Last day...

It's the last day for us... living like a family of 3... I don't have many pictures of just the three of us. This one definitely makes me smile. How'd he get so big? When did that happen, huh? =)

We said that we'd give this little guy until a couple of days before my official due date to decide if he wanted to show up semi-naturally. He apparently has decided not to take us up on our offer. =) Well, we kinda rescinded it a few weeks ago anyway. We were talking, and David told me that he just didn't want me to take the risk of a VBAC. I was relieved not to have to be mulling it over anymore, and we decided that the c-section would be the way we went regardless.

The odds of something going wrong with a VBAC are small. I would probably be fine. But the costs of something going wrong could be big, and the risks from a c-section also appear to be small. So c-section it is. I know there are many people who would go the other way, but we're not those people. The struggle for live, healthy babies has changed us in ways that make us more risk averse than I think we would've been otherwise, and I know that.

I'm going under the knife at 10:15 a.m. tomorrow morning, May 29. And I'm more nervous this time because I've had more time to get nervous. =) I'm all about not having time or options to get nervous about, so that was great last time. "He's breech; you're having a c-section tomorrow. Any questions?" Nope, got it. Thanks.

So... on the agenda for today... Water play with my cute little boy... focusing on him instead of getting distracted by too much other stuff... finishing up laundry... feverishly completing the baby blanket... last touches on Seth's room... going for my pre-op appointment at the hospital... last time to eat at our favorite kid-friendly restaurant that is not Chick-Fil-A...

David's parents are coming in late tonight to be here with Seth. It's going to be tough to leave him behind. I wish he was having an easier time of it lately, but he's had a hard time coping the past couple of weeks. Sigh.

Time to go and get my little monkey up... while I ponder if the (relatively) easy days of parenting are now over... =)

Shortcuts...

Today I made what will hopefully be the last big grocery trip before the baby comes. And as I was picking up the last few items, I had to smile. See, I was getting some things that we used last time to make it through the first several weeks with a new baby. It was a kind of fun memory.

At least for us, those first weeks were about survival. I was nursing Seth every three hours, around the clock, because he was small and jaundiced. I did this until he was 6 weeks old, and then the doctor mercifully consented to let him go 4 hours at a stretch at night. It was a big moment at the time.

But I digress... anyway, one of the things we did to manage was use paper plates, napkins, and plastic cups almost exclusively. We lived in a tiny apartment, and the sink filled up fast. Just this one thing helped a lot, so I've stocked up again. Yes, its not green or frugal or anything else, but we're talking about survival here.

Another thing I did was use the magical cleaning product above. I know, I know, I can't explain why its so much harder to get out the spray bottle and the sponge and run some water, but it just is when you're tired. If our bathrooms weren't filthy during that time, it was only because of these. A couple of swipes, and I was done. It was great. I threw a couple of these in my cart this morning.

Anybody got any other tips for things they did when their baby/babies came? I'm always looking for shortcuts for these early days...

Nausea...

Ugh. Last night I had horrible heartburn, and this morning I woke up with backache and nausea. David had gone to the 8:00 service at church (Seth may be sick, so we didn't go), and he was all set to help the understaffed nursery for the next two services. Well... I called him and asked him to come home because I felt so bad.

I lay down, and I worried that this was labor. =) How do I know what labor feels like? Never had it with Seth... But it hasn't gotten worse, so I'm guessing its not. The nausea just comes and goes, and its very hard to get comfortable. I didn't know this was a symptom of some late pregnancy, but I guess it is. I hope he shifts or something soon. I don't want to feel this way for another week. =(

But at least the good people at the hospital won't despise me for calling them away from their Memorial Day festivities to deliver a baby... And David wants me to hold off. He's got some things to do at work that he'd have to get coverage for if I go early. But I guess you never know when you're playing the pregnancy waiting game...

In other news, I got Seth a baby doll at a yard sale this Saturday. It's blondeish with blue eyes, and he LOVES it. He's been carrying it around and rocking it and putting it to sleep. He tells us that he's doing all these things as well as showing us. When he wanted to put Baby down his slide, we got some video. Precious... Somebody suggested doing this as a way to get him used to the idea of a new baby. So far, its been a success.

P.S. The poor little baby was naked when I bought him, but a newborn diaper and a preemie onsie that I'd accidentally bought fixed that right up. =)

*** UPDATE: I got a good night's sleep last night, and no nausea or backache this morning. Must've been that Zantac I tried to take for the heartburn. I won't be taking that again anytime soon. =)***

"Hey, Mommy..."

