another summer weekend gone

This past weekend was yet another busy one. After a really packed week of activity we decided to make no plans on Friday and just relax at home. Unfortunately, that plan didn't work out since the a/c went out (again). Ben + his dad spent most of the evening assessing and repairing.

Saturday morning my siblings moved into their college dorms. My brother for his first year and my sister for her 3rd. Ben helped them move some stuff in while Malakai + I wandered around between rooms and eventually played outside with Mima for a bit.

{my husband Ben, my brother's roommate Tyler, and my brother Cody}

{my sister Amanda + Kai}

{Malakai was dancing to the music they had playing in the quad}

After move-in there was a family lunch outside and then some other meetings + activities that we left my parents + siblings to in order to take Kai home for nap time. That's when Ben went to finish work on the a/c. My poor husband up in the nasty hot attic. I'm so thankful and proud of him for repairing the issue himself, and for free!

Once little dude was up from his nap we went to run errands + ended up eating a super cheap dinner at Costco while we were out + about so we could finish getting things done and still have a happy toddler.

Sunday afternoon we stuck around the house. Ben + Malakai had some good bonding time while I worked on blanching + slicing peaches for freezing and for cobbler. 

{Kai grabbed a pillow to be like daddy}

{he still refuses to get in this pool, but loved getting wet from the outside}

Another busy weekend gone and yet another one ahead of us. Time is just flying by!

33 weeks

How far along? 33 weeks 

Total weight gain/loss: up 25 lbs.

Stretch marks? a few little ones

Maternity Clothes: my wonderful mother in law gave me some "Kohls cash" and I got a few better fitting tops + a pair of shorts. Oddly enough all my shorts were too big and my tops were too short. 

Sleep: Our a/c was out on Friday night and I slept really hard actually. It was a nice change from the frequent wakings. 

Best moment this week:Malakai rubbing my belly this morning and saying "baby"

Movement: lots of bumps, punches, kicks, + nudges. He's running out of room, but still tries to squirm. 

Gender: boy

Labor Signs: fairly intense BH all day yesterday.
Food Cravings: fresh fruit cobbler + vanilla ice cream. I seem to always crave sweets.
Belly Button in or out? slightly out
What I miss: being thin. It sounds so superficial but I'm starting to feel huge and like nothing fits. I really do enjoy being pregnant though.

What I am looking forward to: finishing up the playroom, including our repaired glider.

Weekly Wisdom: nothing too wise from me this week.

Baby Brain Moment of the Week: nothing too entertaining. 

Milestones: according to The Bump, we've moved from baby being the size of a squash to a honeydew- where we'll be for the next 4 weeks before we graduate to watermelon!

won't stay fixed...

Our a/c went out in early July and thankfully it was fairly cool so we weren't suffering too badly. Unfortunately it cost us $850 and that was with a generous discount on the service charge, but it was worth it. Then earlier this month it decided to go out again, for a different reason. The people who installed our system 10-15 years ago took a few too many little short cuts with things that didn't matter until now. Another $35 after a very generously discounted service call, plus Ben doing a little bit of work with the repairman on the phone, and we were set once again.

After lunch Malakai grabbed me by the hand to drag me into his playroom. One of my favorite things that he does. On the way over I walked by a vent and the air blowing out was a bit stuffy. I poked my head outside to listen for the pump running, and it wasn't. These were the same indicators that something was wrong the last 2 times. So I called Ben and after a meeting he'll be heading home to see if it's something he can fix.

Meanwhile Kai and I found relief in the kiddie pool out back (more so me than him really) and now we're waiting for daddy to save the day. Sadly for him he has to climb up into the very hot attic to assess the situation. It's highly likely that it's upwards of 120 degrees in there. Pray for him, that he doesn't get too hot or have to be up there long, and that he can figure it out so we don't have to call on our repairman as I'm thinking we've probably run out of favors.

Stay cool + happy weekend,

Thankful on a Thursday: Malakai + Mama

I'm doing my best, as welcoming little brother into our home gets closer, to shower Kai with some extra love + attention. He's a pretty independent kid so sometimes I have to remind myself to sit down and watch him or interact with him while he's playing. Often he won't let me play with him so I'll "play" beside him or just observe. We've been giving him lots of extra love through praise, hugs, kisses, and the like as well. It's obvious that he senses the change that's coming, and while he's not old enough to understand exactly what's coming, we do our best to explain it to him. I'm soaking in these days when it's just Malakai + Mama, knowing that pretty soon life will be VERY differnt.

