Lots and Nothing (at the same time)

So, I wouldn't start by saying that life has been crazy lately. It really hasn't been too too crazy. We've had our weeks of crazy busy-ness for sure, but most of the time I'd say we maintain a pretty manageable pace. That said, that pace for our family is different than my own personal pace. (does life as a mom to young kids ever really slow down??) Between potty training, cooking meals, keeping the kids entertained, keeping the house at least semi-clean and tidy, plus doing a bit of work with my business in the evenings...it keeps me going with, what feels like, very little truly free time! But it's good! It's really good!

With our 10 year anniversary coming up in May (and bundle #3 due in June), Nathan and I took a couple days to get away together to celebrate last week. My mom came and stayed with the kids while Nathan and I drove 6-7 hours to Edmonton AB where we hotel-ed, restaurant-ed, and relaxed! Together. Without kids. This isn't something that happens often for us...we probably average one kid-free getaway per year, not including the years I'm nursing the latest baby. So, this was probably our third kid-free getaway in the last 4.5 years of being parents? Yup. It was so nice. As we were driving there, though, we (mainly I) realized that we really had no shopping list for the big shopping attractions (Ikea and West Edmonton Mall) so we could have driven half the distance and still felt like we'd gotten "away." But we enjoy road trips too, so Edmonton it was. And in our super-duper 2000 Toyota Corolla, we only paid about $60-70 in gas for 15 hours driving so I'd say it was worth it...even if we could have stopped in Lloydminster and had less hip pain driving time. Bonus for the trip was that the day we left was Dairy Queen's free small cone day! So you better believe this preggo made her hubby stop in both North Battleford AND Lloyd for a cone. There was also a DQ in the same parking lot as where we went for supper in Edmonton so I was tempted to have a third free cone BUT...hours of driving was catching up with me so I decided to spare my stomach the extra (in)digestion and leave it at two cones for the day. But free is free! Oh my Mennonite will was tested...

I feel like I've found a great balance with my business lately. I can't remember if I've talked about this already here so I'll just repeat myself if I have. In December I took the month off, and then in January I announced that I was closing my business. I felt peace about that decision but the more time that went by, the more I missed it and wondered if I could find a better way of doing it so I could keep it and still enjoy it. I've stopped taking custom orders - orders where people show me a picture and ask if I can make something - and only offer the designs that can be found in my etsy shop. It has meant less local business, because I've also been doing less advertising in town, but I've had steady business online since starting back up! There's always something I'm working on for someone but I never feel rushed or frustrated because I just don't have time. It's been a lovely balance. I'm enjoying the pulled-back version of what I love doing!

The kids have been really thriving in this warmer weather! We spent a sad amount of the winter inside this year. With being in the country (fewer destinations means less motivation for me to leave the house every day like I did in town) and getting progressively bigger and more out of breath as the winter wore on, I found less and less motivation to head outside with the kids. Now that it's warmer and the kids have been able to spend more time playing outside, they have been less whiny and bored which has made my life SO much more pleasant! I was about ready to throw in the towel and move south. Those of you with young kids in a warm climate...you have no idea how nice you have it! Though I  remember days when we lived in California when the smog was so bad that it was recommended kids play inside. I remember breathing in clean Canadian air after living down there for 10 months and truly, it felt like I could breathe deeply for the first time in a long time! So I guess each place has advantages and disadvantages. But warm winters...what I would give to not be cooped up inside for 4-5 months of the year!

