Potty Training Update

Well, Isaac is doing very well at potty training. Monday went very well. He had a pee pee accident before he had a success in the potty which I was hoping wouldn't happen. I think I gave the first day a B. He did better in the afternoon and was getting the idea of how it all works. He does a great job emptying his potty bucket--he already knew how to do that from watching Ewan learn how to do it over a year ago.

I was very discouraged on Tuesday when he had accident after accident all morning after the big training day. I thought for sure I had failed as a trainer but the afternoon went much better. I think on Tuesday and Wednesday he was learning that he could hold his pee and how to start it and stop it better. Thursday and Friday he only had one accident and actually made some poop in the potty. Today he has not had any accidents at all but had a poop right in his diaper right after his nap. I am still putting him in diapers when he sleeps. We have had a couple outings and he has done very well at keeping dry pants. He loves wearing underwear. The biggest improvement that needs to happen is for him to go straight to the potty when he needs to pee and just go. Right now we are in the phase where we watch him and the clock and take him to the potty when we think he needs to go. He will grab himself and say I need to go when he needs to go but if we weren't there to help then I think he would have more accidents. In the book we use, we aren't supposed to guide the kid at all and let them handle their toileting all on their own (going to the toilet when they have the urge, pulling down their pants, sitting down, peeing/pooing, wiping (although helping with the poo wipe), pulling up their pants, emptying the potty bucket in the big toilet, replacing the potty bucket). The book trains kids to be self sufficient but I don't think I am that great at the training and the way we have adjusted it seems to work fine.

I like going from diapers to underwear and not turning back. We have never used pull ups with either of the boys--mainly because I don't want to pay for them and I can wash clothes very easily and I think they don't do the job of toilet training. Also, a lot of my friends that have used them have said that when their kids are using them they will pee/poo in them because they know they can. I think that makes the toilet training take longer.

Ewan is pretty self sufficient at toileting himself. He still needs help pulling up his pants sometimes and wiping but he goes straight to the big potty when he needs to go and doesn't need my help. He even uses the stool to turn on the fan when he needs to poop. He is very particular that the fan is on. I never remind him about having to go and he does a great job. He has been a big help in celebrating Isaac at all his successes at potty training. He is proud of his little brother too.

Nursies?

A few weeks ago when Jon was out of town my mother came up to help put the kids to bed while I taught my birth class. We were sitting at dinner at Ewan looked at my mom, then looked at me, then looked at my mom, then looked at me and said the following:

Ewan: (Poking my mother's breasts) Are those your nursies?

Mom: Yes.

Ewan: My mom has nursies. Okay, but you don't have anything to drink out of your nursies. My mom is going to feed the baby with hers.

Mom: That is right Ewan.

My mother and I were containing ourselves from laughter because it was such a funny thing for him to observe and suddenly be aware of at dinner. He is a smart kid and is figuring out the world.

Now, some of you may be wondering why I don't discourage him from this conversation. Let me tell you why. Because breastfeeding is NORMAL and NATURAL. Breastfeeding isn't sexual in nature and for sure Ewan's poking and prodding isn't either. He is learning about babies and body parts. That is normal. I want him to grow up with a healthy idea of what breasts are for. I would hope that he would grow up to be a man who supports his wife and encourages her to give their baby the best food available. Sure, when he gets older he will enjoy the sexual nature of breasts but that isn't all they are for. Breasts were made to feed babies and it is a pity to me that so many people try to make breastfeeding something "gross" or sexual. I think it is ludicrous when people say nursing women should hide themselves and/or go sit in a bathroom somewhere to feed their babies "in case someone sees something". Um, have you seen the way women dress these days? Have ya ever walked by Victoria's Secret in the mall? Have you ever seen their commercials? Have you ever seen the covers of Maxim magazine? Have you ever seen the suggestive poses that Brittany Spears and Christina Aguilara have done in their music magazine spreads? Have you ever seen beer ads? I see more cleavage and boob walking around the mall than I see from women nursing their babies! Anyway, I am sure you get my point although I know that most of you who read my blog aren't naysayers of breastfeeding but I thought I would go ahead and let you know why we consider this normal conversation around our house.

(The picture above is of a woman who has a video series out on breastfeeding that is really good. It covers the how to's, the benefits, personal testimony etc.)

What's Going On...

1. The pregnancy is going well. Morning sickness is almost behind me. I get nauseated occasionally and am throwing up about 1 or 2 times a week now. It has been several days since I vomited. Whew! My belly is beginning to poke out a little. It is more obvious to me than others. I am officially in the in between stage of normal clothes and maternity clothes. My clothes still fit but they are getting a little uncomfortable and are starting to look funny around my belly. In other words I feel more fat than pregnant. Blech! Maternity shirts look unflattering since my belly is little to show for. Thankfully this stage only lasts a few weeks. It turns out I have really only gained about 2 lbs. I am not complaining! I am almost 16 weeks along now. I think that by the time I was 20 weeks with Isaac I had gained 8 lbs. We will see what happens with this pregnancy. I know the weight gain will come.

2. The house is on the market but we still have not had anyone come and look. It makes keeping the house clean seem like a futile attempt but you never know when look-i-loos will start coming. There are about 10 houses in our subdivision up for sale now (about 10% of our subdivision). I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Perhaps if buyers come to look at a house in the neighborhood and see ours they will want to take a peek. Lord, send that buyer soon!

3. I got to go to San Antonio last week to visit my best friend, Jenny. She had a baby at the end of January and I went to go and help out for a few days. What gift my family gave me to be able to go for 5 days! Thank you husband! My in-laws helped out too and for that I am very thankful as well. I got to hold my little "nieta" (niece in Spanish) and play with my "nieto" (nephew). I cooked meals and let Jenny take some naps while I hung out with Joaquin. I had such a good time with the Castros. Thanks for letting me come and visit! There is nothing better than spending time with your dearest friends over meals and casual afternoons sitting on the porch. Being in San Antonio made me wish we lived there again. I love that city. I probably love it more because I have such good friends that live there. If they all moved away I would still love the city but it wouldn't be the same.

4. We are moving in 3 months! Can you believe it? Holy bleep! It is coming around the corner soon and we have a LOT to do. I don't even know what all we need to do but the list is just lingering out there. I don't feel worried or stressed about it yet.

5. The big potty training day for Isaac is next Monday. I am excited for him and this important milestone in his life. I am praying he will learn quickly and take it all in stride. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Ewan Just Made My Day

We were admiring the beautiful sunset tonight. Lots of pretty pinks and blues across the sky. Ewan ran over to the windows and said, "Oh, look at the sunset mommy". My reply, "Mmmhmmm, isn't it pretty?" Ewan said, "Yeah, pretty like you". Awwww, how sweet. It melted my heart!

Patty Griffin

A friend, Leon, gave Jon and I a Patty Griffin CD last year for Christmas. Who knew that she would become one of my favorite singers? Her CD, 1000 Kisses, is amazing. She has got some amazing song writing skills. 1000 Kisses is folk music. Her other CD, Flaming Red, is more rock music. I have not gotten to enjoy that one as much yet because it is so hard to listen to what I want to in the car. For Valentine's Day Jon got me her new CD, Children Running Through. It is more of a combo of rock and folk music. One song on the CD, Burgundy Shoes, touched my heart strings.

Jon heard an interview with her on NPR talking about this song. She wanted to capture the feeling of a 3 year old little girl and her mom taking a trip out after the snow melts. If you get a chance to listen to the song please do so. It made me think of special moments with my own mom when I was little and made me yearn for this baby I am carrying to be a little girl. Here are the lyrics:

Burgundy Shoes
We wait for the bus that's going to Bangor
In my plaid dress and burgundy shoes
In your red lipstick and lilac kerchief
You're the most pretty lady in the world
Sun

The bus driver smiles a dime and a nickel
We climb in our seats
The vinly is cold
"Michelle, Ma Belle" A song that you loved then
You hold my hand and sing to yourself
Sun

The leaves are green and new like a baby
Tulips are red
Now I don't miss the snow
It's the first day I don't wear my big boots
You hold my hand
I've got burgundy shoes
Sun

This little girl is excited that she gets to wear her little dress and burgundy shoes and is enjoying looking at the sun outside. When you hear the song I guarantee you will get teary. To hear a sample of her music click on this link. Rain is one of my favorites of this selection. You can select 4 songs to listen to. To hear a teeny blurb of Burgundy Shoes click on this link.

