Pregnancy #3 Update: Beginning of Second Trimester

by Meghan // March 29, 2014 // Comments off

Well, with my first two pregnancies I updated pretty regularly. This time, we didn’t announce the pregnancy until almost 12 weeks, so I haven’t really been writing updates thus far.

We are almost 16 weeks along now; I had a doctor appointment last week and everything was great. The heartbeat was 157 (I think…) and the doctor okayed me to stop the progesterone supplements. My next appointment is in April and we will have the anatomy scan. Here, they only do one ultrasound (what’s up with that?!) at 20 weeks. We had an ultrasound at 6 weeks, to date and confirm the pregnancy.

We will not, however, be finding out the gender. We have a girl and a boy, all babies are September babies and the nursery can be gender neutral. I am good with that. (ok, so if you know me well, you are probably as surprised as I am that I am okay with not “planning” for a girl or boy…) The urge I have to perform a home baby gender test is a little too strong at the moment!

The surprise of finding out in the delivery room with only my husband far surpasses my innate need to plan, design, and decorate. I can’t wait to spend that moment with him. We are also not talking names. To anyone. Or to each other, for that matter. =)

J.Tom and I haven’t even discussed names, because we can’t seem to agree on anything. So, I figure if we wait until we have him or her in our arms, we can whip out the handy dandy name list and we can go from there. I just don’t feel like arguing over names, or listening to other people’s opinions of names when we don’t even have a name semi narrowed down yet. *and I’m not saying that all snotty* If we happen to come up with names before the baby arrives, I will be happy to discuss. But we said this time we want to wait until we have our baby in our arms, and that’s what I am sticking with.

It will be fun.

Lexie is very excited about “baby #3.” We don’t call the baby “the new baby” because that just seems mean to the siblings. So it is baby #3. Max is pretty clueless, of course. He is too obsessed with eating, throwing things, and chasing the dog.

Oh yes, we got a new dog. She’s furry, and sweet, and smart, and precious.

We will room Lexie and Max together. For now we are planning on J.Tom building bunk beds- the top bunk will be above the crib, and then when Max is ready to move to a big bed we will build a bed frame for a bottom bunk. I really like snuggling in the bed with Lexie, so maybe I will just put the crib in her room and take out a dresser…. It is up in the air for now.

It is hard watching my babies all grow up on me! It is exciting, of course. This pregnancy wasn’t originally planned. After experiencing a loss in early December, we decided at the very last minute (literally) to try for baby #3. The timing worked out to being another September baby, which I had hoped would happen, but hadn’t actually thought would happen. Just before our loss and all we decided to wait another year. Funny how God works.

No nausea since about week 12-13. I have 3-4 days of TONS of energy, and then a day or two where I am exhausted and can’t keep my eyes open. I workout a few times a week with T25, or we go for walks on warmer days. No weight gain so far ~~(well, technically I gained back the weight I lost in the fall, but that happened before this pregnancy, so I don’t count it)~~ but I am pretty sure my hips are bigger! How does that happen? … And I haven’t lost the weight from Max, so it doesn’t seem likely that I need to gain much. The doctor is good with that.

Still praying for a healthy 5 more months. I hope to go full term, as usual. Big healthy babies seem more durable when you have a Max Payne running around the house. Poor Mister, he has no idea what is coming! Then again, neither do I.

Pray for me, friends! =)

Preparing for Next Year’s Homeschool: PreK 4/5 Curriculum Choices {2014/2015}

by Meghan // March 17, 2014 // Comments off

Well, for ~~years~~ months and months I have gone back and forth over what we will use for our curriculum next fall. What curriculum, what style suites us best, what will keep Lexie’s fire going, her passion for learning; what will also work for Max so we can reuse some materials, etc.

I have also had to consider what will be easiest to fit into our life, with baby #3 due in September of this year. =)

As you know I have mostly decided on a classical/Charlotte Mason education style for our family because it just fits us (and our love of the outdoors, learning, and books); but I have also been contemplating joining Classical Conversations. There is a community not too far from us that a dear friend is also a part of. I really enjoyed the open house I attended and Lexie did AMAZING sitting in the room with me for the 2 hours we were there. However, I just don’t know if we are ready for it yet.

I love the Charlotte Mason approach to learning. It encompasses everything I believe about education and family uniting. It is Biblically based, and literature rich (so is classical education). It is truly where my passion for learning and educating my children comes full circle.

Charlotte Mason is also what I see in my children. I see Lexie loving books- asking questions about everything we read; wanting to know more and making connections from her books to her world. Max is beginning the same process- he didn’t love reading books at first, but at about 13 months old, he became obsessed with them, just like big sister. When I sit on the floor, he will bring me a book and say, “boo-k,” turn around and plop into my lap. He then proceeds to open the book and I will read. He really likes for me to take his finger and point to everything in the picture and say its name. He loves reading. And that tells me he will also love learning.

I want to keep their fires burning, but I need to do that in a way that will fit our young family’s lifestyle. As a busy mom of soon-to-be 3, there won’t be much time for the intense planning that a combined classical/Charlotte Mason style education can require. So in the fall, (well, really in January probably) I think we will begin with Sonlight’s P4/5 curriculum.

