Some things...

I'll want to remember about my children at this point in their lives....

Clara (3 1/2 months)-
You sleep from around 8:30pm to 8am, with usually one wake-up time, to nurse, and then you go right back to sleep.

You have discovered your hands. You like to hold them together, suck on them, and wave them about, in the air, like a crazy person.

You are LOUD...very rarely do you cry, but when you do, the volume is turned up to MAX!

You nurse 7-8 times a day. You poop after every nursing session :)

Saying "guh" is your most favorite thing to do right now.

You wear 3-6 clothing. You weigh about 15 pounds and you have fat rolls and cellulite everywhere. Your skin is very fair. Your hands, dainty.

Starting to play with small toys and hold things in your hands.

We swaddle you in a SwaddleMe blanket before every nap or nighttime.

Size 2 diaper

You are very easy-going and relaxed. You only cry when you're tired or hungry. You are a JOY to be around!

Henry (27 months)-
You sleep from 8:30pm to 7am. No matter what time we put you down, you are ALWAYS up by 7am. Sleeping aids: Burny, Bemma, Whaley, Black Eye, and Blankey.

You can be really, really annoying when you get in a talkative mood. (harsh, Momma!)

You HATE for anyone to touch your hair, ears or face. You don't like to have your fingernails clipped, ears cleaned out, or your hair cut. Any attempt to do said maintenance on your body results in spankings and tears.

You are generally a very well-behaved boy.

Daddy recites Psalm 100 before bed every night. You can recite some of it back.

Potty training was a flop, we're going to try again after the holidays are over. You could sit in a dirty diaper all day long if I let you.

Favorite shows: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Yo Gabba Gabba, Wiggles, Handy Manny, Ni Hao Kai Lan.

Favorite movies: Robots, Ratatouille, Kung-Fu Panda (which you call "Hong Kong Panda")

You dance by pointing your finger and moving your arm up and down quickly. You can kinda sorta shake your hips, but it generally looks strange.

Almost every Saturday night = sleepover at Nana's house, where you ride the "wheeler" and take a bath in "colored lader".

Favorite foods: Clif Z Bars, string cheese, Cheerios, Chex Mix, Trail Mix (you pick all the M&M's out first, just like your mother), anything dipped in BBQ sauce, Mac and Cheese.

Can count to 10, when asked what color something is, you say red, always. But you know your colors - if I ask you to point to the blue or green, you can do it perfectly.

You have impeccable manners! You also say you're sorry alot (almost too much, which makes me question as to whether or not you know what that word means).

You ask me to "curry" you and when I pick you up, you hug and kiss me. You never hesitate to tell me that you love me, especially when you think I'll give you something sweet.

"'Tis the Season" by Michael Pearl

Below is the latest from Michael Pearl - sobering, real and something I needed to be reminded of today.

"‘Tis the season to be jolly, glutinous, wasteful, and covetous, while maxing out your credit cards. According to statistics, suicides will be at their highest in the next two months, more children will be molested in back rooms while parents visit, depression will be the default mood, and accidents from drunken driving and drug use will peak. Church attendance will drop off, and baby Jesus will share the stage with Santa Claus. Angels, who were sent forth to minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation, will become nothing more than decorations on a Nimrod tree.

No, I haven’t lost my joy or become cynical. Just the facts Ma’am, just the facts. Now, the question is, how can we enjoy this unholy holiday and glorify God in the process? The answer is simple, “Walk after the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.”

As you shop for gifts, choose those things that the person for whom you are shopping would have purchased anyhow. My mother-in-law, who is now dead, always bought my sons and me new flannel shirts for Christmas. She would wrap them in paper without any box. You could feel the buttons through the wrapping paper. But we would always shake it and listen to it not rattle as if we were trying to discern the content. We knew it was a plaid, flannel, lumber jack shirt, and of course she knew that we knew, but it was part of the family fun that time of year. Just this past week, Nathan was visiting, wearing a worn flannel shirt. I said, “Hey, what are you doing with my shirt?” He pointed to one just like it lying on the furniture, and protested, “There’s yours; this one is mine; Nanny gave it to me.” Indeed she did. In fact, most of the old work shirts I have were gifts from Nanny.