This week I'm thankful for...

781. the joy our son brings us and others.


{currently obsessed with numbers + letters}

782. the blueberry cobbler sitting on my counter, awaiting the vanilla ice cream Ben will be bringing home tonight.

783. being able to stay home with Malakai- it's tough, money is tight, but I wouldn't have it any other way.


{teaching Kai how to take a self-portrait}

784. feeling little brother wiggle and squirm all day long.

785. snack food. I've been constantly hungry these days.

786. daydreaming with my husband about what our new son will be like, and look like.

787. lunch with Ben in the middle of the day after an appointment yesterday.

788. our glider rocker being fixed by my uncle. The frame broke at a weld almost a year ago. I'm so glad to not have to purchase a new one, especially because I'm quite attached to the thought of rocking all my babies in the same chair.

789. the patience + peace that God provides amidst particularly frustrating parenting moments.

790. a husband who loves our family with all of himself and takes care of us in every way possible.

Lane County Fair

After church this past Sunday we hurried across town to the Lane County Fair to take advantage of the free admission for coming early. At $9 per adult just to get in there was no way we'd be able to go otherwise. We got a fantastic parking spot and I had packed lunches, so we were set to take Kai to see the animals for his 2nd year. But before heading to the livestock area we stopped at the photobooths for another tradition.

We thought for sure Kai was smiling for the first photo but he must have moved at the last second. Then we just ended up being a blur, which is what happens I guess when you try to squeeze a pregnant lady, a 6ft tall man, and a toddler into a teensie photobooth space. The limit is 3 people, but I'm hoping that next year we can sneak little brother in for a photo.

On our way to the animals we ate our PBJ + banana lunches. By the time we got there I was already overheated. I guess it was close to 90 degrees that day, I had no idea it would be so hot! It was surely my first time being bothered by the heat this summer, it had been so mild here until then.

First we saw chickens. Kai knew what they were immediately and REALLY wanted to touch them.



Then we saw some other birds, including ducks + ducklings!

In the next room were all sorts of bunnies, some with floppy ears and some with pointy ears. Kai called them bunnies and rabbits...

Then we saw goats + sheep. When I asked Malakai what they were he said "animals!"

{he was laughing so hard at this sheep because her ear would twitch every time he pet her}

{teensie pygmy goats, mama's fave.}

We didn't see any pigs this year, in fact I didn't even realized it until writing this that we had missed them somehow. After washing our hands thoroughly we headed to the stalls to see the horses and cows.

{not too impressed with the cows but LOVED the horsies!}

Once we washed up again we went across the fairgrounds to the exhibit hall. I was relieved to be in air conditioning, but my body was exhausted and couldn't walk much more. We made it about two isles of booths before deciding it was time to go home. 

We had a great time and it was so much fun to watch Kai recognize the different types of animals and get excited about seeing + petting them. Maybe next year we can take him on some of the kiddie rides!

32 weeks

I hard ever take a picture on the day that I start a new week into this pregnancy. Who wants to take a picture of themselves on a Monday? Half the time I don't put on makeup or really get dressed. We end up doing things during the weekend that warrant photos to be taken, which is why lately I haven't been posing in the usual spot. That, and it's the playroom now so there's a toy shelf in the way. So here I am at almost 32 weeks...

{photo courtesy of my talented husband}

How far along? 32 weeks 

Total weight gain/loss: up 25 lbs.

Stretch marks? a few little ones

Maternity Clothes: I'm just working with what I've got

Sleep: still pretty hard to come by. I've been waking up at 5am so sore that I can't fall back to sleep.

Best moment this week: spending some leisure time with my boys.

Movement: so much that it keeps me up or wakes me up at night. 

Gender: little brother

Labor Signs: still some mild braxton-hicks contractions here and there.
Food Cravings: softserve ice cream
Belly Button in or out? halfway out...if that even makes any sense.
What I miss: being able to lift my big toddler boy with ease.

What I am looking forward to: going through Malakai's newborn clothes.

Weekly Wisdom: listen to your husband, he's looking out for your best interest. 

