divide and conquer...

Things are starting to feel a little more normal around here...but, really, what is our normal anymore? Joel and Parker just returned home from a five day trip down in Arizona to visit my grandparents. We had planned this months ago with the thought that it would be good timing for Parker to have some special time with Daddy and his Oma and Opa and for Joel to get away on a bit of a vacation. We also thought that it would allow me to have a break and be able to focus on just the baby for a while. Well, it certainly was just what the doctor ordered for all of us!

Joel and Parker had so much fun in the sun and sharing special moments with Oma and Opa. I think that Parker greatly benefited from getting away from here for a while and receiving some focused attention from three adults. And Joel came back feeling refreshed and feeling more ready to get back into the groove. They enjoyed swimming, hiking, walks, eating, playing shuffle board, Bocce ball, cards...and so much more.

Griffin and I, on the other had, did a whole lot of nothing! It was so wonderful to be able to sit and just enjoy my little boy instead of sitting him in a bouncy seat while I tend to Parker's needs! We spent a lot of time in the rocking chair, which was just lovely. I was able to find out more about what makes Griffin tick and I also learned some tricks to help calm him down when he's grumpy! I even got my first smile on Saturday! I really did...my dad was even a witness! When Griffin smiles, my heart just melts because he gives this shy little grin and he even has two dimples! Definitely a heart-breaker like his brother:)

This past week has been such a blessing for this new family of four! I am finally starting to feel well and hopefully will be done with this cold in a few days. I even went walking with a group from my MOMS club yesterday! I was sore, but it was certainly a confidence booster and it sure felt good to get moving again. I think we're all starting to feel like we're ready to go out and join the rest of society now!

Griffin had his one month birthday yesterday, which is just crazy! Tomorrow I plan on posting some pictures from the c-section because I've been meaning to write a bit about the experience. Beware! If you don't appreciate graphic pictures, then don't visit on Friday:)

A third child?

I feel ridiculous just writing that title! Nope, I'm not pregnant...not even thinking about it. Actually, it is just the opposite. Soon after Parker was born, I really wanted to have another one right away. Thank God we had a bit of sanity left and waited until Parker was over a year old! This time, however, I feel so different. We would really like a third child and, in my heart, I really believe that I will be pregnant again. But when the thought of being pregnant again and having a newborn comes up, I have no desire to go down that road anytime soon. I really love having two boys. Parker has transitioned fairly well and Griffin is pretty much a dream baby so I really don't think it has anything to do with how hard this gig is (which, I admit, is very challenging at times).

As I imagine the few years ahead, I am just so excited to be able to give my two boys all of me when they need me most. They are both so young and needy and I want to be able to really enjoy these years before they are both in school. I spent a lot of this past year feeling a bit guilty about not being able to give Parker everything he needs in a mama because I was sick and tired. I look forward to all of the activities we are going to be able to do and to be able to live life as a family of four! We will never get these years back and they are oh, so special!

The goal right now is to wait until Parker is in school before we have another baby. I get a huge smile on my face as I write that. I just feel so good about being able to put my whole self into learning how to be the best mama to just Parker and Griffin. I love that we're not looking ahead to the next big thing and trying to enjoy what God's given us right now...this is not something I'm typically great at. However, I know that these are just goals right now and that God changes hearts in big ways all of the time...and I look forward to seeing what He has for us. Right now, though...it is just the four of us and I'm a happy mama:)

p.s. the picture has no significance. It is a Norman Rockwell and I just liked it. So there:)

I had to share...

Griffin's eyes are open and, oh my goodness, does he look like his Daddy, or what?! I just had to share these pictures of my newest love. He has officially awakened from his slumber. Oh my! I would still consider him a pretty easy baby and he still sleeps quite a bit....but seriously, this guy really just needs to learn how to pass some gas or something! Mr. Lazy Bones has become Mr. Grumpy Pants:)

I'm learning that my kiddos sure don't care if I'm sick or not...and I think this is sort of sucky. Where is the sympathy? Since Griffin was born, I've just not be well at all. Of course, I was recovering from surgery and then I had that stomach bug...and then just as I was getting over that one, we all came down with a cold that turned into bronchitis. These are things that I really didn't factor in as I was preparing for this time. I've been discouraged because just when I think I'm going to feel up to going out and participating in the world again, I start to feel horrible. And now, at this very moment, Parker is refusing to take his nap and Griffin is screaming in gas pain! Come on boys, mama needs some down time!

just amazing...

