5 Happy Things: Juggling

Things this week seem to be following a same 'ol, same 'ol pattern so instead of  yet another day of play by play I thought I'd just focus on 5 happy highlights of the day:  

1.  I LOVE how much of a bookworm that Ayden continues to be.  He packed his little book bag that my friend from play group made him, took it outside and "read" to the chickens while I got our things ready for running errands.

2. We are still loving our CSA.  It is getting us to try new things.  Tonight we had pepper "nachos" and salsa verde made from the tomatillos which we had never tried before. 

3. This is my new phone wallpaper:

It gives me warm fuzzies.

4. Ayden and I picked up a tomato cage for a volunteer tomato plant that we accidentally grew in a pot of compost soil.  I took the pot out by the bees with plans to plant lavender and sunflowers for them but never got around to it.  Then my mom walked up to the pot that was in some weeds in the shade and asked why we didn't have our tomato plant out in the sun.  Our response was, "what tomato plant?"

Growing big and strong!

Turns out one little seed from a tomato last year fought the fight for life!

Any guesses as to which variety of tomato it is?
I am hoping for Roma but have no clue...

5.  I went and picked up the honey extracting equipment that we are borrowing for our first honey harvest this evening!  Can't wait to taste that sweet reward.

Things are still crazy busy in our lives and we are still swimming along.  I only have one week left before I need to shift some priorities around to prepare for laboring for and delivering Logan.  I am hoping to knock out a whole bunch of to do's in that time so that I am better able to be at peace while I slow things down and get more rest.  I am also hoping to maximize the one on one time that I have left with Ayden but I really think the intentional slow down will only help with that.  

I still feel like all of these crazy things that we have going on are pretty wonderful things to have to juggle!  

What are your 5 happy things today? 

~Sarah

Flashback: Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "How To: Boil Strip Cloth Diapers"
And two years ago today: "It's Official"

Sweet Surprise!

After the chiropractor this morning, Ayden and I spent an hour at the library.  It was fun going when we didn't have story time because we were there alone and I was able to really think about books he might like.  We came home with a Pete the Cat book, Clifford books, Curious George books, a book called Mama's Milk that is perfect for prepping him on how Logan will nurse but he won't and a few more that peaked his interest.  We also got a few non-fiction books about insects, dogs and farm life.  We're going to be busy little bookworms for the next week or so!

The rest of the day went on as usual.  David and his dad finished one of the gable walls and started on the second! 

After finishing at the building site David went to Lowes to pick up a few items.  He originally was going for some safety harnesses for their building plans this weekend but naturally I seized the opportunity to have one less errand to run and added a few items to his list.  He came away with a random basket of things that gave us a good laugh:  The harnesses, and some items for our home birthing supplies:  a hose, a faucet to hose connector (so we can fill up the birth pool), a tarp and some duct tape.  We thought the person ringing him up could have thought of a few interesting scenarios that might be going on there.  Haha.

It was funny because David came home to warm zucchini bread and he also brought home a surprise splurge of fro-yo.  We both thought the other deserved a sweet surprise I suppose!

Have you and our special someone ever surprised each other at the same time?   It was pretty fun.

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to two year ago today: "Growth Spurts"

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Sprinkled With Love

Nesting project of the day:

Sunning the stains out of Ayden's old pockets.
Some of them are being pesky.
The key is to keep wetting them until they're white.

We had play group today instead of yesterday because one of the other moms is a teacher and is going back to work this year.  She had professional development everyday except for today this week so we moved it for her.  Little did I know, they also planned a surprise baby sprinkle for me!

Here's a peak inside the gifts:

Handmade crochet hats!
The giraffe will be PRFECT for Logan's newborn photos and
we really love the colors of the matching hats!

Gowns and a onesie for Logan
Big bro markers for Ayden.

More cute clothes!

Soap, lotion, a sleeper and a BIG handmade swaddle blanket for Logan.
A big bro "book bag" and book for Ayden.
Chocolate, a face mask and bath stuff for mama.

I am truly blessed and was not only sprinkled with gifts but also lots of love today.  I am so glad to have found such a great group of ladies to hang out with every week.  I think us moms may get more out of play group than the kids.  Haha.

