I have had a request to update my readers on the doings of the Spiff Family. We are so very interesting, after all, I'm sure that all three of you who occasionally read this have missed us greatly. So, update you, I will! You're welcome.
Little Lady is five months old already. I cannot believe how fast she is growing. I remember when Gunner was a baby, it seemed like he was a baby forever. His infancy was eternal. But I swear I have just blinked, and the first half of Lady's first year is almost over. Time flies when you're having fun. Or more accurately, when you're insane crazy busy.
Sooooo, the last five months:
Lady was a collicky baby. That was a first for us, thank goodness. I have never experienced the pain that is a constantly crying infant, and I hope to never experience it again. It started by me noticing that she was fussy. I couldn't put her down and have her stay happy. And then a couple weeks after she was born, the crying started. Every night at 8 o'clock sharp. She cried for no apparent reason. She was completely inconsolable, which was the hardest part. I wanted so badly to help her, but nothing we did would help. Spiff and I spent those first three+ months just making it to the next day because "the next day" would be one day closer to when she would grow out of the crying.
And she did grow out of it. Now, she is a perfectly pleasant, sweet, smiley, chubbly little five-month-old baby girl, and I am so in love! The boys are so in love! They dote on her, talk to her, do anything they can to help her to be happy, and fight over who gets to hold her. I hope they continue to love her this much because it would make me so happy if she has a great relationship with her older brothers.
We went to Camp in the summer time with Mhana and Chris. It was a lovely vacation! It was just wonderful to be with our family, and it made me miss them all the more. I wish we didn't have to live so far away.
Gunner started school. He is a kindergartener, and he loves it so very much! I'm thrilled with him and his progress, and just so proud of him. He is absolutely thriving! His teacher is wonderful, he is learning by leaps and bounds, he is motivated to behave himself and always points out the "bad kids" who aren't so motivated to make good choices. He is showing everyone how much like Spiff he is by being absolutely brilliant. He is the first "2-Green Reader" in the class, which means that he knows 100 sight words (or something like that). He is such a great kid, and such a joy to have around these days.
Hobbes is lonely at home without his big brother, and we are still trying to figure out life without Gunner. I think Hobbes is getting the short end of the stick these days. I'm super busy helping Gunner with his school stuff and piano lessons, and super busy with the baby and the house, which all doesn't leave that much time for my super independent Hobbes who doesn't like me to suggest activities for him. Sounds like a typical middle-child situation going on. We're slowly figuring it out, I guess.
Spiff has been busy busy busy at work. He was in the cancer ICU during August, which was a horribly emotional and sad month. He worked with patient going through tragedies every day, and every day I would hug my family tighter and tighter. September was OB and Call every three days, which got rather old rather quickly. October was spent doing an Echocardiogram away rotation. We just survived five weeks away from our spiff. We could have gone with him, but I chose to stay here with the kids for various reasons. (I didn't want to pull Gunner out of school, the baby is a whole lot of work and is easier to take care of at home, Spiff was working a ton, so we would have been lonely, etc.) As hard as it was to be a single mom for five weeks, it was less work than it would have been to pack up the whole family and spend the month in Florida. We survived, and now we're so glad Spiff is home.
A few other things:
Gunner also turned six. What a big kid he is!
The boys are in swim lessons and loving it.
Hobbes (3 1/2) figured out how to ride a pedal bike! He has been obsessed with it. Riding his pedal bike around and around our neighborhood is all he wanted to do during the whole month of October.
We had the world's most beautiful Fall this year. The colors on the trees were so vibrant! It was wonderful, and now that they're all gone and Winter is upon us, I find myself pining away for those warm Fall days of leaf raking and kids playing outside. I still don't think I am over Last Winter. Not sure I ever will be...
That about wraps it up. Happy Update to You!
Tuesday, November 04, 2014
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Lady's Birth Story
We have our little Lady. She is perfect and beautiful, and we just love her to little pieces.
She was born June 6, 2014 at 7:22 p.m. (She shares a birthday with my sweet niece.)
7 lbs. 1 oz. (same as Gunner. Same as me, too.)
19 3/4 inches.
So, here's how it all went down. It's more for me to remember, but I feel it's beautiful enough to share. Lots of details here. Forgive me. I believe birth stories are all about the details. For me, every moment and every detail of these few hours make the experience special.
My due date came and went, and with it my anxiety grew. The time we had so carefully planned out was passing. My mother in law was only in town for a few more days. Spiff had taken some precious time off, and would soon be on call again. My doctor had stripped my membranes twice, but although I was dilated to a three, nothing was happening. No contractions. No progress. I felt physically fine, until I woke up the day after my due date to find that the baby had Dropped! in a serious way. I was immediately more uncomfortable, waddling around with very swollen feet.
All the sudden, I wasn't so fine with staying pregnant. We needed this baby to come out! We all knew it, but I was definitely feeling the pressure of "performing". With the end of pregnancy, I had reached the end of my little rope.
I went to the doctor two days after my due date. She came in with an induction date of the following Thursday (one week later), which happened to be Spiff's next call day. She asked how my hubby's schedule was, and I immediately broke down. I sobbed at her, telling her how nice and free he was until that possible induction date.
