Preserving 2015

This has been a big year!  Here is the run down...

Frozen Items

Beet Greens 1 big bag
Garlic Mustard  4 small bags
Swiss Chard  6 small bags, 3 quart bags and one huge bag
Kale 21 small bags, 3 large bags
Green Peppers approximately 100 peppers chopped and sliced for fajitas
Orange Pepper 4 quart bags sliced for fajitas
Mulberries  6 quarts, 5 gallons
Black caps 5 quarts
Red Raspberries 1 quart
Blueberries 9 quarts
Peaches 1 gallon
Garlic scapes 14 bags chopped, 10 jars of paste
Strawberries 6 jars of sliced, 1 gallon whole
Tart Cherries 2 gallons
Green Beans 14 big bags, 10 medium bags
Cauliflower 7 bags
Pesto 20 small jars
Zucchini 4 bags shredded
Garden Marinara 2 quarts
Garlic Lemon Veggies for bisque 5 jars (3 soup recipes)
Zucchini Butter 6 large batches
Beets 6 bags
Cinnamon Apples 6 gallons
Squash/butternut squash/pumpkin puree  17 pb jars
Pumpkin Butter 10 1/2 pint jars


Dehydrated
Apples 7 quarts
Cherry tomatoes 2 quarts, 1 pint
Thyme, Oregano, Chives, and lots of Mint

Canning
Garden Marinara  7 quarts, 2 pints
Tomatoes 22 quarts, 1 pint
Tomato 'water' 4 quarts
Salsa 16 quarts
Spiced apples 2 quarts and 9 pints
Pears 25 quarts, 5 pints
Peaches 12 quarts
Peach Juice 4 quarts, 1 pint
Cherry lime syrup 3 pints
Applesauce 51 quarts, 2 pints
Apple 'juice' 2 quarts
Pear 'juice' 3 pints
Dilly beans 9 pints
Garlic Dill pickles 20 quarts
Bread and butter pickles 7 quarts
Pickled garlic scapes 1 quart, 11 pints
Chard Stems w/ Sriracha  5 pints, regular 3 pints
Roasted corn salsa 9 pints
Fiesta Corn relish 10 pints
Spiced cranberry apple sauce 3 pints, 1 half pint
Sliced apples 4 quarts
Apple Bourbon Chipotle BBQ sauce 15 pints, 1 quart
Spiced Pear Pancake sauce 4 pints, 1 quart

Jam

Mulberrry jam 13 pints, 2 half pints
Blueberry cinnamon 4 pints
Black cap/Mulberry 6 half pints
Pear spice 7 pints, 4 half pints
Wild grape jelly 11 half pints
Rhubarb vanilla 2 pints


I still have about 15 butternut squash and 3 large other ones to freeze (one Hubbard and two other ones).  These got eaten and turned into puree and pumpkin butter.  I've got about 5 small cabbages in the fridge along with beets and turnips.  Kale, chard, turnips, lettuce and spinach still out in the garden and doing okay in the frosts/freezes so far.  Lots of maple syrup canned up, along with pinto, black and garbanzo beans, chicken and beef stock.  We put 21 chickens in the freezer (gave two away) and have a little pork (last year's pig purchase) and lots of beef (fall of 2013) left from previous years.  We get our honey from 2 miles away and our milk from 10 miles away.  Most of our produce came from our 10 raised and 1 in ground gardens, mulberry trees, and black cap vines.  The extra squash and peppers came from Brad at the market, garlic scapes from The Blossom and The Bean, apples from multiple neighbors and Orchard Ridge, pears from tree near church and Orchard Ridge, cherries from our tree and Korleskis, corn from McCabes and peaches from Kaufmans.  Really happy with everything turning out as good as it did with our incredibly challenging year and especially summer.  We foraged the garlic mustard and asparagus in the spring and just missed out on some puff ball mushrooms this fall!  Lots of jars are filled...makes me feel so content and secure to see them filled up.  Still had a decent amount of applesauce, tomato chutney and other items left from last year.  Last count put the jars filled right around 450 or so :)

Give Me a Break, Give Me a Break...

Please God,  can you just give us a break?

I know I shouldn't complain because there are so many people dealing with much bigger issues, but our little family could really use a break.  We've been sick for more than a month now and we really would love to have a break from the coughing, congestion, fevers and other illnesses that have invaded our house.  And our little one could use a break from the teething for a night or two.  He needs to sleep and even giving him pain killers has barely made a dent.  Five big teeth at once is a bit much for our little 15 month old to take, especially when dealing with a cough too.  And really Mommy and Daddy would be healing better if we could catch a good night's sleep too!  We don't really like the hours of 10:30-2:30...we'd prefer to be sleeping.

And as long as I'm whining we could really use a buyer to come along quick so that things could get wrapped up and we could just focus on settling into our house.  And really if you wanted to send an angel to unpack and organize and decorate our house that would be great!  And fix all the things that need to be dealt with in the house.  And make the snow and cloudy days stop so we can get on with spring!  And, And, And...

But just so you don't think I'm a totally self indulgent complainer we want you to know that we love our new church!  And are so grateful for the awesome library system!  And meeting the local butcher who raises the pig we'll be ordering this week and also goes to our awesome church!  And for all the friendly people who've done so much to make us feel welcome!  Really we are grateful and very optimistic that this will be everything we had hoped for in a new home in the country.

We just kind of need a break from the sickness and the dreariness and the snow....we can't wait to for SPRING!

Thanks God,
Heather

Home Turtle Home

We've closed (on Feb 1st) and we've moved (on Feb 5th) and we are so overwhelmed!  Things went fine at closing and we moved a load of things that day.  Then I went back another day and painted two rooms and took a van load of stuff again.  And then we took down our smaller chest freezer and a ton of frozen food the day before the movers came.  We have a HUGE chest freezer as well and were worried about trying to move all the frozen food in both freezers at the same time.  This made it a lot easier.

The 5th was a crazy day. The movers took longer than expected to load the van and we had tired, cranky, cold kids by the time we could hit the road to the new house.  And about an hour before they finished loading the snow fell and fell and fell.  So we were trying to get to the house before them (they were going to stop for lunch) with enough time to clear the driveway for them.  Turns out it would have been good to move the snow blower before moving day!  But we shoveled like crazy while the kids watched a movie in the new house and we got a good chunk done before they got there.  And they didn't even stop for lunch!

Mike and I had done a lot of the running at the old house, bringing boxes and totes and such to the main level in order to save time since we were paying by the 15 minutes. And at the new house we had them just drop everything in the garage (the benefit of having 2 two car garages attached) and only take in the heavy furniture.  Even so it was a long 10 1/2 hour day with the movers and we were so relieved to have them gone!

The day after we moved my parents arrived and spent the next four days helping us.  We moved a million boxes (give or take) into the house and unpacked a bunch of them.  We worked like maniacs up in Milwaukee at the old house.  We painted, cleaned, moved more loads of stuff and fixed things up.  Their help was amazing and got us so much further ahead and yet I know they feel like they didn't get much done.  Sometimes I think they are superhuman!

