I turned TWO on Sunday.
I love to play with my Choo-Choo trains. I also love to laugh.
I am always silly. I like to tease my mom and dad.
They can't believe that I am 2.
Everyone always comments on my big blue eyes, and my long eyelashes.
I am learning to put words together to make sentences. That is a big boy thing to do.
I am so blessed to have a family.
Sometimes, it is hard to accept what we have been given. We all have different stories. Life leads many of us down different paths, and we want to scream at the top of our lungs, "THIS ISN'T FAIR."
I have to say that I have tried to be accepting of most situations. I have adapted to the changes in our life. The many moves, apartments, small spaces, awkward challenges, and husband with an unpredictable schedule.
When I had our second baby without Jonathan the only thing I could do was accept it. He was miles away, and she was ready. What do you do about it? Although it was difficult at times to think about we have moved on, and we are so thankful for a beautiful healthy daughter.
Life hands us challenges that seem like a big curve in the road. It is often difficult to feel like we are following the straight and narrow path. When often times the road is not straight, and certainly not narrow. Our road can hand us choices that sometimes make us feel like we are so far from the middle of the road that we are practically off balance. With one foot on the concrete the other dragging along in the weeds.
I had just that sort of week. We have had such a wonderful month preparing for school, and celebrating birthdays. I just kept moving along trying to enjoy it, take it all in, and as always give as much love to my family as I could.
Monday was spent taking them on there favorite outing of the year. A trip to Toys R Us. Yeah!!! They love to go in there, and between the 3 we could spend hours in there. They had some birthday funds to spend. After much debate they all settled on something they thought they could enjoy. Then it was off to Sonic to spend some gift cards. We had such an enjoyable outing.
Our plan for Tuesday was a little grocery shopping to buy some needed lunch items to pack away in Jex's red car lunch box the next morning. We had planned to swim with our great friends, and I had the dreaded laundry to catch up on. To end the evening, we would go to dinner with friends as a little Back to School celebration, and then end the night with blessings for the children.
OUR DAY DID NOT GO AS PLANNED.
Tuesday morning handed me with contractions that woke me at 5:30 am. I laid in bed hoping that they would subside. Once the kids got up, and boy they got up early then I was up and moving. As I made breakfast and beds, I noticed they were not stopping today. Contractions are a very normal thing for me. However, I started to notice the back pain creeping in. Then the cramping and the sudden intense pressure.
I quickly called Jonathan. He said, "call your doctor." Sometimes I so badly just want him to be my doctor. However, I know how hard that would be for him. First of all, considering he is not specializing in OBGYN, and also because he is connected to me in such a personal way. So... I took his advice.
I called and they suggested that I get my prescription for Terbutaline filled. The pharmacy was so accommodating, and got it right to me. My friend with whom we were going to swim with offered to take the kids anyway, and I went home to rest.
YEAH!! The medication helped. I went to get the kids, and just as I walked back in the door, they started again. The medication had wore off. My day continued with fear and worry about what was happening.
When Jonathan came home, we went ahead and gave the kids blessings, Isaac included. (more to come on this later) I then asked for one myself.
With the kids in bed, I breathed a sigh of relief and headed off to bed myself. I was hopeful I would wake up with out all the fluff going on in my mid-section.
The contractions kept up, and I could not sleep. Jonathan got a hold of my doctor near 10pm. He suggested doubling up on two meds, and seeing what happened. Finally near 1am I fell into a deep sleep. I needed my day to be normal tomorrow. This is the day my kids start school. I have to be there for them. Will I be able to accept it if I am not?
I got up with the kids, and helped them. Still with some pain, but I did get these little cuties off. Don't they look adorable?
Jex is a big first grader now, and Stella is doing a year of Pre-K.
A friend took Isaac for the morning, and I went back to bed. I was hoping that the little jaunt to school hadn't made it worse.
Later on in the day, the help that came in was overwhelming. My dear friend Tracy came and did all the the laundry. Remember I was supposed to do that on Tuesday. Amanda took all 3 kids in the afternoon, and brought dinner back with her. Luanne also came with dinner, and then stayed to help with bedtime. How do you accept all this service, and still keep your pride in tact?
On Thursday, I headed in to the doctor. It was a long crazy appointment. The results of it all were better then I could hope for, but still hard for me to accept.
The baby is thriving. Her heart sounds great. When I contract her heart goes up which is so important. I am starting to slowly dilate, and have softened some. I had several tests. I have been receiving a Fetal Fiber Nectin test the last few times I have gone to the doctor. They have all come back negative. This is great because it can determine if you will go in to labor in the next 2 weeks. I got the results today, and mine was negative once again. 30 weeks pregnant is not far enough along to have a baby. I am happy she has decided to stay put for at least 2 more weeks. Lets all pray for ATLEAST six.
What I realize now is that I just have to accept where I am at 30 weeks pregnant. There is nothing I can do about it, and most important to me is the health of the baby. So... moderate bed rest is how I will spend the rest of my pregnancy, and we will all pray it does not go to strict bed rest.
This is what I have come to accept over the past few days...
Someone else will be doing our laundry, and I will accept it any way it gets done.