She was amazing and took immediate pity on me. Since I was past my due date, the baby's head was down and engaged, and I was then dilated to a four, she said it was safe and offered to break my water and commit to having a baby that day. I gratefully accepted, and we went ahead and did it. I will always be grateful for a physician who understands our crazy life and how precious his few days off were to us. And as much as I had hoped to go into labor all on my own, I realized with this third baby that my body just doesn't do that. I have had to have pitocin-induced labors with all of my kids because of long, stalled labors. My body was ready, but I needed some help and was happy to accept it. (9:30 a.m.)
I called Spiff and we met at home. My mother-in-law took over the boys (so thankful for her!) as Spiff and I gathered our things and headed to the hospital. Once at the hospital (11:00 a.m.), we were immediately checked in and placed in an L&D room when we told them that my water had broken. From there, it took them several hours to determine whether or not it actually was broken (there were some tests run to check for leaking amniotic fluid) and debates as to whether or not to start me on pitocin, since I wasn't really having contractions.
Time passed, and eventually my contractions started on their own. The staff eventually decided to start pitocin to get the contractions coming faster and closer together (3:00 p.m.). Then we waited. Spiff and I sat in our little room, hanging out together, watching movies. It almost felt like a vacation since we didn't have our boys with us. It was really nice and felt special to me to be alone together as we waited to welcome this new baby into our family. I will say again how grateful I am to Spiff's mom for watching the boys so we could focus on the baby and know the boys were well taken care of.
My contractions started coming harder and faster, and I asked for my epidural (5:00 p.m.). I love me a good epidural. That thing was amazing. It was extra nice that my anesthesiologist husband was there to talk me through the whole thing. I'm so glad I got it so that I could relax and rest, while still feeling enough to feel pressure during contractions.
7:00 p.m. rolled around. Shift change for the nurses. My nurse, who had been with me all day long, was getting ready to head home. She brought her replacement in to give her my information. I knew it was a busy time and that everyone was distracted, BUT I had started to feel a lot of pressure. Trying not to make a big deal of it, I told Spiff. Then I told the nurses because it started to feel like a big deal. My nurse paused her hand-off summary in order to check me and said, "Oh, you're ready to go!" Then she decided to stay late from her shift to help me have my baby. What an awesome lady!
Labor is funny for me because there is so much waiting around and quiet undisturbed hours, and then when it's Go Time, it's like a whirlwind. All the sudden, the room is filled with people and I am surrounded by people manipulating my body and coaching me through the delivery. Spiff was on one side of me, the nurse on the other, and my doctor and some other people were there to deliver the baby. By 7:10 I was pushing. Five contractions later, our little Lady was born at 7:22.
It was the smoothest, easiest labor and delivery I have had. I didn't tear and had no stitches, which made a world of difference in my recovery. Our baby girl was tiny and perfect. She immediately wanted to suck and suck on her hands, and we noticed that she snorts when she cries. The nurse stamped her tiny footprints onto Spiff's arm. I loved watching Spiff hold our little daughter. I'm not sure I have ever seen him look so happy.
We were both pretty immediately enamored with this little sweetie. We're happy she's healthy, relieved that she made it safely into the world, and grateful that she's a part of our family.
She was born June 6, 2014 at 7:22 p.m. (She shares a birthday with my sweet niece.)
7 lbs. 1 oz. (same as Gunner. Same as me, too.)
19 3/4 inches.
So, here's how it all went down. It's more for me to remember, but I feel it's beautiful enough to share. Lots of details here. Forgive me. I believe birth stories are all about the details. For me, every moment and every detail of these few hours make the experience special.
My due date came and went, and with it my anxiety grew. The time we had so carefully planned out was passing. My mother in law was only in town for a few more days. Spiff had taken some precious time off, and would soon be on call again. My doctor had stripped my membranes twice, but although I was dilated to a three, nothing was happening. No contractions. No progress. I felt physically fine, until I woke up the day after my due date to find that the baby had Dropped! in a serious way. I was immediately more uncomfortable, waddling around with very swollen feet.
All the sudden, I wasn't so fine with staying pregnant. We needed this baby to come out! We all knew it, but I was definitely feeling the pressure of "performing". With the end of pregnancy, I had reached the end of my little rope.
I went to the doctor two days after my due date. She came in with an induction date of the following Thursday (one week later), which happened to be Spiff's next call day. She asked how my hubby's schedule was, and I immediately broke down. I sobbed at her, telling her how nice and free he was until that possible induction date.
She was amazing and took immediate pity on me. Since I was past my due date, the baby's head was down and engaged, and I was then dilated to a four, she said it was safe and offered to break my water and commit to having a baby that day. I gratefully accepted, and we went ahead and did it. I will always be grateful for a physician who understands our crazy life and how precious his few days off were to us. And as much as I had hoped to go into labor all on my own, I realized with this third baby that my body just doesn't do that. I have had to have pitocin-induced labors with all of my kids because of long, stalled labors. My body was ready, but I needed some help and was happy to accept it. (9:30 a.m.)