When we first found out that I was pregnant with Griffin, I really couldn't imagine the amount of support we were going to receive throughout the pregnancy and after his birth. Since we were sort of new to the area, I honestly believed that no one would care and that the new baby's life wouldn't be celebrated. I sure was pessimistic...and hormonal! I couldn't have been more wrong. We quickly found ourselves with an amazing group of friends who surrounded us with love and support throughout the pregnancy, and now even more after the birth. Griffin is now over three weeks old and we ares till receiving meals and our freezer is stocked full of more!

Our family has also been amazing! When I was feeling bad during my pregnancy, family members from both sides would help me take care of Parker on many occasions or help me clean our house and much more. People seemed to realize that I was having a hard time. This, of course, has continued since Griffin arrived. We have been blessed with amazing family.

I've really been wanting to share how much it has meant to have my mom around to help. Joel and I call my mom our "manager":) I'm not sure what would have happened to our household if she hadn't been helping us these past few weeks. She has cleaned, cooked, done laundry, changed diapers.....well, just about everything that I should have been doing, but couldn't for a while! It is great that I don't have to ask my mom to help; she just sees what needs to be done and does it. I also don't have to show her where anything is or how we do things around our house with Parker. We've had a lot of help from a lot of people, but my mom has done the bulk of it because she is the one I have needed. I need my mom when I'm recovering from childbirth/surgery. She is the one I feel comfortable with seeing me in not such a glamorous state or mood. She loves me even when I'm cranky and mean and she is even able to tell me what to do...without me getting too mad! She has been such a blessing!
The picture above is a shot of my mom (or Mooma, if you ask Parker) with Griffin and Parker on the day Griffin was born.

pictures are quicker than words...

Both of the boys are down for naps...but I don't have too much longer because I just heard a little something come from Parker's room. Aaaaahhhh.....I love nap time! Here are a few pictures from my life: A sling picture that reminds me of my growing girth days, Griffin sleeping during his first visit to Mooma and Grandpa's house, Parker loving on his baby brother, and the kiddos with Gramps and Grandma.

This is our life right now. We're consumed. And I love it!

he has turned me into a softy...

I've totally become a softy. It really is quite pathetic because I used to laugh at people like this. I really thought that when the second baby came along that I would be as laid back as when Parker was a baby. Parker exercised the whole nine months inside of me so he came out really strong and ready to take on the world. I never treated him like he was fragile and was rarely concerned about the little things that you often hear of first time moms fretting about. As I've mentioned numerous times before, Griffin barely moved for nine months and is continuing that practice out in the real world. He is certainly healthy, but he seems so much smaller and fragile than Parker ever was. He just loves to snuggle and to be held...and hates to be cold. Here are a few of the things that I cannot believe I've been doing as a 2nd time mama:

• I have found myself turning on a space heater in the bedroom so he doesn't get cold when I dress him.
• I also use a humidifier in the room because I don't want his small nasal passages to become plugged.
  
• Sometimes I feel like I'm going to hurt him when I pick him up because he seems so delicate...I always tell him that I'm sorry:)
• I refused to touch or even look at his circumcision and belly button until they were healed....Daddy's duty!
  
• He fell asleep in bed with me last night because I thought he was lonely...ugh!
• I've bought three different brands of diapers to try and find the one that doesn't cause irritation.
• I actually use baby detergent this time!
• I use chapstick on his lips and a file for his fingernails.
• I use tons of hand sanitizer.
• I left the room for the PKU heel prick because I couldn't handle it.
  

Oh, and there are so many more absurd things that I do...I could go on and on! What is it with me? What have I become? Parker was supposed to be the one I did this with...aren't I doing all of this a little out of order? I guess I can't blame it on just being "pregnant & crazy" anymore! I don't know...but I do know I need to settle down a bit:)

Eyes wide open!

