Feathers from Heaven

Those of you reading this that are my family, and also friends that are on Facebook have likely heard about my cousin Zack.  Zack fell from a 70 foot cliff on Friday (9/20) while hiking and is currently in Critical Condition.  Zack has suffered from a traumatic brain injury along with other injuries from the fall.

I'm just asking that you keep him in your thoughts and prayers.  As a mother, I have such mixed emotions going through my head right now  -- with my pregnancy and other things as I pray for the healing of Zack.

My due date is actually Zack and his sibling's birthday (10/13).  Zack is a triplet...and I used to babysit these wonderful kiddos when they were younger.  Now, they are all grown up, Melena just graduating from college and Zack and Luke just a few semesters away from doing the same...

Zack, Melena, and Luke

 Anyway - I know that some of you reading my site have all too much familiarity with what we are going through in my family, given Aaron's cousin Dustin's injuries from his accident back in November of 2005.  That being said, Dust's strength, determination, and outstanding recovery gives me hope and peace as I wait to hear the status of Zack.  (for those of you that may not be familiar with Dustin, he was our best man at our wedding...and at the time he had recently suffered a traumatic brain injury from a car accident...his recovery from then to now is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G and we are so proud and thankful of this!)

Anyway - please pray for my cousin, and if you are interested, updates can be found on him at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/zacknelson.

I have an awesome little story that I need to document (and the reason for my title of this blog post)...my grandpa Bob told my aunt Nancy (Zack's mom) that he would send feathers from heaven when he passed.  My entire family often sees feathers and of course think of my grandpa.

Today, when I was walking into work, completely distracted by my thoughts of Zack, I had a huge black feather stop me in my tracks as I had to step over it when I was walking in...then a block later another feather was in my path - and last but not least a 3rd feather was near the entrance of my building on my way into work!

How cool is that??!!!

I sooooo needed that sign from my grandpa that him and my grandma are with us, watching over Zack and our family.  <3 p="">

School Days...it's starting!

Addy started what is called "School Readiness" at school on September 10th.  It's preschool as the world knows it :)

 

She was so excited to start school! 

 

The weekend before it started, I took her to Shopko to get her school supplies.  Thank goodness I went there instead of a place like Target.  The shelves were picked over, which was good in my opinion because she had a hard enough time choosing her items as it was!!

 

I am in T-R-O-U-B-L-E as this girl gets older....she had to match her backpack, her notebook, and her folder, etc.  We spent a lot of time in the school aisle.  Thank goodness she had a small list...I don't know what we would've done if she had to have more folders and notebooks than 1 :)

Debating which folder to get.....decisions, decisions!

The school always has an Orientation/Transportation night for the Early Childhood programs, where they get to see the school, meet the teachers, and check out some cool vehicles.  We got there a bit late, so we only had time to tour the school bus - but the kids loved it. 

 

 

Addy and Blake on Transportation Night!

 

Addy actually rides the bus home from school right now to a friend of mine's house with her kids...I think she LOVES that she gets to do that...makes her feel "big"! She also loves that she is at the same school as her cousins - the other day she got to see Drew during his lunch and saw Brooklynn TWICE in one day -- and Brookie gave her a hug. That was probably the coolest thing about school so far :)

 

Of course we had to take the traditional first day of school pics...our porch would be the perfect spot for these but we were having some work done on it...so our driveway had to do!

Can you believe how big this kid is getting...SERIOUSLY!??

 

Even daddy was able to be home to see her off on her first day --- yeah to that!

My 1st baby...getting way too big!

 Her school is actually from noon to 3:00, so I carpool with 2 friends of mine/moms of some preschoolers.  Chelsea brought the girls to school on the first day:

Addy & Quincee on the first day waiting to go in to the halls of school :) 

She doesn't like to share a lot of details of what she did at school, she says "I don't know" when I ask what she did.  This actually cracks me up a lot, because I KNOW I totally did that to my parents.  I'd offer more details if they didn't ask.  On her first day, I learned more about what she did by eavesdroppoing on her telling my mom about her day (it was my b-day so my mom had stopped by in the evening!!)

