Perfect Little Family

My life has been flipped upside down for a third time.

That's right. We had another kiddo. M joined the family in quite the rush in early March, and we couldn't be more pleased (or tired). She's a beauty. Her older sister, H, and older brother, G, are loving every minute of sibling-hood (yes, I know that is not a word).

With that perfect-family sounding paragraph, let's take a moment to get real. M is awesome. That is not joke. She sleeps, she eats, she poops. She is just a few weeks old and is slowly becoming more alert. She's tracking us with her eyes, she turns toward sounds. Her newborn clothes are getting close to being too small--hard to believe!

The big man on campus, G, is loving his newest sister. It is so fun to see him interact with her and love her. He loves the middle kid, too, but it is great to watch him as a big guy. When H was born, he didn't have a huge interest in her. He was intrigued by her sounds, but didn't want to "play" with her much. With M, he is so excited to "read" her stories, to talk to her, to love on her. He's a sweet, sweet boy to his sisters.

And the baby-no-more? She's enjoying her role as middle child, though she is a bit more precocious than your average middle child. H wants to run the show, be in control, and be little Miss Mom to M. I love, love, love it. H wants to shower the newest addition with hugs and kisses, and sometimes forgets what "gentle" means. But what three year old doesn't forget that!?

My adorable little family has grown from four to five (six according to G because we always include the puppy). In the course of the last month, I've loved on a newborn, a newly three-year-old, and a newly five-year-old. FIVE! I have a five-year-old and it is SO hard to believe.

2018, Here We Go

We are starting 2018, expecting #3 to arrive in just a couple of months. That's right. Number Three is on her way, expected to arrive at the end of March. Hubs and I are so excited! The big kids? Also very excited, though it took the oldest a few weeks to adjust to the idea of having another sister. And the other one? Well, she's just excited to be older than someone!

Our Airstream is not going to get as much love this year as it did last summer. We will still be taking a few trips, I just didn't want to venture as far with an infant. There are a couple of minor projects we having coming down the pipes, too. Nothing major...you know, like replacing a floor, building a table, building some beds. This year's projects will be smaller-and more quickly to be finished! And I hope to bring the blog along for the ride.

It's Summer!

We have been a busy bunch this summer, with endless projects and kid activities. To be honest, I'm bummed that it is already mid-July. But I look back over the last month and a half and am overwhelmed with how much we have accomplished.

The biggest accomplishment, you ask?

Our camper is livable! It's not 100% done (the fridge still doesn't work, but that's another story), but we can use it. It can be towed, it keeps is warm and (mostly) dry. Big huge props to the hubs - he worked night and day on that camper. We still have a couple of projects to go, but it was nice to have some time to enjoy the Airstream, instead of just work, work, work.

Kid has grown, grown, grown. He and I butt heads quite a bit. His stubbornness shines through many times a day. He's spirited, as they say. I know that it will one day be a strength of his, but right now, it is so, so difficult to parent. He tries my patience day in and day out. But, oh, how it pays off. His endless questions are a glimpse into his thirst for knowledge - how does that work?, what does this do?, do just caterpillars become butterflies or do bees, too? He's a bright boy. He's a happy boy. It's hard to believe that he is already three. And in the next breath, it's hard to believe that he is only three.

In just the last week, his bike riding skills have blossomed. His love for SCUBA diving (really, he's snorkeling) has grown. His interest in letters is just beginning to sprout - trying to write the first letter of his name and recognizing other letters.

Little Miss is dang near one and a half. Whoa, has that flown by. She's finally starting to use the sign language we've been teaching her since 9 months. Initially, she refused to use any and all signs. She knew exactly what they meant, but preferred to point and whine instead. Finally, though, she will sign "more" and "please." We're still working on "thank you" and a few others as well. She is also starting to use more and more words. She's said the typical first words for quite some time -- mama, daddy, ball, hi, bye-bye -- and is now beginning to use "pleee" for please, and "da-doo" for thank you. She has also mastered "bubble," which is important for any child in summertime.

She runs, she dances, she loves going down the slide. She's a daredevil, just like her brother. I doubt she will have any problems keeping up with him!

{This was posted on the go - I apologize for the lack of photos!}

Four Tips for Handling the Terrible Twos

My sweet son will be 3 in April. To say we have been hit with the terrible twos is an understatement. In fact, the terrible twos began around 19 months - the tantrums, the "no!," the whole kit and caboodle. My fear is that he will continue with this pattern and become a "threenager" as well. Will my son outgrow this phase of always having to be right? Of saying the sky is purple, just because I said it was blue? Will it ever end?

If you're in the same boat, here is my list on helpful parenting "tricks" for young children.