Baby Brain Moment of the Week: I almost took two prenatal vitamins at once because as I was taking them I was thinking about taking a couple tylenol. So glad I caught it, I'm sure I would have felt terrible!

Milestones: I had my first miserably hot day as a pregnant lady in the summer. Overall not too bad, I still prefer being pregnant than having a newborn when it's hot!

photo friday: ip cam

We recently got a new gadget that has pretty much revolutionized naps + bedtime. We were struggling with constantly checking on Kai because he started to literally rearrange furniture and strip from the waist down when he was supposed to be sleeping.

We thought we'd register for a video monitor for little brother since it would come in handy with both children, but even the lowest priced monitor seemed out of range for anyone to buy for us. We did some more research on video monitors and decided that they weren't secure enough for us. The negative reviews I ran into on Amazon alerted me to the fact that any neighbors in the area that also had video monitor equipment could tap into our video feed and see us and our kiddos. I know the odds of someone actually doing so are fairly low, but having accidentally heard someone nearby through our audio monitor on a couple of occasions had me creeped out enough to know I didn't want to spend $150 to possibly let strangers into my home.

Ben began to research IP cameras that work exclusively on your home network. These cameras are often used for home security purposes and from the reviews it seems that people are using them for baby monitors more and more. The biggest benefit being security, the 2nd benefit being a much lower price. We decided to go with the Foscam for best reviews + price ($89.99).

When we got it set up it was like a whole new world opened up. We no longer had to open the door and risk disturbing our sleeping toddler, or not open the door and wake up at 12am to find him soaked after taking his diaper off. We also no longer had to wonder about every bump + thump that came from his room. Sometimes he would just bump the side of his bed, other times he was literally moving furniture.

One feature I love is "snapshot" where it takes a still photo. I've taken several as I watch Kai doing something sweet or funny. I've captured bedtime stories with daddy...

and funny moments where he really should be sleeping...

{bonus points if you can spot him in all 4 photos}

and precious and hilarious sleeping positions....

{under the pillow with his feet sticking out is one of my faves}

This camera has been a lifesaver and I'm so glad we finally made a choice and got something that works for our family!  I love watching Kai fall asleep and on the occasions where he's being mischievous I've often been able to holler "no!" from the other room and stop him in his tracks without even going in! Complete game changer! I think it'll come in handy when (if) we decide to have the boys share a room some day as well.

Now, if we could get him to keep his pants/diaper on at bedtime he might go to sleep on time. Any pointers toddler parents? (we've tried onesies + pullups already)

Thankful on a Thursday: watch them grow

This past Monday we got a big group of us together to visit with some friends who are missionaries in the Dominican Republic and were here on their annual summer visit. It was so fun to see them, catch up on the past year since we've seen them last, meet their newest addition, and best of all- watch the kids play together.

Malakai gets to play with kids his age at church every week, but since I'm either working or attending service I don't really get to watch him interact with his peers. It was such a joy to watch him play cooperatively with my friends kiddos. Out of the 6 kids there, 5 were boys (not including little brother of course). 3 babies and 3 toddlers. Surprisingly there was no hitting, poking, or pushing between the boys...just a little trouble sharing, but no tantrums ensued. They thoroughly enjoyed each others' company.

The adults enjoyed each others' company as well. If only we could get all of us together more often!

This week I'm thankful for...

771. gathering with college friends (it's hard to believe we met 11 years ago!)

772. I also had the opportunity to have lunch with a friend I've known for 17 years this week!

773. learning from friends who have ventured into 2 kid status before us. I'm feeling more at ease about the upcoming transition to being a family of 4.

774. Surviving a busy week where we've had plans every single night. Our plans tonight got cancelled and it's a bit of relief that we can stick around the house together. 

775. a better night's sleep last night than the night before (even with a 2am wake up from a soggy toddler).

776. watching Malakai learn things so quickly. He now knows every letter in the alphabet and numbers 1-10 and a few in the teens. I delight in his growing knowledge + abilities every chance I get. 

777. the play room coming together more and more. I can't wait to put together the storage shelf we got at the baby shower and decorate the walls (and ceiling!). 

778. a bountiful harvest from my very first garden. We got another huge batch of sugar snap peas and picked all the carrots this week. 

779. having 2 cars...I slowing down on my outings as my belly gets bigger and my back gets weaker but it's nice to have the option to go where I want when I want all day!

