Give It Up.

Question:

If you had to give up either Facebook or reading blogs, which would you keep? You can only choose one. Why would you pick the one you picked?

I'm curious. :)

'Twas Time for Tubes.

After months and months of one ear infection after another and trying everything under the sun to help her, it was time for tubes for our little lady. E has been continually miserable every other week for a long time, and we are hoping that this will finally bring her some relief.

We headed to the surgery clinic at FIVE IN THE MORNING. (Oh my. I'd forgotten how it feels to get that little sleep...yikes. I have a feeling the good ol' sleep deprivation is headed our way in a few short months once again...!). We got E all checked in and situated after changing her into a teeny, tiny hospital gown. OH goodness. Be still my heart. So tiny.

She didn't quite know what to expect and was probably wondering why she wasn't being fed breakfast...! She wandered around the room for awhile, and then the nurse came in to give her a little 'happy juice' so she could start calming down before being taken back to surgery.

The 'juice' relaxed her a lot, so she enjoyed a few snuggles from Daddy before the nurse came in to whisk her away.

Seeing her in that hospital bed was about the end of things for me. Couldn't handle it. I know, I KNOW this is a quick, routine, easy, safe procedure and that hundreds of babies go through it each day.

BUT.

They aren't MY baby.

In a tiny hospital gown.

Laying in a hospital bed.

Being wheeled away from me down a long hall.

OH. Good grief. Must stop the ridiculous crying at some point today!

;)

Just as I'd been told, the surgery was extremely quick. Russell and I barely got seated in the waiting room (and scarfed down some blackberry scones for breakfast!) before the doctor came to tell us she'd done fabulously. We got to go see her moments later, and it was so very sad. I guess the little ones have a hard time coming out of anesthesia, and she was WAILING and flailing and couldn't get her eyes to open and her head kept rolling back. It was kind of frightening, actually.

After awhile, she calmed down, and we got to scoop her up and take her home. She slept in the car and then for a couple of hours at home in her bed.

And, as I type this, E is running through the house, chasing her Daddy, and saying, "Alright, alright, alright!" while flailing her arms and laughing.

I'd say she's feeling better already. :)

Days like this (and the sad events from last night in MO) make me thankful beyond words for my precious family.

Love them. So much.

Bump-date II.

This has been quite the whirlwind few weeks! Here's the rundown:

1. Found out we're having a little GIRL!!! Woo hoo! Like I said before, I am thrilled THRILLED to have two little ladies so close in age. I know they will bicker. I know they will tattle. I know there will be drama. But. They'll be tiny little sisters and always have each other. Priceless gift, as I know from experience. Couldn't be more blessed.

After finding out about our newest little lady, we revealed our news to family. Since I couldn't be with them in person, I sent my mom and sis some pink flowers with a note letting them know it was time to add another girl to the mix!! ;) I think my mom is so excited to get to watch me raise two sisters after she got to raise two sisters. So special.

Russell got to be with his family soon after we found out the gender, so he took them some yummy cake balls, conveniently decorated with pink icing for the occasion. ;) They were excited!!

2. Finally settled on a name: Delia Jane. (Pronounced 'deel-yah'...I thought this was a given, but apparently not). ;) My husband stumbled upon this name, and we just couldn't get it out of our minds after thinking about it (and practicing it...) for awhile. Modern and kind of old-school all in one. Love it.

(Profile of Miss Delia Jane.)

3. As I've mentioned before, we had to go see the Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist to check for indications of spina bifida due to my family's history with the disease. Praise God for the blessing and miracle of a healthy baby girl in there! Everything checked out great! Truly, this is an answered prayer. We will love our girls no matter their health or situation, but I know you understand what I mean. A blessing, indeed.

(18 weeks)

4. While at the specialist, he determined that my due date needed to be moved up by about 8-9 days from Oct. 2 to Sept. 24! He said he was certain I would NOT be pregnant in October, and he doubted I'd make it to the end of September either, especially since I went a week early with my first. After using the super-duper fancy ultrasound machine, he said he could tell she was going to be loooong like her big sister, and he looked me in the eye with a bit of pity while telling me that she was most likely going to be a large baby--ha! ;) No surprise there. Long limbs all wrapped up in there he said. Anyway, I know due dates are basically just really good guesses, but still. Kinda weird (and WONDERFUL) to find out she might come even earlier than we'd thought!