Kayden is such a talker, even more now than at Christmas! Her vocabulary expands every day and she just chatters away. She's not as shy as Levi was/is so more people get to hear her voice when we go out. We often get the comment that she looks like she's really young cause she's quite small for her age (about the same size as many one year olds) but then she starts talking and she's just like a little doll. You don't expect her to say much because of her size and then she just chatters away! She is now fully potty trained (daytime), though still has the occasional accident. She caught on really quickly when I started training in January. She still wakes up wet most mornings but stays dry during naps and most days. So we'll either work on nights or just wait and see what happens with time. I'm not totally decided on this one so for now we're just not doing anything special and seeing what happens. Our going away last week has made for more accidents since coming home but I think we're getting back on track now that it's been a couple days. I kinda expected that to be the case so it didn't catch me off guard or discourage me. With Levi, whenever he would regress, I would get discouraged and wonder if we had to go back to diapers, but truly, if you just stick with it and give it a couple days of being more intentional again, they just slip right back into routine. It's pretty normal to start having accidents again after no accidents for even as long as months at a time!

Levi is such a wonderful four year old. I hoped when he was three that four would be an easier age and so far it definitely is! He loves to learn and be challenged so near the end of this winter I started teaching him to read a bit and he has been sounding out words EVERYWHERE! It's so fun to see. He's also been practicing his writing, which he didn't care about at all just a couple months ago. And drawing! He's never liked drawing before and suddenly he will spend long periods of time with just markers and paper drawing pictures and writing words! And when Kayden sees him drawing, of course she wants to draw too. So fun :)

Pregnancy is going pretty well. I go through days of feeling like I'm stretching and growing way too quickly - today being one of them! And then other days I feel just like my non-pregnant self until I look down. I do notice that I get out of breath more quickly than normal. And obviously things like stairs and sleep are becoming more of a challenge with the extra 15 lbs and 10" around my waist! I'm 26 weeks now so about 13-14 weeks to go! It still feels so far away but I guess it'll probably go quickly! I feel so much movement...this kid is really a mover! Not significantly more or less than either of our other kids, though, so I wonder if that means we'll be blessed with another kid who isn't hyperactive? I'll love them either way, of course...!

Well, Nathan just walked in the door and that means it's time to get supper on the table! I'll try to add a couple pics from my phone when I have a few minutes but I make no promises!

Names

Ok guys, I need your thoughts.  Obviously, Nathan and I have been thinking about names for our new little one. We've got some good options left over from our last two naming games but of course we're scouting new options too!
So here's a question that always comes up when people are discussing baby naming and I'm wondering what you think. When it comes to names, when is it OK to use the name of an extended family member and when should you leave the name alone and not see it as an option? What constitutes a name as being "off bounds"?

Parents' names?
Grandparents' names?
Siblings' names?
Siblings' middle names?
Aunts'/uncles' names?
Cousins' names?
Cousins' spouses names?
Cousins' kids names?

So much of this is personal preference...everyone feels differently about this and it also depends on your relationship with each of these people. But I'm curious to hear your opinions! Please share your thoughts! When is it OK to use an extended family name and when is it better to find something new and original?

A random assortment of things

I know some of you check back here regularly so for you, I will update :)

Kayden's potty training has gone well.  She's not completely accident-free (three weeks in?) But she's awfully close. Nights are not close yet. I'm hoping that just sorts itself out with time?? But yeah. We're mostly there with daytime potty use. Yay!

Levi is just getting over his first bout of tonsillitis. We noticed over Christmas that his one tonsil was HUGE so once we were home I took him in to the doctor. It wasn't inflamed at that point so the doctor sent us home to wait it out, saying it would likely become tonsillitis sooner or later.  So a month later when Levi developed a mysterious fever, I was instantly suspicious and we took him in. He spent a few days laying around being "cold and tired" aka feverish but now he's back to his normal self...despite a few more days of medicine to go and some still-huge tonsils. He never complained about his throat hurting or discomfort at all so I'm glad we'd noticed his huge tonsils earlier cause I sure wouldn't have thought to look at them due to a fever!

The kids had their annual dentist appointment this morning. When I told them yesterday that they were going to the dentist today, they were SO excited! I'm glad they liked it! This was Kayden's first checkup and the dentist just looked at her teeth and counted them basically. But the idea is for her to get used to being at the dentist and having her teeth checked.  Levi has been to the dentist 2-3 times already so he's an old pro! He always has beautiful teeth and this morning he got his first polish! I was so proud of him. He's usually so shy but he climbed right up on the chair and did everything the dentist asked him to do. Makes me less worried about kindergarten so see him able to listen to someone else and follow instructions, even if he doesn't know them.