Of course the day after they left I got sick.  I don't get sick often, but when I do it is big.  Really big.  And although a day of rest, rest and rest seemed to have me back on the right path towards being better last night I woke up feeling like it is starting over. And the kids all have it too,so the little one has had some rough nights.  Fun!  It is a cold with sinus issues, cough, etc and we just are all praying for recovery and for Daddy to stay healthy.

We need one more big work day in Milwaukee and wanted it to be tomorrow, but now we are thinking it will have to wait.  The house needs to get on the market, but our health is more important and we can't get much done when we are all sick.  We keep sending prayers up that the right buyer will find the house once it is on the market.  Someone who will be reasonable to deal with, will appreciate the house and will love the neighbors like we have!

So for now, signing off from Turtle!
Heather

Freedom!

Our little family will soon escape the city for the freedom of the country!  We've wanted to find a home with more space and to get into a more rural setting for a while and yet, it seems like it happened so fast.  A couple of years ago Mike and I made a list of steps to get where we wanted to be and set a timeline for when we wanted to have it happen.  So far, so good!  And really, way quicker than the timeline so far...here's hoping that continues.  We still need to close and move, clean up our current home and get it on the market and then sell it!  Once it sells we'll dump all of the proceeds into our current home and pay it off as quickly as possible. After we are debt free we'll be saving up for a big dream vacation for our entire family...we're going to Disney!  Mike can't wait to take us and the kids are very excited as well.  Of course we won't go until we hit our goals and everyone is potty trained :)

Our new home is more than double the square footage of our current home and yet it only has three bedrooms.  It has an office for Mike in the basement, far away from the craziness of our 4, 2 and 1 year olds.  We'll have an acre and half with some young fruit trees, mulberry trees, some hazelnut trees, a raspberry patch, wild asparagus, and two garden areas.  We plan to expand the gardens in a big way, add more fruit trees, get chickens and maybe even ask around about the acre lot next to our home. It is the only other area that could even possibly be developed and we may try and buy it to ensure we have the space to do what we want in the future.  The home is on a dead end road with only a few other houses, but it is very easy to access the interstate which makes things much easier for Mike as he travels.  We have met one neighbor and they have a HUGE garden, bees, chickens and I'm really hoping they will help me learn a lot about all of those things!

I'll post pictures once the home is officially ours, which happens on Feb 1st.  We'll be moving in on Feb 5th and appreciate any and all prayers during those first two weeks of Feb.  We know they'll be crazy as we try and get things done and get our home ready to go on the market.  It is going to be especially challenging because of the travel time between the two homes, as well as juggling the kids and projects.  But we know that once we have the house on the market and get unpacked and settled it will be worth it.   I'm so grateful that my kids will get to grow up as country kids!

Yes, still going...Part 4

I spent the next hour getting stitched up and then x-rayed.  They had not had time to count the instruments and had to make sure nothing was left inside of me.  As they finished up the surgery they also came around and attached my patient bracelet.  Things had gone so fast that from Dr. Wasserman’s check to your actual birth was only 32 minutes!  I was taken over to recovery and spent almost 3 hours there, some of the time with Debby.  She and Kim were able to talk me through some of what happened and checked on you for me.  Daddy and Nancy came down to give me an update and let me know that you were doing great.  You had an IV, lots of monitors and were getting a little oxygen to help.  Quickly you were off the oxygen and just had room air being blown to help you breathe deep enough.  Daddy had some pictures and videos which I loved seeing as well.  I finally found out you were 9 lbs, 4 ounces and 21.5 inches long.  You were also B-, which meant no Rhogam for me and other than a rough start things were looking really good.  The worst news I got in recovery was that you were under a nothing by mouth order for the night.  I was furious that I wouldn’t get to nurse you even after I left recovery.  They wanted you to just be relaxed and stable before we tried anything, which is why you had an IV.  Kim and Debby and Nancy all explained it, but it didn’t make it any easier to hear.

After I was ready to move Kim and Lindsey took me to my room, but not without a stop in your NICU room!  You were actually the first baby to use the room as they had just opened their new NICU on Monday.  They had to do a lot of finagling to get my bed in your room with your isolet, but they did it.  I reached in to touch you and just started crying.  I mumbled something about not having even held you yet and Laura, your nurse said that we should change that.  A whole lot more maneuvering and they were able to get you out and into my arms, even with both of our crazy IVs, monitors, pain med dispensers and everything.  Daddy and I had our first pictures together with you and I was pretty much ready to stay there all night.  You were very quiet and relaxed which was good to see after such a stressful event just a few hours earlier.  After a time that seemed just too short I headed down to my room to pump and rest and you and Daddy spent the night together in your room.

Around 7am I called up to your room and was told that you were doing great.  You and Daddy were doing skin to skin and you had spent a bunch of time sucking on his fingers.  You were hungry and I was ready to feed you!  We were told a Dr. would be seeing you after 8 and we should be nursing sometime that morning.  Since you were such a healthy boy you were kind of pushed to the back burner and I had to throw a fit to get a Dr. in to see you.  When I was holding you you were bobbing and rooting and screaming at me to eat.  One of the hardest things I’ve done (and something I really kind of regret) was following the order to not feed you when you wanted it and I wanted to give it to you.  It was around noon when they pulled the cannulas out of your nose and then we had to wait to see how you would do with no help.  It was about 5:30 before we finally had the go ahead to nurse.  You were a total champ and latched on right away.  You wouldn’t make eye contact with me and I have no doubt that you did not understand why I had not cared for you earlier. 

We nursed all night long, every 4 hours or so.  Each time you’d feed for at least a half hour and everything looked good.  We met with the lactation consultant, Deanne and she had some great tips as well as noticed that you were tongue tied.  Your IV was off (we knocked it out during one of the feedings) and you were passing your blood sugar checks with flying colors.  You had your first bath that night and while we had planned to be there it was done while we got a quick hour and a half nap.  You also got moved to a regular crib and Kathy (one of your night nurses on Friday) was all on board with us to get you looking as normal and healthy as possible so they would release you to my room.  Dr. Bob was the neonatologist on that night and he was a character.  As morning came he let me know that he had planned to release you before he left at 8 am, but you had just a few times when your oxygen level dropped to 90 and they wanted you to be monitored a little longer.  Our next nurse told us that most babies are expected to stay at 90 or above, but for some reason they had you set to stay above 92.  I guess they just wanted you to be an overachiever from the very beginning!  The best news later Saturday morning was that you were continuing to do great and hadn’t had any more issues with your oxygen levels.  Just before noon we were told that you could come to my room as soon as the paperwork and such was done!  And right as we were told that Dr. Wasserman came up to the NICU and told me that he thought I was doing fine and he wanted to release me that night as well.  That way if you were ready we could maybe be home still Saturday night, but if they wanted you to stay in the hospital overnight then I could stay as a guest in your room, which was really my room on the Mom/Baby floor.  I was one grateful Mommy to have such good news from two doctors at the same time!