Another little update on our family...

I finally got some pictures of Griffin with his eyes open. It is so hard to get a picture of him awake since it doesn't happen very often. He continues to be such an easy baby. When Griffin is awake, he likes to be held, to sit in his bouncy seat, or on his hippo activity mat and just observe. The only time he really cries is when he is getting his diaper changed or I've waited too long to feed him! At his two week check-up this morning, he weighed in at a whopping 7 lbs 7 oz. He's long and skinny...in the 25% for weight and 75% for height. We think he is quite perfect, of course:)

Parker is healing quite well from his little run-in with the coffee table. He just ripped the last steri-strip out this morning. He looks quite tough with a slash through his eyebrow. I continue to be so impressed with Parker's love and care for his little brother. What an answer to prayer!

We've been enjoying the company of family this long weekend. Some of Joel's family made the trek across the state to meet Griffin for the very first time. What a sweet introduction!

I've realized that time will be limited to be able to spend blogging in these next few weeks or so! However, I love sharing little updates here and there as long as it is okay to focus mainly on my little boys:) Much more to come...

a special day

We decided to go get our pictures taken the day before Griffin was born. We just wanted to do something fun and capture the moment before our family changed. It was actually a lot of fun and it is neat to be able to look back on that day! It is hard to imagine that this was just a week and a half ago--things are so different now! There are many more cute shots of Parker, but these are a few that I really like today...tomorrow it will be different, I suppose:)

snapshot

Griffin...doing what he does best:)

I don't think I saw Griffin's eyes until about 6 pm today! I remember reading about newborn babies that slept 23 hours a day and I thought the books were lying. Nope. This little guy is special in that I have to wake him up to feed him. Parker was on the other end of the spectrum---he slept for about 14 hours a day and I never had to wake him up to feed him...he let me know! I know that Griffin is hungry when he starts to snort! I'm a lucky mama because I have both an easy toddler and an easy infant!

My recovery hasn't been so easy. Both the surgery and recovery from the incision have been a breeze. However, I got a stomach bug while in the hospital that I still am fighting and my anemia has become really bad after the blood-loss in surgery. Today was a pretty good day, but I have been discouraged by the setbacks.

I thought we were doing so well during our first 1/2 day home alone without supervision (my mom or Joel!) and then Parker tripped head first into the coffee table. Blood everywhere. Me nursing Griffin and trying to figure out what to do. Parker screaming. A beautiful sight! I guess this is just an introduction to what life is like with two!

All joking (and blood) aside, I really love it!

just a bitty update...

This is the first time I've been online since the night before we went into meet our new son. I have so much to write and so many people to contact...but I am a little slow on everything like that right now.

I just wanted to thank everyone for the prayers and support during the whole process. We are doing really well. The prep and surgery were a breeze--I actually had a really good time! I really didn't know what gender I wanted to give birth to this time, but when they told me that we had a new son, my heart felt like it leaped off of that table...seriously! I had prayed that I would have that kind of reaction in the delivery room...and I sure did! My heart just continues to leap for our little Griffin. He is such a little sweetheart....I can't believe he is ours. His favorite thing to do is to nuzzle up into our necks and stay there. I can't tell you how much I love this! When he is awake (which is about an hour and a half a day), he loves to look at the three of us and be wrapped up in blankets! And Parker....oh my goodness...he loves Griffin so much! He showers (literally) Griffin with kisses and tickles and hugs him as much as he can. The transition so far has been easy. I'm going to treasure these first few weeks because I know things will get busy, but for now...everything is easy!

Physically I am doing fine now, but I'll update on that later. I have so many things to do....like stare at my beautiful little boys:)

It's A...

BOY!!! Griffin Jacob made his way into the world at 7:43 AM on Wednesday February 7, 2007! He was born via c-section weighing 7 lbs 1 oz and measuring 20 3/4 inches long. He is absolutely beautiful and perfect! Amy is doing great and had no complications whatsoever during the surgery. Parker is already an amazing big brother and loves to smother Griffin with hugs and kisses. I know that Amy will be so excited to share this special day with you when she returns home, but here is a little sneak peek:

updates coming soon!