The rest of our day consisted of some house cleaning, dance teaching:

Dinner and playing out at the building site:

Gable wall half done and framing for a window!

Today was such a stark difference from yesterday.  Yesterday I spent almost the whole day at home and got half as much done.  Ayden also did not want to play alone at all which was frustrating for me since I had put a lot on my to do list for a day at home.Today, we had play group and went to the studio yet I was able to get my entire to do list from yesterday accomplished and Ayden seemed to actually prefer playing alone. The only explanation I can think of is that David and I went to bed too late on Sunday night which I just can't do these days.  We went to bed earlier last night and Ayden (and therefore we) slept in an extra hour this morning.  I think that extra sleep made all the difference for all of us. It gave me the energy I needed to patiently include Ayden in my tasks if he wanted which kept his little tank full all day while I accomplished what I needed to do.  If only I could remember that as I am happily staying up late, enjoying the quiet alone time with my hubby every night.  I'm such a night owl, it is really difficult for me to remember how much better going to bed earlier feels the next day.  

Are you a night owl? Parenthood and night owl life don't really go hand in hand, do they?

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "To the Dentist"

And two years ago today: "Hunting For Treasure"

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Logan's Maternity Photos

We got round 1 of our maternity photos narrowed down and edited and they turned out even better than I had hoped! There really is nothing like the golden hour (the hour after sunrise/the hour before sunset) for capturing some really dreamy pictures.  This was our first time using the sunrise and I'm pretty sure it's my favorite!

I am so proud of David, he really got some brownie points from me for helping me capture such a beautiful and special time in my life so well.  The photos really encompass how I feel about myself during pregnancy.  One of David's coworkers who is just starting out in photography herself came out later that morning and took some family photos for us.  I'll share those too once we find some time to work on them (probably after the next rainy day).

Can't wait to get a few prints of these to hang in our home.

Have you ever taken photos during the golden hour?

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Taste Of Fall"
And two years ago today: "Keeping Things Basic"

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More My Speed

It poured almost all day today. What do we do on rainy Sundays?  

Family grocery run.

Puddle jumping.

David and I napped when Ayden did and we just hung out. 

Indoor play.  He said he drew a fish.

It eventually stopped raining and we went to David's parents' house for a visit and then they joined us for dinner. 

We brought home a car full of baby gear and supplies that we had been storing in David's parents' attic since the move so I'll be nesting my little heart out this week. 

When we got home the weather was amazing. Ayden and I played in his sandbox for a long time while David did some mowing and now David and I are eating fudge pops on the front porch, enjoying the breeze. 

Today was down to my new sloth speed for sure. To was just what I needed to get me geared up for he week ahead!

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Making Stuff Up"

And two years ago today: "Swing High"

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Fudge Happy!

We got up bright and early to take some photos during the morning golden hour (the hour after sunrise).

Here's a sneak peak (a pic of the screen on the camera).
It was TOTALLY worth being out there by 6:45am!
(Can't wait to share the rest after post processing)

After our photos we parted ways.  David went to work on the house and Ayden and I went to the farmer's market.

This week's CSA haul!

A couple of sweet extras.

After Ayden's nap we played, and then once dinner was in the oven we made fudge pops!

Ayden licked the bowl and thought he was being sneaky
"How did that get there?"

I think they made him pretty happy.

We ended the evening with a swim (well the pool was so cold that David and Ayden swam  while I just put my feet in), put up our neighbor's chickens up for her, and watched the first Planes movie which one of our play group friends lent us.  Ayden was SO excited!

It was another good but tiring day. David and his dad put on the outer most rafters and finished the sub floor for our second story.  

They worked hard today too! It's supposed to be rainy tomorrow and I'm thinking David and Ayden can have some quality time while I do some cleaning and nesting.  

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Hat Day"

And two years ago today: "Crawl Watch 2012"

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On The Go

Maverick is shedding his undercoat for the 2nd time this Summer so he had an early grooming appointment this morning. I just cannot keep up with the fur in the house when he is blowing that husky undercoat of his. Our choices are to either vacuum and dust mop SEVERAL times a day or to live in furry tumble weeds. His groomer said that a lot of dogs are having this mysterious second shed and she suspects it's the cool down we've had. It's making all of the dogs' bodies think it's Fall so they are shedding their Summer coats to make way for their Winter ones. If it heats up again, which it probably will, then she said to expect him to do it one more time before Winter. Craziness. 

