Monday, September 30, 2013
Matching Baby Books
While none of them are filled out yet (I'm hoping to get them done before the babies go to college), I have matching baby books for the 3 little ones. I bought one during each pregnancy - and chose a pattern and font just a little different than the others. I picked up Jonathan's today. Here they are:
Current haps
I have a list of things that I wanted to get done today - pay bills since it is the last day of the month, fold and put away about 40 clean towels, and about 20 other things. It is 6:15 p.m. and I've revised my list to just take a shower and paint my toenails. And get the kids something for dinner.
I had higher aspirations - but, to be honest, I'm pretty excited about two things in particular and losing concentration/motivation. First, tomorrow morning is our 20 week anatomy scan ultrasound for Baby Jonathan. Last time I saw Jonathan he was a lentil. Adrian changed his schedule so he could go, too. He went to Andrew and Abby's 20 week ultrasound, too - when we found out the sex of each baby. But since we found out the sex early with this one, I wasn't sure if he'd want to go or not. He looked at me like, "Are you kidding? Of course I want to go!" So, we have that at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow, and we are bringing the big sister Abigail with us. She's a good 3 year old girl and I know she'll sit nicely. Even though our scheduled 4D ultrasound isn't until around 30 weeks, I'm hoping the sonographer will be so kind to snap a couple 4D pics of our little boy. She did this with Abby (and Andrew, I think).
And then my parents are coming for a visit Wednesday through Saturday of this week. They haven't been to our new house yet since we moved here in May. And they are coming for Grandparent's Day at Andrew's school on Friday - and to see Andrew play 2 soccer games on both Thursday night and Saturday morning. Should be so much fun.
And Adrian is going to be home every night this week except possibly Thursday night (he revised his schedule to make this happen). And Peyton and I revised our shared custody schedule btwn her bio parents so we could get her all this week and weekend to see Grammy and Snuff, too (she's usually with her mom Wednesday and Thursday). Jennifer is great like that - playing switch-a-roo whenever we need or want.
So, I really need to keep this blog short so I can get the ankle biters a peanut butter sandwich and milk for dinner and pick out my toenail polish color.
If the government shuts down at midnight tonight, be good and be safe. Honestly, whether the government is shut down or up and running, our safety is about the same. Practically speaking, it will just give our Commander-in-Chief more time on the golf course (not that he doesn't make time currently).
I had higher aspirations - but, to be honest, I'm pretty excited about two things in particular and losing concentration/motivation. First, tomorrow morning is our 20 week anatomy scan ultrasound for Baby Jonathan. Last time I saw Jonathan he was a lentil. Adrian changed his schedule so he could go, too. He went to Andrew and Abby's 20 week ultrasound, too - when we found out the sex of each baby. But since we found out the sex early with this one, I wasn't sure if he'd want to go or not. He looked at me like, "Are you kidding? Of course I want to go!" So, we have that at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow, and we are bringing the big sister Abigail with us. She's a good 3 year old girl and I know she'll sit nicely. Even though our scheduled 4D ultrasound isn't until around 30 weeks, I'm hoping the sonographer will be so kind to snap a couple 4D pics of our little boy. She did this with Abby (and Andrew, I think).
And then my parents are coming for a visit Wednesday through Saturday of this week. They haven't been to our new house yet since we moved here in May. And they are coming for Grandparent's Day at Andrew's school on Friday - and to see Andrew play 2 soccer games on both Thursday night and Saturday morning. Should be so much fun.
And Adrian is going to be home every night this week except possibly Thursday night (he revised his schedule to make this happen). And Peyton and I revised our shared custody schedule btwn her bio parents so we could get her all this week and weekend to see Grammy and Snuff, too (she's usually with her mom Wednesday and Thursday). Jennifer is great like that - playing switch-a-roo whenever we need or want.
So, I really need to keep this blog short so I can get the ankle biters a peanut butter sandwich and milk for dinner and pick out my toenail polish color.
If the government shuts down at midnight tonight, be good and be safe. Honestly, whether the government is shut down or up and running, our safety is about the same. Practically speaking, it will just give our Commander-in-Chief more time on the golf course (not that he doesn't make time currently).
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Fun Times
Things are going really well in my life these last few months. I am not one of those people who claim that things are always sunny. There were parts of this year where life wasn't fun and had gotten downright hard, like when we had to move twice in 4 months. Or when, two nights after moving to our apartment, our 2 car garage filled with all of our belongings flooded due to 70 mph straight line winds during a thunderstorm. Good news: We had Renter's Insurance. Bad news: Renter's Insurance doesn't cover this type of thing, as it's called an "act of God". Now, if a pipe had broken and flooded our stuff, we would've been covered. If our washing machine had broken and flooded our stuff, we would've been covered. But not straight line winds combined with a torrential thunderstorm. Everything we lost (and it was substantial) was a complete loss. That wasn't fun. Prior to moving to our apartment, I had Goodwilled, Craigslisted, and donated about 50% of our stuff. The stuff in the two car garage that we were storing was the good 50% that we were keeping.
Anyway, life has been rough at different times for us, including this year during 2013.