Updates coming soon...check back here to find out if your guess was right!:)

the countdown is on...

Wow...and I'm feeling my nerves really come into play. Today was a tough day for me emotionally and physically. First of all, I didn't sleep much last night at all. I felt like a zombie this morning...and all day. We spent 4 hours at the hospital this morning doing a bunch a pre-surgical stuff, including an amniocentesis. I have to say that it was pretty scary for me and I hope to not have to do that again. It wasn't that it was so painful, but I was terrified when I saw that needle go into my uterus right above my baby's head. We did get to see that our babe has some hair! I hope he or she has hair like Parker's...he has the best hair. After the amnio, I felt pretty crampy and had a little bit of a hard time walking around. Then I had to get a Rhogam shot. Shots aren't terrible, just not fun. Then, I went over for a non-stress test for baby. Baby seemed a bit excited about the amnio, as well as the little one couldn't stop moving. But all is well and the nurses seemed pleased. And then, I went to a meeting to sign a ton of forms and talk about the surgery for way too long. And finally, I went to two more places for some blood work. I really don't mean to complain, but I was so exhausted and started to feel like a piece of meat with all the needles and stuff.

When we got home, I started crying because everything is starting to feel so real. I need to just keep focusing on the fact that we get to meet our baby very soon and not think about the things that scare me. I feel quite embarrassed that I'm nervous about this and it is sort of hard to admit. Tons of people do this everyday. I know that in my case, having a c-section is the safest way (for both of us) for the baby to be born and I'm so thankful for modern medicine. It isn't the pain involved in surgery that scares me; it is the fact that my abdominal cavity will be wide open and there are some very important organs in there:) I don't know...I'm just rambling along here. Basically, I'm a bit scared and I feel silly about it.

I also need to just be done talking about it. I'm sorry if you've called and I haven't responded. I just need to lay low right now. I am so excited to introduce our little one to all of our friends and family after he/she makes the big appearance! At this point, we're thinking that we'd love visitors in the hospital, so please just call and come on by. Let me know if you want to know where we'll be. If you're interested, check back here on Wednesday evening to see who we've added to our family! My sister will either be updating this blog or her own: Daring To Dream.

Please keep us in your prayers during the next couple of days. The delivery is scheduled for Wednesday at 7:30 am! We will post some pictures as soon as we can.

Oh, and I thought that I was done posting pictures of my belly, but I thought I'd add one last one to have on record what I looked like two days before D-day:)

bad blogger...

hmmmm....anyone know why Blogger has been partly down for most of yesterday and now this morning? I've been trying to comment on some of your blogs, but it isn't working. Bummer. Good thing it is free, eh?

I didn't notice that I had my 100th post a couple days ago...I think this is 102! How fun. I really love blogging and I'm so happy that I started. Now, if only Blogger would cooperate!

I tried to take a picture of a recent ultrasound image we got. This is the one where the babe was smashed up against my hipbone, so it is tough to make out the profile at all. You can see, though, that the little one has not so little cheeks:)

So, last night I was awake from 12:30-3:30 because I couldn't breathe very well. This little kid's toes are so high still. I think if the baby had his/her way, we wouldn't meet this little one for quite a while. Our baby has quite a shock coming on Wednesday morning when we get to meet the little peanut. Can you imagine the shock of your home being broke into and then these huge hands pulling you out into the cold and having to learn to breathe on your own...all at once? Sounds awful! No wonder they don't like to come out and meet us:)

Thursday Thirteen 2.1.07

Thirteen reasons why I can be happy I'm still pregnant...

I'm scheduled for my c-section next Wednesday but I'm still hoping that this baby comes earlier. We don't know the gender and I'm just dying to know what we're having and I'm just done with being pregnant. As we all know, attitude is everything, so I thought I would compile a list of 13 reasons why I can be happy that I'm still pregnant.