I am, by no means, a parenting expert. Sure, I am an expert at parenting my children, simply because I do it day in and day out. I can "diagnose" my child as a terrible-two, a threenager, or even spirited. I am simply writing from my own experience and sharing with you what works for me.

1. Time Reminders

It is so important to give kiddos a warning before changing activities, even if they are too young to truly grasp the concept of time. Kids soon realize that "three minutes" means it's almost time to clean up. We usually give a five minute and a two minute warning. Kid tends to get "lost" in his activities. Without reminders, he feels jolted from one thing to the next. A quick reminder allows him to break away from what he was doing, but also gives him enough time to continue and finish.

2. The Plan or "The Ked-ule" (because a two-year-old cannot say schedule)

I began to notice that Kid was having many-a-meltdown when changing activities, especially after a long day at daycare. I have always used the trusted method of giving warnings: "five more minutes to play," or "we're going to have dinner in three minutes." Those were helpful. But there were still plenty of meltdowns.

Our new normal is to devise a plan in the car on the way home from daycare. We give a very vague schedule, or plan, so Kid is prepared with what is coming. A sample plan is this: get home, play, eat dinner, gymnastics, home, books, brush teeth, bed. Throughout the night, we remind Kid of the plan, and ask him to help us remember it. Having him repeat the plan provides him with some ownership over the events of the evening. I continue to use time reminders with the schedule, letting him know that there are five minutes left to read books, then its time to brush teeth.

Is this method fool proof? No. It's not. Do we still have meltdowns? We sure do. But they have become fewer and farther between since we started using a schedule.

3. Remember Your Child's Age

Be sure to keep in mind the age of your child. I know, I know. This sounds silly. But all too often I see parents schlepping their 2 year old on far to many errands. It's no surprise that said two year old is crabby after running into three different stores. The poor kiddo is 2! He needs time to run and play more than anything else.

It sounds like I'm lecturing. I'm not. I am very guilty of bringing my kiddo on far too many errands. The shopping needs to get done, after all. In a perfect world, I wouldn't have to bring the toddler with for any errands. But that isn't the case. When I do have to bring him with, I try my best to be as fast as possible. I also bring things for him to do. We have a notepad and pen that he only gets to use while running errands. This keeps it new and exciting so he will stay interested.

4. Be Consistent

This one doesn't really need an explanation, If you don't want your child to yell at you, don't let him get away with it. Ever. Do not hesitate to toss your kiddo into a time out at your sister's house, the library, the grocery store, anywhere. I truly believe that, if they get away with it once, they will try to get away with it again, and again, and again.

Consistency is key.

What is your tried and true method of dealing with the "terrible twos" or a "threenager?"

Christmas Traditions

Ever since I became a mom I have been thinking about Christmas traditions. Everyone grows up with the traditions of their own families. Then marriage happens and traditions tend to bend and meld a little bit.

I had plenty of traditions growing up.

The season started with a visit to what is now Macy's 8th Floor Santa Land. As a kid, it was Dayton's 8th Floor Auditorium, and it was fantastic. Every year there was a new theme, Cinderella being my favorite. Dayton's became Marshall Fields, became Macy's and now, it is the 8th Floor Santa Land. The 8th Floor auditorium at Macy's in Minneapolis is converted into Santa's workshop. You can see the elves waking up for breakfast, feeding the reindeer. Some elves are the teachers at flight school, teaching reindeer to fly using hot air balloons. After getting through the entire story, there was a place to take a picture with Santa, and then the bakery. Oh, the bakery was so delicious.

Another favorite tradition we had was packing some treats and driving around looking at the Christmas lights. There are more than a few houses around my area that go all out with the Christmas lights. It's such a treat!

My husband also had traditions growing up. Now, we get to make memories with our own children and build traditions. Kid is old enough now, to get excited about Christmas and the Christmas season. He has been wearing Christmas jammies since Black Friday.

I'm excited to start traditions with my little man (and lady, too). Again, Kid is old enough to "get it."

I am holding on to the Macy's 8th Floor Santa Land tradition. Our plan is go early on Black Friday. So many people are busy shopping that the lines are nearly non-existent.

Cookie decorating. This year, we met at my parents house to decorate sugar cookies and have some lunch. It was so fun to get all of the cousins together. Kid has a cousin that is a few weeks younger-oh, goodness, watching those two "decorate" cookies was quite the sight.

Cookie making: this tradition comes from my husband's family. Each year, they all get together for a baking day. We make lefse, sugar cookies, spritz cookies, chocolate dipped pretzels, among many, many others. Kid (and the little chica) will probably enjoy snacking on all of those sweets on baking day!