Daddy and I went down to have lunch while we waited for you to be ready to transfer.  It turned out that they were swamped and it took a few hours longer then expected, as did everything it seemed.  During the wait Grandma Schneider came to the hospital and got to hold you for the first time upstairs in your NICU room.  You and I kept up our nursing schedule and kept working on getting your latch to improve.  We were really excited when we finally got to ride down the elevator with you and settle into our room. 

Because Dr. Zukowski couldn’t come to St. Mary’s, Dr. Claudia Koch (whose office ordered the ultrasound for us) was going to be your fill in pediatrician.  Of course, she was not on that weekend, so the doctor covering for her told the neonatologists that they should discharge you when they felt you were ready using their instructions.  And Dr. Mario was not going to discharge you when he had just released you from the NICU.  We decided that Daddy would go home to see Garrett and Kelby and let Grandma Fuerniss take the van to come and meet her newest grandson.  I ordered our celebration dinner and Grandma helped me eat it when she got there.  We didn’t want to celebrate until you were in my room and then Daddy was already home!  Grandma and I talked for a long time about everything and then she headed home as well. You had a busy night as you had to pass a car seat test, have your hearing test and we were up nursing a lot as well.  I was one tired Mommy come morning, but was so glad when Dr. Bob came into our room and told me that you were ready to go whenever I wanted to head home.  I called Daddy (who was getting ready to come over already) and we all rejoiced that you were going home!  Even with your challenging beginning we were still in the hospital less time than Garrett and I were!

You were home around 12:30 on Sunday and met Garrett and Kelby who were still eating lunch.  Kelby took a nap and you and Daddy and Garrett all watched the Packer game while I napped on the couch.  It was great to be home and to have you be safe and sound in our arms!  Your entire story is not what we would have ever expected, but we are so grateful that things worked out well for you Evan Otto Schneider.  We are so happy to have you in our family!

Part 3

As we got the labor and delivery floor we meet Kim our nurse.  She knew we had a transverse baby and that Dr. Wasserman was either on his way or was in the hospital for us.  We got into our triage room right around 10 and she monitored you to make sure things were good.  We were going through the registration questions and just chatting until the chief OB resident came in to do an ultrasound.  As she did we discovered that you were back to a single footling breech position.  You foot was down, you bottom was jamming down into my pelvis and your head was bent down to your bottom.  Your spine laid on my right side and you were as squished down into yourself as you could possibly be.  The ultrasound hurt as she jammed it low to get a good reading on your foot, but I just figured it was because she was working hard to see things.  Turns out that was an indicator that things were moving along.  Dr. Wasserman came in to meet us and discuss our options.  His opinion was that we could do the version right there and then if it worked we could induce with a Foley or we could go home to try for a birth center birth.  Or we could try and wait until tomorrow and do the version then in a better environment.  Or we could just do a c-section right then or wait and do one in the morning (when Debby thought he’d be more optimal).  The version had risks that he explained, things like uterine rupture or placental abruption and if those happened we’d be going right into surgery.  I made it clear that I’d like to try for the version and try for a vaginal delivery if at all possible, but they gave us a minute for Daddy and I to talk about it with Debby and Coral while they stepped out.

I headed to the bathroom and had another strong contraction with pressure in my bottom.  Debby wanted me to get on the bed because she thought it would go away, but it was one that bothered me more than most had been.  As we talked it became obvious we needed to find out if I was moving into labor because if I was all options were off the table and we would be having surgery.  When Dr. Wasserman came in we told him to check me so that we’d know what options we had available to us.  They got me a sheet and he checked me.  I’ll never forget his mouth falling open as he said “She’s 9+ and I’ve got a foot.”  He turned to run and then turned back and told us that things were going to get crazy and move fast.  I just told them to go faster as I knew my body would be pushing in no time and I couldn’t do that to you without really hurting you.  I had a contraction right away and Debby climbed up on the bed and talked in my ear to get me to blow it off. Coral was at my feet telling me to “hehehehe” and Daddy came over to my side.  Kim announced “Everything off” and Coral grabbed my socks off in one motion, I took off my shirt and Debby took off my bra.  Your Daddy tried to lighten the mood by announcing that he was pretty fast at getting my bra off and we all just gave him a look and a “Michael!” as I was shocked that he’d think of something like that at the time!

The OB resident was yelling questions at me about previous pregnancies and Kim was asking about allergies and I just wanted to get moving faster.  I had to sign a consent form in the middle of a contraction and they yelled at me to just make an ‘x.’  I did sign my first name, but I doubt anyone could read it and they grabbed it before I could even try and sign my last name.  I know that as we rolled to the surgery suite the anesthesiologist’s assistant came and asked me about allergies and such as well.  I asked her a question that I don’t remember and she just looked me in the eye and said “All we are worried about right now is your safety and your baby’s safety.”  I remember having only two thoughts about everything happening, that I could NOT PUSH because I was afraid it would kill you and that I wanted them to GO FASTER because I still wanted to be awake so that Daddy and I could be there for your birth.  I knew there was a big possibility that I’d be put under and if that happened Daddy wouldn’t be allowed there either.  We had made a list of things we’d like to have if we did have a c-section and all those things were out the window when he discovered I was in full blown labor and we had no time to spare.

Daddy gave me a kiss as they rolled me through the doors and he waited and got dressed for surgery.  They got me onto the surgery table and as I sat up for the spinal my water broke and I had a really hard pushing contraction.  There was meconium in the water and they were now having to rush all over and not slip in the huge puddle on the floor.  I’m sure they thought I was crazy, but I was blowing like mad and yelling at myself to not push.  As soon as it passed I was taking long breathes for you and Dr. Habibi  was working quickly to get the spinal in.  I had one more big contraction and was trying so hard to hold still for him to work, blow off all the pushing urges and was yelling that I was pushing and not to push.  It was a crazy couple of minutes and I just wanted them to get Daddy in there and you out so that I knew you were okay. 

Before that contraction was even totally over I was down on the table and they were putting IVs in, blood pressure cuff on and bringing in Daddy and the woman who needed to draw labs.  She was a bit concerned because she didn’t know where to get a vein since they had so many things on me already and asked if she should come back later.  They got her to the side so that she could get a draw and they were opening me by the time she left.  Your actual birth was something that we didn’t see, although I swear I heard the tiniest noise from you as they brought you out at 11:12 pm.  They didn’t lower the drape as we had hoped because you were not in good shape once they saw you.  Dr. Wasserman had told me that he would bring you to me before you went to get checked out and he did, although very, very quickly.  As you were coming out he told me that he was going to brush my hand with you and he literally did just that.  I didn’t see your face, but got a glimpse of your trunk and legs, enough to think that I maybe saw something.  As you were over being attended to I kept saying “Did I see something?  Is it a boy?”  Finally someone answered that it was a boy and we announced that you were Evan Otto Schneider.  I wanted Daddy to go to you as had been planned, but they told him to stay by me.  I couldn’t see you at all, but knew that they must be working on you because you were not making any noise and they didn’t let Daddy come over. 