Seth, age 6: "Hey, Mommy, what did we do the last Saturday before Evan was born. You know, when it was just me... Did we cuddle on the couch and go to the park and have lots of tickle fights?"

Me: "Well, not exactly. I had told a friend I'd get her some fresh strawberries, so we went to the Farmer's Market. It was really crowded, and you hated it and cried to leave the whole time. And then we went home, and we discovered that Daddy didn't have the house key on his key chain, so we were locked out. So you played in the backyard for an hour, and you got a little happier, and then we paid $100 to get back in our house. And then Mommy was mad about how the day was not going as planned, and she had to apologize to you and Daddy for having a bad attitude that Jesus doesn't like..."

Seth: "Oh..."

Gross boy food...

I'm going to have to try this when Seth and Spartacus are older. It's exactly the kind of grossness that little boys go for in a big way.

And yes, I'm still here. No baby yet. And if anyone has any ideas on making an overwhelmed toddler feel better about his life, I'm all ears.

I took him to the park this morning. Bad idea. There were three playgroups there, and it was packed. Eventually, he led me into the woods to play, and he started crying if I tried to take him back to the hoopla. Poor little man.

He wants to know where we are at all times right now, even if we're just around the corner... "Where's Daddy? Where's Daddy?" I know he knows that something is up in his world. I'm trying to appreciate during this clingy time that he does want me so much. It is a blessing to be loved so much...

Very funny car review...

Ok, ya gotta read this one...

You've got to have good writing chops to make a car review hilarious. And I was curious about the newest Honda eco-car anyway...

The successful playdate...

Ok, I don't know what I was thinking. Ok, I do, but I think I must've been having a really optimistic moment.

I scheduled the MOPs small group playdate for this month at our house. Yes, I am 38 weeks pregnant. Yes, my son has been a grump for the last week. Yes, I'm not sleeping well at night because I have developed pregnancy heartburn. =) And its my anniversary...

So I did a lot of praying last night. Seth has been testing limits all week. There has been a lot of discipline going on around here, and I'm tired. And I was really worried that sharing toys could quickly become an issue. So I did a lot of praying about it. It went like this, "Please, please, please, God, let him share his toys nicely. I'm begging. I don't know what I'm going to do if he doesn't."

This morning, I woke up early, as is usual lately. I made David a nice breakfast and ate with him. Then I took a shower, woke up the baby, and made ANOTHER breakfast for the playdate and did breakfast dishes. And Seth was angelic. He'd had a personality transplant since last night. We even got some time to play together!

Of course, this was the best attended playdate of the year. =) There were 7 moms and 9 toddlers here. It looked like a bomb went off in Toys R' Us. Have I mentioned that I'm a neat freak who's used to a child who voluntarily puts small pieces of dirt in the trash can, and puts away one toy before he starts playing with another? =) But God can change anybody because I was honestly relaxed. I let go of it all. And I think everyone had a good time because I wasn't spazzing.

Seth shared really well, and the hysterical meltdown only came in the last few minutes. He was on super overload. But we're all good now, and he's napping. And Roomba is cleaning my playroom. =)

So if you've been thinking of hosting a group playdate at your house, and you're afraid to because you're OCD and you've only got one kid... try it anyway. It'll be a growing experience, and you'll have a feeling of great accomplishment and gratitude to God after its over. =) For multiple reasons... =)

8 years...

8 years today...

We spent most of them flying around, using our wings together...

Now we're finding roots...

I've loved doing both with you.

Because of you, I have experienced God's amazing plan for marriage... and it is beautiful.

I love you.

How my garden grows...

With lovely roses, which I did not sow... a gift that I now reap...

With little boy giggles and tickles and snuggles... another harvest for which I cannot take credit...

And with another beautiful bloom in the making...

Countdown... 2 weeks to go...

As of today, I have TWO WEEKS before this little boy is coming to meet us! I had a dr.'s appt. this morning, and the doctor said, "Now, when your water breaks this weekend at 3:00 a.m., call this number, and I'll meet you at the hospital." From your lips to God's ears, dude.

Well, maybe not really. But just because I took apart the infant carrier to wash the padding, and I haven't put it back together yet. And I don't think David will appreciate it if my water breaks and I'm screaming at him to find the manual for the car seat. Hmm, better get on that one...

But I am getting more tired by the day, and I'm wishing that Evan would come soon. It's different with your second one. You're looking forward to meeting them more than you're terrified that you'll screw them up with your new mommy incompetence. Since your first one still seems to be ok and all...