(picture from SkipHop.com)

5. We are forging ahead with D's nursery, and her bedding arrived this week! Such a special gift from my mom and sister. We love it. Next up: sanding and painting the furniture purchased for our little lady by Russell's parents--can't wait to get started! We are truly honored to have such generous and loving family all around, and it makes me so humbled that they all want to be a part of making Delia's little room into a home for her. Love them. (Stay tuned for a few nursery make-over projects...I love lurking around on those kinds of blogs to get ideas, so I'm unabashedly stealing budget-friendly ideas left and right! I'll report back as we go...!) ;)

(19.5 weeks)

6. As far as this preggo goes, I am feeling pretty good these days. Gone are the bouts of nausea and extreme fatigue, and I feel this little girl kicking around in my belly all day long now. This time around, I've kept my weight gain down a little bit more through no grand efforts of my own---preeetty sure E keeps me up on my feet and moving QUITE a bit more than I did when pregnant the first time around. When I sat. And ate. Lots of frozen yogurt. Because I could. ;) Besides, we're heading out for some vacations and family get-togethers soon, and I plan to make up lost ground then. Vacation/pregnancy calories don't count, right...?! ;) Ehhh, who cares. Baby needs vacation food. And lots of it. She told me.

(21 weeks)

Let's see, what else. I'll be brief: nails growing fast; peeing lots more; maternity pants are glorious; E pats my growing belly a lot in confusion; linea negra is back; not excited about this thing called 'maternity swimsuit'...doesn't seem like those two words belong together. ;)

Okay, that's about it for now! Thanks so much for being excited for us as we keep moving on this journey to meet our little girl. I appreciate the virtual support, lovely readers!!

Bookish.

After studying books for four years in college and then teaching books for five years to high schoolers, reading had become more like a 'job' to me, rather than the pleasurable escape and adventure it used to be before I was a teacher. Then, I had a baby. And many extra-curricular activities fell to the wayside. You know, like reading, cleaning, showering, the capacity for remembering/thinking/pondering, etc. ;)

Anyway, over the last few months, our lives have taken on a more steady pace. E is in a pretty solid little routine (and, of course, now that I've written that, she'll wake up randomly in the middle of the night or skip a nap or something nutty...never fails!). Russell has been winding down and is now finished with the classwork years of pharmacy school (PRAISE GOD!), and, although I am expecting a new little lady in a few months, life is relatively smooth, predictable, and calm these days.

The perfect setting for diving into a few new books.

So, I thought I'd share a few of my recent reads with you, just in case (like me) you find yourself in a random and probably-quickly-fleeting moment of life calmness during which you'd like a good read. :) Here's a few I'd (pretty much) recommend.

(Oh, I probably should also tell you that being an English major in college turned me into a book snob for many years. If it wasn't challenging, life-changing, British, or 400+ pages, it was beneath me. Geez. I've since amended my ways...mostly. I find myself much more open to 'easy reads' as they're called, simply because sometimes that's all my toddler-infused mind can handle--ha! Plus, they're just fun. Who doesn't need a little fun in their life??!)

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

I am so out of the loop when it comes to movies. This also stems from being a high school teacher for many years...i.e. movie theaters are a breeding ground for all of the hormonally charged teens from whom I needed a break on the weekends when movie-going seemed most probable. In any case, I saw the preview for this movie, and I was intrigued. After finding out it was first a book, my literature teacher voice kicked in. "Always read the book before seeing the movie. You'll likely remain partial to the former." So, I did.

I've yet to see the movie (shocking, I know...), but I would recommend the book. It is quite easy to read through, and the subject matter is something about which I knew nothing: circus life in the Depression era. Let's just say that our circuses today are much different...! The book contains many intriguing elements: forbidden (if a little predictable) love story, show-stealing animals, charming and sad commentary from the protagonist as an older man looking back on his life's story, and the gritty details of the 1920's circus.