Anyway, I had a bunch of other errands I wanted to run today and since we had to drop him off at 9:00, we were at the mall for our first errand by 9:30. The stores don't open until 10 so Ayden got some play time in the play area which he loves. 

Going early like that isn't such a bad idea. I'll have to keep that in mind when Logan is little since I'd be able to sit and nurse while Ayden plays. I remember that just getting out of the house, though a challenge, was a must on some days when Ayden was tiny. 

Once the stores opened, I headed Motherhood Maternity to search for some outfit options for our maternity photos we are taking tomorrow. I got Ayden a smoothie at Jamba Juice and he sipped on that while I tried on all the clothes I liked. 

After the mall we went to a beauty supply store to get our own hair cutting scissors. I cut both David and Ayden's hair and we had been borrowing my mom's scissors while she was sick since she wasn't up for cutting my dad's hair. Now that she's better they needed them back so we decided to invest in our own. Initial investments for reusable or DIY items are so hard to make even though they pay for themselves so quickly. We've done it with diapers, wash clothes and towels to replace paper towels, muffin cups, now hair cutting equipment, etc. slowly but surely we are making progress in that area!

After I got what we needed, we had a lunch date at Panera and then headed to get my hair trimmed. While we were there Ayden made a friend. He went over to the waiting area to get a book and a nice old lady offered to read to him. He's usually shy with strangers but has always seemed to have a soft spot for little old ladies. He climbed right up into her lap and she read to him for my entire haircut. I had no idea I'd have a babysitter while I was there!  It felt like a special treat. 

Next up was Whole Foods, just for a few things. The grain free zucchini bread and muffins that I like to make have an almond butter base but the almond butter we get is pricey. I compared the unt price to that of blanched almonds, which is what I'd need to make my own almond butter, and it was almost twice the cost!  Needless to say, I'll be trying out making my own this week!

After Whole Foods we came home for Ayden's nap and then we were back out again!  David hasn't been able to mow the lawns at either property in like 2 weeks because our riding mower tire was busted. We had to go through our landlord and get the okay to be reimbursed for a replacement. That was finally approved so we went to a farm equipment supply store to get a new tire. 

He said he wanted to take this home with him.  Ha!

When I got there they said it would take a half hour so I took that time to to pick up Mav from the groomer. 

Looking purdy (and about 10lbs lighter)

Sprinkled in all throughout the day were also some drive by errands like returning a library book, withdrawing our grocery cash for the week, and sticking our rent check in the mail. We got home just in time to heat up leftovers for dinner (leftover night saves the day again!) and then David left for the house and I filled up the bathtub for Ayden. I got him bathed and groomed, including his haircut, and dressed in his PJs by 7:00. We went outside on a blanket with his basket of books, read every single one and then he was in bed and asleep by 8:00. 

Shew!  I am tired so I'm just going to tidy up a bit and then I'm going to read in the bath and get off to bed myself. I want to be rested for our photos tomorrow and I also just think my body would appreciate the extra rest after such a busy, busy day!

Do you ever have days when you are on the go ALL day long?  

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Hog Heaven"
And two years ago today: "Big Boy Toys"

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35 Weeks Pregnant

Yesterday marked 35 weeks for the Mr. Logan baby bump.  

Holy cow!

We can count down the weeks until our due date on one hand...  I had a midwife appointment today and everything continues to be great!  Our next appointment will be at 37 weeks and then she'll GO ON CALL for me.  I seriously can't believe we are to this point already.  Today she left the birthing pool that we rented and my birth kit with me.  I have two weeks to gather the rest of my home birth supplies, test out the birth pool, get the car seat washed (if needed)/installed and set up the few items of baby gear that we need to. I'd also like to get a few more freezer meals done.  All of his diapers and clothes are washed and put away, ready to go so that's a plus! I'm going to try to go without naps for the next two weeks so that I can have that Ayden-free time to think and prepare because once 37 weeks hits, I'm going to get as much sleep as possible because you just never know when you might go into labor.