I called Spiff and we met at home. My mother-in-law took over the boys (so thankful for her!) as Spiff and I gathered our things and headed to the hospital. Once at the hospital (11:00 a.m.), we were immediately checked in and placed in an L&D room when we told them that my water had broken. From there, it took them several hours to determine whether or not it actually was broken (there were some tests run to check for leaking amniotic fluid) and debates as to whether or not to start me on pitocin, since I wasn't really having contractions.
Time passed, and eventually my contractions started on their own. The staff eventually decided to start pitocin to get the contractions coming faster and closer together (3:00 p.m.). Then we waited. Spiff and I sat in our little room, hanging out together, watching movies. It almost felt like a vacation since we didn't have our boys with us. It was really nice and felt special to me to be alone together as we waited to welcome this new baby into our family. I will say again how grateful I am to Spiff's mom for watching the boys so we could focus on the baby and know the boys were well taken care of.
My contractions started coming harder and faster, and I asked for my epidural (5:00 p.m.). I love me a good epidural. That thing was amazing. It was extra nice that my anesthesiologist husband was there to talk me through the whole thing. I'm so glad I got it so that I could relax and rest, while still feeling enough to feel pressure during contractions.
7:00 p.m. rolled around. Shift change for the nurses. My nurse, who had been with me all day long, was getting ready to head home. She brought her replacement in to give her my information. I knew it was a busy time and that everyone was distracted, BUT I had started to feel a lot of pressure. Trying not to make a big deal of it, I told Spiff. Then I told the nurses because it started to feel like a big deal. My nurse paused her hand-off summary in order to check me and said, "Oh, you're ready to go!" Then she decided to stay late from her shift to help me have my baby. What an awesome lady!
Labor is funny for me because there is so much waiting around and quiet undisturbed hours, and then when it's Go Time, it's like a whirlwind. All the sudden, the room is filled with people and I am surrounded by people manipulating my body and coaching me through the delivery. Spiff was on one side of me, the nurse on the other, and my doctor and some other people were there to deliver the baby. By 7:10 I was pushing. Five contractions later, our little Lady was born at 7:22.
It was the smoothest, easiest labor and delivery I have had. I didn't tear and had no stitches, which made a world of difference in my recovery. Our baby girl was tiny and perfect. She immediately wanted to suck and suck on her hands, and we noticed that she snorts when she cries. The nurse stamped her tiny footprints onto Spiff's arm. I loved watching Spiff hold our little daughter. I'm not sure I have ever seen him look so happy.
We were both pretty immediately enamored with this little sweetie. We're happy she's healthy, relieved that she made it safely into the world, and grateful that she's a part of our family.
Monday, June 02, 2014
Just Keep Swimming
So, it turns out that we got back home to Minnesota just in time for the beautiful part of Spring. From what I hear, while we were enjoying the pool and the beach in Florida, our Minnesotan friends were cursing their lives dealing with a wet, rainy, muddy and cold Spring. We missed all of that! Couldn't have had better timing. We pulled up to our house to a neighborhood full of lush green lawns and blossom trees blooming. It's really beautiful here this time of the year.
And warm. I sort of expected us to have to put jackets and long pants back on, after being in shorts and t-shirts for two months. But we didn't. We had a seamless weather transition. It has even been warm enough for the kids to play in the sprinkler. They also begged to play on the slip n' slide. Both were fun afternoon activities, but I have to admit...
They ain't no pool.
I think the pool was my very favorite part of living in FL. We took the kids swimming as often as we could, and I really enjoyed our afternoon, pre-dinner swims. Spiff's schedule was such that he could often join us in the afternoons, which was made even more awesome when he decided to teach the kids how to swim. In the five weeks we were able to work on it, Gunner went from not being able to put his face in the water to being able to swim an entire length of the little pool and back. He can do flips, back floats, underwater tea parties, and dive down to pick something up from the bottom of the pool.
Hobbes figured out how to kick around and propel himself around the pool while wearing his life jacket. He figured out that the most fun game int he world is to jump in the pool over and over and over again. He also figured out how to blow bubbles and kick around the pool after Daddy with his face in the water. He was the world's cutest little fish.
It was so very cool to watch their progress. It's super neat to watch my kids learn new skills.
One thing I that impressed me the most as I watched them learn and play is that they were really loving it. Being at the pool meant happiness and joy. Swimming with friends was even better. I watched them kick, splash, move and play, and I saw how much fun they were having. I also remembered that I never experienced that as a child.
I never learned how to swim as a kid. I grew up in rural Idaho where pools are not plentiful. I am the fourth child. I remember taking lessons as a young child (probably three years old) with my older siblings, but I think swimming just wasn't a priority and was forgotten. I remember going going to pool parties as I grew up, watching my friends play while I hung on to the edge of the pool, wondering why everyone thought it was so much fun. What was all the fuss about?!
Not that I didn't have fun in the water. I also grew up waterskiing. Yes, I waterskiied as a kid, not knowing how to swim. It never occured to me that there was something wrong with that. Spiff, the former life guard, is actually appalled by this. But I wore a floaty wet suit and a life jacket, and felt completely safe.
Since marrying Spiff, he has taught me some things, and I can now say that I can swim a freestyle lap. Of a short pool. I can also say that I would be comfortable taking a class and improving my skills. I have always been too scared before.
