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

Light Table Fun and Magna Tiles

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

Well, there was a big day in our house a few weeks ago. It took J.Tom several nights, and a couple of weekends to complete, but he built the kids (well, just Lexie for now…) a light table! I had seen them over at Play At Home Mom. We used several of her tips for building your own light table, found on her site here.

For months I drooled over the light table and all the fun activities it provided. I couldn’t wait for JTom to get some free time to make her one. As you probably know, we try to keep the house free of toys that don’t encourage learning or using the imagination. The light table was a definite YES item! It is awesome. A light table can be used to learn about shadow, light, contrast, color, size, shape, and many sensory activities can be done using it. So, after much hard work and me splurging on a few things to use with the table, here it is

The box, with hardwire outlet for lights

J.Tom working

laying out the lights. He lined the bottom inside of the table with foil to reflect more light

the table top, upside down. The bottom is hinged, so the bulbs can be changed
(for when they go out AND to black lights! FUN!)

Building with Magnatiles- GREAT investment!

Let’s line them up!

“I will build you a house mommy!”

Her church and coins

The transparent Magna Tiles are a must have, whether you have a light table or not! They really are so much fun, but I think they are one of those things- either a kid has the personality that loves them, or they could care less. I would (but probably shouldn’t) say that most boys are going to love them, and some girls may not be very interested in them. Lexie happens to really enjoy playing with them; she has a huge imagination, can focus on one thing for quite some time, and loves to build. They are a learning tool (which is the only reason I was okay with spending so much money on them) I was going to put away and only pull out at certain times, but she enjoys them so much, we keep them out at all times! J.Tom and I both play with them at least once a day with her. And we all share with Max; at 7.5 months old he is learning about shapes too! =)

Right now, Amazon has the 100 piece set for 20 free shipping! I really wish when I’d bought her 38 piece set that they’d had this deal! Apparently, they sell very quickly, and since they are such a hot item, the price sky rockets when you purchase from anyone other than Valtech (through Amazon) because they aren’t always available through them (yes… I did that much research on them before I purchased haha). I paid $50 for the 38 piece set, and would have gotten the 100 piece for $120 if it had been offered at the time; you really need more than 38 pieces to construct really fun, elaborate shapes and “buildings.”

Valtech, the company that makes and sells Magna-Tiles , is also having a promotion through Amazon right now. When you buy the 100 piece set above, you get the Magna Tiles Manipulative Guide free! Just be sure to follow the instructions on how to get it. Rather than show the Guide as “free” and $0 in your cart, it will take a few dollars off everything in your cart until it totals $10 off (which is the cost of the book). The book is a great resource, because there are so many ways to use and create with the Magna-Tiles, you couldn’t possibly think of them all. So the guide helps you be even more creative and intentional during learning.

When you make a purchase following the links in this post, I earn a small amount of money back on your purchase (sometimes only pennies); but this is much appreciated and helps support this blog.

I got the counters (little transparent circles) here.

She enjoys using these with the Magna Tiles. She sorts them by color, puts them inside the boxes and buildings she makes, etc.

I plan on doing many more posts on our fun with the light table. So stay tuned! Also, what kind of fun would you like to see using the light table?

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…?

28 weeks old (6.5 months)/ First update since February

by Meghan // March 22, 2013 // Comments off

Well, it’s been a while huh? So … we have moved! We successfully moved our children, the animals, and our belongings a month ago. Whew, it was a little crazy, but we did it!