Tree decorating/movie night. I love decorating the tree. We typically make appetizers and watch a Disney movie while decorating. Unfortunately, Disney movies are still a little too scary for the little ones, so we had to watch the Curious George Christmas movie this year. Eventually, we will watch the Disney movies again, but for now the toddler-friendly movies it is. But, oh. the joy on my sweet boy's face when we brought out our tree (yep, a fake one!). The next day, he asked if we could pack the tree in his backpack for daycare.

Oh, my heart.

What holiday traditions do you have in your family?

My Little Nut {A Birth Story}

(This post was written in March 2015, a few days after birth)

She's here, she's here, she's here! We were blessed with our daughter's arrival on Sunday morning and have had such a wonderful time getting to know her and introducing her to her big brother.

I love a good birth story, and I'm surprised at how quickly you can forget all of the details, so I figured it was high time to get to writing. So, here goes nothing.

Saturday had been a long day. I was uncomfortable, Kid was ornery, and Hubs had been very busy all day long. I had a need to get out of the house, so we made a plan to go out to dinner and run a few errands in the area. I had a craving for a greasy burger, so we went to the local malt shop.

Dinner was great! We had fun together, and Kid was such a gem. Little did we know it was his last night as an only child. Though that exact thought crossed my mind later that night as I lay in bed.

Once we got home, we began our typical bed time routine. I had been on bed rest earlier in the pregnancy and was still on a limited lifting protocol. I was not allowed to lift my own child, which was so so sad! Kid, Hubs, and I headed to Kid's room to change into jammies and to "row-row" (sing bedtime songs and rock). Kid and I rocked in the rocking chair and Hubs went "nigh-nigh" on the floor. I got teary as we row-row-ed, thinking about the numbered days we had as a family of three. I would be 38 weeks pregnant the next day. Only two weeks left.

Kid went to bed as usual. Hubs and I left the room and hung out in the living room. I retreated to bed to read and, at 11:45, realized I had a lot of energy. This was not the norm for me - my bed time is usually around 9! Then I remembered the 3 hour nap I had taken that afternoon. That was why I had so much energy. Not that I was going to be giving birth soon! Hubs came to bed after watching a basketball game. I continued to read for another half hour and turned out the light.

I woke up Sunday at 5:30 morning with a poop cramp (sorry, TMI). I went to the bathroom but the cramp didn't go away. It wasn't that bad, so I thought I'd lie down again. I got up once more and felt the need to poop again. Then I realized that this could be the start of labor. But weren't contractions super painful? Can't talk, take your breath away, really bad? This wasn't so bad. I took a lap up and down the hallway and threw up in the kitchen sink. Pretty, I know. The poop cramps didn't go away, but they weren't getting much worse.

Either way, I flipped my bedside light on, which I knew would wake up the hubs. I told him that I thought I was having contractions, but I was still talking fine so they weren't that bad and we weren't that close to delivery. He got up and called his dad, who was going to sleep on the couch until Kid woke up. I got dressed through the contractions and gathered a few last minute things for the hospital.

It felt like my father in law was taking forever! I headed out to the car and told Hubs that he should back out of the garage. We could just wait in the driveway until his dad showed up and we would head out for the hospital. Only a 10 minute drive, we'd be fine! I knew things were moving along more quickly than they had with our first kiddo, and I was antsy to get to the hospital.

But HOLY CRAP! All of a sudden contractions hurt like a B! I reclined the seat, but then got out of the car. We were in the driveway, I was swaying back and forth with my head against the cool exterior of the car. It was cold outside, but I was sweating. I tried to get in the car again but it hurt to sit and my father in law still wasn't there. Where was he!?

I couldn't wear pants anymore. I got undressed from the waist down, no longer thinking about the hospital. There I was, in the middle of our garage, naked from the waist down. I reached down to see if I could feel anything and there was something there. Baby's sac. Are you kidding me!? I'm at home! This was not the plan! The contractions had started just 15 minutes earlier. Labor does not progress this quickly. Kid took 7 hours. This was crazy fast!

I ran inside yelling "owie, owie, owie" (you know, because I'm a two year old). And for some reason, I found myself on my hands and knees in the tub. Hubs followed me in asking if he should call 9-1-1. "I don't know, OW!, yes! Where is your dad!?" I yelled from the tub.

The fire chief showed up (he lives down the street) at the same time as my father in law. I'm sure he was shocked, not knowing why the fire chief was walking up to the door. I saw the chief walk into the bathroom and yelled at my husband once more, asking an ETA for his dad. I remember asking the fire chief if he had delivered a baby before (he hadn't). Husband's dad was in the house and, between cuss words, I called him into the bathroom.

Then, the EMTs arrived on the scene. One was crouched near my head. My father in law sat on the toilet seat near my rear. Delightful.