And quite possibly that's why I am so keenly aware of my life going so well right now.
It all started when we found this house, which we dearly love (and fell in love with the moment we walked through it). God was so gracious to give us favor to get this house when there were quite a few other offers on it at the same time. Then, God was so gracious to bless us with another baby... which we didn't think was necessarily in the cards for us. We are thrilled with this baby boy. Then we have had an incredible summer and beginning of fall buying furniture for and decorating this house. Maybe my real calling was to be a decorator - I sure do love doing it. Or maybe it's just more fun for people to interior decorate their own house. Either way, it's a blast. We have found some amazing deals on Craigslist. It has become a challenge/skill/hobby for us. I don't earn a paycheck myself and I don't clip coupons, so finding a crazy good deal on something of quality on Craigslist is fun for me. I also had the 3 kids' portraits made from an incredible children's photographer - and I am loving having those around the house.
Adrian continues to love his job. He just crossed the 2 year mark with this company in the beginning of August. He loves what he does - and is crazy good at it. (I know I couldn't sell lasers...I'd get a couple "no's" from potential customers and would be blubbering over a white mocha at the nearest Starbucks on the road). Or I would have long-term chronic insomnia just based on the fact that the largest portion of compensation comes from commission. Thankfully he's not like me in either of those ways and loves achieving and succeeding in his job. I like being the cheerleader in the background when he calls during the day or comes home to fill me in on current deals. I know all his customers' names and potential deals - and it's fun to be included in corporate America from the backseat. I really love being kept in the loop with the deals. It's much more thrilling than watching Dora and The Fresh Beat Band reruns.
I am so happy with where Andrew is at, especially this last month and a half. He loves, loves school (JrK) - and has started playing on his first soccer team (and come to find out, is really good at it). With as much as he has flourished these last 6 weeks, I'd think he was at the prime of his life if I didn't know better. I love his school, I love his 2 teachers, I love the kids and parents. We are right where we are supposed to be. And being a soccer mom to him like we have been to Peyton these last 6 years is a blast. Built-in weekly entertainment. And we sit in our soccer chairs and cheer and yell and scream and laugh and video tape the whole time. Stinkin fun.
I'm loving having mornings just me and Abigail. Since Andrew has school every morning M-F, it's just my girl and me. We go shopping for the house, go to Starbucks, and I can even take her with me to get my hair cut or a pedicure... she's a 3 year old girl and very compliant to do whatever. And she thinks if I bring her to the Disney Store at the mall (to simply browse), that I've brought her to Disney World. And thanks me for the rest of the day for taking her to Disney World. Which also feels good, and like my Craigslisting, it feels like I am saving money on such an expensive trip when she thinks she has been there repeatedly.
Even though the little ones have not been napping this past week like they usually do, they play nicely and let me nap.
I am nesting with this pregnancy much earlier than I did with the last 2 pregnancies. I am only 18 1/2 weeks along and I have been in full-gear nesting for about 5 weeks. I think it's the combination of the new house decorating excitement, nesting, my OCD and perfectionism tendencies, and drinking stronger coffee in the morning - but I have been planning, goal-setting, and then executing (organizing, cleaning, and decorating) every square inch of this house for about the last month and a half. Adrian and I always motivate eachother with our own personal motivation. One starts cleaning and organizing and the other catches it - and we get twice as much done. Nearly every time. He has bought and built shelving for the garage and organized everything in the garage. And organized, decorated, and cleaned his office. And his closet. And the kitchen. Those rooms are his terrain to organize and decorate (along with the movie room). The rest is mine. I have bought and made files for every piece of important paper work in our family - owner's manuals, birth certificates, investments, insurances, social security cards, passports, tax returns from the last 7 years, you name the paper work, it has a file. I created, labeled, alphabetized, and filled 62 hanging files to be exact. Combined everybody's personal files... Viola! One completed filing system for all 6 of us now. This brings my Type-A personality great joy and deep satisfaction.
Nothing is breaking or breaking down (cars) in our house or lives right now. This has not always been the case in recent years.
Adrian and I together are setting short-term and long-term goals and making deliberate moves to achieve them. (we're nerds, I know.)
I am well into my second trimester and feeling great (wasn't the case first trimester so I am so aware of how currently feeling good in pregnancy feels).
Simply put, these are fun times for me. I am also aware of the fact that at any given moment, life can change, and sometimes change drastically - so I don't take this for granted.
But I am loving this now.
Anyway, life has been rough at different times for us, including this year during 2013.
And quite possibly that's why I am so keenly aware of my life going so well right now.
It all started when we found this house, which we dearly love (and fell in love with the moment we walked through it). God was so gracious to give us favor to get this house when there were quite a few other offers on it at the same time. Then, God was so gracious to bless us with another baby... which we didn't think was necessarily in the cards for us. We are thrilled with this baby boy. Then we have had an incredible summer and beginning of fall buying furniture for and decorating this house. Maybe my real calling was to be a decorator - I sure do love doing it. Or maybe it's just more fun for people to interior decorate their own house. Either way, it's a blast. We have found some amazing deals on Craigslist. It has become a challenge/skill/hobby for us. I don't earn a paycheck myself and I don't clip coupons, so finding a crazy good deal on something of quality on Craigslist is fun for me. I also had the 3 kids' portraits made from an incredible children's photographer - and I am loving having those around the house.
