Good and Very Good - The Park in PJs

Today was one of those days...a lazy Saturday.  We treasure them around these parts.  The kids played outside all morning and got the kind of dirty that only little people can get.  The kind of dirty that makes mamas sigh and smile at the same time.  The kind of dirty that means they need a shower before they can even climb in their own beds for nap time.  The good kind of dirty!!  Daddy was outside in the garage working on Belle's dog house so it was easy for them to stay out and pound with him when they weren't in the sand box.

After lunch we showered them, and then, being the silly mom I am, put PJ's on them.  Naps were going to be late and I had visions of an easy supper and quiet night before bed.  When the children woke up from naps they had a happy snack and we plunked them down for a video.  It was cute, but they watched about 15 minutes and got the wiggles.  They.weren't.into.it.  Sigh.  You know when you want to be lazy and they don't?  :)

Natalee finally turned around and said, "I wish we could go to a park." 

Oh man, I thought, you're in your jammies already... {whose fault is that?}

Alright - stop being the lazy parent and GET UP.  And it was good.  Very good.  We went to the school park and you know what?  We had a blast.  Even in their jammies.  Natalee's OT, PT, and Lang services were recently discontinued so this kind of activity made for perfect physical therapy exercise.  Mike and I alternated playing with the kids with sitting on the bench and just chatting.  And it was good.  Very good. 

So here's to making memories even when you are all tired out and want to stay on the couch.  Here's to celebrating the last day of summer and welcoming the lovliness of fall.  Here's to embracing childhood and all the goodness it has to offer!

PS - Nope, we didn't change them when we got home.  We fed them, read to them, and put them to bed.  The school park is blessedly clean...just look at the covering.  You couldn't really get dirty if you tried! 

Changing....

It's amazing to me how much a person (or 2 people) can change over the course of 5 years or 2 kids.  When we were expecting our first baby we were SO excited about the "stuff" that came along with the little person.  We came right home from our baby shower and put together EVERYTHING.  I mean - bouncy seat, high chair, swing, jumperoo - the works.  Either no one told us or we didn't listen (likely the latter) that all that STUFF doesn't make your baby any more/less valuable...that with your first especially you'll rarely use any of that stuff and that by the time you have your 3rd child you'll have sold most of it and seriously wonder if you really need to replace it at all.  

As we gear up for baby #3 here at the Beeler house I realize how much our needs, wants, and necessities have changed.  Likewise, our views, parenting styles, and lifestyles have changed a ton as well.  

At the top of my list for baby #3 were cloth diapers, a good baby carrier & a wrap, and these darling aden + anais swaddling blankets.  Obviously some of these are more "wants" than "needs" but there it is...the whole of my list in a nutshell.  Sure, there are things we don't have to think about b/c we do already have 2 children...we still have our pack & play (rarely used, by the way...I sometimes wonder at the necessity of these!), our high chair, and our crib.  The cradle is stored at my in-laws.  But God is also gracing us with opportunities to "buy used & save the difference" in ways I probably wouldn't have entertained when I was pregnant with #1.  (Perhaps with #1 I was a bit of a baby gear snob?)  My cousin, who has darling twins, has 2 infant car seats with 2 bases for each.  I asked her the other day if she'd think of me when she was ready to sell one.  We sold ours after Xavier, knowing that if/when we had more it'd be expired and no good to us.  My cousin agreed - check that off my list!  Another cousin offered us a barely used bassinet.  Not something we had with the other 2 b/c we had a cradle, but as we are thinking of moving and not sure what kind of house we'll be going into we realize it might be handy if we are in a multi-level home. 

We purchased cloth diapers to finish Xavier out before he potty trained, and then as they were shipping we potty trained him quickly, so they are stored and ready for action.  We're slowly adding to our stash and I'm (naively) excited for this adventure.  

 

My baby sister & her new husband blessed us with the much coveted aden + anais blankets that I wanted as a congratulations gift and as a way to let their EIGHTH niece or nephew know that they love him/her just as much as numbers 1-7!  

I caught a huge sale on Ergo baby carriers from Amazon just this week and am anxiously awaiting the delivery of my organic black carrier (run, Xavier, run...you will be my ginny pig!).  

I'm scouring the used Facebook pages for just the right wrap, although I gulp at the amount of money that even the used ones require that you part with...

 

http://community.babycenter.com/post/a21425637/my_small_wrap_stash?cpg=4&csi=2109618673&pd=0

 And so, you see, it's coming together.  If we are still in this little house when baby comes I'm not sure where we'll put him/her (that wrap will seem more important then, I bet!!) because this humble abode is just about full up, but I'm a believer that where there is a will, there is a way.  

We've also changed a lot regarding our birth plan and I'm so excited to have my baby sister on board as my birthing coach/partner.  She's helping me find just the right balance for our family...but that's for another post! 

So, happy Friday my friends.  Here's hoping that as you grow a little older or a little wiser that you find ways to simplify your life and enjoy the things that matter the most!

Our Four-Eyed Blue Eyes

Adding a #3 to the family hasn't been the only news in my blogging absence.  While most of my friends keep up with us on Facebook I still appreciate my blog as a record of our lives and am sad I took such a "break".  So, as I think of things I'll add them on so the kids can look back and read someday!

In December, after some "teacher mama" warning clues I took Natalee to the eye doctor and she was prescribed glasses after an exam. She wears them well and hasn't ever complained.  I think they make such a difference to her that she wants to have them on!

In March, Xavier tanked a preschool eye screening so I took him in for a follow-up exam.  He was diagnosed with an astigmatism but the doctor thought we had a chance of him outgrowing it so we waited 6 months.  At his 6 month check in August he was prescribed glasses to correct the astigmatism and some trouble with his close up vision (he sees like an eagle far away!).  So far he's left them on well and I've noticed improvement with his attention span and his coloring while doing school work.  

While Mike and I have truly enjoyed finding lots of "natural" ways of living, vision isn't something I can figure out how to correct naturally (big grin), so we are grateful for corrective lenses for our 2 little people. I did try to strengthen their eyes with Omega supplements that we've been giving them since they were younger but whether that had any effect or not is anyone's guess!  It certainly didn't hurt, of that I'm sure.  

And so, I add "certified glasses cleaner" to my repertoire of other mothering duties!  Anyone want to place a guess on whether we'll need another pair of glasses for #3 in 3-4 years??

Announcement Pictures

Dear #3,

You are wanted.  We are excited!  We can't wait to meet you!

Your big sister thinks you are a girl.

Your big brother wants twins!

We announced we were expecting on 9-7-13.  Our immediate families already knew.  Natalee's shirt says "Big sister again" and Xavier's says "Someday I'm gonna ride a big motorcycle, but for now I'm gonna be a big brother!"

We had our first OB visit the day before we announced.  The children got to hear the heartbeat and this is how we told them that a baby was coming!  We aren't getting too hung up on due dates because we don't want an induction ... but we are due around beginning-mid April.

Welcoming #3

This blog has taken a LOOOOONNNNGGG pause, but with the expected arrival of our baby Beeler #3 and some exciting times ahead of us with Mike starting a new job I thought it was time to polish the pen and dust out the cobwebs and fire her back up.  I love looking back over my blog posts from Natalee and Xavier and reading the journey of their pregnancies and milestones...and while Facebook is "good" it's not "that good."
So, if you care (wa ha ha), stay tuned and follow us on new adventures and a new journey!!