It turned out that they had to deep suction your lungs (they got out about 3 ccs of bloody mucous) and then intubate you.  They bagged you for 5 minutes and once they removed the tube you let us know that you were NOT happy with how things had been going.  Those angry cries were one of the best sounds I’ve ever heard!  During the entire time they were helping you I kept saying your name and trying to let you know that we were there.  I kept telling Daddy to talk to you too and he did, but he was also able to see what was happening and didn’t want to let me know all that he was seeing.  We both knew that it would work out okay, it just had to!  And we knew that you were in very capable hands.  Daddy says that he had a lot of confidence that you were okay because you were moving and fighting as they were helping you breathe. He did hear them say something about transport and that worried him, but then he realized you were just going upstairs, not to another hospital.  What a change to go from a perfectly normal, healthy pregnancy to an emergency delivery and a baby that wasn’t breathing in such a short time. 

After you were wrapped up and ready to head up the NICU they brought you over to me.  You were perfect!  No tubes or anything, just a little burrito baby held in the arms of a wonderful nurse named Nancy.  She took you and Daddy and you all headed out.  I have no doubt that we were where we needed to be and you had the team around you that was necessary, but I will always miss that you and I didn’t get those first precious moments together, sweet Evan. 

Things we learned later…the surgery suite we used was one that was no longer in use because of the huge remodel of the hospital.  It probably was cause for some of the crazed running around, but also meant that we had one that was open, was only steps from my triage room and didn’t mean a trip on the elevators to a different floor.  Every minute mattered.  Dr. Habibi was the best in the hospital (top 10% in the country according to Dr. Wasserman) and any other anesthesiologist would have put me under.  He took a lot of pride that he was able to keep me awake and still be so fast.  Dr. Wasserman told me he had to use ‘unusual maneuvers’ to get you out and Kim told us that you required a lot of pulling and force to come out.  I did my best to not push you out, but obviously my body was fighting me on that.  The stress of those contractions added to your distress and lack of oxygen and if we had not been where we were you probably would have not made it.  Your cord pH was 7.19 which is headed into dangerous territory.  Your apgar scores were 5 and 8.  When the surgeons heard those numbers the comment I overheard is that they expected the first set to be about a 2…you were much stronger than they expected!  The what ifs of the night scare me so much and I am so grateful that things turned out as they did and that you had such an amazing team there for you.  The prayers from around the country were heard and answered and for that we are so thankful!

Part 2

That weekend was really rough emotionally because I felt such a let down.  I wanted to meet you, was anxious to be done with labor and just couldn’t believe that everything faded away.  On Monday we saw Debby and I walked in and started crying…I hadn’t been very fun for Daddy to live with that weekend either.  She checked me right away so we could see where things were at.  I was 2 cm dilated and she worked on stripping my membranes to see if that would help things move along, which stretched me to a 3.  The only thing that made me hesitate at all was that Grandma Fuerniss was coming on Wednesday and I knew she’d be so disappointed to miss your birth by only a day.  We just decided to go with it and see what would happen.  That afternoon and evening I had lots of discomfort and contractions, but in the night they faded away and nothing happened. 

On Wednesday Daddy picked up Grandma and after she was settled with Garrett and Kelby we headed to Debby’s to have her strip my membranes again.  We were pretty relaxed and did a quick stop at Target to buy hand sanitizer for after you were born.  She was relieved to see me laughing and we were all hopeful that we’d be having a baby very soon if things worked out like they did with Kelby.  As she examined me her whole demeanor changed and you were moving really low into my cervix with sharp jabs.  I made a comment about a little hand grabbing her and she said that a hand would be fine.  That is when she told us that she felt like she was feeling a foot and your bottom and that we needed to get an ultrasound to confirm if you had turned breech.  Talk about a shock to our systems!  We knew if you were breech we’d be looking at a possible c-section if you wouldn’t turn back around and that time was of the essence since you could be ready to come at any time.

We were sent home with orders to keep me really calm, drink some wine, lay on the couch and not do anything to stimulate labor.  I was so grateful that contractions calmed down that night and I was able to sleep.  As the morning came the contractions were still very mild and almost non-existent.  Every time I’d have one I’d just pray for God to take it away and was so grateful when He did!  We had breakfast, spent the morning with Garrett, Kelby and Grandma and headed out to have an ultrasound mid-morning. 

Debby met us at the hospital and it turned out we were in the wrong area.  After getting where we needed to be we were taken in for the test right on time at 12:30.  Stephanie was a student so we were told that another tech would join us at some point.  When things got started she saw what she thought (and we all did too) was a hand down towards my cervix.  I started crying like crazy because we were pretty sure that you were head down if it was a hand.  I even told her she could be your fairy God princess!  Unfortunately as she kept going it became clear that you were not head down.  There was confusion as to exactly what position you were in…like an arched cat with head on one side and bottom on the other, spine up…like an upside down cat with spine on the bottom…total breech.  It was getting harder to figure out your position.  She got another tech in and she was able to get a few better readings on your position, but as she did you changed once again.  You started as a single footling breech and ended the ultrasound in the transverse position.  You are a mobile little guy, even as you were measuring big!  We saw that you had some hair and got a few pictures of you, but basically we knew we had to get things figured out quickly as you were not in an optimal position.

Debby, Daddy and I talked before we headed out.  We decided we wanted to do a version and needed it done ASAP.  Debby texted Dr. Wasserman who was in surgery all day and he said he’d let us know when he could do one the next day.  We talked about other options like just scheduling surgery, doing the version and inducing, doing the version and trying for a birth center birth and also the importance of keeping things very quiet until we knew what was going to happen. She also suggested taking Pulsitilla to help with unstable position so Daddy and I headed to Beans and Barley and then Outpost to get some.

When we got home we told Grandma what was happening and I laid down on the couch again.  We got the call that the version was scheduled for noon the next day and I just prayed we could hang on until then.  As the evening went on I was bothered by more and more contractions so I had some more wine.  After not drinking for so long I felt like a lush the last two days of pregnancy, even just having a couple of ounces!  After we ate dinner (really good lasagna out of the freezer) we put Garrett and Kelby to bed.  I gave them special big hugs and kisses and told them there was a chance that Mommy and Daddy could be gone to have the baby when they woke up.  I was bothered enough by the contractions that we called Debby and she told us to start timing them.  They weren’t coming that often (roughly 10 minutes apart) and most of them were only 30-45 seconds.  I’d have longer ones when I got up to use the bathroom, but Debby wasn’t concerned about those since they were caused by movement.  During the hour and half that we timed and kept checking in she talked to Dr. Wasserman and he told her that if I came in to call as he would join us at the hospital.  We were glad to hear that since he had yet to meet us and was not on call that night. 

