FOREST OR TREE? WHICH DO YOU SEE?

Tim and I see life differently. I see a forest. He sees a tree. Neither is better or worse than the other, but they're definitely different.

I see a forest. Not only do I see that task at hand, but I see all the other circumstances that influence or are impacted by that task. I see a timeline of events and pace things accordingly. My ability to see a forest is a benefit when it comes to paying bills, scheduling things, and balancing household, school, and kid stuff. It's a burden when there's a lot going on and I get totally overwhelmed by the fact or feeling, depending on the situation, that I'll never get everything done.

Tim sees a tree. He sees a task that needs to be done and just does it. He stays focused on the job and isn't distracted by other circumstances. His ability to see a tree is a benefit when there's a lot to do because he calmly tackles one thing at a time and when decisions need to be made because he doesn't overanalyze the situation. It's a burden when other people or circumstances are negatively impacted by his failure to factor them into how or when he completed the thing he was working on.

Needless to say, our opposite tendencies have been both a blessing and a source of conflict in our home. No one likes it when I'm crying and barking at everyone because I'm stressing about how much there is to do, how little time there is to do it, and how one thing not being done right will stop the world from spinning. No one likes it when Tim can't see past the moment to consider the broader perspective of a situation. Everyone wins when I make sure the schedule allows our nappers to get adequate sleep and non-monthly bills are factored into the monthly budget. Everyone wins when Tim ignores the never ending "to do" list and just does something useful like cleaning the dirty kitchen or running a load of laundry.

What about you? Are you more of a forest or a tree person? What about the people you live or work with? How do your similarities or differences play out?

CHRISTMAS 2011

Christmas gave us the opportunity for our first road trip as a family of six. We loaded up and headed to my dad's on Christmas Eve for a quick, noisy, fun weekend with grandparents, siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles. We chatted, ate, exchanged gifts, and passed Tyler around. The kids played games, danced, sat in the hot tub, and ran around like maniacs. Good times!

Here's the first picture we have of our family since Tyler's been born. In fact, it's the only picture of he and I or he and Tim together. Such is life when you unexpectedly spend your first few days in the hospital without a camera and your first couple weeks in a home where mom is moving slowly and dad is taking care of her and everything else. Oh well, such is life. We'll start catching up on pictures soon!



Here's the grandparents, who were also the awesome Christmas hosts, with four of their five kids, three spouses of kids, and eleven of their dozen grandkids.



And because it's our family, there's a silly picture.



My dad is doing a series of posts about the weekend with truckloads of pictures. If you want to check those out, then head over to his blog and read all the "CHRISTMAS NOTES" posts.

12/29/11 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for husbands who get together with their friends and take their children out for the day.

What's something that you're thankful for?

SIGNIFICANT INTRODUCTIONS

It's been a very busy week for Tyler!

Pam - I grew up with Pam's sons and she was a friend of my mom's. Now she and I are friends and she's seeing my kids grow up. She actually met Tyler at the hospital, but I didn't have a camera handy, so we snapped a picture when she brought us dinner last week.



Ashley - My step-sister made a little detour at the start of her Christmas break to come meet the youngest kid that calls (or will eventually call) her "aunt".



Tom & Linda - This is the couple I refer to as my pseudo-in laws, as Tim lived with them for a significant part of high school and they've continued to be an important part of his life. Linda and her daughter came to meet Tyler at the hospital, but there was still that pesky problem of the camera being at our house. They brought dinner over last weekend and Linda got lots of snuggles.



Linda - Tim's mom got to snuggle her newest grandchild. He was wide awake for the whole visit, which was kinda fun for her.



Greg & Lisa - Greg has been an important man in Tim's life since he and Lisa were Tim's youth group leaders. He and his family brought dinner over and spent a couple hours taking turns snuggling a very tired little baby.



This weekend the little guy will meet more grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. So fun!

12/22/11 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for some time alone with Naomi this morning while the male Ws were still sleeping - snuggles on my bed, watching old Tom & Jerry clips on YouTube, and fixing her hair for the day.

What's something that you're thankful for?

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY

* Church - I went on Sunday morning and it was the first time I'd been there in 3 1/2 weeks. While I've been able to ustream the services on the weeks I've stayed home, I've really missed seeing people. It was great to be there Sunday and chat with everyone!

* Cute babies - He may have a raging case of baby acne and have a tendency to cross his eyes when he's pooping, but he's still cute. Bonus for the fact he loves to snuggle!




* Dylan's The "it" Bar - A friend gave me a candy bar that I slowly ate over the course of a week. Milk chocolate, toffee, sea salt. Delicious!

* Kids who do their part - I love seeing the kids laughing and chatting as they work together, especially when they've butted heads for a significant part of the day.



* Magic dinners - It's sooooo nice to have meals just show up in the evening. Tim can, will, and does cook, but in the wake of my unexpected surgery, it's nice that he hasn't had to worry about preparing dinners. He's just been available to help me out more than I've needed with past births. So thankful for the people who have taken the time to bring food to us!

* Nipple shields - If I'd have known about them when I first started having children, then my life would have been spared oceans of tears, phenomenal amounts of pounding fists and stomping feet, incredible tension in my shoulders, a fair amount of profanity, and then a few more oceans of tears over the torture of the first couple weeks of nursing. They are essential for anyone who blisters, cracks, bleeds, and scabs. TMI? Sorry. Actually, I'm not. I seriously wish I'd known about them before last week and maybe mentioning them here will spare someone else the misery I've endured four times.

And I guess that's it for now. What makes you happy?

GORGEOUS

These pictures don't do it justice, but the bouquet that was delivered to us was absolutely beautiful, both as buds and as open roses. So pretty!

12/15/11 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for magic meals that show up after you have a baby. The generosity of others' time and resources is a blessing!