Sonlight P 4/5 includes: read alouds and language arts, science, Bible, rediness skills, beautiful art books and studies, and introduces world cultures. One thing I love about classical education is it begins history at the beginning. So children not only learn there is much, much more to their world than just their immediate surroundings, but they also learn where it all began. Sonlight does an amazing job of choosing wonderful children’s literature and living books to teach every subject, which is where the Charlotte Mason style comes in. Another point I love is that Sonlight is fairly adaptable. You can supplement with as many books as you’d like, whatever math you prefer (although they sell a few great curricula), and you can make it work with just about any style of education, if you really want to. Their book list is what has driven their popularity for years, but as more and more families have used it, the more it has become known for being a wonderful core curriculum. (no, this is not a review and I am not being paid to say any of this!).

We already have a phonics/reading program we will use, which we haven’t started yet. I chose All About Reading because it is so child friendly and hands on, which I think will be fine for Lexie (as I am mostly sure she has a photographic memory) but I know will be great for Mister, because he is my 100% tactile learner. We will use this with our Sonlight, along with Saxon or Horizon’s math, and a few supplemental activities in science.

I have many friends ask me about two things :1) homeschool curricula and options and 2) converting to a healthier, real food lifestyle. #1 is mostly why I am writing this post.

I tell you, I cannot wait to get started next year. We might begin in August, to get a head start, then take off in September-Christmas with the baby coming, holidays, etc., then start back in January. Or we may just begin in january and go through part of the summer… I know me, and I know Lexie, and chances are we will not want to take that much time off. We both crave structure and our learning time together, so I imagine we will get back to it pretty quickly.

One thing I am really looking forward to is not having to plan and print every thing we do in this season of life. Right now, I am using a printable curriculum (that we both love) and we are doing Five in A Row which is Charlotte Mason style, but requires all the planning be done by the parent. So it requires a lot of time on my part. Sonlight has done most of the work for me, meaning I can enjoy my time teaching, learning, and snuggling, all three of my babies this fall.

So, I have to get busy filling orders in my etsy shop, since that is how I plan to pay for this curriculum! haha If you haven’t noticed I haven’t been writing much lately. There is a two fold reason for this. 1) The first trimester of this pregnancy has kicked my butt! Between the extreme nausea and exhaustion, I am just now catching up on household duties! and 2) I have been very busy making baby blankets in my etsy shop. I keep saying I am going to slow down, finish my drapes for the kitchen, and make a few dresses for Lexie, but so far that hasn’t happened. Hopefully soon!

Baby Summary: Babywise Baby 1 year

by Meghan // September 30, 2013 // Comments off

Happy First Birthday!

Well, sweet little Mister is a year old!

*tear*

He is just so dang sweet.

And he loves me, and wants me for comfort, etc.

But he is obsessed with
his daddy. I may have mentioned in another post, but Max doesn’t say “dada.”

He GROWLS it. It is hilarious! And so sweet. So then J.Tom growls back at him “Maaax,” then Mister responds … and they have this whole man code thing going on.

Pretty cute.

He also LOVES his cars and trucks that he can push around. He pushes them all around the house, and likes to load things up in the dump truck bed.

Right now, his favorite “hand” toy is his Kevin the Crane Train, my dad got him for his birthday. He loves that thing and carries it around most of the day.

If he doesn’t have the crane train, he has his lovie. Oh my. It goes everywhere! It’s pretty cute. And if he isn’t holding it right that minute, it better be close by, or he walks around aimlessly until he finds it. Then resumes his previous activity.

reading his birthday card, with lovie close by =)

He still loves Scarlet, very much. They “bond” through the screen door. haha “dag dag dag”- which is dog dog dog. And sometimes it comes out “da da da,” and we only know he isn’t talking about his daddy, because he isn’t growling it (and he is looking at Scarlet…). haha

What else? …

His favorite foods are peanut butter, banana (NANA!!!), any fruit really, chilli with rice, eggs, oatmeal, and anything we are eating that he can have.

He’s just so pretty!

He is now on the coconut milk tonic from Eat Fat, Lose Fat. It has the equivalent calories to cow’s milk, and he loves it. He still takes it from a bottle. He took it from a sippy once, and then refused it for an entire day after that… I am not really concerned about the bottle, because he only takes it a few times a day, and we will break it eventually.

He LOVES his kombucha out of his sippy though. Give him some “bucha bucha” in his sippy and he walks around like he owns the place. So I am sure he will accept the milk in it soon. No rush here though.

We are still a no go on the cow’s milk- it makes his throw up all day, and scream when laying down. And that was only a spoon of dairy. Hopefully he will outgrow this by 2?

Goodnight Moon is his favorite book… we read that at bedtime along with a few other favorites. He is doing the motions to twinkle twinkle little star.

OH! This was so cool- we were in church last Sunday, and he pointed at the star in his book, and said “sta!” I was so proud! =) He has only done it once since then. He can point to it if you ask, he just sorta refuses to say it. Polar opposite of his big sister…

Mister is obsessed with my watch, which we call a clock, overhead lights, and dumping things.

If he can put something inside something else- he is a happy little camper! The other day he just took his whole puzzle over to the trash can and dumped it in! That was fun cleaning up ..
When Lexie and I are playing with something in the floor, he immediately starts tearing it apart and putting it into its respective container/tote/box (blocks, animals, balls, etc). haha

“truck truck”

Mister and lovie it at the state fair

I know, the boy is never in clothes. Well, he has been lately because of the cooler temps. But have I told you what a sucker I am for sweet baby fat rolls in cloth diapers?! *Guilty*

My mama says he looks like a little hippy boy …. I’m good with that! =)

Big bear in the playground tunnel (this was an impromptu walk to the playground, hence no clothes..)

Happy Bear

SO, last month I took this picture of Max in my lap. And I immediately thought of this picture of my brother. My brother, Jeremy is on the left, Max is on the right.