My father in law is an amazing man. But I never thought he'd be so up close and personal with my hoo-ha. I mean, really?! But I really didn't care. All modesty was out the window. I could now feel part of the sac outside of my body and it hurt. I wanted that little girl out, and I wanted her out now.

Thankfully, he is a family practice doctor. Delivering babies is part of his job.

A moment later, I "swore a blue streak" according to my father in law and he said, "Well, okay! Push!" I felt a gush of water as he broke the sac and pushed once. And then I heard it. A nice little cry. At 6:08 am. I heard a proud grandpa as he wrapped her in a towel and then heard the two year old finally stir from his sleep, yelling, "Mama!" I flipped onto my back and I held that little sunshine close and delivered the placenta. Daddy got a turn to hold her. Grandpa washed his hands and went in to Kid's room.

The lucky little fellow got to meet his sister before we headed out in the ambulance. I walked down the stairs and got ready to go in the ambulance. I held the little peanut the whole way. Upon our arrival, we got some wonderful skin to skin time and a good hour of nursing.

This second birth was such a different experience than the first. With Kid, my water broke 6 weeks before my due date. We had a good chunk of time together for some skin-to-skin, but he was quickly whisked away to the NICU. This was much more relaxed, much more natural. And my un-medicated body felt so much better. Sure I was sore, but I could get up, I could walk around. I felt good.

------

Our Little Nut is 6 months old now. She has two tiny teeth poking through her gums. And I absolutely adore my birth story. I didn't have any complaints about birthing my oldest, but this was so ... fast. So wonderful. And so unexpected!

Sorry they're all phone pictures.

Hello? Is There Anybody Out There?

I was 37 weeks pregnant the last time I checked in - my doctor was so proud of me for making it past 33 weeks, 5 days (bed rest helped!).

And now, I come to you with a 6 month old. That's right, folks. The little nut is 6 months old.

She's vocal. She's happy. She has two teeth. She wants to do whatever Kid does. In fact, Kid was the first to make Little Nut laugh. This past week was the first time she enjoyed a mom-free bath (the other three times were awful!), and she loves her toes.

I'll have to fill you in on the birth story sometime. But not now, it's too crazy.

And Kid? That bugger is almost 2.5! He, too, is vocal beyond his years. Very articulate and knows exactly what he wants. We put him in soccer this fall and he has had so much fun!

Syttende Mai

We started the tradition years and years ago, and I'm happy to say that we are going strong almost 15 years later. I really find it hard to believe that there are things in my life that have been happening for more than 10 years, let alone 15.

It's the same feeling I get when I realize that I have known my bestie for 25 years. I know, I know. I was lucky at 5 years old to meet one of my closest friends.

Anyway. We started the tradition of celebrating Syttende Mai about 15 years ago.

Syttende Mai is Norway's Constitution Day. It falls on the 17th of May each year, and with it comes big celebrations. One of the main "attractions" for a Syttende Mai celebration in Norway is the parade. Each community has a parade of its own featuring flags, costumes, and marching bands. The biggest parade takes place each year in Oslo, with some 100,000 people attending (!). Each parade ends with the singing of Norway's national anthem.

Doesn't that sound awesome? We had a 4th of July parade where I grew up. I remember decorating our bikes and painting our faces to take part in the parade down Main Street. Those parades always gave a sense of American pride, as I'm sure the Syttende Mai parades do.

Our celebration, though, isn't so traditional.

We start our celebration with the same skit every year, performed by my younger brother and two younger cousins. They are the lucky boys that get to wear the plastic helmets show above.

It's amazing what twenty-something men will do for their 89 year old Grammy!

 At the beginning of this tradition, they would stand on my grandparents' toy chest and read from their script, so that the adults sitting at the dining room table could see and hear. Once the skit was complete, they'd be sent back to the kitchen to eat at the kids' table. Was it just my family, or did everyone want to stay at the kids' table as long as possible?

The grown ups all eat dinner and, as an after dinner (but pre-dessert) treat, tell jokes. My dear sweet grandmother is kind enough to search her Ole and Lena joke books and print off the most appropriate ones to share around the table. After each joke, we sip aquavit from a shot glass and wash it down with dark beer. I'm now learning, though, that purists don't agree with this practice. I'll have to let my grandma know we've been doing it backwards all these years!

Every May 17th, I am reminded that my dear sweet Boppa was half Norwegian. Both of his parents came to the US as teenagers and settled in Minneapolis. When they met, language was their only common bond. Neither knew English. Their Norwegian heritage is what brought them together.

My grandpa has passed on; we just recently celebrated the 2nd anniversary of his death, but the tradition of Syttende Mai continues. Every year, we will gather in my grandmother's dining room and raise our glasses, both in memory of Boppa and in celebration of our Norwegian ancestry.