But as I watched my kids enjoy the water, I realized what the fuss is all about. I realized that swimming can be fun for kids! That I was all wrong about it as a kid! I am happy that we were able to experience that fun with them. Gunner's very most favorite thing was to hang out underwater. It's a whole new world down there.
Our next goal is to sign the kids up for swimming lessons. I don't want them to lose the skills they learned down there. Gotta just keep them swimming!
And warm. I sort of expected us to have to put jackets and long pants back on, after being in shorts and t-shirts for two months. But we didn't. We had a seamless weather transition. It has even been warm enough for the kids to play in the sprinkler. They also begged to play on the slip n' slide. Both were fun afternoon activities, but I have to admit...
They ain't no pool.
I think the pool was my very favorite part of living in FL. We took the kids swimming as often as we could, and I really enjoyed our afternoon, pre-dinner swims. Spiff's schedule was such that he could often join us in the afternoons, which was made even more awesome when he decided to teach the kids how to swim. In the five weeks we were able to work on it, Gunner went from not being able to put his face in the water to being able to swim an entire length of the little pool and back. He can do flips, back floats, underwater tea parties, and dive down to pick something up from the bottom of the pool.
Hobbes figured out how to kick around and propel himself around the pool while wearing his life jacket. He figured out that the most fun game int he world is to jump in the pool over and over and over again. He also figured out how to blow bubbles and kick around the pool after Daddy with his face in the water. He was the world's cutest little fish.
It was so very cool to watch their progress. It's super neat to watch my kids learn new skills.
One thing I that impressed me the most as I watched them learn and play is that they were really loving it. Being at the pool meant happiness and joy. Swimming with friends was even better. I watched them kick, splash, move and play, and I saw how much fun they were having. I also remembered that I never experienced that as a child.
I never learned how to swim as a kid. I grew up in rural Idaho where pools are not plentiful. I am the fourth child. I remember taking lessons as a young child (probably three years old) with my older siblings, but I think swimming just wasn't a priority and was forgotten. I remember going going to pool parties as I grew up, watching my friends play while I hung on to the edge of the pool, wondering why everyone thought it was so much fun. What was all the fuss about?!
Not that I didn't have fun in the water. I also grew up waterskiing. Yes, I waterskiied as a kid, not knowing how to swim. It never occured to me that there was something wrong with that. Spiff, the former life guard, is actually appalled by this. But I wore a floaty wet suit and a life jacket, and felt completely safe.
Since marrying Spiff, he has taught me some things, and I can now say that I can swim a freestyle lap. Of a short pool. I can also say that I would be comfortable taking a class and improving my skills. I have always been too scared before.
But as I watched my kids enjoy the water, I realized what the fuss is all about. I realized that swimming can be fun for kids! That I was all wrong about it as a kid! I am happy that we were able to experience that fun with them. Gunner's very most favorite thing was to hang out underwater. It's a whole new world down there.
Our next goal is to sign the kids up for swimming lessons. I don't want them to lose the skills they learned down there. Gotta just keep them swimming!
Sunday, June 01, 2014
Ready or Not
We're home now. All of us are home now. The boys, Spiff's mom and I drove home and arrived a week and half ago. Spiff flew home on Wednesday. I feel a giant weight lifted off my shoulders knowing that we made it, that my big plan worked out, and that we can have this baby at home with the appropriate family members present. I feel like we witnessed a miracle.
So now, let's have a baby!!!
But wait...
I'm not ready!
I am feeling pretty good physically, and I actually think that with everything that has been going on (the whole "living in another state for two months directly previous to giving birth") that I haven't had time to emotionally prepare for the baby. I'm due in three days, but I feel like I would be totally okay if she were two weeks late. I remember feeling so DONE being pregnant with my other two by the time this stage rolled around. Not so this time. I think I'm just so not looking forward to labor, delivery, post-partum and newborn-no-sleep that I would be okay if she were to take her sweet time.
I never thought I'd say that. I really do not enjoy being pregnant.
I have spent the last week and a half at home getting my house ready for the baby, and I think I'm finally there. We were busy little bees yesterday cleaning the house and cars, moving boxes of baby clothes and diapers, cutting boys' hair, etc. The house is ready.
My freezer is overstocked with tons of food (my personal form of Nesting). The kitchen is ready.
The boys have been enjoying the presence of their grandmother. She has been awesome at reading them tons and tons of books and giving them attention while I have been busy cleaning out closets. I think they're ready, although they probably have no real clue what's about to hit them.
It's just me, then. I need to get ready. Last night, I had my normal late-pregnancy dream where the baby sticks her hand out of the side of my belly (underneath the skin), in a way that we can clearly see all of her little fingers, so that we can hold her hand. I have had this dream with all of my babies. Maybe it's my weird little way of bonding with my fetus. It was definitely a sweet little hand. So, thank you, weird dream. I guess that means I'm ready, too.
Let's do this.
So now, let's have a baby!!!
But wait...
I'm not ready!