Lookin like my Uncle Jeremy

Kinda amazing.

But then, there are days he looks like my baby pictures:

Anyway, that was just for fun. I think Jeremy would be proud that Mister looks like him.

So … he enjoys just hanging out in one of his block boxes …

the box … the lovie.

He weighs in at 23.8 pounds (we FINALLY got a scale in the house) and I am not sure on height. Thi is good considering the rough start he had with formula and milk, reflux,and poor weight gain for the first 6-8 months of this life. But he is on track now!

Sleep is still two naps, and 12-13hours at night. We tried moving the first nap back, like I mentioned in my last update. But that totally backfired with shorter naps and earlier morning wake times. So we are still at a 2 hour wake time before first nap, 3 hours before second nap, and 4 hours before bed (usually 6:30-7pm). It is working, knock on wood.

We are coming into wonder week 56, but he always starts them early by a week or two, so I think that is what this last disruption has actually been. I figure by the end of it he will either naturally push that nap back, or completely drop a nap on his own. Max has always consolidated his sleep on his own- I attribute that to him never having been in daycare where they determine his sleep, and thus disrupt it.

We have been able to naturally work with his sleep needs and it fits in great with our family routines, so it works for us! Clothes are 18 months, I figure we will be completely in 18-24 and 24 after Christmas.

Bubby LOVES his sissy Lexie

He was in a 4 shoe this summer, and he is wearing a 4.5 wide stride rite walker now. This boy has the flattest, fattest little feet ever. haha They’re so cute! Lexie had really wide feet but super high arches. Mister’s little feet are so flat.

And I guess that’s it. Still putting everything in his mouth. Everything. Enjoys playing “what can I dunk in the toilet today?!” Poor Lexie does a really good job at keeping her toilet lid down in her bathroom, but sometimes …. and I think Max just had a radar that tells him the lid is up. haha

OK, I think that is about it for our 12 month summary. He is just a super sweet little mister!

Weekly Wrap-Up Sept 20, 2013- Play With Me by Marie Hall Ets

by Meghan // September 23, 2013 // Comments off

This last week has been a LOT of fun!

We started each day off with Bible time at beakfast, like always. We also did our memory work here- Lexie has learned Matthew 7:12, and a poem about the wind over the course of the last few weeks. I thought about doing a weekly verse and a weekly poem, but at this age I feel like maybe that’s just too much. So I think we will do one or two a month. Oh, and she has both memorized already. We will just continue reviewing them.

Then we did a few chores and went down stairs for calendar, and story time. Here is when Mister plays with us, we do a little circle time, and
Pooh series by A.A.Milne. We are reading The House At Pooh Corner.

And Lexie just loves it. She asks to read the chapters over and over, and retells the stories. She likes t be sure she gets every detail correct. Maybe she is a future writer? =)

We also have my original collection in one bound book, I think it was what I got on my first Christmas? Or maybe later, but I know I was young. It is my favorite book.

Each day we read our weekly BFIAR story, which was Play with Me by Marie Hall Ets.

Lexie LOVED this story, and the activities we did with it (we used the pond pack from Homeschool Creations and Homeschool Share). She had me read it over and over and over … while I read, she colored or we snuggled.

The activities were a lot of fun, and included a “Who Am I?” clue word game, and gluing which is Lexie’s favorite!

(this is actually a tracing activity we didn’t get to last week for our BFIAR story, and she wanted to do it)

We also went to the library to play and get our apple and fall books for this week. (YAY!)

One day we went to the park and played. There, we collected tiny pine cones, talked about what animals might live there, climbed a tree, blew dandelions … you know the typical nature walk kinda things. =)

Friday we packed up and went camping at Neobrara State Park. It was awesome, and a much needed family weekend. I will write about it another time. =)

This week we finished (FINALLY!) our thank you cards from Bug and Mister’s birthdays. Now I just have to get them addressed and in the mail ..

We also had a wonderful playdate at a friend’s house, played outside a ton (LOVE fall weather), and worked in the garden. Lexie is such a great helper in the garden and enjoys finding what we have on the vine each morning.

Her Great-grandaddy Payne would be proud of his littler gardener.

Protector of the tomatoes (Scarlet likes to eat them off the plant ..)

Playing outside with Lilly

Mister and his favorite person- “dag dag!” = dog dog!

Sweet bear at the park, just hanging out and climbing on the slide.

he was actually tasting leaves …

The result of her big morning at the park. First day of a nap in 2 weeks- AAAAH!

Since she took a nap, she got to go to walmart late with mama- check out the sundress and camo boots!

Some of the last few days’ harvest- what are now fermented tomatoes!

He just loves to eat

waky waky sleepy Lexie!

Loves for his dog dog

What did you do this past week with your littles and family?

Protecting Little Hearts

by Meghan // September 9, 2013 // Comments off

You know, I am an honest person. Sometimes brutally honest, but I try to do it nicely.

But something that gets under my skin, like really gets under my skin, is when people are mean or “passively aggressive” towards my babies.

I am praying about it, and probably thinking about it more than I should; but you can never pray too much, right?

Why do people do that? Why do they use your kids to get at you? Why can’t they just be HONEST with me, as an adult.

You don’t like the way I do things? Say so or be nice.

You don’t like how I raise my family? I’d really rather you keep your opinion to yourself, but if it’s between hurting my babies and being honest with me, BE HONEST WITH ME.

My daddy says not to let ’em get me down. But it’s so hard sometimes.

