The one in which I use the word "armpit"

Hi friends. Remember me?

I could begin by giving you a myriad of excuses to read, explaining why I'm not writing as much. I won't. This is faster:

photo credit to the lovely and talented, Jill Heupel 

There you go.

Lately I've been feeling really restless. I don't know why. I have plenty to keep me busy. I mean, we have chickens and ducks now. That's livestock. I own livestock. And we have a really big garden. And I can lots of things. So...maybe I'm a farmer???

I love our life, and our yard. It's very...alive.

Have you ever created your very own mission statement? I took this class in college that had us create one. I'm much different from who I was when I was in college, but when I recite the mission statement I created way back then, my heart still says, "YES! That."

My mission is to love, nurture and encourage hurting people in a broken world.

We don't do storms in this house, so at the first loud clap of thunder, I become a mama-sandwich. One night, as Brynne's foot repeatedly kicked my shin from the right and Hadley inadvertently whacked me in the face with her hand on the left. They slept, but Mama? Not so much.

While I lay, smushed in my bed, I realized that some mamas would love to be a mama-sandwich. But...because of geography and circumstance mamas can't provide for their children, which sometimes means they put their beloved babies in orphanages, praying for them a better life. This breaks my heart wide open.

I wondered what would happen if I ran towards that heartbreak, rather than distracting myself with Facebook.

And...Noonday happened.

I am SO not a salesperson. My voice shakes and I get really sweaty when I have to speak in front of people. But God is bigger than my shaky voice and sweaty armpits. Thank goodness! I believe God will use me and this business, in spite of my sweaty pits, to spread the word about how purchasing through Noonday is providing families with an income to provide for themselves and for their babies. And maybe there will be just one less orphan in the world.

Noonday has really, really pretty things. Everything is handmade, and is a little piece of hope. Take a look:

You can find the full collection of earrings, necklaces, scarves, bracelets and bags here. I'd love to answer any questions you might have, and if you're local...I'd love for you to try on all the pretty things---it really is so much fun!

Alcohol is totally okay for babies.

I have this really great friend who was telling me about this book I should read. The book is all about getting creative, and letting our kids see us make space to be creative. I still haven't read this book, and I don't know the title of it, but I totally recommend it.

Anyway, in honor of the spirit of this book I haven't read, I've started trying to make space for creativity.

Yesterday I made this:

When I was in 7th grade I told everyone I wanted to be an impressionist painter.

Probably a good idea that I moved on. It is fun to paint, and it felt good to create. I do so adore  Mason jars. The bonus of this whole thing was that for once I was actually, and it's not too painful to say this, thankful for the lace curtains that hang (or used to) in this house.

What I really miss doing is writing. I do love to tell a good story. This past year, moving into our new house, and becoming the mama to three, I've learned a lot. I thought I'd start telling stories about these little lessons. I hope you enjoy them.
_________________________________________________________________________________

One day, after the craziness of RSV was over, I was having a good day. You know those days. I was totally rocking the mama thing:

• I had taken a shower and even slapped on some makeup. 
• All three girls were dressed in something other than pajamas. 
• I organized and executed a craft for Brynne and Hadley all while I was nursing Ruby. 

Yeah. I had this, Being the Mama of Three, figured out. Nailed it. Totally not hard.

I had even made dinner. From scratch.

I left Ruby, contentedly playing on her play mat, while Brynne and Hadley were reading books nearby, so I could check on dinner, baking in the oven.

When I came back, I found Brynne and Hadley "giving Ruby her medicine" from the diaper caddy:

"Kills over 99.9% of harmful bacteria," and I was 99.9% positive it was going to kill Ruby too.

You remember these?

This is Mr. Yuk. He even has his own Facebook page!

I can remember one sticking to our rotary phone when I was growing up, but we are just not cool enough, or smart enough to have a rotary phone.

Note to self: Buy a rotary phone and promptly stick Mr. Yuk on the receiver!!

So, I had to waste 90 seconds of precious time finding the number online.

The nurse was great, she told me that I needed to nurse Ruby right away, and that a baby her size could drink up to two teaspoons of strait ethyl alcohol, before it's a problem. TWO TEASPOONS!

I was pretty sure that her little doctors couldn't have squirted two teaspoons into her mouth, especially since, like the cooperative patient that she is, Ruby had spit it out all over her face. The spit had an interesting powdery texture, so I, rationally, assumed she was also foaming at the mouth, and that there was still a 75% chance that Ruby was going to die.

To assure me, Brynne and Hadley explained that since Ruby was spitting up her "medicine" they were sopping it up with baby powder (also from the diaper caddy), which had pooled in white, sticky clumps in her ear, and around her neck.

The nurse said that as long as she didn't inhale it into her lungs, she would be fine, and I should just monitor her breathing to make sure.

After the excitement had died down, Ruby's life expectancy was dialed back to normal, and I could speak without shrieking, Brynne and Hadley and I had a talk.

For days afterwards, I would routinely hear their sweet little voices saying,

Ruby only eats Mama's nipples. 

Perfect. So. We all learned a lesson.


P.S. Before someone emails me about the dangers of baby powder, and how babies can inhale it and die...I know this. I have never used baby powder for anything other than throwing some on top of a stinky diaper in the trash. I do this, so I don't have to take out the trash. I have no idea why I had baby powder in the diaper caddy, and it isn't there any more.

A Little 90s Flava For Your Wednesday

So. After writing my last post, I had Salt n Pepa's, Let's Talk About Sex, running through my head for days.