P.S. Monica, this song made me especially think of you and Miriam. I think since you like Norah Jones so much you might really like Patty Griffin. (Big hug your way)

Last Post Of The Day...

I have been really enjoying The Life and Times of a Labor Nurse's blog. She just posted a new one about epidurals that I think is worth reading.

I know many of you think that natural birth is close to impossible without an epidural but perhaps this will give you something to think about as you research and learn about your options.

But We Don't Lick It....

Ewan and I were in the kitchen eating lunch and talking about the baby in mommy's tummy. Ewan, who has seen his share of birth videos, is still trying to figure out how the baby grows and when it will be big enough to come out. Our conversation went something like this:

Ewan: Mommy, will the baby come out soon?
Mommy: No, not until after your birthday this summer.
Ewan: Oh, right. (pause)
Ewan: Mommy, when the baby comes out it will have stuff all over it.
Mommy: That's right, honey, it is called vernix. It helps protect the baby's skin.
Ewan: But we don't lick it off, right?
Mommy: (trying really hard not to laugh hysterically at such a sincere comment) That is right, honey, we don't lick it off. Animals lick off their babies after they are born though.
Ewan: Like elephants?
Mommy: Hmmm....not like elephants. But kitties and puppies do.
Ewan: Right! (and he goes off to play merrily)

Where he got that idea, I am not quite sure. We talk a lot about animals and he has probably seen something on tv--maybe Bambi, who knows? Let me say, I am thankful that it is not instinctual to lick all the vernix and amniotic fluid off of the baby when it is born. (Although I have heard a placenta shake is really good for your recovery after birth---I can hear you gagging through cyberspace!)

A new birth video

This looks facinating! I just saw the preview for Pregnant in America and I can't wait until it comes out. Hopefully it won't cost an arm and a leg. Most really good birth videos cost in the $80-300 range. Cha-ching! I am still working on covering all my expenses on becoming certified so it is difficult to rationalize spending money I don't have on some updated and good birth videos for my classes.

Watch the preview-it is about 2 or 3 minutes long. It should get you thinking about the birth industry and how the way things are run are not necessarily always in your best interest.

One of the best and worst weekends....

This weekend was supposed to be full of love an romance......

Jon and I were planning on attending a marriage conference at our church on Friday night and Saturday. Mom had the boys overnight on Friday so we could not worry about childcare and the conference. But alas, other things got in the way of that.

I was not feeling well at all on Friday afternoon--tired, headache, nausea (assumed to be from morning sickness). Jon and I met for dinner where I continued to feel very tired and unwell. I threw up in the car before entering the restaurant (also assumed morning sickness). By the end of dinner I had to use my hand to hold my head up because I felt so yucky. We decided to just go home and get some sleep. On the way home I quickly discovered that I was not having morning sickness but rather had been infected with the nasty, virulent stomach bug going around this area. I was throwing up ALL night. Mom called at 10pm letting me know that Ewan had started throwing up. Great.

Jon couldn't go get the kids until Saturday afternoon because he had to attend a funeral (I was supposed to go too but no need to expose everyone to the nasty). When Jon got to mom's house the boys were napping. Isaac woke up from his nap covered in puke-o-rama. Ewan had stopped throwing up but was still not feeling great. He brought the boys home and they went to bed and slept all night--whew!

Sunday, Isaac couldn't go to church so Jon and Ewan went while I stayed home with little guy. After they got home Jon and I worked our booties off getting the (final) major projects finished on the house.

Our church was having a Valentine's dance on Sunday night that we had signed up for weeks ago. It is held at a hotel and the entire evening consists of dressing up in fancy clothes, eating yummy food, and dancing to your heart's delight. We were so tired from the previous days but we decided to go anyway.

We had a BLAST! It was so fun to dance all night. We laughed and acted goofy together. Oh, it was fun! Until we got home.

I started feeling pukey on the way home--again thinking it was morning sickness (you see where this is going). We went to bed (while I wake up throwing up on and off) and at 2:30 Jon wakes up saying "I think I got it, I keep dreaming I need to throw up." Then he runs off to the bathroom. Of course hearing him throw up makes me lose my cookies even more! So all night again I have the bug and Jon is ill too. As a side note--in Jon's dream he kept seeing a computer drop down menu with the choice: Throw up or Keep Sleeping. I thought that was funny.

Monday morning the boys wake up chipper and eager for the day while Jon and I are dragging ourselves around. I can't stop throwing up. I called the midwives because at this point I am so concerned about the baby and getting dehydrated. She says to not eat anything and just sip on carbonated beverages and to call her if I don't stop throwing up by the end of the day.

Jon's mom comes and takes the boys to a playground restaurant where Jon and I can get some rest and not have to worry about taking care of little guys. It was bliss! Thank you Mimi!!!!
Kim brought Sierra Mist, pudding (for me later because it was one of the few things that sounded tolerable), and Macaroni and Cheese. Thank you Kim!!!!!

Today is Wednesday, we are recovered, although I am still easily tired--but that may be due to the combo of being pregnant and getting over the bug. The only complication I seem to have is that I think my gums were burned by all the stomach bile and are very, very sensitive. Today I have been craving Vitamin C foods and have been indulging myself with them. Vitamin C is good for your gums and tissue repair so maybe my body is telling me I need extra. (I just ate a whole lime.)

The weekend was supposed to be full of reconnecting and doing some maintenance on our marriage. I am sad that our plans didn't work out they way they were supposed to BUT I am so thankful for our one night of dancing bliss. At least there was some form of fun to make up for 24 hours of throwing up! And, thankfully, the house is ready for visitors--even disinfected. We still have a few small things to do but they aren't as urgent. So start praying for a quick sale at a good price! Oh, and warmer weather--who wants to go out and look at house is freezing weather?

I am hoping this is the last of the winter illnesses that get caught here at the parkersanity house. Please pray for good health for our little family too!

A few pictures.....

Here are the boys playing in the snow. They liked the snow MUCH better than freezing rain and sleet. We threw real snowballs and ate snow and made a snowman. We (well, I) could have made a much bigger snowman but it would have taken a long time. My little snowman friend lasted about 10 minutes because snowmen are much more fun to CRASH than watch melt, don't ya know.

Isn't this cute? I can see him 12 years from now with whatever super deluxe ipod is around then. Isaac got a little FP3 player for Christmas which we put some Dr. Seuss books on and some Veggie Tales. It is super easy to use but Isaac likes to keep pushing the buttons and I have to start it over all the time. He enjoys it though--as does his brother, who does not have one, which causes sharing problems. It is conveniently put away for a bit (hear evil laugh now).

We went to the Heard Museum to see a life size dinosaur exhibit. It was really fun. Ewan will tell you that he liked all the dinosaurs except for the T-Rex which was very scary. We got to see (live) rattlesnakes and dinosaur bones.

Here we are after dinner doing a sticker activity book. These books are actually pretty fun. I wouldn't mind decorating the pages myself--I have to keep myself from fixing where they put the stickers. I haven't posted pictures in a while so I thought I would post some recent pictures.

Today I....

Today I....
1. Enjoyed sleeping until 7:45 because the boys woke up late today. Hooray!

2. Didn't hear Jon get up at 5am to head out to the airport. (That never happens, I always wake up and have a hard time going back to sleep)

3. Made breakfast for myself and the boys while simultaneously puking in the kitchen sink.

4. Cleaned the guest bathroom.

5. Cleaned out Ewan's closet and made it look more presentable for house showings.

6. Took all the sheets and blankets off of Isaac's crib, washed them, and put new sheets on after he woke up with a large poopie explosion. Stink-o-rama!