Daddy says, “Meg, you’ve got the Most High God, a good husband, and two great kids. Everything else good is icing on the cake; and take it for what it is because most everything else is doo doo!”

haha

I love my daddy. But he’s so right.

Why do I even care how people feel about me? I don’t.

It’s not me I care about- it is my babies. I care how they are treated. Both of them are sweet, sensitive, a little reserved, and neither of them understands sarcasm.

They certainly don’t understand being forgotten or left out. But Lexie is old enough to know she has been mistreated, or treated differently. And she questions everything.

So I try to protect her heart and feelings for now.

And it angers me. More than anything, it hurts my feelings for them.

So I am praying about it. Because I know it is something that doesn’t matter, it’s “doo doo,”

and quite frankly, so is anyone who deliberately tries to make you feel bad, hurt, or “different.” Christ wouldn’t treat you that way, because you are worth more to that than Him.

What you are worth to others doesn’t matter One. Little. Bit.

So, I will leave you with this:

Don’t let someone make you feel less than what you are. Because it boils down to pettiness and jealousy on their part, and neither of those traits look good on anyone.

Pray about it instead.

Pray for them.

Pray for yourself and the situation.

Because that’s really all that’s worth doing.

Always know that if you are doing what your heart is being pulled to do, and you can sleep with it at night knowing God ~~would be~~ is proud of you, then you don’t have to answer to anyone outside of your four walls (and I say that, because I do believe in answering to my husband, even though, like most all of us, I struggle with it sometimes). Other than that, it’s all you and God.

Have a great week, we have lots of fun planned around here!

How to Make Your Own Baby and Toddler Finger Foods- Made Easy!

by Meghan // June 17, 2013 // Comments off

So, apprently there is this whole thing called “baby led weaning,” where rather than introduce pureed foods, you let baby just start eating appropriate sized/cooked finger foods.

We did this.

On accident.

We did do pureed foods for a few weeks, but then it was so easy to just him some dried blueberries to snack on while I made Lexie’s lunch. Blueberries became avocado, and that led to other soft foods.

Within a few weeks, Max was refusing the spoon. Refusing as in, if it isn’t warm, smooshy avocado, or warm, runny egg yolk, he isn’t eating it from a spoon.

He spits it out and tried to pick it up with his fingers, and when he cannot, he gets furious! Which in turn leads to me giving him finger foods instead ….

So, how do I make appropriate finger foods for the mister to eat exclusively, at only 9 months of age?

1. I clean and peel the fruits and veggies (so far we have had: sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, sweet peas, lima beans, cauliflower, apples, pears, but the possibilities are endless, really).

2. I place a steamer basket like this one inside a pot:

3. Fill the pot with water until it sits just below the bottom of the steamer basket, place your food inside, cover it, and let them steam for about 10-20 minutes. Potatoes and carrots take longer than say, apples or peas. I usually do 20 mins for carrots and potatoes (that are chopped in big chunks).

4. After they are cooked through and soft enough for baby, I take the basket out and let them cool a bit.

5. Then I put them on a cookie sheet lined with butcher or freezer paper. Pop it in the freezer so they can freeze through. After they’re frozen I put them in labeled bags.

That’s it! Fresh finger foods for baby and toddlers, ready at a moments notice.

I’ve also done chicken breasts, but I didn’t steam them. I sautee them in a pan with coconut oil, garlic, onion, paprika, salt, pepper, and parsley. After the chicken was thoroughly cooked, I did the same as with the veggies for freezing

Now I have lots of healthy veggies and meats for Mister (and Lexie, too!) at lunch, snack, and dinner when he can’t have what we are eating.

A few tips: I rough chop the veggies, and slice the fruit into wedges. Don’t cut them up into bite size pieces for the steaming process because A)they will become mush, and B) when you pull some out of the freezer for meals, you can cut them into smaller pieces for baby at meal time after they thaw.

But what if my baby likes pureed baby foods, and can’t eat finger foods yet?
Then you do steps 1-4, just like I did. But instead of freezing them whole, place them in a food processor or blender with some breastmilk, formula, or filtered water, and puree away! When it is the consistency your baby likes, poor into ice cube trays, cover with plastic wrap or foil, and freeze! Then, pop the frozen cubes into labeled bags! Very easy.

I still give Max egg yolk and avocado from a spoon, just to keep him eating something off a spoon. Egg yolks (preferably free range, organic) are the most nutrient dense food a baby can have, and it is most like mother’s breastmilk than any other food. It’s very easy to make egg yolks for baby, and SO good for them:

Place eggs (as many as you’d like, I do 3-4 at a time) in a pot
Fill the pot with water until it just covers the eggs
Bring to a boil, boil for 3.5 minutes
When you crack the eggs, the egg whites should be cooked (or mostly) and the egg yolk will be nice and warm, but runny.
Crack the eggs into a bowl for baby, spoon feed baby the egg yolks

I use the left over cooked egg whites in chicken and tuna salad. J.Tom will also eat them with sal and pepper with his lunch. **Do not feed your baby egg whites, it is considered an allergen for after their first year. Talk to your doctor before giving egg whites to baby. I have given Max egg yolk that had a little egg white get in it, and he was fine, but do what you and your doctor are comfortable with**

For avocado, I just smash a ripe avocado up with a fork, add a little of his formula, warm it for 10 seconds, and then mix it together with the fork. It makes a nice, warm, creamy food for baby full of healthy fats. He also eats them with his fingers cut into bite size pieces.