What's one thing that you're thankful for?

TALKIN' ABOUT TYLER

Tyler is five days old and we've been home two days. I think that means it's about time to do a post about the little guy's birth and share some pictures of him. Agreed?

Without hashing out every detail of the ordeal, I'll give a nutshell of Tyler's arrival. I started labor late on Tuesday afternoon after having a few days of early labor signs. I was dilated to a seven and my water was about to break when my midwife arrived at 8:00 that night. It looked like we'd have a speedy delivery if we just broke my water, so that's what we did.

Then we waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And realized the baby was not going to arrive on 12/6, which was my grandma's 88th birthday. She'd been hoping for a birthday baby and it would have been cool for that to happen. Oh well.

And waited.

And waited.

Contractions were irregular and weak, so I had an IV to give them a boost. They immediately kicked into gear and eventually I was pushing.

And pushing.

And pushing.

And pushing.

The problem was that he couldn't get past a bit of cervix and all our attempts to help him weren't helping.

We decided to transport to Providence Portland, which is where my midwives' favorite doctor was going to meet us, and arrived there just before 9:00 on Wednesday morning. I got an epidural so I could rest and some Pitocin to encourage productive contractions.

Contractions increased in strength and frequency, but I sill wasn't dilated enough and Tyler wasn't descending. Then his heart rate dropped.

We cut the Pitocin and started changing my position. His heart rate came back up. Not knowing whether the drop was because he couldn't handle the Pitocin or because I just needed to be in a different position, we gave it one more shot. Pitocin started again and I stayed in the position that made his heart rate return to normal.

Contractions continued to improve from where they were when I arrived, but weren't where they needed to be. And Tyler was a little crooked. And he was trying to turn posterior. And my cervix wasn't changing. And then his heart rate dropped again. And it took longer to bring back up, despite turning off the Pitocin and changing my position, though it finally did come up again.

It was time for the birth enforcement officials to evacuate my uterus!

We headed to the OR with me making a spectacle of myself. They had me on all fours, then dropping my head down as low as I could go, as that was keeping Tyler's heart rate where it needed to be. Can't picture that? It's kinda like the praying position that Muslims get into, except my butt was higher in the air. They, of course, had me covered with a blanket as I paraded down the hall, but I despise being hot and they granted my request to have my feet sticking out from the blankets. Ha! Wish I could have been a bug on the wall seeing that. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!

Surgery went quickly and smoothly. In fact, the anesthesiologist would tell me each time I was going to feel pressure, but I never felt any at all. They got Tyler squared away, put me back together, handed me the surgeon's marker as a souvenir, and sent me on my way.

Tyler's birth was my first surgery of any kind and I have to say it's totally bizarre to not have any feeling from the chest down. Neither good nor bad, just odd.

Anyway, Tim stayed a couple hours and we called family members, then he headed home to our kids. They'd spent the day with Yvonne, who had come over immediately that morning when Tim called to tell her we had to transport. They had a blast and I'm pretty sure they'd be up for me getting hospitalized on a more regular basis if it meant they got a Cherry day out of the deal. So thankful for her!

Tim brought the kids to meet Tyler on Thursday. Though they all love him, Naomi wouldn't leave his side. Pretty cute ... and predictable.






The family came back again on Saturday to bring us home and we've just been hanging out ever since.

Naomi thinks this is a funny picture and asked me to include it. Big mouth, big eyes.



Peeking over Daddy's shoulder.




Sleepy boy.




Crazy hair that looks like it may be Devon-ish, starting out pretty straight and curling up down the road.



I'm doing really well. In fact, I was telling Tim last night that this has not been any harder of a recovery than my other births. The discomfort level is the same, just a change in location. Either way, I just lay around and do a whole lot of nothing in the days after delivery (actually, I've been doing a whole lot of nothing for weeks now).

Many have commented that they're sorry I ended up with a c-section and I just want to say that I'm fine with it. Totally and completely fine.

I love, love, love birthing at home. I love being tucked into my own bed at the end of the day and not being interrupted multiple times a day (and night, for that matter) by medical staff. Unless I'm having a medical problem, then I prefer not going to a hospital. Personal preference and I'm thankful for the two births that have allowed me to stay home from start to finish.

That being said, I also love, love, love medical professionals who can step in and do what needs to be done when my body or my baby's won't cooperate with the birthing process. I love nurses who will help me out with every little thing when my husband can't stick around and people who bring me whatever meal I want just minutes after I ask for it. I'm thankful for the hospital staff who have been just what I needed for my two births that ended in transports.

And that's that. I'm doing well, Tyler is cute, and the 6 Ws are happy.

I forgot to mention that my failure to give Granny a birthday baby was balanced out by the fact that Tyler was born on my niece's 10th birthday. At least I got one of them, which is pretty impressive when you consider that either date would have been the shortest pregnancy I've ever had.

MEET THE 6TH W

Well hey world. My name is Tyler Bruce. I am 9lb 8oz, born at 12:51 earlier this afternoon, and I am 22" long. I gave my mom a heck of a time with my enormous 15" round head that she was reduced to a C-section being her only option for bringing me into this world. All that aside, dang, ain't I cute! =)

You have to admit, I'm even cuter nestled tight in my warm blanket.

NOT A HOMESCHOOLING MOM

I've told a few people lately that my kids are homeschooled, but I'm not really a homeschooling mom. This year has just been hard, due to pregnancy stuff and moving, and I haven't put a fraction of the effort into school that I usually do.

Thankfully, our boys have always done a lot of their work independently, which means they're making progress without much help from me. And, thankfully, we do school all year, which means we were six weeks ahead of the game when public school started in September.