Overall I am feeling good.  Physically I forget I'm pregnant half of the time.  The other half of the time I'm getting jabs to the cervix, throwing up in my mouth, having trouble shaving my legs and putting forth MUCH effort to roll out of bed twice a night to pee. My energy is waining and Ayden doesn't quite understand why I'm such a sloth all of the sudden. Oh the glamor of pregnancy!  One blessing is that the weather has been SUPER tame for Summer in KY so the whole "pregnant through the Summer" thing hasn't been so bad.

No humidity paired with a wonderful breeze = a BEAUTIFUL day!
Feels like Fall, though, which I'm not ready for.

Mentally I'm hanging in there.  I am so excited to meet this little person and to watch the relationship between him and Ayden flourish over the years.  I remember wondering what we ever did without Ayden in our lives and I am excited to feel that way about another little boy. At the same time I am pretty anxious about the adjustment period, the exhaustion and all of the unknowns.  For my first two weeks postpartum after Ayden's pregnancy I was an emotional wreck.  I was completely overwhelmed with happiness and sadness all at the same time which was totally bazaar.  I'm preparing for that to happen again but I'm not sure what Ayden will think of all of it all.  Hopefully it doesn't worry him too much.  The good thing this time is that I've been through it before and if it does happen again, we'll be able to remind ourselves that those baby blues should only last two weeks.  As much as I try not to, I am still worrying about how Ayden will handle seeing Logan nursing.  He still asks to nurse himself sometimes but takes it well when I refuse him.  Some days he talks about how he is a big boy who eats big boy food and how Logan will be a baby who needs mommy's milk.  Other days he talks about how Logan can drink mommy's milk out of a cup and HE can nurse from mommy instead.  I talk about it with him everyday and try to use phrases that I'll be able to use in the moment if/when the time comes that he is feeling jealous.

We also have house related worries on our minds like, "when and how will we finish it?" David is worried about missing too much of Logan's first months and I am worried about parenting 2 kids alone for so many hours everyday.  Our parents are nearby and will be able to help as much as we need (which will be AMAZING!) but that's just not the same as going through it all with your partner.  I know we'll find a new groove and will make it all work but it's all of those unknowns that make it difficult to be completely at peace when we think about it.  As far as David getting bonding time with Logan, I reminded him that Ayden didn't go to "bed" for the night until maybe 11:00 or so which will give David a couple of hours each evening to snuggle and bond with Logan after Ayden goes to bed.  I also reminded him that for the first few months, babies really tend to just want their mamas.  I think those reminders did make him feel better.

Even with all of these thoughts running through our minds, we realize that we are in a great place and we are as ready as we will ever be.  You know what they say, if you wait until you are totally ready, you'd never have kids at all.  I know we're gonna do great!

Story time was cancelled today and next week so we met up with our playgroup friends at the park.

We also got a lot of outside time in this evening.  You just have to enjoy a pleasant day like today outdoors!

Who needs Myrtle Beach?? Haha

House progress!
Since I last updated they have added more rafters, the collar ties,
the high wind brackets and tonight, they started on the subfloor upstairs.

We've got a lot to do over the next couple of weeks but then things are going to intentionally slow down so we can enjoy life and so I can get all the rest I can.

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "World's Best Chicken Seasoning"

And two years ago today: "Christmas In July"

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I Miss The Village

So I picked up a package of the new Ball lid/straw packs and it made me happy.

There is a Huffington Post article floating around that David and I read last night that actually encompassed a conversation that we had with our friends during brunch before their garden work party.  It talked about way back in the day that inspired the "it takes a village" cliche.  David and I were the only parents there but our friends are gearing up to start families of their own so we had a lot to talk in regards to this.  I was saying how challenging it can be to be the positive parents that we want to be in the midst of juggling everything we have to do with too little time to do it.  The wife had recently read a book written by a man who went and observed other cultures and tribes and found that a lot of women actually shared the babies. It was often even difficult to tell which child belonged to whom because they all treated every child as their own.  The point here was that there was once a time when the parents of the child were not responsible for every single aspect of the child's upbringing.  She even said the author of the book spoke of some groups of people where the parents' role was only to offer unconditional love and hard lessons were taught by other members of the society.  In my reality this would be my worst nightmare for fear that someone would permanently  emotionally or physically harm my children (who am I kidding, there is a pretty great risk that this can happen at some point in their lives anyway) but I can see how it could work if you are living in a small community with others who share your values. 