Each year, year after year, when we opened the packages in front of Nanny and tried on our new plaid shirts, I had no idea those shirts would become such a part of the fabric of our lives. But they still speak of Nanny years later.

So when you give this season, make it a gift without vanity and waste. There are enough junk items in yard sales and useless items stored in boxes in the attic or garage. If you choose to participate in this competition of gift exchange, do it in a way that blesses people rather than causing them to lie as they hold it up and enthusiastically exclaim, “Oh, it’s… just… what I needed.” And you say, “You’ve got it upside down; here, let me show you what it does.”

Do not spend money you do not have, and don’t spend money on these nonessentials that will strain your regular budget. The holiday season has its own rules that will sweep you along or make you feel like a scrooge if you don’t cooperate. Don’t be a victim of tradition.

We solved this problem before our children were born by just basically ignoring the entire holiday. We didn’t try to “keep Christ in Christmas.” That would be like trying to keep the US constitution in the United Nations. Never was there and doesn’t fit.

But I urge you to not become a campaigner against the holiday. Don’t waste God’s time bashing other people’s good cheer. Live your Christian life every day and let him be the center of all your conversation and activities."

— Michael Pearl

Like Father Like Daughter

Remember when Henry was this little.

PC

I find myself shouting inside lately! There are so many things in my life, choices I'm making, that go against what society (aka the World) would have me believe is right. And I'm succumbing to being PC about it....why? Is being politically correct blatently going against your convictions? Convictions that you know in your heart are right and true...and more importantly are backed by the Word of God. By being silent, am I failing God? Am I choosing the World over the Word?

Bullet points

My mind has been racing from thought to thought lately - never really completing one before moving on to the other. I feel like someone has the remote controller to my brain and they're flipping through the channels really fast. I gotta get all this out and onto this blog - bullet-point style. I'm not promising anything special...

• My feet went searching for Travis' in the middle of the night....and for the first time in three days, they found their target. All is right with the world. He was gone all weekend to on his Emmaus Walk, which proved to be an amazing (and hard) experience for us.
• Really, really wanting some sugar!
• Somedays, I really want to wear my white, fuzzy robe all day. But something in me won't let myself be that lazy. Travis informed me that I'm crazy.
• Is Clara a better baby, or are we just better parents?
• Reading the chapter on being chaste in the Debi Pearl book. Oh wow! All of the chapters speak to me, but this one in particular, I felt greatly convicted. Not so much recently, but in the past, I could definitely be accused of dressing immodestly I think. From now on, before I head out, I'm going to look down my body and do a boobs, stomach, butt check.
• Did I really just write "boobs" in a post? Sorry, Mammaw.
• Not a fan of food poisoning (which is what we both had, I learned that Travis was sick on Friday morning along with me. Not as much as me, so it must have been my dinner that he only had a couple of bites of). But, really, who IS a fan of food poisoning? Someone, I'm sure. Probably a facebook page for it.
• Wonder how much tickets to Denver are right now?
• Undercooked brownies with Reese peanut butter chips in them.
• Loving this new Febreeze battery-powered candle (an oxymoron of sorts)...but I'm too cheap to turn it on..then I'd have to replace the batteries sooner. Travis doesn't think I'm crazy for that - he's just as frugal.
• It's the Holy Spirit that convicts, missy....not me!
• I'd really love a house that I could decorate for the fall. Maybe will all the money we're saving on that candle...

That's all for now...the fairy will change the channel again and I'm sure I'll have more to post soon enough.

Wobots

Henry has watched the movie, "Robots", AT LEAST 10 times in the last 4 days! All he wants to do is watch this movie...he CRYS when it's over and asks for it over and over again. Yesterday, Travis told him to play with his puzzles first, so Henry gets out all his puzzles and RACES through them, just so he can watch this darn movie. He'd much rather watch "Wobots" than play with any toys, new or old. Of course, we are in control and there are several times a day that he asks to watch it and we say no. But still, is this normal for a child to pick a favorite?!?

Other Options - Travis

Who does she look like? - Travis

Well this is who I think of.

I might be in trouble with Lindsay.

As promised...