780. beautiful summer weather that allows us to stay outside til 9pm or later. 

What are you thankful for this week?

yawn

Sleeping has been rough lately. It comes with the territory, I know...I remember. Somehow I usually catch just enough sleep between the constant switching of sides. Once one hip or shoulder aches enough to wake me up, I flip over to the other side that is most likely still sore from sleeping on it the hour before. Even with my once magical pillow cocoon, I just don't get a very restful night's sleep.

Last night I didn't get to bed til late because Malakai was struggling to fall asleep. This morning I woke to Ben's alarm at 5am and could not get comfortable enough to fall asleep again. I tossed + turned for about an hour. Next my mind wakes up and there's no turning back, so I got up and quietly checked email and surfed the internet while Malakai slept. He actually woke up earlier than usual at 7am and we snuggled on the couch and watched Elmo. I dozed off here and there for a few minutes at a time, still awake enough to know Kai was sitting next to me and sometimes on me. It was miserable because I was then tired enough to sleep anywhere, but with my two year old up for the day I couldn't crawl back into bed to get any actual sleep. I haven't been this exhausted in a long time.

A morning like this sort of kills the mood for the rest of the day. I have a headache and am sick to my stomach. When Malakai takes his nap, I'll tidy up the house a bit and  jump in the shower and get ready for tonight's plans...and MAYBE if body + mind cooperate I'll take a little snooze too. It's interesting how much of an impact sleep or lack thereof has on the rest of one's existence, I don't much like it.

little brother's baby shower

My mom, mother-in-law, and good friend Jamie put together a fantastic baby shower for little brother. (as a sidenote: "little brother" is just a nickname until his name reveal on his birth-day. It's not something we plan on calling him on a regular basis once he's born). I know some people are reluctant to have a baby shower once they've had their first baby but we all believe in celebrating every child. This doesn't mean that gifts were expected, but they did come. We were so blessed by the generosity of family + friends!

We were also blessed to be able to use the cafe at our church for the event. It was such a nice atmosphere and the large kitchen came in handy. The "theme" was a rainy day "shower" theme based on some inspiration I found through a minor obsession, pinterest. I actually designed the invites, signs, and stickers for the cups. I also made clouds with raindrops. I just love throwing parties so much I couldn't resist helping with my own when it came to the creative + crafty stuff. Plus I was planning on making the clouds anyway for our playroom.

My lovely hostesses made the cake, fruit trays, drinks, and brought banners and put everything together. It was such a nice little event.

{the food + drink set up}

 




















Guests snacked and mingled for a bit as others arrived. My favorite part about parties like this is that it brings close friends + family together into one place at the same time. Sadly, because of summer schedules not everyone was able to make it this time. Due to 5 immediate family birthdays, school, and other conflicts we couldn't have the shower in September so we had to hurry up and find a date that worked for us in August before time ran out!



This is my mom with Justice, my friend Jamie's son and Delia, my cousin Angela's daughter. These two cuties are just a week apart. You may remember how we were eagerly anticipating quite a few babies all in the month of February earlier this year, here's two of them!

After a bit everyone gathered round and I opened gifts. I was so surprised by the great gifts that everyone brought. I anticipated smaller, more conservative gifts with a second child but I have some generous friends + family! It was such a blessing as we still have a need for quite a few things. We borrowed a lot with Kai and there were some things we just did without that we'd like to have.

We got some great clothing for little brother, a toy storage shelf for the boys' playroom, plenty of baby toiletries, a quilt from Ben's mom(which is still in the process, I'll post a photo when it's done) a co-sleeper from my parents and too many other great things to list them all.

{with my besties!}

{my sister + sister-in-law}

{my mom + mother-in-law}

Thank you Mom, Debbie, Jamie, Amanda, + Kristi for putting together a great baby shower as we prepare to welcome another sweet boy into our lives.

Thanks to all of you who came and showered us with love + gifts! Thanks to those who couldn't make it and sent us gifts or have gifts for us anyway! We feel so loved.

31 weeks

{baby shower sneak peek}

How far along? 31 weeks (previous pregnancy post here)

Total weight gain/loss: up 25 lbs.

Stretch marks? a few teensie little annoyances.

Maternity Clothes: frustrating.

Sleep: very little...so many aches + pains.

Best moment this week: lots of great food and spending time with family. 