7. Washed all the bedding on the big bed in Isaac's room just in case any poo smell might linger from being 2 feet away from the poop explosion.

8. Cleaned off my bookshelves in our bedroom to make them look more presentable for potential house buyers. I packed 3 boxes!

9. Sorted books that I could probably sell to Half-Price Books.

10. Threw away a ton of old magazines that I am never going to read again.

11. Reorganized my lending library for my Bradley students.

12. Cleaned the laundry room. Boy that floor was nasty!

13. Picked up toys over and over and over.

14. Made lunch for me and the boys while simultaneously puking in the kitchen sink.

15. Laid the boys down for their naps.

16. Continued to work on my bookshelves, clearing, throwing away stuff, and dusting.

17. Fed the boys snack after they got up from their nap.

18. Cleaned the front room, the kitchen again, vacuumed the house.

19. Planted flowers in the front flower beds and flower pots.

20. Sat for 5 minutes watching TV with kiddos before I got up to cook dinner.

21. Cooked dinner for me and the boys while simultaneously puking in the kitchen sink.

22. Ate dinner.

23. Bathed the boys.

24. Got a call from my student who was supposed to come to class tonight saying she was having pretty strong contractions (after her midwife stripped her membranes) and thought she would have a hard time concentrating during class. She decided not to come to class (smart move!).

25. Felt very relieved that class was canceled!

26. Got boys dressed in jammies.

27. Laid Isaac down for bed.

28. Started counting down the last hour of the day with Ewan, praying I wouldn't fall asleep while talking to him.

29. Picked up Ewan's room.

30. Played trains with him for 45 minutes.

31. Read him books, rocked him for a few minutes, laid him in bed, prayed for him and left hoping tonight he would not get out of bed 10 minutes after I left.

32. Got out the ice cream and ate a huge bowl of mint chocolate chip while catching up on my favorite blogs.

33. Decided to write a post on what I did today.

34. Said a prayer of thanks that Ewan did not get out of bed at all! Said an additional prayer that he will stay in asleep until at least 6:45 or 7am.

35. Collapsed in bed or on the couch--haven't decided yet.

**Somewhere between #7 and *8 I read Peter Rabbit to the boys and had to pause halfway through to book to throw up. Ewan said, "Mommy, is the baby making you sick?" "Yes, Ewan, it is." In between vomiting one of the boys would say, "Read please." My response, "I will gladly read you the rest of the story after I finish throwing up, guys, just a minute." I don't think they get it quite yet but at least they said please.

There were also times of playing with the boys interspersed throughout the day--just so you don't think I ignored them all day.


I don't think I will have another day anytime soon where the only time I sit down during daylight hours is to eat dinner. I ate lunch standing up and cleaning at the same time. I seriously don't know how I made it this late! Good night all!

I thought this was cute

The boys and I were sitting reading books this morning. We were reading O Say Can You Say, by Dr. Seuss. Near the end there is a little diddy that talks about what you want to be when you grow up. It goes something like this:
What do you want to be when you grow up?
A cop in a cop's cap?
A cupcake cook in a cupcakes cook's cap?
A fat flapjack flapper in a flat flapjack hat?
Or perhaps you are one of those choosy chaps who likes cooky captains caps?


Then we had a little conversation that went like this:
Ewan: I want to be a fireman when I grow up.
Mommy: That is great! Isaac, what do you want to be when you grow up?
Isaac: CAKE!
Ewan and Mommy look at each other and laugh.
Ewan: Isaac, you can't be cake when you grow up! Maybe you can be a fireman with me when you grow up.
Mommy: Isaac, what do you think? Do you want to be a fireman with your brother when you grow up?
Isaac: Yeah!

Ewan is so good at inviting others along to join in the fun he is having. It warms my heart that he thinks about his brother and wants to be side by side having adventures together. I think it is every little boys dream at some point to be a fireman. Can you blame them though?

Sooooo Tired

Sorry it has been so long since I posted! The reason is: I am exhausted.

I am tired of being tired. I nap when the boys do but I usually spend the afternoon in a fog. It seems like napping maybe making me more tired in the afternoon but I feel like I will pass out if I don't get some sleep.

I started having more nausea and vomiting at 9 weeks. I am 11 weeks now and the nausea/vomiting is getting more intense. I was eating more often to curb the nausea but it doesn't really matter if I eat or not. Meals (with a good amount of protein) seem to be the only thing that keeps the nausea away for a couple of hours. One of the worst things is when one of the kids wakes up at night and I have to go check on someone. I get back to bed with my head swimming in nausea. It usually takes me at least 1 hour (last night 1.5) to get back to sleep because all I want to do is puke. I don't want to get back out of bed because it is warm and cozy so I just "think" the nausea away. It really sucks. Jon is really good about checking on the kiddos if they wake up at night but he doesn't always hear it first. And it seems right that he shouldn't have to get up EVERY time.

Sadly, I have gained 3-4 lbs already. Thankfully my clothes still fit fine. A lot of my pants were a little loose anyway. I was hoping not to start gaining any until after the 1st trimester. Because I have been so tired, I am not doing as much activity, plus I am eating more, plus I am sleeping more. Not really a good combo to keep off extra pounds. I can't wait to start exercising again (right now it makes me pukey--but if I am going to puke all day anyway then maybe I should do it anyway.) Actually, I am worried that it would make me MORE tired--but perhaps it would give me more energy. I am too scared to try it now.

I don't remember being this tired with the boys BUT it has been almost 3 years since I was in the first trimester with Isaac so it's kind of fuzzy. I am hoping and praying that the
nausea/vomiting is short lived and that I start getting my energy back soon. I really think this will be the last pregnancy. I know I always forget what it is like but I don't think I can do this again!

We have several projects to do to get the house ready to sell and it is much more difficult to have energy to play with the boys and work on house projects. The house officially goes up on February 12th. Hopefully all the work will get done and I will be feeling more energetic.

I am going to go crash on the couch and stare nonsensically at the tv before heading off to bed.

Awesome Husband!

I went to our church's women's retreat this weekend. It was a one night deal at a hotel about 30 minutes away from our house. I think I will write more about the retreat later but I wanted to brag about my incredible husband for a minute...

Here are some things I am thankful for:

1. Husband encouraged me to go to the retreat.

2. Husband made phone calls after the deadline passed to make sure I could still go because he wanted to bless me with some time with God.

3. Husband happily made the boys dinner and put them to bed on Friday night.

4. Husband worked hard ALL day playing with the boys and fixing their meals.

5. Husband topped it off by catching up on laundry (something that has been at the bottom of the list since pregnancy tiredness showed up), vacuuming the house, and putting things in their place.

Why is it so sexy when husbands do wonderful things like that? I know some of you may argue about this but I think I have the best husband ever!

What kind of (non-sexual) stuff do you find sexy in your mate?

Is This Normal?

I think I have mentioned before that my children like music. They both are however, some of the pickiest music listeners. They are usually very hesitant to try new music but once forced usually are won over by their parent's great taste in tunes.

Their first favorite is Veggie Tales, or "Bob", if you will. I know almost every word to every song ever made and I mostly enjoy listening to The Veggie Tales gang singing "O, Where Is My Hairbrush" 7 out of 10 car rides. Believe me though, sometimes I am tuned out on another planet when I can't take another round of "Silly Songs with Larry".

The other favorite of my children is Johnny Cash. It all started about a year ago when I saw the movie, Walk The Line. If you haven't seen it, please go and see it! I became a huge Johnny Cash fan and bought a few CDs. Well, I think I actually bought about 4 or 5--okay maybe 6 in about 2.5 months. What can I say, I had some Christmas cash! I could NOT stop listening to Johnny Cash. Every day, all day long the music played. Mostly old stuff--although Jon had a CD of some newer Cash music. I don't know what it was about Johnny Cash's music but it just hit my soul in a way that I have never been able to put my finger on. Perhaps it has something to do with getting in touch with my darker side. I like the novel songs--A Boy Named Sue, One Piece at a Time. I like the more spiritual songs too. The only songs that I usually skip past are the patriotic ones. (That is a whole other post!)