I couldn't find any good pictures to make a post similar to Henry's. She's still beautiful, acne and all.

nooooooo....

Clara has baby acne and today, I noticed the bald patch starting!! It sounds vain and silly, but I was really hoping she'd just skip this ugly phase and go straight to the pudgy, rolley-poley stage. When Henry lost his hair, he looked like a monk. Clara kinda looks like an Oompa-Loompa. Pictures coming...

Lately...

Travis brought it to my attention that I haven't posted anything about Clara and our last three weeks and that our grandparents don't necessarily read Facebook. Along with fellow bloggers, I go through feast and famine periods where I'll blog all the time and then nothing for 5 months. Quite frankly, I just don't have as much free time, or really a desire to blog in my free time. I'll try to do better, if only for Clara's sake, so that she feels just as important as Henry.

Lets see...the last three weeks have gone by so fast. I'm going to do this in a sort of bullet format so that it's easier to read. It will be hard not to compare the two children, so I'm not even going to try.

Feeding: Clara came out with a strong sucking reflex. In the time it took Henry to drain one breast, she can do both, have a diaper and outfit change, and be ready to move on to belly time! Nursing Clara is relaxing and easy. She spits quite a bit out when we're finished and has already gained a ton of weight, so I have no doubts about my milk supply. Henry would nurse every hour and a half - Clara, every 3 to 4 hours! Travis and I think back and laugh at how ignorant we were when it came to Henry and nursing...every time the child would cry, our fix was to stick a boob in his mouth (sorry, that's the best way to say it). He was probably so colicky because all he was getting was sugary foremilk and it hurt his belly. Poor boy.

Awake Time: Unless she is overly tired, she doesn't make a peep! She is very alert and strong. Loves the bath. A little fussy when you first put her in the carseat, but once there is movement involved, she is content (or falls asleep).

Sleeping: I think this is the area where the sharpest contrast lies between my kids. Except for getting up to nurse (every 3-4 hours), Clara sleeps from 9pm to 9 or 10am!! With NO awake time. Henry would nurse every 2 hours and also have several hours of awake time, where Travis or I would have to be awake as well. It is AMAZING how much easier it is to take care of my children and myself when I've had some decent sleep. And honestly, since this child has been born, I've had some great sleep. Even naps! We started out co-sleeping for the first week because she was so quiet. Over the last two weeks though, she has started to make loud, but sweet, baby noises. So she's in her crib, swaddled up like a burrito.

Big Brother: When Henry met Clara for the first time, he wanted nothing to do with her. Just walked right by and kept playing. The first week was ROUGH - he acted out and started to wake up multiple times at night, calling out for me. He would also be very jealous when I was nursing or had to stand with her. He'd say, "Me, me" or "Up". Heartbreaking to say the least. The hardest part about having a newborn was HENRY ;) Slowly though, he has been back to normal. He loves Clara - tries to give her his toys and kisses. Two times, I've caught him trying to feed her pretzels on our walks..lol.. I told him she only drinks Mommy's milk. I have to watch him because he will try to pick her up or lay his body on hers and give her hugs. He gets a kick out of burping her, even going so far as to burp Travis and I (we let out little fake burps and he has a good belly laugh). He's going to be an amazing big brother.

It is impossible to know if Henry really was as bad as we remember OR if we are just better parents with Clara. I'm sure a combination of both (read this post, or this one to see just how much of a monster-baby Henry was). I do think that Clara is an angel, so beautiful and very laid back. She is growing like a weed - the last three weeks have flown by. Travis and I aren't just surviving, but we're actually enjoying this time with our newborn!

Birth Story

I've just finished reading Henry's birth story to get an idea of how to write Clara's. The difference between the two is night and day - their birth stories and the children themselves. As I type, Clara has just finished nursing and is laying on her belly on the floor. Chilled out, relaxed, cooing. Henry never let us put him down...but that is an entirely different post in and of itself.

Clara's story actually begins a week before her birth. I started having very intense contractions, each lasting a minute, but they would never evolve into a pattern. Family and friends were on high alert for days and after nothing happened, I started feeling a lot like the boy who cried wolf.