After having two contractions that were further apart (about 15 minutes) but stronger and wrapped more around my lower back I was just not comfortable staying home.  I didn’t feel like this was it, but I didn’t want things to start moving along and for us to be on the road having you or for things to get really emergent since you were not in a good position.  I told Daddy to get my shoes and we called Debby to tell her we were heading in.  I specifically asked her if there was a reason to not go in and she said I should trust my feelings and she was heading in to be with us.  Fairly quickly we were on the road and I was laying in the back of the van as we headed to St. Mary’s.  I had two contractions on the way and one right as we got there, but none were terrible and I just kept hoping things would stay calm.  I called Coral on the way and she decided to come over as she thought she’d beat Debby there.  After not sleeping for over 24 hours we were surprised and grateful that she was willing to come over!  We had to go in the Emergency Room entrance as we got there just before 10 pm and I waited in a wheel chair as Daddy parked the van.  The guys were giving me a hard time that he had bailed on me because he took so long to get back to where we were waiting.  Gratefully, he came in the doors with our bag over his shoulder!  And Debby came in shortly behind him with Coral finding us once we were in our triage room.

Yes, it has been a year! And now Baby is 1

In honor our our littlest turning one I thought I'd break my year of silence and start posting his birth story.  It is totally fitting to do this over Thanksgiving because I am most thankful that things turned out so well.  He is a happy, healthy, walking, but not sleeping one year old!

My sweet boy what a wild ride you’ve given us!  Your birth story is one that will take a long time to fully absorb and it is not the story we would have wanted for you, but it is the one that is yours and we are so grateful that things happened as they did.

Our pregnancy was fairly uneventful other than a few physical things that bothered me.  I had to deal with carpel tunnel that got pretty bad as the pregnancy went on and there was an issue around week 35 when I suddenly could barley walk because of pelvic and hip pain.  But we dealt with these things and I started seeing a chiropractor and overall we just kept soldiering on towards meeting our newest family member.  You were due on November 8^th, but for some reason I really felt that you would be joining us in October.  There was no reason to believe that since Garrett was born the day before his due date and Kelby went 9 days past hers.  I think I wanted you to have your own birth month like everyone else in the family did and I didn’t want you to have to share it with me, our anniversary and Thanksgiving too.  When Halloween came and went we knew our little one had plans of their own and I resigned myself to the fact that you probably would cook well beyond your due date just like your sister!

As we crept through November I became more and more anxious to meet you.  We were having to make decisions about band jobs since Daddy didn’t want to get too far away in case anything happened.  He ended up giving up 3 jobs once we were past your due date because we just knew it could be any time.  And since things moved quickly with your sister Deb and Coral both wanted us to be prepared for a very quick labor and to be on our toes if contractions really got started.  Just after your due date (40 weeks, 2 day) we had an evening where I felt like the contractions were more rhythmic and like maybe something was brewing.  I always hesitate to make the call, but we finally decided to call Debby since she had made it clear that we should contact her at the first sign of anything.  I struggle to know exactly when things change from just the typical Braxton Hicks contractions that I have for months to something that might be more ‘real’ and mean baby is working on joining us. 

After we chatted she asked me to start timing things and just let her know if anything changed.  She also said we should put the kids to bed (just a bit early) and to get the van packed in case we needed to grab sleeping kids in the middle of the night.  As we got everything packed and ready to go the contractions got closer and were about every 15 minutes apart so she instructed me to head to bed and just rest in case I had a night of labor ahead of me.  We called Coral who was teaching a class and she was ready to head the birth center and spend the night in case we were headed in later.  However after an hour or so of resting the contractions all faded away and we ended up calling everyone and telling them to just go home and go to sleep.  You were parked for a while longer.

Baby is here!

I am thankful to say that our baby has arrived. HE was born on Thursday, November 17th at 11:12 pm. At 9 pounds, 4 ounces and 21.5 inches long it is hard to imagine how he had the room to flip breech at 41 weeks, 1 day, but somehow he did. At 41 weeks, 2 days we had an ultrasound to confirm breech and while it was being done he went from breech to transverse. We had an external version scheduled for the next day, but that night I couldn't get the contractions to go away (I'd been having them for over a week) and decided to go the hospital just to avoid having things move really fast (as they did with Peanut) and potentially putting him in danger because of his position.

When we got the hospital with our midwife and doula I did not appear to be in active labor and they monitored him and did another ultrasound that showed footling breech. The wonderful OB who was going to do the version had also come in (never had met us and wasn't on call that night) and decided that we could either do a version right there and then either induce or go home or if it failed then do a surgical delivery. As we discussed options we decided to check me as I'd had one contraction that really bothered me (and a few other small ones) and if I was in active labor we'd need to do a c-section right away. His mouth fell open as he discovered I was 9+ dilated. Needless to say everything moved fast and I just wanted it to move even faster as I knew he was in great danger. I learned very quickly how to blow through a contraction and not push as if my child's life depended on it, because it did. We had an amazing team and in the end our son was born with Mike and I both being present and awake for the birth.

Our sweet boy did not breath for himself and they bagged him for 5 minutes, but after that he bounced back quickly. He was in the NICU for about 40 (LONG, AGONIZING) hours and not quite to 3 days old he is home in my arms. I will have a most amazing Thanksgiving this year! From walking into triage at the hospital to his birth was just over an hour...and in that time we had monitoring and an ultrasound. When I say they moved quickly it doesn't even being to describe it. We even used an surgical suite that is no longer in use because it was closer and open...every single minute mattered in this situation and they treated it as such.

I'll be posting his birth story after it is written, but needless to say my three kids have given me three totally different ways of experiencing birth. I've had a completely natural, peaceful waterbirth, a vaginal hospital birth that was managed and involved pitocin, an epidural and episiotomy and a true emergency c-section. I am so grateful that all have worked out and cannot wait to write this latest birth story!

Thank you for your prayers!
Heather

Waiting...

and waiting and waiting. At least that is how it feels.

Baby #3 didn't want to share a birthday with two of our friend's babies who were both born on November 8th. Coincidentally, that was our due date. We are so excited for both families who have healthy babies after long waits...one has been waiting for over a year to adopt, got the call on Friday, baby was born on Tuesday and they were headed home with her on Wednesday! Talk about a whirlwind journey into parenthood after a seemingly endless wait. The second has been on bed rest for 8 weeks and held out to delivery a big 8 pound boy at 36 1/2 weeks. We are so relieved that they were able to make it so far and that Mommy and baby are doing well. Great news that day, but we wanted in to make it a huge triple birthday party! It was too funny to get the calls that day as on Sunday we three Mommies had all talked about the chance that we could have babies on the same day. And then two of them did, within 2 hours of each other!