Two days ago we were all in the car and Isaac says, "I want to listen to Johnny Cash". Now, he is 2 years and 3 months old. He has been requesting Johnny Cash for about 6-8 months already. It started off as "Cash" when he got buckled into the carseat but as his language has developed he is becoming more specific. In the car two days ago the sentence that followed the one above was, "I want to listen to Ring of Fire". A first time request for that specific song. Usually it is for Jackson. In 20 or 30 years Isaac will probably think of Johnny Cash as comfort music because it will take him back to some significant developmental time in his life.

We do listen to other music in the car other than Bob and Johnny Cash but it is usually with a fuss beforehand. Sometimes the request is for John Mayer. They finally like The Fray and they like "Jesus music". I worry though that somehow I have somehow misguided their God-Orientation because of my own obsession with Johnny Cash. Perhaps they should have been listening to more worship music and gotten the words and truth of Christ in their hearts.

I am past my listening to Johnny Cash all day, every day and am choosing to be a better listener to how God might be speaking to me by choosing worship music more frequently in the car.

Is it normal for a 2 year old to request specific songs from Johnny Cash?

As a side note, here is an interesting phenomenon. When we had the Honda Element rental while the Civic was being fixed, the kids would listen to ANY music I wanted to listen to without complaining. I could even listen to the radio (gasp--a normal forbidden fruit). Why you ask? Because they associate THEIR favorite music in the cars we regularly drive in. If we are in someone else's car, a strange car, it doesn't matter and they listen to whatever is on without question. I think we went wrong when we continually gave into requests to listen to what they wanted. We love our children and thought it was a great way to show them our love by letting them pick. I think we bent too far in their direction and yes, I admit, sometimes we would rather give into listening to "Bob" again rather than choose a battle where one of the two babes would throw a fit. I do think we are buckling up more and telling them, "You don't always get to listen to what you want to listen to" and "Mommy and Daddy are going to pick something now and you can pick something later" and "How 'bout we just turn off the music and talk". I know, I know, WE are the parents, WE call the shots. I think it took us a while to realize that we had accidentally created two music monster moguls.

Pregnancy Cravings

So far this pregnancy I have had a major craving for beans. I think I have eaten about 10ish cans of beans in 2 weeks. Be thankful you don't live with me! I don't know why in the world I have craved beans so bad--but black beans and refried beans have been like a little slice of heaven for me.

We usually have breakfast for dinner once a week (it is cheap and easy--not to mention delicious). The other night I ate scrambled eggs topped with saurkraut and tobasco sauce. Sounds terribly disgusting, right? It hit the spot. I have never eaten that together before so I definitely give credit to the pregnancy for that one.

Spicy foods have also been at the top of the list. If I didn't have little mouths to feed I think most of our dinner choices would have some spicy kick to them. I add some to my own plate when I think about it.

Announcing......

That is the back of Isaac's head. He is announcing that he will now be a big brother. He will now be the middle child. Part of his personality will now be affected by the fact that he will no longer be the baby. He will still be one of my precious babies but he won't be "THE" baby.

His new sibling is slated to arrive late August. The new baby will be 4 years younger than Ewan and almost 3 years younger than Isaac. Wow. That will be soooo different than having a toddler who is 14 months old in addition to a newborn! We are having faith that the new baby will not be a preemie like his brother and I will be doing some extra things during this pregnancy to hopefully prevent pre-term labor (I will probably write more about that later)--although I will gladly welcome another painless natural labor like I had with Isaac! Bring it on!

It took us longer to get pregnant this time than it did with the boys (not that we were purposely trying to be fruitful with Isaac :)) but we trusted God's timing for another baby. There are a lot of details out there that we don't have answers to right now--like how will all the insurance work since we will be leaving InterVarsity sometime this summer and hopefully/probably getting on Pennsylvania's state insurance (how does THAT work!), which practice will I join for a birth team when we arrive to Pittsburgh, how in the world will I finagle 3 kids while Jon goes plunging into his first full semester in seminary? How will I do this without the support of our family who lives nearby now? Yes, if I think about all those things together it does get a little overwhelming but I know that God will help our family adjust to the new baby and all the circumstances that come along with it. He will provide friends that will become like family. He will work out our finances and provide all that our family needs. You can start praying now for all those details!

We told my mom and stepdad and Jon's parents with the t-shirt today. We were planning on telling my dad, stepmom and all the rest of their family yesterday after church but we ran into a hiccup. I didn't remember EXACTLY how to get to my stepbrother's house but I had the address and knew the general area. We planned on stopping by for a bit after church to see everyone but we couldn't find the house. Jon suggested I call them and ask for better directions. Okay, but where was my purse? Zoinks! It was under the pew at church. That is the ONLY time I have ever left my purse under the pew. We had to turn around and go get my purse and then we didn't have time to go back to my stepbrother's house because 2 boys needed their beauty sleep. It would have been the first time since all the grandkids for that family would have been together so we really wanted to be there.

So Dad, when you read this, we planned on telling you guys in the same way and we wanted you to see what you would have gotten. The plan was for someone to take off Isaac's jacket and then someone would notice what his shirt said. Ta-da!

So far the tiredness has been my biggest symptom of pregnancy. I have had to take a nap pretty regularly during the day while the boys are sleeping. I seem to yawn all the time. I am hoping that no morning sickness rears its ugly head this pregnancy although I realize the chances of that are pretty slim since I had it bad with the boys. There is always a first!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends! Merry Christmas!

What Kids Remember...

This morning Ewan found a breastpump shield in the drawer that has all the sippie cup lids, straws, kiddie spoons etc. "Mommy did you use this when you fed Isaac from your tummy?", he asked so sweetly. At first I didn't understand him and he had to repeat it a few times...
Mommy: What was that Ewan?
Ewan: Did you use this to get milk from your tummy for Isaac?
Mommy: Ooooohhhhh (me realizing what he was asking), yes I did, honey.
Ewan: Okay, thanks!

I didn't bother to correct him. I figure he has plenty of time to figure out that milk doesn't come from mommy's tummy. Giggle, Giggle.

Shout Out

I want to give a shout out to my awesome husband who finished his marathon today. He has worked hard for about 4 months to prepare for the White Rock Marathon. He finished in about 4 hours 25 minutes. The time might need to be adjusted a little bit--if it is I will let you know.

I arrived at the finish line about 30 minutes before he ran across. I stood in the bleachers scanning every runner's face searching for my precious husband. I finally saw him and shouted, "JON PARKER! JON PARKER! YOU DID IT!" and my eyes filled with tears--so did his. I bounced off the bleachers so I could go find him after he got his medal and finisher's shirt. I am so proud of him. He did a great job! Go husband!

***Jon's official time was 4:19*** Pretty good for a first time marathoner!!!!

Beevis and Butthead Moment with "The Baby Jesus"

*** I recommend watching this until 3 minutes since the rest has some PG-13 content in it and doesn't apply to this post.

I was listening to Karyn Ward share about 10 ways to share Jesus with others this Christmas (see post below)and she opened by mentioning that we often hear and talk about the baby Jesus during this time of the year. I immediately flashed to this scene from Talledaga Nights. I know totally immature, right? Come on, you know you have Beevis and Butthead moments at immature stuff too!

I do think this scene could be used for a sermon though--in many different ways! What sermon topic would you use this clip in?

Advent

Advent is my favorite time of the year. I love Christmas--not because of all the gifts I get--but because it is such a great reminder of the arrival of our Savior. I love all the hymns we sing and I love being part of an Anglican church during this time of year.

This past Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is a time similar to Lent where you can reflect about what is coming-the arrival of Jesus. It is full of anticipation expecation and I love it. If you want to know more about advent read this.

