Soo Nervous and Excited

38 Weeks

I would have to say that being pregnant for the second time is mentally (and in my case physically) harder than the first.  For one I thought I knew everything and then BAM it is nothing like my first!  Clothes don't fit the same, baby is carried differently, and I have a sneaking suspicion that she has hair because my heartburn is enough to write home about.   I've also experienced a ton more Braxton Hicks with this pregnancy than I ever did with N.  And they are not woosie BH either, OMG! They hurt; plus they make me think I'm going into labor every other day (talk about emotional roller coaster!).  I could go on but really why? Baby J is healthy by all signs, Nolan is healthy, can count to 10 and sings a reasonable rendition of the ABC's (although you can't make out all the letters and sometimes "O" finds it's way after "Z").  AND I'm only 7 more days till my due date.  So, Plus, PLUS, PLUS!

Love this pic of N making pizza pitas with me.

I feel ready.   My house is set up and clean; we have food, laundry is done, I'm packed for the hospital, and even my car is clean.  To say I'm excited would be an understatement but there is a competing emotion of nervousness in my heart.  I REMEMBER how painful it was with Nolan.  Even though I really REALLY want to hold my little girl I'm struck with the fear of how painful it is going to be.

Tonight my nervous/ excited heart gets some steroids because tomorrow I'm going into the doctor for my 39th week check up and she is going to do a natural procedure that could, and has been known to, start labor (I'll save you the name because I just think it's sounds gross).   I could be the mother of two by Saturday if not sooner!  But "what if"? What if it doesn't work? I'll be going to church on Sunday with the mantra, "She's easier to take care of this way." as I laugh off my disappointment and try and look at the bright side.  What if it works? I'll be very very uncomfortable for the rest of the day tomorrow and possibly in labor.   Well, I guess the pain has got to happen, so better sooner than later.  Please, pray for me!
    

Seeing Pregnant Woman & Weddings

Nolan almost 3 years ago

Is it just me or does it seem like this is a year for babies?  Off the top of my head I can think of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9...9 woman who are either going to have a child this year or already have had one (one of them is my OB)! That is just crazy!!  I haven't even counted the number of bloggers that have had or are going to have babies. 

Maybe, it's that awareness that you get when you are going through something.  Like if you just purchase a new car suddenly all you see on the roads are your same make and model of car.  Or maybe I'm just going crazy, we've got lots of options here people! :)

Another common theme this year, at least for our family, has been weddings.  In the last 4-5 months Three out of 6 of Steve's and my single siblings have gotten married.  And one of the remaining single (not married) siblings graduated!  Can you say, "CRAZY SPRING and SUMMER!!!"

But that is okay because that is all behind us now.  Now, I just have two more weeks before baby J is born, and I've tried to cut down on going out (I'm not really good at keeping that plan but we will see).  I really want to just enjoy my family, something that has been nearly impossible due to the seasons craziness (enjoyable craziness mind you).  Wow, just two more weeks and our family grows by 25%! I'll have to take some pics of baby's little space, but in the mean time here are some pics of the excitement of the season. Enjoy.

Jessy and Levi

Heather and Jonathan (Steve in a bow tie...hehe love it!)

Steve and the other grooms men pretending to lose Andrew's and Beth's rings.

Poison Ivy and Mental Preparedness

PJ our ball obsessed mut.  He gets out stress by chasing a neon green ball.

Kinda funny title I know but both of which are things that I have been thinking about lately.  One. Nolan has caught his first ever Poison Ivy rash.  He takes after Steve in so many ways but I was really hoping that this was not going to be one of them.  Luckily, spotting the blisters I put them under band-aids (I thought that they were really bad bug bites....never had a poison ivy reaction before), and when Steve came home he quickly identified what they really were.  We have been treating the rash for the majority of last week and now it seems to have healed up.  A relief for us and N.   I'm thinking by the end of this N may not be as excited about band-aids as he once was.

Other than the everyday (and rash battles), we have been getting back to life as it once was.  The last wedding for the family has now passed and baby season is about to start, and I am starting to see that "down time" is what you make it not necessarily a pedicure or "me time" although those are nice.  I was calling a friend at a relatively early time in the morning and found that she was already up and running errands.  When I asked "why?" she said that it helps her "mental health to be able to get out and get things done before nap time."  Even though, I don't plan on waking up early to go grocery shopping anytime soon, it did ask the question, "What am I doing for my mental health?"

I don't know if you are like me in which some days you feel like you can take on the world and others...taking on the kitchen is just BLAH.   So, what if you could tip the balance on World domination days from BLAH days?  What if you could examine your day to days going on and see the pitfalls of a bad day compared to the ups of a good one?   This is what I've seen so far...

• Looking back I noticed that my take on the "good" days normally start off with simple goals, like laundry day or at least one or two tasks that if accomplished I feel that the day is not wasted.  Oh, and getting those tasks done before dinner time feels the best! Then I can just cook, clean a little and enjoy the fruits of labor.  
• "me time" this can be anywhere from exercise to devotion time. It is just a time that I don't have to think about the worries of someone else's life.   Plus, I am not a touchy person (ask anyone who knows me), but having kids it doesn't matter.  A fall needs a hug or a bad dream needs a snuggle; so, it is just nice to sometimes step away from being needed (for only 30min to an hour) and just breath.   Think about the emotions you've been feeling all day or what your hopes are; sometimes you will come back thinking that whatever was "so, important" really is very childish, and then sometimes you come back just knowing how to express what you are feeling to the person who really should know. 
• Sleep and rest.  Being 7 months prego has made this element of mental health much harder to achieve, and I can only guess how it, or lack there of, will effect me when Baby J is born.
• Unplugging myself.  Sometimes a book is better than a blog, and watching my son play games is better than watching Dinosaur Train or even Mythbusters.  It is like being awake and in the moment without it being a chore.  We talk or my mind has time to dream before the next idea pops into it. 