On Friday, the 13th, I saw my doctor. I was 3cm dilated, 50% effaced. She stripped my membranes and said, "See you this weekend". Again, everyone was on high alert (Katy even took Henry to the lake for two days in case I went into labor). Nothing happened all weekend and by the time Monday rolled around, I was hoping that Clara would wait until the next weekend.

On Monday night around 11pm, my contractions evolved into a pattern - every 4 minutes, 1 minute in duration. This was it!! I called Katy and she came to stay the night with Henry. I figured I'd call the hospital and tell them I was coming. But when I talked to the charge nurse, she discouraged us from coming until the contractions were 2 minutes apart (NOT what my doctor had instructed us to do) but we heeded the advice because the last thing I wanted to do was lay around the cold hospital when I could labor on the futon (Katy was in our bed :) ).

I labored all night but the contractions weren't getting closer (again feeling defeated). I called my doctor and she said come in and she'd check my cervix. We left Henry with Mom and headed over to Sylva. When I got there, I was so sure they would send us home, but alas, I was a 5, 80% effaced with a bulging bag of water. My midwife, Betsy, said to head over to the hospital and that she'd come break my water on her lunch break!! YEAH! I'm not crazy - this was true labor!

We checked into Harris at 10AM. At around 10:30, I was dilated to a 7! Mom arrived at 11AM with cookies and trash magazines - I had NO interest in either, I was in "GO" mode ;) Around noon, Betsy came over and broke my water. After this, there was no turning back - we would have a baby, one way or the other, within the next 24 hours. If the baby hasn't been born within 24 hours of your water breaking, they'll take it by c-section because of the risk of infection.

Not long after my water was broken, the contractions got SUPER intense!! I never got to this stage of contractions with Henry - the epidural took all the pain away. Travis and I had decided that this time, we were going to try to have a natural birth - no meds whatsoever. We read Dr. Bradley's "Husband Coached Childbirth" together and were as prepared as we could be for bringing Clara out without any meds. I give props to him for making me do my exercises every night for weeks leading up to the due date and for making a GREAT coach during the actual event!

As I transitioned from a 7 to a 10, I labored on a birthing ball and in the water-tub. When I got into the water, it felt fabulous - all of the pressure was off of my joints and the warm water helped me relax. It was during this time that I began to push, in various positions, but I could never get into a good position. My midwife suggested we move to the commode (I asked if she'd be sure to catch Clara :)). Again, I couldn't push Clara past my pubic bone. The last suggestion worked - moving to the bed. It was there that I could really bare down and get her out. She was "sunny-side up" so Betsy had to hold her neck and twist her in the birth canal. The nurse pushed on my belly and with one last contraction, Clara greeted the world. They placed her on my chest and she was perfect. Black hair and a cute button nose.

Baby Update

For all of you blog stalkers ;) :

As of 7:30AM on Sunday, the 15th, baby Clara has decided to remain in the womb. I must have made it a pretty comfy place these past 9 months.

Having about 10-12 contractions per hour, all intense, BUT no pattern. I know they're doing something but it's not yet time to head to the hospital. So very frustrating to get my hopes up that the contractions are coming closer and closer and then they will skip for like 15 minutes and mess up any pattern.

I'll try to keep the progress posted on here and/or Facebook. Please pray for a swift, natural delivery!

Adventures in Potty Training (or not)

Well - Tuesday was the day. Marked it on the calendar, told everyone about it, bought special drinks and snacks. Tuesday was the day to potty train Henry. Tuesday was a bad day.

We used the book, "Toilet Training in A Day". It had worked successfully for my mother-in-law for her nine kids so I figured Henry would take to it. The premise is that you stay in the kitchen ALL DAY LONG (with no toys, TV, phone, distractions) and you talk about pottying - ALL DAY. You stuff the toddler full of juice, milk, water and any snack that they want. It's supposed to be fun. Enjoyable. A day to remember.

I'm still trying to block it, as I'm sure Henry is as well.

The child just did not want to do this - didn't want to stay in that room, didn't want to potty, didn't want to pull down his underwear. He drank alot but only peed three times in almost 7 hours. I was consistently excited - my face is still sore from the fake smiling.

I peed more often than he did.