At church on Sunday, a woman shared her testimony of how God answered her prayer for her brother who was addicted to meth. At the end of her testimony she spoke with astounding poignancy that we at our best are limited. We are limited in our resources, our ability to love, our ability to forgive, our ability to help--BUT God is UNlimited in HIS resources, his ability to love, forgive, help, heal, restore. I have been reflecting on that this week during Advent. The birth of Christ brought hope and fulfillment of God's promises to his people. So, are you needing healing, hope, joy, forgiveness, need to forgive someone, love, need help loving someone? Remember that God is UNlimited in his resources and can provide all you need.

At my mom's group today our speaker, Karyn Ward, shared 10 ways we can share Jesus with others this Christmas getting in touch with the real meaning of Christmas (it won't $$cost$$ near as much):
1. The gift of Truth (John 8:32)

2. The gift of Time
She pointed out something that struck me. As women, we often pat ourselves on the back for being better multi-taskers than men. Sometimes the result can be wonderful because we can accomplish thing faster. Sometimes the cost can be that we don't allow anyone to get ALL of us. I was immediately convicted about multi-tasking while I parent. Trying to take care of laundry while I play dinosaurs with Ewan. True, I am doing 2 things at the same time but my son is only getting part of me. He is probably more aware of that than I think. So, I am committing to check myself for making better use of my time and not giving my husband and children only PART of ME.

3. The gift of Compassion
Got a family member you are about to spend time with that needs some compassion? Yes, it can cost you some emotional energy but it is a great way to share Jesus with your family members--or sales representatives while you shop!

4. The gift of Prayer (James 5:17, Matthew 7:7)

5. The gift of Honor (1Timothy 5:17)
Make a point of honoring your parents, grandparents, elders, in-laws this Christmas. It can be harder than it sounds if you have rocky in-law relationships. I am thankful that I don't have that issue! My in-laws are wonderful and I love them so much! My mother-in-law has taught me a lot about being a mom to boys and I want to be a mother-in-law just like her. She should write a book about it!

6. The gift of Hospitality
Open your home and welcome others--it doesn't matter if you don't have a perfectly decorated house or not.

7. The gift of Encouragement (Ephesians 4:29)
Our words can be an encouragement to others. Take that time and make that phone call, or answer that phone call. Take someone out to coffee who is struggling and be an encourager to them.

8. The gift of Charity (Matthew 25:34-40)

9. The gift of Forgiveness
Restore relationships. Forgive others as you have been forgiven.

10. The gift of Love

Considering a Hospital Childbirth Class?

I love reading blogs. Midwife, doula, labor and delivery nurses, you name it. I have learned a ton from them. I just happened upon this blog, The Life and Times of a Labor Nurse, who made a post about why hospital childbirth classes are actually not very helpful teaching women about "normal" childbirth. The hospital birth teachers are under pressure to teach what and how the doctors prefer when it comed to managed labors--which most of the times includes numerous interventions that interfere with a peaceful, hands off labor experience (continuous fetal monitoring, for example). Here is the link to her post. I recommend you read it. She said it better than I could myself and since she IS a L&D nurse and teaches hospital birth classes she is qualified to speak with authority.

If you are having a hospital birth then it can be helpful to take the class as a supplement to your childbirth education so you can know what to expect when you show up at the hospital. I recommend to anyone to take a private childbirth class from an independent teacher who won't just teach you about hospital policies, but will teach you about normal birth and will focus a majority of the time on educating you about your choices, informed consent, and coping strategies for birth. There are so many different birth classes to choose from so I suggest looking into a couple and pick one that suits your needs. The Bradley Method®, BabyBodyBirth, Birthing from Within, Hypnobabies, Waterbirth are just a couple that are worth looking into--of course my favorite is The Bradley Method® (big smiles).

The Arctic Blast

We got a little arctic storm here yesterday. The sky threw out some snow and a lot of sleet but it made the houses look pretty and the boys got a taste of what cold weather is like. We walked home from "coffee talk" (the weekly get together/play date with 4 other moms in the neighborhood) in the snow/sleet. At first Ewan and Isaac were very excited about it but once they started feeling the sleet hitting their face they were pretty turned off to the idea and started crying.



This morning I made a mini snowman and the boys had a blast throwing snowballs at the neighbors next door. I think they would have stayed outside longer but I was worried about their precious mittenless hands. Isaac kept giggling anytime someone threw snow or clapped a snowball kersplat with their hands. I love that sound! (of Isaac laughing, of course)



Here are some picture highlights:

Made with dead daisy buds and fresh rosemary

Coming home from "Coffee Talk"

Throwing snowballs at mommy

In case you are wondering, the Honda Element is a rental car. The Hybrid is in the shop because Jon got in a fender bender the day before Thanksgiving. It is a fun little car to drive too! If you know anyone who is really tall, like 6'5" looking for a new car this car might work for them. It has lots of head room and is very roomy on the inside.

My First Post On Birth Stuff

I haven't written much about birth on my blog yet. I have been unsure about where to start but I know that I want to include it in my blog. I love reading other blogs on birth and I have learned quite a bit from other midwives and doulas. I also know that many of my friends have had such different experiences in birth and have chosen things differently than I would have and I don't ever want my friends to think I am judging them or cause any tension in my friendships. So with that said, I do want to speak freely about my thoughts and opinions AND I want to honor and protect my friendships with you all. If something comes up I promise to leave out names and specifics so no one else will know who I am referring to (unless you are good friends with other readers of this blog in which case that can't be helped).

I was just telling a friend yesterday that I don't think I will ever go back to the Obstetric/medical model form of prenatal care. The OB that caught Ewan was a fabulous doctor who preferred low intervention birth, didn't try scare tactics to get me to do what HE wanted, and trusted that birth was a normal event and not a disaster waiting to happen. OB's like this are hard to find--but when the word gets out on the street about them women who value the same things come running. For my pregnancy with Isaac I really wanted to try midwifery prenatal care. The midwives I went to were absolutely FABULOUS and I liked all of them. Not all midwives practice the midwifery model of care--some are "med-wives" and are very interventionist oriented as well. In fact there is a midwife in the Dallas area that frequently uses cytotec/misoprostol to induce labor. I would never go to her practice because of that. Cytotec is an off-label use of a drug that has caused uterine rupture, maternal and fetal death.

I am currently getting my well-woman care from the Allen Birthing Center midwives. I was hoping to have our next baby there but since we aren't pregnant yet and will be moving to Pittsburgh this summer it isn't possible.

The first OB I had with Ewan fit the typical model of medical care I have come to expect from most OBs. As Jon and I began to learn about birth and what options we had during labor we started asking our OB questions. We didn't like the answers. Conversations went something like this:

Me: I would prefer not to have an IV during labor so I can move around freely.
Dr. Castellanos: That is not an option.
Me: Is it okay if I eat and drink during labor?
Dr. Castellanos: No.
Me: Why?
Dr. Castellanos: Because you will just throw it all up.
Me internally: That is not an answer and isn't it a sign of transition when women throw up anyway? That just means the baby will be here soon.
Me: What about episiotomies? How often do you perform them?
Dr. Castellanos: It is better to have an episiotomy than a tear---wouldn't you rather have a straight cut than a jagged tear? Women with episiotomies don't have bladder problems later in life.
Me: Mmhmm. (Internally-has this guy read ANY research?)
Jon and I on the way home: He's fired!

That was just the tip of the iceberg--after several conversations with him we realized that he was not going to provide an environment where we could be left alone to labor and do what we wanted. I was beginning to feel anxious about going into labor with him as my doctor and I knew that that could effect my labor so I wanted out. We switched to Dr. Kuhl and never looked back. Sure, I worried that Dr. C. would be offended and I felt guilty about leaving. Looking back I think it was silly for me to feel guilty about leaving. I hired him to work for ME--and he wasn't meeting my standard of care. I don't think he ever blinked an eye about it. I didn't want to go into my labor kicking and screaming about how I wanted to do things.

