rain puddles, steps and the chicken dance

So this time around in parenting (remember my husband and I have a 26, almost 12 and a 9 year-old and now a 16 month-old too), I am stopping a bit more to enjoy little moments that to others might seem insignificant but to me it’s a gift.

The other day she unceremoniously stepped off a small cement step all by herself.  She usually turns around and scoots safely backwards off the step or holds my hand while I help her carefully step down. I nudged my husband to look at our little girl and we praised her new skill. A list that continues to grow each day. I feel so blessed to be a part of her life and that I can be home to raise her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This girl is such a joy in our lives. She makes us laugh, grow, smile, hug more, sing more and dance more! She loves music and knows the sign for music. We taught her to sign music because she kept going over to the computer keyboard and trying to turn the music on herself. Her favorite song is Greater by Mercy Me! It has great words and is a great dancing song too! She also loves The Chicken Dance, as well, which her grandmother introduced her to!

She keeps us busy but a good busy and I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

Here is a picture of her running in rain puddles for the first time! She was thrilled and fascinated! She did this continually for fifteen minutes. She didn’t want to go inside. What a blessing!

siblings

Time is flying by. I see it in my eleven-year-old’s face and voice. His pants are short again. He asks me to measure him. We find that he is now two inches taller since his birthday! That was only eight months ago. My nine-year-old’s desire to dress-up grows less and less with each passing day. I found a cardboard, sheriff badge I quickly made when he and my husband were playing dress-up years ago. I unexpectedly felt a lump in my throat when I saw it; they are growing up.

This past year has been a whirl.  When I look at pictures of my sons holding their tiny, new sister I can’t believe how much they have grown and matured; all three of them.

They have been such a great help in so many ways. Although they are growing up, they have a tenderness for their sister. They adore her and are so good with her.

They sing to her, read to her, dance with her and make her laugh like no one else.  She searches their usual nooks to find them in the mornings. When she wakes up from a nap they gently pick her up and hold her.

  She walks around putting toys to her ear and talks to her oldest brother on the “phone.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Now, at thirteen months, when they get their coats on to go ride their bikes, she insists on getting her coat on so she can be with them outside.

   She watches them swing and chase each other out the sliding glass door.

 When they see her adoring smile and small frame pressed up against the window they can’t resist running over and giving her a kiss and talking to her!

She watches them, studies them and is now beginning to copy their laugh, expressions and movements. She calls for them from the other room and her gaze quickly jumps from my eyes to where she thinks she hears them.

This bonding is so beautiful to watch.

She loves them so!

Wow!

Wow! 2015 is right around the corner and I can’t believe it! This year has flown by so quickly and it’s been crazy busy but crazy fun too!

My little girl is eleven-months-old today! Eleven months! She is such a delight and joy in our home and our hearts!

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas! My oldest came up and I have enjoyed the whole family being together under one roof! Outside of salvation, this really is one of the best gifts a mother can receive…her whole family, healthy, joyful, together! Everything else is just extra!

So the house has exploded with baby stuff: a diaper pail, changing pads, tiny pink clothes, a highchair, a tub, strollers, toys, books, gates, teething rings, spoons, bowls, bibs and bows! Bows…that’s a first for us! It’s crazy as I step over this stuff and I have to laugh as I remind myself this too shall pass! I’ve already passed along the play mat, swing, bouncy seat and all the clothes under six months!

This little girl is a sweetie! She is a very happy girl! She loves her daddy and her brothers! I am like a baby magnet…when she sees me she automatically smiles and crawls towards me! It’s so cute! She is a very strong and determined wee one! I’ve been so fortunate that she has been very healthy, except for the colic (which was gone early on), she has had a couple colds and that’s it! Praise the Lord!

She is holding on to things while walking but hasn’t taken those first solo steps yet! Soon, very, soon! She babbles, smiles, laughs, giggles, dances and loves to play hide and seek! She loves daddy playing the piano, playing with her brothers, reading books and listening to Baby Einstein music! She recently learned how to point and wave bye-bye and loves to show off her new talents!

