Porter Post

     In the late afternoon of December 19, I went on base un-showered and unsuspecting of the non-stress test ahead of me. Being over my due date, I was thinking of how non-stress tests always seemed to get me contracting with the twins and I was hopeful I’d be coming back to the hospital later that evening in labor. I just felt like it was going to be the night. I was stopped up short when the doctor came in and said there were some concerns on the non-stress test. Nothing terrible but also not “text book perfect” and if it’s not “text book perfect” when you’re passed due it’s time to get induced. Like pronto. His comfort zone was having me on continual monitoring from that point on. No going home to get my stuff and coming back. This was it.       Induced. Induced?! (Insert tires screeching on the asphalt) An induction. I didn’t want an induction. Even on the one pregnancy when I was going to be induced, the cervix softener they gave me the night be...

 How frequently Cameron came over and asked, "Anything I can help with?" when he saw me amidst the hustle and bustle of dinner or clean up. He's trying hard to help and to set a good example and I'm watching his maturity blossom. Watching the Marvel movies together, especially Endgame. The boys thought it was just about the most epic thing ever imagined. Watching Little Boy over Memorial Day weekend when Cameron and I both cried in the movie. Benson perfecting his snapping. His newest move to show-off is three snaps in a row in which he builds volume with each passing of the fingers. Having the boys rotate sleeping in bed with me. This is probably the best part. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays they take turns sleeping in Mommy's bed. I tuck everyone else in and then we read together. Cameron and I are almost done with White Bird by R.J. Palacio, a graphic novel about a Jewish girl during WWII. Jackson and I recently finished the graphic novel version of the first ...

 It's 10:30pm on the dot and I'm breaking my get-to-bed-on-time streak, but I just feel like writing. It's probably part excitement over setting up my new iMac computer and part bottled up writing energy. Jayce has been gone since February 15th for his deployment in western Africa so that puts me at 2 months and 5 days since I was crying in the car on the way home from the airport. It wasn't all bad, we definitely stopped by Dunkin' Donuts on the way home and the boys had a teacher work day so we played away the rest of the first day.  A couple of experienced military wives had told me, "Just know that when they're gone, everything breaks." We laughed about it and I knew that surely something annoying would probably happen while he was gone, but I wasn't ready for a whole list of grievances within the first week and half of him being gone.  Grievances of the First Week-and-a-Half: There was a drop in water pressure in the kitchen sink. (Troubleshoo...

Something big arrived in the Porter Family early in the morning on September 29! He's big, he's blonde, and he has kisses all over his chunky cheeks...welcome to the world Aiden Titus Porter!  He was my second largest baby weighing in at 8 lb 10 oz, his abundance of blonde hair is reminiscent of Cameron, he's the 17th grandchild on the Porter side and the 14th on the Terry side and he came into the world fast and furious like his next-older brother, Spencer. He also completes the Porter basketball team. Summer Olympics 2032, here we come! Now where's a coach?    The Story The week of my due date my goal was just to stay relaxed and not get fixated on when Aiden might/might not arrive. The "Anything happening in there?!" questions are always well meant (and I totally ask them of other preggos too, it's just too exciting when someone is about to deliver!) but they make me feel like I should have control over something I do...

Seeing Benson sit down mid run home from the neighbor's house looking defeated and grumpy... Me: "Hey Benny Boo, what's up?" Ben: "Jack and Cam said that the last person home was pig's poop. And I'M pig's poop!" Me: "Well, you're not the last one. Want to have a race and we'll see if you or me ends up as pig's poop?" Ben looks up at me with his twinkling grin and nods his head. Then he gets up and bolts it. Jackson: "Mom, where did you guys put the Halloween candy? I looked up high in all the closets and I climbed up and looked on top of the dryer and I can't find it anywhere!" Ben calling out to brothers: "GUYS! I JUST SAW MOM FEEDING AIDEN OUT OF HER UTERUS!" via GIPHY

Recorded these during the summer and never posted them. Cameron was "having a hard time falling asleep" and came out to lay down next to me on the floor in the hallway. I was reading the Ensign out there in an effort to help the boys stay calm and fall asleep. I read him a story from the Ensign that compared the Tuskegee airmen to the Holy Ghost in the way that they helped a particular squadron on a mission in Europe. Then he ran into his room to get his new Articles of Faith printout that he was given in Primary so that he could read them next to me and start memorizing (he's pretty excited about the prospect of a piece of candy from the Primary Presidency every time he passes off an Article of Faith). We talked about the first one and then the conversation turned into discussing the resurrection. At one point he said, "Maybe then I can see Jesus! Because I've always wanted to see him in real life, not just like in pictures like this one (pointing to the pic...