I sat down today to make sure we were still going to be able to finish this school year in mid-June and was pleasantly surprised to see that we haven't wasted as much time as I had feared. We'll definitely finish on time, will give ourselves a week of wiggle room in January as we adjust to life with the 6th W, take a week off for spring break, and still have a couple days of wiggle room each month.

I know that interrupted nights will make me tired post-baby, but I think that being physically comfortable is going to make a huge difference in my motivation to get school done. I just haven't felt like doing much the last few months and household stuff has trumped school for me. I'm looking forward to getting back in the groove of doing some of the boys' school with them, though!

But, for now, I'm not really a homeschooling mom. And that's ok. The boys are still doing well academically and life goes on.

40 WEEKS

We're heading out the door to a Christmas party, but Kore requested a picture. So, here I am at 40 weeks.



Yes, I'm actually going to the party in jammy pants. Nothing else fits comfortably and it's a casual party anyway. I figured that if I'm going to go in red jammy pants, I may as well be festive and sport a green shirt and Santa hat. It's a nice look, don't you think?

Since this is my actual due date (though due dates don't mean much) I'll also include a full belly shot. I don't think I've done any of those this time around.



Yep, I'm huge. Think I'll have a 41 week picture to show next weekend?

LAST PICTURES OF THE 5 Ws

Our realtor, Tom DeVilliers, invited us to a Christmas tree giveaway that his office was doing for their clients. So we headed out to the tree farm this afternoon, the kids picked a tree and someone else cut it for us, we all ate cookies and/or candy canes while drinking cider or hot chocolate, visited with some family members that were there, and Naomi spent a considerable amount of time shooting the breeze with Santa while sitting on his lap. That was actually kinda funny, as we've never done Santa and our kids know the scoop. She was having a ball, though, just chatting the afternoon away with him.

Anyway, I'm not in labor, but the baby will arrive in the next week-ish and there aren't any reasons to take family pictures between now and then. So we snapped a couple last pictures of the 5 Ws, both serious and silly.

12/1/11 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for three kids who were amazing this morning while their very pregnant mom hauled them around on various errands. Dentist appointments for two kids, both of which had excellent reports. One kid had an hour wait while the other two had appointments and two had thirty minutes of waiting, all three kept themselves quietly occupied in the waiting room. A quick stop to fill the gas tank, followed by a trip to the Franz outlet where they got the things I needed off the shelves and loaded them onto the counter. Final stop was WinCo for a bunch of groceries. They're always great there, with one kid always pushing the cart and maintaining the grocery list while the other two help get the groceries we need. Then we headed home and they unloaded everything from the van for me. Thursdays are, by far, the hardest day of our week, so I appreciate all their help even more than usual today.

What are you thankful for?

CUSTOM ORNAMENTS

We give each of the little Ws a new Christmas ornament every year when we decorate our tree, sometimes specific to their interests and other times generally festive. The goal is that they'll each have a stash of ornaments for their own trees when they move out. I'm a sucker for traditions and this has become a fun one.

In my attempt to be off my feet as much as possible this year, I was looking for ornaments online instead of at the stores. I came across some cute ones on etsy that I really liked. They were wooden blocks, the exact type of thing my friend Rachelle makes and sells as baby/toddler toys at NurseryLove, but with hooks and ribbons attached to turn them into ornaments. I immediately shot Rachelle a note and asked if she could make some for the little Ws. We exchanged a few messages to clarify exactly what type of look I was going for and she delivered three of the ornaments to us tonight. The fourth will get made after the 6th W arrives.

Check them out.



Aren't they cute?! I love, love, love them!!

FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT ... FOR FREE!!

I don't like buying movies because we never watch them enough to justify storing them. I'd much rather check them out from the library or use a freebie Redbox code. I recently made an exception, though, and bought some movies. Now, when I say "bought" I mean that I purchased them on Amazon using gift cards I'd earned by doing all my online searches through Swag Bucks. I love Swag Bucks. A lot. So, Swag Bucks just bought some movies for us. Five, to be exact.

Tim and I got Thou Shalt Laugh from the library a few years ago and enjoyed it. We eventually saw the second movie, but our last two moves have taken us to library systems with fewer or no editions of the series. The little Ws have seen the first one and loved it, but we just can't get access to the newer editions. So, last week I cashed in some of those gift cards I earned from Swag Bucks and bought all five videos as a surprise for the fam.

Tonight I said I had a gift for everyone and that they all had to be on the couch at 6:00. They cooperated and I busted out movie numero uno. They've already seen the first one, but they love it and quote lines from it all the time. They were delighted! Needless to say, I earned major "cool mom" points tonight.

Lots of laughs. No money spent. It's a good night ... with many more good nights to come!

MENU - FIRST HALF OF DECEMBER 2011

I know November's not quite over, but I'm fantasizing about having a baby this week, earlier than my usual 41 weeks, and got the next menu finished in preparation. How's that for wishful thinking? Ok, so realistically I've got another couple weeks-ish, but at least the first part of the month is planned out and the baby will definitely come during that time frame.

Of course, all meals are subject to change, depending on when the 6th W arrives, but some of them are from the from the freezer and we'll just use those whenever we need them most.