As a Bradley teacher, I want my students to have doctors who are supportive of their needs and values during labor. I want my friends to experience the same thing too!

I was talking to a friend from church a few weeks ago who shared she was expecting her 3rd baby. Several of us were sitting at a table and I asked her who her OB was. I like to ask around so I know good referrals for students. She proceded to tell our table that her OB was a long drive away--she started going to him pregnant with #1 and working next door to his office. She mentioned that he had made her cry about her weight gain, was kind of mean, and didn't even remember her when she came in pregnant with #2 (I think less than 2 years later). I looked at her shocked and said, "So why don't you switch?". Well, he is nice most of the time and now he does remember me. I asked her how far she lives from the hospital in Allen. "5 minutes", she said. "I know of a great doctor group at Allen Prespy--why don't you try them out? The convenience of being close to home will surely make you think about it--you don't want to have to drive 40 minutes to every appointment, do you?", I said. Okay, I was forthcoming in my opinion about her switching--but it makes sense, right? Being close to home will be great for her other kiddos to come see the new baby, her husband to go back and forth if he needs to and also, she would be getting great care from people who actually like and remember their patients! I don't know if she will make the switch or not but I hope she does. Her hesitancy was that she would feel bad about leaving him. You know what I said--actually a few other women said the same thing at the table--"What?! He works for you honey--if you don't like his care then move on!"

So, my hope is that women don't settle for second best when they can have the kind of prenatal care they desire. Whether or not that is from an OB or a midwife is up to each individual person. I think that women should not have to bargain or beg their doctors for how they want to give birth. This is their birth--your birth--and it will be remembered by each mommy and daddy forever. The doctor/midwife will only remember it for a short time. Women should be able to labor and birth their babies how they want to and receive care from providers who are there to support them through their pregnancy, labor, and birth.

Let's Talk About Accents

I never knew my Dad had an accent until I was in college. I don't know why I never noticed it before then--and I don't really know why I started noticing it when I was in college. Perhaps it was the general eye opening experience that college is.

Anyway, Jon and I have an ongoing joke about how thick my dad's East Texas accent really is. Jon thinks it is as thick as thick can be--imagine the most hillbilly accent you can and that is what Jon thinks my dad sounds like. I hold the opinion that it IS thick but not THAT thick.

We spent Thanksgiving with my dad this year which was wonderful. My dad is rehashing this story from something that happened to him recently and he was saying that ANGIE HAR-MONE was flirting and doing "boy crazy" stuff. He couldn't remember the girl's name he was talking about so he kept saying THAT ANGIE HAR-MONE. I thought he was saying that HAR-MONE was her last name but no, he was actually saying HORMONE. He was calling her Angie Hormone making fun of her hormones! When in the world did his accent get so thick I can't even understand what he is saying?

They did move back to East Texas a few years ago so I think being around all those other southern folk has made him revert back to that thick twang. Now, don't get me wrong--I am NOT saying that Jon is right about the thickness of the accent. I can never concede to that debate--and even if he WAS right (which he isn't) I would never admit it.

Knock, Knock

Ewan: Knock, Knock
Daddy: Who's There?
Ewan: Taco.
Daddy: Taco Who?
Ewan: TACO OLIVE!!!!!

Mommy and Daddy: Hahahahaha, giggle, giggle, giggle. And it was genuine laughter.

Ewan made it up, can you tell?

Anyone Can Comment

I changed the features on my blog so that you don't have to be a registered user to leave a comment. So, Dad, Grandma, Mimi, Mom--and anyone other family members that don't have an account--you can leave a comment now. Enjoy!

The Next Several Posts...

So, the next several posts are throughout one day to show you what a typical day in our lives look like. I hope you enjoy them.

After a Long Morning of Playing....

MY HOUSE LOOKS LIKE THIS!

I am trying to figure out the best way to pick up during the morning. Attention spans don't last long and I an really bad at reminding them to pick up something before they move on to the next thing. I need to start doing that! Any advice?

My Contortionist

Ewan is learning how to be a contortionist. I think I will try to get him an audition for Cirque du Soleil. Sometimes playing with pots and pans are so much more exciting than playing with toys.

Look At That Sunset!

So here we are outside playing in the "fort". A super great find at a garage sale for only $10. Daddy is grilling pork chops and we are all playing in between pork chop flipping. We get some really incredible sunsets at our house. Behind our backyard is a cornfield so we don't have anything to obstruct our view of the horizon. It is really incredible some nights. I have done nothing to alter the pictures and of cours they do absolutly no justice to how beautiful the sunset really is across the sky.

Dinner Time

So here we are at dinner time. Grilled pork chops, cous cous, and okra. Both boys asked for 3rds or 4ths on okra. Isaac threw a fit because he wanted a big boy cup like Ewan. He ate a few pieces of pork chop and a little cous cous--but the big hit of the night was the okra. Ewan who also loves okra--ate only okra for dinner. No pork chop and no cous cous. He got in trouble for trying to eat his milk with his hand. He was dipping his hand in his cup and then slurping the milk off of his hand. We really are teaching them manners. Sometimes a majority of dinner is spent correcting them and teaching them how to stop acting like neanderthals. It is nearly impossible for Jon and I to have a decent conversation at dinner. We are trying to teach them they aren't always the center of the world one day at a time.

Naked Baby on the Loose!

The final part of our day is playing "Naked Baby on the Loose" paired with "Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum". It works like this: Two boys get out of the bath while the person bathing them (usually Jon) yells, "Naked baby on the loose!". The two naked boys run directly to the couch and cover themselves with their blankies to hide from daddy who will soon come out saying "Fee, Fi, Fo Fum, I smell the tummies of some little ones" (or something similar). They squeal with delight for daddy to find them--even though they hide in the same places on the couch every single night. They wait in anticipation for daddy to tear off the blankies to give big tickles and zerberts (we call em' bloochers). Then it is jammy time and books and off to sleep. It is one of my favorite sounds of the day--to hear the squeals of delight and laughter. You can tell from Isaac's face that he is super excited about this whole game. We started playing naked baby on the loose before Ewan started walking. It is a long held tradition in our house.

Oh, Be Careful....

Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
So be careful little eyes what you see.

Oh, be careful little ears what you hear
Oh, be careful little eyes what you hear
For the Father up above is looking down in love
So be careful little ears what you hear

Oh, be careful little hands what you do
Oh, be careful little hands what you do
For the Father up above is looking down in love
So be careful little hands what you do

Oh, be careful little tongue what you say
Oh, be careful little tongue what you say
For the Father up above is looking down in love
So be careful little tongue what you say

Oh, be careful little feet where you go
Oh, be careful little feet where you go
For the Father up above is looking down in love
So be careful little feet where you go

Oh, be careful little heart whom you trust
Oh, be careful little heart whom you trust
For the Father up above is looking down in love
So be careful little feet where you go

I don't know if you know the tune to this song. I think it is a pretty common Sunday school song--but I didn't grow up in church so I am not sure. I like singing this song to my kids. It was particularly fun when they were learning body parts. Everytime I sing this song, it helps me evaluate how I am parenting my kids--am I letting them see too much TV? Are they listening to inappropriate music (that I am listening to)? Am I helping them learn how to speak kindly to me and each other? You get the point. I also find myself evaluating what my own tongue is saying (ouch), what am I watching, am I spending too much time watching blogs on the computer (ouch), am I being loving with my hands as I touch my children? Something to think about anyway. I am thinking about it today.

A Book Meme

Your blog could use some culture, admit it!
Here are the rules:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next four sentences on your blog, along with these instructions.
5. Don't you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest!

Here's mine: "If you get near it, you feel drawn into it. So most people catch generosity from a family member or a friend. (They catch uptight, upright, calculating conservatism in the same way.) Family Culture is the most natural way to encourage generosity--and maybe the only way. Do you want to raise generous kids? You have to become generous yourself, in such a way that the hwole family shares in that spirit."