The third mom that drives is my friend Amy, who's son Ryan is the same age as well.  She got to get the kiddos this past Tuesday.  I got this pic via a text that put a huge grin on my face:

My goofy girl, with her buds Ryan and Quincee

We've gone back and forth since the day Addy was born on when she'll start kindergarten.  She could go next year, the cut-off is you have to be 5 by September to start.  I get nervous having her young, but in all reality - this girl is SOOOO ready so unless her teachers advise us not to send her...she will be a kindergartener next year.  I CAN NOT BELIEVE IT!

It will be really good if she goes.  In our neighborhood, there will be 4 other kids that are kindergarteners next year.  And, at her new daycare, there will be 2 girls (Quincee being one of them) that are also going to be in kindergarten next year.  So, she already is on the way to knowing lots of peeps!

Addy is pretty social, which reminds me a lot of me.  We were leaving dance class the other night and as we were walkign to her car, she was yelling out bye to all of her friends that she just recently met...makes me happy that she is so friendly and outgoing!

She is has done awesome so far with school.  It makes me happy and sad all at the same time to be starting this time in our lives...why do they get big so fast??!!!!!!

36 Weeks...and R-E-A-D-Y!



As of this last Sunday (9/15) I was 36 weeks...and I'm definitely ready for this baby to come!!!  This summer has been a busy and sometimes an emotional one (isn't it always when you are pregnant!), so I am ready to just be home with my kids for my 12 weeks of leave!  We are in-between daycares right now - so Addy and Blake are at a few different places a week until I am on leave...so I'm ready for them to have some consistency again and just be home with me for a bit!

 

The good news with daycare - we will be starting a new one here in Pine Island after my maternity leave - one that can take all THREE of my kiddos!  It should be a good change, once we get there!

 

I would say this pregnancy has been physically harder for me than the other 2. I think it is because of the kiddos age and I just don't allow myself to rest as much as I did with the other pregnancies. I have had a lot more pain (my sciatic nerve???) that makes me feel uncomfortable a lot. That has been on and off since July. But, as I get bigger, I notice it more!

That being said - I do still really enjoy being pregnant as a whole - those baby moves will get me every time!

 

A birthday baby pose!  (My b-day was on 9/10, so I was 35 weeks/2 days in this pic)

This past Sunday we finally had the opportunity to go through the stuff we've had in our basement and get that organized - which means this mama got to put her nesting needs into full effect!  I was able to locate all our neutral baby clothes and blankets and all the newborn essentials.  They are now washed, folded, and waiting :) 

Addy had a BLAST looking at all the tiny baby clothes and was just loving helping fold and put the items away.  For now, we have the dresser for the baby in our walk-in closet, and the pack-and-play in our room as the bassinet.

We need to finish the bonus room which will be the baby's room + spare bedroom combination - because it is just too big to have occupied by one little being!  Plus, it'll be good to have a place for guests to sleep since we don't plan on finishing our basement right away.  When we have guests, we will have the baby sleep in our room, and with their older siblings as they get bigger. 

Finishing that room will be a winter project for Aaron when work slows down.  Both Addy and Blake were in our room until they were about 3 months old, so it'll work out just fine to finish it throughout the winter (all it needs is trim, paint, and carpet...it is drywalled and taped, etc and electrical is already done). 

I had an appointment yesterday, and all is looking fine.  The baby's heart-rate was in the mid 150s.  It has been that and 140s for most of the pregnancy.  I actually don't have very many appointments this time around - my last one was at 30 weeks, and I will have one 2 weeks from now and then 2 weeks after that...then I will be officially overdue if I make it that far!

My hopes is to not go over this time around (but I'm really not getting my hopes up, I don't have a good record with that)....and if did go over, my wish would for it the baby to be born on 10/16.  You may recall my Grandpa Paul passed away when I was already overdue with Blake...and the anniversary of his death is that day.  I like the idea of the Circle of Life, and think it would be neat to have that date be a birthday.