And when we're lucky, we are graced with the presence of Minnesota's state bird.

Mommy Wars

I have never really been into the "Mommy Wars." Even reading about how we should avoid them, and all support each other doesn't excite me.

Supporting each other seems as though it should be common sense, right?

Lately, though, I've had the feeling that I'm just not quite good enough.

I don't know why I'm putting this out into the blog world, but it has been on my mind quite a bit over the last week or so. Writing it down is a form of letting it go. Getting it off my chest. Getting over it.

It isn't that I'm reading articles and blogs and feeling like I don't compare to these women that are amazing mothers. Because, most of the time, I feel like a pretty awesome mom. And I feel as though comparing myself to others is just plain stupid.

But I'm human, and it happens. There's a whole list of things that have me wondering if I'm doing this right. If I really am an awesome mom.

Am I home with Kid enough? I work outside of the home. He gets dropped off at daycare at 7am, and picked up at 4pm. That's a long time! Am I taking too much time for myself by having him at daycare so long? But during the school year, there is no way around it. I have to be at work by 7:30 (the hubs even earlier) and cannot leave until 3:30. Am I horrible for being away from him?

Am I too attached and unwilling to let go when I am at home with him? I don't like getting babysitters often, because I feel like I don't have enough time with my own child. Is that selfish of me? Am I horrible for wanting to be with Kid all the time?

Did I nurse for too long? I still nurse Kid. Only overnight (my supply dropped, and it dropped fast). He still is waking up once a night to get some boob time. Is it selfish of me to still nurse him overnight? Is he going to walk up to me as a 2 year old and ask for some boob? And then will I feel really awkward and embarrassed? Will he?

Did I nurse long enough?*

Do I read to him enough?

Do we sing enough songs?

Am I teaching him everything I should be?

Am I a good mom?

But you know what is awesome?

After re-reading this post, I realize that those thoughts and questions are kinda lame.

Of course I am a fabulous mother. Kid is happy and healthy (okay, we're dealing with another ear infection...). He's smiling, growing, laughing, gaining weight, crawling (kind of), and an all around wonderful and happy kid.

And that is all that matters.

*I do not want to start any debate about breast or formula feeding. All families do what is best for their child and their family. And I support each family's decision.

\\Thankful Thursday Vol. 9//

I find that it is impossibly easy to get into a rut of negativity. And once you're there, it's hard to climb your way out. Writing down my thankfuls for each week has become a way to stay away from the negative. Feel free to leave your thankfuls in the comments.

This week, I am thankful for...

...grandparents. I know I have mentioned family before, but this one is just focused on the grandparents. Kid has 4 of them, and they live within 10 minutes of us. He also has 4 great grandparents, that live within 20 minutes of us. What a lucky boy he is! But really. I am so fortunate to have family so close. Just last weekend, we relied upon my parents for babysitting during a cross country ski lesson and for a low key evening out of the house. It's so wonderful to be able to cal them up, bring over some fresh vegetables and have a quick dinner together. Kid reaches for his Mootzie as soon as we arrive at their house and snuggles in close for some love. It's such a wonderful thing to witness. Again, I am thankful and we are so fortunate!

...friends. My closest girlfriends and I are all turning 30 within a month of each other. We have started planning for our birthday bash: a night out on the town and a slumber party downtown. Oh my goodness, I am so pumped! I have known these women since 9th grade (and one of them since first grade!). We have all been through so much together and, while we are different points in our lives, we still manage to get together on a weekly basis for dinner. I call upon these women in times of need, knowing that they would give me the shirt off their backs if needed. And I would do the same for them. Again. So thankful.

...the sun. It's been dreary around here lately. It's wintertime. The sun rises late and sets early. Sometimes, when I arrive home, it's already dark. But lately, the sun has shown his pretty face longer and longer. This weekend, while Kid napped, I pushed my comfy chair into the window and soaked up the sun. Oh, the vitamin D! Winter gets hard. It's cold. It's dark. It's blah. But when the sun joins us in the winter, life is so much better! There really are a ton of things to do in the winter, and they are all so much more enjoyable when the sun shines.

Culture

This past weekend, we took Kid out to dinner.

Okay. That makes it sound like we went to some kiddie restaurant with the purpose of bringing Kid out for his first restaurant experience.

That was not the case. At all. Instead, we went out to dinner and didn't have a sitter. Plus, my husband's coworkers were bringing their kids as well. So, maybe I should say that we went out to dinner. Kid came with us. All of our resident babysitters were out of town. And I refuse to pay for a babysitter during the first year of Kid's life (besides daycare, of course!).