My two youngest boys have been a HUGE help! They have moved into this big brother role so smoothly! They play with her, help me when she is fussy, or watch her when I need throw in a load of laundry! They are so gentle with her! She looks for them first thing when she gets up in the morning! My oldest comes up as often as he can so they can bond.  And they Facetime as much as they can too! She absolutely loves her oldest brother!

We can’t help but fall in love with her more and more each week! We feel so blessed!

I am excited for what this next year has in store for us!

I hope that this New Year is filled with adventure, joys and blessing for you!!

Blessing to you all!

Inge

I am...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying.

 

Relishing.

 

Savoring.

 

She is here!!!

The Lord blessed us with a healthy baby girl, January 30^th! She came early and quickly too! With a short and uneventful labor she was in my arms so quickly I could hardly believe I was holding my daughter! My husband and I are thrilled as are our three sons! I’ve cried tears of joy over the last month as I gaze at this beautiful gift we were given.  She is a nursing champ and has already gained her birth weight back!

We have been overwhelmed with love by our family, friends, church family and neighbors. Through baby gifts, home-cooked meals, phone calls, play dates for the younger boys, diapers and loaves of bread! Each one has touched our hearts reminding us that we are truly blessed!

My husband has really stepped up to the plate again juggling the household chores, caring for me, entertaining the boys and, yes, changing diapers! He is a great husband and I am so thankful for him and all that he does.

Our little girl has colic most evenings.  Those are long days.  So we take turns rocking her and walking her around the house in the late evening.   She loves the sound of running water so I expect our water bill to be higher this month.  The Baby Book by Dr.William Sears has been a life saver.  I read his book when I had my last two sons and have been re-reading it again! He has such great practical advice…I highly recommend this book!

I have never bought a baby sling before.  But this little girl loves to be held and my back was beginning to get really sore…I finally just ordered one. Dr. Sears recommended the adjustable Balboa Baby Sling.  I love it, she loves it and my back loves it!  

Boy, I forgot how tired one gets in the evening when you have been up and down with night feedings! Each week I have felt a little better!

Everyone is adjusting to this new family member and our new schedule!

 

The boys have been very, very patient and I compliment them often as it has really helped me recover faster.  They keep themselves busy playing computer games, Legos and the Wii and also reading. They are in love with her and ask to hold her often.

 

My oldest son has come up to visit twice and has fallen in love with her too! He is so, so good with her!

 

I am really looking forward to some spring like weather so I can take this little one on walks!

Well, I'm off to take a little nap!

we are waiting...

We had a little excitement last week when one evening contractions started coming closer and harder and it was beginning to look like the real thing! Alas, they slowed and disappeared.

But we are so close and so very excited to meet this little girl! Everything is set up, our hospital bags are packed and the car seat is already in the car!

All we need is our daughter.
Daughter! I still can’t believe it!

After washing all the beautiful clothes that have been given to us as gifts or handed down, I am seeing pink lint for the first time in our dryer’s lint catcher.

I am trying to maximize the free time I have left. I have made several frozen meals, cleaned, organized piles that had been accumulating since summer and threw out stuff that was simply taking up space. The nesting thing is in really high gear!

My right foot is cracking me up! It looks like the Pillsbury Doughboy foot! There is no definition, not even an ankle in sight, just a pudgy little foot! I am walking around in flip flops in January while my husband is trying to stay warm with two pairs of socks.

We got some more snow here so the boys are thrilled! Apparently, we are experiencing our second “Polar Vortex” this month. So the wind chill is -12 below! It is cold here!

If all goes well, tomorrow, I plan on making a spinach quiche to freeze and oatmeal cookies! We’ll see!

slowing down and keeping things in perspective

I am 33 weeks along and getting very excited about meeting our little girl. Things have been busy and my energy is starting to disappear, like gone after 6:00 p.m.

I can sense the holiday stress/frenzy on the road, I see it in people’s eyes and I can feel it just starting here in my home. It’s a shame that consumerism is the focus of this time of year robbing people of their money, peace and sanity. I know it is a choice.

We all make choices how to celebrate this time of year and my husband and I have chosen to keep it simple and give our boys three to four affordable things on Christmas day and that’s it. It is what they have always known and experienced so they don’t expect more. We also intentionally have them focus on family, neighbors and Christ's birth throughout the month of December so they begin to think outward during this time of year and not merely focus on themselves.