Ayden helping me make squash "spaghetti" for dinner.
Using up all that CSA squash!!

Of course, since I was raised in our culture, it's difficult to wrap my head around totally letting go and letting other people parent my children but I can definitely see the appeal.  Our visit to the Shaker museum during our staycation also made David and I talk about this.  Intentional communities where everyone living close by and working together to take care of the community as a whole sounds really appealing to us. Of course we'll pass on the celibacy and some of their other beliefs but as a whole, we like the idea of community or tribal type living.

I'm not sure where exactly I am going with this but I can say that after visiting the museum, having the conversations at brunch and reading this article all within the span of a week, it has gotten me thinking and reflecting on it all.  I have to agree with the author of the article.  I've come to the conclusion that I miss the village I never had.  

Anyone else ever given this topic any thought?  What do you think about it all?

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Love Letters"
And two years ago today: "Ayden's Favorite Things: 6 Month Edition"

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Sleep Sweet

If you had told me two years ago, or even one year ago, that we'd have a good sleeper I would have laughed in your face and called you crazy.  I always had hope that Ayden would grow into a decent sleeper but there was definitely doubt in there.  But these days, we do not dread putting him to bed at all.  Getting through his nighttime routine can be tough at times but actually getting him to sleep at night and for naps really is a piece of cake. 

This is particularly on my mind today because for the Summer Intensive schedule at the dance studio, my sister scheduled me to teach on Tuesdays from 1:30 to 4:30.  Ayden usually goes down for his nap between 1 and 1:30 so for these 4 weeks of classes, I have to put him down over an hour earlier than he is used to in order for him to get his hour in.  This was the third week in a row of doing that and each and every time has been just as easy as any other day.  We go through the same routine every time we lay him down for sleep, walk out of the room and he goes right to sleep without protest. He goes back to sleep easily if he does wake up, he transfers smoothly from the car to his crib/carrier/stroller and he sleeps through noise (like when we are hammering honey super frames in the middle of the night). I am so grateful to have this ease and flexibility these days because I have experienced what it is like to have unpredictability with a child's sleep.

When Ayden was smaller I never knew if he'd be asleep for 15 minutes or an hour plus.  On days that I was feeling brave I'd start a project only to be interrupted 15 minutes later and on days I wasn't feeling so brave, I'd sit there waiting for him to wake any moment only for him to sleep for an hour and a half.  It was so frustrating! The inability to count on a specific amount of time stressed me out and weighed heavily on me mentally.  Now I know I have at least an hour to count on and I can get so much done in that hour.  Any time over that is just added bonus and whenever he does wake up I am able to greet him with refreshed excitement.

I know all of this predictability and down time in my life is about to change so I am taking a moment to celebrate it and I am savoring these last 5 or so weeks before we're in the trenches again.  Hopefully this time around we can rest assured, no matter what kind of sleeper Logan is, that predictability will return with time and that even the worst of sleepers can become great sleepers with a little patience and persistence.  I am hoping if any mothers of young, not-so-great sleepers are reading this out there, you can find some peace in knowing that it IS possible for good sleep to come your way.  Do what you need to do to survive now without worrying too much about long-term consequences.  Survival mode is not a bad thing and it is definitely not permanent!

We give Ayden a kiss and tell him to "sleep sweet" before we leave the room and these days, sleeping sweet is definitely what he does!  YES!

We ended our evening watering our orchard and watching the bees zooming in and out of their hives.  It was a hot but really great day.

Our fig tree that came all the way from David's grandma's garden in Mississippi!
Can't wait to have figs to eat and preserve.

Has your child gone from one sleep extreme to the other?  How did you handle it?

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "We Have A Parrot"
And two years ago today: "Beware of Baby Trainers"

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