Movement: tons. little brother now gets hiccups on a daily basis.

Gender: bouncing baby boy.

Labor Signs: braxton-hicks contractions here and there.
Food Cravings: fresh fruit, as usual.
Belly Button in or out? on it's way out, which didn't happen last time and is totally weirding me out.
What I miss: clothing options. it's so annoying to get dressed now that many of my wardrobe staples no longer fit.
What I am looking forward to: seeing friends from out of town this week.
Weekly Wisdom: slow down.

Baby Brain Moment of the Week: apparently I mixed up an important date last week, either I wrote it down wrong on all my calendars or it was changed and nobody told me... 

Milestones: babyshower has come and gone and now it's time to unpack, organize, and pick up the items we still need over the next 9 weeks (or less).

baby-fever

Is it possible to have "baby-fever" while pregnant? I mean, I know I'll have a snuggly newborn baby boy in about 10 short weeks but I can't help but want to cuddle all the newbies popping up left and right. Friends + family all around me are welcoming new little bundles and I just can't wait to have a teensie little person in the house again.

At about this time with my 1st pregnancy we were feeling just as anxious to meet Malakai. We have the same questions about this little boy...who will he look like? when will his birthday be? what will his temperament be like? And one different one...what on earth is his middle name going to be?! I'm fairly certain we had Malakai's full name down by now but we just can't settle on a middle name for little brother. It's not even an argument, it's more like indecisiveness. Hopefully one will stick before he arrives.

Until then, I'll just be swooning over all the new babies and remembering my 2 year old when he was brand new...

 

{Malakai at 3 days old, July 2009}

Thankful on a Thursday: on the go

761.attending the Global Leadership Summit (willowcreek.com/summit)

762.the bonding Ben + Malakai are getting while I'm gone all day.

763. A steady supply of snacks and water during a very long day.

764. A lunch date with my sister-in-law yesterday.

765. Sweet comments that boost my self-esteem on a day I really need it.

766. Friends + family going out of their way to help us celebrate little brother this weekend. We are so blessed.

767. Finishing Kai's playroom and watching him enjoy it.

768. Officially owning a 2nd car: making errands,playdates, and appointments so much easier to coordinate.

769. Sunshine and enjoying meals outdoors. One of my gave summer activities.

770. My iPod touch (as outdated as it is) allowing me to entertain my toddler, listen to music, and write this blog post on the go...

anecdotes

The more Malakai says and does, the more I want to document every little bit of it. These are the days where he'll say hilarious things and we can laugh without hurting his feelings. Most of the time he'll laugh with us...it's that whole "monkey see, monkey do" thing.

Exhibit A:

{fun with potato head accessories}

Wanting to record all of these things reminds me of when I was student teaching in a Kindergarten classroom and we kept "anecdotal records"as part of our assessment of each child's development over the year. Of course I keep track of some things here, but I really need a notebook of some sort to just jot down the little things quickly between running to the store, folding laundry and playing on the floor. 

One that I've seen is called "My Quotable Kid" which I found on pinterest, and a friend from college mentioned that she has one and loves it. Is there a way that you keep track of all the little things that your kids say and do that make you laugh, cringe, or even cry? (tears of joy I'd hope)...

30 weeks...

{30 weeks}

How far along? 30 weeks (previous pregnancy post here)

Total weight gain/loss: up 23 lbs. total as of my last appointment 3 weeks ago...

Stretch marks? no

Maternity Clothes: yes

Sleep: very little

Best moment this week: swimming as a family. Malakai did a great job putting his face in the water + blowing bubbles, and I thoroughly enjoyed floating. 

Movement: a lot more often within the past week. He used to settle down when I was moving, but now he's even active when I'm out on a walk. 

Gender: BOY!

Labor Signs: just a few mild braxton-hicks contractions.
Food Cravings: sugar snap peas (from my garden!) dipped in ranch.
Belly Button in or out? flat
What I miss: being able to do as much as I did before. I get sore so quickly. 

What I am looking forward to: my baby shower this upcoming weekend.

Weekly Wisdom: enlist help, even for little things, it it means less aches + pains later.

Baby Brain Moment of the Week: general forgetfulness here and there.

Milestones: 3/4 of the way through this pregnancy. 10 weeks (or less, and hopefully not more!) until we meet our new baby boy!