Schechter Family Blog

Failure?

2012-01-27T19:17:00.004-06:00

Oi! I'm trying not to feel like a failure. Let me back up a little bit. After Abigail was born, I waited approximately 11 months and then got frustrated with my weight and joined Weight Watchers. I lost about 10 pounds in that first month and then discovered I was pregnant (surprise!). I was bummed but I knew that I could do it again.

Fast forward a year or so. Elsie is born and I gave myself two months. After the two month mark, I joined again. This time I lost 35 pounds! I felt great and much more comfortable in my own skin. It took me probably five or six months to lose that weight.

I think you know how the story goes . . . yep that's right . . . surprise, pregnant again! I was at my lowest weight starting a pregnancy and felt great. After Noah was 4 weeks old, I joined Weight Watchers again.

I was able to lose 20 pounds, give or take, from my initial signing up but the rest of it just will not budge. I haven't really lost any since October and since I'm thrifty (ha!) I can't stand spending the money on a program that isn't really working.

I canceled my membership tonight. It feels weird and scary and freeing! I'm still planning on weighing in once a week to keep myself in check. If I start gaining, I'll probably sign up again. If I can maintain then I will probably just wait until my life isn't so hectic and then concentrate on it again later. I know that's the reason why. I'm literally so focused on wiping noses, and behinds, and laundry, and cooking, that it leaves very little time for tracking food. Thankfully I have found that attending exercise classes is a great way to burn off some of my daily frustration and have really enjoyed those so I'm sure I'll keep that up.

Hope I can maintain (or even lose!) and then when the time is right I can get focused and back on track!!

Survival!

2012-01-26T08:52:00.001-06:00

We've been passing around colds in our family. It seems that any little thing like this put me right back into survival mode!

I did manage to make a batch of banana bread loaves this morning but that's the first cooking that I've done all week.

I have got to find something to make for dinner tonight!

Someday they'll all be gone and I'll be able to enjoy being sick alone. (Really, enjoy it, folks with no little kids. Being able to lay down on the couch and sleep?! Amazing). For now I'm plugging along.

Love Note Books

2012-01-18T12:24:00.003-06:00

I don't remember where I got this idea. Whether I came up with it or I happened to glace at a blog or website and think of it is a mystery. I had the idea to create each one of my children a 'love notes' book.

I have been wanting to order these books for some time and since I had a little Christmas money to play around with I went ahead and ordered these.

I have written lots of notes to my kids on my blog and will continue to do so but they are scattered throughout other random rumblings and ramblings that my kids may not want to read through some day. Each book has a picture of me and each child and each one says Dear (Insert Name) Love, Mommy. I hope to fill them with notes to my precious kiddos on special occasions, like birthdays, church events, firsts, and so on, but I also hope to find the time to just sit down and jot notes to them on regular everyday kind of days to encourage them when they get older.

One day (one sad sad day) when my children leave home or get married - whenever I deem appropriate - I will give them this book to take with them so they will always have a physical reminder of my love with them.

After I had ordered the books, I saw a similar idea from a dad here: http://wearethatfamily.com/2012/01/the-letter-box/ if anyone is interested in that wonderful idea as well.

So . . . I'm going to get busy writing my letters!

P.S. I created and ordered these books from Snapfish.com but found many interesting websites that offered a wide variety of books. I wanted something hardcover but customizable. I'm very happy with them!!

Stepping Back

2012-01-17T06:31:00.002-06:00

I received wonderful and wise advice from a fellow mom around the time I was due to have Noah. This mom had three kids of similar ages as mine.

Her primary advice was . . . no guilt . . . no pressure. Just take it easy and do what you have to do.

As moms, there is so much pressure to do this, put your child in this, be this way or that way when really only the parents know what is best for their own kids. I truly do believe this.

In some ways I have fallen off this bandwagon of "don't push yourself, enjoy this time" advice that I received 8 months ago . . . at least in my mind.

I feel like I should be more involved in this or that, etc. Giving more, being more, doing more. I remembered my sweet friend's advice a week or so ago and I'm back. Back to saying "no" if it really doesn't benefit my family or if it pushes the boundaries of what is safe and fun for all of us. After all, they're only going to be this young and needy once. My mission and my calling is single-minded and focused right now and that is to serve my family.

I love to life purposefully. I don't want to just agree to do activities and make plans because it isn't bad. Instead I'd rather only plan to do things that lift us up and encourage us to live our lives more fully for Christ!

What sort of things do you feel pressured to do to "keep up" with those around you? Or what have you said "no" to lately that has freed you up to just be still and enjoy life and the relationships around you?

November Visit

2012-01-15T12:41:00.000-06:00

I just realized that I'm pretty behind on events so I'm doing to post a few things to catch up on the last few months. In November, my family came to help celebrate Elsie's birthday. This was the only picture I took. Seriously! I'm terrible at taking pictures. Thankfully this shows my dad in all his grandkid glory!

Sure wish we could live closer and see everyone more often! We are planning to travel out there this summer for a nice visit!

Happy Birthday and Anniversary!

2012-01-14T12:43:00.000-06:00

Just stopping by to wish a very Happy Birthday to my wonderful dad! Happy Birthday, Dad!

Also, Happy Anniversary to my in-law's!

And last . . . and yes . . . certainly least of all these, my dog turns 7 years old today. Happy Birthday, Dewey!

8 months

2012-01-12T12:28:00.000-06:00

Dear Noah,

Hi my little bundle of boy joy! You are now 8 months old (and 2 days but mommy's always behind these days!). You are crawling all over the place and have been for several weeks. You love getting into things. Your favorite destination is to crawl into Elsie's room. You must know that all the good toys are in there!

You are eating some baby food now. You've had bananas, avocados, peas, pears, and prunes. You eat what we give you but aren't terribly enthusiastic about food yet. That's okay. You are still a great nurser and you're obviously getting enough to eat . . . little chunk!

You are still not a very good sleeper. You are starting to get into a regular nap routine where you take two naps a day and sometimes still need a third. You go to bed around 8 pm every night but usually wake just to check on us about 1/2 hour after I put you to bed. Stinker boy! Most nights you only get up once or twice but sometimes it's more than that. As much as I love you and I love seeing your cute baby boy face, it is time for you to start sleeping better!

Noah, we love you so much. You are such a joy to all of us. Your big sisters love to play with you and take care of you. Abigail loves to "babysit" you and will often ask me if I can take a turn watching her "Noey". She feels so responsible for you! Elsie's new favorite thing is to have you come and play in her bed. She calls you "Noney (no knee)". She is becoming more gentle with you and will sit down to play with you too! You are the perfect addition to our family!

There are so many important things I want to say to you but I will try to space them out as you grow (because you're only 8 months old and yet you're already 8 months old!!). The most important thing that I want you to know, my boy, is that Jesus loves you. He died for you and He wants you in His family. As you grow, I hope you see our lives lived out to reflect that truth. I also want you to always remember that I will always love you and will always be there for you in whatever way you need the most. I'm aware (and kind of sad about, to be honest) of the fact that the way you need me will change over the years.

You are truly my "special blessing" that your daddy prayed for many months ago and although it took me awhile to admit it, I'm so glad he prayed that prayer!

I love you!

Mama

Hmmm?

2012-01-09T13:11:00.002-06:00

So I was all geared up to blog today (with pictures!!) and blogger won't upload my photos. Bummer!

Relaxed day around here. My mother-in-law has the girls for part of the day so I have gotten a few extra things accomplished. I have mainly cleaned the living room and am going to try a new recipe for dinner tonight. Wish me luck. It is called Meatloaf and Potato Pileup. We'll see how well it goes over!

Hopefully some pictures and a proper post soon!!

Happy New Year

2012-01-06T12:51:00.002-06:00

I know . . . I'm six days late wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Oh well . . .

My days are changing with my kiddos changing. That is for sure!

The main thing right now is that Noah is crawling. He started crawling over Christmas break and he can really get anywhere he wants now! That means he either needs to be watched, in his Pack n' play or exersaucer when awake!

Speaking of being awake . . . the boy is still a TERRIBLE sleeper. Every night I put him down at about 8 pm and he falls asleep easily while nursing. I lay him in his crib and between 10 and 30 minutes later he will be up crying.

I know he's tired because if I give in and go rock him, he goes back to sleep. I've been letting him cry lately because . . . you know he's getting older! He should sleep more by now!

He always gets up at least one time per night. Two times is very common. Getting up more than two times per night seems to happen a few times a week. Last night he was up at 8:30 (after going down at 8), 10:30, 12:00 am, 3:20 am, 5:00 am, and awake for the day at 7:45 am.

This would be okay with me if he was a good napper but the boy usually only lasts 20 to 30 minutes on the naps. I'm not sure what to do at this point. With the third baby, you'd think I'd have the answers but each kid is different.

Surely he isn't getting more teeth! If he was then it would be his molars which really shouldn't come in for another 4 or 5 months!! I can't feel anything when I check his mouth so I just think he's in a bad habit at this point.

Elsie:

Oh my, Elsie. In some ways she is getting easier. She is finally FINALLY starting to communicate more . . . even if I'm the only one who understands her. The girl can throw a whale of a temper tantrum, though, and out-of-the-blue. This has definitely kept us from making too many public appearances with her, such as eating out, etc. If you live in our area and enjoy eating out once in a while, you can thank me for staying home. I'm sure she'd be screaming.

Abigail:

Abigail's main objective these days is to "take care of these babies" and most days she really does a wonderful job of helping me. She has her own sass however! She loves to help me cook. Loves to hang out with her dad, and loves to dance!

So, I'm hoping to set a goal for myself of blogging once a week or so but I'm taking the pressure off (of myself). I am kind of dense sometimes but am still realizing that I'm still just surviving around here in our current life state with many small children. I am saying "no" to anything that would distract my focus of taking care of my family in this season. I know it will pass much too quickly for me (it already is) and I just want to enjoy it!!

Crawling

2011-12-30T19:50:00.001-06:00

Noah is crawling! He gets all over and can sit up by himself. He is 7 months and 3 weeks old. This means that nap times are about my only free time now! I know this is just a phase of life and so I'm making sure to enjoy my sweet little boy!

We had a great and very busy Christmas. Perhaps I will find the time in the next few weeks to write more!

Merry Christmas (late) to all and I pray the New Year brings you many blessings!

What's in a blog . . . really?

2011-12-13T19:51:00.003-06:00

Blogging used to be such a good outlet for me. I'd even write blogs in my head as I would go about my day. Now it seems to be tweets and Facebook statuses. Ha! I still want to keep this going because it is about the only place where my children's lives are successfully and consistently recorded. I want to keep that up but as they grow older and as lives change, I have found that expressing myself through blogging has to take a back seat to more of a "fun update" sort of blog.

Ya'll know what I mean??

Sigh.

So . . .

My kids are all growing like weeds. I need to download my pictures (soon, yes very soon!) and post some on here.

Abigail:

Comes up with some new and very silly things lately. She is so into dancing and ballet and is actually quite expressive at it! She gets her moves from Angelina Ballerina so I'm not sure how far she'll go but it is fun for now. Right now she loves to take care of the "babies" (Elsie and Noah), play with any electronic equipment (tablet computer, iPhone, computer, tv), dance, help me in the kitchen, and help me wrap Christmas presents! Yes, she is still just 3 years old and has moments that remind me of that. I tend to think she's older but she does throw fits for juice, going to bed, not getting to watch her TV show, etc. She has a tender and sweet spirit that I cherish each day!!

Elsie:

Oh my. Elsie Monster is an appropriate nickname. She is not a complete daredevil but is much more of one that Abigail ever was. Her new favorite thing is to sneak back over to the table after a meal (and before I've cleaned up) and climb on the table and eat leftovers!!! I have trained Abigail quite well to help clean off her plate so this minimizes this activity. Crazy girl. She got a concussion a few weeks ago from falling off a bench onto a tile floor backwards. She threw up once and then acted fine so we didn't take her to the ER. A few days after that she flipped off Abigail's bed and landed on her head. She was still fine.

She also loves, Dora, Elmo, and loves to dance like her sister. She is a GREAT sleeper and a pretty good eater. Many times I have caught myself saying "you have to eat something other than broccoli and fruit!!" A good problem to have, I guess.

She is still slower at her language skills than I imagined she would be at this point. She can get her point across but she hardly ever says a complete word. For instance she will say "buh buh" for her bunny or "Pah" for paci. She is starting to say more recognizable (by me) words.

Noah:

Oh my boy. He is now 7 months old. He has tried eating bananas (which he loves) and Avocado (which he tolerates). He still gets a healthy dose of mama's milk with each food and I'm not in a rush to push things in the food department.

He already has 5 (almost 6) teeth! I remember Abigail getting her top teeth in at about 11 months old and he already had four of them. I am not sure if this signifies anything or not - probably not. Maybe just that he'll be a good eater!!

He loves to get up on his hands and knees and pretend to crawl. He wants to go so badly but doesn't have the coordination yet to do it. He is still working on sitting up by himself and topples pretty easily. If I remember right from the girls, he'll need to master that skill before he really crawls around. He can get to toys he really wants, though.

He does not have the best sleep habits. For the last few weeks he's been teething, one tooth after another, and those nights are bad. He can get up anywhere from two to five times a night. Last night I think it was four. No wonder I can hardly write a coherant blog post! He usually gets up twice.

I am really hoping that he solves this sleep issue once this last tooth comes in. I am beginning to change my stance on letting babies cry (for long periods of time) and I don't want it to come to that. It's always an issue between Andrew and myself too. Andrew wants me to let him cry and I don't want to. Since I'm the one getting up, I guess I win that disagreement!! :)

Other than being extremely busy with little kids, we're doing fine. I have pretty much adjusted to being able to only do things in short two to five minute intervals. Switch the laundry, change a diaper, empty the top rack of the dishwasher, nurse the baby, pick up 5 toys, wipe the counter, change a diaper, sweep the floor. You get the idea.

Andrew is currently on a business trip in New York. It makes for some pretty long and exhausting days around here but we are surviving. I can definitely tell that dinner time is crazier. For some reason breakfast and lunch don't usually have the same fussiness attitude that dinner has so daddy is definitely missed!!

All for now. Hopefully I'll get around to some pictures soon. Who knew that with 3 kids under 3, life would get crazier before it got easier?!!

New Phone

2011-12-08T10:29:00.001-06:00

Well I broke down last weekend and got a smart phone. So blogging from it right now. Despite the slow keyboard typing, it may help me blog more.

Pray for my dad today. He is having shoulder replacement surgery. And pray for my father-in-law who is having his wisdom teeth removed. It is a day of surgeries!

Stationery card

2011-12-05T13:34:00.001-06:00

For Unto Us Religious Christmas Card

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View the entire collection of cards.

Whew!

2011-11-21T13:24:00.002-06:00

Birthdays, kids getting cold after cold after cold, growing active kids, etc, etc, has kept me from blogging!

I recently took Elsie and Noah to doctor check-ups and both are fine. We switched doctors to one that is much closer to us and I really like him. Elsie stood like a big girl on the scale to get weighed and measured. It was cute but I didn't have my camera. :(

I am going by memory here so these might not be right but I think Noah was 27 inches long and weighed in at 17.8 pounds. Elsie was 33 inches tall (I think) and was 27 pounds.

My family was all here to celebrate Elsie's birthday. It was so much fun to have them! We just wish that they were able to stay longer and lived closer. We spent a lot of time talking about future visits and trying to figure out the best way to see each other. It's tricky to try to figure out how to travel 850 miles with three kids. I'm tempted to try flying but I just can't picture how to get three kids, two car seats (Noah would be on my lap) and all our gear through the airport, on a plane, off a plane, on a plane, off a plane, etc. There are very few direct flights between the needed airports. Boo!

Noah is growing and changing so much. He is able to sit up with a little help. He still gets up one to three times per night but can sleep through the night. I gave him a little taste of bananas when my family was here but we are not in a big rush to try solid foods yet. He still naps three times a day. Sometimes they last 2 hours and sometimes they last 10 minutes.

Elsie is turning into a little girl in front of our eyes. I love this stage of learning and exploration but it is also challenging. She has quite a few words but hasn't added any new ones for a while so communication is still a challenge. She loves to imitate her big sister (especially doing ballet dancing) and loves to play with her new dollhouse, baby dolls, and loves to read books.

Abigail is really into dancing right now. She loves to imitate Angelina Ballerina (a PBS kids show) and looks quite like a graceful ballerina most of the time. I just have to constantly remind her not to whack her sister in the face as she spins or step on her brother - if he's hanging out on the floor. She is also learning lots of responsibility with her younger siblings around. Just this morning I set up a sticker chart for her to earn more privileges (TV and computer time, mainly) and she got so excited about it! I love having a little helper around!

Andrew is also doing well (Ha! I don't write much about him anymore - poor guy)! I can brag that he recently received a promotion at work. They seem to be pretty pleased with him and I'm not really surprised. I'm always impressed by his work ethic, his superior brain (LOL) and his easy going nature. I'm sure that makes him fun to work with.

That's all for now. My darling 3 year old has been patiently waiting to play PBS kids on my computer here so I'll go for now. Hopefully I can update more often but I can't make any promises!

Happy 2nd birthday, Elsie Pie!!

2011-11-08T09:19:00.000-06:00

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These are the days . . .