I wrote about this in a post a while back but it is a great reminder for me as Christmas is right around the corner.

Post 1: encouraging little ones to think of others

Post 2: slowing down and keeping things in perspective

Hopefully it will encourage you too!

30 weeks

I’ve reached the thirty week mark in my pregnancy. Sleep at night is starting to get patchy: an hour here and an hour there, a full night of sleep is long gone. I know it is expected and also preparing me for those night time feedings which are right around the corner. We are narrowing down a name and I am finding it a lot harder to pick a name for a girl than it was for a boy. We have, give or take, ten more weeks so we still have a little time.

I am getting apprehensive about several things:
~ My last three deliveries were pretty easy and uneventful. What if this one isn’t?
~ Will I have everything I need?
~ How will I juggle home schooling with a baby and sleep deprivation?
~ How will my middle son adjust to the extra “noise and activity” that comes with a baby?
~ I know from experience that it takes a long time after having a baby to start to feel like your self again. How long will it take me this time?
~ Am I ready to mother a daughter? I only know boys.

I know this is normal to be apprehensive as the delivery draws closer so I am trying to keep things in perspective by focusing on the following…

~ Every delivery is different and special. The things that are out of my control are just that, so I have to let go and let God!
~ Realistically, babies just need diapers, a blanket and their mama’s milk.
~ I did start home school early and have gone strong so far. I plan on not teaching for a month after the baby comes, ease patiently and slowly back into a routine and if I have to…I will teach into the summer.
~ All in all, the noise and activity will stretch my middle son in a good way.
~ Experience tells me that day will come, though I don’t know when the magic day will be when I feel like my old self again, it will come.
~ As far as raising a daughter, I will take it one day at a time.

I find it extremely helpful to combat worrisome thoughts with strong, realistic statements. It eases the mind, and hence the body relaxes, and hence the rest of the household is relaxed.

I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving and I hope you can find the good even if life gets tough. If I look hard enough I can always find something to be thankful about.

I love this story here! There are people who find ways to give back to others, even strangers!

I am off to make my delicious dessert, I mean, side dish…………Carrot Soufflé!!!!!!!

Enjoy the family or friends that God has given you,

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

my three boys and our little girl on the way

summer lists

Every June I have the boys make a list of things they would like to do over the summer. The list usually includes having cousins sleep over, play dates with friends, family activities, camping, day trips and things to make. We hang it in the fridge and check off as many items as we can. It is fun to look back and see the fun things we accomplished just by writing them down.

One thing new this year, was picking a design for a t-shirt. We bought shirts in their size for three dollars each at a craft store and after they finalized their design we bought some fabric paint. I prewashed and then ironed the shirts before painting them. And I also put cardboard inside the shirt so the paint wouldn’t get on the back side. My middle guy wanted Clyde, the orange ghost from Pac-Man. And my youngest wanted the Indiana Jones hat and whip on his shirt. I hand painted the shirts and the boys were thrilled with how they turned out! Here are the results.

Oh, and I started my first quilt! I am so excited! I’ll post pictures soon!

twenty-three weeks and counting

I can’t believe I am already twenty-three weeks pregnant, starting the sixth month, passed the halfway mark! I told a friend the other day that it’s seems too short of a time period to make a human being; nine quick months, that’s it! Not that I want to be pregnant any longer than I need to be but, wow, time is flying by.

Thankfully, things are going smoothly! I am getting bigger each day, feeling the baby kick and I am officially wearing maternity clothes now. All three of the boys are very excited. This pregnancy has produced a lot of questions from my two younger ones. “Can the baby taste what you are eating?” “How does the baby breath?” “Wear does the baby’s pee go?” It’s quite entertaining!

So my husband and I went for the sonogram at eighteen weeks and found out what we are having!!!!

Yes, we can’t believe it!

After three boys it will be quite a shock to have pink in our house!!! We are thrilled and all three boys wanted a sister so we are all so, so excited!!!

All three of my previous pregnancies I craved something and this time is no different. Cranberries!! I can’t seem to get enough of them. Cranberry juice, cranberry cereal, dried cranberries in my salads, etc. There is something crazy about cranberries this time…at least it is healthy.

