Back in the Game!

Guess what?!  After spending the whole summer without one, I have a new computer!!!  

Gosh, I feel like I haven't had the freedom to blog in forever, and it feels so good to sit down at my computer and have everything at my fingertips!  However, having to survive without a computer all day, every day for months really taught me a lot.  I have learned to focus more on my kids and stop wasting time.  I have gotten a lot done around the house and made the little time I could spend on Jim's computer really count.

While I have been absent from the world of blogging, our family has kept busy with more traditional pastimes, like...

Coloring:

Sleeping:

Grocery Shopping:

Roller Skating:

Learning to Curl Hair (Thanks to Hair-Savvy Teenage Friends):

Rolling Over:

And Sewing:

This is the first outfit I have ever made for Cora! :-)

Also, I mentioned in my last post that we started redoing the kids' bathroom a few weeks ago.  Well, it's done, and it is exactly what I envisioned!  I love it when a plan comes together!!

Jim took this photo, and I commented on the towel being askew and the toilet paper being nearly empty. I think he wanted to have me committed for noticing every. little. thing.  :-)

Check out the before and after pictures!

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

I may do another post with the bathroom details if you're interested in knowing more (let me know in the comments if you have questions you want answered).  In the mean time, I'll leave you with one more picture of my little girl before church this past Sunday:

Have a great day! :-)

Seth: Three Months Old!

I can't believe Seth is three months old.  Time is flying by!!  I don't get to savor the daily moments the way I did with the other two kids, and sometimes it breaks my heart.  I try really hard to take in every moment he is awake, but it isn't always possible when we're running to dance classes, swimming lessons, and birthday parties.  Still, when I get to just sit and make faces at my little guy and I am rewarded with smiles and coos, the whole world stands still.

Sleeping Patterns:  Seth is a remarkable sleeper.  I put him down after his last feeding at about 7:30 PM, and I have to wake him up to eat between 6 and 7 AM.  (Believe me, as a breastfeeding mom, I can't wait much longer for him to eat!!)  I don't know too many three-month-old babies that sleep for 11 hours at a time, but I honestly feel like I have earned this.  At this age, Cora was still waking every two hours at night and I never got more than an hour and a half of sleep at a time until she was close to five months old.

Eating Habits:  Seth eats about six times a day.  It usually works out to about every three hours, but sometimes he does a four-hour stretch and sometimes it's two.  It all evens out at the end of the day.  Breastfeeding stopped hurting at around two months, and I am really enjoying it now. (!)  I look forward to the quiet feedings in his room at the start and end of each day because they are special, uninterrupted times when I can just stare at his round little cheeks, pray for him, and listen to the ticking clock.

New Discoveries Made:  Seth has discovered his thumb, and he loves it.  We can't get him to take a pacifier, but the thumb is doing the trick.

Someone's pants are a little big! :-)

Accomplishments: Giggling, blowing bubbles, cooing, and smiling.

Places We Went: Swimming lessons, birthday parties, dance classes, play dates, and stores.

Memorable Events or Holidays:  We celebrated Independence Day by working on the kids' bathroom.  We have been planning to paint and put up beadboard since before we moved in two years ago, and we finally got started.  Here is a little sneak peek.  The lighting (and therefore the appearance of the paint color) is totally off because Jim took out the light fixture and we just have a lamp in the room with a bare bulb.

Baby's Weight Gain:  At his two month appointment, Seth weighed 13 pounds.  If I had to guess, I'd say he's probably around 14 pounds right now.  He's a chunk, but I'm not complaining because it helps him sleep.

Mommy's Weight Loss:  Jim and I started following a Weight Watchers plan about three weeks ago.  It has been awesome to have someone else help keep me accountable.  It makes meal planning and grocery shopping easier, and it keeps me honest.  So far we have lost a combined total of about fifty-five pounds!!  I have seventeen left to go to get back to my starting weight, and I am fighting for every one of them.  I have been alternating yoga and barre classes (one mid-week and one on weekends), and it feels great to see my body getting stronger. (I will be sad when my Groupons run out in a few weeks because I can't afford to keep going at the regular rates, and it's too hot to exercise outside.)

I sold some of my maternity clothes today, and although I was happy to see them go, it was weird to know that I won't pass this way again.  I am trying to enjoy every moment.

iNeed a New MacBook

It pains me that I haven't blogged in so long.  This whole not-having-a-computer thing stinks.  Big time.