We went to a restaurant that features a fresh kitchen, sushi, and cocktails. It's near-ish to our home and, since we don't go out much, we decided to go for it. We wouldn't be concerned with price, or bedtime. And we had so much fun!

But I was shocked when some of those within our group had no clue how to use chopsticks. Now, I know that we aren't a culture that uses chopsticks. Nor is sushi a traditional food of ours. As a culture, we don't regularly eat rabbit or goat. My family isn't concerned with kosher and non-kosher foods. We don't eat 12 grapes at midnight on New Year's Eve.

Do I want Kid to grow up not knowing any of these traditions? Without knowing the importance of these things?

Of course I do. I would like him to be exposed to sushi more than twice in his life by the time he reaches adulthood. I would like him to know why the Spanish (and the Peruvians) eat 12 grapes at midnight on New Year's Eve. I would like him to make lefse and krumkake. He should know about rabbit as a main ingredient in traditional paella. He should try gumbo and jambalaya.

Food can open the doors to so many lessons about our world. I hope to introduce Kid to different cultures through food. I knew this when we first got pregnant, but my eyes were opened while we had him at dinner with us.

I hope he learns to use chopsticks at a young ages. I hope he enjoys jambalaya, lefse, and pickled herring. I hope he enjoys eating 12 grapes at midnight on New Year's Eve.

learning culture through food

Family Traditions

One of my favorite things about family are the traditions. Each person in a new relationship brings his or her own family traditions to the table. When a new family is created, these traditions meld together, but remain unique and constant at the same time.

My husband and I created a new family unit on our wedding day in 2011. We added to our family when we brought Finn home. Again, we added to our family when we created the most precious little life.

The hubs and I are responsible for this little man, and for instilling in him a love for family. Hubby and I both adore our families, and are excited to create an amazing little family of our own. I have many fond memories of the special traditions created by my parents for my siblings and I.

Swimming at Grammy and Boppa's.s

Skating at the park.

One "mental health day" per school year to have a one-on-one activity with the parents (I usually chose to go skiing).

Saturday morning and/or Sunday morning cartoons all cozied up together, eating donuts while Mom and Dad read the paper.

Thanksgiving in Colorado.

The list could go on and on and on.

Now, the hubs and I are creating those traditions for Kid. One of those family traditions, that we started this year, will be to go cross country skiing the day after Christmas Day. This year, it was a whole-family affair (dog included).

our first nature boy

the next nature boy

skijoring (Finn is pulling me!)

I've linked up here:

Family Reunion

The husband and I (and the baby) just recently got home from a family reunion.

It was with his dad's family. People I had never met before. Never even knew existed.

Isn't it interesting? I knew that the hubby's grandma had two sisters, but I didn't necessarily think about their kids and grandkids, and even great-grandkids.

We all met at a campground in the black hills of South Dakota. If you've never been, add it to your list of places to travel. Mount Rushmore was neat and the scenery was beautiful! Each morning, we had breakfast together then parted ways for daytime activities. Everyone met up once more at the campground for happy hour, dinner, and cards after dark. I was pleasantly surprised with the whole trip.

But isn't it interesting? I grew up seeing my mom's cousins and their kids on a rather regular basis. I graduated high school with a couple of them. We still see everyone at least twice a year.

But given the circumstances, this family had spread out thought the country. People left home for college, jobs, and spouses. It's just what happens, and what you willingly do for your significant other.

And when that happens? People travel from near and far for a family reunion. They pack up their families, take vacation time from work and begin their trek to South Dakota. Hopefully with this family, they won't wait another 18 years for the next reunion...

Sleepover!

My husband's last day of school was yesterday. Being that we live so close to his school, the year end party was at our house. The hubs and his fellow teachers were enjoying the start of there summer by 2pm.

I was carrying/wearing a sleepy baby and packing up.

The year end parties tend to get a little wild, and I knew that it would be in my best interest to spend the night at my parents' house. If the little man didn't have a nightly crab-fest from 8pm to 10pm, I would have happily stayed at the party. But, since he's quite the fussy boy for 2 straight hours, I made the short trip (10 minutes) to the place I was raised.

Kid and I had such a great time.

His Mootzie (my mom) loves him to pieces, rocked him, and smothered him in kisses.

His Pa (my dad) made silly faces and got a few genuine smiles from the peanut.

And me? I took up space on the couch, had a home cooked meal that I didn't cook, and snoozed when I could. It has been heavenly.

My mom has already planned quite the day for us:

I have strict orders to stay on the couch until they return home from breakfast with a meal for me.

Pa has orders to babysit Kid, while

Mootz and I run to Target (this used to be our go-to stress relief, when I still lived at home).