I had a slice of cheesecake at a mom's night out a few days ago and woke up in the middle of the night with raging heartburn. My doctor just laughed at me when I mentioned that. Can't a huge pregnant woman get a little sympathy?

Now I'm trying to stock the freezer for early baby days. I finally managed to get my hands on some of the $1.99 a pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts that Kroger had on sale this week. I bought up a ton, and then I put a couple of breasts each in a quart freezer bag. Then I started dumping... salad dressings, marinades, etc. I have a freezer full of chicken bags labeled "BBQ," "Italian," "Raspberry Vinaigrette," and "Plain." I see us pulling them out, throwing them on the grill, or sauteing them with rice or noodles. I think those bags of frozen peppers and onions from Birdseye are going to be my friends this summer.

I am currently procrastinating on sticking my hands in a bunch of raw hamburger. I'm going to season, patty, and freeze some hamburgers, and then I'm going to make up a couple of tex mex meatloafs that David loves. Then I've got to brown some ground beef for the massive pot of spaghetti sauce that must get made today because the ground beef was on manager's special. =)

Did I mention that a bunch of ladies from church are coming over here for a prayer shower for me tomorrow? And I haven't dusted in... awhile?

I hope that Seth takes the longest afternoon nap in the history of long toddler naps... =) Wish me luck...

For Skipper...

"Skipper" Whitaker- 1990?- 2009

Skipper was my last horse growing up. Well, he was sort of a shared horse. My bachelor cousin got him to ride behind the hunting dogs during field trials, but he wasn't great at that unless you had strong hands and a good bit, so he became mine pretty quickly. =) I rode him at field trials during high school and part of college, and then he grew lazy and comfortable out in our pasture.

Whenever I came home, in need of a good release from the confines of dorm life, he was always ready and willing to oblige. We had many an invigorating gallop across the back field. He knew the special spots where I'd let him run, and I could feel him start to get excited as we neared there.

We'd come puffing and panting back to the barn. He loved a good hose down and curry. And he'd close his eyes with satisfaction when I rubbed his forehead. He was the only horse I ever had that would.

Time gets away from us all. I married and moved away. I had a baby. Sometimes I barely gave him a smile and a pat on a visit home.

Seth became the next child to enjoy him regularly. He went out to feed him with Dad whenever we'd visit. I wish he'd gotten a chance to ride him just once. Skipper was old, and he was gentle with my little one, just like he'd been with me.

His time came before I was ready. And I cried at my kitchen sink and thought about the blessing he'd been to me... and the end of the days of a girl and her horse. Rest in peace, old buddy. I miss you.

Embracing simple pleasures...

I was looking around at Like Merchant Ships new, re-designed website, and I came across this link.

David and I were talking this weekend about our lifestyle. We've decided that we're still living a city life in the suburbs in a lot of ways. Neither one of us want to spend all our time on weekends in our own back yard. We like to go yard saling, to the lake, to the park, to local festivals. We enjoy being out and about and talking to and interacting with others too much to spend the whole weekend in our house. We have 6 years of no yard or house to care for under our belts, and its shaped what we like to do in our free time.

But now we have a yard and house to maintain, and that does take time and energy to do well. So we're looking for a balance where we can keep things up "good enough," and still get out and about and experience the benefits of living in a medium sized city. We're not looking for perfection with our home maintenance... we're looking for a balanced life.

That being said, this woman's thoughts on taking the time to do simple things from scratch did capture my attention. Doing those things slows you down and helps the crazed suburbanite notice and enjoy the simple things more. You already know I like the smell of fresh baked bread, and here are some other simple pleasures I've been taking more time to notice lately...

- The wonderful variety of birds pecking the ground in our backyard. I think I'm going to get a bird book to identify some of them. My favorite locals are red-breasted robins...

- A hamper full of fresh, clean laundry, waiting in the hall to be carried upstairs.

- Yellow daisies on my table that have lasted for two weeks now! =)

- When Seth brings me the shape sorter and wants to do it with me.

- A bowl full of red grapes, already washed and plucked and ready for eating, sitting, ice cold in the fridge...

I encourage you to take the time today to think about some of the simple blessings that God gives us to enjoy that make a sweet smile come to your face...

Happy Mother's Day...

Happy Mother's Day! We had nursery duty this morning, and it was baby dedication Sunday. =) That meant we got put with the babies. I cuddled sweet little ones all morning. As I was leaving, Don, who's been rocking and singing hymns to the littlest ones for 16 years, said, "I'll look forward to rocking your little one soon." I got a bit misty eyed, I must admit...