I have come to the sad - but necessary - conclusion that the chunk of change I had saved for my camera needs to go toward a new computer.  It hit me the other night when I snagged Jim's computer after dinner and worked on it until bedtime, that not one thing I was doing was wasteful.  I wasn't surfing the internet or watching YouTube... I was responding to emails that had been sitting in my inbox for five days, I was doing research for Women's Ministry stuff for church, and I was setting up a meal calendar for a friend who had a baby.  Even though a great camera would be a wonderful investment and an awesome creative outlet, a computer is a necessary tool for me.  At this current point in my life, I can't use a camera to serve God the way I can use a computer.  God has blessed me with the gift of administration, and I haven't been able to use it!

So, I need to keep saving to get a new laptop that will allow me to fulfill my Etsy orders, store my whole photo library, and basically pick up where I left off.  I have explored my options, and I know now what I need.  I am just hopeful that I can get something before Jim's classes really take off this fall and I am left high and dry.  I wouldn't say I'm striking a deal with God (because that doesn't seem so biblical!), but I certainly am asking Him to honor my decision.  As of right now, any extra money is going toward medical bills, so it would definitely take some divine intervention for this to happen.  I certainly don't know God's plan, but I'm not counting against that possibility.

Finishing Cora's Room

A few weeks ago I finally got around to tackling a house project.  It felt SO good to be back in the game!

One of my house goals was to paint a few pieces of furniture this year, but I had to wait until sweet baby boy was out of my tummy.  Here is furniture piece number one, Cora's nightstand, before I got my hands paintbrush on it.:

And here it is after:

I chose a shade of white that matched the existing furniture (which is not true white or ivory), and I bought a pink drawer pull at Hobby Lobby.  I'd love to tell you this was super cheap, but the project cost a little more than I had hoped because I had to buy special primer, some new rollers, and a few other things.  At least now I will have those things to tackle my next two paint projects.

Before Seth was born, I managed to paint a piece of artwork for Cora's room.  It isn't totally done because I want to go back and clean up the stripes at the bottom of the painting, but in case that never happens, I should probably go ahead and post some pictures of it in its current state:

Here are a few other views of the room:

Other than touching up the canvas, this room is done!  At some point I'd love to add seating under the window that connects the two bookshelves (and shorten the curtains to the necessary height), but I have other things in the house I need to do more.  I also know the bookshelves will fill up on their own as Cora grows, so I'm not in a huge hurry to accessorize them.

It's a beautiful day... I think I may have to get the paintbrush out again in another room!!  :-)

Kicking Off the Summer

The last few weeks have been a flurry of activity.  In my last post, I complained about some of the difficult things we've been dealing with, but we have had some really great moments, as well.

Two weeks ago, Brennan finished kindergarten.  I can't believe my little boy is done with his first year of school.

Brennan's school did a super cute program for the end of the year.  It was honestly so well done.  I've been in lots of schools over the years, and I have never seen such a darling, appropriate, and well-executed end-of-year program.  And to pull it off with over 100 kindergarteners was no small feat.

Even though Brennan missed the last two full days of school, he was able to go back for the last half day to get his report card and say goodbye to his teacher and friends.  He made this adorable letter for his teacher:

When Brennan got home from school on his last day, I had a banner for him hanging in the doorway.  After he had his picture taken with it, I made him break through it to get into the house.  :-)

Nana was inside waiting for him so she could take him to the zoo.

Another thing that came to an end for Brennan was soccer season.  His team finished the year strong, and even though every child got the same trophy, Brennan was very proud.

This past Monday we all went with my mom to the newly-reopened Rainforest Cafe at Opry Mills Mall.  The kids haven't been in a few years (it has been closed since the flood two years ago), and Brennan didn't remember anything about it except the hippo that used to scare him.  (He thinks it is pretty cool now.)

We had a gift card that was given to my mom for her work with the A Cappella Choir back in our home town, and it was just such an awesome present!  Brennan and Cora were in awe the whole time watching the animals move and waiting for the next "thunderstorm."  

Besides all of these special moments, we have enjoyed simply being outside in the sunshine playing on the slip and slide and eating meals on the picnic table.  

My mom leaves to go back to New York in the morning, and we will officially be on our own as a family of five.  We have ten weeks of summer ahead of us, and I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm scared.  But we will just take one day at a time and count our blessings...

...like s'mores and campfires.  Life is good.

It's Raining, It's Pouring

I am writing this post from Jim's computer because I don't have one anymore.  My house is currently 83 degrees and I am miserably hot because our conditioner keeps breaking.  My kids have been sick for an entire week with sore throats, fevers, vomiting and diarrhea, and Brennan missed his last two days of kindergarten.  To say that this has been a hard week is a major understatement.