2011-10-26T08:05:00.003-05:00

What a crazy night! I used to wonder (back when I had one baby) how in the world people did it with more than one. Now I know . . . you just do it because you have to!

Everyone's healthy as a horse (well relatively) but I still got up with each person last night.

It started with Elsie at 11:30 pm. I'd been asleep but I woke up to her sitting up and crying. She's been very fussy and "off" for about a week now but is not running a temperature or anything. The only thing I can think it is would be her teeth, which she still has two left to go . . . then we're done. Whew! I gave her motrin and she slept the rest of the night.

About 12:30 am, Abigail came upstairs and woke Andrew up saying she couldn't quit coughing. Poor girl still has lingering cough/lung issues after a cold. He took her downstairs and gave her some honey and toast (our usual cough remedy). I was still awakened even though he was kind enough to handle it.

Well, she continued to cough in bed and since Andrew has sleeping issues, he couldn't go back to sleep. I went down eventually and propped Abigail up on pillows and that seemed to help her cough. Went back upstairs to scratch Andrew's back until he went to sleep.

Then before I could drift off . . . Noah. Needed changed and nursed.

I finally got to go back to sleep but then Noah was up again at 4 am, 6 am, 7 am, and 8:15 am (and he is still sleeping and it's 9:15). Abigail also came upstairs saying she was hungry at 6:30 am. Andrew told her to go back to bed. She did and slept until 8:30 am!! Which is very late.

Whew! Anyone else tired? I am.

Not all nights are like that, thankfully and I know this too shall pass. I'm blogging this so that someday when my kids are in college or grown and gone and I wish for just one second to hold their precious little baby bodies again and kiss their sweet baby cheeks, I'll remember that as much as I love them (which is a lot, believe me) not every moment is rosy!! :)

Off to have some tea (since I've given up coffee).

Zoo trip

2011-10-24T13:07:00.002-05:00

So . . . many many moons ago we took a trip to the zoo. Then I got busy with life and birthdays and sick whiny kids and did not get a chance to blog about it . . . until now.

Woo hoo!

So anyway, my mother-in-law and I took all the kids to the zoo one day. Abigail had earned it with her sleeping sticker chart.

It was fun! We could have spent more time there but we needed to get back home for Bible study and before Elsie needed a nap.

My boy, Noah, was so good. I hardly knew he was there!

Abigail by the elephants.

Elsie by the giraffes. (Abigail said these were her favorites.)

Elsie is chasing a peacock. This girl is very different than her sister, who ran away screaming (okay, not really but she was afraid of them).

Polar bears!

Abigail, Elsie, and their Nana looking at the Polar Bears.

We had such a fun time. I am looking forward to more trips next year when it warms up. The kids will be even older and will be able to enjoy it more!

Behind

2011-10-13T12:05:00.001-05:00

Oh my, I'm behind . . . again.

I have lots of stuff to blog, just no time to do it. Maybe soon.

Very busy week with lots of activities, birthdays and cooking!

Food Blogging Friday - Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Honey

2011-10-07T12:31:00.000-05:00

This is a recipe that I got from Rachael Ray. It's definitely yummy!

Take sweet potatoes. Wash, Peel, and Cube them.

Boil 'em. :)

Return them to the pot and mash with chicken stock, honey, orange juice. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Sorry I forgot to take a finished picture. Ah! I'm so bad at this photography stuff.

Anyway, these are a healthy and delicious side to add to any meal.

Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Honey
Rachael Ray

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup honey
Juice of 1 orange
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

Boil the potatoes until tender; drain and return them to the hot pot. Mash with the chicken stock, honey and lemon juice and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, to taste.

Eluding the Paparazzi

2011-10-05T12:59:00.000-05:00

My Elsie Monster! :)

She climbed to the top of the stairs for the first time today (Wednesday, October 5). I showed her once how to slide down. Next thing I know she climbed up and down all by herself. My girl is growing up!

Food Blogging Friday - Whole Wheat Cinnamon Vanilla Pancakes

2011-09-30T19:18:00.003-05:00

We are BIG breakfast eaters around here. It is the most important meal of the day after all. We don't eat boxed processed cereal for breakfast (every once in a blue moon the parents do but our kids never have). Instead I usually make something from scratch. Usually it's toast and eggs but sometimes we have something else . . . like these pancakes. I love these. Hearty, flavorful, delicious!

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Vanilla Pancakes

2 cups whole wheat flour
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups + 2 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla
Butter for frying

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add wet ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix well with a spoon until there are no more dry spots; don't over-mix. Pour 1/4 cup into hot griddle or pan and cook each side 2 to 4 minutes until golden brown. Serve with butter and REAL maple syrup. Yum!

I will often make a big batch and freeze them for other breakfasts.

Food Blogging Friday - Baked Berry Custard

2011-09-23T12:29:00.000-05:00

I don't often make dessert especially if it is just our family eating at a meal. However when I do make dessert this is one of my favorite ones! It's yummy, flexible, and most importantly, easy! Note: This is not necessarily a healthy recipe. It does use white sugar. As with all things, eat in moderation. Ha ha!!

I got the original recipe from the Martha Stewart Show. The original recipe called for Raspberries but I have made this recipe using all sorts of different berries! I suspect that it would also be good with peaches or plums (or a similar fruit).

Recipe:
Baked Berry Custard

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups berries (about 9 ounces)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In oven, melt butter in a 9-inch pie plate, about 6 minutes.

In a blender, combine milk, eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, and vanilla. Add melted butter and blend mixture until smooth, 30 seconds.

Distribute berries evenly in pie plate and pour batter over top. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar and bake until slightly puffed and just set in middle, 20 to 25 minutes. Heat broiler and broil until top is deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve warm.

My favorite is probably with strawberries as seen below. Yum!

Noah's Sleep

2011-09-21T13:11:00.000-05:00

Noah is a pretty good sleeper most of the time. He is 4 months old and has slept from 9 pm until 7 am before. He doesn't always do this but he has about four times now.

I am still spoiling him rotten (which is going to end soon!) by rocking, bouncing, walking, or nursing him to sleep. I NEVER would have thought I would be doing this when I was a new parent with Abigail. We started sleep training her at 5-weeks old. He usually wakes up once a night but sometimes will get up two or three times. Usually more frequent wakings are because he's getting sick (a few weeks ago) or if he wet out of his diaper.

However my thoughts with this one are that this is more than likely our last baby and I am having some mixed feelings about the subject. So . . . I am just enjoying this beautiful baby boy as much as I can. I love the snuggle time we have each night as I rock him to sleep. I am also trying to help him be a flexible sleeper. I'm often running around with the girls and I want him to be comfortable sleeping in his seat or in my arms if necessary.

He usually takes 2 or 3 naps a day - anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours. Ha! He has sleepy days and some not-so-sleepy days. Today is a sleepy day but if he's awake, he wants to be held!!

I'm thankful to have such a good sleeper (at night) otherwise I wouldn't be able to spoil him like I am doing!!

Elsie's Speech

2011-09-20T12:57:00.003-05:00

"Ear"

Elsie is finally starting to make some progress with her speech. I want to record it here so I don't forget how old and what she is saying! :) Here are the words she says that I can remember. In parenthesis beside the word I am explaining how she says the word. Some of these are probably only ones that I can understand.

Mama
Daddy
Sissy
Noah (no no)
Dewey (not very clear but says "dew uh")
Snack (nack)
Eat (eah - has a hard time ending words!)
Ear
Eye
Mermaid (murh, murh - it is a picture in a book, I don't know why she picked up on this one)
Blueberries (bu bu)
Cheese (chee)
Nana (sounds more like ninny)
Papa
RoRo
TV (tee tee)
Elmo (very clear! Ha!)
Amen (ah meh)
Shoes
Paci (pah)
Ball
Chair
Isaac
Car (only when we ask her to say it, not when she sees a car yet)

That is all I can think of at the moment. She's getting her point across. She also makes a specific sound if she wants a drink but it doesn't sound like drink. Ha!

Food Blogging Friday: Sloppy Joes (crockpot optional)

2011-09-16T12:54:00.001-05:00

These aren't fancy but they sure are good. I love Sloppy Joes - especially when they live up to their name . . . "sloppy". Mmm! Another one of my favorite tastes is BBQ and this recipes combines those two things beautifully.

So . . . if you like your Joes sloppy (ha!) and you like them to be a little more on the barbeque side then this easy recipe is for you!

First you take one pound of beef and brown it in a skillet.

*This beef is actually in my crockpot. I actually doubled this recipe because I was making it for a family at my church as well as my own family so I stuck all these things in the crockpot all day so it would be hot for me to take it to them come supper time.*

Chop 1/4 cup onion and add it to the beef.

Then add 1/2 cup ketchup, 3 tablespoons barbeque sauce, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon celery seed, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the beef and onions.

*Note: You can go very right with these ingredients or you can go very wrong! Read ingredient labels because many of these things can contain HFCS. You can easily find products without it though, just shop around!*

Simmer 10 minutes until all the flavors combine and sauce thickens. Or you can add it all to the crockpot on low at the beginning of the day and have it be hot and perfect right about dinner time.

Add to your favorite bun (I like using Thin Buns because they are only two or three weight watcher points - depending on the kind you get but it is just a regular bun in the picture below).

You can also add cheese or cole slaw or pickles or anything else that might strike your fancy!

Yum! (Sorry for the drop of meat on the plate. I saw that after I downloaded the pictures of my camera. I need to work on my photography skills. Just pretend it isn't there! Ha!)

Full Recipe:

Sloppy Sloppy Joes

1 pound ground beef or turkey breast

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup no-salt-added ketchup

3 tablespoons barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 teaspoon pepper

6 whole wheat hamburger buns, split

Brown beef in a skillet. Add remaining ingredients except buns and simmer 10 minutes. Serve on buns with cheese (optional).

Blessed Sisters

2011-09-15T12:23:00.000-05:00

I have been very impressed lately with how loving and patient Abigail is with her younger siblings. Perhaps I ought to say "can be" with her younger siblings. It's not this way all the time but still. She is good at sharing and loving most of the time. This video is a great representation of that. Can you see her giving Elsie a kiss at the end? Funny!

Many Faces of Noah ("Noey")

2011-09-14T12:14:00.001-05:00

Our precious chunk! 4 months old.

Refreshing, Guilt-free reminder

2011-09-13T21:13:00.002-05:00

I really have enjoyed this blog post that a friend shared with me and I wanted to share it with you. Of course I am still going to continue to sit down and work with my kids . . . when there is an opportunity.

But now . . .

I'm not going to stress over it!

http://simplehomeschool.net/the-truth-about-preschool

Food Blogging Friday: The BEST Chicken Pot Pie

2011-09-09T13:05:00.001-05:00

I can honestly say in all my years on this earth that I have never found a better chicken pot pie recipe than this one. I haven't lived all that long but I challenge you to find one. This uses a white sauce instead of gravy and it is . . . yum!!

Okay, to start out with I made Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pie Crust. It was my first time trying it and yes, it was perfect. As a side note, I was tempted to try it with butter, and I think I will next time, but I used organic expeller pressed shortening and not Crisco.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/12/p-p-p-pie_crust_and_its_p-p-p-perfect/

Then you take 2 tablespoons butter and melt it in a sauce pan. Add 2 tablespoons flour and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for about a minute. Don't burn it!!

Add 2 cups milk. Whisk constantly to prevent lumps.

Here is the key to this recipe. No matter now long it takes you must wait until this mixture is thickened. I have had it thicken in 5 minutes and sometimes I cook it more like 15 minutes. You'll know. I'm not sure what the difference is but you'll have watery and runny pot pie if you don't have a thick sauce.

*Add 1 cup of cooked shredded chicken.

Add one bag of mixed vegetables (your preference).

Add one teaspoon of Nature's Seasons.

Add the chicken, vegetable, and sauce filling to your pie crust.

Please ignore the beauty of my pie crust. It was NOT beautiful. It was delicious but not beautiful.

Add the top pie crust.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes at 350 degrees. I actually ended up baking mine longer because the Pioneer Woman's crust was a bit thicker than my usual. I just made sure that the top crust was baked and the rest was perfect.

I forgot to get a picture of it before we dug in! I had some hungry people to feed!!

* The chicken. I made this recipe and others with cooked shredded chicken that I will occasionally put 5 or 6 chicken breasts in a crock pot with carrots, onions and celery and cook all day. Then I will shred the chicken, measure it out into one cup portions and freeze it. Makes this dish super simple! If you haven't done that ahead of time you can just bake or boil (or whatever) your chicken.

This is one of our favorite recipes. I could make it in my sleep, I think. Anyway, enjoy!!

The BEST Chicken Pot Pie

jaimeschechter.blogspot.com

2 pie crusts

2 Tbsp flour

1 cup cooked shredded chicken

2 cups milk

2 Tbsp butter

1 tsp Natures Seasons

1 bag frozen mixed vegetables

Place one crust in deep pie plate. In large saucepan, melt butter. Add flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Cook until thickened. Add chicken, seasoning and vegetables and stir. Pour into crust. Top with other crust and seal and flute edges. Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Freezes well.

What is important: Society vs God's Truth

2011-09-08T12:42:00.000-05:00

I recently came across the following article and it said everything that I have been thinking and experiencing these last few years.

It also has challenged me to the core! It has challenged me to let go of my frustrations, which are really just selfish desires, and to be even more in-the-moment with my kids.

Read this:

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/motherhood-is-a-calling-and-where-your-children-rank

After I read this, I was struck with the realization that I have had this happen to me so many times lately. I have had so many comments from people saying:

"Why would you put yourself through that?"

"How do you cope?"

I could go on but I won't. I can so easily recognize it now as people valuing other "things" in this life above the precious gift of children. I am guilty of this myself! I can very easily slip into wanting to do my own thing each day and when that thing gets interrupted then the frustration and anger sets in.

I can see this issue goes beyond raising children. True sacrifice is not a very popular option.

How can we change that?

4 month old comparison pictures

2011-09-07T13:07:00.000-05:00

Here are pictures of the kids at approximately the same age (around 4 months old).

What do you think? Similarities?

Abigail

Elsie

Noah

I think Elsie is the most unique looking (meaning not like the other two) but I'm not sure. Anywhoo, they're all cute!! :)

Picnic and Visiting Daddy

2011-09-07T12:35:00.000-05:00

About once a year I try to take the kids to visit their daddy at work. I think it's fun for them to see where he works and he says (ha ha!) it's fun for him when we come visit. So . . . last Wednesday I packed up a picnic lunch, packed up the kids, and headed downtown to visit him. I hadn't been since last fall - right after I found out I was expecting Noah but before we had told anyone.

It really makes me appreciate my extremely hardworking husband all the more for making that LONG drive every single day.

We picked him up at work and opted to have a picnic lunch at the nearby Eden park rather than brave eating in a tiny downtown restaurant with our many-children-who-like-to-scream!

We had a beautiful spot where we could see the Ohio River.

And . . . had a nearby playground.

I didn't get any pictures inside Andrew's office but you can surely imagine it. It looks like an office! :)

It really was a fun day and if the drive wasn't so far we'd do it more often. :)

Chatty Boy

2011-09-06T12:11:00.001-05:00

My boy just slept through the night (a few days ago) for the third time - 9 pm to 7 am. He's growing up! Time, slow down!!

He's becoming more vocal. He's always had a loud cry (has to be heard over his sisters - you know) but lately he's just become more chatty.

So much fun but also a reminder that this time is precious. Someday he'll be really talking and I will miss these days!

Camping Adventure

2011-09-05T12:33:00.000-05:00

I wrote a few posts ago about the little bout of sickness that hit our house. Well, it all started with this camping adventure! My husband, bless him, has been wanting to take our oldest girl camping for quite some time. We decided the back yard would be the best place to begin. So, he set up a tent.

The exitement from the girls was quite fun to watch!

Abigail loved the "doggy" door we have in our tent. We used to take our dog camping with us. Now it will have to be the kids door! :)

Well, I think my husband and daughter lasted two hours in the tent until my daughter started vomiting so they opted (ha ha!) to come inside.

Hoping the next time goes better.

Here is a video of how exited they were to play in the tent. At least they got a few hours of playing in it.

Blessings

2011-09-04T20:52:00.000-05:00

We have been receiving so many blessings lately. I want to briefly share them for my own memory and for the most important reason - to praise Him who has made all these things possible!!

1) Our home refinance came back a whopping $15,000 more than the last one we had done in January.

2) We had a medical bill (worth thousands) that I was mentally and financially preparing to pay. We received a letter yesterday that said we qualified to have it reduced by 100%. I still feel like it's a joke! Wow!

3) A blessing of a quarterly bonus.

4) A very positive review for my hardworking, initiative-taking, intelligent husband today during his yearly review. He's the only person I know who has continued to work (part-time) for previous employers after he leaves their employment full-time. That says something about his work ethic, integrity, desireability as an employee and overall genius! :)

5) And . . . this is nothing new but I have lovely, beautiful, intelligent, funny, precious children I get to care for all day, every day!!

I know that there will be days when these blessings seem like a distant memory and I will praise God for those days too but I want to praise him (and remember for my sake!) these wonderful blessing-filled, encouraging days.

Preschool Time: Camping Adventure

2011-09-03T12:47:00.001-05:00

Abigail is not attending preschool this year, unlike almost everyone else we know. Therefore I am attempting to have a "preschool time" with her several times a week.