Sweet little mister

First I will do a quick update on Max and Lexie, then an update on everything else. Max has outgrown most of his 6 month clothes and is sitting for long stretches of time now. He still likes his feet, and loves his Lexie. We have been signing for “milk” for a month or two now, and he has started to do it back while eating or waiting for me to finish making a bottle. I am not sure if he has put the meaning of it to the actual result, but he signs back at me. So he is either good at imitating and will get the meaning soon, or he already gets it. He has been less than a good sleeper since we moved.
For the first 3-4 weeks his room was too bright while we waited on blinds to arrive. He was also getting used to his new surroundings, which I think was very distracting for him. He has started having good naps about every other
day. I’ve noticed when I get him up he smells SO BADLY of acid, and his sheets have been stained, so I do believe we are dealing with reflux again. This could be due to many things: A)not taking his medicine. We were doing probiotics and no dairy which were both helping. But at this age reflux tends to flare back up, and teething can make it worse. B) his baby food could be contaminated with dairy. Did you know food companies are not required to put ingredients on their products if it is cross contaminated, and not an actual ingredient? So it is possible his baby foods are coming in contact w milk. Also, I don’t have the carton to his oatmeal, but it’s possible it contains whey. We are going to the grocery store today so I am going to double check. We go to the dr tomorrow afternoon.

As for Lexie, since we cut back on milk, yogurt, etc. her eczema doesn’t seem to flare as much on her face. I just want to know for sure that Max has a dairy allergy, and what is causing Lexie’s eczema. I had some of his Prevacid left over so we started it again… with our new insurance we have to pay for all of it, and here it will cost us …. wait for it ….. $224.31. for a 31 day supply. When the insurance lady told me this I cried all morning. How is it possible these medicine companies can sell pain meds for $10-$15 a bottle (which many people turn around and sell on the street for $5+ a pill) and my son’s medicine, which he needs in order to EAT costs more than a car note? I don’t understand how this is possible?! And they don’t make a generic for the SoluTabs he has been prescribed. So at the dr tomorrow we will be asking what else we can do, if the dr. feels it is the reflux flaring up again.

snuggly girl after bath

So, because of the possible reflux flare up, the move, teething, etc. Max has just not been taking good naps. On good days he will take 1.5hr naps. On bad days, he sleeps for 20-40 minutes at a time. It’s exhausting for everyone, because it effects everyone. But like I said, about every other day is a good day for him. Then we try to replicate it the next, and it’s awful. I really have no idea what is going on. Hopefully it will smooth out in the next few weeks.

Lexie loves her new gymnastics. It is much different than the gym we went to in AR. Her tot class is in the evenings, and there is a lot happening in the gym at that time. It is really overwhelming for her, and it takes her about 10 minutes to become cooperative and pay attention to what we are doing. She has always been this way; at MDO she stood back and watched the other kids until she was comfortable a few weeks into it. The same went for playing at the Y while I worked out. And also at our play dates. Now instead of quietly standing back and watching, she just wants to go do something else, and won’t pay attention. I think this just comes along with her age, and being overwhelmed. After a few weeks I think she will be more comfortable. She has learned a lot of new, more advanced things, and has also shown the teacher a lot of things she could already do.

She LOVES her new house- her favorite room is the basement. I have set up a little area down there for us to play and learn. It is also plenty big for us to “practice” her gymnastics in the mornings when we can’t go outside. =) Gotta get some of the wiggles out. She is obsessed with Thomas and Friends (although she has’t watched TV since our first week here-more on that in a minute), and to ~~definitely not~~ help out with that situation, a train runs through the corn field on the other side of the house. They all have names from Thomas-Gordon, Charlie, Rose, Emily, etc. All names are the same as her imaginary friends that showed up after Christmas… and are still around. Nap times are now spent talking to them, instead of not napping. But I’ve convinced her to tell them she needs to sleep, so they need to sleep. She tells them no talking, but that lasts all of 15-20 minutes. (hey- I think that’s pretty good for a two year old!)

We have been doing a lot of fun activities; it is a lot easier now that I have a place to keep all our materials and things. I am going to do several separate posts on those.

Here are a few pictures from the last few weeks around the house:

helping daddy

telling daddy how to do it … no doubt.

good morning!

reading Thomas with Daddy

oh garsh!

sharing her Baby lamb with Mister, and asking for a kiss on the hand

just playing and watching Sissy Lexie

I can sit up really well now!

bath time

Lexie reading to Max (and she got all the words right!)

Scarlet’s new normal- she can see in the back sliding glass door and windows. She and Lexie talk to each other.

Going for a walk

I know- so dang sweet!