Pregnancy has been going pretty well. I've probably said this before on here but this pregnancy is so different from my last two. In the past I haven't had much morning sickness, only extreme exhaustion in the first trimester and a bit of food aversion for a few weeks. This time I had no nausea whatsoever and wasn't even very tired at all.  But then came the second trimester and suddenly my evenings are queasy and I'm more tired. Not what I expected at all! I've got the typical back pain, which I had last time too, though now I know that it's from carrying a toddler around. I've got pregnancy rhinitis something fierce this time. With the last two, I remember having a stuffed nose basically the whole pregnancy but this time it is just crazy how stuffed up I am! Add to that just randomly not being able to draw a full breath the past couple days (baby seems to have moved up and hit a growth spurt?) and I feel like there's some conspiracy against me breathing!  If oxygen is so important for baby, why does pregnancy seem bent on taking that away from me?! Oh well. Despite this not being my most comfortable pregnancy, i still have it easy compared to many, many women...and the fact that there's another little one growing inside me basically makes this all go away. For years we prayed for children, so what's a few months of discomfort if it means we get to welcome these beautiful little ones into our home and family? I count it all joy! And speaking of joy, I've been able to feel this little one moving and wriggling inside for a couple weeks now.  Those little bumps and taps, it's indescribable.

And we're done?

Well, I think I can safely say that we're done with diapers in our family for another season! Or at least during the day time. Kayden is still in diapers (disposables) at night - I plan to just let her sort that whole night-time training thing out for the next month or two and see if it happens on its own. But yeah! During the day, I'd say she's trained! We started a week ago yesterday and, while we still have the occasional accident, we usually get the pee on the potty! How exciting :)

Now what else is going on? We've been spending more time outside lately. I'm NOT an outside person in winter. And the more kids we have, the less I like spending time out there. If I'm going to be outside in the snow, I like to have something to DO! Something like shovelling snow (which has been banned for me this year), or...shovelling snow. I don't enjoy playing in the snow. I know I should. Especially since I have young kids and they like it. What better excuse to play in the snow, right? But I just.don't.like.it. But that said, it's +5C in January so how can we not be out there? Frankly, this weather just feels like a tease to me. It's warm enough to not burn your lungs and freeze your face, but still cold enough that there's snow and nothing is growing yet and we're not wearing t-shirts and shorts. It's wet so you have to wear ski pants and jackets but they all get soaked in 30 seconds flat. You KNOW that winter is still coming back because it's only January and spring never arrives (to stay) before April. So yeah...at least it's not -40C?

I've been in an organizing mood lately. Not sure if it's a spring-like weather thing or a January thing or what but I've been trying to organize everything. Our finances. I've been thinking about making more of a menu. I've been tidying and organizing parts of the house that haven't been officially tidied in months. It feels good to put things in order. Today I even took out a couple pails of paint and did some touch-ups on doors/frames and where we'd filled holes in walls last summer but never re-painted. Could it be nesting already?? Hmm...

Well, I guess I don't actually have much to say and since it's almost time to get Kayden up from her nap, I guess I should go. Here's a pic, just because every post is more interesting with a pic!

More potty talk

Well, here we are at the end of day 4. I feel like we've made some progress, though we're still definitely not accident-free!  When she only goes 2-4 times a day, there aren't that many opportunities to practice!

Monday, the first full day, was spent watching Kayden constantly. Poor Levi kept asking to play games with me and I had to tell him that I needed to watch Kayden and not be distracted in case she peed. He was very mature about it but I could tell it was hard for him. Sometime on Tuesday I decided to put a little soaker in her underwear and let her play wherever in the house she wanted - not just on vinyl/laminate floors - and without being under constant supervision. It was a far more relaxing day for me and I think more fun for both kids. Then today was our first outing without a diaper! We were gone all morning. Yes, there was an accident. And yes, there was another one. And no, I didn't bring enough changes of clothes. BUT, there was nothing that needed more than a fresh pair of underwear and dry pants. Whew! I'd call that a success!