I am feeling pretty good physically, and I actually think that with everything that has been going on (the whole "living in another state for two months directly previous to giving birth") that I haven't had time to emotionally prepare for the baby. I'm due in three days, but I feel like I would be totally okay if she were two weeks late. I remember feeling so DONE being pregnant with my other two by the time this stage rolled around. Not so this time. I think I'm just so not looking forward to labor, delivery, post-partum and newborn-no-sleep that I would be okay if she were to take her sweet time.
I never thought I'd say that. I really do not enjoy being pregnant.
I have spent the last week and a half at home getting my house ready for the baby, and I think I'm finally there. We were busy little bees yesterday cleaning the house and cars, moving boxes of baby clothes and diapers, cutting boys' hair, etc. The house is ready.
My freezer is overstocked with tons of food (my personal form of Nesting). The kitchen is ready.
The boys have been enjoying the presence of their grandmother. She has been awesome at reading them tons and tons of books and giving them attention while I have been busy cleaning out closets. I think they're ready, although they probably have no real clue what's about to hit them.
It's just me, then. I need to get ready. Last night, I had my normal late-pregnancy dream where the baby sticks her hand out of the side of my belly (underneath the skin), in a way that we can clearly see all of her little fingers, so that we can hold her hand. I have had this dream with all of my babies. Maybe it's my weird little way of bonding with my fetus. It was definitely a sweet little hand. So, thank you, weird dream. I guess that means I'm ready, too.
Let's do this.
Monday, May 05, 2014
Two Months in Florida
We have been in Florida for the past five weeks. Spiff's work has put us up in a furnished apartment and has given him a rental car for while we're here. Spiff has been busy at work doing pediatric anesthesia, which is "not his favorite", but is something that he is rapidly becoming more comfortable with due to the fact that this private hospital he's working at has fast surgeons, and he does 12 or so cases per day. This is compared to the 2/day he would do at home. His schedule hasn't been bad. He's usually done by 5 p.m., and not a ton of Call. That being said, it has been super convenient for us that our good friends are also here for a rotation at the same time (lucky coincidence) so that we can entertain the kids together.
The kids can't really figure out what we're doing here. We traveled for four days (took our time driving, seeing friends, sightseeing) on our way here, arrived at our apartment, set up house, and then Spiff started work bright and early the very next morning. For the next five days, we had this conversation several times:
One of the kids: Where's Dad?
Me: He's at work.
Kids: Why?!?!
It feels like a vacation, but it's part normal life, but it's not normal at all. Spiff is working, we are at this apartment that feels like a hotel (we sometimes call it our "Hotel House"), and the kids and I have to go about our business. Gunner exclaimed after a few weeks, "This is the longest vacation I have ever been on!"
Both kids have asked me if we're ever going back to our old house. Five weeks must feel like forever to them.
We figured out that Hobbes doesn't really understand the idea of Florida as a state. After countless times of him asking if we were "going back to Florida" on our way home from an outing, we asked him what Florida is. He responded, "Florida is a place with walls, and a ceiling, and beds, and a place for warm-up baths. And we can't jump or yell. Those are the rules of Florida." Pretty much, he thinks that FL is our little apartment.
But regardless of the displacement, and the fact that I was not meant to live in Florida (the humidity hates my hair, and the sun hates my white white skin!), we have been having so much fun here. There is so much to do, compared to our small Midwest town. We love having access to the apartment's outdoor pool and the beach so close by. We have played at some fun parks, taken the kids on bike rides, spent time with good friends who we know from other phases of our lives who just happen to live here. We took a day trip to see an old Spanish Fort that was built in 1740. We took a Ferry across the river to the fort, and were lucky enough to see dolphins swimming up the river, about 5 ft from the shore! So neat! We also drove to Ft. Lauderdale to take the kids through the new Temple Open House, a real highlight of our time here.
The time is going quickly, and we need to pack in as much pool and beach time as we can before we head back home in a couple weeks.
The kids can't really figure out what we're doing here. We traveled for four days (took our time driving, seeing friends, sightseeing) on our way here, arrived at our apartment, set up house, and then Spiff started work bright and early the very next morning. For the next five days, we had this conversation several times:
One of the kids: Where's Dad?
Me: He's at work.
Kids: Why?!?!
It feels like a vacation, but it's part normal life, but it's not normal at all. Spiff is working, we are at this apartment that feels like a hotel (we sometimes call it our "Hotel House"), and the kids and I have to go about our business. Gunner exclaimed after a few weeks, "This is the longest vacation I have ever been on!"
Both kids have asked me if we're ever going back to our old house. Five weeks must feel like forever to them.
We figured out that Hobbes doesn't really understand the idea of Florida as a state. After countless times of him asking if we were "going back to Florida" on our way home from an outing, we asked him what Florida is. He responded, "Florida is a place with walls, and a ceiling, and beds, and a place for warm-up baths. And we can't jump or yell. Those are the rules of Florida." Pretty much, he thinks that FL is our little apartment.