1. I am blessed beyond measure to have the opportunity to be pregnant and carry a child to term in the first place. I never want to forget this or take it for granted.
2. My tummy may be large, but at least it is tight...and it won't be whatsoever after the baby is born!
3. I get to play games with my unborn baby's feet. We call this game "Body Parts"!
4. I still get a couple of hours to myself each day while Parker takes a nap.
5. I get to wear pants with an elastic waist...and it isn't that uncool.
6. I actually like most of my maternity clothes.
7. I get to dream about who this baby is.
8. I may be quite uncomfortable now, but I am still more comfortable now than I will be after the c-section.
9. Being a mama to an unborn baby is quite easy...once he/she comes out, things may get crazy:)
10. I have a few more days left of not being a milk machine!
11. I get to sleep through the night....kind of...except when I have to roll over!
12. I really enjoy spending one-on-one time with my son
13. And with my husband:)

Ha! I feel better already!

For more lists like this, visit Thursday Thirteen!

Happy Birthday to Joely...

I just got back home after receiving a pedicure while my mom watched Parker--double blessing! It was so great and now my toes are a pretty red color...not that I can see them that well, but at least the nurses in surgery will be impressed with my attention to detail:) This was all actually Joel's idea. He bought me both the massage and pedicure gift certificates for Christmas, to be used before the baby comes. Isn't he awesome?

It is Joely's 29th birthday today and so it is my turn to brag a little bit about my great husband: He's my favorite person. He's my best friend. He is the perfect mix of being very sensitive and an athletic, manly guy. He thinks that I'm funny:) He knows how to treat a woman. He loves God. He forgives me. He loves his family. He loves MY family. He is a wonderful provider and supports me in my decision to stay home with our children. He is so darn smart. He's hot:) He thinks that I'm the best cook! He is really good at caring for his patients. This one deserves to be in bold: He's the most amazing Daddy. Seriously, I've never seen anyone be such a natural at this whole gig. And Parker thinks he's just the bomb!

I really could write so much more about this man that I'm so lucky to love, but I'll save it for just him!

Savoring the moment...

Joel is at work so it is just the two of us today. Sometimes, when Joel works on Saturday, both Parker and I get kind of down and lonely because everyone else is having family time and we're stuck here trying to figure out how to spend our day. Today has been a little different. We woke up to a cloudless sky and bright sunshine. We still have snow so everything in our park looks just beautiful. Parker's absolute favorite thing to do is to take walks outside--and it doesn't matter what the weather is like. He loves the outdoors and takes such joy in all things natural....dogs, pine cones, blue sky, ice on the road, dirty snow...which he tends to eat:)

I decided to venture out into the cold and take Parker on a leisurely walk. I haven't done this with him in what feels like months. I guess I've just been so worn out and the weather has been way too cold for Parker...and his mama! It turned out to be so fun. We probably didn't walk very far but we were gone for an hour! Parker stopped to talk to all of the neighbors, dogs, cats, trees, trucks...anything that would listen! And this time, I chose not to rush him along and I just let him discover and play. I found myself really savoring the moment. It was just the two of us and I know that these moments won't happen as often once we have two children. I love being with my little boy and spending time watching him grow and learn. What a blessing he is to me and so many others. Our little walk is one of those moments that I have treasured up in my heart for years to come. When things get crazy and I start feeling overwhelmed, it is wonderful to have memories like these to help me remember why I love being a mama.

A lesson from our Lazy Bones...

If you don't move, you might just get chubby!

We had our ultrasound yesterday and our appointment today to find out how our little baby is growing inside of me. As I mentioned before, the doctor was concerned that the baby was too small because I am measuring about 4 weeks behind. However, we have no reason to worry because we found that we actually have quite a chubby baby already. I was shocked to hear that the baby is already weighing in at 6lbs 14oz at 361/2 weeks! This means that in two weeks, we'll likely have an 8 lb baby born a week and a half early. Can't imagine what we could have if I went to 40 weeks! We got a few little peeks at our baby's face, but it was actually really hard to see anything because he/she is so crunched. The baby's face is literally smashed into my right hip bone and refused to move even a little bit. The tech did get a few distorted shots of the face and it was quite apparent that this baby has super chubby cheeks. According to the doctor, our little one also is carrying quite a bit of weight in the girth...I can relate right now:) The baby really did look cute, even with the nose smashed into something. All this time, I thought I was carrying this tiny baby. I'm so shocked, but we're so excited to meet our little bruiser! Two weeks from today....or less, if I have anything to say about it!

story in pictures...

