to videos of Nurse Dani explaining away any strange, funny, and otherwise frustrating symptoms of pregnancy.  Like that bathroom issue just for starters.

It also has tools for taking notes, journaling, and tracking your baby bump as time progresses.  It wasn’t until my last pregnancy that I tracked the baby bump from week to week and I love to look back at those pictures.

 I also bought a baby names app during my last pregnancy.  The Baby Steps app has one already apart of it!  Oh, and did I mention that all of this is available to download FOR FREE!?  Think I can get my $0.99 back if I return that other app?  Yeah, me neither.

While the chances are good I won’t be needing this app to track any more pregnancies my sister has yet to give me a niece {hint,hint A} and I may just download this on her phone and see if she gets the hint.

Disclosure: While this is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Intermountain Healthcare, my opinions, stories and experiences are 100% my own.

Today. Just for an example.

I went from having one adult per child over the holiday to having one adult total. I am that adult. Completely outnumbered and swimming in the testosterone flooded sea that is my life.

And with that sea of testosterone comes sports. Lots and lots of sports. Tonight happened to be basketball. Me. And four kids. By myself. In a tight gym where every inch of wall is filled with parents watching their precious children throw a ball as large as their head into a hoop at least 4 times as tall as they are.

To make matters worse all the kids were all tired, we were running late, and it was team picture night. You can just see where this is going right!? It’s like the building of a climax in a scary movie and you just want to yell, “Don’t go in there!!!!” I went in there anyway. Not that I had a choice.

So there I was dragging, pushing, and encouraging my children to move as fast as they could so we could make it as close to on time as possible. One of them still had ketchup smeared on his face from the very nutritious dinner of hot dogs and macaroni and cheese they had just partaken of. One was in mid tantrum caused by who knows what calamity. The other two were just looking on as if witnessing a car crash much like the adults around me who watched hopelessly as I wrestled with them. We get there just in time for pictures only to realize I had forgotten the order slip in the car which was parked in the farthest parking lot away.  I’m smart like that.

We went back and grabbed the order form.  Pictures went well and the rest of night was spent trying to entertain three kids while also cheering on the fourth attempting to hurl that enormous ball into space.  Ah, they do grow up so fast.  At least that’s what I hear.

And now the children are in bed.  And I’m watching this Brad Pitt for Chanel {SNL Spoof} video over and over again.  Oh!  And then there’s this skit with Bruno Mars.  If these don’t make you pee your pants then perhaps your day was crazier then mine!

So I’m by myself right now while hubby takes one of our little munchkins to a football game and the others are sleeping. It’s a toss up between Pinterest and PicMonkey and as soon as I saw the adorable new Halloween designs on PicMonkey I was hooked.

This is my first design and I’m linking the PDF for you to print on your own, if you so desire. I just hope it works!

Click here to print the halloween printable

Click here to print the candy corn halloween printable

Not only does Nurse Dani do a fantastic job of answering your questions but I love the fact that other moms get involved also.  It creates such a feeling of community and relief to know you are not the only out there struggling with something.

Like the fact that with every pregnancy I started to show right away which made me extremely self conscious almost to the point of lying about when I was due when some sweet little lady would ask me at WalMart just so I could avoid the additional comments like “How many do you have in there!?”  ”Last time I checked there was just one.”

It’s nice to know I’m not the only one and I found that out by browsing the answers to one of their Daily Delivery Questions the other day.  Not only do the answers help other mothers experiencing similar symptoms/issues/problems but by answering it also enters you into the Intermountain Moms Daily Delivery Giveaway!  Now do they have your back or what!?

Utah fans of the Intermountain Moms Facebook page have the chance to answer the Daily Delivery question which could lead to them winning one the following prizes:

1. Diapers newborn to size 6 (28 – 40 diapers, depending on size)
2. Formula gift bag (includes 2 cans of formula, 6 bottles, 4 containers for breast milk, 2 insulated cooler packs) Similac or Enfamil
3. Boppy Pillow (girl)

So if you happen to be a local Utahan make sure you “Like” Intermountain Moms and watch for those Daily Delivery questions to enter to win!

Of course, you could also enter my GRAND PRIZE giveaway right now which gives you a chance to win ALL of those things mentioned above all at once.  I know.  Awesome.

Be sure to do one or two or all of the options listed below in the box and you’ll be entered to win. (Contest open to local Utah Residents Only)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: While this is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Intermountain Healthcare, my opinions, stories and experiences are 100% my own.

I have an unnatural hatred for chalk.

Seriously folks.  I have issues.

I am also not a big fan of bees, especially when they are invading my personal space, namely a 12″ bubble I keep around my person and my house.