Benefits of Making Your Own baby Food

The wonderful thing about making your baby & young children’s food at home, is it doesn’t take long at all, and it’s so much more nutritious! Baby food from jars is cooked at such high temps, there is very little, if any nutrients left in it. High temps like that may kill the bacteria in a huge facility, but it also kills the nutrients.

You can season the foods just like your baby/toddler likes. Max loves seasonings already, at only 9 months. I can add a little cinnamon to his carrots and sweet potatoes, salt and pepper to green beans, and mix fruits together like apples and pears for a sweet fruit treat.

Frozen finger foods can be used for teething also- you can get one of these super awesome feeders:

And place the frozen apple, banana, or pear wedges (or any other food baby likes) in the net, and let baby teeth away! Max especially enjoys grapes, cut in half and frozen, in them.

The possibilities and choices are endless when making your own food. It also allows you to customize foods for babies with allergies.

Lastly, it is CHEAPER than buying baby food, espcially if you buy in bulk from a co-op, buyers club (like Sams or Costco), or local farmer’s market. And, if you grow your own in a garden, even better!

I really hope if you have been intimidated by the process of making your own baby food, that this helps you in some way.

34-36 Weeks Baby Summary

by Meghan // May 10, 2013 // Comments off

*I have been building this post all week, so “today” isn’t actually today ….*

Max has grown by leaps and bounds in the last 5 days! He suddenly went for a bitty baby to a big boy! He is almost crawling (edit: AAAAh! He crawled 2 knees worth today!), waving hi, giving wide, slobbery, open mouthed kisses, and laughing more than ever. Tonight for bedtime was the first time he put his head on my shoulder and his arms around me while we sang for night night. I usually hold him like a baby while he sucks his thumb and winds down. He’s such a sweet bear. Today, he also went from the crawling position to sitting position for the first time.

…. see, lots of firsts!

He said Mama while we were playing downstairs, hiding out from the rain. I was so excited. He is trying really hard to talk. A lot. The past few days I have had the living room fan, he is mesmerized; and I know all babies love fans. But this boy like instantly smiles and is hypnotized by the fan! He likes to play games now, like throwing his head back so you will hold him upside down, and putting his chin up so you can tickle his neck. It’s so funny. These are all things Lexie was doing long before 8 months. But it’s like he just decided, “Hey, I think I’m ready to move and have fun!” Before, he was so lazy and laid back. He is still laid back, just enjoys moving around now.

He gets so excited and is so proud that he can get up and rock on his knees, push up on his toes, and crawl backwards sometimes. He will be crawling more by the weekend, we are sure! Lexie gets very excited with him. She likes to show him how to do it.

He really enjoys playing in the grass. One of the great things about having a real lawn, is he can play and feel the grass without the fear of stickers.

I have him his first asparagus this week. He loved it! He also likes dill pickles (did I mention that last time?) and blueberries.

Lexie has been the sweetest most affectionate two year old ever this last two weeks. She is constantly telling me how much she loves me, hugging my neck tight, kissing me, playing and teasing, loving on her bubby even more, and just growing more kind and loving every day. Lexie has a tender heart; she doesn’t like for other people to be hurt or upset, but has had her share of not being so nice (like a typical two year old)… Pushing, chasing the dog, hitting Max … terrorizing the chickens comes to mind too.

But lately she has been so affectionate. Last night we were doing bedtime routine, and she just wrapped her arms around my neck, hugged me and said, “i love you more than this much!”

I’m sure my monster toddler will return soon, but until then i will take all these loves i can get! Her new favorite *obsessive* topics to talk about are the things that make God happy, and being grateful. It’s wonderful to see Christ in your child’s life, even before they completely understand the implications of their relationship with Him.

sweet Mister Bear

reading her Bible outside

talking to her buddy

I can do it, I can do it!

Heh

She is crazy about her umbrella!

Mmmm Blueberries!

Yes, I like them!

monkey girl

Mama, look where I can climb!

I’m doing it!

Did you see me?!?!

Mommy and Lexie

water play!

Musings and Ramblings: Unexpectedly Blessed

by Meghan // April 28, 2013 // Comments off

(originally written Thursday, April 26, 2013)

The days. They are so short, go by so quickly. Somehow Max is over halfway to his first birthday, and my baby bug is going to be 3 years old in 4 short months. What?! How did this happen?

I try to absorb each day; each blessed day I get to be with them, to play with them, clean up their messes, and help them reach new goals. Many days are calm, fun, and messy. Others are hectic, tear filled, and more than messy. That’s what it’s about though, right? I mean, whether you are home all day with your children or you work outside the home, life is all about the messy moments- whether they are controlled chaos or full blown out of control, whirlwinds.

It’s hard. I’ve never done something that was so challenging in my life. ~~except maybe learn how to drive a stick, at which I was never successful ..~~ There are days I need more control than I have, and others that I let go and just let it happen. Those days, I have learned, are the easiest. This morning J.Tom, Lexie, and I sat on the bed. I handed her milk and declared today a NO housework day. No laundry, no vacuuming, no house work day. I’ve cleaned up the crumbs, and picked up toys after we played with them. The rest of the time all my attention was with the kids. I say my attention was “with” them, not on them because though I was there watching and interacting I wasn’t hovering.