This is how they clear the roads out here-they push the snow into our backyard! Lexie liked it though

“Oh- Im going to show daddy I wear his hat!”

Max vs Lilly- the stare down

Before the BIG cut

This is hair after- it now sits right at her shoulders when wet

Good times!

22 weeks old … I think

by Meghan // February 8, 2013 // Comments off

Im in bed writing this post, and i usually have my planner to help me with what week i am on. I do not, however, have my planner. Oh- it is a very fun planner, it is an Erin Condren life planner, and i LOVE it. My only complaint is there aren’t enough lined pages for writing notes and thoughts .. but they sell a separate notebook for that, of course! Anyway. This is not a post about my planner. The point of me mentioning it, was to say the weeks are running together on me!

Max is in the middle of his 22nd week of life; this weekend is going to be SO busy, so I am writing this one early. He is rolling over like crazy; especially when he is trying to go to sleep. He is a side sleeper. So he rolls onto his side and sucks his thumb. Its oh. My. Gah. So cute! Bt, he also flips over to his belly. And while playing and alert, he can easily flip back over to his back. B when he is tired and trying to go to sleep, he gets angry and does a lot of yelling… So i have to go roll him back over. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it does happen.

He is nursing better, thankfully. He is taking his bottles well, but after about 5oz he is ready for his oatmeal. The boy is devouring oatmeal! I use a measuring spoon to measure out the oatmeal, then eye ball the formula to mix it with. He usually ends up eating 4-6 tablespoons, sometimes more, 3xs a day. That usually means i end up mixing the rest of his 8oz bottle into the oatmeal. So he is taking a full 8-9oz per feeding. I am still doing the probiotics twice a day and not doing any solids besides the oatmeal. Since we are moving and all, I think I will wait until after the move to add in real foods. It will just be easier with the traveling and everything to only have t have oatmeal, formula, and my pump in case he doesn’t nurse well.

He is in 6 month clothes and pajamas, and can wear some 6-9 footies, they’re just a little big in the feet. But it wont be long and they will fit perfectly. We are still signing, I am doing “milk” and “more,” while he eats. He watches me, like “Hrm, what is it that she’s doing?” but hasn’t started signing back at me yet. He likes to squeal! It sounds like he is gasping for breath, you know what I mean? But he is squealing- it’s cute. He is obsessed with his feet (what a difference a week makes!) and reaches for his toys, or anything that is in front of him. I have started sitting him up more, and he can balance for a second before he topples over. =)

Lexie is so much fun, we have started building forts! She loves it, haha. We went to Mid America Science Museum Sunday, and it was wonderful! We have never been because before now she was really too young to enjoy it. But thanks to super bowl, we were the only souls in the whole place. Seriously, she got to run around and do anything and everything she wanted. It was us and a lady building with blocks. And the guy who took my $10. Lexie is under 3, so she was free. Who knew a $10 outing would be so fun?! I promised we would go back next week after Jtom leaves. I have some videos i will upload here soon.

Tuesday we went to the library. I have packed up *most* of her books, so we have started borrowing them. Her new favorite book is the “Three Billy Goats Gruff”. She retells it by saying, “the billy goat broke the troooole!” That’s the only thing she cares about. I didn’t realize how scary/weird those classical stories are… But they are important for her to read. She is down to one day a week of school, so now we can do something fun on that day we don’t do school anymore. Really, I’m relieved she isn’t going to school two days a week. A break is nice, but now that Max is older and can travel more easily for outings, i feel like our time can be better spent together, learning and experiencing things together. Although i did a lot of chores while she was at school 2 days a week, the other three days during the week were mostly spent at home, because otherwise were were out of the house 3-5 days out of the week! That’s a lot of running and going with two young children. It’s just too much for us. So now that she’s down to one day, we can use a second day for our outing(s), and spend the other days playing and learning at home. Its less chaotic and less pressure.