But regardless of the displacement, and the fact that I was not meant to live in Florida (the humidity hates my hair, and the sun hates my white white skin!), we have been having so much fun here. There is so much to do, compared to our small Midwest town. We love having access to the apartment's outdoor pool and the beach so close by. We have played at some fun parks, taken the kids on bike rides, spent time with good friends who we know from other phases of our lives who just happen to live here. We took a day trip to see an old Spanish Fort that was built in 1740. We took a Ferry across the river to the fort, and were lucky enough to see dolphins swimming up the river, about 5 ft from the shore! So neat! We also drove to Ft. Lauderdale to take the kids through the new Temple Open House, a real highlight of our time here.
The time is going quickly, and we need to pack in as much pool and beach time as we can before we head back home in a couple weeks.
Monday, April 28, 2014
The Boys and This Pregnancy
My boys seem to be excited about this baby. Here are a few of their reactions as they have experienced this pregnancy with us:
When we first told them about the baby, Gunner tilted his head and said, "Are you kidding me?!" Very skeptical, he was.
___
A few times earlier on in the pregnancy, I wasn't feeling well and had to sit down. Spiff explained to the boys that I wasn't feeling well because of the baby hurting my tummy. We had this conversation:
Gunner asked: "Is the baby biting you, Mommy?"
Me: "No, the baby doesn't have any teeth."
Gunner: "Is the baby gumming you?"
Hobbes: "Does the baby have gum?!?!"
___
Spiff introduced the baby the boys as "Juniper Jellybean". The name has stuck, and they often refer to her as "Juniper" or "Jellybean" or "Junior Jellybean".
___
Gunner decided at one point that he was going to be in charge of naming her. He picked the name, "Rose Zea" and adamantly insisted that it was her name. I didn't have the heart to tell him that the name sounds too much like the disease Roseola, so we tried to just let that one peter out.
___
More recently, as I have gotten bigger, I have realized that Hobbes thinks the baby is going to come out of my belly button. He often asks to "let the baby out". He lifts my shirt up and "scoops" the baby up from my belly button, pretending to hold a cute tiny baby. When he's done, he puts her back.
___
They are very sweet, and they seem excited to meet their sister. Gunner tells me that he will help me out and hold her when I need him to. He also knows that I don't feel well often, and he tells me, "It's okay, Mom. You can have a nap whenever you want." It's super sweet of him, but he knows that he gets to watch TV when I'm napping. I guess it's a win/win situation for us.
I really do think they are going to love love love this baby, though. My best prediction is that she's going to be smothered by both of her big brothers.
When we first told them about the baby, Gunner tilted his head and said, "Are you kidding me?!" Very skeptical, he was.
___
A few times earlier on in the pregnancy, I wasn't feeling well and had to sit down. Spiff explained to the boys that I wasn't feeling well because of the baby hurting my tummy. We had this conversation:
Gunner asked: "Is the baby biting you, Mommy?"
Me: "No, the baby doesn't have any teeth."
Gunner: "Is the baby gumming you?"
Hobbes: "Does the baby have gum?!?!"
___
Spiff introduced the baby the boys as "Juniper Jellybean". The name has stuck, and they often refer to her as "Juniper" or "Jellybean" or "Junior Jellybean".
___
Gunner decided at one point that he was going to be in charge of naming her. He picked the name, "Rose Zea" and adamantly insisted that it was her name. I didn't have the heart to tell him that the name sounds too much like the disease Roseola, so we tried to just let that one peter out.
___
More recently, as I have gotten bigger, I have realized that Hobbes thinks the baby is going to come out of my belly button. He often asks to "let the baby out". He lifts my shirt up and "scoops" the baby up from my belly button, pretending to hold a cute tiny baby. When he's done, he puts her back.
___
They are very sweet, and they seem excited to meet their sister. Gunner tells me that he will help me out and hold her when I need him to. He also knows that I don't feel well often, and he tells me, "It's okay, Mom. You can have a nap whenever you want." It's super sweet of him, but he knows that he gets to watch TV when I'm napping. I guess it's a win/win situation for us.
I really do think they are going to love love love this baby, though. My best prediction is that she's going to be smothered by both of her big brothers.
On Being Pregnant
I realize that I haven't said a whole lot about my pregnancies. I am pretty private about the whole thing. I have a tendency to hide it as long as possible. Here I am, almost 35 weeks into my third and last pregnancy, and I haven't said anything about it on this here blog. I didn't really announce it on Facebook (like I apparently should have), and I have had a few friends pm me asking, "Um...are you pregnant?!?!", which I'm sure must be awkward for them. Anyway, I thought I'd write a few things about me and being pregnant, just for memory sake. (This is super long-winded. I'm not at all offended if no one reads this.)
First of all, I have found this phenomenon throughout this pregnancy that I think is strange. When people find out you're pregnant, you kind of cease to be a person and become something fragile and breakable in the eyes of others. Instead of asking how I'm doing, or what we have been up to lately, people look at me with sympathy in their eyes, tilt their heads and ask, "How are you Feeeeeeling?'
That is always a hard questions for me to answer. For pregnant women, I think I have it pretty easy. I don't spend months on end throwing up in the toilet. I'm not nauseous the entire nine months. But I never feel well. My early months consist of nausea and horrible stomach issues/pain. The rest of the pregnancy is spent with crippling fatigue. I never feel great about gaining all the weight and not being able to exercise. If I'm pregnant in warm weather, I swell and swell. Currently, my feet are so swollen that the tops of them jiggle when I walk. It is so unpleasant. But, at least I'm not in the hospital getting fluids because I'm not puking.