My house will probably not be picked up or straightened for the next few months.
I have to let go of my pride, and accept help.
My kids will be bounced from friend to friend so I can get rest.
I must accept not being able to chase my kids around, and being able to pick Isaac up.
Dinners will no longer be prepared by me. Someone else will be sharing their talent of cooking with us.
No more fun extra-curricular activities for a while.
I will accept that my family will come when I really need them to, and not when any of us expected.
I will accept my friends outpouring love, and kindness
I will no longer be cleaning toilets, and moping floors.(this one was easy to accept)
I will accept the service from our church family, as they remind me of the example of the Savior.
I will just say Yes, even when I want to say, "you really don't have to do that."
By choosing to accept things as they are, I allow many blessings to flow to our family. A beautiful baby to be born healthy to our family, and blessings to flow to those who serve.
Acceptance is not always easy. I have struggled the last few days. It is hard to accept spending most of your time in bed.
I will accept it, because this is a lesson for me. What will I learn as take a little time to grow this child? What will I receive from others, and what will they teach me?
I guess... it is easy to accept this because I can see the end. It is just a short time.
Many times we can't see the end of our trials, which make them so much harder to accept. There is nothing we can do about it. This has taught me what it means to accept what we have been given, and make the most out of it.
I hope to learn more about acceptance as I finish this journey of growing baby Tessa.
We love you Tessa, and can't wait to ACCEPT you in to our family with open arms. We welcome you.... just not right now.
All three of our kids have August birthdays. It is so hard to keep up with it all. I made the mistake of creating a cake tradition, and it must live on. So to keep it simple(if you can call it that) here is how our birthday cake tradition went this year.
"Hey, kids come pick out a small cake that mom can make for our cake and icecream party."
"What part about small did you miss?"
"3 cakes in one day is a lot, so lets keep them small."
This is when I got those looks like WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? They have never been small before, so why now?
Once we went back and forth, they all seemed satisfied except for Stella bean.
I couldn't listen to her go back and forth any longer so I chose, and incorporated some of her ideas, and I have to admit that it is my fault that it turned out so big.
So this year our cake tradition consisted of:
One day to celebrate all.
With a few family and friends.
3 SMALL cakes. hmm mmm
3 happy birthday songs
3 times to blow out candles
SPECIAL SPECIAL SPECIAL for all.
Mr. Seven year old with his requested ninja turtle.
A cake fit for a queen with as many of her ideas as I could include. This girl can dream.
A train for the little boy who is in love with Thomas.
I will let the pictures tell the rest of his story.
I waited all day to see this train up close.
Why are all these people looking at me? I am getting concerned.
I am feeling the embarrassment. How should I handle this?
It's my party... and I will cry if I want too.
I have to give a shout out to Luanne who helped me make these cakes as beautiful as they are. Thanks Lu.
Putting the kids days together have seemed simple this year. It is blogging about them that has taken some time for me to get to.
Jex’s birthday was one week ago, and I think that it is high time that I shared his celebrations.
We shared a nice mommy and son night the night before. We shared a plate of fries and dessert at chili’s and then headed off to do some toy shopping.
He too got breakfast in bed. He picked Skinny pancakes. They are my kids favorite. They are actually just crepes rolled up with syrup and powdered sugar. Heck! Let’s just share the recipe.
Skinnies(what my kids call them)
1. Cup flour
1/2 C. milk
1/2 C. water
1 egg
1 t. salt
1/4 C. melted butter
Add all the ingredients together and whisk. Dump 1/4 C. on a hot skillet and roll the skillet around to spread the batter thin. Cook on each side for 1-2 minutes. Add syrup and powdered sugar and roll them up. Your kids will go crazy. It is one of my favs too.
Okay …. I got sidetracked. This is Jex’s day. After the breakfast he spent time doing things he loves; watching tv and playing the computer. I try to limit both activities, but I did not on his day. Then we went to….
Coldstone once again. I think this is our new tradition. The kidslove trying what every one else got.
After that it was more of his favorites. He watched a movie, and Stella and I made cookies. Jex requested Ginger Snaps.
Stella helped me set his special table scape. It looked like this….
Here is the whole view…
The kids love when I light the candles.
Jex picked Homemade french fries, and bratwursts for dinner. I know I know… brats. It’s a boy food. After dinner we sang and while we sang he…
laughed. Isn’t he so adorable… he is missing his two front teeth. He tried hard to…
Blow out his Candle. He did well considering the missing teeth. After dinner it was time for…
Gifts. Thanks to those who thought of the kids this year.
The night ended for me with a huge smile as I watched him…
Reading his own Birthday cards.
One last surprise was when he immediately left and went fishing with his dad. He had a great night.
I turned Seven years old today.
I am excited to have a day all about me.
I have such a kind countenance.
I also am very sensitive to others and their feelings. I am also a good example for my brother and sister.
I love to have fun, and make people laugh.
I enjoy learning new things, and love school.
I am very close to the spirit, and try to be obedient.
I am thankful God sent me to my family seven years ago.
I turned 31 years old, and 28 weeks pregnant with our fourth child.
.... is this where I expected to be at 31?