My woven wrap came in! WE LOVE IT! It is a beautiful bright turquoise. I only know hwo to do one carry, but I will learn some others soon. I have sold some of my girly cloth diapers, and have my ring sling listed to sell. I am saving money for this wrap:

Isn’t it beautiful?! It is a super strong wrap, the length I want is $135, so I have a way to go to save! But I am getting there. I have tried to find one used, but they’re hard to find because people love them so much. So I may end up having to pay full price. The mama owned business I want to get it from offers a 5% discount coupon, so that would help some. Anyway, wraps are super fun. There is a whole lingo (sorta like cloth diapering, and sleep training) for wearing babies, especially in wraps. You have to “break in” your wrap. The Colimacon et Cie that i bought is pretty soft out of the package and doesn’t require as much breaking in. But the Storch I want is one that needs a lot of work. It’s suggested that you sleep on/with it, use it for picnics, forts, braid it (which is basically making a chain knot like you would in crochet), let the kids play on it, wash it, etc. to get it broken in good. I want the longer length in this one so I can do more carries with it, plus I like having a longer tail on mine. The turquoise one I have is an average size length at 4.6 meters, but I think I would be more comfy with the longer length, especially until I lose some more of the baby weight (which is slowly coming off, but at least it is coming off!) I got a few pics of Max and me in the wrap outside the other day; after I get them uploaded to the computer I will get them on the blog.

Anyway, so that’s what we have been up to. Something sweet, the other day we were reading our devotional. That day it was about angels, and how God sends them to watch over us and take care of us. Lexie said, “Like Da does!” (She calls JTom Daddy, dada, and Da, a lot). I said, “Yes! Just like Daddy does.” Oh, priceless. Today, JTom got home and Lexie was down for nap… not napping. When it was time to get her up, he went in and she was so excited she stuttered. She couldn’t get anything out! It was so cute. When he got her changed into her “walking panties” (those are her regular panties, instead of her “night night” panties which are her lupus , and got her milk she said, “mama! I am so excited, Daddy is HERE!” haha After that we showed daddy all her new tricks- she can wink! We also do this thing where I lay on the floor on my back, and put my hands by my head. She stands in my hands and I lift her up. It is what we used to do in cheerleading to prepare for single basing stunts. Anyway, she loves it, so that was new. We also do a new trick where i lay down and put my feet on her chest, then lift her in the air, and she is on my feet … if that makes sense? I will get JTom to do some pictures this weekend. Anyway, we had to show him that, and the library books … and the fort. Then I ran to TJ Max to get boxes and they played outside, feeding the chickens and stuff.

About the move
We have the movers lined up for Monday, February 18th. They will come and do some of the packing I am not doing, like the kitchen, breakables, pictures, mirrors, electronics, etc. Tuesday the semi truck will come and load up, and leave! The kids and I are going to drive to Memphis, see family in a quick 36 hours, and then my mom is traveling with us to Nebraska. Once there, our things will hopefully have arrived by then, and we can get settled in. Mom can help w the kids, and the decorating, etc. Although we have all this “planned” it is strictly contingent on the closing of the house. I am signing papers in AR and supposed to be over-nighting them back to whomever I’m told to… There are still a few things not complete, like something the appraiser is supposed to have turned in. If everything gets done and here are no glitches, we close next Friday. 7 days and a handful of hours from right this moment. And I am terrified. Not really. I am actually pretty calm about it, for me. I’m just concerned about something not going right and the closing being moved … which means we live separate for 2+more weeks. =/ The other option is to move into the basement JTom is a guest in. And if closing doesn’t go well, then that may be just what we do! Just pray for us that things go smoothly, and happen like they should.

Thankfully, JTom’s uncle is just 40 minutes away and he is going to take the chicks for us. I am so sad, and I mean SO SAD, to let them go. They’re so rotten, and so sweet. And I have enjoyed eggs every single day since JTom has been gone; with the longer days they are back to laying an egg a piece per day! Maybe that’s why I am losing weight, I eat eggs and whole wheat toast for breakfast and dinner. =)

Here are some videos. I figured out how to upload them from my phone to youtube, so hopefully I will be loading a lot more on here in the future.

