For various reasons, the last couple of months have been a little rough at our house. Even though I wasn't nearly as sick through this first trimester as I was with Hannah, I still did not feel great. I was really tired and had lots of headaches, etc. I'm not trying to complain, but I just didn't feel like doing a whole lot. Besides that, we have been dealing with a couple of other stressful situations. I am glad that Josh and I have each other, especially during stressful times. Despite all of this, we did manage to get several small things done around the house and started VBS planning.
Meanwhile, Hannah has been growing up before my eyes. She looks older and older every day I think. Yesterday, I had two people ask me if she is three, and some have even thought four (which is a little ridiculous), but she is only one (for a few more months)! I do not think she looks three, but she also does not look like a baby at all any more, especially when her hair is down! She is picking up new words every day which is pretty fun. Her favorite words right now are door, car, and choo choo. She loves to cuddle on the couch with me every night, which I love! She is also really into books. She will sit and look at them for a long time! She also loves photo albums. Her sleep schedule has changed a lot, partly because I've been lazy since I wasn't feeling well. She started going to bed much later, but she also sleeps later and takes longer naps! So, it's all a trade off. We do time outs in her pack 'n play now, and that really seems to change her attitude if I mention the word. And sometimes time outs are good for me too because I get a minute to chill out if I get frustrated! Hannah has tried to throw things away several times, and the worst thing I have found so far was a $10 bill! I bought a toddler bed for her because I got a really good deal at a resale shop, so we went ahead and set it up in her room even though I don't intend to switch her any time soon. She still does not try to climb out of her crib, but she has climbed into it twice!
Hannah and I after the "Mother-Daughter Banquet" at church. It was REALLY windy that night!
Hannah and I got to meet Betty, Belle, London, and Abby in Tuscola for a day of shopping. It was a lot of fun. We got really good deals, especially at The Children's Place outlet. I bought some stuff for a boy "just in case." We ate lunch at a really cute sandwich/candy shop downtown. I was glad to get to see them. It was a lot of fun and I have a feeling we'll do it again!
The big news in our family is that we are going to have another baby! I am so excited! I found out at 4 weeks and 1 day (on March 22nd), although at the time, I thought I was 5 weeks. They moved my due date back 6 days based on measurements. I just decided to take the test one morning and got to tell Josh before he left for work. We are both really happy and excited. We were hoping for a fall baby this year, and what do you know, it actually worked out that way! I just pray that I can carry this baby to full term. My due date is November 28th, so my goal is to at least make it until the 2nd week of November (the 7th would be full term!). It's so funny because last time, I was worried about going over, and this time, I am worried about going early. It will be interesting to see. I am also very curious to find out if I am having a boy or a girl. Very early in my pregnancy with Hannah, I had a dream about having a baby girl, and this time, I had a dream about a baby boy, so we'll see if that means anything. I have felt better so far with this pregnancy than I did with Hannah, but I am still experiencing nausea and fatigue. I have a hard time keeping my eyes open at night, and I have even taken a few naps during the day, which is unheard of for me! My first ultrasound was at 8 weeks and 1 day. I was so relieved and full of love when I saw the baby for the first time. Nothing is more comforting than seeing that little heart beat flashing on the screen. I felt instant love, and I can just imagine all the cuddling, kisses, and joy that are in store for us. I am so thankful that our family is continuing to grow and am looking forward to being a family of four!
Easter was a little bit crazy at our house this year. Or maybe I should say it was rather uneventful. Hannah came down with a pretty nasty virus that lasted 6 days, and she was about at her worst on Easter Day. So, our family did not get to go to church, which I was really bummed out about. I love the Easter service and always really look forward to it! I did go up to church just to teach Beginner Worship but did not get to sit in a service. Josh stayed home with Hannah. Luckily, Easter is one of the few Sundays he has no responsibilities. We were supposed to go to all three of our families that day too. It is always a little crazy and stressful for us trying to get everywhere, but we were really bummed that we didn't get to go anywhere! Hannah just was not up for it. In the night, her temperature had been 104, and she just wasn't herself. I was so bummed that she didn't get to wear her Easter dress that my mom made. But, it is just the reality of life. I got over it. She got to wear her dress the following Sunday, and we got to see our families the following week.
