Current Happenings…

I just love this time of year between Thanksgiving and Christmas! I think as the boys get older it’s just going to get even more fun. We’re really enjoying it this year with Graham and Isaac tags along. Some of the things we are enjoying or have enjoyed doing thus far are:

• Making Christmas Cookies for our neighbors. We live in a eight unit apartment complex, so Graham and I made white chocolate dipped molasses cookies and gave a plate to each of our neighbors. Graham was my doorbell ringer. Since we’re in an apartment we don’t really see many of our neighbors, so it was good to at least have a brief meeting with them.
• Graham and I made a Christmas loop count down where we tear off a piece of paper each day and it gets shorter and shorter the closer we get to Christmas.
• We are doing advent readings with candles during our regular family worship time each night. We wanted to mix it up a bit and make it special with the candles (add in another sensory element) and reading plan. I just got four candles at the dollar store but them on a decorative mirror I had and printed off a advent scripture reading plan from online. Graham is still young so most of the advent books I looked at were a bit to old for him, so it’s pretty simple this year.
• We plan to go drive around and see some Christmas lights which will be fun because Graham’s carseat is facing forward now and he has a comment about everything when we drive.
• We have a little four feet christmas tree that we decorated. We put the tree on a small table this year because Isaac is at the age where he’s getting into everything, so the small size works perfect for our space.
• We have the little people fisher-price nativity scene which the boys have been enjoying playing with that only comes out during the Christmas season.
• I have Jacob and Graham’s cross-stitch stockings finished for this year and a sweet lady at church sewed them into usable stockings for me, so I’m excited to put a special treat in there for them on Christmas.
• Jake and I enjoyed a Christmas party hosted by friends at church.
• Jacob’s work does a secret santa, since he is the only guy in his department, it has kind of becomes my job to get the gifts. I enjoy it because we have $25 to spend so I try to get her as much of her requested items as possible (with coupons and sales).
• We’re excited to celebrate Christmas as our own little family on Christmas eve, my family on Christmas day, and Jacob’s family in Minnesota the week after Christmas.

Adjusting to Two Under Two

I meant to do a post about our adjustment to life with two boys under two about a month ago, but I’m barely on my computer anymore, so here are my thoug hts on our adjustment.

I honestly just hate the first two weeks postpartum. Thankfully it is a bit of a blur. and seems like a long time ago now. The first two weeks my mom was here every day while Jake was at work. She has been such a blessing to us. It was nice for Graham to have someone to entertain him while I focused on Isaac and getting breastfeeding down. The third week my mom came for half the day; we weaned ourselves off her. 🙂

A lot of people asked me about Graham’s adjustment. It was rough the first few weeks because I was so busy with nursing Isaac and couldn’t physically pick him up, There was a lot of crying for momma and tears on my end that I couldn’t do what I used to for him like put him to bed. The first few weeks Graham also would wake up in the middle of the night crying for momma. Jake really stepped up and took to caring for Graham when he was home and they have really bonded which is so sweet to see. Once I could physically do things for Graham it got better and he has adjusted to having Jake do more things for him. Graham has never really had any anger towards Isaac and seems to really love his little brother. He likes to give him kisses and play on his play mat with him. Some days are better than others, and I’m thankful we live in a small place because it’s easier to keep track of him. Reading books, coloring, and play dough are a few things that he likes to do while Isaac is feeding. It’s generally easier to have something specific for him to do while I nurse Isaac rather than just letting him roam free.

Another question I have had asked is how breastfeeding is going. So far it’s going well. The first four weeks I felt like all I did was nurse Isaac (he would cluster feed in the evening), but things seem to be settling to more of a routine. Once I got past the initial learning curve of breastfeeding, the hardest parts have been entertaining Graham during the day while I feel like I’m on the couch nursing most of the day (it felt like especially in the beginning), not being able to help as much in the evening with things like dinner clean up and Graham bedtime because I’m nursing Isaac, and making sure that I’m eating and drinking enough to keep up my supply. Jake has done such a good job of just doing what needs to be done for dinner etc. (side note: we had meals a few times a week provided by church families for the first four weeks which was the second biggest blessing (my mother has been the first)). I really think my success in breastfeeding this time around is due to the help I got in the beginning from the birth center. Also, Isaac is a different baby than Graham; I think he’s more patient.

Having a baby in the spring rather than fall has been better because we can get outside almost every day…the fresh air helps us all.