Our first subject was learning about camping. It fit in nicely with my husband's plan to take Abigail camping one night. More about that experience later. The resources I found were great. They worked on vocabulary, math, writing, letter recognition and sounds, games, painting, etc. We're still working on it, actually!!

I usually try to have this time during Noah's morning nap. He isn't napping reguarly yet so it's still tricky. Then we have Elsie. Oh Elsie. She wants so badly to be included yet she can't do everything that big sister can. So I have started to encourage her to color . . .

And she does pretty well. She will only last a few minute until she gets frustrated and bored but at least it's a start.

And this darling . . .

absolutely loves to learn. She will jump for joy if I say I am going to pull out the learning sheets. I hope I can keep this up as Elsie and Noah grow and change. I figure that she'd only be going to a formal preschool 2x a week so that is my guide. We've easily surpassed that these first two weeks.

Trying a s'more as part of our camping adventure.

I still think that the best form of learning for this age group is through play and life situations. It is amazing to see how much she imitates us and how much she learns through that. So this is not strict or formal in any way. In fact if she ever showed signs of not enjoying it, it would not be a priority in our house. She seems to love sitting down to work on this stuff so I will take that as a sign that she's ready for it.

Food Blogging Friday - Naan & Dal Nirvana!!

2011-09-02T12:40:00.001-05:00

Finally! I made this recipe for the first time last fall right about the time I was starting to feel the effects of the first trimester with Noah. I definitely couldn't food blog so I'm thrilled to be able to finally share these recipes with you!

Indian Food is a recent discovery in our household (well, several years ago). We have tried several different Indian Food recipes and these are definitely our favorites.

First of all, as a basis for most Indian Food you will need Basmati Rice. It has to soak a bit first but then only takes 25 minutes to fully prepare. Read the label for the best way to prepare this.

Then we have the crowning jewel of the Indian Food, in house household at least. Naan! Yum! We have often said that we just make the other stuff to put on the Naan. So true.

Here we go:

In a large bowl place once packet (2 1/4 tsp) of dry active yeast. Add 1 cup warm water (between 105 and 115 degrees) and stir. Let sit for 10 minutes or until frothy. Then stir in 1/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, one egg (beaten), and 2 teaspoons salt. Mix well.

Stir in approximately 4 1/2 cups of bread flour. Keep adding flour until a soft dough forms.

Let rise 1 hour until dough doubles in volume.

Meanwhile, chop 2 cloves of garlic (this, in my opinion, is the secret weapon of this bread).

When the dough is done rising, knead the chopped garlic right into the dough, evenly distributing the garlic.

Pinch off golf ball sized pieces of dough and roll until round. Place on a cookie sheet and let them rise 30 minutes or so.

Melt the butter, fire up your grill, and take the dough balls outside with a rolling pin, melted butter, and a brush for the butter.

Roll out dough until 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Brush one side with butter and throw that buttered side down onto the grill. Grill 2 or 3 minutes until lightly browned and brush other side with butter. Flip! Repeat.

Yum! You MUST eat one hot off the grill with a little extra butter thrown on. You'll thank me. Really!

Okay, now for the Dal Nirvana.

Take 1 cup dry lentils . . .

And add it to a sauce pan. Fill the sauce pan with water until the water covers the lentils by 2 inches.

Bring this to a boil and lower temperature to simmer 10 minutes until lentils begin to open. Drain lentils and return lentils to the pot. Stir lentils around and smash some with the back of a spoon to break them open.

Add six ounces tomato puree, 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger, 1 tablespoon of minced (or grated) garlic, scant teaspoon of cayenne pepper (you can adjust this to your heat level - a whole teaspoon is decently hot!), one cup water, 4 tablespoons butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.

Cook for 1 hour until Dal is thick (see below photo! yum!). Check often to make sure the water doesn't cook out.

Add 1/3 cup of heavy cream and cilantro to garnish.

Eat with Naan bread and Basmati Rice. The Dal is particularly delicious smeared all over the Naan bread.

Yum!

Here is the brave crowd (last fall) that endured my first attempt at Indian Food.

Here are the full recipes:

Naan

jaimeschechter.blogspot.com

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons salt

4 1/2 cups bread flour

2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)

1/4 cup butter, melted

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

Indian Dal Nirvana

from Nirvana Restaurant, Beverly Hills

1 cup dry lentils

6 ounces canned tomato puree

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup water

4 tablespoons butter

1/8 teaspoon salt, more to taste

freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

In a large sauce pan, add the lentils and fill with water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the lentils open and are tender. Drain the water from the lentils and return the lentils to the pot. Stir the lentils around in the pot mashing some of them against the pot to break open. Add the tomato puree, ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, water, butter, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 hour until the dal is thick. Make sure to check the pot periodically to make sure the water does not cook out.

Stir in cream, garnish with minced cilantro.

Abigail's Visit to the Dentist

2011-08-31T12:10:00.000-05:00

Abigail went to the dentist for the first time and she had a great experience. She loved it! I love our dentist. He is very personable and caring. He did the entire appointment for Abigail, including the cleaning. Hard to find that kind of service anywhere today.

Anyway, her teeth are fine. No cavities. She didn't get x-ray's (we're trying to limit those unless absolutely necessary) so she just had her mouth examined and then her teeth cleaned.

She did great. She was very cooperative and laid very still for the doctor. He addressed the issue of the gap in her front teeth by saying that it might close on its own when she gets permanent teeth or the muscle might need a small surgery to help the teeth close. We'll just wait and see.

The main issue that he addressed was her use of the pacifier. She was still using the pacifier and he told her to try and not use it because it was hurting her teeth. We started that night to not use it and getting rid of it has been slightly easier than I thought.

She's back to not sleeping well (we've been struggling since Noah was born) but she's not emotional about the pacifier, like I thought she would be. She is just having a hard time falling asleep now and is getting us up at least once a night. She was doing that before. However she was starting to improve.

A great first experience for her!!

Sickness

2011-08-30T12:33:00.002-05:00

We've had a weird sickness at our house this weekend. It started when Andrew decided he wanted to camp out with Abigail last Friday night. He got the tent set up in the backyard, beds made inside, snacks, and a book to read. They fell asleep for a few hours. Then she puked everywhere.

I was still awake inside so I came downstairs to see what was up and helped with the clean-up, etc. She proceeded to get sick a few more times and ended up sleeping in our room on the floor.

I got up with Elsie at 7 am to let Andrew sleep a little more. She promptly started coughing and gagging and sure enough, spent a few hours throwing up.

And then. . .

She was done. Just like that. I've never seen anything like it. About 20 minutes after her last vomit episode, she walked into the kitchen and pointed at the snacks and whined (her current form of communication). We tried one cracker and it was fine. One cracker led to 10 crackers and a piece of toast and water. She kept saying more, more! Ha!

Amazingly enough, it was the first time Elsie has ever thrown up to my knowledge. She's led a pretty healthy life so far.

They both ate a regular lunch.

Weirdness, I say. Or I just have some very resilient and tough kids.

Noah Blake's Birth Story: Part 2

2011-08-29T14:03:00.000-05:00

After Noah was born, my mother-in-law brought the girls all the way up to Dayton to visit us.

Daddy with the girls in the elevator on the way up to the birth center.

Abigail meeting Noah for the first time.

Elsie was just a mess. She had a runny nose and was confused and upset to see Mama with another baby besides her. She really just sat and cried . . . except if a camera was pointed at her. Funny girl. If she saw the red eye reduction go off on my mother-in-law's camera, she would smile and ham it up for the camera. I think you can still see her tears though.

Abigail was instantly an adoring older sister.

"Nana", my mother-in-law, with newborn Noah.

I held Elsie on my lap and played with her to try to make things feel "normal" for her. She was still pretty confused and upset.

My father-in-law works in Dayton and so he met the rest of the family at the birth center after work. He's holding Noah for the first time.

During the birth, there was some confusion as to whether I was a carrier or not of Group B Strep. It's still a mystery. I had tested positive (I think) at one point during my pregnancy but the doctor retested me at 37 weeks and the test had been negative so I didn't end up having antibiotics during labor (yeah yeah yeah for no IV!).

After he was born, all the medical staff was in a tizzy thinking he could have been exposed to GBS even though I had tested negative in late pregnancy. He was born pretty quickly after my water broke, so I wasn't concerned. Procedure stated that he had to have his blood drawn and monitored for infection. They did that before we went to bed for the evening.

During the night I was requesting pain medication from the nurses and they told me that his blood work had come back and they were concerned about infection. So we were supposed to stay in the hospital an extra day.

*A typical stay in our birth center is 24 hours after birth, which is what we did with the girls.*

I was disappointed to hear this news because we wanted to go home but we agreed to stay just to make sure that Noah was okay. He seemed to be fine to me, nursing, sleeping, was fine. The doctor agreed with me that he would have showed some abnormal fussiness or refusal to eat if he had been sick.

Later the next day the pediatrician checked him out again and just said the elevated while blood cells were probably stress from the birth (you're telling me, kid!) and that he was checking out fine now. He still had not been circumcised and so we had to wait until the next day for that - by that point - anyway.

Everything else was fine. We just simply were anxious to get back home and to be honest, a bit bored by that point. Having never stayed 48 hours after a birth before, it was an interesting experience. I longed for the comforts of home and my own bed.

Noah with his Great-Grandma, Rosalie Myers:

Noah with my mom who the kids call "Roro".

And . . . that is Noah's birth story!

Food Blogging Friday - Sesame Seed Cookies

2011-08-26T12:47:00.001-05:00

These cookies bring back memories of my childhood. We grew up making these cookies! I never remember having very many other cookies than these until I could bake them myself! :) Ha!

I love to make these with my children and know that the only sweetner they are getting in these cookies is from the honey.

You can tell I took these pictures to blog this LAST summer (as in 2010!). Look at my little darling. :)

First you have to take a big spoonful of honey and eat it. At least if you are my girl. :)

Use natural and raw honey . . . not the cooked stuff . . . that removes all the healthy and good things from the honey.

Yum, trying the dough!

Finished product.

Here is the recipe:

Sesame Seed Cookies

jaimeschechter.blogspot.com

½ cup honey

½ cup oil (I use butter or coconut oil)

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup wheat bran

1 ¼ cup oatmeal

1 cup ww flour

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

¾ cup sesame seeds

Combine honey, oil and egg. Mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Dough should be stiff; add tablespoon or two of milk if too stiff.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie with the bottom of glass dipped in cold water. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

Hint: I love to make a sandwich out of these cookies with a little nutella or nut butter in the middle.

Overcoming Childhood Fears!

2011-08-25T13:18:00.000-05:00

My daughter has many fears. Bugs, Jack-in-the-box, this stick horse, having water on her face, having clothes trapped over her head, the dark, and the list goes on.

I am really trying slowly but surely to help her overcome some of these by slowly "exposing" her to the things she's afraid of that won't really hurt her.

She's been TERRIFIED of this stick horse for many months so I started slowly. I set it out in the room and just didn't make a big deal of it. She was afraid at first but got used to it sitting there. Then I played with the horse with her younger sister (nothing like peer pressure) until finally she realized it was just a toy and it was FUN!

So this video is really for Grandpa Kurt, who gave her this toy. She loves it now, by the way.

Enjoy!

Noah Blake's Birth Story Part 1

2011-08-24T13:12:00.000-05:00

Oh my, Noah's birth story!!

The weeks leading up to Noah's birth were interesting. I was super uncomfortable with a very low riding baby boy, a 17 month old and a 3 year old. But we survived. My sister came into town just after my 39th week. Both the girls were born during that week, Abigail at 39 weeks 4 days, and Elsie at 39 weeks 1 day, so I assumed Noah would be similar.

I am SO thankful that she was there to help me out, even though she missed the birth. On Sunday night, May 8th, I had terrible and painful irregular contractions all night long. I think I slept 2 or 3 hours that night. My sister had planned to leave first thing that morning, to return home, but she graciously stayed until after lunch and took care of all the kids so I could rest. I don't know what I would have done without her.

That Monday evening I left the girls with Andrew and went to Walgreens to purchase some Epsom Salts. I had received a tip from a friend that if I bathed with them, it would induce labor. I could barely walk into the store because of my low baby pressing on my bladder. I will NEVER forget that pinching pain but I managed to buy some. I got home and relaxed in a nice bath and was in bed about 8:30 pm.

*Side note here: I have never in my history of pregnancy and birth been asked so many times when my baby would be born. Unless you have an induction or c-section scheduled - let me tell you something - the mother does not know for sure. Labor can start suddenly and at any time. Some of the symptoms I felt when I went in to labor with Elsie, I felt in month six with Noah. So every time things are different. I got so many tips on stimulating labor and I wasn't even overdue!! My heart goes out to those women who are!*

I woke up around 2 am with pretty painful contractions. I tried to wait in bed, as I had with Elsie, and rest but the contractions were regular and too painful to lay still through. I went into the nursery and walked and rocked a bit. I ended up walking Andrew accidentally. I was trying to let him sleep more. Once he knew I was up, he couldn't sleep either so he got up and timed contractions for me. They were still a little irregular but got as close as every 3 minutes.

He sent some work emails, showered, etc., while I relaxed through the early stages of labor. I took advantage of it being early May and did some walking around outside while I labored. Both the girls were born in the winter so I couldn't do that with them.

I think it was around 4:00 am that Andrew called his parents to have them come stay with our girls so we could head to the hospital.

I had one HUGE contraction in the car but that was it. I was afraid that we'd be sent home when we got there. It is one of my biggest fears with each of my children. Strange that after three kids, I'd still questioning whether or not I was in labor.

We got there around 5:30 am (I think) and I got checked. I was at 5 centimeters, so they admitted us to the birth center and we got settled in. My labor was still very stalled. I hadn't had a contraction since being in the car and was scared this was going to take all day!

So . . .

I alternated between walking around the birth center and regular L&D ward and emptying my bladder (helps promote the baby dropping and labor). Andrew was able to relax and get in a few more minutes of rest. I was very thankful for this!

I had always wished with the girls that we'd gotten better pictures of the birth center to show people how nice it is. So since my labor was still very mild at this time, I walked around and took pictures of things.

Bathroom:

The tub where Noah would eventually be born:

I remember Andrew making many jokes during this time and thinking how wonderful it was to get to spend this time with him. His attention was just on me and was undivided by other things. I guess we need more date nights, huh?! Anyway, it was just fun!

Well, I walked and walked and walked and FINALLY labor started up again. I finally reached the point where I could not walk through each contraction so I started to stay closer to my room.

I noticed (through out the whole labor process but it started early) that if I leaned back and reclined my contractions slowed down and were very mild. If I leaned forward, like on my hands and knees, the contractions came fast and were hard and painful. This meant that I forced myself to be forward during almost every contraction. I knew it would speed things up instead of draw them out.

My contractions started to get serious around mid morning, 9 am or so. Andrew encouraged me to go ahead and get into the bath. I wasn't quite ready yet because I didn't want my labor to stall any but I went ahead and got in.

Relaxing and reclining back in the bath did slow things a bit so I had to get out and walk around a bit.

My darling husband took this awful picture of me during a contraction, which I will graciously share with you. This was after I had tried to be in the bath once.

Things got intense at this point and so I got back into the bath. After that happened, I went into my own little world. I was aware of people around me and goings-on but it was difficult for me to answer. I was so thankful that Andrew seemed to know what I was thinking and guided the staff to pretty much watch and leave me alone. That was best!! I would be a great candidate for going out in the woods to squat and have a baby since I do crave being alone during the process - except the ending.

My contractions at this point were double-peaking. I had been checked again during the process and was only at a 5-6. I was discouraged to say the least. I had no idea how I could continue to handle double-peaking contractions that never let up and still try to progress from a 6 to a 10!

I suddenly felt an urge to push. They checked me again and said I was still at a 7 but the baby's head was very low and that was the reason that I had the urge to push. They broke my water at this point.

I had been asked repeatedly if I wanted it broken and I had refused. My reason being that I had went ahead and had it broken with Abigail. It made labor very hard and difficult and she still wasn't born for HOURS after.)

I labored through a few more intense contractions with pushing and dialated very fast! By this point, the midwife was there, as well as her mid-wife in training, who ended up actually delivering Noah. I was on my back with Andrew holding me up on a waterproof pillow. I was out of control (yes, yelling . . . lots. I could not help it!) and felt that I would drown in the birthing tub were it not for my husband holding me up. They checked me again and said that I still had a little cervix left so I pushed him past the cervix. Three or four more pushes later (and the worst pain you can IMAGINE!) and he was ready to exit.

The midwife was coaching me at this point to not just push constantly but to wait for each contraction. I was able to finally do this at the end even though I thought that the pain was too intense to even feel the contractions (the contractions are pansy pain compared to the exit!).

At 10:59 am I pushed his head out and was able to reach down and feel him. The midwife said "oh, there's his wrinkly little head"). I think (hard to remember!) it took two more pushes to get his body out. The best feeling in the world was when he was set up on my chest. I am convinced that there is no greater high than that. It is one of the many reasons why I choose to have drug-free natural births. We waited for the cord blood to go back into his body before Andrew cut the cord.

After the cord was cut, the nurse took the baby to do some cleaning up and checking and I climbed out of the huge tub (which was a sight, I'm sure) and went to the bed for the rest of the examination and cleaning-up period.