She got lots of Easter presents and way too much candy. She LOVES her musical Peter Cottontail book, and her dancing chicks, and her big pink bunny. I was a big fan of the new clothes and hairbows.
And, she actually did participate in the Easter Egg Hunt the day before Easter since Josh and I were in charge of it and really had no choice in taking her. When I looked back at the pictures, I thought, "What was I thinking?" She was clearly not feeling well, but we didn't know what else to do.
Hannah and I have had so much fun this month. Here is a highlight of our activities:
First, Hannah and I went to an indoor park at First Christian Church in Champaign. The playground is open to the public all day, every day. It was a lot of fun. She loved the merry-go-round and the slides. They were the biggest slides she has been on. I went on them with her the first few times, and then she went down them by herself. She can be a little daredevil at times. I have to chase her lots, but she had tons of fun.
To get ready for spring, I painted Hannah's toenails for the first time. I was doing mine, and she seemed really interested, and she actually sat still to let me do hers. Aren't they cute?
Hannah and I got to go to a state basketball game in Peoria to cheer on the Salt Fork Storm! This was the first time they have ever gone to state in basketball, so it was really exciting! We went with my parents and had lots of fun. Hannah slept through the 4th quarter though, which was amazing since we were in the middle of the student section during a huge game!
The next week, Hannah and I went to the Bloomington Children's Museum to meet up with Jennifer and Kristina and their 6 kids! We had one 4 year old, two 2 year olds, two 1 year olds, and two newborns! What a crew we were! I was constantly counting to 7 to make sure we had everyone (although only 5 are mobile :) Hannah really enjoyed playing at the water table!
By far, Hannah's favorite exhibits were the ones that involved steering wheels! She drove everything she could and really did not like being pulled away!
That night, we headed up to Streator to stay with the Gorschs. We got to play at a couple of playgrounds and got to go to story time at the library. It was a little hectic and a lot of fun.
The next week, I babysat Hannah's friends, Lily and Violet for a day, so I had three 19 month olds! It was interesting. I felt like I got a brief glimpse of what it would be like to be a mother of multiples as I changed three dirty diapers, fed three lunches (taking turns in the highchair), and put three down for a nap (taking turns in the crib). In the afternoon, we got out for a walk. I pushed the stroller and pulled the wagon. It was a little bit of a workout but not too bad.
A few days later, Hannah and I joined Josh on his work trip to Louisville. It was fun but busy. First, we dropped Josh off at his convention, and then Hannah and I headed to a really nice mall. We didn't buy much (mostly higher-end stores), but we had fun looking. We found some fun riding toys in the mall that cost a quarter, and Hannah LOVED them... anything with a steering wheel! We did have a minor incident there as she apparently pushed another boy out of her way. I didn't see it, but I believe it. She's still at that learning age. However, the other mother was MAD! I smiled and apologized, but I really wanted to tell her to chill out!
After that, we went to The Great American Cookie and got a double doozie.... my favorite!!!! Our Champaign store closed a few years ago so it's been too long since I've had one! We then spent a lot of time at Target and then drove to our hotel and checked in.
Once Josh got back to the hotel (which was in the heart of downtown), we walked down to The Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner, which is always a good family choice. The food was yummy. Hannah enjoyed the spaghetti and ice cream!
Hannah did NOT sleep well at the hotel. I'm not sure why either. She did fine at the Gorsch's the week before, so she must just need a dark, quiet room! I'm really not sure, but she "slept" with Josh and I most of the night. Luckily the bed was huge, but none of us slept well.
The next day, Hannah and I had breakfast at the hotel and then went swimming. I think Hannah thought she could swim on her own because she kept trying to push away from me. I didn't bring her floatie. We had fun though. Then we went shopping and had lunch downtown. We had to pack up our room and check out before Josh got back, so I hauled all our overnight stuff in the stroller around downtown. We walked down to the river, which was really pretty. Then, we headed for home. I was glad we went because I've literally talked about going for years, but I don't think I'd do it again anytime soon!
I've tried to be intentional about doing fun things with Hannah and not always working on my "to-do" lists, so looking back on March, I'm glad we got to have so much fun!
This month, I had the opportunity to attend my first Hearts at Home conference in Bloomington with a couple of my college girlfriends, Amy and Kristina, and a few of their friends. It was a great day. It was so awesome to be in a room of nearly 5,000 women who are all striving to be better wives and moms. I especially loved worship time, which was led by Christy Nockels. It was amazing to hear so many women lifting up their voices to God.