BREAKFASTS
oatmeal with brown sugar, milk, raisins, and energy mix as optional toppings x10
smoothies or fruit x2
cherry oatmeal muffins (from freezer)
cold cereal
apple buttermilk bran muffins (from freezer)
pancakes from a boxed mix (shocking, I know, but someone gave us the mix and it will come in handy in December ... and it's yummy)
banana bread (from freezer)

DINNERS
leftovers x2
tacos x2
grilled ham & pineapple sandwiches/carrot & celery sticks
Mexican casserole (from freezer)/salad
tomato & navy bean soup (double & freeze half)/whole wheat drop biscuits
Jen's chicken (crockpot, from freezer)/rice/salad
lentil & ham soup (crockpot)/e-z drop biscuits
rice cooker mac & cheese/peas & corn
upside down pizza (base from the freezer)/salad
tuna couscous salad (with tuna caught by someone my sister knows)/cranberry sauce
Seattle cream cheese dogs/carrot & celery sticks
turkey & black bean salad (taking to potluck)
salmon chowder (Tim's catch, from freezer)/toast
Cajun sausage & beans (double & freeze half)/rice
olive & feta pasta/peas & corn

SNACKS & DESSERTS
produce
popcorn
oat & almond bars
pumpkin bread
big soft ginger cookies & honey mulled cider (crockpot)

I'M TOTALLY IRRESPONSIBLE, BUT SO SATISIFED

I just worked in the yard for two hours.

Let me repeat that.

I just worked in the yard for two hours.

Irresponsible? Absolutely. I'm about 39 weeks pregnant and my lower back hurts so badly right now. Oh my! I'm in bed and will probably stay here most of the day.

Satisfied? Absolutely. I haven't had a yard to work in for about 18 months and I've missed it so much! I clipped, raked, and filled the yard debris bin. Of course, I really want to mow (don't have a lawnmower yet) and start filling a compost pile (making one has been at the bottom of our priority list lately), but just spending a chunk of time in the yard today, despite the fact that I'm working at about half-speed, was wonderful. Totally wonderful!

WHEN A PERSON BECOMES A PUMPKIN

I made the following comment on Facebook earlier this evening as I walked out the door.

If one is 38 weeks pregnant and decides to wear their husband's big, orange fleece (it's one of the few things that completely cover the belly, after all), then one will look like a giant pumpkin when they leave the house. Just sayin'.

I came home to find demands for pictures. So, without further ado, here I am in all my pumpkin glory.




'Tis the season!

OPEN LETTERS

Dear 6th W -
Starting your exercise routine when I crawl into bed for the night is inconsiderate. Please go to sleep when I want to sleep.

Dear heart -
Bitter people are a drag to be around. Please let some stuff go so that you don't end up being one of those bitter people.

Dear mind -
You've been busy. Please maintain perspective, prioritize wisely, and turn yourself off every now and then.

Dear insomnia -
Two nights in a row is two nights too many. Please don't visit me without permission.

Dear energy & ability to move around easily -
I miss you both. A lot. Your absence is worthwhile, but please come back soon.

Dear 6th W -
I wasn't joking. It's 11:30 pm. Be still. Please!

Dear mouth -
You're impulsive in what you say. Please show some self-control.

Dear couch -
You're so dependable. Please remain loyal to me, a place I can go when my tossing and turning is bound to keep Tim up all night.

Sincerely,
Someone who is very pregnant, struggling in her attitude toward a situation, feeling quite overwhelmed at times, unable to sleep tonight, waddling everywhere she goes, getting repeatedly kicked internally, saying things she shouldn't, and hoping to drift off to sleep soon on her trusty couch

38 WEEKS

I technically have about two weeks to go. Realistically? About three weeks. Either way, we're almost done!

11/17/11 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful our church has a couch to sprawl on & a TV to watch the service on when pregnancy has made me too uncomfortable to sit in the sanctuary. I'm also thankful they u-stream the services, in case I needed to stay home, but it's really nice to have the option to attend and visit with people before and after the service.

What's something that you're thankful for?

MENU - SECOND HALF OF NOVEMBER 2011

I can't believe how fast November is going by! I actually got started on my menu for the first half of December while I was doing this one, as we'll be having a baby soon and I want to be able to shut my brain off more and more as my waistline gets bigger.

BREAKFASTS
oatmeal with brown sugar, milk, raisins, and energy mix as optional toppings x7
smoothies x2
apple buttermilk bran muffins (from freezer)
leftover oatmeal pancakes (from freezer)
morning glory muffins (freeze half)
egg & potato scramble

DINNERS
leftovers x2
tacos x2
death by garlic with kielbasa/salad
orange lentil soup/e-z drop biscuits
black bean chili (from freezer)/cornbread (from freezer)
smoked turkey & black bean salad/tortilla chips
cracked wheat & rice pilaf/chicken & green bean stir fry
creamy white chicken chili/tortilla chips
honey lime chicken enchiladas/beans (crockpot & freezer)/salad
pizza with friends & we'll bring dessert
Thanksgiving - haven't been given our assignment yet

SNACKS & DESSERTS
popcorn
produce
new bar cookie recipe (not bad, but not good enough to make again)
carrot pie (Silas will make it)
pumpkin bread

PLAYDOUGH - A MOM'S BEST FRIEND

We busted out the playdough a couple days ago. It entertained Naomi for nearly three hours, Devon for two, and Silas for one. Love it!!

SHOWING OFF FOR PAPA

Naomi has been a one-sided skipper for quite a while and finally figured out how to do it right. Needless to say, such an accomplishment had to be shared with Papa and I figured I'd let the rest of the world see it at the same time.

11/10/11 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for a postal service that charges very little to take our things anywhere we want them to go, doesn't open and/or steal things from our mail, and gets the job done in a timely manner.

What's something that you're thankful for?

MR. FIX IT

The previous owners of our home left a paper towel holder in the kitchen, screwed into the cabinetry. No big deal, except we don't use paper towels. I kept meaning to take it down, but would only notice it when I was already busy doing something else in the kitchen. One day I was cooking and asked Silas if he could take care of it for me. He got a screwdriver and happily set to work.



It's nice that he could do it for me, as this is not a position my body could get into these days. Or, if I could manage to get there, then I'd probably be stuck forever.



I'm sure thankful for kids who pull their weight (and mine, when I can't) around the house!