This is from Nevermind the Jonses. It is a book to help you identify and develop your own Biblical family culture and values. It is actually a pretty fun read--although I have been reading it for months now (as it sits on my nightstand). Since Jon and I have been married for 6.5 years we have already developed some of our own family values and it was kind of fun to see some new ideas too or some things we haven't thought about. The premise of the book is that every family has a culture and shares values--and describes 13 family values. I definitely recommend it--especially if you have kids and want to do some proactive thinking about your own family life and how you want to show the love of Christ through your family as your family grows (up).

Yeah! Isaac turned 2! We had his birthday party at the park and it was great. It was a little chilly with the wind factor but it was sunny without a cloud in the sky. Isaac loved his cake--he calls it his "Cars Cake". Isaac's Aunt Jay is on the right--in case you were wondering.

Mmmmmm....cake and Cheetos--what a treat! I have never bought Cheetos--it isn't something that is normally in our pantry. I think one of the grandparents brought them and what a gift that was. Everyday it was, "mommy, can I have some Cheetos?" So we ate the bag (yummy for all) and I still will never buy Cheetos. I think we would eat WAAAAYYYY too many of them.

Here is Isaac opening some of his presents. You are looking at the Larrymobile from Veggie Tales. Isaac got some awesome presents and has been enjoying all of them. Our friend Will is to the right of Isaac and Warren is on the left. I am so proud of my little 2 year old! He is so lovable and sweet--especially when he isn't throwing a fit (smiles).

He is in the 100th percentile for his height--I thought he was taller than Ewan when Ewan was two and I was right. He is only about 2.5 inches shorter than Ewan right now. I think I need to start telling Ewan to be careful about picking on Isaac because he will be bigger than him one day.

So, I have finally done all of the updates I have wanted to do to catch everyone up--hope you enjoy the last several updates.

More Cute Pictures

I love how the lighting turned out on this picture. I am no photographer or anything but I think the clarity on it is amazing. Isaac was enjoying splashing the stick in the water.
Isn't this a GREAT picture of grandpa and Isaac? I tried getting Ewan in the picture too but there were too many sticks to collect.
Here is our family picture--We were hoping for a little closer up on the faces but I think if we crop it, it will look better.

Uncle Darren's Wedding

Here is a picture of me and Isaac at the wedding.

Uncle Darren's Wedding

More pictures to come--but this was a beautiful wedding site and Ewan found one of his favorite things....sticks. I have more picture I am going to upload but blogger was being problematic all day. I decided that I want a weeping willow tree. They are very warm and friendly trees--it made me feel welcome under its canopy.

Thats My King

This is a supercool video. I saw it in church and had to share it!

The Pumpkin Patch

We went to the pumpkin patch a few weeks ago and had a great time. There were some really cute pictures so I thought I'd share a few with you. We went with our neighborhood friends, The Demarees. Warren and Ewan are both 3 and are great pals. They play together really well and LOVE to dress up like cops and firemen and go after trouble. Warren is there in the background in this picture. They got to go on a hayride, feed sheep, goats, and cows, and climb on hay. It was pretty fun. Isaac really enjoyed feeding all the animals. Ewan had a special affection for a baby cow and wanted to ONLY feed the baby--not the big cows.

Here is Ewan, unsure of the sheep but sharing a grin of utter delight.

Here is Isaac trying to feed a chicken a rock. He thought that chicken, rooster actually, really wanted to eat a rock.

Here are Ewan and Warren together sitting in the midst of some pumpkins.

I am so thankful for our new friends in the neighborhood. Several of us moms get together every Thursday morning for a play date. All of us mommies drink coffee and chat while the kiddos play. 5 mommies and 9 kiddos. The amazing thing is that they all play together really well. It is one of the highlights of our week.

I've Been Tagged!

Book Tag
1.One book that changed my life: So You Want To Be A Stay At Home Mom by Cheryl Gochnauer

2.One book I have read more than once: The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy

3. One book I would want on a desert island: Celebration of Disipline by Richard Foster

4. One book that I tried to read but never finished for one reason or another: Nelson Mandella Biography--still got it on the shelf though and would love to finish it one day

5. One book that made me cry: Yada Yada Prayer Books (all of them) by Neta Jackson

6. One book I wish I had written: Harry Potter (sounds totally selfish and shallow but I'd be a millionaire!) by J.K. Rowling

7. One book I wish had never been written:
Evangelical Feminism and Biblical Truth: An Analysis of More Than 100 Dispute Questions by
Wayne Grudem (Grudem's narrow view of women makes me want to scream)

8. A classic that I love: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

9. Longest book I've ever read: The Lord of the Rings trilogy by Tolkien

10. Booktag five other people: Grace, Kelsey, Jon (only got 3)

11. One book I would like to see made into a movie: Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin (it is a non-fiction book but it would be really cool to see a movie documentary about The Farm (her midwifery clinic) and all those cool natural births!

12. My current favorite: So That's What They're For! by Janet Tamaro

13. One young adult book I always recommend: Queen Bees and Wannabees by Rosalind Wiseman

14. Genre I tend to ignore: Romance

Song Lyrics

So we have been having some fun singing around here. I thought I would share a few cute things. Isaac has learned how to sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and Row, Row, Row your boat. The latter sounds like this:

Woah, Woah, Woah your boat
Gently down the street
Mer-a-wy, mer-a-wy, mer-a-wy
Life is but a drink.

Ewan made up a song at his Mimi's house the other day on the piano--it is called Dinosaur Story. I am trusting that none of you will send it off to music producers to try to make a buck or two. It sounds like this:

Dinosaur Story, yeah, yeah!
Dinosaur Story, yeah, yeah!

Also:
T. Rex Story, yeah, yeah!
T. Rex Story, yeah, yeah!

Also:
Pteradactyl Story, yeah, yeah!
Pteradactyl Story, yeah, yeah!

Ewan has become quite the story teller too. He LOVES to tell stories. Apparently he doesn't just do it at home either. His Sunday school teacher told me that he likes to tell stories during their circle time during class too.

Last night he told Jon all about how we caught frogs (in Canada at the cottage) and put them in the bucket and then one jumped out and landed on his face and then hopped away. He LOVES to tell stories about the time we went to the Ft. Worth Zoo. They have a real looking dinosaur exhibit and Ewan thought they were pretty cool. The T. Rex scared him and he likes to talk about that. Our friends Kelsey and Levi came over on Thursday and Ewan told Kelsey about how we saw dinosaurs at the zoo and how they were REAL. I think he still has a hard time believing they were pretend because they moved, made noises, and looked real.

These kiddos are too cute!

I DID IT!!!! (With God's help)

I am now a fully affiliated Bradley® Instructor! I can officially sign my name.....

Amelia Parker, AAHCC

I got an email from a friend who went through the training workshop with me saying she saw my name on the affiliated instructor list on the website. I haven't heard from the academy yet about what my "grade" was on my final. It was kind of weird to hear from a friend first and not from the academy but I'll take what I can get! Woooooooo-hoooooooo!

It feels really good that I did all that hard work and completed something. I think it means a lot because the normal mundane life of a stay-at-home-mom is just never-ending. Always wiping counters, floors, faces, hineys, sinks, boogies, cooking meal after meal, did I mention cleaning? There isn't ever a sense of completeness or accomplishment of the day--except perhaps, when the babies are sleeping. Does that make sense?

I felt a similar sense of accomplishment when I got accepted into grad school and started taking courses. I felt like I was doing something "big".

It took almost one year from start to finish to get affiliated. Big thanks to the Lord for helping me slug through the work and giving me passion for birthing!

If you want to see my name on the website you can go to this and look up the directory and see my name on the webite.