Upon our return, we will take Kid for a walk. Then, my sister and I will occupy the couch again. 

And while today won't be productive, I look forward to the relaxation. I've allowed myself to get way too tired over the course of these last two months, and I think it has started to catch up to me.

So here's to a fabulous support system in my husband, my parents, and my siblings. My life is amazing, and it has a lot to do with the people in it.

Baby No More (sorta)

My little boy has made it to his due date! Hooray!

Technically, his adjusted age is 0. I'd say he's pretty advanced for being so young!

Today, though, his status of "youngest grandchild" got passed on to another. I'm fairly certain I mentioned it early, but my sister has been pregnant. Her due date? Just five days after mine.

But today, five days early, they welcomed the newest member of our family. Jacob was born at 12:25 this afternoon, a mere 4 hours after my sister's water broke.

Apparently she and I do things (well, the whole labor thing, anyway) rather quickly.

Ava has already proven to be a rock star big sister to little Jacob, but sometimes calls him Baby Kid.

Such a beauty that Jacob is. We can't wait to get know him and love him up!

One Month..er, 6 Weeks Already?!

My sweet baby boy is already a month old. I can barely believe it.

Okay, I admit it. He is 6 weeks old. I'm a little late. We should probably get used to that.

Hubs and I have found ourselves in a new normal. It's a fabulous new normal, and while it is tiring, it is so rewarding. While he treks off to work each morning, leaving Kid and I each with a kiss or two and an 'I love you,' the baby and I meander into the living room to begin our day.

Our days are wonderful. We typically start with a feed and a diaper change. Then another diaper change shortly thereafter. We play on our tummies, we read some books. If the weather were nicer, we'd take the dog for a walk. We (Kid) eat some more, complete some chores around the house and think about dinner.

When the hubby comes home, I get a little break. While I try as hard as I can to sleep with the sweet boy sleeps, I can only sleep so much during the daylight hours. Plus, my brain goes a mile a minute with all the projects I've started as of late. In fact, in the last week, I didn't nap at all during the day, and was I ever tired come 8pm.

So what is Kid up to at a month of age?

Eating a lot (every two or three hours!)
Lifting his head (woo hoo!)
Sleeping a lot (except every third night)

And, he's growing like a weed

It's probably best to stop there, as he will be two months old before I know it. I have to save some milestones for that post, right?

2013! Already!?

I cannot believe that 2013 is already here! I've decided to do a recap of the year so that I may see it in 10 years and remember...

In January, I realized that I had to get my butt in gear to student teach in the fall. I was moving through my licensure and master's program at quite the leisurely pace. While the program claims to take just 18 months (not true), I was finishing up year four. Most of my classmates were finishing year three...quite a bit more time than 18 months!

In February, my husband and I celebrated our first Valentine's Day as a married pair.  Truth be told, we don't really celebrate Valentine's Day. Instead, we started some plans for our first "real" vegetable garden. And we had great plans...that produced about a million delicious tomatoes. We also made a major change to our home by tearing down an entire wall. And what a change it has been! Our upstairs is so much more inviting and wonderful.

In March, I turned 28. We also locked ourselves out of our house one morning, calling for a new front door. The new front door is delightful, even if it makes our entryway a little darker than it was before. My husband did a fabulous job replacing the door (and it wouldn't be the last time).

In April, we found ourselves parents to Fletch and Floyd, two bearded dragons. While I frantically wanted to rid our house of them, my husband took a liking and we kept them both for quite some time. Floyd stuck around for a few months, until he got aggressive and chomped on the foot of Fletcher. He was donated to a local reptilian society. They work to find homes for surrendered pets. Fletch was around for even longer; his "stump" healing beautifully. Eventually, we realized that a reptile during pregnancy was not the best idea. Although I was not yet pregnant, I knew I wanted to be soon. Fletch was given to a former student of mine, and I still get updates about him.

In May, we became parents to Finn. Our beloved little Brittany is such a wonderful guy. He loves to hunt in our backyard...birds, squirrels, mice. You name it, he will find it! We have started to bring baby stuff into the house so that Finn can get used to having a human brother.

In June we hung out around the house and found ourselves in a wonderful summer routine. With both my husband and I workin as teachers, June is a favorite month around our house!

In July, we traveled. And my beautiful niece turned two. What a joy that little girl has been. So lively, so creative, so amazing. When she was born, I found myself shocked at how much I could love that little thing. I cannot even imagine what it will feel like to love my own.

In August, I ran my first 5K. It's one of those things that was horrible while running, but such a wonderful feeling after the finish line. I cannot wait to train for and run another one. My husband and I are going to choose one in September or October of next year to run. I am quite excited.