Only a few minutes later and I got to snuggle with this little bundle of joy:

Very tired and blissfully happy to have a healthy baby boy and also to be done with labor!

He weighed 8 lbs 6 oz and was right in-between his sister's lengths at 21 1/2 inches long.

He took off immediately with breastfeeding (often and for long periods of time!) and never looked back. It helps to have lots of experience but he was the easiest breastfeeding baby I've had.

Here is a picture of him in a milk-coma (as we like to call it) in the hospital.

Part 2 still to come . . .

Elsie Tornado

2011-08-23T12:24:00.002-05:00

We have recently had a tornado around our house. The tornado's name is Elsie!

Within the last week she learned how to climb.

It started out with a single step. She learned how to climb up and down. That meant the shoes were all a mess in our mud room.

Then she learned to climb up on the bench drawers in the living room. That meant Noah's diapers and changing table were torn apart and finger prints were on the TV.

Then she learned to climb up on the child sized rocking chair, which makes Mama scared for her safety!

Then she learned to climb up the stairs, which means all of my "going-upstairs" junk that I used to keep on the stairway can no longer stay there.

Then she learned how to climb up on Abigail's bed (but she can't get down) which means the stuffed animals and baby dolls are no longer out of reach.

Today . . . she climbed up on the couch all by herself. That means all of the stuff that we kept away from her on the back of the couch (remotes, kleenex, drinks, etc) will no longer be safe.

And . . . she has a thing for Kleenex as you can see in the photo below. The amazing thing was, this room (the whole house!) was perfectly clean the day before for our appraisal.

My life is different now . . . oh yes! :)

Music Class: Elsie

2011-08-20T12:54:00.000-05:00

My Elsie Pie is something else. The first time we went to these music classes she clung to me and cried. Now she's the life of the group. You can see the other kids sitting quietly and clapping while my maniac runs around. She enjoys it but boy she's a handful!

Next week is our last week. We have had fun attending even if it is a challenge to do with all three of my kids (I have to make two trips to get all my kids inside because there are too many stairs for Elsie to handle).

Enjoy!

Food Blogging Friday - Curried Beef Stew

2011-08-19T12:29:00.005-05:00

Finally! Finally! I have returned to food blogging. I do not claim to be good at it but cooking is something I enjoy (and eating too, obviously). I stopped posting recipes when I became pregnant with Noah (a year ago!!) because I was so nauseated that I couldn't think of food and I never really got into it after that.

Anyway, I have lots of new recipes to share.

Here is probably the easiest one I have made in a while. The idea for this recipe came from my mother-in-law. She watched the girls while we were in the hospital having Noah and fixed a version of this for us the night we returned home from the hospital. We had round steak thawed from the freezer so she was trying to use that up. All of these measurements are estimated. I just threw these ingredients into the crock pot and the result is some deliciousness!

Here is is:

1 to 2 round steaks, outsides sprinkled with flour and browned in a pan with olive oil
2 medium potatoes cut into chunks
2 medium carrots cut into slices
1/2 of a large onion roughly chopped (can be big pieces)
1 to 2 cups of water
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Throw it into a crock pot and let 'er go 8 hours or so on low! You can adjust the curry powder to your tastes. I may have gone a bit overboard because my oldest daughter claimed it to be too spicy. My middle daughter (21 months old) LOVED this dish. She gobbled it up!

I also cooked some brown rice in the extra liquid from the stew (I had put in too much water) so we served this over rice. Extra yummy. All the juices soaked up in the rice.

When I brought it to the table my daughter asked, "Does it have peas?". What a great idea!! Next time I will throw some peas in at the last minute. They just need to stay in a few minutes to warm up but would become a mushy mess if left too long.

It was a great way to serve a tougher cut of meat to my family. The kids (3 and 21 months old) can't really eat steak yet but this was fork tender and very easy to eat. If you like curry, this is the way to go. So good.

I calculated it to be about 8 points plus for about 2/3 to 3/4 cup scoops, which seem to be plenty big.

Also, please excuse my poor photography skills. That's my husband's department and I'm terrible at it.

Weekend and Monday Update

2011-08-15T12:38:00.002-05:00

We had a nice weekend.

Got out on Saturday to deliver a meal to some friends at church and to Target. Then I took the kids to watch Andrew's cousin run in a Mudathlon. It looked like so much fun that I'm considering doing it next year. Then our evening consisted of a birthday dinner for my father-in-law. Fun times!

Sunday: we were finally back at church after missing for 3 weeks due to travel and attending another church. It was good to be back. In the afternoon I was able to slip away for a few hours to see a movie, The Help. I was particularly interested in seeing it since I had read the book. My darling husband bravely watched the kids for a few hours while I went.

This morning we went to our next to last music class. Elsie was a crazy maniac the whole time (I got a video and will post after I download it!) and Abigail loves it. I needed to mail something at the post office so we did that after the class.

Now it's naptime so I'm off to try to accomplish something. Don't know what yet.

Michigan 2011

2011-08-12T13:06:00.006-05:00

We left for our Michigan trip at about 8:30 am, which was impressive, considering we had to load up all of our luggage and family members by that time. This was our first trip with Noah and he did great!

Here is Elsie on the trip to Michigan . . . riding in style with her shades. It took us about 6 hours to get to our rental house.

We arrived first and the very first course of action was for Andrew to take the girls on the golf cart (provided with the house) down to see Lake Michigan. It was about a 3 minute cart ride or 10 minute walk to the lake.

We discovered a 99-step stairway that led down to the beach. Since I wasn't there for this picture, I'm not sure how Andrew got both girls down those stairs alone! :) It was steep and climbing it was a workout in itself. It was well worth it, though. The lake was beautiful the first few days we were there. Nice and warm with beautful waves. We did quite a bit of swimming.

Unfortunately Elsie did not like the waves, sand, beach, etc. So whenever we took her to the beach she would spend the whole time whining and crying. I'm sure she'll outgrow this by our next trip to any sort of beach!

The girls had so much fun playing with cousins Alex and Isaac. Alex is seen in the below picture with the girls.

My Grandma Fairchild was able to join us on this trip. Her primary activity for the week was holding a sleepy baby. The both look pretty cozy! It was so nice to have her on this trip and I hope she can join us again!!

On the windiest day of the week (why we picked that day, I don't know) we headed down to South Haven to the public beach. It was accessible to my Grandma, since she couldn't navigate the 99 steps to our private beach. We enjoyed seeing wind surfers and the water was nice enough to swim.

Grandma at the beach.

Elsie at the beach. You can't tell but she's crying in this picture.

Abigail and Alex had a lot of fun playing in the sand!

My darling beauty standing at the top of our stairs to the beach. She got braver as the week went on and walked them by herself a few times (with adults close behind, of course).

Sunset on our private beach on evening! So beautiful!!

After our week in the rental house, we headed to Grand Rapids to celebrate my Grandma Helen's 80th birthday. A large crowd of her family and friends gathered for the celebration. Almost everyone is pictured in the following photo (Grandma Fern is holding Noah inside - not in photo). This was taken after a lovely catered meal at my Grandma's retirement center.

The next day we headed to Meijer Garden's for a tour of their gardens and sculpture park. What a neat place! We enjoyed the children's area especially. The girls enjoyed exploring and seeing the exhibits there.

Below my sister Jenny is helping Isaac and Elsie play in the water/boat area.

Elsie is wandering around Meijer gardens.

Then that evening we had a lovely picnic, hosted by my Grandma's daughter, Kathy. She has a lovely home with a newly remodeled kitchen (Sorry, no pictures) that is to die for! This was her beautiful back yard.

I enjoyed watching my nephew, Isaac, try to walk on the sloped lawn. He is a new walker and it was hilarious! He was very determined not to let it slow him down. You can see his attempts in the picture below.

We spent that night at the Calvin College's Conference Center (just like a hotel) and our kids REALLY slept in. Nobody woke up until about 8:45 am!!! Noah, of course, was up a few times at night but everyone really slept great as you can see in the following photos.

Elsie . . .

Abigail . . .

Noah. . .

Then we all enjoyed church and a dinner at my Grandma's church in Grand Rapids.

These are obviously pictures of the lunch . . . not the church service! :)

After lunch we started our journey home. It wasn't easy to travel with our small children but it was worth it! We spent quite a bit of time on the way home listening to crying children (Elsie only napped 30 minutes) but we had a great time anyway.

That's a recap! We had so much fun and it was a blessing to me to be able to vacation with my family - who we do not get to see very often. I hope to be able to do it again someday!!

Michigan 2011

2011-08-08T13:10:00.002-05:00

We just returned home from a lovely and wonderful trip to Michigan. We spent the week (Saturday to Friday) at a rental house in South Haven, Michigan and then the following weekend we were in Grand Rapids to celebrate my grandmother's 80th birthday.

Andrew fixed my computer the night before we left (yeah, yeah) so I'm back to blogging more, hopefully.

I'll try to find some time to post pictures, video, etc.

The kids are growing like weeds and I don't want to miss out on recording their lives. . . crazy as things are around here.

To Do List

2011-07-28T15:09:00.002-05:00

I have my to do list in front of me. Since Monday morning at 8 am I have been able to cross off the following:

Laundry
Clean laundry room
Clean Mud Room
Clean Kitchen
Make dinner: Sloppy Lentils, Corn, Potatoes, Watermelon

Clean Van
Laundry
Clean Noah's Room
Clean Upstairs Bathroom
Clean Master Bedroom
Make Sesame Seed Cookies for trip
Make dinner: Meatballs, sweet potato fries, Lima Beans
Get Dish from Grandma's

Go shopping
Clean Abigail's room
Clean Elsie's Room
Clean Downstairs bathroom
Clean living room
Bake Cookes (too many!)

Go Grocery shopping (w/ all three kids)
Clean Kitchen
Make Grandma Bread
Do Laundry
Get Cash

Wow!

Still left on my to-do list before we leave on our trip Saturday morning (it's Thursday at 4:15):
Mop Kitchen
Clean fridge
Zumba class
Straighten each room (nothing ever stays clean)
Pack
Empty all trash
Mow

Not bad. Planning ahead and being organized is my favorite thing! I can't survive without it!!!

Crashed!

2011-07-25T14:18:00.002-05:00

So . . . a lot less blogging lately.

My computer is ka put!

So, that means I can either blog while standing in my kitchen with my children running around (which is going to be blogs like this one - since that is what is happening right at this moment) or I'd have to go to the basement (not babyproofed basement!) and blog on Andrew's computer.

So . . . .

The blogs may be few and far between until I get my computer back up and running. I hope that we can do this right after we return from our trip to Michigan. We're leaving in a few days.

I'm busy cleaning, packing, doing laundry, shopping, etc. Getting ready to take our family of 5 on a trip for the first time. We're all really looking forward to it!!

~Jaime

Why I'm a blog slacker . . .

2011-07-07T13:33:00.002-05:00

I'm busy playing with, taking care of, monitoring, cooking for, rocking, nursing, reading to, kissing, and hugging these cuties!

Abigail LOVES to take care of Noah. She's pretty good about holding him but I like to stay nearby, just in case she would get the notion to get up. I have caught her a few times trying to pick him up. I'd say that her only problem is caring for him too much!

Me and my three babies! They're a handful but I can hardly stand it when they are away!

Affection!! These two are going to have a great relationship, I can tell. Look at that giant smile on Noah's face as his older sister bends down to talk to him (or poke him in the eye - take your pick).

Poking him in the eye - her favorite activity! Actually, she is getting better. I think her intention is good but she just doesn't have good control over her chubby little arms.

"I love you, I think. Just don't poke me."

The End!

(Abigail's sleeping is still troublsome. Some nights are okay and others are BAD! I think God knew that I needed a baby who would sleep well because Noah is an awesome sleeper. He usually goes 5 to 7 hours and then a shorter stretch. I don't think Elsie slept that long until she was eating solid food and then she really didn't sleep through the night until she was over a year old. She's great now!!)

Sleep Update

2011-07-01T07:51:00.000-05:00

Being consistent and firm has paid off! Abigail has slept "through" the night since my last post. I put the italics because she's been getting up early but I can't blame her since she does wait until it's light outside. Unfortunately it gets light pretty early (like 6 am!).

She came quietly into my bedroom today and just got in bed and laid beside me until I woke up this morning. Thankfully she didn't get into any trouble. She's been a mess lately.

I have also been rewarding her with small bits of candy and small prizes if she stays in bed all night. It seems to be working. Now only if it would work for her "quiet time". She still comes out 5 or 6 times to ask me questions.

We're working on it!!

I'm so please with the progress though. We both are feeling more rested and that makes for less stressed out parents!! Yeah!

Sleeping is for the Cows

2011-06-27T07:00:00.003-05:00

So, I wish this sleep update would be all about my boy, Noah. But really, he's doing great! He usually sleeps a 3 to 5 1/2 hour stretch first and then a 2 to 3 hour stretch. Not bad for 7 weeks old. I'll take it!

The real reason I'm writing this is my darling daughter, Abigail. She's struggling, poor soul. Please forgive any typos or things that don't make sense in this. It's been a long night.

I have heard from several people that having to retrain a toddler to sleep is fairly common. I just never thought it would happen to me and with a newborn! Whew!

Anyway, I guess the reason I was so self-assured that toddler sleep training would never be a big issue for me is that we have always been very consistent with bedtime and nighttime. The routine has been the same for years (literally) and my daughter has never gotten away with much at bedtime or during the night.

My husband is a little easier on her at night but we've still never let her sleep in our bed or anywhere else but her bed, for that matter. Yet we have spent many nights over the past two or three weeks saying "No, you cannot try to fall asleep in our bed" after she has asked to do this repeatedly. Where do kids get this stuff?

"We" (by that I mean Daddy) have recently told her that if she can't fall asleep right away she can turn on her light and read a book. Big mistake! I knew this and was hesitant to start it but she was having a hard time falling asleep when she napped during the day and I wanted to be sympathetic. When I hear her "reading" at 1:30 am, it's not okay with me. Someday she'll share a room with her sister, hopefully, and she'll need to learn that if she can't sleep, she needs to just lay still and relax and not disturb others.

We are having a hard time explaining the difference between waking us up for an "emergency" (in my definition is blood, poop, or puke) and waking us up for attention. Last night the first visit to our room by Abigail was to tell us that she had falled out of bed. Seriously. The girl walked all the way out of her room, down the hall, up the stairs and into our room to tell us this instead of just getting back in bed. Wow!

Then it was the "potty" break. She does this frequently and during "quiet time" too. She says she has to do #2 and therefore needs our attention to clean up at the end. She and Daddy sat in the bathroom for 15 minutes last night and . . .nothing. I probably could have told you that before she even started but I'd hate to be wrong and have a mess on my hands.

I finally just said to her last night, after her 3 or 4th trip upstairs that she had to stay in her room, with the light off, closing her eyes and not reading. I think my husband thinks I'm harsh but honestly, you can't sleep with your eyes open and turning on lights only stimulates you and makes it harder to fall asleep. She then proceeded to lose her paci and cry for it since she couldn't turn on the light to find it. Manipulate much?! Wow! She's a smart kid.

Anyway, after that episode I told her that if I heard her crying for her paci again, I would take them away . . . for good. No more out of her then.

I have spent the morning, on and off, reading about helping your toddler sleep and sleep training. They are all pretty unified in one thing . . . consistency. Which is great news, actually because that's something I'm good at. We'll see how the next few nights go. I'm also going to try to respond less - and hopefully with less emotion and frustration too.

In the meantime . . .

I'm sleepy! Sitting down anywhere for any length of time is not good because I'll be asleep.

:)

Things I'm learning . . .

2011-06-24T09:25:00.002-05:00

I have so many blog posts that run through my head . . . mostly at night! I hope to really sit down and write a good one soon. Perhaps Noah's birth story. In the meantime bullets will have to do.

Things I'm learning as a mother of three children who are 3 and under . . .

It does no good for me to get upset/emotional. Remaining calm when one is misbehaving or whining or crying is much more helpful. It's not always easy and some days I'm better at it than others.
It's hard when your 3-yr-old who shouldn't be napping does nap. Whew. I'm tired. Got up with her 4+ times last night.
You have to clean and cook in 5 minute segments because that's all you'll have.
It does no good to soothe yourself with a box of natural oreos . . . you'll just be annoyed at your fat and out-of-shape self later. (Thanks Weight Watchers).
It is almost comical how long it takes me just to get the kids ready to go outside to swing. I almost wish I had a witness! :)
Mommy guilt is a daily battle for me. Am I doing the right activities for each child and their particular age? Are they getting enough social stimulation (when it's so much easier just to stay home?)? Am I parenting in the right way? Do they pick up when I'm just annoyed that there are so many needs to be met?

These are the sweet days, however. I'm doing my best to enjoy things . . . even the hard moments. This poem is always on my mind . . .

Babies Don’t Keep
by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

So . . . I'm going to do just that. Now, which baby do I choose to rock is the question?! :)

I dare you not to cry!

2011-06-16T09:22:00.004-05:00

Let Me Hold You Longer

a poem by Karen Kingsbury

Long ago you came to me,

a miracle of firsts;

First smiles and teeth and baby steps,

a sunbeam on the burst.

But one day you will move away and leave to me your past

And I will be left thinking of a lifetime of your lasts.

