35 Weeks With #3

35 weeks....

I fluctuate between "I'm ready" and "we're really not ready."  We have no bed plan - I'd like a side car/co-sleeper but haven't ordered one yet - we also don't have out the bassinet or cradle, which are our other options.  Baby's hospital bag is packed, but mine's not started.  Clothes are in the dresser and diapers are ready.  I have zero freezer meals prepared, which is not good planning when your husband can't help with meals in the evening because of his commute.  Sigh.

The good news is our love is ready and my body is getting there.

I'm dealing with some swelling that started this last week in my feet and ankles.  I had this trouble with Natalee but not Xavier.  I guess every pregnancy really is different.

In the midst of all this, we're trying to prep the house to show and sell and pray that it sells readily so we can get moved.  Moving with a newborn, 3 year old, and 5 year old....the overwhelming feeling is starting to crush in around me.  Pray for us, would you?

More Natalee Art

 Natalee and Mommy

 A stoplight for daddy

 A robot

She's really into making hearts right now so I made her a large homemade stencil out of a piece of cardboard.  It gets a lot of use!

Garden of Eden {an Xavier Funny}

In our Bible curriculum we are learning about Creation and the fall of man into sin.  One of our daily review questions is "where did Adam and Eve live and what were the 2 trees called?"

Today, Xavier couldn't recall the trees names and candidly answered, "da one dey tould eat and da one dey touldn't!"

Little minds never fail to amaze me!

Baby's Blanket

We're ready, Baby.

Mommy has your blankie done.

Finish your baking because I'm ready to wrap you up, Sweetness.

Caught Me (& Last Busy Bag)

Xavier's virus caught me yesterday.  Like a ton of bricks it sat on me and suffocated the life right out of me.  By the time Mike got home my temp was the equivalent of 102+ ish (my normal temp is around 97, so a reading on the thermometer of 101.1 means I'm feeling pretty crummy), and I was immobile on the couch.  I'd called my mother in law after she got off work and she came over and took the kids to her house until Mike could get them.  My kids are pretty good kids...I was feeling that bad that I sent them away from me.  That's pretty bad.

All night long I sweated and moaned and hoped Jesus was returning.  Seriously - I'm glad I was able to be kind and gentle instead of impatient when my kids were sick because this virus is AWFUL.  On Monday Natalee came down with it.  I was supposed to have an OB check up but canceled because we were experiencing a thundersnow and she had a 103 temp.  She seemed to bounce back quickly but I'm not bouncing as fast.  Maybe it's cuz I'm ooollllddd.  Ha.

The kids are both still fighting runny noses, dry coughs, etc...the weather has been 40-50 the last two days (feels like spring out there!) so they've gone out in short spurts to breathe it in and blow off germs.  I'm frustrated that I've washed, sprayed, and disinfected everything I can think of and it's still running through our family.  Mike even took a sick day today to take care of me and the kids...that's pretty yucky feeling on my part for him to take a day off. 

He did a great job substitute teaching...

...and followed instructions well to wash all the bedding on everyone's beds and hang it out on the clothesline.

The kids were getting restless tonight - tired of mom being laid up on the couch and our routine being off, even if dad did an excellent job today, so I got out the last hidden busy bag from our exchange.

Balloon Ping Pong for Two

{It was a hit!}  Put together by a mom of 10 with #11 on the way...she gets life. 

Ignore the clean laundry on the chair...at least it's clean.  And Natalee's hair...well, let's just say this is a "real life" type of day. ;)

Here's to health and hoping YOU all are well. 

Sledding Party

Today was a first for my kids at ages 3 & 5.  They've sledded before but never gone to a real farm sledding party and let loose down a bumpy pasture hill that gives you that rush of "whoa".

The camera didn't do too hot (apparently it works better if the batteries are charged) but I snapped a few pics before it died completely.

Thanks to my folks and my Uncle Henry & Aunt Julie for laying out a fire at the bottom of the hill and providing hot dogs, s'mores, and other goodies for the kids.  It really was a blast and although I didn't sled this year (Mike and I decided that at 34 weeks pregnant it was better to sit out) I LOVED watching my childhood memories come to life through my kids' eyes.

Natalee wasn't feeling super great before we left.  The start of a cold, I'd say.  I offered to stay home with her and she opted to go.  Instead of stewing in our own germs we decided getting out into the air might do her good.  And who can tell a five year old that isn't totally down and sick that she has to stay home from the sledding party?  She went down the hill about 10 times and had a BLAST (as indicated by her face above) before giving into her tired and going to the house with Aunt Julie and buddy Rylan. 

The kids had it made!  Papa and Uncle Henry/Chance carted them up the hill on the 4-wheeler and side by side all afternoon.  I was joking that they were terribly spoiled and we didn't get such treatment as children (we did walk up a lot, it seemed) but then mom reminded me of the times the dads would hook car hoods and feed troughs up to a truck and cart us back up the hill.  Maybe we had it made, too.  The hill sure looked easier to climb in my memory than it did today!