 

The 2nd Child and Letter to Self…

Things that are different with the second pregnancy compared to the first:

• We found out last Tuesday that we are having a BOY! With Graham I had a blog post and facebook status posted within hours after we found out. With this one it wasn’t till the next night that I got around to making a quick facebook status announcement. Admittedly, Graham was sick with a fever so I was very distracted.
• With Graham I read the weekly pregnancy/baby growth posts from several websites. With this one I once in a while will look at an update.
• All of the aches and pains are very familiar and don’t come as a surprise.
• I already feel prepared (supplies wise) for this second one which is freeing. I’m looking forward to reusing some of Graham’s baby clothes.

Dear future postpartum self:

• Having thoughts of exhaustion and wondering if you’ll ever get sleep again? It does get better. You might not get a full night’s sleep till a year has past but soon you’ll only be getting up one or two times a night and you’ll feel like you got a lot of sleep.
• Enjoy the cuddles and sleepy baby days. Don’t worry about getting him on a sleep schedule; no matter how many times older ladies ask you at three weeks postpartum what’s the baby’s sleep schedule or when they’re surprised he’s still waking up several times a night. Don’t rush it…he’ll catch on eventually, just enjoy the cuddles.
• Your stomach will take a really long time to go back to its new normal. Don’t be bothered by the stretch marks. They are there to stay, but they will lighten and things tighten back up. And your skin may freak-out on you and become super crazy dry…lavish on coconut oil…your hormones will settle down after 4ish months.
• Just relax. It’s okay to cry about everything and nothing. They grow up fast (aase’s especially grow quickly) so enjoy the little tiny baby. There will always be a new challenge, so go with the flow.

The Tiny Closet Challenge and Simplifying

I’m participating in The Tiny Closet Challenge, and it’s just about to end this Saturday. For the challenge we had to narrow down our wardrobe (clothes, shoes, accessories) to 33 items and only use the selected items for six weeks.

The clothes challenge has been easy for me because I didn’t even have 33 items to choose from my summer wardrobe. My winter wardrobe is a bit larger and I think my lack of summer clothes is due to: (1.) I was pregnant last summer (2.) The previous two summers I worked and had a required uniform (3.) in the summer I tend to wear shorts and a t-shirt more and (4.) we’ve been on a limited budget the past year. So, normally I would have a few more summer items. I think because I’m cold in the winter I tend to buy more clothes for that season, so I would like to try the challenge again in the winter.

However, It’s been a bit discouraging because it’s not like I could choose my favorite pieces and just wear those items. I’ve been stuck with what I have whether I like it or not. It has taught me contentment because I decided I wouldn’t buy any new clothes in these six weeks either. Also, I’ve decided that if I’m going to live with a small wardrobe (which I think is a good idea) I need to buy higher quality clothes (I’ve seen the wear in my clothes already). I would rather have better quality over quantity.

The clothes challenge has been a bit discouraging especially with my lack of summer apparel; however, in everything there is grace.  In the middle of this challenge we moved and it has helped me to de-clutter and minimize other area in my life. I donated a big bag of winter clothes that were either old, I didn’t wear all winter, or didn’t fit anymore. I hate clutter, so as I’ve been unpacking I’ve been able to get rid of junk that we just don’t need to keep. There are some things we want to keep, but don’t need it around the house creating clutter, so Jacob, Graham, and I each have a “sentimental tub” where we can put items that we want to keep (like a childhood toy, or a letter from a friend) is one example. In addition, I’m in the process of decorating and I’m learning to decorate simply. I don’t need all of these knick-knacks to dust, and with a soon-to-be crawler/walker around I’m simplifying even more.

Having this mindset of less is better has helped me decide what is important to me, and what is not. For example. I would rather have family pictures displayed than a random art piece. This Tiny Closet Challenge may not have been much of a challenge when it came to my wardrobe, but it has been a good mindset challenge and has helped me to simplify other areas of my life.

 

 

Bulleted Update…

Well here’s a quick update on our life during clinical rotation number three.

• Jacob is at Froedtert Hospital on the ICU wing for his final physical therapy rotation. He’s enjoying it a lot more than expected.
• We’ve started the process of looking for jobs. He’s applied to a few jobs so far.
• He’s also working on his CAT (critically appraised topic) which I’ll know more about the farther he gets in it. He has four months to complete it so it’s low on the to do list.
• Graham and my days consist of pretty much the same thing each day. He eats, plays, and sleeps. Once a week we go to a women’s bible study.
• We attend a small group from church that meets every other week on Wednesday nights. Sometimes it’s a challenge because it’s during his bedtime and he can be fussy. My introverted self is learning that the fellowship is just as important in this season than what I learn from the lesson. We are starting a new book (“The Enduring Community”) so that will be interesting. We previously watched an R.C. Sproul dvd then discussed it.  Since this time it’s a book, I can read it before hand, and hopefully add to the discussion better even with a fussy baby.
• Jake and I have a pretty good night-time routine with Graham. Generally, I change his diaper, dress him, give bottle, and then Jake comes up and sings to him then puts him in his crib. It works out well.
• I attended my first Hockey (Milwaukee Admirals vs. Iowa Wild) game with Jacob on Valentine’s night (Jake had free tickets!). It’s a lot faster paced game in real life than it looks on t.v. and hockey crowds are an interesting bunch of people. I like the sound of the skates on the ice.
• Jacob went to a Wisconsin vs. Minnesota basketball game last week with my brothers which was exciting for him.