In September, we heard the best news we could have heard. Afte taking three pregnancy tests, I finally believed what the little lines were telling me. My husband and had created a life that would be joining us in May. Now that is an amazing feeling.

In October, we saw our little peanut for the first time. There wasn't much to see...just a sac. But in reality, a life. We also went to the annual Halloween party with my husband's relatives. It was my first year without making our costumes. We didn't even dress up! I had great plans, but the exhaustion of early pregnancy got the best of me.

In November, we announced to family and friends that we were expecting a baby in May. My sister announced the same thing a week later. That's right. Two babies. Due about a week apart.

December was a whirlwind. A month that always seems to fly by so quickly. In our second Christmas season as a married couple, we found a routine that we think may work for us as far as Christmas gatherings go (there are quite a few when both families live within 20 minutes!). We also announced that our little babe is indeed a boy. And much like November, my sister announced the same thing a mere week later. Two baby boys.

In all, the year was fabulous. There was plenty newness and plenty change. Of course, this is only the beginning!

Another One of Those Posts

I know, I know, I know. In the last couple of months my posts have all mentioned how tired I've been. How when I get home from work, all I want to do is chill on the couch and veg out. How I haven't felt that great. How I've been a little bit stressed out. All of which is no fun to read.

And because of that, I've been rather distant. I have just "stayed away."

But there's a reason. A pretty good reason. A reason that takes 9 months to "cook." A reason that is a third of the way there.

You've guessed by now, I'm sure. And you are right:

I'm pregnant!

The hubs and I are expecting little nugget #1 in May, and we couldn't be more excited!  And now, I apologize for being so distant. Every post that I have started has ended up with a pregnancy note, and we just weren't ready to share the news until now. Of course, we're not sharing with everyone quite yet. Our families know. Our closest of close friends know. Now, my sort-of-anonymous blog knows. My personal Facebook? The husband's personal Facebook? Still in the dark. And that's how we want it for now...

There are so many things that can go awry. So, so many things. And for us, it is best to keep it a little bit on the quiet side.

Quite frankly, though, I was missin' my blog and itchin' to write!

Weddings

Today, as I get ready to attend two weddings, I am constantly reminded about how wonderful my husband is. He really is a gem.

He puts up with my tears (there have been quite a few of those, lately). He puts up with my exhaustion. He puts up with my love/hate relationship with our house.

I dislike the hole in the floor and the unfinished wall from our Wall Demolition. I love the fact that the wall is gone, creating an open floor plan on our main level.

I don't really enjoy the fact that we live in a cookie-cutter neighborhood. It just isn't my style. I love and adore the fact that we're on the outside of said neighborhood, with a large lot and privacy. With room enough for 4 raised garden beds, maple trees to tap and an Earth-friendly compost bin tucked away from the house.

I despised the color of our house, for it reminded me of old parmesan cheese that had gone bad. But the wonderful husband and I tackled that project this summer.

I get irritated with our lack of kitchen storage, but am so thankful that my husband just laughs and shakes his head after I reorganize and he can't find anything. Funny story. He was just out of town with our brother-in-law. He made a comment along the lines of upon his return home, he'll have to learn a new organizational system, because it most likely has been changed (it was).

Do I hate my house? No, not at all. Do I get irritated with it? Of course! But am I so thankful for having these four walls and a roof? I sure am.

And really, I don't love my husband and think he is a gem just because I puts up with me and my thoughts of the house. But, this post would never end if I gave you all of the reasons I love my husband.

Two!

Miss Bean, my adorable niece turned two on the 21st of July. How can that be?

It seems like just yesterday, my sister called to let us know that she and her husband were headed into the hospital. Being the close family that we are, we all jumped in the car to be there when the bean was born. Shortly after 5am, we were welcomed back into the room to meet the new addition. Quite the tiny thing she was. Of course, we passed her around the room and snapped tons of pictures.

And now the little lady is two, and she is quite the silly little girl. I love the way she yells "oh man!" and "awesome at the appropriate times. And if the theme song to Dora comes on? Dance away she does!

We celebrated the Bean's birthday at an indoor play place. I, of course, had to get her presents (yes, plural!). Inspired by an old friend's (friend is used loosely, we hung out in a large group of friends throughout high school, but never really got to know each other) goal for a year of handmade gifts, and a particular gift she made for her daughter's friend, I decided making something for Bean was a great idea!

I scoured the internet for a jumbo crayon roll pattern and found this tutorial at Raising Oranges. The only difference between mine and hers is that I used a ribbon closure instead of a binder. And, I can't sew straight.

But all that matters is Miss Bean loved it (and the Dora coloring book). And being handmade makes it even more special. I may not ever be able to do a year of handmade gifts, but it is definitely something I'd like to do more often!