The last time that I held a bottle to your baby lips

The last time that I lifted you and held you on my hip,

The last night when you woke up crying,

Needing to be walked,

When last you crawled up with your blanket

Wanting to be rocked.

The last time when you ran to me still small enough to hold

The last time when you said you’d marry me when you grew old.

Precious simple moments and bright flashes from your past

Would I have held on longer if I’d known they were your last?

Our last adventure to the park, your final midday nap

The last time when you wore your favorite faded baseball cap.

Your last few hours of kindergarten, last days of first grade,

Your last at bat in Little League, last colored picture made.

I never said goodbye to all your yesterdays long past

So what about tomorrow? Will I recognize your lasts?

The last time that you catch a frog in that old backyard pond

The last that you ran barefoot across our fresh-cut lawn

Silly, scattered moments and bright flashes from your past

I keep on taking pictures, never quite sure of your last.

The last time that I comb your hair or stop a pillow fight,

The last time that I tuck you in and pray with you at night.

The last time when we cuddled with a book just me and you,

The last time you jump in our bed and sleep between us two.

The last piano lesson, the last vacation to the lake

Your last few weeks of middle school, last soccer goal you make.

I look ahead and dream of days that haven’t come to pass

But as I do I sometimes miss today’s sweet precious lasts.

The last time that I help you with a math or spelling test

The last time when I shout that “Yes! Your room is still a mess!”

The last time that you need me for a ride from here to there

The last time that you spend the night with your old tattered bear.

My life keeps moving faster, stealing precious days that pass

I want to hold on longer, want to recognize your lasts.

The last thing that you need my help with, details of a dance,

And the last time that you asked me for advice about romance.

The last time that you talked to me about your hopes and dreams

The last time that you wear a jersey for your high school team.

I’ve watched you grow and barely noticed seasons as they pass

If I could freeze the hands of time, I’d hold onto your lasts.

For come some bright fall morning, you’ll be going far away

College life will beckon in a brilliant sort of way

One last hug, one last goodbye, one quick and hurried kiss,

One last time to understand just how much you’ll be missed.

I’ll watch you leave and think how fast our time together passed

So let me hold on longer, God, to every precious last.

*It didn't help that I was scanning my husband's family pictures when I found this poem today. It's a great reminder that even though these days are long and sometimes challening, they are also the good days, the sweet days. I'm cherishing every moment (almost!) and I hope I continue to do that!

A No "TV" Day

2011-06-15T15:11:00.002-05:00

We are having something amazing happen in our home today. It's a no "tv" day with the kids. I didn't plan it . . . it's just happening.

I never wanted to be one of those moms who constantly plopped her kids in front of the TV. In fact I don't watch much TV. However the circumstances of my pregnancy led me to find lots of children's programs on Netflix streaming. I remember feeling terribly guilty during my early pregnancy for letting my daughter watch Dora episode after Dora episode but I could hardly help it.

I was unconscious for most of it. So exhausted on the couch that I hardly noticed she kept pushing the play button after every episode was over.

After the extreme nausea and exhaustion was over, we did better with the TV but still not great.

Then late pregnancy came. I hate the feeling of "how can I make it through the day with my two kids". The TV saved me when it came to those days - especially in the last few weeks. They at least were safe and not getting into anything.

Then we had a new baby. I was feeling better but still tired, etc. It's now 4:15 and they haven't watched a speck of TV today. It's nice.

I'm not saying that I'll be in this state every day. After all, it takes much more effort and creativity on my part but I love the progress we're making. I hear lots of playing and that's a wonderful thing!!

The after effects . . .

2011-06-14T12:53:00.002-05:00

I am experiencing something wonderful. After my most difficult, painful, nauseating, tiring, etc, etc, etc, pregnancy to date (and I think we're done with all that), I am experiencing a new phenomenon!

I feel great!

Yes, I'm tired and yes, I have three kids 3 and under but physically, I feel great. I can finally carry out what my ambitious mind desires! :)

It's Tuesday at 2:00 pm in the afternoon and I have only one load of laundry left to do and one load of laundry left to fold for the week. The kitchen is clean and mopped and most of the other rooms are in decent shape. It's wonderful!

If I were sleeping all night (or more than 3 hours at a time) I think I would feel like flying! I certainly hope this feeling never goes away but I will probably slack off in time and get used to feeling good again.

But for now . . . can I get a "yeah" for not being pregnant?! Woo hoo!

1 month

2011-06-10T13:54:00.003-05:00

Dear Noah (aka Noey - as your sis calls you),

You are one month old today. You are a joy to me! I have received some of your wonderful first smiles in the past few days and they thrill me to no end. Your daddy is so proud of you. Each day it seems he tells me something he's planning to do with you. I hope you like camping because I'm sure he'll be taking you as soon he can! Yesterday he told me that he plans to build a go-cart with you! Be warned! :)

Abigail can be in the most sour of moods but if she sees you, she instantly perks up and starts cooing in her motherly tone (hi baby Noah, hi little buddy). It's pretty cute.

Elsie doesn't know how long you're going to hang around but she does enjoy giving you "kisses" and exploring all the ways to upset mama by being rough with you. Her favorite is the good ole' eye poke! We're trying to keep her from totally beating you up before you can fight back!

We love you so much, Noah. Welcome to our family.

Love you my boy,

Mama

Growing

2011-06-06T14:10:00.002-05:00

Andrew took this picture of me and Noah on May 29th.

My boy is growing and I so want time to slow down! I know I can't keep him small forever but I'd be okay if he stayed small longer! I am definitely having issues knowing that this is more than likely our last child. With the other two I'd try to get them to nap in their cribs, get stressed if they didn't sleep at night, and easily lose patience with the older ones if they took away time from the baby. Not this time. I am spending as much time with my precious baby as I can. I don't mind getting up multiple times at night because I get to see him.

I'm also making sure to be purposeful with my older two babies as well - what precious girls they are! I really thought I'd be terribly stressed with three but I feel so easy going and relaxed (not two words I would have EVER used to describe myself) that it's crazy.

Well, all kids are napping and I have clothes to fold so this post will be short but I just want to say that I'm definitely experiencing some baby bliss. My kids bring me such joy (and yes, stress too, of course) so I want time to slow down so I can enjoy their littleness!

Recovery

2011-05-31T20:33:00.002-05:00

My recovery from giving birth seems to be going great. I have always claimed that it really takes 6 weeks for me to feel "normal" and in some aspects I'm still not quite there yet (sleep!! hello!!) but I'm very pleased with where I am.

I don't feel like I'm incapable of taking care of all three kids during the days and today I got quite a bit of cleaning and other housework done.

I credit a lot of my recovery to my husband to MADE me rest the first week after Noah was born and he (my husband) was home taking care of things. Then he encouraged me to rest a lot the second week when my family was here helping me (thanks family!!).

Sleep could be much better, though. For some reason, I like to torture myself by writing down the nights events in a little note pad beside my bed. It's because people will ask me how the night went (like my darling husband) and honestly I can be so sleep deprived that I can't remember! I've done this with each child so it's nice to look back and compare. :)

Here is Noah's schedule from last night:

9:30 pm Noah in bed
11:00 pm - Changed dirty diaper and nursed
11:30 pm - Up again - nursed
1:15 am - Changed dirty diaper and nursed
3:15 am - Nursed
4:30 am - Nursed
6:30 am - Nursed and decided to get up for the day before the girls woke up. (Probably why I was so productive today).

Whew - I'm tired.

To compound these frequenty wakings, I also could NOT fall asleep. I don't think I was asleep, or at least not for very long, until after his 1:15 am feeding. I've never had insomnia while a newborn was in my care. I've ALWAYS been able to sleep. Weird.

He's had a handful of good nights where I will only get up with him 3 times (2hrs 45 min is about the longest stretch yet). He is a good baby in that he will go back to sleep after I feed him, for a little while at least and he is great about sleeping in his crib. The girls both used a bouncy seat or swing for the first few weeks or months. He did sleep in the swing a bit last night but it was only for an hour so it didn't help him to sleep longer.

Okay, that's all for now. Hopefully I can report soon that he's stretched out to 3 or 4 hours of sleep. That would be great!

Finally Fixed!

2011-05-27T12:24:00.004-05:00

My computer is finally fixed! Yeah! Thanks to my IT guy!! :)

We finally took some photos of the kids on Sunday. Abigail had a runny nose and Noah hadn't slept very well (at all) the night before so we all stayed home.

Here is one of the best ones!! Elsie had just scraped her knee that morning. Poor girl!

Noah Blake - taken with Andrew's phone! I think he looks so "boyish" but it I'm not sure how he'd look in pink! :)

And . . . I finally got a picture of some of the features of the birth center this time. This is the very tub where Noah was born and where I spent the intense part of my labor (where I thought I might die - ha ha!). I literally could picture the word - epidural - in my mind but I wouldn't allow my tongue to ask for it and I'm glad for that now.

I'll try to post more details of the birth and following days later but it's nap time. I have lots of thank you notes to write, a hungry baby, and a desperate need for a bath or shower! :) Ha!

Not my fault!

2011-05-25T12:05:00.002-05:00

So the lack of blogging is not my fault!

My first hurtle is my computer. It really can crash at any moment. If it does, this won't be posted. The video card went bad around the time Noah was born. I cannot look at videos and pictures make it extra touchy. I promise I'll be back with both once this thing gets fixed.

My second hurtle is the fact I have 3 kids under 3. Monday was my first day home alone with them. It went fine, really. Eveyone is well cared for and alive but it's just hard. Wow! When Noah naps well, things go much better with the girls. Elsie has become very clingy on top of everything else and . . . I can't find my sling (would help an incredible amount!). I have learned in the last few days that my response to things can make or break a situation. If there is crying (which is most of the day) I just can't let it make me frustrated or everything spirals down!

Noah is still sleeping in 2 to 3 hour blocks (3 hours is a luxury that he usually doesn't quite make) so I'm pretty tired. I am actually considering letting Andrew give him a bottle (of breastmilk - of course) this weekend so maybe I can hit a deep sleep.

Speaking of Andrew . . .

Today is our 8 year anniversary!! I am really looking forward to having fondue (fundue as we call it) tonight. I love him so much and he has been the greatest support in the history of the WORLD these last three weeks. :)

Welcome Noah Blake!

2011-05-17T20:41:00.003-05:00

I cannot believe he's been here a week and I haven't posted yet. I'm a bad blogger!

Noah Blake was born on May 10, 2011 at 10:59 am. He was born in a drug-free waterbirth at our wonderful birth center. I can't imagine ever having a child another way at this point.

He was 8 lbs 6 oz and 21.5 inches long.

He is doing wonderful and despite a few slight adjustment issues from the girls, we're all wonderful.

He's not the best sleeper. Last night was better with a few 2 hours stretches. The thing that helps the most is if he just goes back to sleep after waking up for a feeding. I'm hoping that this week brings about big changes in the sleeping department. One thing though, he's doing great sleeping by himself in his crib - which neither of the girls did well at first, so I think that's promising. He does sleep best next to mama! However Mama does not sleep best next to him so I try not to bring him into bed until the morning hours.

Our household is interesting now. Let me just say this, if you don't like the sound of babies crying, don't come around here. I've had several instances where all three were going at it. Three years ago my nerves would have been extremely frazzled by this but now . . . it's just how life is! We'll see if I'm this calm and steady in a few weeks.

I will post more about my thoughts, feelings, and hopefully a full-blown birth story before too long but for now I'm just soaking up a lot of newborn snuggles. I'm not really caring if he sleeps too much during the day or if I hold him too much. He may well be our last baby (sad!!) and I want to enjoy every precious moment!

Been There

2011-05-10T02:32:00.001-05:00

I'm up again with contractions. This time they are a bit more regular. I'm still not sure we'll be heading to the hospital any time soon but we'll see how things play out. They may stop all together (they have before) so I'm trying not to get my hopes up.

Andrew is awake this time too - so I hope they're the real thing!!!

Oh What A Night!

2011-05-09T04:59:00.003-05:00

Last night was CRAZY! I went upstairs to take a bath at 9:30 pm. I got out about 10 pm and went to bed. Since I had taken a nap during the day I struggled to fall asleep. Finally (I think) around 11:30 pm, I fell asleep.

Had some very mild cramps (which I'd had off and on all day) during that time. Woke at 1:00 am to a contraction so I used the potty and came back to bed. I had them on and off (just fairly mild ones) until 2:30 am or so. I was hungry then so I got up to walk a little and have a snack.

They never got very close together but I didn't fall back asleep until 4:00 am because the cramps kept me up. Andrew woke me at 5:15 am (I had moved rooms) to see what was going on. He was leaving for work.

I told him I thought today would be a good day for him to stay home (ha!) but he decided to go anyway and just come home early since I hadn't had any contractions after my last round of sleep.

Boy . . . today is going to be fun! I'm just hoping to keep my kids fed and alive. Nap time is around1 pm and Andrew should be home towards the end of that. My sister is still here but she has to leave this morning so I'll have help for a little while anyway.

We'll see what the day holds.

Mother

2011-05-08T06:13:00.002-05:00

First of all, I'd like to say "Happy Mother's Day" to my own wonderful mother. I never realized how much to appreciate my mother until I had my own children. I remember thinking during the middle of the night, when Abigail was a newborn, how much I owed to my mother. Wow! What sacrifice and love she gave to me all those years.

I'd also like to take the time to recognize the two little "joys" in my life that have given me the blessing of motherhood. Yes they are lots and lots of joy and laughter!

These pictures were taken last Sunday.

Elsie Joy and Mama

Abigail Jennifer and Mama

Baby brother is also rather obvious in these pictures. No he has not yet decided to join us on the outside world as of this morning (I'm writing this at 7:35 am). He is definitely his own little person and that's okay. We're ready to meet him whenever!!

Questions?!

2011-05-05T11:54:00.002-05:00

Okay, here are some answers to some frequently asked questions in my life:

1) What did the doctor say?

Well, to be quite honest, I don't see a doctor. I (generally speaking) see midwives. They usually don't "say" much at my appointments. They check 4 things at this point. Weight, blood pressure, belly measurement, and fetal heartrate. If those are all good, they usually don't "say" much to me but will ask if I have any questions. If I don't . . .that's it. They will never guess on what day you will deliver and yes they have "checked" me recently but I'm reading more and more how that is no indication of when a baby will arrive. I've now been 2 cm for 2 weeks. See?!

2) Any changes?

At this point of pregnancy, I hardly know what is a "change" and what is just a minor discomfort that will pass. As I look back on previous pregnancies and birth, I can see some signs leading up to the birth that I should have recognized but I didn't. That will probably be the case this time. I kind of expected to "know" more this time around except I forgot . . . each pregnancy is different!

3) How are you feeling?

My main response to this question is . . . tired. Let me explain. I went to bed last night at 9:30 pm. I was very uncomfortable. I had a head pushing down and some feet pushing up under my ribs, esophagus burning heartburn and pain in my back. I didn't fall asleep until 10:30. I woke at 11:30 pm to go to the potty. I didn't fall back asleep until around 12:15 am because of heartburn and being uncomfortable. I woke at 1:30 am to my husband getting up to go to the bathroom. I was awake from 1:30 am until after 4 am. During that time, I heard some strange noises come over the monitor. I discovered that a toy (which is a BIG NO NO in my book) had been left in Elsie's crib and she was sitting up playing with it. I got up and went downstairs and took it out of the crib and laid her back down again. Then around 4 am, Abigail started to cry . . . no wail . . . in her bed. I got up to see what was wrong. She told me she was hungry. Usually I do not give in to stuff like this in the night but I was oh. so. tired. and she was oh. so. pitiful. so I got her a snack. Back to bed. I slept until 6 am when my husband left for work. I got up to use the potty. Slept until 7:10 am when I heard Elsie get up for the day. That doesn't happen every night but it is a good indication of why I'm tired.

4) Are you having contractions?

Well, yes and no. If you've ever given birth or had contractions you know that if you're having the real thing you'll be heading for the hospital so if you see me walking around, I've probably not had any real contractions. I generally call the other pains you might feel at this point, cramps. Yes, I'm having those but honestly, I've had them on and off since January so it is no indication of when the baby might come (which is what I know everyone wants to know).

5) Induction?

I can't believe I'm actually answering this yet since I haven't even hit my due date but as a general rule my practice does not induce unless medically necessary. That probably means a fetus in distress or VERY high blood pressure. They will do everything possible to no induce because that is a scary road leading to bad things (in my world). The midwife at my last appointment mentioned some "natural" things to try. I told her I wanted to wait for my due date to try them because I believe he'll come when he's ready.

Also a note about induction, I will have the midwives check the babies measurements before trying any sort of natural or other induction. This pregnancy was a wonderful surprise but that also means that I am not nearly as sure about the timing of this one than I was with the other two. Birth control was messing up the timing of my cycle so my due date as always been measured by the baby's size.

6) Surprised?

I'm surprised by how much I can still do at this point. I thought I'd be laid up on the couch but I have all the laundry done (currently), beds are made, lunch dishes are put in the dishwasher, all the dishes are washed, etc. I have a few things that I'd like to do today and tomorrow - including cleaning the fridge and kitchen cabinets - and you know what, I may just get them done. I am trying to just do as much as I can when I feel good because I don't feel good all the time.

Okay, that's it. Hopefully that explains things better than I can do face to face.