Any day with a little Salt n Pepa, is a good day, I always say.

When I set about to writing for this series, my intention was not to talk about sex, necessarily, but rather loving my husband intentionally.

Sometimes when I write things, the idea I have in my head is not at all what I end up with in the end. I was always really terrible at outlining those five paragraph essays in school.

Anyway, before I move on, a disclaimer:

Sex is an uncomfortable topic---for some. And peering into someone's bedroom, is even more uncomfortable (sorry Mom and Dad). You should know that Brad reads these posts before they're published, and he has full nix-the-whole-thing-right-before-it's-due power. Several people told me they didn't think their husbands would have been cool them putting it out there like this. Brad, rather than decoy, avoid, or make void the topic, was open to letting me talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be. We pray that this peek into our lives encourages mamas in the same weary season of life, or maybe prepares you if you're not a mama yet.

So. On intentionality.

I don't know that I have one love language.

I feel loved when people are intentional. We're all busy people, right? But, when someone takes a moment to

• bring me a cup of coffee
• give me a hug
• spend time chatting with me
• create the perfect gift that they know I'll appreciate

I feel loved. Because I know...giving is sacrifice, and people give to what they love.

___________________________________________________________________________

To read more, and to learn how all this relates to zombies...

...yes, I'm serious. 

Please click here. 

Excuse me? You want to do what right now???

As a mama of a six-month-old and two three year olds, I am in a season of life that leaves me just bone-tired.

I love the way Steve Weins describes this level of tired,

Ragged, how-am-I-going-to-make-it-to-the-end-of-the-day, eyes-burning exhausted.

Nailed it, right?

I don't know how you make it through days like this. I, pretty much function on coffee, prayer, and the hope that schedules will align, and just maybe (please, please, please-with-a-cherry-on-top, God?) all three girls will be down for a nap at the same time.

By eight, most nights, all three girls are in bed---we might come to the 8:00 bedtime limping and barely hanging on, but we get there. Then, Brad and I enjoy a bit of time together before we head to bed.

So. Here's the scene:

Teeth freshly brushed, face washed, comfy pajamas on, lights off, head nestled into my pillow, eyelids heavy, soon to be asleep---when it happens---my husband speaks into the quiet darkness of our room, asking for some "couple time".

________________________________________________________________________________

Please jump over here to read the rest of this post, where my friend, Melissa, is hosting a blogging series called Construction School for Wives.

She's asked me to write about marriage---something I'm totally an expert in. I mean----if marriage were a college course, I would have an A+. My name is totally synonymous with being a rock-star wife.

Or.

Maybe I really struggle, and the only reason it works out at all is because of a  whole lotta prayer and endless grace.

Maybe you can relate?

Or.

Maybe you're the rock-star wife.

Either way----love to hear from you.

The one where I run a victory lap

Mama, I'm sorry for yelling at you. Please forgive me?

Came the sweet whisper from my daughter, quiet and repentant, as her arms wrapped around my middle searching for grace.

I exhale silent thanks, hugging her back. Restoring the relationship she feared broken.

Honestly, the defiant talk, the yelling, the arguing between my girls comes so frequently some days that I ignore it sometimes---head-in-the-sand, because you never can tell, there might be dandelions and baby smiles in the sand.

But.

Conviction pierced my girl's tiny heart, and she sought forgiveness completely unprompted--this was huge, HUGE, I tell you!

In my head I'm all:

For the love, FINALLY! all the shepherding, teaching, redirecting, disciplining, torturous I-just-don't-know-what-to-do, tear-shedding moments have paid off---it's actually sinking in. Sweet, Jesus, thank you!  

And then, I can actually hear the Chariots of Fire theme song.

Duun dun dun dun duun duuuun. Dun dun dun dundun.....

They say pride goes before the fall.

Yeah.

I was that kid in yellow with a mouthful of grass and dirt. As the same repentant daughter slunk away as her sister, with disheveled hair and a tear-streaked face, accused,

Mama! She tired to bite off my ponytail. 

Whatever, you guys! Victory laps are totally overrated.

The one where all my babies took a nap at the same time, and I should have joined them, but instead I wrote a blog post.

All my babies are asleep right now. I almost don't know what to do with myself!

So, I've decided that I'll blog for a moment.

Here's life for us lately:

photography by Ryan Beard

Dandelions and baby smiles.

We're excited to print these pictures off, so that there will be photographic evidence in this house that Ruby exists. At the rate we're going, she's going to come to me in a puddle of hormonal tears when she's 13, convinced that she was really adopted, and we just haven't told her yet.

Anyway.

Ruby is almost five months old.

We've lived in our new house just slightly longer than that, but not long enough for Brynne and Hadley to stop referring to it as "The New House".

Every day I fight this battle with restlessness, because there are a million and five things on my list of things to do.

Here's one of my flower gardens:

Here's our house:

It's amazing. Built in 1867, it's all my Laura-Ingalls-Wilder-Anne-of-Green-Gables-The-Secret-Garden-Downton-Abbey dreams realized.

It's also a lot of work.

The garden is a weed-fest, and the floors of my house are currently covered in a layer of sawdust, because we are having air conditioning put in this week.

So, when I get to the Jessie-Spano-caffine-pill-freak-out moment of realizing I can't do it all...

...I have to remind myself that there will always be something to do in this house, and with our five-acre yard. 

But. 

My worth and value is not determined by how many weeds are in my garden, or how diligently I sweep up behind the air-conditioning-installer people. 