Sometimes I wonder if stay at home moms are misunderstood? Not that it matters, we all know why we are home with our babies, no matter the reason. But sometimes comments from others makes me wonder, what do they think we do all day? What kind of person do they think I am?! We don’t lay on the couch all day watching tv. It’s not so I can micro manage their lives and create a perfect specimen. On the contrary, for our family being home is about soaking in all the mistakes and character flaws, then turning them into lessons later. Not to mention just the time we absorb together, as a family, learning about the each other, Christ, the world. But you know, being a parent is somewhat about controlling what your children are exposed to, how they’re exposed to it, and at what age. If I am going to take full responsibility for my children, I think JTom and I probably need to take control of the paths we lead them down. I never wanted a family; my dream at 15 was to become a forensic pathologist and move to California where I would live in a house by myself, or with my best friend at the time, and live a lavish lifestyle. None of those things happened… my best friend went to medical school. I graduated highschool early, partied until I absolutely burned myself out, started college, met and totally unexpectedly fell in love with Jtom. And then everything else just happened. Nine years later we are married and have two children. Nine years of blessings and growing together.

Blessings abound all around our family; we have been talking more and more about those blessings to Lexie. When she is refusing to eat her favorite food, simply because she is being defiant not because she isn’t hungry, I explain that not every girl and boy get lunch every day. Or even food every day. The same goes for braiding her hair- not every girl has a mama to braid her hair, or give her a warm, clean bath. Those seem like silly examples, but she understands them. She’s 2.5 but she knows there is a world outside our four walls, and that some of that world isn’t as nice as hers. She will smile and say, “Jesus gave me a mommy and daddy and max and lunch!” *warm tingly feeling* (insert an edit: we went to the library this morning for story time. She told a mom there that “Jesus gave me a beautiful daddy.” The mom responded with, that’s right. Not every girl and boy have a daddy. You are so blessed.”)

Then there are moments when I feel completely overwhelmed, asking myself what am I doing?! How am I supposed to fit God, meals, play, learning, cleaning, and serving my husband- joyfully- all in 24 short hours? 7 of which need to be filled with sleep, so that I am able to serve my family. This morning I was in the pantry deciding which lunch bag to take on our picnic play date with J.Tom this afternoon. As a million plastic cups fell out of the lunch bag I’d chosen, I took a deep breath and looked around. I was standing in a pantry the size of a bathroom, filled to the brim with food for our family and craft supplies for Lexie. I’m not sure what we have done to deserve the blessings we have been given. We have a home big enough for the family we hope to continue growing. It’s warm in the winter and (hopefully) cool in the summer. You can’t feel the cold air blowing from the cracks in the doors and windows. The floors are safe and comfortable for the babies to play on. We have clean, running water, toilets that work (hallelujah!), and silent pipes! (meaning no clanging and banging in the walls that wakes up sleeping babes! We can flush the toilet after 7pm woo hoo)

Our old home wasn’t bad, it was a blessing as well; just a blessing that needed many hours and dollars worth of fixing up. We now live in a neighborhood with other young families. Our home is one street from the disc hockey park and community pool (which is more like a mini water park) so there are many places to run and play during these beautiful warm days. The people in Nebraska- beyond kind. I’ve not met one rude person, everyone waves and stops to talk. Blessings. They seem simple, but at the end of the day that went all too quickly, when my clothes are stained with spit up, and my hair is falling out of it’s messy pony tail, this is what it’s about. It’s not about excess. It isn’t about more than we need (though we do have more than we need in many ways). It isn’t about which group of friends you are a part of, or how many vacations you go on a year. It’s about how we spend our days, day in and day out, with each other. It’s about our kind words, soft smiles, and oh. em. gee. the hugs and kisses. It’s about Max finally learning to fall onto his booty from standing up or almost saying “mama,” but it comes out “na-na.” It’s about Lexie learning to write an M on her paper, reciting Bible stories to her brother, and showing him the “Moses’s river” she made at the park.

Today, like I mentioned, we met JTom at the park for lunch. He ate with us, played with Lexie and then headed back to work. We hung around for an hour longer; Lexie played with a little girl. Her mama was with her, and being followed by a court appointed supervisor. The supervisor was wearing a badge, and mama wasn’t wearing much of anything. Much to my first impression-ed surprise, she was amazing with the kids. She was down in the sand, building a mote and castle with them (which encouraged me to do the same). She had Lexie and her daughter sharing toys, helping each other. I probably seemed like a terrible mom, because I just sorta sat back in awe. This woman, in her skinny jeans and barely there top that matched her platinum blonde hair, seemed educated, funny, and in general like a good mom (not that any of those things would make her a bad mom-don’t misunderstand me. I was thrown off mostly by the supervisor needing to be there). She invited us to play with them and their chalk, she made pictures with the girls, and even started acting out Lexie’s favorite story on the playground bridge- The Three Billy Goats Gruff… I’m not sure where her life has been or where it is going, but today from 12:00-12:45pm I am pretty sure it was meant to cross paths with ours. On a day when Lexie and I were both feeling a little lonely, wanting a friend to play with at the park (Dayla and Ryker- we miss you!), she and her girl were a blessing. Looking back, I am not sure I had quite the same impact on her as she did on me. But I do pray that whatever her situation is, she can find more joy in park play dates with Kera, than she does in whatever got her supervised visitations.

We have had a beautiful, fun day today. I cannot wait to see what other blessings are in store for our family in the days to come. The great thing about blessings, you can’t just sit back and wait for them; you have to put yourself out there, serve others, and get uncomfortable sometimes. This introvert has learned a lot about that in the last 2.5 years. (I know this post was rambly. I warned you in the title!)

How have you been unexpectedly blessed this week?