So "How am I feeeeeeling?" I'm fine. Thanks for asking!
It does make me wonder how I talk to my pregnant friends. I'm sure I do the same thing, but maybe I wish I wouldn't.
Second, I find it interesting that with each of my babies, I have had different things that seem sort of unbearable. With Gunner, I was so very swollen. With Hobbes, I had braxton hicks contractions from 20 weeks on, and I had horrible round ligament pain. This time, my belly hurt earlier on so that I had to stop running, but I haven't had BH contractions, and I didn't swell until just a few days ago. However, as the baby has gotten larger, her kicks are so painful! I don't know if it is that I am older, or more stretched out or what, but it seriously hurts when she moves around in there.
So, pregnancy for me is sort of horrible, but I think it's this way for most women. Although I did talk to a friend recently who had just had her second baby. I told her how great I thought she looked, and she looked at me and said, "Oh, you are making me wish I were still pregnant! I miss it already!" I'm fairly certain that I looked right back at her like she was crazy. Only crazy people actually Like being pregnant! Either that, or she is part of a very special group who doesn't mind it, and who is able to find joy in the experience.
Third, I have a hard time not being able to keep up with people. I don't realize how slow I am until I my boys are playing, and I can't run after them. Or when Spiff and I went to the temple recently. We were running late, and Spiff offered to drop me off at the door while he parked the car. It sounds like a thoughtful gesture, but he then said, "This way you can go on in without your pregnancy slowing us down." Sigh.
Lastly, we are spending the the last two months of the pregnancy in Florida for Spiff's away rotation (pediatric anesthesia). We are having a good time, but my due date is looming. I have made plans to drive back home with the boys early (And so so so grateful for Spiff's mom who is flying out to help me as we do that. Bless you, CFG!!!) so I can be hopefully be home before I have the baby. The plan is to be home about two weeks before my due date of June 4. Spiff is flying home a week later after he finishes work. While he is gone, I will have his mom there to take care of my kids, and I have lined up a friend to be a back-up labor coach if I go into labor, but of course I am hoping that Spiff makes it home before we have the baby. I keep hearing stories of friends who had their babies two or three weeks early, and I have to try really hard not to stress about a situation that I cannot control.
But with all of this, I have to say that I am very grateful. All three of these pregnancies have been perfectly healthy, normal and without issues. They are the perfect examples of standard healthy pregnancies. My babies have been healthy and completely full-term (born at 40 weeks), and I'm hoping for the best with this little one, too. Her kicks hurt me, but at least I know she's kicking.
In a few short weeks, we'll have our little girl. We'll have another newborn in the house, add another sibling into the mix of kids, and experience having a GIRL, which are all entirely other issues that I'm terrified about.
Wish us luck! We will need it over the next few weeks.
First of all, I have found this phenomenon throughout this pregnancy that I think is strange. When people find out you're pregnant, you kind of cease to be a person and become something fragile and breakable in the eyes of others. Instead of asking how I'm doing, or what we have been up to lately, people look at me with sympathy in their eyes, tilt their heads and ask, "How are you Feeeeeeling?'
That is always a hard questions for me to answer. For pregnant women, I think I have it pretty easy. I don't spend months on end throwing up in the toilet. I'm not nauseous the entire nine months. But I never feel well. My early months consist of nausea and horrible stomach issues/pain. The rest of the pregnancy is spent with crippling fatigue. I never feel great about gaining all the weight and not being able to exercise. If I'm pregnant in warm weather, I swell and swell. Currently, my feet are so swollen that the tops of them jiggle when I walk. It is so unpleasant. But, at least I'm not in the hospital getting fluids because I'm not puking.
So "How am I feeeeeeling?" I'm fine. Thanks for asking!
It does make me wonder how I talk to my pregnant friends. I'm sure I do the same thing, but maybe I wish I wouldn't.
Second, I find it interesting that with each of my babies, I have had different things that seem sort of unbearable. With Gunner, I was so very swollen. With Hobbes, I had braxton hicks contractions from 20 weeks on, and I had horrible round ligament pain. This time, my belly hurt earlier on so that I had to stop running, but I haven't had BH contractions, and I didn't swell until just a few days ago. However, as the baby has gotten larger, her kicks are so painful! I don't know if it is that I am older, or more stretched out or what, but it seriously hurts when she moves around in there.
So, pregnancy for me is sort of horrible, but I think it's this way for most women. Although I did talk to a friend recently who had just had her second baby. I told her how great I thought she looked, and she looked at me and said, "Oh, you are making me wish I were still pregnant! I miss it already!" I'm fairly certain that I looked right back at her like she was crazy. Only crazy people actually Like being pregnant! Either that, or she is part of a very special group who doesn't mind it, and who is able to find joy in the experience.
Third, I have a hard time not being able to keep up with people. I don't realize how slow I am until I my boys are playing, and I can't run after them. Or when Spiff and I went to the temple recently. We were running late, and Spiff offered to drop me off at the door while he parked the car. It sounds like a thoughtful gesture, but he then said, "This way you can go on in without your pregnancy slowing us down." Sigh.