In May 2006, I found out that I was finally going to become a mom. My pregnancy test would've been scheduled for Mother's Day if it hadn't been a Sunday. I didn't know whether to think this was just another divine test of my endurance or not. But sure enough, that Monday, I found out Seth was coming.

This was the first year he's been able to actually wish me a "Happy Mother's Day." I'm going to have to videotape him saying it. He sounds like an angel, even if he starts screaming and throwing trucks not long afterward. =)

And every day is Mother's Day when you're married to David. We've gotten so much done this weekend, and its been mostly him. We got to go out to dinner last night, and we're grilling out today with Sarah and Stephen and the twins.

The picture below is of my Mother's Day present. Mom got me the plants, and David and Seth got me the baskets. Hopefully, they will hold up for several years. They look soooo much better than the plastic baskets they came with. I have 4 across my front porch.

A Soft Place to Land gave me some detailed instructions, though I'd been hoping to do this before. Go here for a tutorial on hanging baskets.

I hope you're having a wonderful Mother's Day, wherever you are and whatever you're doing. And if you're someone hoping to become a mother, and your heart aches today, I'm saying a prayer for you... Hang in there, girl.

The smell of fresh bread...

Ahh, the joy of a loaf of homemade bread... It's a special kind of simple pleasure that I'm just now experiencing. Why did it take me so long to get into this? Well, because its so easy to pick up a loaf in the store. But, dang it, this is just so much better. =)

And the smell of fresh baked bread is heavenly. I love to walk in from outside and be hit in the face with it...

Loading up the bread maker takes less and less time now that I've made the recipe a few times. All it really takes is my time, and at this point, it does seem like just a little time well spent. The bread is fresher and healthier than anything I could buy in the store, and David and Seth enjoy it so much. And so do I...

I had a friend from Sunday School class over after story time at the library this Wednesday. Since we live so close to the library, I try to make it a point to invite over friends I run into there. I made her a peanut butter and jelly on homemade bread. She said, "This is gourmet!" I smiled.

And it feels good to have a new skill under my belt. It took a couple of tries, but I like that I am not totally dependent on the local store for sandwich bread anymore. I think I've got the texture and consistency down now.

So here is Terri's recipe for Homemade Wheat Sandwich bread...

3 1/2 c. white whole wheat flour (you can get the King Arthur brand at Walmart)
1 1/3 c. half water, half milk
3 T. oil
3 T. honey
1 1/4 t. salt
2 1/2 t. yeast
2 T. vital wheat gluten (you can probably get this at a health food store- I get mine from a mill)

(Ok, now ya need a bread maker. You can get one for about $30 on Craigslist. See, the trick with the bread maker is not to use it to actually bake the loaf. They usually make dry, heavy loaves. You just use the dough cycle, then shape and rise, and then bake in the oven. It's just doing the kneading for you.)

Put all the wet ingredients into the bread maker pan. Then put in the dry. Make a little well with a spoon in the dry ingredients for the yeast to sit in. Then start the dough cycle. Once its doing the first knead, add a couple of tablespoons of flour if it looks sticky. It probably will. Once the dough cycle is complete, dump dough into a well floured bowl. Knead to get out the air bubbles. Shape and put in greased loaf pan, then let rise in an oven with the light on for 45 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Slice, and enjoy the fresh goodness. It's going to get snarfed up fast. The major down side to the fresh bread thing is that we're eating more bread. =)

The history of baby carrots...

We stopped buying baby carrots a while back. It was a taste issue for us. My mom also told me they wash the baby carrots in bleach. Blech. Don't know where she got her information, but I can see what she's saying. This story on the origins of baby carrots is definitely interesting.

Easy, cheap, homemade cards with a personal touch...

This is the frugal edition of Works for Me Wednesday. I've gotten so many good tips from WFMW that I wanted to give back. Even though

I'm not a card girlie. I know there are many people out there who love a good card. They even take out their big box of scrapbooking supplies and make them! This is not that kind of card making. =) I don't want to spend a lot of time, effort, and money on something that will get read once, and then be thrown away. I'd rather invest more in the present that goes with the card. =)

So here's what I came up with. I have my 2-year-old make most of our cards. The stuff he makes usually looks better than anything I could come up with anyway. =) I take out the construction paper, and he goes to town. Then I cut the construction paper in half, fold, come up with an artsy sounding name for his creation, write inside the card, and stick it in an envelope. What you say? You don't have the right size of envelope? One for greeting cards? Worry no more. Walmart has a big box of 50 of those puppies for about $3.50. You'd spend that on one nice greeting card, and this will let you send 50!