I don’t remember if i posted this one or not? It is from August (notice her tan!), she was not yet 2, identifying all her ABCs. She now knows the sounds of some of the letters. We play phonemic awareness games during the day; for instance I will ask her what words start with the /m/ sound- like Max. And she will name a bunch of words that start with m. She also does it on her own, randomly. I might say, “let’s do a flip!” and out of no where she will say, “flip is like four or friday!” Using that as a teachable moment, we will talk about the letter f and the sound it makes. We have fun =)

Identifying and placing some of the States on her map puzzle

These are all from the museum Sunday:

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This is probably my favorite. It was so warm the other day, and she wanted to water the flowers. So… that is what she did!

18 Week Development & Lexie Development

by Meghan // January 13, 2013 // Comments off

Mister has completed his 18th week of life. We have to make his 4 month dr apt … I sorta haven’t done that yet. =/

He is on a nursing strike … not fun! He really isn’t eating well at all, from the spoon or bottle. I am attributing this to his teeth, since they are so close to breaking through, but this is also a normal thing for the 4 month growth spurt, and wonder week 19 development. The last few days have not been good sleeping days, and I am assuming this is because he isn’t eating well due to his teeth, and just overall probably doesn’t feel good. He is more snuggly and clingy right now, too.

He has started back rolling around a lot; he spins in complete circles in his crib and on the floor. Of course, he thinks this is great! On the floor, he will roll side to side, and has even made it from his back to his tummy once or twice.

His cradle cap is still pretty bad, but since his hair is getting thicker, you can’t tell too much, unless you’re close to him. He still hasn’t found his feet … just doesn’t care about them that much yet. haha Lady begs to play with him, tells us to hurry up and finish eating so he can play with her! He is, of course, still “my M” to her, and she does not like other kids coming near him. =) She is only a little protective. haha

Lady is doing all sorts of amazing things. She can name and point out: California, Nevada, TX, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma on the map; she knows where Idaho is, but she can’t ever remember the name of it. Her back-bend is incredible, and of course she still loves gymnastics. We have started doing some handstands and cartwheels at home; that’s fun! She speaks in clear, complete sentences unless she is being silly around a big group of people. She tends to act a little nervous around a lot of people; most people wouldn’t say that about her, but her behavior at home compared to being around a large group is different. She is shy around certain people, usually men. Second to gymnastics, she LOVES to sing. She has so many “favorite” songs, and asks me to sing with her all the time. She is constantly humming while playing independently.

Here are a few pics I don’t think I have posted before:

playing with her doll house

reading to her Moose (obviously she picked out her socks)

Our 8″ snow on Christmas

17/18 weeks old baby summary

by Meghan // January 7, 2013 // Comments off

Mister has finished his 17th week of life, but wasnt 4 months old until the 2nd. So, his weeks are a litttle off from his monthly age. He is really starting to come into his own; last weekend we had a play date and we were talking about how quiet and laid back he is. Then that evening, he just suddenly started squealing, yelling, and growling non stop! Now, if he is awake and in a familiar place w familiar people, he is talking!

Eating
This boy is devouring solids! He watches me while i get everything ready and then sits there with his mouth open like a little bird. Its funny; he loves sweet peas, green beans, apples, and pears. Oh, and he likes oatmeal mixed into any of those. Those two bottom teeth? Yea, theyre trying to cut through. Some days they bother him more than others, but mistly he is doing okay with them. His little cheeks stay red (due to the teething) and he drools a lot. I have also started signing with him, when i think about it. I do the sign for “milk” right now, but should probably start doing, “please,” “more,” and “eat” as well. L was signing “milk” at about 7 months i believe.

Development
He isn’t really rolling over much anymore. He doesn’t like to be on his tummy, and after a few minutes he cries and fusses, like Lexie did. I need to start making him push back over, because i know he can, since he used to do it. He does like rolling side to side on his back, though. Lady makes him laugh a lot a lot. He likes this rattle ball his aunt gave him for Christmas, and loves the wooden squish toy; it was L’s favorite too.