With that, and the fact that I could go as far as 10/23 if I have to be induced...and I really don't want Blake and this baby to share a birthday (which is 10/22)...I'd like to have the babe before that. 

PLUS --- it is MEA weekend starting on 10/16 (MN Education Association) which means all schools are closed - so I know my family is available to help out with the kiddos if I were in the hospital!!!!

Add all of that up and I'd rather just have the baby the week of my due date (which is the 13th!)

I go back and forth with how I am carrying and feeling and if this is a boy or girl.  Strangers love to tell me all of the time that it is a boy.  So I guess we will see!  Well, that about sums up the happenings for this pregnancy right now...hopefully we'll have some exciting posts coming soon :)

Lots of Updates!

Well, I think I have gotten up to date on blogging for a bit!!!!  It's been extremely busy around here this past few months.  I keep thinking I'll have time over a weekend or something to blog, but then the weekend or night comes and goes and it is too late to start a post. 

Addy and Blake are visiting family this week in Michigan...and my, what a difference that makes with the time I have in the evenings!  I have gotten up to date on uploading photos to Shutterfly (I was TWO years behind!) - I am up to date on their baby books now, and last but not least...the blog! 

Enjoy the updates :)

~M

Maternity Thus Far ----- up to 28 weeks!

Well, I didn’t mean to not do a pregnancy update until 28 weeks…that’s for sure.  I have had it on my ‘to do’ list since probably about 16 or 20 weeks of pregnancy.  As you can tell – life is in fast forward over here in MN.  I’m trying to get it to slow down, but apparently time doesn’t listen to me J


Things have been going pretty good with my pregnancy.  For the first trimester – and even well into the 2^nd – I was still feeling rounds of nausea in the morning.  With being the the one home to get the kids and myself going for the day, I’d be lying to say it was all smooth sailing.  There were days I wanted to crawl back into bed.  But duty calls --- life calls so I had to make it through the mornings some how!

Around 16 weeks

I’ve been feeling better for about a month and ½ now…but still have my moments.  I know to keep a base of food in my stomach, that always seems to help!

I’ve been staying more active with this pregnancy than the other 2.  I was the Matron of Honor in a wedding in June, and I know that was a huge motivator for me!  I even continued to run a bit…but I’m done running now until the baby comes.  I still do zumba when my schedule allows, and make it to the gym at work when my schedule lets me, or if I feel up for it. 


I had my glucose test a few weeks back – all is well there!  I was actually nervous about that for a bit, because I would notice some dizziness when I would get hungry.  But, I think the contributor of dizziness was fluids, so I’m trying hard to keep up on my water intake…boring!  I get sick of water really easily, so I’ve been keeping those crystal lights packets in my desk at work.  It’s funny, not pregnant, water doesn’t really bother me.  But sometimes I think it is ‘gross’ tasting these days…which isn’t good!

22 Weeks

I go back and forth on what I think this baby will be – boy or girl?!!  There are certain things that I remember happening with Addy’s pregnancy – like the nausea, and I had a craving for orange juice earlier in both pregnancies.  But then, there are some things with Blake too, like the way I am carrying.  Most people tell me that I am having a boy…I guess we will see.  I go back and forth so this is a true mystery!

--

We haven’t really talked about names a whole lot – other than tossing out ones that have been on our list for boys and girls since I was first pregnant with Addy.  There is a name for each gender that has been on our list before that still sticks out in my head (and I think Aaron’s) – so right now, that is what I imagine the name for this baby to be.  But, I think we still need to do our research and give other names a consideration before finalizing that!


A common question I actually get asked is if our third child’s name will be a “C” name.  The fact that our kids names start at the beginning of the alphabet and go in order – is PURE coincidence.  Ironically, one name that often rises to the top does start with a “C”.  But, it isn’t because of the letter it starts with J 

We haven’t started working on the baby’s room and probably won’t until about the time the baby arrives.  We have a bonus room over the garage that will be finished.  It is HUGE – so it’ll be that and also have a spare bedroom in it as well.  Both Addy and Blake were in our room for the first 3 months of their lives…and they were just across the hall from us!