So that’s that. Have a great day!

 

Picture Drop…

My mom calls him her little peanut, so she had to get him this shirt.

snuggled up on Grandpa is the best place to take a nap. His dad is making him a Vikings fan  Trying to take a selfie with his dad (Excuse the chin) he has a strong neck…it takes a lot of concentration. We call him bobble head.

Posts to come:

1. 1 month update with picture
2. Jacob’s 2nd clinical reflection (this coming week is his final week)

A Short Update…

• we’re still pregnant and hanging in there.
• I’ll be 39 weeks tomorrow.
• Jake has his mid-term clinical evaluation this Friday. I’m trying to convince him to write a blog post about this clinical experience, but I’m not succeeding this time around. Even though it’s an orthopedic site (same as AZ) the experience has been very different…not bad just different.
• I’ve been going to the weekly women’s morning bible study at church and find it an enriching experience. We also are going to my brothers community group twice a month as well.

Keep praying, but be thankful that God’s answers are wiser than your prayers! —William Culbertson

 

 

Birthday Cupcakes and 29 weeks…

BIRTHDAY CUPCAKES…

I turned 26 years old on August 16th. I had a very nice birthday with dinner Thursday night (because Jake works late on Friday nights) at Sweet Tomato. I like sweet tomato and I had a birthday coupon from them, so even better!

Friday (my birthday) I drove to Sprinkles Cupcakes and bought us some cupcakes. Side note: I only took one wrong turn on my drive and the traffic wasn’t very bad…a good birthday. 🙂 Anyway, Sprinkles is the first cupcake bakery ever (the first one started in California though) and the owner of Sprinkles is a judge on Cupcake Wars, so I was looking forward to trying the cupcakes. I usually make myself a cake, but this apartment is lacking in baking supplies. I chose: S’more (seasonal special), Raspberry (seasonal special), Strawberry (seasonal special), Chai Tea Latte, and a classic Red Velvet.

I liked the Chai Tea Latte the best, then Red Velvet, Strawberry, S’more, and Raspberry. The frosting was very tasty on all of them (I’m not really frosting person), but the cake part seemed almost dry, which was a bummer. it was still fun to try the different varieties. Jacob and I split them. He liked the raspberry and strawberry ones the best.  I’ve never seen a more minimalist store. It was very clean and modern.

PREGNANCY UPDATE…

• I’m currently 29 weeks and 4 days pregnant.
• The baby is about “2 1/2 pounds (about the size of a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel” 
• I had my last Arizona Dr. appointment this past Wednesday and got everything squared away with them. It feels  good to be moving on to my last Dr. for this pregnancy.
• I did my glucose test (they always have a hard time finding a good vein) and if I don’t hear anything from them in a few days then that means I passed. After drinking the syrup the poor child went wild in my belly.
• I also had my Rhogam shot, so now if the baby is born we’ll both be safe of “blood contamination.”
• My obgyn told me I have a very long torso (like my mother), so I probably won’t “pop out” till about 32 weeks or so. I guess it just means more room for the baby.
• I’ve gained 18 pounds so far.

It’s the Little Things…

…like grass that make you excited when living in the desert. It was luscious!

…a resident carwash station. Our car gets a bi-weekly scrub.

Desert Hiking Fun…

These pictures are from our hikes the past couple of weeks. We went on The Lost Dog Trail and Pinnacle Peak. Hiking is like one of the few things free to do around here, so we usually go either on Tuesday or Saturday morning.

On top of Pinnacle Peak

These are the worst cactus, Jumping Cholla, i guess you touch them and they “shoot” out at you. Jacob likes to pretend to try touch cactus and I just know one of these days he’s going to get some stuck in his finger. 🙂

Near the bottom of Pinnacle Peak

The highest point for hikers on Pinnacle Peak.

On the Lost Dog Trail

My huge cactus

Jacob’s Huge Cactus