His hand movements have gotten smoother, he reaches for and grabs whatever he wants, and he has found his feet a few times, but isnt really interested in them. Im wondering if this is because he always has a toy to play with, thanks to his big sister, Lexie. Haha. She makes sure he has plenty of toys, at all times. He really enjoys sitting, and standing up these days. He is very strong, and is so proud of himself while standing.

Lady is a big help. When we get him ready for nap, she sits in the glider while i stand and hold M, and we sing “Jesus Loves Me,” then I put him down in the crib, and Lady e sneaks out past me. She loves to “help” put him to sleep. I cant remember if I mentioned it in his last update, but he is in his sleep sack now, no more swaddle.

Lady has been out of Mother’s Day Out for the last two weeks, but starts back Monday (the 7th). Last friday we started back at gymnastics after a holiday break. It was much needed, and she enjoyed it. Her backbends are amazing, and now she can do hand stands! She doesn’t really know shes doing them, it just sorta happens during her donkey kicks, but none the less, she is so strong!

Week 13 Baby Summary

by Meghan // December 7, 2012 // Comments off

Mister was officially 3 months old on December 2nd (also JTom’s birthday)! But because of how the weeks fell, he is 13 weeks old.

Sleeping
Max has been sleeping from about 7:15pm until 5:30-6:30am. Today (December 4th) I let him cry it out when he woke up at 5:20am. I went in and checked on him, calmed him down, then put him back in the crib and left the room. He cried and fussed on and off for about 30ish minutes. But he went back to sleep until 6:50am! So we have been CIO today. It’s not easy, but he is getting it. After his first nap he only cried (on and off) for 10 minutes before falling asleep. I am keeping one arm unswaddled, because he can use that hand to soothe himself if he needs to. (Oh yes, he is in love with his hands this week!) If it takes him longer to relax and fall asleep, I go in after 10 minutes, pick him up until he is calm, then place him back in the crib. I know today is pretty much going to mean very little sleep for him, but after a few days, he should be sleeping on his own. I think he is ready; I feel that way because when I try to get him down he struggles, wiggles, and fights me. He just can’t settle with me holding him as well anymore. So, I think it’s time he tries to settle himself. I will update at the end of the week on how it has gone.

*update*. It has been 3 days now and Mister is doing great with his day time sleep! We have rough patches through the day, but overall he is putting himself to sleep with very little crying or fussing. I watch him in the monitor, and he usually is just sucking in his hand, with his eye closed, while he rolls around some until he settles. He has been paci free for 3 days, and I think he is nursing better as a result.

Eating
He seems to be feeling better, reflux wise, so it looks like the dairy free is helping! One week of no dairy and he is like a different boy during the day. Looks like we have a dairy protein allergy. (I will make another post on that later).

Devleopment
Max is starting to try to raise his shoulders up, and he can do it pretty well. He rolls from his tummy to back easily and Lexie LOVES to watch him do it! He is already rocking/rolling onto is sides, and can almost make it to his tummy from his back! Im sure this will happen before the end of the month. I am still not sure if he is teething… I really want to say yes because of all the chewing and drooling (oh my!) but developmentally this is when babies’ saliva glands start producing more (it was part of evolution to help break down food/breastmilk as it changes with baby’s growth. Also to help build the stomach flora as baby grows bigger). And since that falls right in line with baby discovering his hands and enjoying chewing … I just don’t know! His gums have looked like he may be teething since the middle of October, and he started chewing in the middle of November … so we should have something happen by the end of this month if he is in fact teething. They do seem to be a bit more puffy and white there at the middle bottom, than the rest of his gums. So we will see.

Max is laughing, smiling, and starting to find his voice a lot! He is squealing some, especially when he is tired and ready for a nap, he starts really jabbering. He blows bubbles non stop and spit just flies every where! Lexie thinks this is a serious problem, “He’s dwooling, Mama. He’s dwooling!” She is so serious! It’s sweet.