Adrian continues to love his job. He just crossed the 2 year mark with this company in the beginning of August. He loves what he does - and is crazy good at it. (I know I couldn't sell lasers...I'd get a couple "no's" from potential customers and would be blubbering over a white mocha at the nearest Starbucks on the road). Or I would have long-term chronic insomnia just based on the fact that the largest portion of compensation comes from commission. Thankfully he's not like me in either of those ways and loves achieving and succeeding in his job. I like being the cheerleader in the background when he calls during the day or comes home to fill me in on current deals. I know all his customers' names and potential deals - and it's fun to be included in corporate America from the backseat. I really love being kept in the loop with the deals. It's much more thrilling than watching Dora and The Fresh Beat Band reruns.
I am so happy with where Andrew is at, especially this last month and a half. He loves, loves school (JrK) - and has started playing on his first soccer team (and come to find out, is really good at it). With as much as he has flourished these last 6 weeks, I'd think he was at the prime of his life if I didn't know better. I love his school, I love his 2 teachers, I love the kids and parents. We are right where we are supposed to be. And being a soccer mom to him like we have been to Peyton these last 6 years is a blast. Built-in weekly entertainment. And we sit in our soccer chairs and cheer and yell and scream and laugh and video tape the whole time. Stinkin fun.
I'm loving having mornings just me and Abigail. Since Andrew has school every morning M-F, it's just my girl and me. We go shopping for the house, go to Starbucks, and I can even take her with me to get my hair cut or a pedicure... she's a 3 year old girl and very compliant to do whatever. And she thinks if I bring her to the Disney Store at the mall (to simply browse), that I've brought her to Disney World. And thanks me for the rest of the day for taking her to Disney World. Which also feels good, and like my Craigslisting, it feels like I am saving money on such an expensive trip when she thinks she has been there repeatedly.
Even though the little ones have not been napping this past week like they usually do, they play nicely and let me nap.
I am nesting with this pregnancy much earlier than I did with the last 2 pregnancies. I am only 18 1/2 weeks along and I have been in full-gear nesting for about 5 weeks. I think it's the combination of the new house decorating excitement, nesting, my OCD and perfectionism tendencies, and drinking stronger coffee in the morning - but I have been planning, goal-setting, and then executing (organizing, cleaning, and decorating) every square inch of this house for about the last month and a half. Adrian and I always motivate eachother with our own personal motivation. One starts cleaning and organizing and the other catches it - and we get twice as much done. Nearly every time. He has bought and built shelving for the garage and organized everything in the garage. And organized, decorated, and cleaned his office. And his closet. And the kitchen. Those rooms are his terrain to organize and decorate (along with the movie room). The rest is mine. I have bought and made files for every piece of important paper work in our family - owner's manuals, birth certificates, investments, insurances, social security cards, passports, tax returns from the last 7 years, you name the paper work, it has a file. I created, labeled, alphabetized, and filled 62 hanging files to be exact. Combined everybody's personal files... Viola! One completed filing system for all 6 of us now. This brings my Type-A personality great joy and deep satisfaction.
Nothing is breaking or breaking down (cars) in our house or lives right now. This has not always been the case in recent years.
Adrian and I together are setting short-term and long-term goals and making deliberate moves to achieve them. (we're nerds, I know.)
I am well into my second trimester and feeling great (wasn't the case first trimester so I am so aware of how currently feeling good in pregnancy feels).
Simply put, these are fun times for me. I am also aware of the fact that at any given moment, life can change, and sometimes change drastically - so I don't take this for granted.
But I am loving this now.
First baby buy
Here are the first 2 things that I bought for our new baby. I bought them both and brought them to my embroidery lady.
Love how they turned out.
Love how they turned out.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
When Life Stages Collide
Just got the mail. Both pieces were for me:
1). a prenatal packet with baby and pampers coupons
2). A postcard from AARP.
Huh.
(Dear AARP,
I retired 5 years ago and have no plans of going back if I can help it.
Dear Pampers,
I can not afford your name brand diapers because of the reason stated in my letter to AARP.)
* Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go to the beauty shop to get my gray covered before I go to my 18 week OB appointment.
1). a prenatal packet with baby and pampers coupons
2). A postcard from AARP.
Huh.
(Dear AARP,
I retired 5 years ago and have no plans of going back if I can help it.
Dear Pampers,
I can not afford your name brand diapers because of the reason stated in my letter to AARP.)
* Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go to the beauty shop to get my gray covered before I go to my 18 week OB appointment.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Ode to Abigail
You've got it all, Abigail Hannah - beauty, brains, wit, spunk, compassion, determination, kindness, a heart for God, and the the ability to roar like a dinosaur. And a song in your heart from morning til night. You are our princess and everything we hoped for in a baby girl. Happy 3rd birthday, punkinpie.
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