Then on Friday we had our first ever false alarm. As in had the van packed, had everyone on high alert and then it all faded away... We later realized it was full moon and that if things had gone well we would have had the coolest birthday ever, 11/11/11! But rather than 'having it all' the baby decided to wait for a little longer. We are just doing our best to be patient. I'm trying to rest easy in the knowledge that these contractions are doing a job and making life easier in the long run and that Baby 3 knows best when to join us! And of course, s/he will have her/his OWN birthday now :)

Today is beautiful and tomorrow is going to be warm too. I've said I'd love to have a beautiful day to have this baby, so here's hoping! And in the mean time I'll just keep learning to be patient. And be grateful that our baby is healthy and wiggling and has two big siblings eager to meet him or her!

Heather

Cazy Day

or alternatively, These are the Moments.

We had a day recently that challenged me. Wait, we've had lots and lots of those days recently. As in a two year old who is starting to really get into the whole 'I'm a two year old and entitled to be sassy' thing, a baby who needs to be nursed and loved on, but also has moments occasionally, a Daddy who is working really hard to get recording and editing done on a CD, and a Mommy who is trying to get the canning finished (and laundry and meals...)

I honestly can't remember exactly what happened, but I remember thinking how crazy/insane this one particular moment is. Then the song "I Could Not Ask For More" popped into my head. I really could not ask for more than this time together, than this time with them. I do have all I've waited for, every prayer has been answered, every dream has come true. It may sound a bit hokey or cheesy, but I actually started singing it to my babies in the midst of the crazy. And I meant it.

For years I've wanted to be married, to have a children, to be able to be home with them. And it is finally a reality. It is often challenging, but it is also perfect and wonderful even in the crazy and hard. I hope I always remember that I really could not ask for more!

Love my life,
Heather

And Now An ELMO Cake!

EDIT: I'll be adding pictures and such soon. This was written a few weeks ago and I never got them put in. SORRY!


Mike has been gone all week playing for libraries in very northern Minnesota. At one point he could see Canada across the water! Funny thing is that he is often told he sounds like he is from Canada, which he didn't agree with after listening to Canadian radio and TV personalities. Then at one of the libraries (less than 30 minutes from the Canadian border) someone told him he sounded like he was from Canada! Made me laugh since he just can't get away from that accent of his. For the record he is from the Milwaukee area and has no relatives that live anywhere north of Milwaukee.

Because of Daddy's absence we invited a friend over to play one day so I could have an adult conversation and Little Guy could burn off some energy. About 3 hours before they arrived for dinner and playing I realized that the next day was that little boy's 2nd birthday. And I hadn't planned on anything special for him. So off to the races I went and whipped up a cake!

This was a very simple, not that great looking, but did the job and made two little boys happy kind of decorated cake. My Little Guy LOVES Elmo and I have seen many different Elmo cakes around the internet. I've always figured I'd make him one, but never really had a good excuse to add more butter cream and cake to our lives. I figured this was a good reason to do so!

First I whipped up our standard chocolate cake recipe. I just did a single recipe worth and split the batter between two round pans. I don't have any special cake pans (I think they sell an actual Elmo pan) but I think you can make a lot of fun cakes with your basic round and square cake pans! This made for two very thin layers as the recipe would typically make one round layer or an 8x8 pan. I did this so they would cook faster since time was of the essence. Once they were out of the oven I flipped them out of the pans, let them cool a few minutes and then put them in my cake carrier. I put the first layer down, added a thin layer of raspberry jam to adhere them and then popped the second layer on top. Since the cake was still warm I threw it in the refrigerator to cool while I got the frosting going.

I didn't have my butter cream recipe out so I winged it from memory and made it extra stiff so I'd be able to use it for piping. Once I took out some for the nose and mouth I thinned out the rest to make it more spreadable. No time for a crumb layer, but with a bright red color and a thick application it went on fine. Then I threw on the marshmallows and used the flat end of a skewer to apply some food color as eyeballs. I took some of the thick frosting and added orange food color to it. I was able to shape it into a nose pretty quickly and it turned out way better than the eyes. I wish I had kept more frosting white and shaped the eyes since the marshmallows are a little odd looking.

The mouth was a dilemma as I didn't have any black food coloring left. I used brown and it is okay, but I really need to get black if I'm going to do this again. I did the wrong mouth shape at first, but after checking a book with Elmo's picture I tried to fix it. It's definitely not perfect, but again, it worked.

Last, since I had extra red frosting (Why didn't I have extra for the Thomas the Train Cake? That's where I really could have used it!) I put it into a pastry bag and tried to make hair all over. I should probably tell you that I have two REALLY old pastry bags and one has holes all over it. I also have a total of 3 tips. I have no real professional tools (maybe it should go on my Christmas list?) and I just do the best I can. I really wasn't liking the way the monster fur turned out, but didn't have time to try anything else.

Again, this was not my best cake, but it really surprised the birthday boy and my Little Guy LOVED having an Elmo cake in the house. Of course, it was really hard for him to wait until they came, but he enjoyed his piece and the left overs the next day!

And I should mention that we met this little boy and his mom through our Bradley class. I cannot say enough for the wonderful support we've gotten from the families in that class. The seven families have all stayed in touch and we are all celebrating 2nd birthdays this year. There is nothing like having moms to encourage you through the challenging times and cheer with you through the wonderful moments. It is so awesome to have a group of people with similar outlooks on birth and child rearing that are going through the exact same stages as you at the same time. I am so grateful that we took that class and that our group has stayed in touch! This summer we've welcomed 4 more new siblings (Peanut, another little girl and a set of twins, one boy and one girl) and we've got one more on the way fairly shortly. Such fun!

Heather

Incredibly Blessed

I'm feeling so blessed these days. In that 'can't believe this is really happening and do I dare tell people because what if I jinx it' way.

First off, I think I gave birth to an angel. Okay, all babies have a bit of the angel in them, but she is such a good girl. Our son didn't sleep through the night until about 7 months. And for months he was an up every 2 hours (more or less) kind of baby. I remember often feeling overwhelmed as the sun went down because night was falling and instead of getting to really rest I would be getting up and nursing, napping, and repeating all night long. I loved it, really I did, but now I do not know how I survived! This Peanut has taken to sleeping like it is her job. Even if she is really awake at night if I put her down as we go to bed she settles right in and sleeps. And SLEEPS. She has slept from 10-6 more nights than not for weeks already. She was doing 5 hour stretches from about her 3rd night. Occasionally we have a 3 am feeding, but often those are nights when she clonked out at about 8 and after she eats at 3 she goes back to sleep until 7. or 8. or 9. The girl likes to sleep. Now that we are almost 3 months in I feel confident I won't totally jinx it when I share the news. Here's hoping.

Don't get me wrong...not trying to brag....just really, really grateful that my exclusively nursed baby is actually a sleeper.