This guy...this normally reserved and kind of shy kid...he.had.a.BLAST.  I lost count of how many times he came down the hill.  He'd ride couples, solo, it made no difference!  Even after he ate a face full of snow he just wiped off, warmed up by the fire, turned in his glasses to mom and went back up.  He rode up with anyone offering a ride and came shooting back down just as quickly.  He lasted almost 2 hours of solid sledding before curling up by the fire with Nannie. 

Just when we think we will be violently ill if we see any.more.snow. we find a way to call ourselves blessed.  Blessed by God's beauty, by family, and by the fun of time spent in innocence. 

More Baby Sewing...

My sewing skills have either reached their peak or have honed in on 2 things - burp cloths and wipes.  Remember I posted last month about starting a batch of homemade burp cloths and a few cloth wipes?  I finished those:

And then...I got to digging in my fabric box and then a friend dropped off more fabric for me and I found some terry cloth I wanted to use to back with some flannel, and, and, and....

You see where this is going right?  I made more.  Even after I had all ^^^^ those.

While double cotton flannel aren't my favorite burp cloths I know a lot of people who love them.  And I do love a layer of flannel with a layer of terry cloth.  I already told you - if I have a baby, I want a spit cloth and I don't use them till the end of the day when they are nasty and gross...if it's puked, it's laundry...so we *do* go through a lot in our house.  {Excuses and justifications anyone?}

While chatting with a cousin friend who is due shortly after me, I heard her say she liked the double cotton flannel sewn into the contour shape.  So when I got to digging in my bucket & found so many cute fabrics I couldn't NOT make her some, true?  Another homeschooling mama from our group is pregnant with her 11th so of course, even baby #11 needs a few new.  And then, a friend who has moved away announced the adoption of their baby #6 in a few weeks...so a surprise package MUST be sent their way. 

Stop the rambling, Jenn. Just show the pictures.

I may have gone overboard.  Twenty-one (23 if you count the 2 I made Xavier for his doll babies).  Plus the 18 I made from prefold and flat diapers.  But it was  BLAST to take my two stashes (the diaper cloths from last time and these) and divide them between us all.  I even have a few tucked up to gift another day.  The mama due with #11 knows her's is a boy...the cousin and mama with baby #6 coming don't know the gender.  So it was fun to choose "girly, boyish, and neutrals" to give out to those 2 and to macho man up the other mama's package.

Sending/giving packages that people aren't expecting has to be one of the funnest things for me in life!

And I'm super excited about all my little burp-y cloth sweetness.  Truth is, I'm running out of prep work and kind of just need a baby so I'm gonna have to find something else to focus my attention on (selling the house, finding a new home in our new town?...psh - you people!)

I finished out my stash of little homemade wipes too, using scraps from the burp cloths:

In other news...I ordered a little something for baby and a little something for me when I did our last vitamin/household goods order online.  The spray is a recommendation from my sis, who is an RN on an OB floor...she said another mom had it and said it was a.maz.ing.  If you've ever gone through childbirth you know amazing is exactly what you need after delivery. ;)

Baby season is in full swing here folks!  And we couldn't be more excited!! (Sorry for all the rambling...being pregnant apparently affects my ability to focus.)

Be Mine, Valentine

Do you celebrate Valentine's Day?

It's not an over the top holiday for us.  We like to use it as a reminder of the greatest love story ever written:

(I've seen this signage done many times but not ever so elegantly & beautifully as my sis at the crafty cAve does it.)

We choose to use this day as a way to remind the children to love others as Christ loved us.  

Sometimes Mike gets me flowers.  Sometimes I get him a little something.  Sometimes we altogether ignore it.  As the children get older it's been fun to surprise them with a little "for no good reason" love gift as we did tonight. 

 (poor Xavier - that really is all the more his eyes will open - they are watery and sore and exhausted)

Tonight I did set expectations for myself.  On Valentine's Day.  (Silly huh?)  I laid out a nice but simple meal plan, thought we'd light some candles (with the kids) and have a nice dinner together.  Mike's been out of town for 3 days for work, this being his first night home, so I thought a little Valentine's celebration like this would be good for us all.  Let me tell you what happens when you set expectations.  Life.  Life happens.  I had a sinus headache that would NOT give up (thanks snow storm) and at about 4 this afternoon I could see Xavier rapidly declining.  He'd been sick with influenza earlier in the week but now the head cold - sneezing, congestion, sore ear, sore throat, watery eyes, cough, etc. - is setting in.  Once our daycare friends left for the day he flipped a switch and became a snuggling mess of baby boy.  I rocked him while he dozed for about an hour and finally realized my fun, cute little Valentine dinner wasn't going to happen.  Sigh.  

Do you want to know what a rock star Valentine does when you call and tell him you are failing at homemade supper even after he's been gone for three days?  He says pizza for supper sounds great and he'd love to pick some up.  He walks in with flowers, chocolates, and a movie for later and kisses you when you know you have baby boy snot on your shirt and in your hair.  He loves you just like Jesus does.  Sigh.

(I wish ya'll could smell these from the computer.  They convince me that I'll open the door to green grass in the morning.)