My lovely blogging friend Jenn, over at Munchkin Land, wrote such a beautiful account of her daughter's birth...you really should check it out. She broke it up into sections and I was always just on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next installment. She articulated the process and her feelings so well that I actually felt like I was there! Anyway, she's inspired me to share a bit about the birth of Parker since we will soon be bombarded with thoughts and pictures of the new little baby. I don't feel like I have the energy or clarity of mind to write much about the day, but I'm going to post pictures. Okay, so I'm going to be really brave and show you pictures of me on that day that are not flattering...very, very brave.

So here is the really, really short Reader's Digest version of Parker's birth day: I was in active labor for about 10 hours at home before we went into the hospital and found that I was only dilated to a 1. Needless to say, they sent me home with not much hope for having a baby that day! I went back in to the hospital about 8 hours later and was at a 6 and they admitted me. What a happy moment! For some odd reason, I tried to wait to get the epidural until I was over 8 cm dilated. Looking back, I would have gotten it a lot sooner. I loved the epidural! I quickly got to a 10 and after laboring for 27 hours or so, I began pushing. This was the part that really didn't go well. We tried everything for 3 hours to get Parker out, but he was so stuck! Finally, another OB came in and informed me that a baby was not coming out the natural way. I was later told that, unless my next baby was 4 1/2 lbs or under, I would not be able to push babies out! They quickly prepped me for a c-section and Parker was born soon after!

Whew! How did you like that? Just facts, no feelings:) Hopefully the pictures will fill in the gaps!

Laboring at home and faking a smile!

Post epidural with my ice chips:)

Joel, very serious during the surgery
Me being prepped for surgery...not faking a smile this time because I knew I would soon meet my baby!


The moment they told me that I was the mama of the sweetest little boy...

Parker David~7 lbs 0 oz.~21 inches
April 17, 2005~9:37 pm

Can't believe that I'll be holding another one in two weeks! We're getting excited and I'm pretty antsy to get this little one out of me. Thankfully, I had a one hour massage today(Joel gave me a gift certificate for one for Christmas)that rejuvenated me and gave me a little more juice to finish this one strong. We're hoping that maybe, just maybe, this one will come even a little earlier than planned!

pregnancy, baby, and not much else...

So... if you aren't interested in reading about the last weeks of this pregnancy or about babies, then I would stop right now and discontinue reading my blog until normalcy is established in my brain:) Totally kidding, but I just wanted to warn people about this condition of mine and that it isn't going to change anytime soon. I have 20 days or less left until I meet this little baby...whoa. Am I ready? Well, we have everything set up and have the major things we needed to purchase: a double stroller, a sling, a BundleMe, etc. But as far as emotionally being ready to have two kids? Nope...not at all, but this baby is coming whether I am ready or not!

I'm at that stage of pregnancy. You know, that stage....everything hurts from the extra weight I'm carrying around, I run into everything, I can think of nothing else but getting him/her out, I only want to eat cookies, I need Joel to help me tie my shoes, I am winded by climbing up our four stairs or taking a shower...it really is so glamorous.

I had my 36 week OB appointment today. I was quite excited for the appointment because I thought my doc would be able to tell me if I was progressing at all and that we'd be able to talk more about the surgery and such. However, the doctor was running about an hour and 40 minutes late. I was so frustrated because Joel had walked over from work to watch Parker and he will now have to work much later because of the time he took to spend at the OB office. And Parker was missing his nap...which is really never a good thing. Since the doctor was running late, I literally spent five minutes with him and we weren't able to talk about the things I wanted to. He actually is a great doctor and the only reason he is late all of the time is because he is so chatty with his patients. This time, though, I think he was realizing how late he was and he hurried through my appointment. Thankfully, my weight, blood pressure, and baby's heart rate are just fine. I have to go in twice next week because he scheduled me for an ultrasound since the baby is measuring about 4 weeks behind. I'm really not worried about it, though. Parker always measured behind and I've gained the exact same amount of weight and look about the same as I did with him and he was very healthy. As much as I look forward to seeing our little baby again on the ultrasound screen, I'm really not looking forward to the torture of having to resist looking for some gender give-aways! It is starting to make me crazy not knowing!