Tomorrow we have another home day and I'm hoping that we make some good progress since we're headed to the city on Friday. I really don't want to put her in a diaper and potentially undo everything we've done this week. But I'm sure it would be a mistake to just have her in underwear with no leak protection (unless tomorrow goes VERY well!). I'm sure I'll be able to come up with an in-between option that will keep the car seat dry and also not confuse her.

Speaking of the city, it's time for another prenatal appointment. I'll be 18 weeks on Saturday! And that means it must be almost time for another ultrasound! It feels like I "popped" early this time so I felt huge by 8 weeks for being only in the first trimester. But now I feel like I'm not huge for being almost halfway. I'll have to dig out some pics from my other pregnancies and compare. That's always fun :)

Top left - first pregnancy - 17 weeks
Bottom left - second pregnancy - 15-16 weeks
Right - third pregnancy - 17.5 weeks

 

These pics are why I usually just shake my head when people look like this at 38 weeks and say they are "ready to pop." Um. Please imagine being this big before you're even halfway. :) That said, I am feeling quite good most days. I don't FEEL huge and uncomfortable. The second trimester has been more difficult for me so far than the first trimester, though, as far as tiredness and sickness goes - seems backward as it's usually supposed to be easier once you hit 13 weeks. BUT, I still have it fairly easy compared to some so I can't complain. Still seems a little surreal that baby #3 is on their way. Who is this little person going to be and how are they going to change our family? What is their name going to be?! And how is it that at this point I can't imagine who is inside and by this time next year I won't be able to imagine NOT knowing this person?

Potty training - take 2

Well, I've felt for a while that Kayden has been ready for potty training attempt #2. But between bed rest in December, then Christmas, then having my sister out for a visit which was followed by a week away with her...well I just simply haven't had a good chunk of time! But today was the day. Kayden has been holding it for long periods of time, she can say "pee," and she hasn't pooped in her diaper in quite a while (her bout of sickness excluded!), usually telling us that she has to go #2 before it happens.

We went to church as usual this morning and the plan was to start training after naptime. She was a grump after nap but I started anyway and the undivided attention really turned her afternoon around! We said "bye" to the diapers, which went to the basement to be washed and packed away until they're needed again in June/July. We stripped off her pants. And then we started pumping through juice boxes and oranges and anything else juicy that I could think of! Sidenote: I would normally caution against the use of oranges during potty training as they can be quite effective in getting things going, making poops less predictable and more messy than normal BUT they don't have that effect on Kayden so we're safe. :)

Now, I'm sure you're all wondering how the afternoon went! Well, we changed a fairly wet diaper after church and put her in a dry one for lunch and her nap. She woke up dry. We took the diapers away and she has had no accidents since! But before you start cheering and jumping up and down, you must know that she also hasn't peed on the potty. She just hasn't gone in, oh, the last 6.5 hours. (This is crazy since I, pregnant, can't imagine going that long between bathroom visits!) This is fairly normal for Kayden, though, ever since our first potty training attempt, but it sure doesn't make for that many teachable moments! Oh well,  fewer messes to clean this way! The cutest part of the afternoon? I have been reminding Kayden to tell me when she needs to pee every few minutes all afternoon and at one point she started answering back in her sweet little voice, "ok." Gah! She's just the cutest thing ever.  Along with her brother, of course. He's pretty sweet as well. Love those two!

Kayden sure seemed to enjoy the one-on-one attention this afternoon! Nathan took Levi outside to play in the snow for about an hour and the two of us had lots of fun. It doesn't happen much that I get uninterrupted one-on-one time with either of the kids so it's always special when I do. We read lots of books and I set up the baking soda and vinegar activity for her for the first time - she loved it!