By the way, on a side note...I have had terrible allergies for the past month. It has been miserable and I have been driving Jon crazy with my sniffling and sneezing. The poor guy had to go hang out in the other room when he came to bed the other night because I was already asleep and SNORING. I haven't been able to breathe normally out of my nose at night for weeks now and have woken up with a totally parched mouth and chapped lips from breathing thorugh my mouth. I went to Whole Foods yesterday and got a homeopathic remedy for allergies that does EVERYTHING Benedryl does without all the side effects. I started it yesterday and am a new woman!!!!!!!! Praise the LORD for that!!!! Last night was the first night I didn't wake up sneezing, parched, chapped, or my nose randomly leaking like a faucet. What a breath of fresh air...hahaha....

My Handsome Son

Ewan did his first wedding performance as a ring bearer this morning. It started off rocky but he did a great job. For whatever reason he had an aversion to the tuxedo and DID NOT want to put it on. This was about 30 minutes before the wedding started. We were a bit worried that he wouldn't have a change in his attitude. We wrestled the little gator and got the suit on and then all was well. Go figure. He walked down the aisle just like he was supposed to and sat (mostly) still and was quiet during the ceremony. We were very proud. He even went to bed late and still managed to do everything with smiles (minus the putting the suit on tactic). The wedding was at Northwest Bible Church and the reception was at the Dallas Museum of Art. David and Linh were in a happy bliss to be finally tying the knot. It was a very nice service. Congratulations to David and Linh (who are heading off to Paris--very romantic!)!




As Ewan walked down the aisle I got the biggest tears in my eyes because all I could think about was how one day this little boy would be walking down an aisle to get married so some beautiful girl. Sigh.















This was taken at the reception and Jon and Ewan were doing "Cheers". Ewan looked so cultured standing there in his tuxedo, drinking his special cranberry lemonade, and eating hors' d'ouvres. It was a special moment!











It isn't the best picture of Ewan from the day but Jon and I look pretty good! Thanks Kim for letting me borrow the shirt.

We had a lot of fun today--Mimi watched Isaac because we quickly figured out at the rehearsal dinner that having Isaac at the wedding was NOT going to be easy and was going to be very stressful. Thank you Mimi!

We got to catch up with our friend Tony who recently moved back to Texas. We were really hoping Tony and his girlfriend, Judy, would move back to Dallas but landed jobs in Houston. They are both doctors and two of the sweetest and kindest people we know. It was nice to see him again. Sadly, Judy was on call but hopefully we will see them again soon.

I finally got some pictures to upload onto this without using flickr! Hooray! I thought I would try this picture of my handsome men. This was last Saturday on big game day. Jon went to UT so everyone has shirts to wear on game days. I finally joined the shirt wearing. UNT doesn't have much school spirit nor much to root for-it's not like I can proudly wear my alumni Eagles football shirt, ya know? Both the boys know to say "Go Texas!". Ewan tries to do the hook 'em hand gesture but hasn't got it down yet. I predict it won't be too long though and Isaac won't be far behind.

New Birth

I had a cool dream a couple of nights ago. I dreamt that I was in labor and loving it. The labor was calm but I was working through the contractions. At one point I knew I needed to stand up and do the "7th grade dance" (waddling back and forth holding on to Jon) and that the baby would come. Shortly after dancing the baby was descending down the birth canal and was crowning. I squatted down to push the rest of the baby out and catch it in my hands. I was holding a gorgeous baby girl with thick, curly, brown hair and full of chub. She was beautiful! The dream felt so real to me and I was sad when I woke up because I felt like I was missing out on such a warm feeling.

Most of you who read this know that we would like to be pregnant again and are doing our part to make that happen. I would love to have that little baby girl I dreamt about! I think it would seal the fate on having 3 kids. If we had another boy it would be hard not to have a 4th and see if we got a little girl.

I keep chewing on that dream and am wondering if there is another meaning to it. (I am open to suggestions if any of you have the gift of dream interpretation!) I wonder if God is showing me that he is going to birth something new in me. That thought keeps coming back to me....In my heart of hearts I am hoping that it was a promise that we will have a little girl but I don't think that is what God is saying in that dream. Maybe God is showing me that Jon and I need to work together for this "new thing". Trying to figure out seminary and our next phase of life would definitely fit that description. I know He will make it clear but for now I am enjoying catching that baby girl in my arms and thinking about her face. (Dreamy look on my face now)

Some thoughts I've been having

Have you ever wondered whether or not you have been forgiven (by a person, not God) for something--a huge mistake you have made?

I have been thinking about that for a few months now. I had a falling out with a friend several years ago. It was over about some pretty serious stuff. My friend knew that my boyfriend had cheated on me and didn't tell me about it. We got in a huge fight about my response to his cheating. I was taking a few weeks to figure out if I wanted to stay with my boyfriend and didn't do much talking to her. As the fight escalated she accused me of being a part-time friend. It came out during the argument that she was really hurting because I was not there for her during a very hard time in her life a few months before. I think that is where the part-time friend accusation came from. She had decided to terminate a pregnancy and I went out of town with another friend the same weekend. I came back the day or the day after it happened and went to see her. I had no idea that going away and not being there with her had hurt her so badly. She never said anything about it until the day of the big fight.

Looking back on it now, I so wish that I had gone with her. It is hard to admit that I played a part in influencing her decision to terminate the pregnancy. I have beat myself up about that for years now. What kind of a friend was I to not be with my best friend (for years we had been friends) during probably the most difficult decision she ever made?

Hurt upon hurt was spoken between us the day of the fight. I can still remember it so clearly--where I was sitting in my bedroom, yelling into the phone, crying loudly. I think the I think we both said and did some terrible things to each other. Our friendship had gone through some rocky times before but nothing like this. Our friendship pretty much ended after that fight.

I became a Christian about a year after that happened. Somehow knowing that God loved me despite my past sin and mistakes (and there was a lot!) gave me hope that I was not forever going to be labeled as a terrible friend. (I did learn something about friendship from that whole experience though.) I know that God has forgiven me for all of that but I still long to know that true reconciliation can happen between my friend and I. We have recently been in touch again-it has been over 10 years since "the incident" but we have not yet spoken about the past.

Moving back to Dallas has been difficult for me because it has brought many of the realities of my past in my face. It has been interesting to reflect on who I am as a new creation in Christ and yet being surrounded by all the memories of my past. I am such a different person than I was 10 years ago--since I have become a Christian. I feel as though my whole adult life is disconnected from my childhood and adolescence through high school. Even listening to certain music takes me back to my BC days and honestly, there are a lot of things I would rather forget. How do I reconcile these two areas of my life?

My friend and I have been talking via email for a couple of months--nothing very deep. She is a new mom and is staying at home with her baby. I have seen pictures of her baby and she is adorable. Even though I have a hard time connecting with the past I really want to reconnect with my friend. I would like to get together with her to see where things go. I have suggested getting together but it is hard to know what she is really thinking. I realize that she might be hesitant and feeling reserved about reconnecting with me. I understand that I hurt her in the past but I want for both of us to be free from our past and to move forward with our lives. Perhaps after spending time together we will be able to define what our friendship looks like. Maybe we will realize that we will only be friends who check in every now and then. Maybe after spending time together we will want to invest in a deeper friendship. I really don't know where it will go but I have been anxious about it for a few weeks. I feel like God is speaking to me about it and it has been nice to do some reflection about my past.

Going back to forgiveness.....Is it selfish of me to want to know where she stands or how she feels about my mistakes from our friendship? I am too scared to ask her. There isn't enough trust in the bank yet. I would rather do that in person anyway, and we haven't gotten together yet. What DOES she think about when she thinks about our chumming around days? What would she have done different, if anything? Are there things she would like to say to me now about our friendship or the past? I guess forgiveness won't feel complete to me until we revisit that painful issue again. I fear bringing it up and I can only imagine that it is painful for her to think about again. I don't want to remind her of that. I feel love for her --no bitterness or anger at all. Why is it so hard to just rest in the forgiveness of God? I don't need to pay penance for my past sin--it has been forgiven. But, I do want to be sensitive to my friend and her process too. Maybe the hesitation I feel from her about getting together is not there at all and I am just imagining it. My intuition tells me otherwise.

Forgiveness--or the lack of it-- is very powerful, isn't it?