I have posted some more growing girth pictures and this time I've included a frontal view for fun! This may be the last time I post pictures of this expanding belly because I don't think we'll see much change from now on...so enjoy!

I think it is time to start guessing! What do you think...Boy/girl? Weight and length? Will the baby come earlier than the 7th? Any guesses on names? I'd love to say that whoever guesses the closest will be rewarded with something material but I'm sure I will have other things on my mind after the arrival....so how about a nice pat on the back?

You all are just too sweet to still be reading:) I promise, there will come a day when these sort of things aren't taking over my brain!

Bitter Cold

Just a little visual reminder of the warm weather we have to look forward to...a picture of Parker in his mini-pool last May! The scowl is deceiving; he ended up enjoying the water...I promise!

We've been experiencing quite a little cold snap and it is starting to get to me. If I wasn't going out of the house much before, I've really become a hermit now. I know we don't have it that bad, but I'm realizing that weather really makes a difference in your day to day activities when you have kids. I can't just take Parker on a walk in this type of weather--he'd freeze his little buns off. Even driving places feels unfair. According to some silly, new law, we're not allowed to warm up our cars in the city anymore, unless we're in them. I understand the reasoning, but this is just ridiculous...especially right now. I strapped Parker into his car seat yesterday to go to church and quickly realized why he was screaming; it was 1 degree outside! He screamed all the way to church and then cried for about 10 more minutes once we got inside because his hands were thawing out. Ugh.

And then...we got our electric/natural gas bill the other day....goodness gracious...it was just *astronomical*! I'm embarrassed to even say what it was. I really have no idea what we're doing wrong. We have 826 sq. feet of house that we live in right now...so really not that much to heat. We have great windows, I keep the blinds shut, we don't even heat our bedroom...what to do, what to do? I've even tried to keep the heat lower during the day but since Parker and I are home much of the day, I try to keep it fairly comfortable. Okay, so I admit that I'm a cold person and I really enjoy a warm house....but I don't think I'm extreme. Does anyone have any ideas? We really need help on this one!

And what about some ideas for indoor activities to do with Parker? We have a lot of fun most of the day until about 4pm and then he gets crazy because he has so much energy to burn! He really lost it yesterday and decided he needed to jump off a chair in the kitchen...head first! And his goose egg on the other side of his forehead was just going away--what a shame:)

meet our baby...ELMO :)

I think that this whole thing is starting to become real for Parker. It is for me....26 days and counting! Yesterday we were washing some equipment, getting everything ready for the baby. I was demonstrating to Joel how the straps were indeed in the car seat correctly. I just picked Parker's Elmo up and used him as a model. Parker went straight to his bedroom and picked up his beloved blankie and pacifier and proceeded to lay the blanket over Elmo and stick the paci in his mouth. In the above picture, he is kissing Elmo! All of this just shocked us because we truly didn't think Parker had any idea what all the fuss was about! Apparently, we've underestimated him again. He has been talking about babies quite frequently all of the sudden and wanting his Cabbage Patch doll with him. And when we talk about the new baby, he comes and lifts up my shirt to lay a big, fat, slobbery kiss on my tummy...which is sort of embarrassing in public:) I guess I thought that he was too young to care about the baby coming and that he wouldn't be interested yet in the nurturing aspect of being a big brother. I am pleasantly surprised and hope that this really means that this transition will be a good one!

the power of our words...

I just found this picture on my computer and I can't believe I never noticed it before! Apparently it was taken in the fall. The jacket Parker was wearing is now too small...how sad!

Yes, I have some thoughts about words today, but I must say two things right this minute because I feel so happy: My great husband just came home from grocery shopping for the week AND he brought me my favorite Jamba Juice...how amazing is that? What a blessing! And here is the next one...I am sitting here in my brand new down vest that I bought yesterday for $9.97 at The Gap. Never mind that I bought it for post-pregnancy in my normal size, or that I'm busting the seems and can barely breathe, OR that it is near 70 degrees in here.....I love it and I'm going to wear it even if I look a little roley poley:) Back to the real topic of my post...