Throughout the conference, we learned a lot about the power of the words that we use. As mothers and wives, it is our responsibility to choose our words carefully. We need to affirm and encourage our husbands and kids with our words. We also need to use words to show appreciation and to apologize when necessary. We cannot speak without thinking. The results can be devastating to those we love.
I attended one workshop that talked specifically about marriage and was taught by Mark Savage. He talked about how important it is to think and speak well of our husbands. I think for most wives and moms, it can be easy to pick out what was done "wrong" or to complain about silly things. We need to focus on our husbands' strengths, not their weaknesses. Our husbands need us to need them, believe in them, trust them, and affirm them. We are not doing this when we are being nit-picky or nagging. We need to remember why we fell in love with them and love them for who they are. I feel like I have been blessed with such an incredible husband. I love his commitment to God and to our family. He always tries to do what is best for us and loves to make us happy. He has been so supportive of me staying at home with Hannah. I appreciate that he appreciates what I do, and that he wants me to do it :) Another thing I really love about him is his organizational skills. It may sound silly, but for someone with my personality, it is a huge plus :) I can always count on him to follow through on the things he is supposed to do, and I don't have to ask him twice (usually :). He is also a very hardworker. He always does a job the best that he can. I have no doubt that he loves me and Hannah, and that he is completely committed to us. I know that he would never leave us (even on my worst of worst days :). Maybe you would say that your man is disorganized and forgetful, but maybe he has other strengths such as being handy around the house, or being good at building new relationships, or being the life of the party. Whatever your husband's strengths are, be thankful for them, and focus on them. That is who you fell in love with!
The other workshop that I really appreciated was taught by Jill & Mark Savage and was based on their new book, "Living with Less so your Family can Have More." They talked about how having less money, activities, and stress in your life can create more availability, peace, patience, kindness, joy, health, organization, energy, attentiveness, time, and margin. This has definitely proven true in my life. Since I started staying at home, I have had so much more time and opportunity to do the things I wanted to do when I was working but never had the time. I am much happier, and I feel that I have become a better wife due to reduced stress. Yes, that has meant a reduced income for our family, but honestly, we've hardly noticed the difference, and the sacrifice was well worth it. When I was working full-time, I was not yet a mother, and I still met myself coming and going. I felt like I was NEVER at home, and I never had any time to do anything that I WANTED to do. The only time I could clean my house or grocery shop was Saturdays, and that was only if we didn't have somewhere to be. So, on the weeks that we did, things simply did not get done. I was overwhelmed. I cannot imagine trying to squeeze time in with Hannah on that schedule. We were living a crazy, stressed life. By staying home, I have been able to shoulder some of the work that Josh was doing at the church, and I have a much better handle on managing our household, making it a more peaceful place to be. I love that my husband does not have to worry about dishes or laundry or what he will eat for dinner. I love that we each have our role in making our family work. I wouldn't change it for any amount of money. Instead of having extra material possessions, we have peace and time for our family. To me, that is priceless. This seminar corresponds with the devotional I am doing right now, which talks about how too many good things can actually be bad. It may be good for us to serve on a certain committee, and to relax and watch TV each night, and to spend time with friends, and to read a book, etc., etc., etc. But, if all of it adds up and takes away from our time with God and family, those good things become bad things. We should consider our time as a more valuable asset than money and set our priorities accordingly.
I was so glad I got to go to the conference and reflect on all these thoughts. I left feeling encouraged in this journey of motherhood. I have found myself choosing my words and thoughts more carefully and being reassured in how our family has chosen to function. I look forward to future years of learning and growing. I know I have a long way to go!
We had a bridal shower for Courtney, my soon to be sister-in-law, on Saturday, June 5th. It was at her mom's house. We are getting so excited for her wedding, and our whole family is excited that we get to be a part of it. Josh is the best man, I am a bridesmaid, and Hannah is a flower girl! It should be lots of fun! The only hitch will be if my dress still fits in eight weeks. My belly hasn't totally popped, but I think it will before then. We will see!
Courtney got lots of nice gifts and we ate lots of yummy food!
I made these "tuxedo strawberries" which I think are really fun for weddings and showers. You can find the "recipe" here: Tuxedo Strawberries