And the second thing that is really exciting and is a total answer to a prayer is that as of tomorrow I am officially a stay at home mom. I couldn't be happier! My maternity leave ended on Monday and my manager was nice enough to only schedule me for today and tomorrow. The decision came down to the last week of my leave and I wanted to give him 2 weeks notice. And he really needed my help for these two days, so I'm doing my part to make sure we separate on good terms. Starbucks has been good to me and I know I've been good to them. They allowed me to pretend to be a stay at home mom as Mike built up his business. I could provide my family with health insurance without working the all intensive, crazy schedule that my sales job required at times. However, with two little ones and a very busy husband it was time for me to be home full time. And with Samaritan Ministries it became possible to think about being home without having to worry constantly about health insurance. I am so grateful!

And as an added bonus today Mike spent the morning with both kids. He has suddenly become incredibly appreciative and awestruck at my abilities! :)

I spend a moment whenever I think of it to just whisper a little thanks. These two little ones are growing up so fast and I'm glad I'll be there for all the moments.

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy your blessings,
Heather

Two plus 1

Today is the day after Little Guy's second birthday! I cannot believe that two years have past since his birth...or that 6 weeks have past since Peanut's birth. Time takes on a whole new dimension when kids are involved, doesn't it?

I'm hearing him stirring in his crib right now and his first words said on his second day as a two year old? "Birthday Cake!" The kiddo loves cake and cupcakes and isn't afraid to let the world know it!

I can't wait to show you the cake I whipped up for him. Due to the close proximity of his sister's birth and the complications after (including much, much slower recovery than with his) we decided not to do any kind of party. Yesterday was a day just for our family. It was a great day of presents, family time and yes, there was birthday cake. Specifically a Thomas the Train birthday cake. And for doing it the night before I think it turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself!

And since I've been horrible about posting pictures for the last few months I figure I'd change that today in honor of his birthday+1. He has taken to asking to hold his sister and then tells us to get the camera. It is too adorable to watch him hop up on the couch, hold his arms out and then pose for us with her in his arms. Of course, when he is done with it all he just starts pushing her off his lap, saying "tank to" over and over again (thank you)...so we've got to be ready to catch her! And I realize this is the first picture of her that I've posted. All I can say is sorry for the delay, it has been crazy. And yes, she is that big. We got an announcement of another birth and the babies looked so little next to their brother who is the same age as Little Guy. She is a "healthy, solid girl" to quote her pediatrician!

I'm so grateful to have this happy, healthy and too cute little man in my life. He keeps me on my toes and has taught me more about myself than I could ever imagine. Happy Birthday (+1) and thanks for being my boy!

Loving my babies,
Heather

Lazy Saturday

Today is one of those days when I am fairly unmotivated, rather groggy and just feel like doing nothing (for the most part). And today is also one of those very rare days when I do not HAVE to do much of anything!

So, I'm taking advantage of this wonderful intersection and am just letting myself be fairly lazy. I've got a load of clothes in the washer and need to hang them out at some point and I've got a huge stack of dishes that I really want to get washed. Other than that, I've got dinner going in the crock pot and Mike is away for most of the day playing at a library. I'm planning a quick nap here shortly while Little Guy is down for his and then we are going to putz around and try and get those dishes done at some point.

I know my days like this are really pretty numbered as I've got a list of things to do before Baby 2 gets here. I'm going to take advantage of it!

And so I don't make this a habit, here's the list of things to get done before Baby 2 arrives!

Freezer meals, breads, and snacks (got the groceries, just need to get cooking!)
Move co-sleeper and other newborn goodies out of attic space
Wash newborn diapers
Organize new scrapbook area---this could take years!
Get all 2009 tax stuff put away
Get garden area/pots ready and planted if at all possible
Practice, Practice, Practice our relaxation methods!
Finalize plans for Little Guy and pack up stuff for him while we are at birth center
Pack up newborn needs and assorted other suggested items to take to birth center
Get details together in the event we would transfer to hospital (insurance, birth plan)
Call insurance and beg to have midwife covered under gap coverage (here's hoping!)
Continue journal for Baby 2, walk everyday, drink my tea, eat protein and get ready for birth!

We can't wait for Baby 2 and yet I know it will mean less time and energy for other things. I just need to remember to get things done while I can and still enjoy these last weeks before our little one joins us out here!

Have a great weekend,
Heather

Lambs Everywhere!

Alternate Title: Spring is Springing! or Summer Comes Early! or Are We Still in Wisconsin? :)

Here in Wisconsin March started like a lamb and today it is going out like a lamb as well. In between we've had a little bit of lion (like snow on the first day of spring), but really we've had a pretty decent beginning to spring. Today it was over 70 and tomorrow is going to be even nicer. I have daffodils that look like they may open in time for Easter. What a wonderful miracle! It is so rare to have daffodils by Easter in my yard and I am going to treasure seeing them this year. I am so grateful to be able to enjoy this wonderful week of weather.

Taking our evening walks is so nice now that the weather is warmer. We were pretty awful about them this winter, but now I am determined to make up for lost time. The exercise and fresh air are great for Little Guy and our dogs and goodness knows I need to get moving before the big event in June! I cannot believe that we are at 30 weeks already. Time is flying by as the end approaches and I am starting to feel the need to get some of the projects done that I have procrastinated. The scrapbook table and such that got moved upstairs needs to be organized so we have room to bring out some of the baby stuff. We need to get the co-sleeper into our bedroom. I need to wash the Kissaluv 0s and the little blankets. And on and on and on. Gratefully we have what we need for the baby and I have no stress about buying new things. Our kids will use each other's hand-me-downs (especially as babies) and we purposefully registered for a stroller and such that would co-ordinate for a boy or girl.

One the plus side I've already brought up the clothes that Little Guy will use this summer, sorted out his size and up totes/boxes, made my rummage sale list for this year and am starting to make a list of things to cook and freeze in April and May. Our freezer was packed for the arrival of Little Guy and I plan to do it again for this baby. It was a great helper/time saver during those early days. We've got a date for our Bradley refresher course, have a date set for our church's baptismal class for second time parents and I've been busy practicing my relaxation. Preparations are underway! When I get stressed about getting ready I try and focus on what has been accomplished...sometimes easier said than done!

I hope you are enjoying wonderful spring weather this week too. Get outside and enjoy it!
Heather

Love is Plumbing Issue Fixes

or at least attempts at fixes.

Today Mike took some time to help me address a few plumbing issues that have popped up in our life recently. I know I just mentioned our teeny, tiny half bath a few days ago. Wouldn't you know it, the toilet started having a tiny bit of water around the base. Not good.

Turns out after some Googling that it is most likely due to a failure of the wax ring under the toilet. Thankfully I once installed a new toilet and am familiar with how the wax ring goes on and how to place the toilet once it is done. Unfortunately I am 29 weeks pregnant and am not able to (nor should I) pull up a toilet, carry it and then later replace it. Just not that flexible and pretty sure the midwife would suggest that I not try it on my own.