Well, I'm curious how the next hour before bed will go. Either we will have a massive "uh-oh" during night snack, a massive pee on the potty, or a very wet diaper in the morning! The three day potty training method says not to use diapers at all once you start the process but I learned from doing this three dsy process with Levi that it totally isn't worth the multiple night wakings and sheet changings when they aren't wearing diapers at night before they're ready. We found that Levi wearing absorbent padding at night didn't hinder his training and before a month was past, he was waking up dry on his own anyway.  So I'm not putting myself through that again; I'll just go with night diapers right from the start and be well-rested for the days of training. 

Well,  looks like snack time is over and no accidents yet! Time to put these kiddos to bed. G'night all!

I'm still here!

Last summer I downloaded the blogger app onto my iPhone and loved how easy it was to post pictures and updates. And then I got a new phone at the end of October and that was the end of my blogging for two months. Haha. Oops! I blame the silly Samsung that I'm using now. Everything seems more cumbersome on this stinkin' phone. I'm used to it now but not sold on it. Anyway... I've finally figured out the blogging app and have enough patience stored up to try to type an entire post on here! Wish me luck! If it works, it might happen again before 2 months go by!

 

So what's new?  Let's see if I can figure out adding pictures so I can show you what we've been up to!

Vacuuming.

Pumpkin carving.

(post Halloween... though Levi didn't mind!)

Oh yeah, we've been working on a little something behind the scenes...except it's June not July. 

Hunting and butchering.

 (white tail deer)

Painting.

Christmas concerting at our church.

Baking cookies where everyone can watch and help - on the floor.

Opening Christmas gifts.

And stockings. 

Progress report at 13-14 weeks.

Reading books.

Learning how to play Guess Who.

(Levi is SO good at it!)

It has been a fun couple months. A good end to what had been a bit of a stressful year. Most of this year had a "trying to conceive" undercurrent,  which is both exciting and frustrating at the same time. After the first baby was so long in coming, I find that each month of subsequent trying is especially hard. Questions of "Will it happen?" and "How long will it take this time?" take over quite quickly into the process and it's fairly discouraging as other people are getting pregnant right away and we're left trying and trying. BUT... we are blessed to have two and another on the way! That's three more pregnancies than I once thought I'd have. So we are rejoicing and singing and oh so excited! 

Business-wise, I had a busy January-March and August-November this year. (This is crocheting I'm talking about, Uniquely Me Design.) I sell both through facebook/trade shows (which is mostly local) and Etsy (world-wide). Since having Kayden, these have been my first two "busy seasons" and I'm finding that I just don't enjoy the filling of orders as much as I used to. I love when people are interested in what I make and want to support me...but when it comes to actually making the items, the passion just isn't there anymore.  Add to that some direct competition in town (despite knowing that it's just business, I put a lot of myself into my creations and am taking it really personally when I see people ordering from someone else) and I'm finding most of the fun is just gone for me. I just don't think it's worth the stress it's been this year so I think it's time to just let it go. That said, I still LOVE making things for people I know and love so if you are ever interested in something, please ask me about making it for you! I don't mind and love to see people enjoying things I've made! Just buy me the yarn and I'll make things for you! And don't worry, I'll let you know if I just don't have time ;)

Christmas was fun this year. Levi is at an age now (4) where he got really excited counting down to Christmas and Christmas morning was highly anticipated! Kayden was still fairly oblivious to the coming holiday, though she got right into the unwrapping and playing with new toys/reading new books once it arrived. We spent some time with Nathan's parents and brother and with my family. Lots of good times, celebrating God and family, and making memories.

Random little fact that has nothing to do with anything but is a tiny bit fun and exciting for me: tonight I made what Nathan has dubbed "homesteaders stew." It's venison stew made from the deer Nathan shot this fall, and onions, potatoes, carrots and peas from my garden. It was amazing, though the kids didn't love it (boo!). But how great that everything came from the land? I could get used to this!