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars. A little predictable, but oh so intriguing and different. I mean really. When was the last time you read up on circus life in the twenties?! I plan to see the movie (someday...), but I've already heard that the book is better. No surprise there. :)

Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond

See. Told you I was on the road to recovery from book snob-dom. ;)

I confess that I'm a Pioneer Woman lover. Her blog continues to be interesting, offer tasty (albeit butter-laden) recipes, and she is subtly humorous. A good combo, I say. Although her love story has been posted on her blog for sometime, I had never taken the time to read through it. Instead, I heard buzz about her book being considered for a movie, so I thought I might give it a look.

Let's just say that this book was a super easy read, and I enjoyed every minute. Ree is so very in love with her husband, and it made me think back fondly on my own little love story. I couldn't help it. The entire book is about how she and her husband met, fell in love, were married, had kids, etc. Nothing fancy. Nothing life-changing. But it just felt good to read. Drummond is witty, sarcastic, and, my favorite quality, self-deprecating, which makes it easy to fall in love with her, as well as her Wrangler's-wearing, cattle-rustling, steely-haired cowboy husband she affectionately refers to as Marlboro Man.

Overall: 3 out of 5 stars. If you are in the mood for a light-hearted love story not looking to compete with the works of Austen or the like, then this is the book. You'll fall in love with your own love story all over again. Or, if you're right in the middle of making your love story, you'll appreciate the journey all the more. :)

The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen

Another love story. I know, I know. ;)

I admit I was intrigued by the title of this book after seeing it recommended to a friend. For obvious reasons, the pharmaceutical element promised by the title caught my eye. The period love story is set in Old World England, and it follows the life, struggles and love interests of Lillian Haswell, the apothecary's daughter. In a time when a woman's sole purpose was to seek out and capture the highest ranking husband she could, Lillian longs for something more, something different. (This is where the plot line mirrored the many works of Jane Austen a little too closely for comfort for me. Being a major Austen fan probably didn't help me to look past it...but, I mean, who wouldn't want to mirror her works in their own? They are priceless and ahead of their time. I could wax and wane for paragraphs. I shall spare you.) ;)

Anyway, this is another fast read, although it is 400+ pages. Klassen leaves the reader hanging in suspense regarding her lovely protagonist's suitors and her illegal involvement in running the apothecary shop, a no-no for women in this society. I admit I was getting frustrated that the author was not wrapping things up by about page 400 out of 411, but she did tie up the proverbial loose ends by the end of the book. Thank goodness. Otherwise, I would have chucked it across the room!

Overall: 3 out of 5 stars. This was a many-faceted love story with the added bonus (for me, anyway) of all things apothecary. With a pleasantly subtle Christian thread running throughout, the book managed to escape feeling preachy. Rather, I found myself once again caught up in the romance, mystery, and society of 1800's England...much like many an Austen book. ;)

Well, that's it for now! I've so enjoyed getting back to reading just for pleasure. Sometimes, I have to really plan out when I'm going to dive into a new book, because I seem to become obsessed until it is finished--I can't put them down! Hopefully this might pique your interest in a few new books of your own.

Happy reading!

(PS-Any good books you'd recommend...? I'm hungry for more!)

A Giggle for the Weekend.

While Russell was driving us home from dinner with friends tonight,

I reached back to squeeze E's chubby little thighs...

...and she was QUITE tickled...!

OH my. Can't watch that without laughing. Made her eyes water she was laughing so hard! Love that.

Hope that gave you a laugh!

Have a great weekend, all!

Wreath Project.

For Mother's Day, I attempted to make a wreath for my Mom and my Mother-in-law using a few ideas from others' blogs. They were very easy to make, and the wreaths were also budget-friendly...a win-win in my book! Don't know about you, but I'm a mite obsessed with seeing how people make their little projects on all of those cute, crafty blogs, so here is my extremely simplified "how to" of this wreath.

:)

You'll need:

-grapevine wreath in any shape

(use the 40% off Hobby Lobby coupon if you can!)