Max Week 32/33 Summary.. and a huge photo bomb!

by Meghan // April 27, 2013 // Comments off

I wrote this entire post, and then it somehow was replaced with a duplicate of another post?! And now I am feeling very frustrated. So it’s going to be an abbreviated version of the original.

Max has just finished his 33rd week of life, and will be 34 weeks old (almost 8 months old) on Sunday.

Eating
He is eating better; I got his medicine flavored differently, and he takes it no problem now. He is eating everything except bananas. They still bother his tummy

Development
Max is standing better, sometimes without holding onto anything, and has become brave enough to take a few steps in the same spot he is standing (in other words, he doesn’t move, just picks up his feet). He has learned to fall onto his booty instead of his back, so there is a lot less crying going on now! Woo hoo

He says dada and has started trying to say mama. But it comes out na-na. He does this especially when he is hungry/while I’m making his bottle or food. Since he has started talking, he has stopped all that screeching. YAY He is still signing for milk, and has not picked up the sign for “more” or “please” yet, but I haven’t been very consistent.

We are in wonder week 37 territory. Naps have been short, but he isn’t too terribly cranky… it could be worse. This is supposedly a tough wonder week, so we will see. After this mental leap he will be able to categorize things in his environment, like milk and oatmeal are foods, jtom, lexie and I are his family at home vs people he doesn’t recognize, etc. He will start practicing crawling sometime after this leap (*edit* during the cat nap he refused this afternoon, he was up on his hands and knees rocking… so I guess the urge to start trying has begun).

It’s funny how different he and Lexie are; at this age she was raring to go, 24/7! She wanted to move, was loud, and wanted to talk to/get attention from everyone she saw. I remember my friend Whitney saying how determined Lexie was, and that’s true to this day. Max is more timid, laid back.. and you could say he is lazy. =) He is getting more and more excited about standing though; it’s really cute when he starts flapping his arms, smiling, and cheering for himself. He’s just a really sweet baby and is sensitive; but I do remember Lexie being sensitive too. She was scared easily by certain toys, noises, or faces. Max is the same in that aspect.

Lexie Raye
I had so many updates on her before I lost the original post, and now I can’t remember any of them! Ugh!

We still have engine friends, though the dinosaurs haven’t been back. She has been showing more interest in dinosaurs, so we may do a unit study on them this summer just for fun. Oh yea- she has finally stopped fighting baths. No more screaming or crying hysteria; and I was able, after many weeks, to convince her washing her hair in the sink would be fun! So now she will lay on the counter and let me wash her hair in the kitchen sink- I told her how my memaw washed my hair like that when I was a little girl. She really liked that and mentions it every time we wash her hair. She also enjoys bath time now; I plugged the hole in all her bath toys with hot glue (pinterest is useful, sometimes!) The black mold that came out of them freaked her out (uh … it would freak me out, too. but there was no way to keep them cleaned out). So, that is no longer a problem.

Mommy and “wittle Baby Essie”

Now I know how my parents felt when I sent my water back 7 times at a restaurant because there were “floaties in it.” She is the same way about anything she deems should not have dirt on/in it. But playing in or throwing dirt outside, laying down in mud, and eating bird seed are all A-Okay!

Suddenly, the crying at bedtime every night stopped. The first night we waited a few hours then went and checked on her. She had climbed into her rocking chair to sleep. We always put her down in her bed, but then she moves to the rocking chair. At bout 8:30 every night I go move her to the bed. I don’t care if she sleeps in the floor, as long as she stays in her room, off the couch, and out of our bed! Anyway, so that’s how she has been falling asleep for the last 2 weeks. Hopefully it is a phase that ends soon, and she will be comfortable falling asleep in her bed again. We don’t know what freaked her out about her bed, suddenly. She has started talking about things getting her. We have prayed with her about it, and emphasize that in our home she is safe; nothing is going to get her and that most of the things she is talking

about are pretend, not real. I’m sure it is part of a developmental phase; she is starting to realize there are real dangers in the world, but doesn’t know how to rationalize that idea yet.

Spring is finally here! YAY! Yesterday we went to the park for a lunch and play date with JTom. After nap we walked to the school and played on the playground there. This morning we went to the library for story time, then after lunch we went for a run. It is the first time I have ran since I was pregnant with Max, so it’s been about 16 months…? Yea. So, my calves were sore 10 minutes after we got back home! But a good sore and I enjoyed every minute of my run. I pushed them in the double jogger. We went to the disc golf park across from the house. There is a wide, paved track that goes all around; it’s very wind-y and has lots of inclines and hills. It was a good workout. We ran/walked 2 miles. My goal is to run 6-8 miles a week, more if weather permits. I love running and it makes me feel good.

proud Mister Bear

Yea, what’s up?

Hey, what’re yooou doing?

Hrm, I landed on my booty … what do I think of this?

Hey, Na-Na… what just happened?

Hrm…

Oh well, I’ll just rest my eyes a bit

Ha- just kidding!

putting her engines to night-night in their “hallway bed Tidmouth Sheds”

patting them and tucking them in to bed

night night engine!

“are you still in there?”

oh there you are!

Are you ready for wake up time?

upside down- washing her hair in the sink

Tomorrow we are going fishing! Woo Hoo! As much as JTom and I LOVE to fish, we have never taken Lexie. So tomorrow is the day! There is a really nice lake on the west side of town, so that’s where we are headed tomorrow. This next week we are going to keep tweaking our routine until we find something that really works best. I’m trying to get up earlier in the mornings to start my day, and be sure everything is picked up and in order before bed (which I’ve always done, but I’ve been slacking lately).

Here are a ton more pictures of our last week or two.