So, knowing that the baby’s room is upstairs, I’m sure he/she will be in our room for at least the first 3 months also, which is why I’m trying to make myself remain calm when I think of trying to complete it.  Aaron’s schedule in the summer is through the roof, so I can’t even imagine him taking on this project until it slows down a bit anyway (he works EVERY Saturday and most weekdays he is at work by 6 a.m. or soon and not home until 7 p.m. or later…EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.).

--

One change that we did make in preparation for the baby already is purchasing a new vehicle.  I went back and forth between a van and other options.  I wanted a van for the convenience factor – but I really ---- really ----- couldn’t see myself in a van so I was hesitant.  After talking it through with Aaron, and realizing the only reason I really wanted a van was for our trips to MI and the Cabin – we decided to go with a different vehicle.  If push comes to shove, we can purchase a carrier for on top of the vehicle of we need it!

We ended up with a 2012 Chevy Traverse --- and I loooove it!  We had the option to do a bench or bucket seats in the 2^nd row, and we went with a bench.  It is wide enough that all 3 will fit across there, and that means the 3^rd row is folded down – allowing us more cargo space for the time being.  As the kids grow, we’ll have room for friends in the car with us and such – so it feels like a good choice for me!

My New Ride!

Side note----- I felt like a complete rock-star because I did all of the work to purchase our new vehicle. The research before I started to talk to a sales rep, and then I did some “dealing” on this car and got them to come down in the price, figured out the logistics of loans and what we wanted to finance, etc…and purchased the car all by my BIG GIRL SELF! Aaron was working so it was all me. He test drove the car because they allowed me to take it over night since he couldn’t meet me during the day to check it out…so he DID help with the decision. But I felt pretty proud of myself for handling as much of I did with that!
__

I must say, the most favorite part of this pregnancy for me is watching it happen through Addy and Blake’s eyes.  But especially through Addy’s eyes – because she is more aware of what is going on.  Blake talks about the baby in my tummy, but I truly think it is because he is picking up on what Addy is saying, more so than just because he has comprehended it on his own. 

Addy will often ask to feel my tummy, and she loooves feeling the baby move.  The sweetest question she asked me was if the baby was wearing shoes in there…when we were talking about the baby kicking me.  She got a good laugh when I told her, that not only was the baby not wearing shoes right now...but he was NAKED in my belly.  She giggled for a bit! 

I have to assure her it doesn’t hurt (and that it is okay for the baby to kick – but not her!).  She also will randomly glance at me, pat my belly and tell me “your tummy is getting bigger, mama” ----- and let me say here right now she’s the only person that can say that to me and it is endearing and sweet…so you may as well not try agreeing with her!


The following pictures are my pregnancy through the eyes of Addy (who looooves to take pictures on our phones!):



Not sure when this was taken!

25 weeks

27 weeks

 She asks me questions like about where the baby will ride in the car and such.  But she also asks what she gets to teach the baby.  We’ll talk about her teaching the baby to crawl, walk, talk, dance, etc…and she’ll ask for more.  “What else can I teach the baby”?  So fun!


Blake does the same, he asks to touch my belly at night when we are getting tucked in for bed, and will kiss my belly.  But, he obviously doesn’t ask as many questions or isn’t very observant beyond that. 

28 weeks

Slowly but surely, we are all getting ready for this new bundle of joy!  I can’t wait to meet this little person and see how they will grow our family and mold us into our new normal with a family of 5!

4th of July, 2013

Blake, Addy and I headed up to my parents cabin on Wednesday night after swimming lessons for the weekend of the 4^th of July.  Aaron only had the 4^th off, and had to return to work for that Friday and Saturday so he stayed home.  One hard thing with his crazy summer hours – leaving him home on weekends like this.

We didn’t even leave until about 9 at night so arrived to my parents cabin around midnight.  My family had all been there for the entire week, and they were waiting for us to arrive.  The weekend basically consisted of swimming, playing a TON with cousins, watching fireworks, and relaxing.

The first day there was the actual 4^th of July.  The kids had made 4^th of July shirts at daycare on that week so I had them wear those for the festivities J  The lake always has a boat parade, so we decorated the pontoon and headed out on that for the parade as well.