I am enough. We have enough. Weedy gardens and all. 

Then I go back to enjoying baby smiles and dandelions.

I hope you're finding dandelions and baby smiles in your day (sometimes they're hard to find when you have sawdusty floors). 

P.S. The series finale of Saved By The Bell was 20 years ago today. That makes me feel old. 

Okay.

Back to dandelions and baby smiles. 

The one where I say yes.

There is only one man in all the world

and his name is All Men.

There is only one woman in all the world

and her name is All Women.  

There is only one child in the world

and the child's name is All Children. 

~Carl Sandberg

In early February, despite lots of hand sanitizer, breastmilk and frequent reminders to, "Cough into your elbow, please," all three of my girls got RSV.

Upon getting the diagnosis, I covered my daughter's ears, so that I could utter desperate and cathartic prayers/curse words, and break down crying in front of my pediatrician.

And then this:

More desperate and cathartic swearing/praying as my sweet six-week-old, Ruby, landed herself in the hospital.
________________________________________________________________________________
I'm pretty convinced that on the inside, we are all whiny, selfish three-year-olds.

I actually have two whiny, selfish three-year-olds, both inside and out. One thing I really love about one of them, my daughter, Brynne, is her honesty about what she needs. After a good ole RSV- coughing-fit, she would scream say things like:

I'm sick! I'm SO sick! Please hold me, Mama, I'm SO sick! 

I have no idea where her flair for drama comes from....

Anyway.

When Brynne asked to be held in her helpless, whiny, sick state---sometimes I would be filled with compassion, and hold her. And, sometimes my own inner-whiny-selfish-three-year-old won out, and I just could not muster up any grace for my daughter. I just can't be a rock-star parent all the time!

But.

I think God sorta digs the whole whiny-selfish-three-year-old thing, in fact, I think that's why he said, Let the children come to me...:

I'm tired! I'm SO tired! Please hold me, Jesus, I'm SO tired!

Jesus is a rock-star parent all the time. He wants to hold me anytime my whiny three-year-old self needs him to. And he really wants to hold you too.  

So, through this whole RSV ordeal, I've learned a few things. Jesus really can hold you. I mean, really, physically hold you. You just need to do two things:

1. Do not, under any circumstances, use any variation of the phrase, "I'm fine."

That terrible "f" word. F-I-N-E

People love to give. We are all constantly fighting our inner whiny-selfish-three-year-old. It's hard some times. No one wants to be a jerk all of the time. One of the best ways to fight that inner jerk is to serve others. Please, please allow people to serve you! Think of it as doing your civic duty to keep jerks at bay.

We belong to each other. Mr. Carl Sandberg got it right---we are All Men, All Women, All Children. We were designed to be in community to serve one another to love one another---you should not walk through hard things alone. Embrace community---let community love you and serve you.

Nothing squelches community more than the "f" word. Swallow that word and pride and...

2. Say yes.

When people offered to bring me good coffee, non-hospital food, a shoulder to cry on, arms to hold Ruby, so I could take a shower or sleep---I said, "Yes!" I mean, really, who can say no to good coffee?!

This wasn't, and still isn't easy for me to admit that I can't do it all. That I'm not God.

But---that's a good place to be.

I'm actually thankful that I was in that place of desperation.

Not because my girls were sick, but because, when I said yes, I felt God's arms wrap around me tightly through each generous act of love. I felt others carry my burden.

Sleep-sacrificing, good-coffee-bringing, burden-carrying---this is what Jesus was talking about when he told us to love one another. That is community. 

And. When you let your community love you like that---that is what it feels like when God holds you. 

I want to challenge you. Be in community. Let yourself be known. Love. Be loved. And. Say yes! You'll feel God holding you too.

Linking with Jen.

When Satan Tempts Me To Despair

The morning of January third dawned early. I breakfasted and prepared to go welcome Ruby into the world.

It was a little overwhelming. With a push, life was going to change. Dramatically.

I found myself weepy, and despairing. My very unreliable, pregnancy-hormone-driven feelings were ruling my head and my heart. No matter what truth I told myself, I worried and feared and grieved.

Sometimes grieving the old is necessary in order to welcome the new. But it's not healthy to wallow in that place. Especially not on your kid's birthday.

As I was leaving all choked up, I told my friend, who was watching Brynne and Hadley for us, that I was struggling, and to pray for me. She told me she would pray, and would love to give me a hug, but she hadn't brushed her teeth yet. Ha! That's one of the many reasons I love her. So thankful for the levity she offered in that moment.  

This is one of her favorite verses:

The Lord will fight for you; you need only be silent. ~Exodus 14:14

 Easier to listen to God when you're silent.

Silence requires the discipline to recognize the urge to get up and go again as a temptation to look elsewhere for what is close at hand. It offers the freedom to stroll in your own inner yard, and to rake up the leaves there and clear the paths so you can easily find the way to your heart. Perhaps there will be much fear and uncertainty when you first come upon the "unfamiliar terrain", but slowly and surely you will discover an order and familiarity which deepens your longing to stay home...whenever you come upon this silence, it seems as though you have received a gift, one which is "promising" in the true sense of the word. It promises new life. It is the silence of peace and prayer, because it brings you back to the One who is leading you. ~Henri Nouwen

It was a gift, this silence. As I welcomed endured those blasted pitocin-induced contractions, my head and my heart were full of truth. Fear and worry melted away. I was thankful---especially once I had an epidural.

(And can I just say---if you labored and delivered naturally with pitocin, you are my hero. I just couldn't hang.)