Dada!

this is a different day than all the other red diaper pics. This was the first day he stood with the activity table

April 26, 2013

Max Baby Summary: Week 31

by Meghan // April 18, 2013 // Comments off

Max has been very clingy this week. His second tooth is here, and he is chewing like crazy with his side gums, so I am wondering if he is getting more teeth?! But I’m not sure. For the most part this last week was good. Minus the screaming. Oh my! The screaming. And it isn’t screaming like, “Oh, I’m mad so I’m screaming.” Or “feed me now!” (though he does that sometimes while I get a bottle ready.) No, it is just screaming. For FUN. A high pitched “Wheeee!” sounding scream. He was doing this while we ate lunch the other day. Lexie leaned over, put her hand on my forearm and said, “Mama. I do not like that sound.” Oh sweet girl, neither do I! Hopefully he will grow out of it before long.

He is signing milk all the time now. While I make his bottle, that little hand is just going to town signing for “milk.” It’s so sweet. He has been eating okay, but not great. Since the first tooth broke through he has good days and bad; he usually is only taking 4-5ounces, but will finish the rest mixed into cereal. However, because his new meds are working for his reflux, he is able to eat lots of real foods he couldn’t eat before, and now protests plain oatmeal! The boy wants real food. haha So we have been doing lots of avacado, carrots, peas, green beans, pears, apples and blueberries, etc.

His sleep has been better this past week, with only a few short naps. This weekend he had *perfect* sleep. All. Weekend. Long. It was amazing, really. I also found the activity table; it was hidden in the garage. We started using it this past weekend, and he did really well. For a baby who doesn’t seem the least bit interested in crawling or moving around at all, really, he stood up on his own for a long time playing at the table. He hasn’t mastered the art of bending his legs when he falls; so rather than fall onto his bottom … he just topples over like a stiff log. haha He doesn’t think it’s very funny, and usually gets really scared when it happens, so I try to avoid it… but the boy needs to learn how to fall onto his booty. So we are working on bending his knees and bouncing while standing, but those feet are firmly planted; I just don’t think he’s ready for all that yet really.

Considering Mister has been having such good sleep as of late, it is fitting that Lexie has been a little hit or miss. A few weeks ago, she went from not wanting to go to bed at night (read: saying she is tired, wanting to sleep, but also wanting us to pat her or rock her, which we don’t do because she has always gone right to sleep) to sleeping in her rocking chair. For some strange reason she has decided she wants to fall asleep in her rocking chair; and despite our attempts at keeping her in the bed, she gets up. But we have been going in and putting her back in the bed. The craziest part about all of this is she has been NAPPING. Consistently. For an entire week! I think this is partially because she is done teething. All her two year molars are in, and now she is back to eating and sleeping well. We considered taking the rocking chair out of the room, but I think we will just wait and see how long this phase lasts. Maybe she is just ready for a big bed… I am not sure. The 2.5 year mark usually is a developmental milestone for children when you generally see added clinginess, sleep disruptions, and new fears develop. She is definitely more clingy to both JTom and me, and has mentioned being afraid a few different story characters were going to “get me.” We have reassured her nothing is going to get her; she doesn’t mention this at bed time or anything, just sometimes while playing alone in her room.

Moni, Shelby, and Lilly watching us play doll house

Her imagination is wild! We still have engines that are beyond wearing out their welcome. haha I think I tell them things 200 times a day. “Will you tell me engines what I am eating? Will you tell my engines they need to sleep at nap time? Will you tell my engines they need to stay on the swing set and leave Scarlet alone?…..” Oh my. Then, the other night we had dinosaurs. On the ceiling. The engines go everywhere with us; she even includes them in her stories during stretching at gymnastics. They really like the museum. As long as I don’t have to feed them, I guess they can stay. 😉

Right now, Lexie is really into reading her devotional and Bible. I mean … like they are attached at her hip. As a matter of fact, the devotional is falling apart, and she can read every day, word for word, from January until today. Not kidding. That’s what we read for every nap and bedtime. It is her favorite. She is now acting like a little Mama to Max and her dolls. When Max cries she says, “Oh! Let me go see what is wrong to Max. Max, what is wrong to you? Tell me why.” haha I am not sure why she says “to” instead of “what,” but I’m sure she will figure it out soon enough. Her new favorite words are “fantastic!” and “earlier.” Hearing her say earlier is hilarious.

chewing on a pear

dyeing Easter eggs … a week late =/

painting her fingernails

We visited a church this past Sunday. It was really nice; it reminded me of my church growing up, which was a Full Gospel church. This is a non denominational church, it is small but has many young families. I am excited to maybe visit it again this coming Sunday. J.Tom was raised Presbyterian, so it is different than he is used to. But I actually felt like I was in church. For the past 5 years in Hot Springs I just didn’t get what I needed from our church; provided I didn’t give much back to them in way of serving. I never felt like it was home. The sermons were more like the new school way of thinking-motivational sermons or get people involved in serving the church, but let’s not talk about sin, salvation, the devil, or how to grow in Christ. That’s how I felt, anyway. The church we visited Sunday had an amazing sermon, though a little long, and a great worship service. Lexie walked into children’s church like she owned the place. haha She enjoyed herself (although she was supposed to be in the nursery since she isn’t 3 yet..) I don’t know if we will visit a different church this week or try this one again. We will just pray about it and see. We just hope to find a church that gives us what we both need, and that we can be a serve as well.

How did you find your church home? Is it one you grew up in or one you found after marriage, college, children…?