I know there are probably more things than that, that comprise a good mental health regiment.  Plus, just like each person has different love languages I'm sure that each person also has a different way of feeling mentally ready for life.  What are somethings that you have found through the years to help you better enjoy your day to day life?     
 
     

CSA Excitement

For about two plus years now my mother and I have talked about CSA's (Community Support Agriculture).  She introduced me to the phrase and community behind it, but until this week I was just all talk.

What it is, is a farmer who sells you a "share" of his TO BE produce. In this fashion the farmer can set out to grow a certain amount of produce (depending on how many shareholders he has) without the risk of not selling it.   The CSA that I am going with Danjo Farms has produce coming from multiple farms, all of which are either Certified Naturally Grown or Certified Organic.  I purchased 24 weeks of fruits and veggies AND eggs wit a weekly cost is $27.00.  Now, with the CSA that I went with you can tailor your fruit and veggie needs to your family and budget.  Here is their description of each share:

"The weekly food share includes an average of 7 to 9 vegetable items for a full share and 5 to 7 vegetables items for a half share. A full share should be ample for a family of two to four adults who cook at home regularly and eat a lot of vegetables.  A half share is a good size for two adults who do not cook at home every night. A quarter share is more than enough for a single person wanting locally grown food, too!"

We have a small garden in the backyard I figured I would only need a 1/4 share, but wanted eggs and fruit as well (we purchased a full share of fruit). 

So, why am I telling you about this other than it is sooo cool?! Well, today was my first share pick-up!  Check out the loot!  So, far I am really excited about this program, and I'm really excited about cooking all the amazing produce! 

Experiment On Picky Eaters

I recently read that if you let your children cook with you they are more likely to not only eat more but also more likely to try new things.  Since, my skinny little N needed some fatting up I thought I would give this a try.

 Now, the issue with N is not that he won't try things...when forced or faced with missing out on ice cream the boy will put anything in his mouth, but that was all he was doing...tasting.    Then ten, twenty minutes later, "Mom hungry, hungry."   We have started wrapping up his food, for the fridge and then when hunger strikes, warming it back up again for him to eat.  Sometimes it works sometimes not.  But really I could live without the drama of forcing him to try it and then storing it and then bringing it back out again.  I really just want him to eat when we eat and enjoy it.

So, N and I have been cooking together, and he HAS become more open and more excited about some food.  But this is not a one change fix kind of thing (I asked him today if he wanted to try some of my tomato and he turned me down without a second thought).  N is still my skinny little guy (which I'm starting to blame on how much he runs rather than how much he consumes), and he is still picky.   But something that I didn't think about when I took on this experiment was the learning possibilities.

N loves to watch me crack eggs, make coffee (or hot cocoa in his case), make muffins, or anything that I might be throwing together.  He likes to stir, and is my designated taste tester for all things that he thinks would be yummy.   My favorite thing is letting him watch the ice cream in the machine.  He's impatient, excited and won't leave his post till the ice cream is done.  So, even though this experiment didn't solve my dinner drama issue it did open up a new cooking era for N and myself; of which I'm really excited about.

How Do You Deal

When I was young, and my dad was working late enough to miss dinner we would get excited.  Why? Because my mom would bake frozen pizza, one of our (my siblings & my) favorite meals. 

It was something to look forward to when you were faced with a lonely night time meal and it cheered all the kids up. 

Now, with my own family, we face the same lonely night time meal from time to time, and I haven't figured out a way of enduring it yet.  Frozen pizza has definately lost its childhood charm. And one can only watch so much of Thomas & Friends.

What do you do with your kids when dad has to work late?

Being a Mom is Gross

Art By Nolan

If you had told me four years ago that I would, without thinking twice, wipe snotty noses with my hands, share my drinks with a toddler (who is known for back-washing), or have to double check my hands and arms for poop, I probably would shrug and say, "That's why I'm not having kids."

Kids are gross and the younger they are the grosser (I think).  But nothing, no nothing, could have been grosser than what happened today. 

Nolan has been fighting a fever since late Tuesday afternoon.  It's been a pretty bad one, because when the fever is at its highest (normally when his fever medicine is starting to wear off but I can't give him more yet.) he can't do anything.  He lays on me for comfort, and doesn't want anything.  No food (we temped him with ice cream, and he said, "no"), no drinks, nope just mom and Thomas and Friends will do it for this sicky. 

I was hoping that it would only last a day or so and then break and he would be back to normal.  But it didn't, in fact it has been getting so bad that I was having a hard time bringing it down last night.  So, off to the doctor we go. 

They confirmed that he was indeed sick and prescribed him with antibiotics, which is what they do with every illness (at least it feels that way).  Well, while Nolan and I were filling the prescription something gross happened.

THIS IS REALLY GROSS AND IF YOU ARE NOT A MOTHER YOU MAY NOT WANT TO KEEP READING.

Nolan threw up in the store! And what was my gut reaction?! I caught it in MY HAND!!!!  I had to call an associate of the store over for help in getting rid of the vomit.  You should have seen his eyes! 

As much as my mother instinct tried to catch all the throw up in one hand I couldn't (I really do have small hands), and some got on N and the cart.  (note to self: Always disinfect shopping carts).  I cleaned myself, N and the cart up as best as I could.  Disinfected as best as I could but the smell...you never forget that smell.   So, while we waited for our prescription to be filled we smelled.   Luckily, it didn't take too long, and we were out the door, back home and in a tub in no time.  I texted Steve for a raise in wages and the addition of privileges.

On the plus side of all this Nolan started feeling better right after the incident and asked for food.  Which he hadn't either been in the mood for or just couldn't keep down.  So, there you go!