Oh . . . one last thing . . . silence from me (on the blog, Facebook, no calls from me, etc.) means exactly that. . . nothing is happening. Someone (me or Andrew) will post or let people know when the event is happening or soon after.

Ah, it's nap time so I'm off to rest a bit.

39 week appointment

2011-05-02T14:23:00.005-05:00

I had my 39 week appointment this morning (despite not actually being 39 weeks until tomorrow). Andrew took these pictures yesterday.

Stats:

Still dialated about the same amount. She said 2 cm and 80% so almost 3. Funny midwife.

I didn't ask about my blood pressure but they didn't say anything so I'm sure it was fine.

My belly measured 40 weeks - like last week - but it was a different person measuring so that probably makes a little difference.

No real significant contractions or pains.

She said the baby is not engaged yet but with 2, 3, 4 babies, a lot of times they don't drop until actual labor has started. I never noticed my babies dropping before until I was in the birth center getting ready to have them so that makes sense.

She is concerned that the baby is laying posterior (meaning facing forward with his spine against mine) and not anterior like he is supposed to be. This primarily just means that I would have back labor so she gave me a few exercises to do to try to get him to turn around. I have read that most babies will turn during the labor so I'm hoping for that!!

I'm hoping the rain will hold off so we can go on a family walk tonight. Maybe that will help things!

It is still possible to have a birthday baby, I guess, but I assumed I would be feeling more contractions by now if that were the case. I guess we'll see.

And . . . I accidentally uploaded this picture instead of the one of me above but it is so cute I had to keep it. This was Abigail on Easter Sunday! :)

Baby Baby - Thoughts at almost 39 weeks

2011-05-02T07:03:00.002-05:00

I really thought I'd have a baby by now. I guess the main reason I feel that way is that I thought my children would progressively come earlier and earlier but I guess that reasoning is faulty.

Abigail was 3 days before her due date, Elsie 6 days before her due date, so I guess I sort of assumed this one might be 9 days before his due date. No such luck.

Oh well.

Despite being increasingly uncomfortable (I NEVER remember it being this bad before) there is no rush for him to get here.

The hardest part is taking care of the girls all day. I can do it. I just can't think about everything that has to be done in a day for them or I feel overwhelmed. I'm so thankful for Andrew and all the help he's been giving me - especially with them.

I have done everything mentally possible to prepare. You see, my husband thinks that my babies are born when something mentally changes for me (like Abigail being born just hours after I left work on maternity leave). I tend to disagree with this argument. I think the baby comes when he's ready and then the hormones start labor. It has little to do with me! :)

Anyway, for my own memories sake, here is a list of things that I thought might release me "mentally" to start labor: getting all the laundry done last week, cleaning both bathrooms, cleaning the kitchen, cleaning the living room (dusting and vacuuming included!!), eating spicy mexican food (it's happened several times with no luck), having Andrew take pictures of me in late pregnancy (with Elsie I went into labor the day after we did this), stayed out "late" to play a board game with family (went into labor with Abigail the day after we did this) - didn't work since I'm not in labor right now), etc. That's all I can think of right now.

Well, I have a midwife appointment today so I'm sure I will report back on that. I'm not technically 39 weeks until Tuesday . . . which also happens to be my birthday. I'd love to share my birthday with our little boy but I had hoped he would come before then so I could actually enjoy eating something or resting in relative comfort on that day. Oh well. I know it won't be forever.

Smarty Pants

2011-04-30T09:08:00.000-05:00

Abigail has been shocking us lately with her brain. Seriously. The girl is too smart for her own good. I wanted to write a few of these down so I don't forget.

She is 3 years and almost 3 months old.

While eating dinner the other night, she wanted some of my food. I don't remember what it was for sure but I think it was corn. She said "Mama, can I have some of yours?" and before I even got a chance to reply to her request, she said, "God tells us in the Bible that we need to share." Oh my! I guess she's been listening to my constant speeches to her about sharing toys with her sister.

While driving in the car a few weeks ago, she said something that her dad and I didn't understand. When I repeated what I thought she said, she replied, "No mom, I mean the thing you drink out of" which I guess meant she was talking about cups.

While eating lunch the other day, I thought Abigail asked me "What is this?" and was indicating some peas I had placed on her plate. She looked at me funny when I said "a pea" and continued to repeat what she asked (which was) "Where is Dad?". When I said, "He's at work" she then replied to me "why did you say he taking a pee?" Ha ha ha ha!!!

Abigail and her dad have occasionally been indulging in ice cream every so often in the evening hours. If we mention this ahead of time we never hear the end of it. One night Andrew had mentioned ice cream and Abigail had asked us many times over if it was time to eat it yet. Finally her daddy said that if she brought it up again that she wouldn't be allowed to have any. So a few minutes later she was jabbering to her dad about what fun things we were going to do that evening and she came to the part about the ice cream . . . in which she said "then we'll sit down together and umm. . . . well . . . umm. . . we'll have a yummy treat." Ha! We were both floored that she remembered his ultimatum and didn't actually mention the word "ice cream".

Royalty!

2011-04-29T12:27:00.003-05:00

So, I'm sure we're all aware of the Royal Wedding going on today. I watched a bit of it and it was a nice distraction from the norm but I didn't get up early to watch or anything. So . . . in honor of the Royal Wedding today, I decided to post a picture that was taken by my very own husband . . . who was then boyfriend, of the Queen of England.

Yes, I'm not kidding. We just happened to be in Scotland while she was at the palace (I remembered being annoyed that we could not tour the palace because she was in residence!) and we just happened to be walking past the palace courtyard as she was getting into her car.

We were pretty much the only ones there, except for the guards doing their ceremony thing (just so she could get into the car - crazy!).

So, yes, I've been that close to the Queen. Enjoy the picture!!

She's the little blue dot by the car. :)

P.S. No baby yet. Nothing to indicate that he'll be coming anytime soon. Very very very minor cramping and that's it - could be ligaments even.

Baby Poll

2011-04-28T12:58:00.000-05:00

I was reading back on my blog from when Elsie was born and loved hearing from all of you the stats of when you thought the baby would be born. So, I thought it would be fun to do it again.

Let me all know what you think about the following categories. Perhaps there will be a prize if you're the closest! :)

Birth Date and Time, Weight, Height, & Name

Here is my guess (obviously, I'm joking about the name, since I would be cheating if I posted the real one!):

May 4, 2011
1:10 pm
8 lbs 13 oz
21 inches long
Hector Schechter

38 weeks

2011-04-27T12:46:00.002-05:00

I'm 38 weeks pregnant and finally posting a picture. Woo! I feel so organized. Okay, not really.

My midwife appointment went very well yesterday. Here are a few of the details.

My belly measured at 40 weeks (yikes, no wonder I look like a whale!).

I was 2 cm dialated.

The baby had not "dropped" yet or engaged. The midwife said the baby did not float away when she pushed on him so he's out of room!

My blood pressure was very good. 112/70. I'm so thankful that my last two pregnancies have been free of blood pressure problems.

She also said the pressure (which I have felt for MONTHS) is normal for a 3rd pregnancy.

I'm still feeling pretty good. Some days are obviously better than others. I love spring but I don't love the allergy suffering that I get along with spring time. I had a terrible sinus headache yesterday (thankfully Andrew was home anyway - he stayed with the girls during my appt.) but I am feeling much better today.

I still can't help napping once a day (about) even though I really fight it and try not to. I sleep much better at night if I don't nap during the day but if I lay down and sometimes if I just sit in a comfy chair, I am asleep. My morning nap was only 30 minutes so hopefully that wont' affect my nighttime sleep much.

I was having some intense sternum pain for a while but I have found that if I sleep with a row of pillows in front of my, one for my leg and one for my arm, that alleviates the sternum pain. I guess I was sleeping with my shoulders hunched forward too much. I'm glad to have found a solution to that!!

I certainly am ready for this baby to come anytime but I am going to cherish these last few precious days a family of four - so he can come whenever he's ready (as long as it's reasonable!!). We actually made it to play group this morning so it was fun for the girls to get out and play with friends for a little while.

All for now!

Been awhile?

2011-04-25T07:30:00.003-05:00

Sorry, it's been a while. I don't want to stop blogging (or slow down even) because I LOVE looking back and reading about our activities in the past . . . particularly around when the girls were born. It's just that I don't have much time to myself these days and when I do, I'm usually cleaning something or resting! :)

Anyway, here's a little update so I won't be upset with myself in the future for not writing this down . . .

- Andrew is in NYC today for several business meetings. He flew out this morning around 7 am (I think his flight was delayed an hour) and he'll be back around 11 pm tonight. I can fairly confidently say now that I don't think the baby will be born today but I will be able to greatly relax when he is safely home.

- I'm 38 weeks tomorrow (need to post a picture!) and looking back on this blog I can see that with my previous pregnancies I had had some decent contrations by this point and this time it seems like I have had nothing. I know that each pregnancy is different and that they could just start at any random time but I still feel like the birth is a ways away.

- In the past I have prepped myself for natural childbirth and labor by practicing relaxation techniques and by watching birth stories. I haven't done much of that yet but I'm not sure it will make much of a difference. We'll see.

- My kids are just joyful, wonderful, and extremely challenging and sometimes that wide range can happen in just a few moments time. I have really backed off committing myself to things this past week and while at times that in itself was challenging, by the weekend I was so thankful to have had that time to spend with my children and I don't regret it. I'm planning on keeping it that way for a while.

- Abigail can now write her own name, with no help from me, and several other words and names, such as Ron, Duck, Mama, Dad, and sometimes Elsie. I feel like I have to work every moment of every day with her on cheerfully sharing her toys. I have explained many times of the sin of selfishness and about how it is wrong to whine and mope around when mom and dad say "no" because that shows an ungrateful heart. Whew! I think it's still going to be a work in progress and the main thing I need is consistency!

- Elsie is just growing and learning by leaps and bounds in this last week. I worked with her for a week or two on the sounds different animals make and she is able to say some of them already. I am starting to tell that she is making sounds that are supposed to be words (All Done, Sissy, Mama, Light, etc) but she isn't understandable yet. Her newest obsession is the little Dora couch we have. She loves to get on there and sit for a while. It's so cute!! I love her age because you can see them learn something right before your eyes but I also find it most challenging too because the communication is so difficult!!

Well, that's all for now. I'm off to take my daily bath and read a bit before I need to pick up my kiddos from their Grandma.

Thursday Reflections on Children

2011-04-14T19:23:00.002-05:00

As I was feeding Elsie breakfast this morning, I was thinking to myself that once children get to the same "stage" in life (for exmaple: the girls both feed themselves) it doesn't really matter if I just have just one child to feed or I have . . . let's say, six children to feed. The work load for me as a parent is just about the same.

This thought came to me because Abigail was still snoozing away while Elsie got up early.

I'm not saying that this will lead me to feel called to have more children but it was just an interesting observation that I made as I was cutting up strawberries and waffles this morning. It was almost as much work to get breakfast for one as it was to get breakfast for two (and so on and so forth).

Travels and Sacrifice

2011-04-12T11:41:00.003-05:00

We learned this morning that my husband will need to return to NYC for another trip before this baby is born. Yikes. I will admit that this makes me nervous! Thankfully it looks like it will just be a day trip (you know . . . leave at 6 am and return at 11 pm) so I'm praying now that I will not go into labor on that day. I feel bad for the guy. He's just doing that he has too.

Speaking of that guy, my husband, I just want to say how very blessed I am. He has really been picking up the slack around here lately. He filled my car up with gas yesterday, which is no easy task with the gas tank not opening without some major propping of levers and prying of gas tank doors, etc.

He also makes other sacrifices that are not easy for him. He's a night person and yet he makes himself go to bed early just go he can get up early to go to work. This, in turn, allows him to be home at a decent hour in order to spend time with the kids (and, I'm assuming, me too). I admire self-control in others and he does an awesome job of showing his love to us by exhibiting self-control (getting up at 5 am!!!) to make his family time a priority.

Weekend and Test Results

2011-04-11T08:32:00.002-05:00

We had a fun weekend with my sister and nephew visiting from Chicago. She helped me so much and it was such fun to play with my nephew. They are planning to come back for the birth of this baby as long as everything works out. I can't wait (for many reasons!). My mother-in-law also threw a wonderful baby shower for me on Saturday. I had so much fun seeing everyone and we got some very nice gifts for our baby boy. I need to start on the thank you notes now!! My OB practice just recently started using an online reporting system where you can see and schedule appointments, see test results, and submit questions to a nurse. I got a notification today that my test results were in so I went to look this morning. I'm THRILLED beyond what I can express that my Group B Strep test came back negative. I'm fairly certain this means that for this birth (for the first time ever!!!!) I do not have to have an IV with antibiotics. Yeah yeah yeah! That will be so much better for everyone. My iron levels also came back. They were in the normal range but on the very low side so they will probably tell me to keep taking the iron supplement for these next few weeks. I have managed to have a bit more energy and I've been more consistent with the supplement so I'm wondering if that is part of my problem from last week. I am still struggling with sleep every night. It is mainly just uncomfortability. I cannot sleep on my back (very heavy baby) and if I sleep on my sides then the hip I'm sleeping on begins to ache after an hour or two. I did take Tylenol PM (approved by my doc) a few nights ago and noticed I slept much better. Perhaps I'll have to resort to taking that every few nights to catch up on sleep. Last week Elsie had a runny nose for a few days (and major irritability! whew!) and now Abigail and I have picked up on the cold. It doesn't seem bad, thankfully, but adding a bit of a runny nose and sore throat to being 36 weeks pregnant isn't the most fun I've had in my life. I've also been getting up with Abigail at night since she's miserable with her nose and cough. I think she sounds just a tiny bit better today so that's good. I'm 36 weeks tomorrow and I can't believe how fast time is flying. One more week and I'll be full-term even though my babies have historically come between 39 and 40 weeks.

Memories

2011-04-06T12:14:00.004-05:00

I always start to get very sentimental when I'm going to have a baby. The memories are so strong around these times because these are the moments that define life! I've been reading back through my blog to when Elsie was born and goodness, we had a rough time. I didn't really realize it at the time but just a lot of things hit us at once. Abigail was terribly sick three days after Elsie was born and then a week later I had a terrible breast infection. Whew! I remember my temperature going from 102 to like 96. When it would swing low I would wake up and be completely sweat soaked and have to change my shirt before nursing the baby. Not fun times! I'm hoping the recovery period for this one will be a little easier! I can't believe I'm posting this because I feel extremely huge but I'm doing it for my memories! This baby feels huge and I feel huge. My belly button is painful today and it's never popped out before but I'm wondering if this might be the pregnancy for that! I also want to thank my friend, Jen, for lending me her support belt! It has been helping to relieve some of the heaviness but the pressure pain is still there. I will be incredibly surprised if this boy is under 8 pounds. Another weird thing about this pregnancy that I've never experienced before is the need to always have my legs shaved. It's getting very inconvenient as you can imagine. I simply cannot sleep if my legs aren't very cleanly shaved! Ha! Also . . . see my little girl in the picture? She's teething! I'm pretty sure her eye teeth are coming in. She was awake for a bit last night but wasn't really crying so I didn't give her anything. She's been pretty fussy this morning but we made it to nap time and I know this too shall pass. We had a breakthrough with her communication today. I've really been working on getting her to sign with me and say some words and she very clearly signed "all done" after breakfast and it sounded like she spoke the words too. That is awesome! The more communication the better! I also had to tell her "no no" to eating the dog food (to which my oldest child responded "Mama, you hurt Elsie's feelings"! Ugh! So much explaining to do.) and after she'd received a little hand slap for trying to eat some after I had said "no no" she looked up at me and repeated "no no". Okay, girls are asleep and I've probably done too much already this morning so it's bath and rest time for me. Andrew gets home this afternoon (praise be!!!) and my sister is coming to visit tomorrow. I'm SOOO excited!

Abigail Update: 3 yrs and 2 months

2011-04-05T12:17:00.003-05:00

Abigail is 3 years and 2 months old. What can I say about my first born?! So many things! She's becoming quite an artist (see her smily face in the photo above). Here is a picture of her "Skyping" with Grandma Roro!

She is a wonderful helper . . . getting me diapers, wipes, putting away toys, checking on her sister, (and many other things) any time I ask.

She generally has a wonderful attitude when I ask for her help. She will occasionally say "I'm busy right now"!

She is a sensitive girl! I explained to her just yesterday that being short and snippy with me hurt my feelings and wasn't honoring to me as her mother. She immediately burst into tears and when I asked what was wrong she said "I hurt your feelings". I hope she keeps this sensitive spirit!!

She has a fantastic memory. She will bring up events from weeks and even months ago when I think there is no way she will remember something!

She is a genuine mother! The girl would mother a rock if I let her bring one in the house! She mothers stuffed bears, stuffed dogs, her sister, friends, me and her daddy, and any other toy or object that has had a hard day and needs some love! So funny!

She is turning out to be a smart little thing. She can write almost all of her letters and continually asks me and her dad how to spell things so she can write them on her white board or magna-doodle. She loves writing people's names in particular.

She tends to be a bit of a perfectionist! When writing people's names, if she can't get a letter exactly right she begins to get frustrated and will ask me to write it for her. I will be honest when I say that this isn't a trait she got from either of her parents! :)

She is the silliest girl I know. She cracks her own jokes and then laughs hysterically!

