The Bitter End

One of my friends calls the last few weeks of pregnancy "the bitter end" . I agree.  Saturday afternoon my back started really, REALLY hurting.

I know this is my 3rd kid, but I have never been in full on labor so I still get confused as to what to expect once it gets this close to the end.

By Sunday morning I could barely stand OR sit and lying down brought little relief as well. I texted a few of my friends (one a nurse, one a pharmacist) and asked them if I really couldn't take some Advil or Aleve. Both said If I was hurting that bad I should call my Dr.

So I called the nurse on call. She told me to hang up the phone and call 911!!! ahhhh

So I've never called 911! EVER. It was quite the experience. The ambulance seriously got to our house in like 1 minute. I was very proud of myself for how calm I was! I was more worried about Emery and Jesse freaking out. I called a friend to come get them and I am so thankful that she got here as fast as she could and the kids were unfazed.

They hooked me up in L&D triage and of course I was not in labor. BUT, they reassured me that at 37 weeks it was the best thing for me to do, just to make sure. I got sent home with some pain meds and the reality that my back is probably just going to hurt until Hadley is out.

I'm definitely feeling better after a few days of watching how I bend and lift things. I cleaned the carpets yesterday in the kid's room and that was probably not a good idea.

Jesse and Emery have done GREAT sharing a room. I am so relieved that it has gone well. I think it is hardest for me because I want them to each have their own space, but I realize that they love being together. Jesse I think goes to sleep better with Emery in the room.

I am so thankful for all that God has blessed Benji and I with. Can not wait to share Hadley with everyone!

23 Days

Count down is on to Hadley's birthday. 23 days! I go from panic to excitement, from anticipation to anxiety.

What's new? we've had the flu around here! BOOOO. Actually it was only Jesse that fell prey to the nasty virus. Yes, we all had the flu vaccine, Yes he would have been much worse if he had not have had it. His fever lasted about 3 days and his cough/sore throat about 4. Pretty mild considering it is pretty severe this year. It's been raining, raining, raining, here.

We've been doing a ton of cleaning, organizing, washing, scrubbing, etc, preparing for baby #3.(With a  lot of help from Willard, my mom, sister, and Benji's mom!)

 This week I have certainly felt the weight of the last weeks of pregnancy hit me. I am exhausted, my reflux is horrible and my back pain is almost unbearable. I'm holding on though! can not wait to meet our girl.

I've only gained 10lbs with this pregnancy! holy cow, I never thought that was possible. I credit the stomach bug I had 3 times, my kids running me ragged and the reflux that has kept me nauseous most of the nine months.

Today Jesse and I are skipping church yet again. He's not contagious anymore, but I'm holding my breath, praying that none of us catch anything else before February 12th.

2 Goals For The New Year. Just 2!

I realized this morning that I had not left the house since I got home on Saturday! ha. It's easy for me to do these days since I am so huge and lugging 2 two toddlers with me somewhere is a major chore. Anyway, this afternoon I decided I would venture out to Hobby Lobby and start (finally) preparing Hadley's nursery.

I only have 2 goals this year. 1. get this house AND ME MENTALLY ready for baby #3 and 2. start being more conscious of my budgeting. Last year we spent alot of time in Dr's offices, the hospital, car repair shops (hello new transmission) and eventually had to buy 2 new (used) cars. NOT a great year for financial growth. I realize many people have serious medical issues and horrible bills, so I am trying to keep everything in perspective. BUT, I would really love to pay off all our medical bills/ including Hadley's birth and then start REALLY saving a cushion for our future.

I enjoy this site, The Budget Diet, for realistic goals and tips on how to be more frugal. There are some easy steps to cutting spending.

http://www.thebudgetdiet.com/10-frugal-living-habits-to-start-this-year





Today we found out that a precious, dear family in our church and also one of Emery's MMO teacher's,(from when she was 2) lost their youngest son in a tragic, crazy accident yesterday. I am so heartbroken for "Miss Nancy". Emery LOVES her and her family and I can not imagine the pain they are experiencing. Please, please pray for this family. 

Goodbye 2012!

Winter hit us full force! We have all been sick, tired, run down and super busy. I can not even believe how fast the holidays flew by. I feel like we were just putting the tree up and now it is past time to take it down.

We packed a ton o'fun into this Christmas season. Lots of Christmas lights, homemade cookies, crazy elves and tons of time spent with family. Emery and Jesse ended up celebrating Christmas 4 times! It was a whirlwind week but I loved every second that we got to spend together as a family.

I'm now trying to turn my attention to finally getting ready for Hadley's arrival. We have so much to do it overwhelms me and keeps me up at night. Jesse has to be moved into Emery's room and the nursery that is currently blue needs to be made back into a room suitable for a little girl.

We are all super excited about adding another member to our family. I am praying the LORD'S blessing upon all of us and all of you as 2013 rolls in tonight.

Happy Home

I found this list on Pinterest, and the girl who pinned it found it somewhere else. Anyway, I love steps like these to making your home more "livable" because, let's face it, us mom's who stay home, we spend A LOT of time AT HOME! ha! I thought these were great, simple ways to make the home a place of refuge, peace and order. Most of the time my home is chaotic, crazy and anything but in order! I am always trying to find ways to improve....

                                                         1. Make your bed.

The book The Happiness Project, explains that this three minute task is one of the simplest habits you can adopt to positively impact your happiness.

2. Bring every room back to “ready.”

I learned this trick from Marilyn Paul’s clever book, It’s Hard to Make a Difference When You Can’t Find Your Keys. It’s a known fact: Clutter causes stress; order creates a haven from it. This mood-boosting routine is simple: Take about three minutes to bring each room back to “ready” before you depart it. (Unless you have a toddler, or a partner who likes to simulate earthquakes, three minutes should be sufficient.)