I LOVE OUR HOUSE #2

Tim was the first one to see our house online. We were on separate computers, both looking for houses, and I heard him say, "Oh, you're going to love this!"

Here's what "this" was.



Tim was right. I love it.

The previous owners used this bookshelf as a place to display various trinkets and had a TV sitting on a little table in front of it, but we have regular books, board and card games, several years of school books, and other stuff stored on it.

The shelf is in some extra space off the dining room, which is nice. I love that it's easily accessible, but not smack in the middle of the living room.

I also love that all the totes I used to store unused curriculum in are now free to hold the kids' dress-up stuff.

I LOVE OUR HOUSE #1

I've been promising pictures of the house for weeks, but the reality is that getting settled takes a lot longer when you're hugely pregnant than when you're not. So, I'm just going to do it in little spurts. Deal?

Let's start with my favorite room in the house. The laundry room.

I spent 10 years in an apartment that had coin-op laundry in another building. I spent 4 1/2 years in a house that had the washer and dryer in the kitchen. I spent 1 1/2 years in an apartment that had the washer and dryer in a laundry closet in the hallway. Now I have a laundry room. Honestly, the kitchen and hall options were fine and the coin-op worked, but I love our new laundry room! It's less about the fact that there's a room specifically for the washer and dryer and more about the massive amount of storage the room has.



Check out all those cupboards on the wall and below the counter. Glorious! They hold wrapping paper and gift bags, a laundry detergent stockpile, playdough, extra school supplies, water bottles, and serve as a pantry. Plus, there's still room to spare. Such a blessing!

The window? I love all the light it lets in and that I don't have to turn the light on in there unless it's totally dark outside. Even then there's usually enough light from the adjacent room for me to do whatever I need to do.

The washing basin? It's not something I've ever wanted, but it will be nice to put freshly harvested garden goodies there, rather than the kitchen sink, once summer rolls around again. Completely unnecessary, but a luxury we'll put to use.

The yellow walls? We'll eventually paint almost every other room in the house, but that yellow is the perfect color for that room. So bright and cheery!

Yep, I love our house. Especially the laundry room.

IT'S FRIDAY. IT'S NOVEMBER. LIFE IS GOOD.

Whining - Do you ever realize how much time you spend complaining about something and know it's just too much? That happened to me on Wednesday. Life is good, but I've been griping about the one hard thing every chance I get. Wallowing in self-pity. It's pathetic and I'm done.

6th W - I had a prenatal appointment this morning and the baby did a complete somersault while the midwife was feeling for its position. Little acrobat. Speaking of flips, there's only one more flip of the calendar til the 6th W is here. My itchy, stretched skin is loving The Custom Soap Shop's body butter. We still haven't finalized names. Grrrr. Hopefully that will get done this weekend.

Narnia - I let the boys watch the movie on Monday, though they didn't really know anything about the story. They loved it! Silas then read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on Tuesday and Wednesday. Devon started it yesterday and Silas moved to Prince Caspian.

"DO NOTHING" - That's what our calendar says for tomorrow. It's the first Saturday in five weeks with nothing going on. We've had some fun Saturdays, but I'm really looking forward to a day where no one has to go anywhere.

Nails - Naomi started biting her nails a months ago. I have no idea what prompted the habit, but it drives me nuts. This morning, though, she's been begging me to paint them and add some nail stickers she got for her birthday. Maybe we can use the bling as an incentive to stop eating her body parts.

11/3/11 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that we'll all be home and have nowhere to go this Saturday.

What's one thing that you're thankful for?

MENU - FIRST HALF OF NOVEMBER 2011

We got a freezer last week and I'm so excited to have that extra storage space again! I made a triple batch of leftover oatmeal pancakes today and will be making black bean chili later this week, all for the freezer. So thankful for that gift!!

Anyway, here's what we'll be eating for the next couple weeks.

BREAKFASTS
oatmeal with brown sugar, milk, raisins, and energy mix as optional toppings x9
smoothies x2
cherry oatmeal muffins (double & freeze half)
banana bread (from the freezer)
plum bread (trying it with frozen plums that I'll thaw, we'll see how it goes)
nutty fruity granola
apple buttermilk bran muffins (making all four dozen & freezing three dozen)

DINNERS
leftovers x2
tacos x2
salmon chowder (Tim's catch)/refrigerated biscuits (this meal got skipped last time because of a harvest festival)
chicken noodle soup/toast
broccoli pesto (from the freezer) on French bread/salad
chicken tortilla soup (crockpot, double & freeze half)/cornbread (double & freeze half)
creamy rice with broccoli & ham (switching from pasta and seeing if we like it)
baked potatoes/fried ham/peas & corn
Mexican casserole (freeze half)/salad
upside down pizza (double the base & freeze half)/peas & corn
salad with Jen's chicken (crockpot, will freeze the unused portion of the chicken)/garlic bread
six layer casserole/peas & corn
Italian sausage with rice/salad
quinoa salad with apples & almonds/chicken nuggets (freezing half)

SNACKS & DESSERTS
pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
snickerdoodles
oat & almond bars

BOOKS I FINISHED - OCTOBER 2011

FOR SCHOOL

Caddie Woodlawn, by Carol Ryrie BrinkRead aloud for Silas that I pre-read and he listened to CD. The stories in this book come from the life of the author's grandmother. It's similar in style and setting to Mandie and Grandma's Attic books. Silas enjoyed it, frequently laughing throughout the book.

FOR MYSELF

White Chocolate Moments, by Lori Wick
Tammy loaned me this book after reading my comment last month about non-cheesy fiction that doesn't have gratuitous sex scenes and I enjoyed it. It's the story of a girl who is raised by her grandfather after the death of her parents. Conflict in the family and her own insecurities cause problems as she enters adulthood, but reconciliation is found in later years as she matures and as people's lives are changed by Christ.