A good example of her silliness was yesterday while we were eating dinner with her Nana. Abigail said, "Mama has a baby (in her tummy) and Nana has a baby." I said, "Oh really, who is Nana's baby?" Abigail says, "Jesus". . . and then laughs hysterically.

She loves to be read to and to "read" to other people.

She wears size 4t or 5t clothes and size 9 or 10 shoes. She is a tall girl!

She has been potty trained since August but has recently been having potty accidents several times a week.

She still wears pull-ups at night. I started working on talking about staying dry at night a few weeks ago but when she began to have day time accidents, I backed off.

Trying on Mama's Glasses!

I could really fill this blog up each day with the girl's activities. I need to do a better job of writing down the funny things she says!

Updates: Elsie and Baby #3

2011-04-02T11:59:00.002-05:00

I have had so much fun reading through old blog posts to see what Abigail was up to when she was Elsie's age . . . and so forth. I have really be slacking lately to keep it update for Elsie, so I am going to try to do better! Elsie is almost 17 months old (in about a week) and it feels like she's turning into such a little girl now and not just a baby!

She loves to feed herself!

She can drink out of a regular sippy cup now (she know how to tip it back) and does great at getting lots to drink each day. I usually have to go on a sippy cup hunt when she's carried it off somewhere!

She is saying just a few words but she acts like she desperately wants to talk and babbles constantly.

She can say, "Mama, Dada (in direct reference to us), and Uh Oh". I think she says "more, all done, Nana, and Roro" but those are more guesses than anything else.

She is fascinated with lights and can make the "l" sound pretty clearly but the rest of the word doesn't really follow yet so I can't claim she says "light".

She is a fantastic sleeper! She got up a few times at night about two months ago due to extreme teething but other than that, the girl sleeps from 7 to 7:30 pm until anywhere between 7:15 am and 8:30 am (usually in the 7 o'clock hour). She's been sleeping through the night since we started giving her cow's milk to drink back in December.

She did great playing with other kids (and was actually slightly more social than her sis) when we had a playdate here last week. One of the other mom's had a newborn and Elsie was crazy about the baby. Of course, I had to watch her like a hawk because she just wanted to poke the little baby in the eye. Yikes! What am I in for?!

She wears 12 to 18 month size clothes and still wears a teeny tiny size 3 shoe! I haven't weighed her in a while so I will try to do that soon.

She gets along so well with Dewey - much better than her older sis. Andrew even said he came downstairs a while back to see Dewey sitting right in front of Elsie and Elsie was scratching/patting his back!! :) This is good because I think we're going to try to have them share a room.

She still wears a size 3 diaper.

She can clap her hands on command, give high 5's, and give kisses when we ask.

She often will go into the other room, get a book and bring it to us. It's pretty obvious she wants to be read to! She will sit quite still through a book at least once and sometimes more.

She's still a Mama's girl but lately has confidently been able to go to Daddy and Nana for comfort as well.

This picture was taken a few weeks ago. Around 30 weeks, I think. Sorry about the mess. This was taken in my closet!! :)

I am 34 weeks and 4 days pregnant.

It's getting difficult to breathe at this point! :)

I am getting up 2 to 5 or 6 times a night to pee or to eat!! I guess my body's just getting used to being awake at night.

Sleeping at night is becoming more and more uncomfortable. My main complaint is that my hips and legs ache a lot. It helps to lay in the Bradley position and to shift a lot - which is hard to do as well.

I am having a little heartburn but it doesn't seem to be as extreme as it was when I was pregnant with Elsie. Maybe he'll be a smaller baby.

My favorite thing is to take a bath everyday. I am definitely most comfortable there!

It's hard to bend over to help dress little kids and to pick up toys. I'm thankful that Abigail is such a helpful girl and it has also been extremely helpful to have the changing table on the first floor. Much easier to use that for my little pooper, Elsie, than to change her on the floor or couch.

I have had Braxton Hicks/Cramping for 3 or 4 months now. Can be pretty uncomfortable at times but it is good to know they don't cause any progression.

I am also having a lot of pressure pain, especially when I am on my feet to long. I try to schedule laying down breaks and that helps a lot. I had this at the end of my pregnancy with Elsie (after 37 weeks) but this time it started in week #23 or 24.

I think we've narrowed the naming possibilities down to 2 or 3 names. We probably won't officially decide until we get the baby in our arms but it's good to be on the same page!

I think that's all for now. I'll try to update Abigail's doings another time!

When you think you know it all . . .

2011-03-29T12:18:00.002-05:00

I just assumed that pregnancy #3 would be easy. In some ways it is a little easier but there are still unexpected events that I assumed would never happen! Sunday found me wondering if I was "progressing" some. I have been plagued by random and yet painful cramps and pressure since January. I decided to go ahead and move my appointment from Thursday to yesterday "just to check". Thankfully the midwife found no progress at all. This is a GOOOOOOD thing. You see, my darling husband is leaving next Sunday for several days for a business trip and I really don't want to have a baby or even feel like I'm having a baby without him here. I'm just astonished most days that I can't do more. I can only be up for about 15 to 30 minutes before the intense pressure starts (maybe he's a big baby!) and I have to lay down. I'm trying to be smart and to just scale back on doing "stuff" that isn't necessary. That is an incredibly difficult thing for me to do with my "achiever" personality. So I have decided for the next six weeks to just do what I feel like I can do and nothing more. So here is my pledge . . . I will not (for the next six to ten weeks) . . . - feel guilty if my kids watch a bit too much TV. - feel guilty if I don't get the laundry done or cleaning done the way I think it should be. - feel guilty if I don't provide fun "outings" and other forms of entertainment for my kids (after all, it's a great life skill for them to learn to entertain themselves). - feel guilty if I take a bath everyday. - feel guilty if everything is not perfectly ready for the baby to come (like washing all the old baby gear - I've started but I move slow!). And last but not least . . . the VERY VERY hardest of all . . . I WILL ask for help before things become an emergency! That is so hard for me! Anyway, I'm off to take my bath now, lay on my bed, and perhaps fold some laundry while laying on my bed. It's nap time, ya know!!

Snappy Confessions!

2011-03-24T12:03:00.003-05:00

Thanks for reading my rant from yesterday and for your support. I got several things done this morning so I'm feeling better in that department but I'm still sick of myself in another way.

I have struggled (at least since have kids) with my short-temper. Thankfully Andrew does not have this problem but I just am not patient and especially when I'm uncomfortable. I hate the fact that the more pregnant I become, the shorter and snappier I get with my kids. I HATE it! Hate hate hate! The fact that I'm uncomfortable all the time and unable to physically do things is not their fault (it's their daddy's fault!! ha ha!). Anyway . . .

I'm trying hard to be patient and kind, I really am but the snapper in me is coming out way too often for my liking.

Even just now it happened.

To make a long story that is not worth telling, short, I will just say that before her nap I discovered Abigail had hid her pacifier's in the basement. I should have let her nap without them (and I did leave her with the impression she wasn't getting them) but she was screaming her head off and I covet the daily nap time so I can . . . umm shower, sit down, perhaps clean a bit. So I went and got them but not before I snapped at her.

Ugh! This bothers me so much more than what she did - that I cannot control my temper (I didn't yell - however - and was proud of that) and my response to an innocent situation.

Guess I simply cannot do it alone and need to pray for patience and kindness in these last days!!

Balance? Is it possible?

2011-03-23T11:44:00.002-05:00

I've been struggling so much with balance lately. . . balance between resting and work. I spent one day a few weeks ago working my tail off. I made lots of food and cleaned a lot. Felt fine that day but the next day - whoa! Not good. I even called and moved up a midwife appointment because I thought I might be "progressing" some. I am not.

I've tried to take it easier since then but it's hard when discouragement sets in. Whenever that happens to me, all I want to do is to try harder in order to get things accomplished.

For example: I meant to have the kitchen clean today (it was on Monday!) but instead I spent the morning . . . accidentally dozing on the couch, cleaning up dog vomit (I have very very little love left for that dog since he's adding work to my life), refereeing kids, kissing wounded kids (Abigail started running when I was asleep and fell and hit her head - she's fine), finding out we had hardly no food in the house for lunch, ended up making spaghetti only to find out that Abigail wouldn't eat hardly any (she took a few mandatory bites), and the list could go on.

All of this is piled on the fact that I had a rough night with pretty painful yet not consistent contractions/cramps. I know they are Braxton Hicks but that still does not help the fact that I cannot sleep when I have them.

Beyond that, Andrew leaves for a 3-4 day business trip to New York the week after next. I feel a bit more at peace about this situation after talking through some "what-ifs" with a friend of mine this week.

In the midst of all of this life stuff that makes me so discouraged, I am constantly reminded of how blessed I am! I have so much to be thankful for that I could not even begin to list it all here. I am trying to soak in every moment of this pregnancy and feeling the baby move (is it really movement at this point or more like the kid is playing a soccer game inside) because it's probably going to be the last one!

I'm not even sure where I'm going with this. These are just thought that bounce around in my head constantly. Always the push and pull of needing to keep things straightened up (after all - that's my job) and needing to rest so I don't feel awful later that night or the next day.

I guess the main thing is that I need to stop being so short-sighted. After all, I'm probably only going to be pregnant another 6-8 weeks (hopefully not 8!!) and so I will have plenty of time to clean and cook after the baby comes!!

Pineapple + Elsie = Don't Mix!

2011-03-18T12:39:00.002-05:00

My apologies . . . these pictures are in reverse order. I forgot to upload them the other way and frankly, my time is limited so they'll have to stay this way!!

On March 9th, we started out the day like we do any other day, with fresh fruit for breakfast. I had a fresh pineapple in the fridge, so I cut it up and gave both girls a pretty good sized portion.

We finished our breakfast and I noticed Elsie's mouth was a little red and irritated looking.

The more time passed, the more I realized she was having a pretty nasty reaction. We had also eaten Oatmeal for breakfast and I really didn't think the reaction would have come from that. I called the doctor to ask about a dosage size for Benadryl and then watched her carefully all day.

Here are some photos from that day.

After the Benedryl and before her nap. She's looking better.

Abigail did not care for all the attention that was given her sister and was feeling sad . . . so I took her picture. :)

Mama and Elsie snuggling in the morning.

Such a pitiful sight! Poor girl.

Not feeling good at all. Later she even ran a fever for a few hours. I guess it was the allergen just fighting against her immune system.

So . . . if you're babysitting my kids - no peanut butter or pineapple!!!

Again?

2011-03-15T12:49:00.002-05:00

I know I still have 7 to 8 weeks left (approximately) but this is the time in pregnancy where I really ask myself the question: Can I really do this again? Give birth, I mean. If I think too hard about it, I scare myself. If I don't think about it at all then I'm not mentally prepared.

Fine line!

I know I'll be fine and my confidence comes from the fact that I know I have the best birth coach a person could ask for: Andrew. Seriously. I absolutely give him full credit that I could not have drug-free births without his support, confidence, and calmness!!

The countdown is on!

32 weeks today!

If I go missing . . .

2011-03-11T09:13:00.003-06:00

If I don't blog for the next 2 months, refer back to this post (I'm sure that won't happen but . . . you never know).

When I was pregnant with Abigail I was uncomfortable in the final stages but I remember lounging in the tub at 7 pm most nights. Watching movies on the laptop in bed and having my husband pick up dinner on his way home from work. Yes I was working too but my job consisted of me sitting in a chair, working on the computer and answering a phone.

When I was pregnant with Elsie I was uncomfortable but Andrew worked closer to home and was home more and I don't remember Abigail being that demanding at her age. I was still working and a few times I even took advantage of the fact that Abigail was at daycare, went home early, and had Andrew pick her up (maybe it was only once). I remember it being taxing with a little one but since the majority of my day was again. . . sitting at a desk typing and answering phones, not such a big deal.

This time around . . . . I had no idea how hard it would be to be pregnant with two small children and be a stay-at-home mom with them! I am wiped out! I am so thankful for my family and I wouldn't trade them for anything but it's just interesting to note that I didn't really realize how good I had it before (especially in my first pregnancy). :) Physical stuff, like picking up toys from the floor, carrying laundry, mopping, cleaning the tub, etc, is pretty much impossible at this point and I still have 8 weeks to go! My best defense is just to pace myself. So . . .

I'm off now to clean and rest, cook and clean and rest. Rinse. Repeat!

Abigail's Prayer

2011-03-08T20:21:00.002-06:00

Abigail prayed before bed tonight and this is what she said:

"Dear God, Thank you for Elsie, and Mama, and Dada (whispering to me: "Mama, who else?" I told her to just pray for whoever she was thinking of), and Nana, and Uncle Brett, and RoRo. Thank you for their love. Amen."

I thought that was really sweet and wanted to write it down so I could remember it. I'm thankful for such a sweet and tender little girl!!

Soaked Whole Wheat Bread Triumph!

2011-03-04T12:05:00.003-06:00

I have been trying for weeks now to bake bread for my family in order to save money and to be just a bit healtheir by avoiding many of the preservatives found in store-bought bread. It's been a struggle! Part of my problem is that I feel like I shouldn't struggle in baking. I honestly feel like a very experienced baker (from my 4-H days and just being a wife and mom) and that I shouldn't have flops. But alas, that's not true. I have killed the yeast and not let bread rise long enough, etc.

I think I have finally conquered the bread baking today! Yeah! I am particularly excited about this recipe because of several reasons.

1. It is a soaked bread recipe. If you don't know anything about soaking grains, I would encourage you to read this article. www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2008/03/nourishing-practices-soaking-grains-2.html.

2. It uses mostly whole wheat and spelt with just a little white flour. I was making all white flour bread with poor results so I'm thrilled these turned out so well with the whole wheat.

I cannot take credit for the recipe, so if you want it, you'll have to visit the blog I got it from. www.musingsofahousewife.com/2010/01/homemade-whole-wheat-sandwich-bread.html

Here is a picture of my finished product today. They were baked in two different styles of pan (I'm trying to switch to all glass or ceramic baking pans and get away from using teflon coated) which is why they look different. Yum!

Abigail's verdit was . . . yum! We'll have to see what Andrew's opinion is after he arrives home from work today.

Sometimes my cravings pay off!

2011-02-22T18:10:00.002-06:00

Tonight I had a craving for fish!

I had some frozen cod and so I decided I wanted a little sauce for it.

So . . .

I made baked cod with a lemon butter sauce - yummo!! I also served it with Leek and Carrot Brown Rice Pilaf. The rice was a little sticky but still tasted great!

Sorry . . . no picture because I was too busy eating (and feeding) the meal!

-------------------

I also have to mention that I am oh! so! thankful! because my oldest daughter has become such a good helper to me. The child has always enjoyed cleaning but lately if I start her off on something (picking up her room - which can be TRASHED in one day) she'll do it all by herself - perhaps with a little guidance of where things go. This has been saving my back lately and really helping to keep the toy population a bit under control. She also checks on her sister if I ask, gets me diapers (and throws them away), and lets the dog outside and inside. There are many times that my weary, pregnant body just does not want to move another step to do these tasks so they are very helpful! I hope she'll continue to be helpful as she grows but I know she will! I've been talking a lot about all the tasks that a new baby will need help with so I'm hoping that she'll enjoy helping and not get too jealous when the time comes.

The great Paci Dilemma!

2011-02-19T11:54:00.001-06:00

I have a confession to make . . . my 3-year old (who just turned 3 - 2 weeks ago) still uses pacifiers to sleep for naps and at night. She MUST have one in her mouth and one in her hand for complete comfort.

I thought she'd be ready at 3-years-old to give it up but now I'm not sure. I live by the rule in parenting that I try not to mess with a good thing unless absolutely necessary. Abigail was 2 1/2 when she moved out of a crib, a little older when we started potty training, etc. And it has worked . . . marvelously!

I am home alone with the girls a few days ago. I put Abigail to bed (maybe I'll post another time about how she's fighting bedtime like crazy these days!) and then headed upstairs to read in bed myself. About 1/2 hour later I hear her start to wail in her room.

I gave her a few minutes but she did not calm down so I went to check it out.

Her answer when I opened the door to ask what was wrong . . . . . . . . . "I can't find my PACI! Waaaaa!!"

Oh my goodness!

She got a scolding from me about how crying over a paci is not appropriate and that she is a big girl and can get out of bed and find the paci without disturbing me.

I had no problems with her after that.

Now . . . on to nap time the next day. Upon closer examination of the four paci's in her room - I found minuscule holes in all of them. I'm not about to let my child suck on a pacifier that has a hole in it so I threw them away. Bring on the tears!

I know that I should have been strong and just said, "Well, I guess that's the end of the paci's honey" but I wanted her to nap so I broke down and gave her one of Elsie's newer paci's. Ugh! She, of course, still continued to cry because she didn't have a second paci.

So . . . any other moms have experience with giving up the pacifier? We're about to give her a twin sized bed instead of a toddler bed and she wants it so bad. I'm thinking that might be good leverage for her to try and give them up all together - that a big bed means she's a big girl who doesn't use pacifiers.

I don't want to ruin the good pattern that I have worked so hard to put in place - a good sleeper (for the most part) - but I don't want her to have to bring a paci with her to sleep at college (okay, so I realize that's a big far fetched).

Ideas?

Naming the boy!