In that place of quiet. I was able to see the gift of welcoming Ruby into the world. 

If you've had twins, you know how crazy the birth can be. If you haven't, here's a glipse at our experience: we delivered in the sterile, very cold operating room. There were at least 10 people (nurses, my doctor, pediatricians, respiratory therapists, and others) waiting to welcome our 35 weekers. The girls got whisked away right after they were born to regulate their temperatures and to help them breathe better. Then, EVERYONE wanted to meet our girls---it was a circus in my hospital room non-stop from morning till evening, and we had no time get to know our girls. They discovered that Brynne had a heart defect, and her beautiful lips kept turning a scary shade of blue. Then, Brynne was transferred to the NICU at another hospital. Brad went with her, and I stayed with Hadley. 

I don't know what I expected, but that was hard and overwhelming.

Ruby's birth was different. Peaceful. Beautiful.

• We delivered in a normal delivery room. 

• There were only three medical people in the room. 

• They put Ruby on my chest the second she was born. (I had no idea they even did that!)

• And, more. They didn't whisk her away anywhere. They let her stay and hang out for awhile before they cleaned her up. 

• I got to breastfeed her right away. 

• The heart defect she had in my belly was gone. I asked every.single.time a nurse or doctor checked out Ruby, just to make sure the last person hadn't missed anything. Her heart is perfect.  

• Hardly anyone knew we were in labor, so there were no texts or facebook distractions. We were fully present to the miracle of Ruby's entrance into the world. 

• We had no visitors (other than Brynne and Hadley). So we enjoyed lots of newborn snuggles.

The whole experience was so redeeming for me. Silence allowed the full weight of that to soak in.  To revel in joy and thanksgiving. To rest. To bond with sweet Ruby.

A slow stillness of the new. And a joy of this most precious gift. 

A friend from church, quite unexpectedly, took this picture of me and Ruby. Ruby was just a little over a week old, I'm quite sure I was sleep-deprived. I love this moment he captured! It's real. It's beautiful. I don't have on makeup, my hair isn't done, I forgot to put on earrings. But I got in the picture, and I'm really glad I did. There's a joy, a glow that he captured that is sacred and lovely. 

Brynne and Hadley have an announcement...

...they are big sisters!

Ruby Edith 

03 January 2013

9 pounds

20 inches long

I've wanted to put something up here for days now. It's a challenge when I don't often have two free hands, so I'm going with short and sweet. 

There's the hope that I'll be able to write more soon---we'll see.

All is well. Our three little girls are adjusting better than I could have ever imagined, largely due to the overwhelming love and support we've received from our community here. We are blessed to do life with some amazingly generous people, who love us well---what a gift.

Our hearts (and our hands) are full of good things.

Now throw your hands in the air and wave em like you just don't care

If I'm completely honest, there are moments when I'd like to be a toddler.

You know. Those moments when some stranger looks at your pregnant belly and your pigtailed twin daughters, and says that he "...really hopes there's just one in there this time."

Really?! They can hear you. Jerk!

Oh! To be a toddler in those moments! I would pick up the nearest plastic toy and bop him on the head.

There are other, more joy-filled moments of toddler hood that I would love to embrace too. 

Recently, the girls have taken to having dance parties while I'm getting supper ready. They dance and sing unabashedly around the living room. I love that there's no holding back, no reserved self-awareness. They go all out.

You know when you hear that song you just love, there's this physical feeling in your chest? The music literally moves you? You want to dance, sing and just rock out to respond to that feeling?

Toddlers do that.

The other day, Brynne brought over her cat, sat in my ever-shrinking lap, and played a song. Since sitting impeded dancing, she just raised her arm up in the air. She was fully present, reveling in the music. I mean, who isn't completely overcome while listening to an instrumental version of The Farmer in the Dell?!?

This got me thinking about worship.

My church background has consisted of worship through the singing of hymns and a mostly serious (liturgical) worship service. If the music moved you, there was typically no outward expression---my people are also sometimes referred to as the "The Frozen Chosen". My label for the folks who responded to music through dance or raising their hands in worship was "Holy Roller".

It's interesting how our experiences and learning change our perspectives sometimes, isn't it? 

For the first time in my church history, we're attending a church with a tradition that falls somewhere between "frozen chosen" and "holy roller". Our pastor calls it being pentecostal with a seat-belt. There's no jumping and dancing down the isles, but there definitely a few arms raised in worship during the music portion of the service. 

Brad and I have had lots of conversations about how the music at our church moves us, and we feel compelled to respond by raising our hands in worship, but it's so outside of our comfort zone. So, we don't. Or didn't.

After my sweet Brynne sat on my lap, arm raised in response to her music, I was struck that at some point, she will practice restraint. Sometimes that's appropriate. If her jam comes on the radio when she's she's driving, approximately 14 years from now, she better keep her hands at 10 and 2!

But.

I want her to dance, I want her to raise her hands in worship to her Jesus, if she feel so moved.

And.

How else will she know that's okay, acceptable, and even pleasing to God if she doesn't see it modeled?

So, this past Sunday, when I felt moved by the worship music, instead of practicing my usual restraint, I raised my arm. It felt freeing. I felt like how Brynne and Hadley look dancing around our living room.

Maybe my ice is melting. 

When it really just comes down to an aardvark

Someone recently told me that they enjoyed reading my blog. In the same conversation it was also mentioned that there hadn't been much to read lately.

True story.

I told this person that I was busy napping instead of writing. That's partly true. 