Raising a Soul Surfer: One Family's Epic Tale, by Cheri Hamilton & Rick BundschuhI saw this online when I was reserving Soul Surfer, which I read last month, and put it on hold. It was pretty much what I expected - a family member using something that happened to their family as an opportunity to tell their own history. Not a bad book, but it didn't do much for me.

I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced, by Nujood Ali & Delphine MinouiThis is the true story of a Yemeni girl who fought to get out of the abusive arranged marriage she was forced into. Quick read, good story.

The Hiding Place, by Corrie ten BoomI try to read this book ever couple years. In case you're unfamiliar with it, the author's family, who lived in German-occupied Holland, hid Jews in their home during World War II. As a result, her family spent time in Hitler's concentration camps, with she and a sister spending the longest time. It's an incredible story of a commitment to do what's right, the love of family members for each other, the ability to see good in the midst of horrific circumstances, and a faith that God is bigger than anything we face.

10/27/11 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for the flexibility in our schedule that homeschooling gives us.

What's one thing that you're thankful for?

HANDYMAN

We picked up a crib on Sunday night and I wanted it put together yesterday. I started assembling it, but needed someone to hold a piece for me. I called Devon in and he held the piece while I put in one screw. Then I was done. Why? Because Devon turned into Mr. Handyman and assembled the rest of the crib himself. My involvement was limited to holding one piece for him and double-checking the tightness of the screws when he was done. So thankful for helpful kids!

34 WEEKS

Due dates are based on 40 weeks. Full term is 37-42 weeks. I've always gone 41 weeks. I'm now at 34 weeks.

I'm feeling a bit like I'm at 54 weeks. I'm guessing that has something to do with being 35 years old this time around.

BABY BLESSING

A little group of friends and family got together yesterday to bless me with some baby stuff. Being super responsible, I charged my camera batteries the night before and set my camera on the counter so I'd remember it. Being less responsible than I thought, I completely forgot to bring the camera with me. Fortunately, Tracy snapped a few pictures of the decorations with her camera.






Aren't all those "W" onesies cute?! Michelle, who hosted the gathering, had flowers out, candles burning, a ton of great food served in white dishes (I love white dishes!), and had decorated the living and dining room beautifully. It was wonderful!

We're so blessed by everyone who has been showering us with things, both practical and fun, for the 6th W lately. Thank you!!

10/20/11 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that the unpacking and organizing is almost done.

What's something that you're thankful for?

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!!

Christmas is right around the corner. Can you believe it?! In an attempt to encourage everyone to plan ahead and to avoid the chaos of the malls and big stores, I thought it would be fun to plug some of the smaller businesses that we like.

As long as the business sells something suitable for gift giving, then it doesn't matter what kind of things it sells - big or small, ready to wrap up and stick under the tree or perfect to tuck in a stocking, consumable or keepsake.

The first rule is that you are not allowed to toot your own horn. We're only sharing the places & people we like doing business with as customers, not advertising our own companies.

The second rule is that you can't link anyone whose product or service you've never used or experienced yourself, regardless of how great you know they are. Fair enough?

I'll start ... and hope I'm not forgetting anyone.

It's Annmade For You: website - Ann's site has a variety of hats, but you can show her a picture of any hat or describe what you want and she'll be able to make it perfectly. She recently made a custom hat for Naomi, based on the things Naomi liked in hats she saw online, and it's super cute!

Knittin' Peace: etsy site - Robin can sew, knit, felt, etc. I have a quilt she made for Naomi & a bag she made for me. I've also purchased aprons from her, both off the rack and custom orders. Everything has been fantastic.

Ocean Breeze: etsy site, blog, Facebook page - Linda's jewelry is beautiful and affordable. She's great at making custom orders and is willing to tweak items already on her site, such as switching from silver to gunmetal.

Smarty Bars: website, Facebook page - Elisha makes some gluten-free, wheat-free, soy-free, vegan and raw snacks. They're bite-sized and super tasty!

The Blissful Stitcher: etsy site, blog, Facebook page - Heidi can embroider just about anything, can sew some items if what you need can't be found anywhere, and makes cool, woven monograms. She's been great to work with each time I've ordered a custom item, both for personal use and for an event I co-planned.

The Custom Soap Shop: Facebook page - Michelle makes a ton of different soaps (standard bars and fun shapes), body butters, lotions, etc. that I've both given and received as gifts.

Now it's your turn. Leave a comment with the name of the business, website, and any information you think would be good to add for those who are ready to do some Christmas shopping. You don't have to have a Blogger or Google account to leave a comment, so everyone can join in the fun.

RANDOM, RANDOM, RANDOM

Bags - Remember the sneak peak I gave of the embroidered money bags I ordered for the kids? Well, they're all done .... and they're awesome!!! Check them out at The Blissful Stitcher. Just don't mention them to the little Ws, as they won't see the bags until Christmas.

Corn maze - Getting settled into our home is taking all my extra time & energy these days, so I haven't blogged about our annual trip to Baggenstos Farm with my dad. My sister's family is in the country for a year, so they came along with us this time. It was a fun day, but I haven't loaded any pictures yet. You can, however, see plenty of shots on my dad & sister's accounts of the trip.

Hair - There is no longer any funky hair at our house. Silas wanted to keep the "I-5" for a whole year, but I cut him off at 9 1/2 months. I don't mind the funk at all, but I was getting really tired of maintaining it. So, we're back to normal hair until our house is put away and I'm no longer pregnant.

Refrigerator - We've been here nine days and I still haven't figured out where to put stuff in our fridge. It's a side-by-side unit, which I've never had, and I'm not understanding what makes people love them. Feels so cramped. Want to assure me that I'll eventually figure out how to organize my food in it so that I can once again know where everything is?