So the last time I was pregnant was seven years ago and I realized I had forgotten a lot. Here are some of the things I forgot:

~ Taking three naps a day in the first trimester is needed most days
~ Nothing, and I mean nothing, looks good to eat when you are nauseous
~ Drinking lots of water makes you get up in the middle of the night to use the little girls room
~ Not drinking lots of water makes you get up in the middle of the night to get something to drink because you’re parched
~ When you are pregnant you start to notice pregnant woman everywhere
~ I am hungry means = I need to eat something in the next five seconds
~ In the second trimester, food never tasted soooo good
~ There comes a time when you can’t cross your legs like a lady while sitting upright…there simply isn’t any room
~ That awesome feeling when you start to feel your baby moving inside you
~ Maternity clothes are so expensive
~ How generous people are in giving away their baby items…Yay!!!!
~ Sleeping positions get limited and less and less comfortable
~ My sense of smell is out of this world, I feel like I have a super power or something
~ Oh, those crazy, whacky, pregnancy dreams

Some nesting has kicked in and I am thinking about making a quilt for the baby. I have never made one before but I think it will be a fun and creative challenge. Here are a couple quilts that are inspiring me at the moment!

this darling, happy, sunshine quilt

cute, tiny, detailed quilt

vintage sheet quilt

Well see, I’ll keep you posted!

sweet music

His little girl, Adelaide, thought she was hearing fireworks and couldn't sleep. So he thought singing a song together would distract her!  Too Cute!



Happy Monday!

our big news

Smith Mountain Lake

Towards the end of July, we went to Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia to visit our oldest son who moved close to the area. Friends of his graciously let us use their lake house for the week: a long, glorious, relaxing week! It was fun to vacation as a family and bond again. With our oldest moving away, it has been hard on the younger boys who miss him a lot. As for me, each month seems to get a bit easier. Skype helps a lot! I don’t think a mom ever stops missing her son but we realize moving out is good and healthy for them and creates maturity.

The ride down was absolutely gorgeous!



Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park

 The mountains were so beautiful and everything was so green and lush.

My photos don’t do justice to the beauty.

Some fun things we did around Smith Mountain Lake…

We swam,

relaxed,

fished






and watched the sun set.

On the lake, they have an ‘ice cream boat’ rather then an ice cream truck.

It had the same music and sold the same items as the truck. We were very surprised and amused! The boys have never had ice cream from a truck but it was too good to pass on ‘ice cream delivered to us on a lake.’ The man just comes close to the inlets and if you wave your hand he will drive over to you, tie his boat to your dock and give you the goodies.

Down the road there is an area where you can feed hundreds of carp pieces of bread or popcorn.

Our youngest was determined to catch one with his bare hands.

He came pretty close. A local told us that there was another area, farther down the road, where you could buy a cup of peanut butter, put it on your toes, stick your toes in the water and the carp will suck the peanut butter off your toes!   We passed on that.   We went fishing on the little pier. We all caught tiny fish and then released them. My middle son caught his very first fish!


 My youngest was very brave and learned how to put a worm on a hook.

Eww!

Since we were there for a whole week, we played the game Risk!

Risk is about a two or three day game in our house so it was perfect to play together in the evening over The Best Ice Cream Ever: locally made at The Homestead Creamery!! YUM!!!

We saw hummingbirds, a blue heron, hawks, a bazillion butterflies, chipmunks, fish, groundhogs and deer!

The cool thing is that the movie, “What About Bob?” was filmed in the area and on and around the lake! We checked out some spots where the movie scenes were shot. We may or may not have visited Dr. Marvin’s home.

We had a wonderful visit with our oldest son! He loves his new job and has made some fantastic friends! He is a little homesick at times but we try to make up with phones calls and photos to keep him up to date!

Example: this afternoon my youngest waited to pull his tooth out so he could do it over Skype with his big brother! Cute and gross at the same time! It is hard at times to be far away from such a great guy but I know this is where God wants my son to be and that gives me the deepest peace.

And next week I will be announcing some big news!

Come back and check it out!