Here's a small glimpse into my life lately:

The girls thought that Mary, a shepherd and his sheep from our nativity set would enjoy reading a different sort of Christmas story---A Pirate's Night Before Christmas. [If you haven't read this book, you should---it's very entertaining, and way better if you read it in pirate speak.] Arrrguably the best Christmas book we own.

As countdown to Baby, and moving, and every aspect of my life changing draws closer, I had a bit of an epiphany:

This kid is going to be born, and I don't have one thing to decorate the nursery!

It's the important things, friends. The important things.

So, amidst our bare walls, and our stripped-down-ready-to-move home, there are random piles like this:

My poor husband. Good thing he tolerates embraces my friend, Crazy.

I realize it's not essential to have nursery decor. The kid isn't going to wake up at 2 A.M. wondering why there are no thoughtful sentiments or coordinating canvas art on the walls.

It's just...hard, I guess (??) But I know it will be okay.

The baby will be okay if there's no art in the nursery. 

The move will happen with the help of our amazing church community---I can't even tell you how overwhelming it is to know how many people have volunteered to show up, two days before Christmas, to help us. Unbelievable!

There are even people who will house and help me take care of the two (or three) children I might have while everyone else moves us.

I just don't have control over any of it, right down to the number of children I'll be parenting; therefore I craft, because at least I can pretend that I do have control over that.

And, if nothing else, my mom got the kid an aardvark, and nothing completes a nursery quite like an aardvark can, I mean just look at this guy:

So that's something.

The one where Baby Jesus was denied a ride on the bus

So. We sold our house.

Remember when I was complaining about the 8:30 A.M. showing? Yeah. I still don't think early morning showings are okay, but these early morning visitors bought our house, so I sort of still like them.

So. Hooray. We're moving on December 23rd. I'll be 38.5 weeks pregnant, or I'll have an infant. Either way. Crazy.

With a few minor things up in the air, our Christmas decor is simple. No tree, no stockings hung by the chimney with care. Our Christmas decor comes down to this:

 

The Little People Nativity Set. 

If you're not familiar with The Little People---they're toys, and the "Little People" are interchangeable with other Little People toys.

For instance, this morning I found the "angel" rockin a sweet mustache, necktie and holding an apple: 

Later, I found the real angel driving some kids, a wise man and his camel to school:

It was this motley crew that caused a bit of a ruckus this morning. Brynne thought Baby Jesus should get on the bus, and Hadley vehemently denied him entry. Maybe she was confused, because Baby Jesus has blonde hair and pale skin. I don't know.

As plastic people and animals flew everywhere, I tried, amidst shrieks of protest, to make it a teachable moment,

You know girls, this isn't the first time Baby Jesus was denied entry. His mama and papa weren't allowed a space in a house or hotel, which is why he was born in a barn. Can you believe that someone wouldn't let Jesus come inside their house?!

Admittedly, timing has never been my strong suit. 

Hadley would have none of it, despite my brilliant impromptu recap of the Christmas story, I mean, everyone knows Jesus doesn't have blonde hair, right?  This Baby Jesus was NOT getting on her bus.

Brynne cried. And I did what any mother of toddlers would do (after taking a deep breath and rolling my eyes)---distract and redirect.

A little bit later, a camel drove by. I noticed little Baby Jesus, cradle and all, had managed to get himself a ride, like a second-class citizen, with a bus full of sheep, donkeys and a cow.

Maybe Hadley knew that Baby Jesus would be more comfortable surrounded by animals. Or maybe she conceded to let her sister give him a ride, despite his historically inaccurate blonde hair.

Welcome to the Christmas season, friends.

It all just comes down to a pair of jeggings

Awhile back, a twin-mama-friend asked me to write about the difference between my twin pregnancy and this singleton pregnancy.

Here's a moment of honesty, friends: I really don't like being pregnant. At. All.

Twin pregnancy? Singleton pregnancy? It all pretty much ranks right up there with getting a cavity filled. 

I'm glad I've figured that out, actually. I think it gives me a lot of grace for other friends of mine who struggle with being pregnant too. It seems like it's often implied, or maybe just directly communicated to women that they're supposed to love every single glowing moment of carrying a life in their wombs. And, Heaven forbid, we utter something about not loving one of the many not-so-glowy moments, of our heads hanging over the toilet, or battling the ugliness of depression, or the in-opportune time when we don't make it to the bathroom on time. 

If you've seen the movie Steel Magnolias, Olympia Dukakis' character, that sassy southerner, Clairee says:

Well, you know what they say: if you don't have anything nice say about anybody, come sit by me!

 

I feel like I'm Clairee for pregnant people. You wanna talk about how much it sucks be pregnant and then how the hormonal-aftermath makes you a sweaty, crazy, smelly mess? Come sit by me!

Don't get me wrong, friends. I'm thankful. I'm thankful for the life that's incessantly beating on my bladder. I'm thankful for the life in my belly causing my ass to take up residence in two counties, despite the many squats I attempt in between the contractions that I've had since 15 weeks. That's right----15 weeks! I have the most temperamental uterus on the planet!

Thankful, but if I'm honest, I'd just assume get it all over with already. It's hard to be thankful for this time of largeness and multiple bathroom trips.

[A note about the following picture: I didn't love this movie, in fact the twin pregnancy in here was laughably, eye-rollably, annoyingly unrealistic, but Liz's character here, is pretty funny, because she's a hot-mess the entire time. (I can call her Liz, because my husband's co-worker's wife grew up with her, and calls her Liz, so it's almost like I know her, or something)]

 

So, I'll tell you about the one thing that makes this all just a little bit better (other than the baby at the end of the road). 