MENU - SECOND HALF OF OCTOBER 2011

Due to the fact that we moved in the middle of the last menu, there were a couple nights & mornings where plans got tweaked. We basically stayed on track, though. My biggest complaint is that I didn't get to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, so I've thrown them in the mix again this time because I'm craving them like crazy!!!

BREAKFASTS
oatmeal with brown sugar, milk, raisins, and energy mix as optional toppings x4
Tam's granola (crockpot) x8
blueberry sour cream pancakes (double batch & freeze half)
Alton Brown's granola
yogurt streusel muffins (double batch & snack on extras)
breakfast casserole

DINNERS
leftovers x3
tacos x2
pork chops in sour cream/rice/peas & corn
olive & feta pasta/broccoli
grilled Hawaiian chicken/rice/tropical salad (yes, this is about the third time on the menu, but it keeps getting bumped)
garlic chicken (crockpot)/couscous/salad
salmon chowder (Tim's catch)/refrigerated biscuits
chicken salad sandwiches/raw veggies
chili dog casserole/peas & corn
quinoa & black beans/lemon garlic cucumbers
Asian orzo chicken salad/salad
potato soup (double & freeze half)/toast
cracked wheat & rice pilaf/chicken & green bean stir fry

DESSERTS
ice cream with toppings & cookies (a "celebrate your house" gift)
cinnamon rolls made with refrigerated crescent rolls (Silas thought this up & is making it)
pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

FOUR PLUGS & SOME BLESSINGS

I just wanted to plug some people that made our home purchase possible. I'm not getting any sort of reward for giving you their info. I'm just thankful for them and figured their expertise could be useful for some of you. Their websites are linked in green.

Tom DeVilliers - realtor
West One Properties Group/Keller Williams Realty
503-594-0805

Steve Berger - mortgage
Envoy Mortgage
503-698-5800

Ross Hulbrock - inspection
Apex Home Inspections
503-650-8999

These three men and their co-workers who we dealt with were great - gave us regular updates, answered all our questions quickly, etc.

I also want to plug the program we used.

USDA - home loan
100% financing

And, now a couple more neat things about this process, though I promise to start talking about other stuff after this post.

* Our earnest money was gifted to us. Not only is that a blessing in and of itself, but it's the same amount that Tim had to pay in tuition for the classes he's required to take this term for his new job. Coincidence? I think not.

* We were told the washer & dryer would not be included with the house, which was totally fine. We bought a set on Craigslist in the week preceding our move, then discovered upon getting our keys that the washer & dryer were left after all. Now we'll get to sell one set and put the cash toward school debt or pay the surprise forward and give a set to someone truly in need of one. Either option is great.

* We ordered a chest freezer last week. It's a splurge, but a practical one and the only one we're making. I ordered it one morning and that afternoon someone told us they'd planned on getting us one. In fact, they'd looked at the exact one we had ordered. So, they reimbursed us the cost of the freezer. I've missed having that extra bit of storage space for stockpiling deals and cooking meals ahead of time. It's not here yet, but I'm excited about that gift!

This process, if we start at the first discovery of mold in our apartment last December, has been long. Very long. But I'm so thankful for how it turned out!

10/13/11 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for the man who just came to hook up our internet. I'm also thankful for ...

* Mike and Tiffany W. (and some of their crew), Jeff and Geeta (and some of their crew), Neil, Pam C., Pam R., Jay, Charles, Roy, and Mike S. who loaded and cleaned our apartment with Tim on Sunday, then unloaded everything at our new house while my big belly and I did a whole lot of nothing.
* the staff at our apartment complex who were so understanding, assuring me that they'd work with us when I was stressed about closing dates and move out dates not coinciding.
* the beautiful African violet that was snuck into our new bedroom on moving day.
* Tammy, who came over on Monday to put my kitchen away, unpack a bunch of boxes, gather the remaining boxes into a pile, and feed me lunch.
* the autumn bouquet and movie night package that was given to us on moving day.
* the wives/kids who gave up their husbands/dads on Sunday afternoon so that we would have plenty of help with our move.
* a house that is totally perfect for our family.

What's one thing that you're thankful for?

LATER, ALLIGATOR

We're moving at 1:00 tomorrow. Can you believe it?! I found out today that we aren't going to have internet until late in the week, so I'll be offline after tomorrow morning. See you on the other side!!

10/6/11 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that I slept well last night.

What's one thing you're thankful for?

SOME FUN NUMBERS

2 flips - We only have to turn the pages of our calendar two more times and we'll be in the month of the 6th W's arrival.

4 days - That's how long until we move into the first home we've owned. Exciting stuff!

10 minutes - We started something new last week. When Tim comes home, we spend ten minutes chatting in our room, just sharing about our days. It's kinda like the 15-20 minutes of "couch time" that others do, but without the distractions of being in the living room and not so much time that it's a huge interruption to getting dinner on the table. It went well last week, though moving-related things and a class Tim's taking have made it impossible this week. That's ok. Life happens and we'll get back in the groove next week. The kids are good at holding us accountable, which is kinda fun.

12 bags - Our kids use regular envelopes for managing their money, but we frequently have to reinforce them with tape or replace them and money spills out if they aren't careful to hold them right side up. Drives me batty, but such is life. A couple weeks ago, though, I had a sudden brainstorm. What if they had fabric bags that were sturdier than paper? How would we label the bags, even if I found what I was looking for?

The answer was clear. I needed The Blissful Stitcher, otherwise known as my friend Heidi. I shot her a note describing exactly what I wanted and she's currently working her magic. I needed four bags per kid - tithe, save, give, and spend - and let her know the color scheme for each little W. She just finished the first bag. Want to see?