Well, today it just so happens that while I was opening the package of brand new chalk that my sweet little darlings asked for at the store {which was on sale for 79 cents…how could I possibly say no despite the fact that it’s gross} a bee entered my house.

Really!?  I’ve got to touch chalk AND now I’m freakishly chasing down a bee in my house hoping it doesn’t get irritated, come after me, and leave me writhing in pain on the floor.

So this is me trying to get the bee…”oh. oh. oh. Just land you stupid thing.” Whap.  Miss.  ”Ohhhhhh.” Darting here and there, trying to look inconspicuous and invisible.  After about 5 minutes of this {would I lie?} I finally realize I’ve got to make my move.  I’ve got the fly swatter in hand, I slowly bring it back, pray that my aim would be better than the last 20 times I tried to hit this thing, and let loose.

Contact!

Now I’m ferociously whapping this bee, that is clearly dead, because that’s just who I am.

A vicious, chalk hating, bee killing freak.

My kids might need a better role model.

P.S. Guess how long they played with the chalk…just guess.  Let’s just say that by the time I extinguished the bee problem they were ready for snacks.

In no time at all our somewhat laid back lifestyle has taken a violent shove into crazy…or in our case, crazier.

I don’t know about you but our summer seemed to go by extremely fast and the other day I was reminiscing about all the fun we had.  Plus, I was flipping through photos to find a stellar one I could submit to the Intermountain LiVe Contest which, by the way, you can vote for here {hint, hint}.

With four boys you can imagine that our lives are already pretty active and our summer was no different.  We had a family weekend at Bear Lake where we played with cousins, built sand castles, climbed rocks, and blew bubbles.

We also headed to California for some fun in the sun where we slathered on the SPF 5000, splashed in the pool, and got thoroughly spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa.

This just happens to be the photo I submitted to the Intermountain LiVe Contest {which again, you can vote for here} that shows my 8 year old about to make a big splash!

We sure did have a busy and active summer as I’m sure you all did too.  I’d love to hear about your favorite memory and so would Intermountain LiVe!  You can submit your favorite picture from your active summer and have the chance to win a GoPro HD Camera!

Not only does Intermountain LiVe want to hear about your active summer but check out their Facebook page for some great tips on healthy living.

Not only am I an Intermountain Mom because of the experiences I had giving birth to my babies but because they support an active, healthy lifestyle which is just what I want my family to have.

Disclosure: While this is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Intermountain Healthcare, my opinions, stories and experiences are 100% my own.

And with back-to-school comes PTA, after school activities, and open house.  Ah yes, open house.  That wonderfully exciting day when you and your school bound children get to meet their teacher.  For the very. first. time.

When I am on my own I think I’ve got pretty good social skills and can {usually} make a good first impression.  Put me anywhere with my kids in tow and my level of intelligence and ability to focus gets cut in half.

Take today’s open house for example.  I’m not at all sure what just happened but I 100% positive it wasn’t pretty.

My first mistake was taking ALL of my four children.  Do me a favor, if at all possible, trade babysitting with another parent.  Even if just for your own sake.  Trust. Me.

So, here I am, Little Squirt in the stroller, my 3 year old Little Buddy in tow, and my two school bound children racing to find their classroom.

As if it wasn’t bad enough that Little Buddy was throwing a tantrum but my first grader had come down with a case of viral pink eye that morning so I spent most of the time reminding him not to touch anything, stop rubbing your eye, keep your hands in your pockets.

And the award for best portrayal of an over protective, paranoid parent goes to Krista!  Not exactly what I was going for but okay.

We start off with a tour of my first graders classroom.  His teacher had a fun little scavenger hunt which we went through, all the while I’m {a} tugging Little Buddy to follow and to stop pushing the stroller into people, {b} trying to keep Little Squirt from getting out of the stroller and reaching around to hit Little Buddy, and {c} asking my 8 year old to watch where he is going to avoid knocking over other little kids.  Pretty sure she won’t be calling me to be the head room mom.

Next, it’s onto my third grader’s class.  He has a great teacher and when we arrived there wasn’t any one else there.  Score!  I’m thinking, “Nice.  My kids won’t be wreaking havoc, running into people, playing with the cubbies.”

That was my second mistake.  Never under estimate the abilities of your children.  Not only did Little Buddy start playing with water faucet in the sink but Little Squirt somehow managed to stand up in the stroller which only came crashing down throwing him face down on the ground.  After which he immediately started wailing.  All the while I’m trying to talk with my son’s teacher about the permission slips I need to sign for the year and offering my assistance.  Probably won’t be chaperoning any of those.

With all the necessary papers in hand and a good handle on what the future school year has in store we leave the school.  I couldn’t be certain but I think I heard cheering.