Travis came home and I'm glad that he was able to see how frustrating it was. I was seriously worried that he'd show up at 5 and say, "You must have not read the book".

Ever since Tuesday, we've been prompting Henry to the potty every 30 minutes or so. I even put the potty in front of the TV yesterday and waited for him to pee for like an hour. Imagine me sitting beside him, just staring at his wee-wee, waiting for a drip. If we could only get a couple of times in the potty, and reinforce it with treats, I think he would start to understand. Five minutes after I pull his underwear back on, he pees in them. Since Tuesday, Henry hasn't peed in the potty once. He is perfectly content walking around in a wet pull-up.

Ugh.

Why on God's green Earth did I think that potty training 3 weeks before having a baby would be a good idea?!?!? From all the articles I've read since Tuesday, most toddlers revert back to diapers when a new child comes home. I'm a masochist, I guess.

Should I keep at this? Should we wait another 3 months? Next summer?

P.S. Hollywood stars actually HIRE minions to do this type of work...how much do you think a professional potty-training coach costs?? I'm pretty frugal but....

Watch out for the crazy pregnant lady!!!

WOW! The nesting has officially begun. Last night, I HAD to come home and pick blueberry's at 9pm. I HAD to clean Clara's room and wash her new quilt. I HAD to wash our sheets. I started crying when Travis looked at me like I was insane for wanting to organize some papers (at 11pm, and stuff that could easily be put off). Today, after cleaning Mom's house all morning, I came home and scrubbed the kitchen floor on my hands and knees. All of these things just HAD to be done. There was no other way around it - completely irrational, completely crazy. Miss Clara CANNOT come home to germy house!!

Good thing T wasn't completely caught off guard - the crazy cleaning lady came around when Henry was in womb too. He just held me and let me talk it out. Then I went back to cleaning...

Bittersweet

Had you asked me a year ago (maybe even 6 months ago) whether or not I wanted a weekend away, all by myself, I would have said, "Where do I sign up". Ironically, someone did ask me just that question and I jumped at the chance. Now the weekend is here and I'm having mixed feelings about being away.

Starting tonight through Sunday night, I will be in Hayesville, NC on a Christian retreat, called "Mountain Top - Walk to Emmaeus". The purpose of the "walk" (bummed that there is no actual walking involved) is to offer a time of meditation, seminars, worship and fellowship with other Christians. I'm super super pumped about what God has in store for me. I feel quite confident that this weekend will give me even more direction and purpose - to be a better wife and mother.

It's bittersweet, however, because I don't want to spend ANY time away from Travis and Henry lately. My marriage is strong and the weekends are spent making it even stronger. Henry is fun now and he is becoming this affectionate little boy that I always wanted. Any time spent away from my boys seems like it will be second-rate. That being said, I'm still going, I'm still planning to reap and sow, and I plan to make the most of my time away.

Pray for Travis please. I've been prepping the house all week so that he won't have to do much. I've left him with clean clothes, a clean house, chili and ice cream. There is no telling what might happen when men are left to their own devices.

Boys vs. Girls

Question for all you mommas: If you have had a boy and a girl, what were the differences between the pregnancies? Did you carry a certain way? Gain more or less weight? More emotional?

Just curious because I am definitely seeing some differences between Henry and this little girl.

Henry: Basketball under shirt, carried low, craved sushi, hamburgers and fruit.

Clara: Carrying much higher, weight gain all over, severe morning sickness, craved steak - now nothing really.

It's A...

GIRL!! Henry's going to have a baby sister! We are just thrilled.

I kinda had a hunch that it was a girl, just because of the difference in the way I'm carrying and my severe nausea. We've decided not to name her until we see what she looks like - so that should make things a little exciting.

Travis has the ultrasound pictures at work, but he's supposed to bring them home tonight and we'll post them.

Good thing God has promised to never give me more than I can handle.

Mommy needs a drink. Or some chocolate. Or just a change of mind.

This weekend can not come soon enough. I need an extra pair of hands.

Henry has been clingy, angry, needy, and just all together, a not-so-great child this week.

I have been emotional, uncomfortable, tired and just plain tired.

How will I be able to take care of TWO of these people? Barely managing the one.

TGI (almost) F

I love being a princess...