Mike is many wonderful things, but a fix-it-up-handy-man type he is not. Or at least not so much. However today he put his faith in me and the link I found and went to work replacing a wax ring. The handy man site we were on said it would take about 45 minutes and we were in pretty good shape about 45 minutes in. It ended up taking a little over an hour and that problem seems to be fixed. Unfortunately we seem to have loosened one of the bolts from the tank to the bowl and now we have a leak there. So more searching will begin and hopefully we can get it fixed. This pregnant momma doesn't want to have to go downstairs three times a night!

Then tonight we put on a shower decholorinater. We've had it for a while and had never put it on. I think Mike was hesitant, but after some muscle to get the shower head unscrewed he was able to do the rest pretty easily. Thankfully I knew we had some teflon tape and knew how to use it so the job was done in an easy 20 minutes or less! We got our shower attachment when we ordered our Royal Berkey and I am excited to see if there is a difference in our skin and hair after we use it for a while.

I am grateful for a husband who is willing to take on challenges that are outside his comfort zone. All his acts of service speak to his love for me in ways that I never knew I'd love!

Have a great Tuesday,
Heather

Cuddle Time

Is there anything sweeter than cuddling with a little one? Our little guy was never a particularly cuddly kid. As a baby he was, I guess. He didn't really have a choice! As soon as he became more mobile he got focused on his independence. We'd get to hold him often, don't get me wrong, but he was often exploring or playing or just generally hanging out.

He has been walking (running) for over 3 months now. I don't know if he has finally realized that we aren't going to stop him from exploring or what, but lately he has wanted to cuddle. Not in that "I'm cranky and you have to hold me, don't put me down, I'll scream and cry like the devil if you even think about putting me down, hold me, hold me, hold me!" way, but in the "I just want to crawl on your lap and hug you for a while." way. Last night he even came over to me while I was sitting on the couch and put his head on my leg. He just stood there and let me stroke his hair and relaxed next to me. Pure bliss!

He has started giving big hugs now and is even making strides towards kissing. It sounds funny, but for the million or so kisses we've given him he's never been a kisser. He will mimic the sound of us kissing him, but he doesn't give us kisses back. Now he makes the face, puckers his lips and leans in. We have to come the rest of the way, but it is awfully cute to see! We really like our new cuddly boy. There is something so great about having our little one want to be so sweet with us and yet not be demanding or whiny about it. I tell him often that someday there will be a lady who he will love to cuddle with more than his Daddy and me, but for now I am awfully glad that he likes cuddling with us!

Sometimes there is just nothing as great as being a parent,
Heather

And Happy New Year!

Okay, lately it seems that I am on a 'major holiday--time to post' kick lately. However, as previously mentioned I may be getting every so slightly more energetic and I do plan to pick it up again! I always noticed that posting would get down for a while on some of my favorite blogs (Like Merchant Ships, Tammy's Recipes) and then a while later here came the announcement that there is a little one on the way. I understood then and I understand even better now!

I just wanted to post a Happy New Year to everyone out there. I hope it is a night of reflection, fun and safety! I'm such a mom, but I can't help worrying. Especially when the love of my life is going to be on the road. He's a musician and tonight is a night that you want to be booked. Due to some strange circumstances he isn't playing his normal NYE gig, but he is out there and I am looking forward to having him back home with me. My partying consists of putting the little one to bed, checking blogs, making a few cheese sticks and heading to bed early. Wow, I'm pretty boring! Actually, it is more like I worked today, I work a LONG day tomorrow and then I open on Saturday. I'll be a tired girl come Saturday afternoon! But, what a change from the partying nights of just a few years ago. And I wouldn't change it for the world.

What a wonderful, blessed year we've had in 2009. Our little one has grown like crazy, he is working on talking and mimicking, he's happy, he's healthy and he's the light of our lives. My husband took a leap, gave up his biggest client and is now pursuing his real passion full time. He did so in a not so great economy and is making it work! I'm so proud of what he has accomplished and will have to do a full post (or more) on what he has all done in 2009....TV in 7 states, radio in about the same number, played libraries all over the place! I've been able to do what I do best (being a wife and Mama) not quite full time, but way more than if I still had my 'big girl' career. I'm working, but doing so only enought to provide benefits that protect my family. When I am working I know our little one is having fun with his Dada at home. I've got a huge blessing growing and moving inside of me. We are warm, fed, and love each other. I really couldn't ask for more.

I look forward to seeing what 2010 has to offer our family!

Happy New Year to you,
Heather

Merry Christmas!

I'm up early on Christmas morning...why? I have no idea. Seriously, this is one of a handful of Christmas mornings that I could sleep in. In a no time we'll have a little guy that will be up early each year in order to see what Santa brought him and I'll have to be up with him. This year? This year he really has no idea who that Santa guy is and I could have slept for at least a few more hours and here I am awake!

One reason for my early wakefulness is that it has been raining like crazy all night long. Every so often we get some water in our basement if it really rains hard. Therefore my brain has been trying to figure out if things are moved enough that they wouldn't get wet if water came in. Finally I decided I'd go check it out since there was no shutting that switch off. Seriously, why was I stressing at 4:15 am? We'd deal with it either way.

We had beautiful snow when we woke up yesterday morning, but this morning I fear that the ground will be all brown and there will be puddles. The white Christmas may be gone already. Granted, we'll get plenty more white stuff throughout the winter, but I love pretty snow on Christmas. It just feels right!

I really feel like I should apologize to my poor little neglected blog and any of you that may still be reading! I do plan to get back to posting more regularly as it encourages me, gets me taking more pictures of our lives and is a great outlet. However, I've been slow for a good (actually, great) reason so I don't feel too bad. I've had to focus on doing what I can with the energy I've got and that focus has been my little guy, my husband, cooking, working and other fun things like laundry and doing dishes. When I have no energy it really is all I can do to keep meals on the table and the house somewhat livable. Thank goodness for a very understanding husband who picks up the slack!

Have you figured it out yet? We'll be adding another little one to our family in early June of 2010. I'm so excited and am grateful that I seem to be past the worst of the nausea and might even be getting back some energy. I really get drained when pregnant and this time around I can't just sleep the days away when I get home from work. The little guy keeps us hopping and he doesn't seem concerned about his tired Mommy's need for sleep! We will grateful get through this time though, in appreciation for the gift to come. I can't wait to be the Mommy of two!

Any ideas that you have to prepare our little guy for the next one would be much appreciated. He'll be about 22 months when this baby arrives. He now says/signs 'baby' and we've given him a baby doll of his own. He is getting very interested in pictures of babies and calls most kids (some years older than him) babies right now. I tell him about the baby in my belly, but none of it makes sense as far as I can tell. I'd love any tips that you may have!

Have a wonderful Christmas! It really is a blessed holiday and one that I am glad to be spending with my little family.

Heather