Probably the biggest difference for me is that at this stage in the game, I'm still up walking waddling around. With the twins, at 26 weeks, I went into preterm labor, and was on bedrest for the rest of my pregnancy. I never went anywhere, except to the doctor's (went there a lot), so I didn't really worry too much about cute maternity wear.

With this pregnancy, I've had some generous friends who have lent me some maternity clothes, and I've put the ones that fit to good use. The aforementioned ass-largeness has been a tough pill to swallow. At almost 33 weeks, I currently weigh almost as much as I did when I delivered the twins. It's hard to feel very attractive with those numbers swimming in my head.

So, a couple weeks ago I decided I wanted to have a pair of maternity jeans, and ordered some jeggings from Old Navy. When they arrived, I tried them on, and even though they were, jeggings, afterall----those are leggings that look like jeans for those of you who haven't yet been introduced to a jegging---- I thought they were too tight/small, and I shoved them in the closet. 

I did lots of self-talk about how a pair of jeggings, the numbers on the scale, or even the size of my arse don't define me, because I'm a daughter of the King, I'm a loving wife, I'm a good mama, etc. And friends, I know my jegging size has nothing to do with anything truly important, but whew! It's been hard.

So, this morning the girls and I had to hightail it out of the house at 8AM, because someone wanted to see our house (yes, we're still trying to sell our house---and an 8:30 showing---seriously?!), and I got out the jeggings to wear. I tugged and wrestled those suckers on (because really, with jeggings, I think there's a bit of a workout involved in getting them on, at least when you're pregnant, or maybe they really are just too small---if it's the latter, just don't tell me), and you know----they actually looked pretty good, and I felt pretty good. I think I might just be able to make it to the end of this pregnancy.

Thank you, Jesus for jeggings.

Mama Loves: Costumes and Time Change and Such

Welcome to another week of Mama Loves! I'm so thrilled that you stopped by!

Not sure what Mama Loves is? Check out the Mama Loves page for the scoop on what Mama Loves is all about.

Also---to see all the amazing ideas that have been shared here, check out the Mama Loves Pinterest page. So many crazy-good ideas there!



________________________________________________________________________________

• Melissa discovered the beauty that is the library this past week. It's free, and a mountain of good times! As the mama of two book-lovin' little girls, I am thankful for the library and all the activities they offer kiddos. 

________________________________________________________________________________
So, the time change is tonight. Last year I shared this. When the girls were about six months old we went to see a sleep nurse a.k.a. The Baby Whisperer. She gave us tons of helpful information, including how to navigate the time change with your child's schedule. We've used it every year, and it's always gone pretty seamlessly. Maybe it will help you too?
_________________________________________________________________________________
I really, really, really enjoyed all the pumpkin-posts! So, I thought it might be fun to see all your Halloween posts! That way we'd have a big collection of twin and singleton costumes ideas for next year too.

Our girls were M&Ms this year:

 

We had such a good time! The girls just love to dress up. When I put those same legging on them this morning, they thought they were going to get to dress up like M&Ms again. Ha!

Can't wait to see what you're loving!

Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Auto-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
For best results, use HTML mode to edit this section of the post.

Mama Loves: Magic and Toothbrushes

Welcome to another week of Mama Loves! I'm so thrilled that you stopped by!

Not sure what Mama Loves is? Check out the Mama Loves page for the scoop on what Mama Loves is all about.

Also---to see all the amazing ideas that have been shared here, check out the Mama Loves Pinterest page. So many crazy-good ideas there!


_________________________________________________________________________________
It was so much fun to read all your pumpkin-themed posts last week!

• My sweet husband carved a pumpkin with our girls. They had so much fun!

• Super cute pumpkin patch fun with Emily's girls Haley and Hazel!
• Pumpkin patch tradition! Mandy takes a walk down memory lane with her sweet girls A&B.
• Join Melissa's twins (and a few of their friends) for a pumpkin party! What a fabulous idea!
• Pumpkin pirate! (Our family has quite an affinity for pirates---this pumpkin is awesome, Krista!

_________________________________________________________________________________
I'm really excited about this week's Mama Loves. I'd like to introduce you to a dear friend of mine, Laila. Here she is with her beautiful family---her husband, Mike and her almost-two-year-old daughter, Nori:

source Anne Mentrup Photography

Laila is my running partner and one of my boot camp instructors, more importantly, she's one of the most intentional, loving, and generous people I've ever met. She balances work and family and friendships with such grace. I'm so blessed that she lives right across the street from me, and that I can count her one of my dearest friends.

Last week Laila emailed me with a couple of her Mama Loves, and I figured there was no one better to tell you about them than Laila herself. So, here's Laila in her blogging debut giving you two fabulous "loves":

The Jane Iredale Magic Mitt is a cloth that cleanses your face with only water---it even takes off eye makeup! For whatever reason (because I chase a toddler most days) I'm exhausted when it comes to bedtime, even the thought of washing my face is a huge chore.

This little shammie makes taking off makeup quick, so that I can get to bed...where the real magic happens. LOL :)



We have literally brushed Nori's gums since she was six months old, and it's been a struggle every day since. Every night we have the same routine, which includes brushing teeth, so I just assumed it would eventually get easier, but it never has. It takes both Mike and I to get her brushed; he holds her down, while I scrub as best I can.