Love Bug
Lexie has started napping again at home! We seem to have found her sweet spot during the day for tiredness, and now that those molars are in and she is no longer scared of going poopy in the potty, things are getting back to normal. But who knows how long that will last before we get more molars, or something else changes and throws her off for a while. Regardless, I will take any sleep she can get! =)

She’s enjoying gymnastics, and can do her bridge, straddle, pike and tuck. She really enjoyed the foam pit last week, and got brave enough to kick her leg up in the balance beam. It will be interesting to see what she does this week (tomorrow, Friday). We are doing Advent activities each day, and taking about Baby Jesus, Christmas, love, being kind, and God’s love for us. Sue Sue has given us some really great resources to use during the month of Advent. She has really enjoyed the Christmas stamps I got out.

She loves her daddy getting her up in the mornings, and doing her bed time routine at night. My favorite part about her being in a toddler bed now, is climbing in bed to snuggle with her when she wakes up! She makes me a spot, says “here, Mama, you need lovie.” and we snuggle. It’s wonderful! She walks around talking on her phone like a grown up (and Im never on the phone in front of her?), and loves to cook in her kitchen. Now she wants to play with Max all the time, which is basically just them laying on the floor together.

Baby Summary Weeks 8-9

by Meghan // November 14, 2012 // Comments off

I know, I’ve been slacking. I am running behind on Max’s updates. Things have been very … crazy around here. But crazy good!

For the last week, Mister has been waking at 4:00am in the morning! Sometimes as early as 3:30am! I knew this was a possibility, that he would go from sleeping so well, to waking early. I also read that sometimes before babies start sleeping through to wake up time, they may teeter-totter going from 3:00am, to 4:30am, back to 3:00am, etc. That’s exactly what Mister did for the last week. Then suddenly, at 10 weeks old he slept through to 6:00am! Woo Hoo!
Now, the last two days he woke at about 4:00am or so, fussed for a minute, then went back to sleep before I even got to his room. I think this also has to do with us starting some CIO. At first I let him cry during the day for anywhere from 10-20 minutes, depending on how he was crying. And so far, things are going really well; he is only waking for about 3-6 minutes now, fussing and falling back asleep. It’s amazing! I’m not doing hard-core CIO; I didn’t do it until 8 months with Lexie, but i didn’t really have to until then. With Max I need him going to sleep on his own sooner than she did, so that’s why I am trying it earlier.

Anyway, for his weeks 8-9 everything was pretty much the same as before. Week 9 he started eating more at each feeding. He will nurse and now takes about 4-5oz after nursing… So he is a hungry little Mister! His schedule is the same, based on a 3 hour routine… He is talking a LOT, super snuggly, laughs at mommy, daddy, and Lexie all the time. He is staying awake for a little longer now. His wake time is about an hour to an hour 20 minutes, depending on what we did during wake time. If he was super stimulated (ehum, by Big Sister) then he may go down earlier. His wake time includes: diaper change, eating, burping, playing, talking, diaper change, and swaddling/wind down for nap. That’s a lot to fit into an hour and 20 minutes, so there isn’t much “playing” quite yet. I am anxious for the day he is awake longer, but I know it will come. I’m just ready for him to get to interact with all of us more. =)

I’m making Mister’s summary shorter this time, because Sissy has MUCH bigger news going on these days than Bubby does!

playing with Mister

Love Bug is back in school, two days a week. We were getting read to put her in gymnastics when JTom remembered that we put aside a rather large chunk of his paycheck at the beginning of the year for mother’s day out. Our plan was to have her home w me after I stopped cleaning houses, which was at 7 months pregnant, until max came. After Max came we would do mother’s day out one-two days a week for Lexie’s sake and mine. Well …. we FORGOT! So, to use up the rest of the money (because it’s a cafeteria plan we will lose it if we dont use it) she is going 2xs a week through january. Then she will drop to once a week. However, we are still doing gymnastics- and she LOVES it! We went last Friday to try it out. She was already a beginner tumbler, she’s had so much practice in her crib and all … so she fit right in!

Speaking of cribs … we are in a big girl bed now! Scary I know- but so far so good. She loves it, the transition was an easy one. She is still in her sleep sack, not sure when we will discontinue it, but she can’t get out and roam as long as she wears it. =) Plus, she loves her “night night gown” … i think she feels secure in it.