-strips of fabric about 24 inches long and 2 inches wide

-felt

-hot glue gun

1. Use this tutorial (that I stole from this lovely friend) to make as many fabric rosettes as you'd like. I made some big, some small, and I used different corresponding fabrics for each wreath. You'll hot glue the wrapped fabric strips onto squares of felt as you go, and then trim the excess felt when you have a rosette in the size you'd like. EASY!!

2. Lay out all of the rosettes you've made onto your grapevine wreath to see where you'd like them to be placed. Then, hot glue away! (Side note: the glue might drip through the grapevine strands...and then stick to your bar stool that you used to prop it up on...and then you'll have to sacrifice time and your newly-painted nails to pick away all of the glops of glue that are now dried to your stool. Oh wait, that was just me. But you've been warned...) ;)

3. Once all of the rosettes are glued, you can add flowers or lace or whatever to embellish. I added a couple sprigs of fake flowers/leaves to the two different wreaths from stems I had lying around from past projects.

4. Since these were gifts, I used some spare fabric strips, the front of an old greeting card, an extra flower stem, and some more trusty hot glue to fashion a gift tag. Again, super easy. Oh, and I guess your recipient could hang the wreath from this added bonus! (Just realized this. As you see, I am not always thinking on my feet...) ;)

And, voila! Some very easy and inexpensive little crafty-ness for you.

Hope everyone had a lovely Mother's Day weekend!

19 Weeks: A Letter.

To my little baby GIRL!

That's right! We found out last week that you are a sweet little lady, and we couldn't be more thrilled. Having a sister myself, I am beyond elated that you and E will get to share that unique bond. Built-in friends. I couldn't be happier!

Here's the money shot:

Sorry, Baby. It had to be done.

;)

A few months ago, your big sister helped us tell family and friends the wonderful news about you! We are so glad that you two girls will be close in age. Such a special thing.

Anyway, your Dad and I have already started gathering up furniture and nursery ideas for your room with the help of your grandparents and other family and friends. We have just been patiently waiting to find out if we could buy more pink...and we can! This summer will be full of projects to make your little room into a cozy home for you. I can't wait to get started!

A little surprise for me: I started feeling you squirm around in my belly at around 13 weeks! This seemed so early to me, but it was definitely your teeny flutters and kicks and somersaults. Your Daddy has felt you kick just a few times, but I know those jabs will pack more of a punch the stronger you get. I love feeling you squirm around in there. Makes everything feel so real.

The doctor says that everything is looking good so far, heart rate in the 140's, no signs of anything to cause worry. Your Dad and I are praising God for that answered prayer.

Actually, we are praising God for a lot of things these days. The addition of another little girl into our lives makes us feel overwhelmingly blessed and thankful. You are making us into a family of four, and we can't wait to meet you!

Love you forever,

Mommy

Hold My Hand, Mom.

E and I went on a stroll this morning while it was nice and cool. I love going on walks around our neighborhood with my girl, and today's stroll was especially sweet.

Here's how we spent most of our walk:

She kept reaching up, because she wanted to hold my hand as we walked.

Tiny fingers holding mine.

Be still my heart.

Happy Mother's Day to me, indeed.

And the same to you!

:)

A Day in the Life: Nap Smoosh.

Well, we have been trying the one-nap schedule here for a few days, and we've had mixed results. A couple of days, E has taken one nap around noon for a BLESSED 2-3 hours (seriously, I have no idea what to do with myself...which is aweseome), and other days, she wakes up MAD after only 45 minutes (her previous, pre-nap-smoosh length).

I really do think she is ready to smoosh the 9am nap and the 1pm nap together (because that 9am nap has all but disappeared), but it's been a bit of a struggle to keep her happy and non-whiny in the late morning hours when she's used to heading to her crib.

So, what's a desperate, on-the-verge-of-poking-her-own-eardrums-with-sharpened-pencils Mom to do, you ask?

Enter iMac PhotoBooth.

She had so much fun looking at her goofy self on the computer screen, and she would crack up when our completed picture would pop up! We seriously sat here for almost an hour taking pictures (and blowing bubbles, as you can see in her chubby hands).

Ahh.

A respite from the whiny-ness.

Thank you, glorious iMac.

My in-tact eardrums and I are forever indebted.

:)