So to my Valentine...thanks for being a rock star. 

And to all of you out there...remember how much Jesus loves you and what a treasure you are to Him.

Happy February 14th, everyone!

Art Pictures

Our tables, walls, fridge, etc., are overflowing with art.  It's exhausting.  I tend to look at them, keep most of them a few days, and "file" them.  Recently the children had a stack for Mike, though, and I told him to go through and take care of them and when he started opening them he saw some real beauty in them.  It's hard to keep them ALL but I did ask him to grab my phone and take pics of the ones with fun details or that were particularly heartfelt.

Here you go!

 (a motorcycle from Xavier)

 (hand print love for Daddy)

(Daddy liked this one because of the detail at the bottom...see Natalee's depiction of her easel with her on own side and Xavier on the other?)

Another from Xavier...we think a motorcycle?  He draws a lot of motorcycles!

I'll probably do this periodically...upload some of the children's art to be kept in our "online" scrapbook here as it does get overwhelming to keep them all.  I do occasionally snag a few to put in their yearly binders but at a rate of 3-5 each per day it's just a TON!  What do you do with your little artists' work?  Don't say keep it all and shame me to tears!

Blending Words & Growing Up

Yesterday Xavier was quite sick, and while I tended to him his sister was SUCH a big and respectful girl.  At age 5, I should expect nothing less, but it's still nice to see and recognize!

One of the quiet activities she chose was writing words...I love watching her figure out that letters make words and listen to her blend and slide through those sounds to get to the word!  She's also enjoying finding rhyming words (word families) and we're working on just changing the initial sound to discover new words. 

(The N is for Natalee).  This is a fun, fun stage for mom as I love teaching and teaching my own little girl is a huge privilege!!  Reading is Natalee's favorite "subject" and it's exciting to me to think about the next stages of this journey!

We didn't accomplish school yesterday with sick Xavier, but the last couple weeks in math she's been adding ten's horizontally and vertically and counting by 2's.  She's also continued to review her doubles addition and +1 adding facts and is committing them to memory!  I love listening to her practice throughout the day and love that she thinks learning is fun!

(Is there anything cuter than your own child bent over her schoolwork?)

If you'd have asked me earlier if my kindergartener would have been capable of these things in math this year I would have said "doubtful."  This here is one proud and pleased mama!!  Proud of my girl and so pleased with our curriculum choices!  Each week I look ahead at our math lesson and cringe (and sometimes think "no way!")...and then we tackle it together and come out successful.  What a true joy!

Influenza {Boo}

We are SO ready for some warm weather and sunshine and according to the forecast we might just be due for some soon....(fingers crossed).

Yesterday Xavier came down jabbering nonsense at just before 7:00 a.m.  I reached down to pick him up and realized his little body was firey.  Poor baby.  Fever of 103+.  

He'd told me a day before that his arms and legs hurt but I thought it was growing pains.  And his eyes had been a bit watery, nose a little runny...but it's winter after all.  Individually all those things aren't much but thrown in the pot and stirred around with a high fever = quite likely influenza.  Boo.  I texted my Nurse Practitioner friend, and without taking him to the clinic (in -15 temps...would you like to get out with a 103 fever and -15 degree temperature?) she confirmed my suspicion that it was likely classic flu.  Not the pukey kind...just the real, down home yuck.  

I tried to let his fever burn itself off but when it soared to 104+ I dosed him with Advil and messaged my friend again.  As long as I could get it down, she said we were okay to stay home, and it did come down and hover at 102 with meds the rest of the day.  

Right after I gave Advil, before it kicked in I saw this number on the thermometer and tried to stay calm.

We've had temps of 105-106* with Natalee in the past and I called 2 ER's and they both told me the same thing..."bring her if you want but we are going to piggy back Tylenol and Advil and put her in a tepid bath.  Watch for seizure."  So I did feel somewhat prepared to handle this, not that I liked seeing it at all.  Luckily his started going down with the Advil and cool water.  At nap time he crawled up on the couch and invited me to join him and share his blanket...

...who could resist that?

The rest of the day wavered between light play, mostly on the couch, and dozing.  

Dad ran him through the shower before bed

 and Xavier worked his "I'm sick" plan to include sleeping in our room (which is our "sick" policy).  We blew up a twin air mattress for him to bunk on.

Today my little man is much better and quite ornery.  He slept 12 hours straight on the air bed in our room and woke grumpy but worked out of it with a little food and OJ.  He remained fever free all day without help from the meds.  He's still playing the "sick" card so he doesn't get sent back to his bed (insert chuckle) so for tonight he's bunking with mama and Natalee is on the air bed as a treat.  She was WONDERFUL yesterday (a separate blog post for her) and behaved like such a big girl with patience, respect for her brother's needs and mom's limitations, and love toward us both that a little reward was due her!  She's taking lots of vitamins and preventative herbals to hopefully prevent her from getting sick too.

Did I mention we are all aching for warmer temps?  Today we hit 20*, which is a ton better than -15* but we are looking forward to the 40*-50* we are promised this weekend and beginning of next week!!