(If you aren't too depressed to stay with me, here are some of the details:)

Last Saturday when I tried to turn on my computer, it just wouldn't turn on.  The Geek Squad (aka Jim) looked at it, and he there was nothing we could do.  He saved my hard drive and all of my work, photos, etc., but the machine itself was dead.  It is four years old, and I honestly don't know if a day has ever gone by that I haven't used it.  All of that use and abuse was bound to catch up with us sooner or later, but I just wasn't prepared.

I started writing a blog post a week or two ago about how I have been saving money for the last six months for my first decent camera.  I have wanted to own a good camera and take classes for about sixteen years now, and in December I decided that it was time to embrace the dream, even if it took a year to save enough mad money.  I have done lots of research, talked off the ears of several of my photographer friends, and saved about $450, but it now looks like I will need to give up on the camera yet again and put the money towards a new computer.  It's dumb, but it has actually made me cry.

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When we were building our house, we questioned the single air conditioning unit that was supposed to cool our 3000+ square foot house.  We were assured that it was an Energy Star home and didn't need more than one unit.  Even though we were skeptical, we bought the hype.  Two years and many issues later, we wish we had trusted our instincts.  We now have a technician making a house call at 9:00 on a Saturday night.  He is telling us that some freon will "get us by" until a store opens on Tuesday.  This just had to happen on Memorial Day Weekend.

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Last Sunday when I got up for church, Brennan told me his stomach felt yucky and he was hot.  He had a fever and it was decided that he would stay home with Jim while Cora, Seth, and I went to church.  As we were getting ready to leave, Cora vomited all over the floor.  The next seven days were a roller coaster ride of one kid getting better while the other showed new symptoms.  I am hopeful tonight that everyone is on the mend, but I don't know what to think anymore.

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If I were reading this on someone else's blog, I'd be tempted to tell them that it will all get better soon.  And it's probably true.  But today, for me, it doesn't feel like it.  Every day is a struggle with cranky kids and new challenges.  I feel disconnected.  I feel overwhelmed.  I feel like nothing in my life is mine right now.  I can't wear any of my own clothes.  I can't have a conversation without being interrupted thirty-six times.  I can't send an email until my husband gets home at night with a computer.  I can't run errands or go anywhere without thinking through everyone's schedules.  I can't even go to bed at night to get a break.   I can't continue to pursue the one thing I was doing for me without sacrificing major sanity points.

I know it's all temporary.  I've survived the newborn stage two other times and know that it is fleeting.  But when I'm sitting in a sauna house with cranky kids who want to watch another television show and my middle child throws a tantrum and refuses to go upstairs and take a nap and I lose track of how much powdered sugar I've put in my recipe and I can't get onto my computer to look up said recipe, and my newborn needs to nurse, I just feel like I am going to crack.

Last night a couple of friends took me out to dinner to celebrate my birthday, and I felt like I was watching the whole evening through a piece of thick glass.  I heard every word and enjoyed my friends completely, but I didn't feel like a participant.  I couldn't laugh with my whole heart, I couldn't relax, and I couldn't think of anything witty to say.  I worried the whole time that they were thinking, "Melissa hasn't been very fun in about a year.  I don't want to hang out with her anymore."  I hope that's not true because I need tons of support right now.

I am eager to get everyone well, find a summer schedule that works for us (I had just found my stride and then the school year ended!), and start being fun again.  Maybe I need to go line dancing or kayaking or something new this fall when I don't have a baby tethered to my breast.  Who's in?  :-)

Busy and Fun

Life has been busy and fun this past two weeks.  Here are a few highlights:

Brennan is playing outdoor soccer this season, and Jim is his assistant coach.  Their team is undefeated with only a couple of games left, but there is really no emphasis on scores at this age.  They are playing hard and having a great time.

Seth turned one month old on Friday.  He is getting so big!

We are constantly amazed at how much Seth looks like Brennan.  Check out these pictures below of the two boys at 3 - 4 weeks of age (isn't it crazy how strong their necks are?!  It makes them look six months old!!):

(Use your thumbs to cover up their hair...  Isn't it wild?)

I went to a Mexican mustache baby shower for my friend Janna last week, and it was a lot of fun.  Everyone got in on the action, including the youngest partygoers.

We are getting into a groove around here schedule-wise, and I have even lost four pounds in the last eight days.  I totally changed the way I was eating, and obviously it has helped.  Things are looking up.