I've been having some thoughts about how powerful words are and how they can touch the children in our lives. Around this time last year, I read a book called Children Are Wet Cement by Anne Ortlund. It is a book that was written the year I was born about how verbal affirmation can be a pivital force in raising children to be secure and loving adults. It is a quick read and, at times, quite old school, but it really encouraged me to be more intentional about affirmation and more aware of how I speak about and to my child in general. While reading, I noticed that a lot of the tactics that Ortlund wrote about were used by my parents while we were growing up. It was interesting to recognize how intentional they were with us.

I recently have picked up this book again because Parker now understands much of what we say and I really want to be very careful about the words I use. For the most part, I think Joel and I have done well in affirming Parker, but recently I think that I've failed him a little bit by the words I choose when I talk about him. I've caught myself making comments to other adults about how he is a picky eater or how he tires me out, hates shopping, is disobedient...you know, normal toddler stuff.

An excerpt from the book:

"When your Freddie or Charlie or Sue came into the world, he or she was pure potential. He had few limits. But after a brief period of admiring and cuddling, all too soon life settled down.
He bugged you by crying too much. He spit up, and he dirtied his pants, and he pulled things out of drawers; and before long it was easy to convey to him that he's an irritation, an inconvenience--a drag.Then think about the things that begin coming out of your mouth.
By the tone of your voice, then by the words, he catches the implications sooner than you expect. And earlier than you dream, he begins to get degrading impressions of himself."

I think this makes a lot of sense. If I say something about Parker enough, he might just start believing it. How sad! However, I also know that just as my words can be damaging, they can also be life-changing in a positive way.. I can tell people what a good boy he is (in front of him), or how affectionate, or athletic, or how he loves other people so well and he will remember these things and identify with these attributes. I remember that my parents always used to tell me from early on, how well I listened to other people and showed great empathy. I think this was intentional because as I grew up, I always worked hard at listening and empathizing because I knew that this was something my parents noted in me and thought was special. How powerful!

What do you guys think? What are your experiences in this area?

I also have some personal experience I want to share about how adults can unknowingly hurt a child's self-image by making comparisons or by focusing on physical attributes.....but this is getting way too wordy and lengthy, so I'll wait for another day. I'm going to just go now and enjoy my beverage, my well-stocked kitchen, and my lovely vest!

Three generations of women

My mom, my Grandma Dee, me, and possibly a 4th generation girl growing in my tummy!

This year my grandma is 75, my mom is 50, and I'm 25. We just recently figured out that this was a pretty cool thing. Even more cool...if this baby is a girl, then a quarter century down the road, we are looking at a family celebration of women at 100, 75, 50 and 25! (I totally just stole the words in italics straight from my parent's Christmas letter...but I know they won't press charges because they like me:) In any case, I just think this is a pretty special picture taken on Christmas Eve and I wanted to share.

New Year's Resolution

"You should own nothing that is not useful, beautiful, or loved."

This is a quote I found in an article titled Outta Here! in the January '07 issue of O...you know, The Oprah Magazine. I'm going to post it on my bulletin board so I remember my new year's resolution this year which is to simplify my life by getting rid of things I don't need.

I want to make room in my life for the things that I truly love. I also want to make time in my life for the people I love.

I think that this is possible by weeding out the things that don't matter. Usually I don't really make resolutions because I can never think of something tangible. However, this year I feel really motivated to get rid of the "stuff" in my life that doesn't meet the above criteria. I've written before about how we are trying to simplify and how living in a smaller house has caused us to rethink how we want to live in relation to our possessions. It really does take some work to change my mindset on how I decide what to get rid of and what to keep or purchase. I really like rules and so having criteria to follow really helps me. I'm so excited to see how I follow through this year and hopefully I will have some good things to write about next year at this time. I'm hoping that publishing this resolution on my blog will provide me with enough accountability to actually accomplish my goal...so remember this:)

Do you have a resolution you would like to share? How about any tips on how to accomplish my goal?

*By the way, I just received the the Oprah Magazine in the mail yesterday from an anonymous giver...was it you? I just wanted to let whoever it was know that I really appreciate it!