Ready for the boat parade!

Happy 4th of July!

Blake wasn’t so sure what to think of the water at first – which cracks me up because he LOVES LOVES LOVES the water at bath time.  However, he got used to it eventually and then he didn’t want me to take him out J

This water thing isn't so bad :)

Tubing!!!!

 Addy enjoyed swimming.  She got a little nervous because of the temp of the water at first, but she warmed up to it quickly.

Swimming and relaxing!

Blake wasn’t so excited about the fireworks at first.  He didn’t like the loud bangs…he cuddled in with my sister Angela and eventually he warmed up to it!  He actually ended up falling asleep during them while we sat on the pontoon and watched them.

Those are loud :(

Addy enjoyed them, but she was just tired at that point in the evening – so she actually asked if she could go to bed during the fireworks.  The pontoon was in the boat lift on my parent’s dock – we hadn’t gone out into the water…so my dad carried her up and tucked her in during the fireworks. J 

Goofing around with Drew and watching fireworks....

Not even 10 minutes later...ready to crash! LOL

The rest of the weekend was spent doing more of the same…swimming, playing, bonfires, etc.  The kids always have a blast at the cabin – playing with all of the cousins.  Not only my nieces and nephews – but my uncle Don has a cabin right next to my parent’s cabin.  We share a driveway to our cabins and a dock…so we spend a lot of the time mixed between the 2 families.  My cousins, Kristen and Michelle, were there with their kids as well.  So all the 2^nd cousins played also!

Messy boy from playing in the sand!

Addy and Chloe!

Taking a break from playing and swimming for a little snack!

It’s actually really nice, because my niece Brynne is getting old enough that she can kind’ve keep an eye on the kids when they are playing games in the yard.  And especially with my cousins’ kids there as well, I don’t worry too much because they are even older and great with keeping an eye on Blake and Addy.

That helped me feel like I could relax a bit more than I have in the past, having to be 2 steps behind whatever the kids would be doing when they were outside to make sure they didn’t venture toward the dock or the water on their own J

Hopefully we’ll get to have a weekend with Aaron up at the cabin before the weather gets cold again.  Likely, it’ll be Labor Day weekend, as that one he knows he’ll have a 3 day weekend for.  Looking forward to it!!

Sunfish!

We signed Addy up for her first swimming lessons last month – she took the “Sunfish” lessons at the local YMCA.  We aren’t members there – but I decided to go there since

1. It was in Rochester and I could go straight from work to getting her at daycare to the lessons.

2. It was indoors so not weather dependent.

At the pool in Pine Island, the times just didn’t’ work out for me to consider it.  I really enjoyed the Y’s lessons, and have her signed up for the next level in August.

One of her first days....she's the one in the 2 piece

Taking turns jumping in and being caught :)

It was pretty cool to watch her progress.  Sunfish lessons were described as “transitioning” to be independent in the water…so they really just worked on things like going under water and getting comfortable and confident.  We don’t get to be around water as much as I would like (I guess I would say as consistent as I would like) so I really want her to start gaining some confidence.

The first week of lessons, when they would have you get out of the water (that she had to do by herself) she would go as close to the zero depth entrance as the teacher would let her, and then climb out.  Week 2, she’d get out wherever she was told to get out.  Just that in itself made me proud!

Week 2 - actually getting out of the water where they told her too :)

She doesn’t like to put her face under water, but she really would give it a try when they had her blow bubbles, or dip her face in real quick – it’ll come with time!

It was perfect timing as well, because after lessons, we left on the night hers finished for the 4-day weekend at the cabin.  So, she got to do some more swimming right away on the lake!

Working on putting our face in the water

Cute story, a girl that helps out at daycare had asked Addy during the weeks of her lessons if she was learning to swim like a fish, and Addy responded, “Just a sunfish!” (since that was the name of her class!).  Made me giggle :)

Having fun on the last day of class....they turned on the fountains and the slide for about 10 minutes!

Next class: Pike --- here we come!