3. Display sentimental items around your home.

One reason that experiences (and memories of those experiences) make us happier than material things is due to the entire cycle of enjoyment that experiences provide: planning the experience, looking forward to the experience, enjoying the experience, and then remembering the experience. Make your home a gallery of positive memories.

4. Start a one-line-a-day gratitude journal.

Before bed, simply jot down one happy memory from that day. (If you have kids, you can ask them, “What was the best part of today?”) Reflection is an important part of happiness, and pausing to reflect on a positive event from each day cultivates gratitude. (An added bonus: Later, when your memory is defunct, you will already have all of your meaningful adventures recorded!) If you have trouble getting started with journaling, consider buying a book to guide you. Simple Abundance, by Sarah Ban Breathnach, is a great one.

5. If you can’t get out of it, get into it.

This tip comes from The Happiness Project. I love the message: The dishes are not going to clean themselves, so you will do it, and you will like it! (Unless, of course, you can outsource this job, in which case I say: Nice work!) Otherwise, get into doing the dishes. Feel the soothing warm water on your hands. Enjoy the tickle of the tiny bubbles. Crank your favorite album at an unusually loud volume, do a couple fist-pumps while shouting “Can I get a hell yeah for the dishes? Hell! Yeah!” and pretend you love it.

6. Before you get up each morning, set an intent for the day.

In The Art of Happiness, the Dali Lama says “”Every day, think as you wake up: today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.” Wow. What a wise man. I tend to wake up with a strong visceral reaction that says, “Attention human beings: Be afraid of me before coffee. Be very afraid!” Setting a daily intent makes a huge difference. Your daily intent could be something like “be productive” or “enjoy today’s delicious moments” or it could be something more specific like “say thank you to my loved ones today.” But it should not be another “to do” item on your list.

7. Do small favors for your housemates, expecting nothing in return (not even a thank you!).

(That’s right, I said it: nothing!) Mow the lawn for your husband, but don’t expect him to pat you on the back. Make the bed for your wife, but don’t try to get bonus points for it. Take the trash out for your roommate, just because. The ability to cultivate strong, healthy relationships is one of the biggest contributors to health and happiness, but when you start to keep score, the benefit is lost. (No! It’s YOUR turn to clean up the dog poop!) It’s a well-known fact: When you do good, you feel good.

8. Call at least one friend or family member a day.

You can do this while you clean, while you make the bed, or while you walk the dog. Texts and emails do not count! Make an actual phone call to a loved one, just to chat and catch up. We humans are social beings and studies show that even when we don’t feel like it, even if we are naturally introverted, socializing with our loved ones makes us feel better.

9. Spend money on things that cultivate experiences at home.

Save money for a new grill for parties or a new DVD for family movie night — something that will encourage you to have people over and entertain. Plan a summer barbeque, invite your closest friends, kick back and relax. (And don’t forget to print out the pictures to remember the good times.)

10. Spend a few minutes each day connecting with something greater than yourself.

Whatever your spiritual beliefs — or non-beliefs — may be, studies show that connecting to a high power is correlated with happiness. Just stepping back to realize that we are part of an enormous universe can put some perspective on your annoyance with the those-are-definitely-not-mine-and-they-are-abso-fricking-lutely-repulsive socks under the coffee table. Before bed, spend just a few minutes contemplating something larger than yourself. Take a walk in nature. Write in a journal. Create a sacred space in your home. (Or if spirituality is really not your thing, create a home spa: light some candles, soak in a hot bath, delve into a good book… are you feeling better yet?)

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2 Things That Make Me Smile

I don't know about you all but I am so excited about silver and gold finger nail polish this year! I mean does it get anymore fun? 

Came across this quote from Anthony Bourdain, who happens to be one of my favorite celebrities (chef) ever. I love this quote. I love it because if I could tell any 22 year old some words of advice, this would be it! I love it also because I totally got the opportunity to travel, a lot, before the responsibility set in. Finish college people! Get married young and travel before you have kiddos! you will never ever regret it. I feel like I am so content in my season of life right now because I know I "did" the things I needed/wanted to before we started a family. Now I love getting to "stay home" and enjoy every second of my children's lives. I know not everyone gets the opportunities I do/did but if the opportunity is offered to you to get an education, travel, be spontaneous, DO ITTTTTTT!!!!! You will not regret it, swear. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 I have been so slack in blogging! It's not because I don't think about doing it, I do. I just have been so tired once I get the time. We celebrated Thanksgiving with the big family a few weekends ago. Then I celebrated with my friends, our 4th annual GNO Thanksgiving feast, such a fun time with girls that mean the world to me. Emery had a Thanksgiving feast at school on Monday, needless to say we have had our share of turkey this year! haha... so today Benji's mom and dad came up and helped us put up our tree. I cooked steaks! The kids were so excited about finally getting the tree out!

 I have been looking forward to this "time off" so much. I know my routine doesn't change much, but just having Benji home and Emery not in school takes half the load off my shoulders. I covet family time because Benji is SOOO busy. I LONG for the days that we are all at home, sharing meals and playing with the kids.

 Jesse is starting to say recognizable words, finally! I've been kind of worried for awhile that he may be delayed in speech but at almost 21 months he is just starting to really show some progress, daily. We have a hearing screening appointment in December so we will see how he progresses until then, hopefully we will cancel the appointment.

Benji had a busy day on Monday frying about a dozen turkeys for the Celebrate Recovery program at our church. I think they had a little fun out there, being men, cooking meat.

Okay! think we are mostly caught up. Hadley is doing great, 2 and 1/2 lbs already. I know how fast the next few weeks will go, which means she will be here before we know it. Can not wait!