These are actually going to be Christmas gifts, so the kids don't have a clue they're being made, but I'm really excited! No more money dropping or envelopes falling apart!!

18 hours - The male Ws stayed up all night last Friday playing video games with each other. The boys have pulled all-nighters before and usually take a good nap the following day to get them through til the next bedtime. This time, however, they could not be woken up. They went down for naps at 1:00 on Saturday and slept until 7:00 on Sunday morning. They were pretty confused when they woke up, not having any idea what day or time it was. So funny!

READY? SET. MOVE!!

It's official. We're moving on Sunday!! We've had several people offer to help, but until now we haven't known exactly what we needed or when we needed it. So I'll tell you what we need and you can let Tim or I know if you're available.

CLEANING
This is usually a breeze for me, but the combo of a bulky belly and some major discomfort I've had lately are making this an area I could use some help. There are a couple options here. One is that there could be a deep clean (scrubbing bathrooms, cleaning window sills, etc.) on Friday and then a final touch (we'll have had to use the scrubbed bathroom through Sunday, floors will need to be vacuumed, etc.) as the apartment gets emptied on Sunday. The other option is that everything gets saved for Sunday. Either way is fine with me, though I will probably be at the new place on Sunday to tell people where to put stuff and wouldn't be able to help with cleaning the apartment.

TRUCKS
We're prepared to rent a moving van and realize the weather may make that the best option anyway. However, there's been chatter about people being willing to load their trucks with our stuff. If you and your truck will be available on Sunday afternoon, then please let us know as soon as possible. That will help us figure out if we need to rent a van and, if so, what size to get.

MUSCLES
We don't require huge muscles, just ones that are big enough to put stuff in or take stuff out of a truck or moving van.

Those are the needs - arms to lift, vehicles to load, and hands to clean. We'll be at church Sunday morning, then will need to eat lunch and possibly get a moving van, so we'll start the move at 1:00. Of course, if you want to help, but can't show up til a little later, then that's fine. Our move last year took 3 hours from start to finish, so we should be done before dinner. If you want to help, then just let us know what time to expect you and we'll give you directions to our current and new homes. Thanks a bunch!

POUNDED

Our month of getting pounded has come to an end. It was great to stockpile staples and enjoy some treats. Here's what we got, including repeats of some items, which was great because they were things we use regularly.

beans - blend
beans - kidney
beans - pinto
chocolate chips
cinnamon rolls
honey
muffins
pumpkin bread
raisins
rice - basmati
rice - harvest medley
samoa brownies
spaghetti
tomatoes - diced
tomatoes - sauce

If you've never given someone a pounding, then I'd encourage you to pick a recipient and rally the troops. Lots of fun and endless options for ways people can particpate. Thanks again to Lisa for coordinating our pounding and to everyone who participated!

THE POWER OF A SHOWER

Back in the early days of this pregnancy, which was also when I was nauseated, exhausted and depressed, Michelle whisked me away for an evening of dessert and chatting. It was a wonderful escape from reality, exactly what I needed at that point. To top off a wonderful evening, she also let me know that she wanted to host a baby shower for me later in the year. All she needed from me was a list of people to invite, as we don't know all the same people. Super thoughtful!

Well, coming up with that list proved the power of a shower.

A shower has the power to make you feel loved. This is our fourth child and I'm a minimalist mom when it comes to baby stuff. Between those two facts I had no expectation of being given a shower this time around. I was totally fine with that. Michelle, however, decided that this baby needed to be celebrated and wanted to host a shower. Loved.

Making a list of the women in my life took a long time. There are so many whose lives intersect mine in big and small ways. Thinking of who they are and how we're connected was awesome. Loved.

A shower has the power to stress you out. We know a lot of people and it became increasingly difficult to trim the list down to a number that would fit in the space we were working with. Would everyone who was invited actually come? Of course not. But, I did need to consider space, which is a little tricky when you easily interact with 100 different women over the course of a month. Stress.

There's no one I don't want there, but who do I invite? Church friends were the hardest to narrow down because they're the biggest source of our friendships. When you go to a large church, have been there for six years, and are well-known it gets a little tricky. The people I've known for years, but don't actually see that often or the ones I chat with regularly, but never about anything of substance? The people I see face to face or the ones who, due to attending different services or having lives that don't naturally intersect ours, I primarily interact with online? The ones in the metro area or the ones within a day's drive? The ones who know me well because my life is an open book on my blog, I'm involved in various things at church, and tend to be just a wee bit chatty, even if I don't know them very well or the ones that I'm close to because we both share our lives with each other? The ones who walk through rough times with me or the ones who I stay pretty light-hearted with? The ones who will be hurt if they're not invited or the ones most likely to attend? Where do I draw the line, because I certainly can't invite everyone? Stress.

I'm not a people pleaser by nature and will have fun no matter how few or many people are there, but figuring out who to invite stressed me out. I mean, really stressed me out.

Anyway, it took me months, but I finally got a list to Michelle. In the last couple weeks, though, I've had a handful of people who weren't on the list ask me when I was having a shower, been asked why specific people weren't invited, etc. AAACCCKKK!!! Exactly what I wanted to avoid, but didn't know how.

That's the power of a shower. To simultaneously make you feel super loved and super stressed.

The solution? Michelle and I talked today and we're just making it an open invitation. If you want to come (it's on 10/22 at 11:00) and didn't get the invitation, then please do not take it personally. Know that I agonized over that list and had to draw a line somewhere. Then invite yourself. Seriously. Just talk to Michelle or I for the location. We'd love to have you celebrate the 6th W with us. If we have enough space, then great. If we run out of room, then we'll say so.

And with that, I'll ditch the stress and stick with the love.