If you've ever watched the children's show, "The Backyardigans", you might be familiar with this addictive song that they sing - "I love being a princess". The whole episode tries to teach kids about how not to be selfish, but all I took away from it was this ridiculous song. It kinda applies to my life in the past 3 weeks.

The last 3 weekends, Travis has taken me out for a steak dinner. In our budget - NO. A MUST HAVE- YES! The only defense I have is that I CRAVE the steak. I love the steak. I want to eat steak for dinner every night. Getting it once a week is a compromise, because I want it so badly. More than anything, I crave the marinade and "blood" of it - yes, I know it's odd.

The thing I feel guilty about is that Travis has been so amazingly great about letting me indulge in this craving. We've driven to Asheville twice JUST to eat at Outback (shout out to Outback, your steak is amazing).

There is no justification for this behavior. I don't think that I'm always a spoiled person (or is that something that only a spoiled girl would say?). All I can say is this: I need it and my husband will give it to me. Fine - I love being a princess.

Still...

sick. But hopeful.

pregnant. And THANKFUL!

in need.

I had a 6 days running, "no throw-up" trend going. Until last night. I always read the Verse of the Day online and ironically, yesterday's verse was James 1:2, the "consider trials pure joy" verse. Out of all of the verses in the Bible, I know that God wanted me to have that one bound around my neck yesterday.

The truth: I'm done with this. I can't take it anymore and I'm ready for life to return to normal. I'm ready to do my housework without wanting to puke. To have enough energy to really play with Henry. Ready to start working out again. To WANT to eat food again. And so much more.

I have such mixed emotions about all of this. I'm tired of being sick, but I know that the reason I'm sick, is because I'm PREGNANT!!!! So many women would kill to be sick if it meant that they were going to have a baby! I know this. I am so thankful that God has given me this blessing - and really just handed it over without much trying on our part. This is a blessing. BUT...

I don't want to be sick anymore. And I know that God can and will heal me. I WILL NOT lose my faith. Job didn't. Man, can you imagine? And now I feel bad for the "BUT.." above.

I'm talking in circles. The point is this: I need prayer. Not only prayer for healing, but for perserverance and for joy in suffering.

P.S. If you've seen the TBS commercial for Family Guy where Stewie says "Mommy, Mom, Ma, etc" then you'll find this funny. Travis has taught Henry that whole skit and he does it several times a day. So cute...and a bit tiring.

Not my brother, not my sister, but it's me, Oh Lord...

Standing in the need of prayer.

Oh man...the last three weeks have been a struggle, to say the least. But it all culminated this morning into a huge mess. Henry woke us up at 5:30 - Travis goes in there to give him his water and lay him back down in hopes of getting another 30 minutes of sleep. HA! As soon as he enters the room, he runs back out and asks me if I have a strong digestive system this morning. I think, "oh gosh, why is he asking me this?" Then the smell wafts through the air. Vomit.

I'll spare all of the details, but they include a couple more times of throwing up, some "death" poops, and three baths!!! Ah the joys of being a mother! I do have to commend Travis for cleaning up the vast majority of the mess - he has been such a great helpmate to me in these last 3 weeks.

And speaking of the last three weeks, well I just want to block them out. As you all know from our brilliant shirt idea, we are pregnant (well mostly me). I have had some pretty horrible ALL DAY sickness that I can't seem to shake. I was sick with Henry but not to this degree (girl??). My weight has plummeted to an all-time low, due to the excessive nausea and vomiting. My midwife prescribed me Zofran - that didn't touch this stuff. Basically, I'm pretty miserable to be around.

So where do you turn when things are down? GOD!! Let me tell you - I've kept in constant communication with Him these past weeks. At first, I was praying for complete healing - a miracle of sorts. Nothing happened. I start feeling doubtful and hopeless. Poor poor me. Then a revelation. I need to be praising God for this miracle, praising Him for this time of suffering because of what it will bring. James 1:2 says "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance mush finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

WOW! Talk about an attitude change - a HARD one at that! Morning sickness is pure joy?!? YES - because it's making me stronger and more complete. Just the type of mother I want to be to this new life.

Please keep us in your prayers. I'll keep you and yours in mine!