Now, I don't send this kind of card to everybody. But all family members and most other families with kids are fair game. It's working for us...

And the card above was made by running monster truck wheels through washable tempera paint. Great boy craft... =)

Is it cheaper to make pantry staples?

I ran across this link on Frugal Hacks, and I thought some of y'all might be interested. I may try the bagels one day...

Easy Breakfast Casserole...

Just another day in paradise...

Seth got up late on this dreary, rainy morning. I made him his weekly supply of whole wheat pastry flour waffles. He asks to eat a waffle at just about every meal these days. Sure, bub, in your dreams. (I make 'em all on one day and then put them in a plastic ziploc in the fridge and re-heat them in the toaster each morning. He doesn't have syrup on them.)

The park playdate for MOPs was cancelled, so we went downtown to the children's museum. The train table and the grocery store were particular hits today. And then we met Daddy for lunch...

Time to start more laundry, but first, I thought I'd share a super easy, very yummy breakfast casserole recipe I got from a friend. Yes, it has stuffing in it, but it doesn't taste very stuffingy. =)

Bianca’s Breakfast Casserole

2 cups dry chicken stove top stuffing mix (from the canister)
2 cups milk
1/2 lb. of sausage, cooked, crumbled, and drained
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all the ingredients together. Pour into a greased 8 x 11 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45-50 minutes or until set.

I think I dirtied all of one measuring cup, one spoon, and one bowl making this. I'd browned the sausage the night before. Easy peasy!

First nursery...

It went from this....

...to this! The rocking chair is a loaner from my childhood room. I got the baskets you see at Goodwill and yard sales. The "changing table" is the table we used to use for our computer desk. And the curtains came with the bedding we inherited from the days when David's parents had a crib at their house. I really liked it as well as anything I saw in the store, and they work great in here with the paint color.

How do ya like our $20 crib? =) I wasn't so impressed with it at first, but with the little bar down, it looks more inviting. I think you can tell from this picture what we're naming the little man.

I am really pleased with how these turned out. I bought them over a year ago at a local antique mall when I was shopping for something for a friend's birthday. They're puzzles from the 1950's, and I paid $3 a piece for them. I just hot glued picture hangars onto the back, and voila!

This is the first time we've ever done a nursery for a baby who wasn't here yet! So fun... I'm sure you can tell we recycled a lot from Seth's room. Now his new room will be quite the reveal. Stay tuned for that one...

Up early...

I'm up early... for me. Well, the old early. I guess there will be a new early coming soon. =)

David and I have noticed that we're doing things a little bit differently lately. I've been making whole wheat bread for sandwiches more often. He's been reading a book, gasp, for fun in the evenings. We've decided this must be our way of enjoying doing some things we know we won't be doing much of for awhile after Spartacus comes. =)

The baby's room is finally finished! It seems like we've been trying to get it all done for a few weekends, without much measurable success. David said that he started getting nervous after the last picture was hung. It makes this baby coming seem more real somehow. Well, that and the fact that we turned the calendar over this weekend...

The end of this pregnancy has been really different than it was with Seth. It's like night and day. I'm bigger, though I don't weigh any more, and its harder to get up and down. The baby is tons lower. I feel him moving all over my stomach, and he just feels so right there and active most of the time. And I'm a lot more likely to get dehydrated because its hot. I couldn't figure out why I was dizzy, lightheaded and had puffy hands on Saturday morning. A nurse friend enlightened me. I drank a ton of water and took a nap, so I'm glad I was doing the right thing even though I wasn't sure what was up. But I guess I just feel more fragile and tired and ready for this baby to come than I did with Seth.

With the coming of warmer weather and a shift in the wind directions, I'm enjoying this house a lot more than I did in the fall and winter. It's all about the wind around here. Even with leaves on the trees, warmer weather, etc., the difference is wind direction. It either carries the traffic noise to us or away from us. I like away from us.

I told David that I must finally be settling in and taking ownership because I want to take down the door knocker with the last owner's name on it. It's starting to get on my nerves to see it there. I finally feel like this is my house. And I'm thankful for that. It's been a bumpy road.

We had a great weekend with our little "monster." He's been calling himself that sometimes lately. We're seeing an imagination develop here. There's been a lot of chasing and tickling and giggling and playing cars going on. Last night, he said, "Night night, Mommy," as I was leaving after prayer time. It made my heart catch in my throat. I wish I could capture that sound in my memory forever. His voice will change so much in the next year... I just know it. These last days with him, just the three of us, are already starting to be so precious to me. I know now why they'll always be your baby...