Until now...the kids' electric toothbrush!

It seems so simple, but I never considered it for a kid. Now, Nori gets so excited---"me do!"--because she can brush her teeth on her own. And I'm thrilled, because I know when she puts the toothbrush in her mouth, her teeth are getting cleaned better than when I was struggling to do it manually.



These toothbrushes come in just about any character, so maybe that can be an added incentive to have "Dora" help them brush their teeth.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Laila, thank you again for sharing your Mama Loves here.

Can't wait to see what you're loving this week!

Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Auto-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
For best results, use HTML mode to edit this section of the post.

Mama Loves: Pumpkins

Welcome to another week of Mama Loves! I'm so thrilled that you stopped by!

Not sure what Mama Loves is? Check out the Mama Loves page for the scoop on what Mama Loves is all about.

Also---to see all the amazing ideas that have been shared here, check out the Mama Loves Pinterest page. So many crazy-good ideas there!


________________________________________________________________________________
A couple things to check out this week 

• Bath products for Mama and little ones that are free of all those yucky chemicals that Blogger won't acknowledge as real words. 
• Sippy cups that absolutely don't leak. Your search is over!

_______________________________________________________________________________
Spring is my favorite time of year, followed closely by fall. This is odd when I take a moment to think about it, because they're the two transition seasons. Ushering in the warm, or ushering the cold.

Transition is hard. But I can do hard things; even embrace them sometimes---like two little ladies I know. And, the fall too. Mostly, because fall = pumpkins.

I love all things pumpkin.

Last Saturday we took our girlies for our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. I'm such a sucker for comparison shots. We were taking the girls to "pick out their  pumpkins" when they were tiny. Sometimes I build up these experiences in my mind, knowing that really, really they're too young to get it, but there will be pictures that we did it every. single. year.

  Last year, the girls had a whole lot more input in their pumpkin choosing experience.

And this year was a whole lot of fun! The girls went tromping through the pumpkin fields like experts.

But first, I just have to show you one thing. The girls were so excited to be sporting their new owl leg warmers:

Now, on to pumpkins.

This year the girls really liked big pumpkins:

So, our rule was that they needed to be able to lift the pumpkin (at least a little bit).

 

The girls had a great time running around the pumpkin fields. It was so fun to watch their strong legs carry them all the way to the end of the pumpkin fields. 

The girls rested briefly in the wagon with their pumpkins:

 But, our strong healthy girls preferred to help their papa secure their pumpkin loot:

We ended our pumpkin patch experience dancing to some bluegrass music. Brynne and Hadley had such a great time! Their carefree delight in pumpkins and music and dancing makes me smile till my face hurts.

So, let's see your pumpkin pictures, Mamas (and Papas)! Pumpkin carving, visits to the pumpkin patch, or just drinking a pumpkin spice latte. Any and all things pumpkin are welcome!

Can't wait to see them!

Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Auto-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
For best results, use HTML mode to edit this section of the post.

Mama Loves: Potty Talk

Welcome to another week of Mama Loves! I'm so thrilled that you stopped by!

Not sure what Mama Loves is? Check out the Mama Loves page for the scoop on what Mama Loves is all about.

Also---to see all the amazing ideas that have been shared here, check out the Mama Loves Pinterest page. So many crazy-good ideas there!

 
________________________________________________________________________________

So, you might have heard, our girls are potty trained.

I'm not about to tell you that there is some magic formula that will get your kid potty trained. I don't think that's true. Each child is unique, and you know your child better than anyone else. While I tend to be a rule follower in some respects, when it came to potty training, I tried to be intuitive to what would work best for each one of my daughters' personalities. 

The method I based our training on was called the Three Day Potty Training method. You can read all sorts of testimonials and questions about it. Take it for what it's worth. I enjoyed the plan, because it was a short----no books to read, just an e-book, more like an e-pamphlet. Short and sweet. 

 

I also appreciated the detailed instructions, tips and even products to consider purchasing. For what it's worth, these are the products we loved to get us through the hard stuff. (Most of them are also mentioned here).

• GoodNites Disposable Bed Mats. Keeps down the laundry pile by protecting sheets while they sleep.
• BabyLegs to keep little legs warm.
• Baby Bjorn Toilet Trainer to make the big potty just right for little bottoms.
• This alarm clock that turns green when it's okay to wake up for the day. Worth.Every.Penny!

What would you add to the list? 

Can't wait to see what you're loving this week!

Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Auto-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
For best results, use HTML mode to edit this section of the post.

Adventures in Potty Training

So. The girls are potty trained. Like, all the way potty trained. Nights and everything.

I think the whole process took 13 years off my life, but it's done, and I'm so proud of how well the girls are doing with it!

I really hesitated on whether or not to potty train them. We're still trying to sell the house, and then there's the baby. Both events, I've heard, can cause serious regression. I didn't want to have to clean up messes in a new house as we get settled, or with a newborn.

In the end, I decided that there was never going to be an "ideal" time to get this potty training thing done, so why not now?

I have many bloggy and real life friends, who have gone before me, so I had all kinds of resources/methods/plans/advice to read and listen to. Most recently I'd been reading B's advice over at little grovers about potty training her twin boys. She used this three-day method that sounded intriguing to me. She emailed me some encouragement, and references, and we decided we'd take the plunge.

So, here's the thing with this plan---you get rid of all diapers day one.

Yes, you read that right. 

So, on Monday when my husband called around 11 to ask what the accident count was---we were at 18. He called me back to say he was coming home early and was taking the next day off.

