Toes in the sand, suckas!

Me and the boys will be livin' it up in beachy, beautiful and sunny (well maybe not right now) Florida for the next 3 weeks. 
Trips to Destin beach, oysters from Pensacola, maybe a pizza or two from Helen Back's, Juana's on a live-band night, midnight girltalk sessions on the porch (20 yards from the bay)... well I could go on but then I'd probably be added to some hitlists*

*I'm already on some hitlists. 

Friends with benefits

(it's not what you think hehehehe)

Gay and Johnnie's bedroom had some great natural light goin' on this morning, so I took some pics of the boys.  Then my bestie Candice gone and done edited them.  NOW we're talkin'!

It's like I'm on tour.

In the last month I: had a baby, loaded Baby up and headed to Texas, celebrated Hans' 3rd Birthday (ACK!), sent Justin off to Alabama for the summer, aided my parents in the birthing of 18 goats, put Hans is swimming lessons, and started my "Joanie gets her rockin' bod back" workout regime. 

Next Friday I will: load the newborn and Hans up and start driving. Where, you might ask?  Everywhere.  Why?  Cuz I'm a warrior.

lol

Rowan update:  He's such an easy baby-  breastfeeds like a champ, sleeps for insanely long periods of time (he can sleep thru anything- poor guy has a loudmouth mother and brother) and is a pooping machine, AND...Rowan is a snuggler.  Just like his brother. I love that so much. Yum. He looks a little like Hans, has my brother Clint's nose, Justin's lips and my almond-shaped eyes. But Gay says he looks just like my brother Justin.  It's too early to tell, people!

Hans update:  He's almost 3 and is the size of most 6 year-olds, almost completely potty-trained and loves himself some dinosaurs.  His fave: T-Rex.  We took him to Dinosaur World in Glen Rose, Texas, last Friday and celebrated with cake at Mimi and Papa's (Uncle Clint and Aunt Jennifer were also there for the blessed event).  He's currently in swimming lessons and poor Ms. Bethany spends the first 10 minutes of every day listening to rants dedicated to dineroraurs (dinosaurs) and daggies (dragons).

Justin and Joanie update:  Well, Justin has gone to Alabama for 8ish weeks of training.  Lousy timing but a wonderful opportunity for him (and we're thankful for those).  I'm already missing him terribly and I know he's missing Hans and Baby Rowan, but we'll be making our way to him soon enough. And I've started my borderline psychotic diet and exercise program.  Neck-deep into Day 3 and I can't feel my legs anymore and my arms are bumpin'. I've got some work to do.  Time and patience. Time and patience (that's what I keep chanting to myself). 

                                                                 Rowan- 1 month

                                 Dinosaur World!  Next to Dad's childhood fave- Stegosaurus

                                                          Happiness is Dinosaur cake!

Rowan Patrick Eulberg

6 days late but here's the post- Rowan Patrick arrived May 8, 2012 at 3:24 a.m. (that was fun) weighing 8 pounds, 9 ounces and measuring 20 inches long.  He's perfect, yummy and so chill.  An absolute angel. I have to wake him up to feed him- how did I get so lucky??!!

I had a very long labor but a short delivery.  I feel great, so great that Gay has threatened to get on the Greyhound bus because "I don't need her help."  No! Wait, Gay!  I'm putting on my pajamas and staying in them all day! Don't. Leave. Please.

So in wrapping this up, I'm the happiest girl alive and even having my cell phone stolen from my car during Mother's Day worship service won't ruin this euphoric feeling. 

And...I already want another one (baby, not another stolen phone incident).

Wahoooooooo!

I'm getting induced on Monday at 7:30am!  I don't know how I'm going to get any sleep this weekend.  Exciting times!

According to ultrasound today, Rowan weighs 8 and 1/2 pounds and has some cheeks.  I'm already so in love with this pudgy bundle of goodness, I can't imagine what is coming my way in just a short couple days. 

                                                                          40+ weeks

Life is good and there is much to be joyous about.

Going, going, almost gone

Today is my due date.  And I'm obvs not in labor.
If any of you believe in witchcraft and wizardry, cast a spell for me.
If any of you light candles, strike a match already.
Thanks a million.

                                              40 weeks

p.s.  I am happy to report (or brag, you choose) that I still have no stretch marks.  Eat your heart out.
        

The Last...Easter

I've been crying a lot.  Not cuz I have a billion extra hormones surging thru my body but because Hans is about to be an only child no more.  He's my first baby.  We've been thru so much together, I mean, Justin has been deployed or tdy for over half of his life and it has just been me and my little mancub.  We've put tens of THOUSANDS of miles on the vehicle together, stopped at our fair share of shady gas stations together, been dead sick all alone together, fussed at the dogs together, memorized Sirius Radio's 80's on 8 playlist and lyrics together...and now I'll have to split my attention between 2 babies. 

(Sidenote)
Gay has become concerned and intervened.  She's the one who told me that I need to stop calling Hans 'Baby Hans.' She also ordered and sent a book from Amazon (this is huge as Gay + interwebs = virus-filled CPU) entitled, "A Baby Is Coming To My House." I've been instructed to read this book daily to Hans.  I'm also getting the standard Gay voicemail guilt trip, "Joan, Baby Hansie deserves a whole lot. A whole lot.  He has a little soul."
(End Sidenote)

So, Hans, one day when you're reading up on your mother's blog (not that you or any other kid is gonna give a rip), please know that you're the moon of my life, I didn't know love or life before you, and you'll always be my sweet German baby.