2011-02-16T18:17:00.002-06:00

You knew I'd write about it sometime. Right? We have to name this little boy. Of course, Andrew and I have always been very tight-lipped about the final name chosen for our kids. I think several people guessed Abigail but as far as I know, nobody guessed Elsie's name! :)

However, we like to hear opinions during the process (just not on the final name) so . . .

I'm releasing our current name list!

Now, don't freak out too much when you see some of these. Some of them are names that I LOVE but Andrew has vetoed and vise versa. So, some are not really in consideration but 1/2 of this parenting team! :) Also, some of them are just funny to us so we put them on the list!

In no particular order:

Emmett Schechter
Eli Schechter
Matthias Schechter
Noah Schechter
Aaron Schechter
Levi Schechter
Eli Schechter
Titus Schechter
Henry Schechter
Judah Schechter
Tobias Schechter
Adam Schechter
Anders Schechter (Means Son of Andrew - ha ha ha ha!!)
Barrett Schechter
Cedric Schechter
David Schechter
Elias Schechter

Feel free to post your votes/thoughts in my comments section! :)

Abigail "isms"

2011-02-16T12:25:00.002-06:00

She says funny stuff all the time. I'm afraid that if I don't write these down, I will forget!

Some of these are less funny and more just insightful.

Today while driving around in the car she said, "Green means go, Red means stop, and Yellow means careful". I knew that she knew what the red and green meant at a stop light but I was shocked when she said the part about yellow.
She stayed the night with her grandparents two nights ago and got them up several times for different "needs" during the night. When I asked her why, she explained that she had to go the bathroom (a ploy to get out of bed) and that her antics "made Papa very tired".
A few weeks ago, I was sitting in Andrew's office while he worked and we chatted. Abigail was playing in the basement and lost her ball behind a few pieces of lumber. Andrew got the ball for her (which I guess I didn't see) and when I asked her if she had found her ball she said (in a very - "duh, mom"-like voice), "Yeah, Daddy's strong. He can get the ball for me." Ha!
She has been playing more and more with her baby dolls these days. Lately she'll make one of the baby dolls come up and "hit" me and then she'll take the doll to have a "talk" and a 3-minute "time out". This is particularly funny to me because in all of the incidents in our house where Abigail has been in trouble, I cannot ever remember a time when she has hit someone or been in trouble for hitting!

Days like this

2011-02-14T20:00:00.002-06:00

Have I used that title before?

Hmm . . .

I know I have talked about failure before so I'll skip the details.

Let's just say that the awful word . . . "failure" lurks at me around every corner - especially every mothering corner.

However, I am encouraged today knowing that it is in my failure and weakness that Christ can show His greatness. I don't have to be perfect (house, kids, looks, etc) to make a difference. I certainly need reminded of this today!

Phil 4:13 - I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

I am taking that verse to heart even though my efforts, next to those of others, (ugh! comparisons don't do anyone any good) look pitiful and dull.

Yesterday

2011-02-12T12:25:00.002-06:00

So yesterday I managed to make a successful batch of "Grandma Bread" even though I ran out of flour. You see, she uses only bread flour. I started with that but only had 3 cups, so I switched to just white flour - which I ran out of, so I switched to whole-wheat pastry flour. I figured that it would be dense but it wasn't too bad - much better than my other attempts. I think the key was finding out from her the exact rising times because I can never tell when "double" is on a rising dough and that seems to have made a huge difference.

I also completed the banana bread - of which I think we've almost consumed a whole loaf already.

I also managed to complete the lasagna before 4 pm. I felt bad because a few points during that process I had a crying, fussy 15-month old sitting at my feet and grabbing my legs. I ignored her for a while, finished my task and then attended to her.

She's better (no fever and no runny nose) but man-oh-man she's been C.R.A.N.K.Y lately. My suspicion is that she has two front teeth and a molar also coming in. I gave her Tylenol finally today after hours of fussing and she perked up within about 15 minute. I don't like to medicate but even I have limits!

We were also able to celebrate Valentine's Day together after my generous mother-in-law offered to keep the kids so we could go out together. Andrew and I couldn't remember exactly the last meal we had eaten alone together but we think it was for his birthday - could have been November, though. We also saw "The King's Speech" which was an excellent movie. I think the last movie I had been to was last summer but I can't say for sure on that either!

Let me tell you, it just felt like pure luxury! I had the most delicious Crab-Stuffed Sole with Sauteed Veggies and Rice Pilaf for dinner - someone else made it and someone else cleaned it up and it was divine!! I also could just sit and eat without feeding anyone else or cutting anyone else's food! Woo!

When we got home I finished the marinade for the chicken, which I will finish up here in an hour or two.

I didn't get to the last thing on my list! Actually, shock-of-all-shocks . . . my husband reads my blog. I mean, I knew he read my blog . . . like as in once-a-month reading or something like that but when I talked to him yesterday he questioned me about the "surprise". Oops! Well, I didn't get it done.

He leaves tomorrow for his 5 1/2 day business trip! Wish me luck! I know I'll be fine with the girls. I'm trying to think of close attrations we can go to during the day to get out a little but it is hard to do in the winter and for free. :) I am looking forward to having my bed to myself for a whole week. Andrew is not a good sleeper and lately the tossing and turning has been keeping me awake too.

What I'm doing today . . .

2011-02-11T09:30:00.002-06:00

Cooking! It wasn't really in the plan to make so much today but Elsie seems to finally be on the mend so I my hands and lap will be a bit more free today.

1) Making Grandma bread (Andrew's grandma) - if you live in this area you know how good this is! My last few attempts have been semi-flops but I found out from her that she only uses bread flour. I don't have quite enough bread flour for the whole recipe but I'm hoping that 1/2 will at least make it lighter. Oh, the main reason that I'm making this? . . . is that we're out of bread. I know I could just run to the store but I'm trying to do things cheaply.

2) Making Banana bread - I had some old bananas and I'm taking food to a couple in our church tomorrow who just had a baby, so they will get a loaf.

These two are already started at this point so they will definitely be done today. The following three could be derailed by children, my tired self, or any other number of things.

3) Making Lasagna - I'm trying to double several recipes and freeze half for when the baby comes. I know I'll have plenty of time and people who will bring be food but long after the food stops coming, I will still have 3 very young children and I know it will be nice to have some healthy homemade meals I can pull from the freezer and put into the oven. I already have a chicken pot pie made so lasagna is next on the list.

Anybody have any more good freezer meals? I have several others on my list but I'm going to try to make one a week for a while.

4) Start making Baked Chicken Breast Surpreme - this is what I'm making for the couple in our church tomorrow. It has to marinade overnight so I need to start it today.

5) Making A Suprise: I'm also trying to fit in the time to bake a special treat for my beloved husband - since it is valentine's weekend. He leaves on Sunday for 5 1/2 days in Boston so we won't probably get to celebrate valentine's day this year - not that we do much anyway. I can't remember the last time we had a meal alone together, November maybe. My memory fails me. Oh well, our time will come! :)

Whew! I'm going to go lay down while my bread is baking and the other bread is rising.

Happy Friday!

15-months old

2011-02-09T12:16:00.003-06:00

Dear Elsie,

You are 15-months old and as fun as you can be!

Isn't that the cutest picture??!!

You are joy to be around with a very sweet personality. You started walking, I mean really walking (more than two steps) a two weeks ago and you have been on the move ever since. Now I rarely see you crawl. Sniff sniff! You are growing up so fast!

You love to be entertained by your sister, as long as she doesn't get too close, too loud, for very long. You are easily entertained by yourself, playing with a random plastic or wooden toy. It just makes it better if you can bang two things together. You LOVE to eat, I really mean EAT! Several nights at dinner I noticed that you had eaten the same serving size as me and your sister. Wow! You love to feed yourself and to make a mess with your food - which is a relatively new concept in this house but fun none-the-less.

Your doctor check up was yesterday and we found out that your head is still 95% (don't remember the measurement), you are 30 inches long - which puts you at about 50% for length, and only 18.5 pounds - which has caused you to drop off the chart for weight.

The doctor said that he is not concerned, however, because of how beautiful you look. You still have quite a bit of baby chub on your legs, belly and chin and you love to eat. I am going to try to help you gain a bit by increasing your milk to twice a day and be sure to let you eat until you're full. I try to do this already but it's hard to know with a 15-month old.

And today, my love, you are sick! This is only the 2nd time in your life you've ever run a fever and you just don't know what to do - except sleep! It was 101 when you woke up, 104 after your morning nap, and 102 after lunch and Tylenol. I'm trying to make you more comfortable by giving you some Motrin as well. I hope it works, poor sick baby! You don't seem to have the sniffles or an upset tummy and you even played for a bit downstairs.

I love you my darling, second-born daughter. Your sweet personality and joy greet me each morning and I am so thankful to be your mommy!

Feel better soon!

Love,

Mama

Work

2011-02-07T14:22:00.000-06:00

Oh my friends, can I be real and honest with you for a bit? That is what our sermon was about this morning and while I certainly don't share everything on my blog, what I do write about is true and authentic.

Right now I'm struggling with something. . . for the first time since we got married, I will not be bringing in one dime of income for our family.

Wow. I didn't know giving this up would be so hard.

The first year of our marriage, I was still in school so Andrew worked to support us, yet, I still worked a part-time job. Then I was out of work for two weeks when we moved here, and I did quit my full-time job in November '09 to be at home with the kids yet since that time I've always found it possible to help out financially in some way - whether it was insurance money, voice lesson income, or a small part-time job.

I can't really figure out why this is so hard for me. My husband wants me to do it and I realize that as a mom with three very young kids, my priority needs to be at home right now.

These are just the possible reasons for feeling so challenged by this:

In my generation, there is not much value placed on women who stay at home with their kids.
I feel like I will have nothing of my own if I don't actually make an income.
I will be totally dependent on another human for my needs (I know I have done this before but it's just different as an adult).
I won't have an excuse to "get away" once a week or so to work.
I feel a much bigger sense of accomplishment from completing a task for work than I do from cleaning out the dishwasher, laundry, or changing a diaper.
I am an incredibly short-sighted person so while I know there will be many years for me to help contribute financially to the family, it's hard for me to see when these years of little ones with big needs will end.
I manage the budget and know the household expenses. My husband is a very capable provider and I know he can make the extra we need to cover everything but I also want to be a help and to not place that extra burden on him.

I'm quitting to focus on my family and because I cannot put in the hours that my employer has requested. I know that is not fair to them.

Tuesday may be my last day at work. I'm not sure yet. On the bright side, I am looking forward to having my free time - a.k.a. nap time - available to do other things, like blog or clean or even relax (what a concept).

Anyway, I'd love to hear from you!

Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-02-05T09:02:00.002-06:00

It's really funny that I would follow up my last post with this one. Chocolate Chip Cookies are my favorite - especially if they are under-baked and gooey. Yum!

In my quest to eat a little better I have searched for an alternative chocolate chip cookie that wouldn't contain shortening, could be made with whole wheat, and less sugar or a sugar alternative.

I couldn't really find one that was good, honestly. The few I tried fell flat, literally. The cookies were runny, or flat or crispy.

So . . . I took my old favorite basic chocolate chip cookie recipe and simply modified it by changing the ingredients.

The verdit . . . . YUMMY!! The only problem with these cookies is that my mind thinks they are "healthier" so I tend to eat too many. Now keep in mind that they are still cookies. I wouldn't eat them for breakfast or label them as a health food but as far as a cookie goes, they are better than store-bought or your "regular" chocolate chip cookie.

Here's the recipe:

Jaime’s Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1 stick real butter, softened (preferrably from grass-fed antibiotic and hormone-free cows)
3/4 cup Sucanat
1/2 cup pure cane sugar (can also use raw turbinado sugar)
1 fresh free-range egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (scant)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup unbleached white flour (sometimes I use all whole wheat pastry)
1 tsp aluminum free baking soda
1 tsp unrefined sea salt
1 cup chocolate chips (can find grain-sweetened chocolate chips)

Instructions:Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla and beat until foamy. Add flours, salt and baking soda. Stir just until mixed. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop in rounded balls onto a cookie sheet.

Bake for 7-8 minutes (or perhaps slightly less). Remove from oven before they are fully done in the middle for a cookie that stays soft and chewy the next day.

If you make these, let me know what you think!!

Show Us Your Life - What do you feed your kids?

2011-02-04T12:37:00.003-06:00

Show us your life is hosted by Kelly over at Kelly's Korner Blog. I have never participated before but since this is a subject near and dear to my heart - feeding my children healthy foods, I am going to share a bit.

I have always had a very strong conviction that kids need to be fed healthy and whole foods from the very start of life. To me this means breastfeeding . . . no matter what the cost.

I'm not going to turn this into a breastfeeding discussion and I know that there are honestly some people that cannot breastfeed due to medical concerns but those are few and far between. It wasn't easy for me either but it was a commitment that I made to myself and to my kids when they were born.

When my kids started "solid" food, I started to do my research. I learned that white rice cereal is probably not the best choice for a first food. First of all, it just contains simple carbs which the body will just turn to sugar. Also, if you are breastfeeding, you are taking a perfect and fatty food (which children desperately need for brain development) and substituting it for a food with no fat and very little nutritional value.

So I actually started my kids on bananas. We soon progressed to other mushy and fatty things like avocado and quickly added in fruits and veggies.

My oldest cutie pie, Abigail, learning how to eat!

I honestly think one of the main keys to success when getting a child to eat healthy foods is a very simple one . . . start as you mean to go on. I have consistently offered my kids a fruit and a vegetable at almost every meal, whole grains, and healthy meats. They don't know what white bread or white rice is so they don't ask for it.

Sweet Elsie!

Now . . . does this mean I feed my kids perfectly? Definitely not! Not only do I have a husband to contend with (sorry dear!) who tends to lean towards cheaper and not quite as whole foods as I prefer, and we are trying to do all of this on a budget. I also find it difficult to cook in early pregnancy and so I'm sure my kids ate their fair share of junk during that time (I don't really remember!)

My main line of defence when it comes to this is . . . cooking from scratch. My kids eat macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, and pizza but you won't find me opening a can or calling a store to get these items. I usually make it all from scratch. That way I know what goes into each food, I can substitute whole grains (like pasta) for the white ones and add or take out things that are "unhealthy".

Here are some of my favorite meals that are simple and easy to cook for kids:

Breakfast:

Eggs and Toast - both my kiddos love scrambled eggs and buttered whole wheat toast for breakfast. Had it this morning - actually.
Fruit - We usually have bananas, pineapple, pears, grapes, or peaches.
Whole Wheat Pancakes or Waffles - I make these from scratch one morning a week, usually and we'll munch on them for the rest of the week. Use real maple syrup or honey instead of syrup containing HFCS.
French Toast - yum. My husband usually makes this on the weekend - again usually with whole wheat bread.
Smoothies - I don't get around to making these very often and the reason is because I don't often have a wide variety of fruit available. I always have fruit but it's usually just one or two options at a time. I want to start doing more of this, though.

*My kids don't eat much cereal. When they are babies I usually give them whole grain organic "o"'s to practice eating finger foods but beyond that we don't generally eat cereal in our house. My youngest daughter drinks a low-pasteurized, non-homogenized, grass-fed antibiotic and hormone-free milk once a day but my oldest daughter has never had milk - and now doesn't want it!

Lunches:

Almond butter sandwiches! Lots of good protein and I do put a little jam on there for a sweet taste. You must read the labels or make your own on this to make sure it doesn't contain HFCS.
Egg Sandwiches. A family favorite! I usually add a slice of natural cheese (not processed!) to boost fat content for the kiddos and calories.
Peas, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Green Beans, Carrots - these are our favorite veggies and we need to branch out a bit but both of my girls eat these really well.
Macaroni and Cheese - yes I do this for lunch sometimes but I either make it from scratch with my own cheese sauce and whole wheat pasta or I use an Annie's Organic Box.
We do occasionally have grilled cheese but again I only use cheddar or a similar cheese - not American.

Dinner

There are so many things I could put here but I will just write down some of our favorites.

Meatloaf and veggies. I have a great recipe from Passionate Homemaking for Meatloaf. You make your own bread crumbs (the ones from the store can contain nasty stuff), and your own ketchup mixture for the top (again . . . regular ketchup is full of sugar and usually HFCS).
Homemade Pizza. I buy nitrate free pepperoni and my pizza sauce from Whole Foods and I usually make the dough from scratch.
Spaghetti. Again, I use a whole wheat pasta, organic jarred sauce and grass fed beef.
Carol's Mexican Chicken. Yummy and easy mexican dish. Chicken breast in a crock pot with whole kernel corn and black beans. Mix in taco seasoning (again making your own - the store stuff has additives) and sour cream at the end. Yummy!

I'm sure there's more but that's all my ideas for now.

*Note on picky eaters: Perhaps I have been blessed by kids that are just simply not picky but my girls generally eat great. I think that a lot of it has to do with our expectations. I always try to cook foods that they are able to eat but not necessarily their favorites. For example, I refrain from making steak sometimes because it is hard for little girls to eat that. However we just expect them to eat what is cooked. My 3-year old does have preferences and after she has tried something she will say she doesn't like it. That's fine with me. I will simply put it away but if she gets hungry later, that is what is getting pulled out of the fridge.*

Again, in no way do I feed my kids perfect food. I strive to do my best and then I forgive the times when I might feed them something a little questionable (so long as it doesn't become a habit). I'm sure there are many things I could put more effort into and many other foods I could introduce them to at this point.