Lastly, we are spending the the last two months of the pregnancy in Florida for Spiff's away rotation (pediatric anesthesia). We are having a good time, but my due date is looming. I have made plans to drive back home with the boys early (And so so so grateful for Spiff's mom who is flying out to help me as we do that. Bless you, CFG!!!) so I can be hopefully be home before I have the baby. The plan is to be home about two weeks before my due date of June 4. Spiff is flying home a week later after he finishes work. While he is gone, I will have his mom there to take care of my kids, and I have lined up a friend to be a back-up labor coach if I go into labor, but of course I am hoping that Spiff makes it home before we have the baby. I keep hearing stories of friends who had their babies two or three weeks early, and I have to try really hard not to stress about a situation that I cannot control.
But with all of this, I have to say that I am very grateful. All three of these pregnancies have been perfectly healthy, normal and without issues. They are the perfect examples of standard healthy pregnancies. My babies have been healthy and completely full-term (born at 40 weeks), and I'm hoping for the best with this little one, too. Her kicks hurt me, but at least I know she's kicking.
In a few short weeks, we'll have our little girl. We'll have another newborn in the house, add another sibling into the mix of kids, and experience having a GIRL, which are all entirely other issues that I'm terrified about.
Wish us luck! We will need it over the next few weeks.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
The Winter We've Endured
The Winters there have been much milder in the past years. I have since lived in much more mild areas of the country. Even after moving to MN, our first Winter here wasn't all that bad.
This one, though. This one has tested my strength. My fortitude. My will to live.
I have struggled to get through it. Apparently Pregnant Mindy + Extremely Cold Winter = Crazy!!! For me, this winter sadly did come to This. (Good for a laugh, take a moment to watch the video.) "Plus One" seemed to be a thing to live for.
The only solace I have had was talking to native Minnesotans who, having lived here forever, all said it was the hardest Winter they have experienced in a long time, if ever. So, for the record, let's remember together a few fun facts about the coldest Winter this area has had for 30 years. I'm not doing this to complain. It is really a record year, and certainly the most difficult Winter I remember living through, so I think it deserves some attention.
We lived through the Polar Vortex, versions One and Two. The local schools closed several times because of dangerously cold temperatures, as low the -20s, and windchills hitting -45. The hardest part about all of this for me was it being too cold for my kids to play outside.
We have reached a Winter Misery Index of 200 points, which puts us at "Severe Winter" status, and the 10th most severe winter on record.
The end of February put us at having 45 days of sub-zero temperatures.
And as of March 20, we have had 135 days below freezing.
February 11 brought news of a city-wide frozen pipe issue. It had been so cold for so long that the frost had reached the city's pipes, which are buried 6 ft. under ground. The part that stuck out to me was that in a normal year, the utility company would deal with about 3 cases of frozen pipes. On that date this year, there were 70. In the next few days, we would hear of more and more. On my street alone, the four houses on the end of the culdesac lost water due to frozen pipes. One neighbor was out of water for two weeks. A family in our ward lives outside city limits and has a well. They lost water a month ago and just have to wait until things thaw out in the Spring to get it back because no one has a pipe long enough to reach the frozen blockage at the end of their pipe. We have been running water constantly to try to prevent ours from freezing up, and it have to say that it goes against everything my little Idaho Desert Water-Conservationist self believes. But I don't want to lose my water.
We had a blizzard on Feb. 20 that resulted in a total of about 10 inches of snow. The two days before the blizzard were 45 degrees. They were the first days above freezing we had had in months. Then the blizzard came through and left this for us:
A side effect of that storm was bad roads. The snow got packed down on the roads, then it froze, and we were left with a 1-2 inch layer of ice on the roads that couldn't be plowed and didn't melt away for weeks because it was so cold. The ice became patchy, and driving around the city was like driving down long roads just filled with pot holes! I have never experienced anything like it. The kids didn't like it. They said that the roads were "too bumpy."
Another thing about the winter is that we had PILES of snow! It didn't snow all that much, but when it did, none of it ever melted. The day after the blizzard, our snow piles looked like this:
We got a few more inches of snow a week or so later, and I created these piles:
(Notice how we almost buried the light post?! I sooo wanted to.)
This past month has brought warmer temperatures. I have watched as the locals here have shed their coats and clothing as temps reached the 20s. (I did see a girl in a tank top.) My own kids played on the deck in short sleeves and bare feet, at 32 degrees, flinging snow off the deck with garden trowels, exclaiming to me, "Mom, it's like Summer out here!"
So here we are, March 23. I see and hear evidence of friends from around the country enjoying the beginnings of Spring. Crocuses blooming, family bike rides, hikes, all sorts of outdoorsiness and signs of better weather. Then I look at our forecast, and lows of 4 degrees, and I want to die a little. Our current temperature is 19 degrees. It's supposed to snow tomorrow. It has been the toughest Winter in 30 years, and there still isn't any real signs of Spring. I guess I should just count myself lucky that we are leaving for a two-month rotation in FL on Thursday. I'll be happy to escape into warmth and sun. I will also be patting myself on the back all the way there for having survived this tough season.
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