Love him!

So. With the three-day method, with twins it can take a day or two longer, and this proved to be true with our girls. Day four they finally (sorta) got the hang of things, and by day five they really had it down. Whew!

So, I wanted to share a few things I found helpful/encouraging/surprising. Maybe you'll find it beneficial if you're somewhere in the process, or just thinking about it.

• Probably the most surprising thing for me was the "freak out" factor the girls experienced. There were several moments during those first couple of days where they were both crying and clinging to me (at the same time). Taking away their diapers and suddenly giving them the responsibility of figuring out what was going on with their bodies was really stressful for them. I wasn't prepared for it at all. There were many times when I came very close to putting diapers back on both of them and calling it quits. It was hard. 

• The other big thing I wasn't prepared for was the nights. We went from sometimes soaking through overnight diapers to wearing big-girl undies in one day. So, nights for the first week---it was like having newborns all over again. They were up multiple times a night. We were exhausted! The waking proved to be inevitable, but something we used to help cut down on laundry were GoodNights Disposable Bed Mats. They cover approximately 75% of a crib mattress, so chances are good that they'll catch the mess. They're a little pricey, but worth it!

• The plan recommends that you get 20-30 pairs of underwear per child to start out with, because of the large number of accidents (and no diapers). I aspired to do lots of laundry, and went with 36 pairs for both girls. I got half in their actual size, and half in a bigger size. I only used the bigger size for a the first several days until the girls got the hang of things, then I packed them away for future use.

• Wood floors/tile/linoleum/laminate are your friends! Easier clean up. Find activities to keep your kiddo(s) on those surfaces as much as possible. For example: my friend has a big window in her tiled dining area, so she got her daughter some window clings to keep her on the tile.

• This particular plan also suggests that the kiddos just wear undies and a tee-shirt for the first few days. We added some BabyLegs on cool mornings for some extra warmth.

• Something that we're dealing with right now is that Brynne will only go potty on the little potty. The big potty intimidates her a bit. In fact, I bought and donated a little potty to our church, because she had a couple accidents there, refusing to use the big potty. So, in addition to having a little potty, or maybe instead of (??) I recommend getting something like this:

That way maybe you can avoid our "fear of the big potty" struggles. It sits on top of the big potty, so that their little bottoms don't fall through. I'd also recommend getting some sort of a step-stool to go along with it. That way they can go by themselves. Hadley loves the independence of being able to do it "All by myself."

• Another thing I wasn't prepared for was the manipulation factor. And this I still haven't figured out all the way, though it does seem to be better. The "I have to go potty!" (even though they just went two minutes ago) thing that only happens at bedtime, or when they really don't want to do something like clean up, etc. I've had to get creative with discipline and distractions to keep them from playing that card. It's tough, because I don't want to call them liars, and they can usually squeeze a drop, just to prove that they really did have to go---at the same time, it gets really ridiculous sometimes. If you have any advice, experienced mamas----please help!

• Along with nighttime, the girls started getting up super early to go to potty. I mean really early (!!!), and they'd think it was time to party for the day. My friend Mandy has raved about the "Ok to Wake!" alarm clock, and since then I've heard several others sing its praises. I'll tell you, I didn't blink once at spending the money on that little gem. When the girls get up super early to potty, they know they have to get back in bed until the clock turns green (which means it's okay to get up!). Hallelujah---love this guy!

Okay. So, there you have it. Anything I missed, veterans? Anything you want to know, mamas who aren't there yet?

UPDATED: I knew there was more! My friend (the smart one with the tile and window clings), brought me a meal one night when the hubby wasn't home. This was a huge, wonderful thing she did, because that way I could concentrate on the girls, and not have to stop to prepare a meal. Highly recommend you prepare some meals ahead of time, or have a friend bring you a meal. Potty training is intense, and requires a lot of your attention. 

Also, if you do need to leave the house, disposable changing pads work great to protect car seats. They also keep your high chairs nice and dry. 

Mama Loves: Kate Winslet??

Hi friends! There were a few great ideas shared this past week. I hope you'll take a moment to check them out!

• Krista adapted a popular toddler activity to make it easy to take on the go. 
• Mandy has found a great alternative to crumbly play-doh! If you strongly dislike the play-doh mess, you're gonna want to check this out!

________________________________________________________________________________
A couple days ago, Mandy shared this "fabulous-ness" (in quotes because blogger won't acknowledge this as a real word---come on, blogger!) on her facebook page. 

Mama love, Love, LOVES this!

It's true. Our bodies are pretty incredible. They were carefully and uniquely knit together in our mama's womb, and they do many things. Maybe:

• your body carried and nourished your child(ren)
• your strong legs carry you miles towards a finish line
• your capable arms swing your little ones over your head and hug them tight
• your sparkling eyes look on others with love
• your hands serve others by cooking meals, folding laundry, cleaning
• your voice reads the same story a million times putting the same enthusiasm into every.single.word. the same way every time
• your smile lights up a room
• your mind creates beautiful things
• your heart loves unceasingly and unconditionally (and will go on and on--ha!)
• your hips shut drawers when your hands are full and know how to keep rhythm
• your feet take you and your child(ren) on grand adventures

So, tell me. What do you love about your body? Do you talk about this with your children, or with your friends or family? What does this look like? 

Can't wait to see what you're loving! Oh, and you're welcome for putting Celine Dion in your head on this fine fall afternoon.

Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Auto-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
For best results, use HTML mode to edit this section of the post.