I don't really know what I expected, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Yes, of course, there are days when I think; "Is this really my life?"
Another load of laundry
Time to do the dishes
Another floor full of crumbs to clean up
... and then one of them walks up to me and hugs me, or my husband says you look beautiful today. That's when I realize that I didn't really expect any of this, and do I deserve to be so loved and blessed?
I thought it would be fun to share a few randoms about ME, since I never take the time to do that.
I am a Mother and Wife
I think in color schemes and fabric swatches
I know that we have a Latter-Day Prophet
I want my children to grow up knowing that they are loved
I have way to many things on my to do list
I wish there was more time in the day
I miss living in the Caribbean
I fear loosing a child
I feel overwhelmed
I hear my children laughing
I smell CHOCOLATE!! (wishful thinking)
I crave sugar cookies
I usually follow a routine
I search blogs for new creative ideas
I wonder if I am doing everything that I can to be a good person
I regret the way I behaved as a teenager
I love being creative
I care about my kids appearances
I always try to do what is right
I worry about being on time
I am not selfless
I remember my childhood with fondness
I dance with my kids on a regular basis
I sing to just about anything, as loud as I can
I don't always put my laundry away
I argue with very few people
I write whatever pops in to my head, and not all that well
I win at hardly anything
I lose my car keys, and random things on a regular basis
I never go to bed with a messy house
I listen to the scriptures online
I don't understand politics
I can usually be found doing something for my kids, or the house
I am scared that I will make mistakes
I need lots of love and hugs and kisses
I forget just about everything these days (thank heavens for calendars)
I am happy when I make a new friend
This year for Birthdays, we decided to make them special by creating Traditions and having family time.
I didn't want to be bogged down with the minor details of parties, and then loose sight of the special person that we are celebrating.
So in honor of Stella:
She went on a special date with her dad the night before her birthday.
She woke up to...
Breakfast in Bed, and a new dress to wear.
She had her own private photo shoot(see the next post.)
Then we went to Coldstone for...
Cotton Candy icecream with Sprinkles.
Then we took some time to bake in the kitchen. This is her favorite thing to do. We made mini heart-shaped angel food cakes to add to her...
candlelight dinner. We set up this beautiful table to...
have a special dinner in honor of Stella. We had her favorite; Homemade Macaroni and Cheese. We also had rolls, green salad, and Strawberry Lemonade. I loved watching the smile on her face the whole night. Just look at how beautiful she looks...
It is amazing how an entire day devoted just to you can make you feel. We love you little Stella, and are grateful for everyday in the last five years we have shared.
We ended the night opening a few gifts. She got this from Grandma...
and couldn't wait to put it. She spent the rest of the evening(two hours) dancing to her new Hannah Montana CD. She loves music and dancing.
I hope when she laid her head on the pillow she went to bed knowing how loved and amazing she is.
I am Five Years Old Today.
My mom made me a new Party Dress.
I bring love and Sunshine to my families life.
I try to be kind, considerate, and I love to make people laugh.
I am so thankful that Heavenly Father sent me to parents that love me.
The Girls room is not completely finished, but I just couldn't wait. So let's start with the Girls first. Oh... it is so girly!!
The picture frames on the wall will eventually have pictures in them. I am just waiting for the little munchie to arrive so that I can snap some of the two girls together.
This room has a lot of furniture in it, but babies need a lot of stuff.
I still haven't finished the cover for the changing table. I need to finish that, and sew some new bows on the baby bumper. That also means getting my sewing machine out, and I just haven't been in the mood. Maybe Monday.
A close-up of Stella's bed. I ordered the vinyl lettering from Scribble It, my favorite vinyl company. It was so easy to apply.
I made the curtains from a $3 white sheet and ribbon that I already had. The tie backs are glass knobs from The Hob, and I found the rod there for $5. Right above the window molding are two little birds that are vinyl. Cammi from Scribble It through those in as a bonus.
I think they look great by the homemade chandelier that I made from an old bird cage that I had. It has a light, and also some white Christmas lights. To complete it some pink glass balls, and a pink candle. I think I spent about $12 for this project. Oh... and her bed was a steal at the store that I hate and would rather not mention, hmm mmm, walmart. I got it for a mere $100.
I already had her quilt, and found the sheets at Target. Then I couldn't believe it when I found the other 2 polka dot pillows at TJ's. I made the throw and chenille pillow from an old robe that I found at an Antique store. I added the trim also found at an Antique store, and the vintage pin.
Okay, so here is the Vanity that I picked up for $40 at an Antique store. It has the cutest glass knobs on it. I hope to find a stool for her. The mirror was FREE from a friend. The lamps were a steal at an Antique store, $16 for 2. They are old milk glass lamps. (are you beginning to think that I love Antique shopping? well I do...)
The Recliner? I know? It is a must when nursing a newborn. So it will stay.
...and here is my sweet baby Tessa's bed. I hope she likes it. The crib is the same we have had with all the kids. The bedding was FREE from my dear friend Kara. Isn't it adorable?
This is what you see when you walk in . I had almost of all of this, so I just put together to make a nice WELCOME.
Sweet Dreams Girls!!