Next up, preschool open house.  I’m pretty sure it couldn’t get any worse than this and I set the bar pretty low so the only way is up.

Before he came along there were three other perfect little boys born.  All came with little fanfare or complication but he was a little different.  I suppose being the baby he wanted to make an entrance.

Throughout my entire pregnancy he was breech.  I can remember those last few weeks doing everything I could to entice him to turn.  Flashlight, orange juice, a birthing ball, yoga…everything short of standing on my head.  It became clear he was pretty comfortable and determined to stay put.

My wonderful doctor, who also delivered my other 3, explained our options and we set a date.  We opted for an external cephalic version (ECV) or, in lamens terms, slather mommy’s swollen belly with oil, grab baby and manually flip him from the outside.  Your stomach muscles just tightened a bit didn’t they!?  Yeah.  It was a pleasant experience.

Okay, so it wasn’t all that pleasant but I probably would have enjoyed it even more if he would have actually turned.

Considering all that could have gone wrong though I’m so grateful that his delivery, a c-section, went as smoothly as it did.  It turns out the umbilical chord was wrapped around his neck preventing him from turning so a c-section was the safest way to go.  Sometimes things just happen the way they are supposed to.

During the entire process I was anxious, nervous, nautious, terrified, all of the above.  Fortunately for me I had the wonderful doctors, nurses, and staff at Intermountain Healthcare walking (or in this case wheeling) me throughout the entire process.

They were there to care for my newborn son while I lay rather helpless on the operating table.  They were there to whisk him away to the NICU when they realized his breathing was irregular and rapid.  They were there to assure me that everything would be alright.

And it was.

It was certainly not the birth experience I had in mind going into the hospital that day but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

If nothing else, it has made me realize how grateful I am to have four strong and healthy boys and how important it is to have confidence in the medical team you are working with.

Which is why when I was asked to be an Intermountain Mom it took all of about negative 2.1 seconds to say YES!

Being a mother, whether it’s your first time around or your fourth, is a daily challenge.

Why is the umbilical chord black?  Should it be oozing like that?  My baby isn’t pooping enough.  My baby is pooping too much.  Why isn’t he sleeping longer?  Should that look like that?

Yes.  These really are all questions I myself had at one point in time during my own journey into motherhood.  That’s why when I discovered the community on Intermountain Moms on Facebook I was like “YES! Finally!”  I mean, I’ve got my girlfriends and, of course, my mother to answer questions but sometimes {and I say this in the nicest way possible} you need some more reassurance.

Through the Intermountain Moms Facebook Page you have access to hundreds of videos, a community of moms, and your own personal nurse…Nurse Dani {who is unbelievably adorable and my new BFF – even though she may not know it}.  There is a tab that allows you to ask her any question you have and she will answer it, either in written form or by video.  And don’t forget the community of moms who check on it daily.

They say it takes a village to raise a child.  Well, this is my village.

Here I sit.  The house is quiet.

My sweet and wonderful husband has the kids.

Despite the fact that I wish for days like this, I am sitting here stewing over the fact that I’m not with them.

This week was high on the “do not get sick” list.  So what did I do!?  I got sick.  I’m sure as a result of too much going, going, going this summer and perhaps not enough resting.  Granted, I made it through the week and completed all those things that needed to get done including baking and frosting 200 sugar cookies for a wedding {don’t worry I washed my hands like a maniac}.

With all of the business of the week done, today we were going to go to Lagoon {for those of you who don’t know, it’s an amusement park}.  We go every year around this time since it’s sponsored by mr’s work.  But I’m sick.  I’m sure I could have tried to go but I’m also sure I would be miserable and make every one else miserable too.  Not on purpose but I seriously don’t feel good.  Even now my brain is in a fog and I have no idea how all of this is going to sound.  It will probably be one of those posts I read weeks later and I’m like wuh?

So, no Lagoon for me.  Instead, here I sit with my trusty roll of toilet paper because we are out of tissue and I REALLY don’t want to go the store just for that,  a huge water bottle, and the remote.  While my cute little family is making memories.

The kids are growing so fast and the summer seemed to fly by so fast and I feel like I missed out of a quite a few things just trying to survive.  And as much as I love having the house to myself I was surprised at how emotional I was as they pulled out of the driveway this morning.

At that moment I would have given anything to be able to go with them.  I’d much rather be on a roller coaster than sitting here.

This may seem a bit ironic to share on a the very day that I launch a new project but this wonderful woman had a lot of wisdom.  It would us all good to remember to simplify.  Perhaps I should get that tattooed on my forehead.  At least a temporary tattoo.  I’m deathly afraid of needles and then there’s the whole “my body is a temple.”