High Low Kind of Day

Today has been quite the day. It has been a true test of the wits, our patience, our strength in consistency, and will power! When Wyatt first turned two, I thought, the terrible twos, they aren't so bad. Then he turned three, and wow look out! Now that he is four I think we have matched and raised the bar once again. These last couple days have shown a decline in listening skills to the point they almost no longer exist. It is beyond the typical selective hearing you normally get. Taking toys away, time outs, and spankings are short term consequences that no longer phase. The only thing we can do is keep on keeping on. Consistency is key. With the Lords help we can and will persevere!

With that, here is a glimpse of the behavior we had today. Mind you this was the worse, but this wasn't the only misbehavior...





{Red crayon on our bedroom wall}



{He told us it is a map.}



Oh, and yes, he did have to wash it off. Very thankful today for Magic Erasers.

However, on a much more positive note, my husband made my day! I have been wanting a head board for our bed ever since I had to rearrange things to make room for a dresser and cradle. We had to put our bed on an angle to accommodate. I will be nursing the baby and really wanted something I could lean back on for those late night feedings.  So, my wonderful husband, being resourceful as he is, built me a head board!



{Finished Head Board}



It is everything that I wanted! He did a fantastic job! He used scrap lumber we had lying around so it cost us nothing AND it turned out great! I am one happy wifey!

So, overall we survived our day despite the trials we faced as parents. Exhausted? Yes. There will be days like this, but thankfully they are far and in between!

38 Weeks!

Well, today is gorgeous and Nick happens to have the day off so, we are getting things done! For lunch today we decided to go down to the lake and have a pic-nic! Wyatt was excited, he loves pic-nics. Couldn't ask for a better day for such an occasion!






{Wyatt and Daddy}





{Nick and I}





We are also at 38 weeks now. Counting down the days to delivery! I am ready anytime. Friday and Saturday were very rough for me. I had acute pains inside my right hip and could not even walk without struggle. I can't explain what it was, all I know it HURT!  It has gotten better, although I feel it a little bit now. Other than that everything is going great. I had to reschedule our doctors appointment. for Friday late afternoon, so I won't know anything more about how I am coming. As of last Monday, I was dialated to 2 and 50% effaced.

{38 weeks}



{38 weeks}



There was one thing I had hanging out before the baby came that I needed to tackel and that was a Big Brother shirt for Wyatt. I came across an idea to make our own since I wasn't about to pay more than $15 for a shirt already premade. {Call me cheap if you want, I call it thrifty.}

Anyways, I used crayons, fine sand paper, and a white t-shirt. I wrote on the sand paper with the crayons backwards, placed the sand paper face down on the shirt, then I layed a tea towel over it and ironed on the words. After that I put it in the dryer for about 30 minutes to set. I did find some color where I didn't want it, but overall I think it turned out cute.

Our Bags Are Packed!

Well, we finally got around to packing our bag for the hospital. It was actually hard to remember what I should pack! It has been four years since I did it last, so it wasn't really fresh in my mind. We just had our 37 week appointment and found that we are 50% effaced and dialated to two. I was hoping there would be some progress, although it is not to say we can't still go three weeks. So, it is time to get ready!





{37 Weeks}





My List

• Nightgown and robe {Remember darker is better}
• Socks or slippers
• Extra underwear
• Nursing bra
• Nursing pads
• Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Spray {Can't hurt!}
• Chapstick and lotion
• Maxi pads
• Going home clothes {More than likely you will want something loose fitting}
• Extra clothes for the hubby {Just in case}
• Extra clothes for Big Brother
• Going home outfit for baby and blanket
• Toiletries
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Body wash
• Tooth brush
• Tooth paste
• Face wash
• Make-up {If you are feeling up to it}
• Flip flops for the shower
• Hand held fan
• Snacks
• Camera
• Books/Magazines
• List of phone numbers
• Boredom Busters for Big Brother

{Packed and ready!}

Hopefully we have thought of everything! Although, knowing us it is VERY unlikely!

Working on My Green Thumb

Well we are going to try it again. We didn't have much luck last year growing ANYTHING, but I am not going to give up! We have the poorest soil imaginable. No really, in some spots we can't even grow moss! But, I am hopeful, since the flowers I planted last fall have come up. That has to be a good sign!

 This time to save money I decided to buy seeds instead of the plants, and started them inside. I used yogurt cups for my seed starters!

And so far we are growing!!! I am very excited since I don't exactly have the greenest of thumbs. I love to garden despite all my short falls! We planted sunflower seeds outside, and will be planting pumpkin seeds too. I hope this year we will have some pull through for us!

I have been doing much better with my inside plants too. I am happy to say the fatality rate has decreased drastically! I even have plants that have new growth on them! Oh happy day!

Learning Patience

I have to admit yesterday, I was feeling a little sorry for myself. A couple weeks ago we entered the Worst Driveway in Northern Michigan contest. I honestly felt that it was God sent. I had not been very good at getting the paper those last few weeks and I just happened to get one that had the article about this contest. I felt it was meant for us. We really do have a hazordous driveway. It should be called the Venus Car Trap, because that is just what it tries to do.

After checking my email later in the afternoon yesterday I found out that we didn't even qualify to be one of the three finalists. That just took the wind out of my sails! What a HUGE relief it would have been for us to win. To not have to wonder how we will get through another winter with a driveway that gets worse and worse with every spring thaw and heavy rain.

Then I started to think about the countless other things that our house needs. And all the extra expenses we will have once the baby comes. We are living in 2012 and here we are deciding to use cloth diapers, not because it will create less waste, or because it is more environmentally friendly, but because disposable diapers are an extra cost we may not be able to afford.

It is so overwhelming sometimes to think of all the needs we have. I think back to before we moved back up here from Grand Rapids and how I always had to check myself with, "Is this a need or a want?" We could afford to get things whether we needed it or not. Now all my wants are needs! Oh, how things change.

How nice it was to have two incomes! Imagine, if we had two incomes now and still lived the same lifestyle how much money we would have! Even with the cost of daycare we probably would have money to spare. But, that is not the path we chose. We chose for me to stay home and live on one modest income. And really, that is okay. The sacrifices we are making, will be worth more than money for our kids.

I hate having these feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. At least for me those days are rare. I have to remind myself that God has a plan for us, and right now, His plan wasn't meant for it to be easy. It may never be easy. There are many reasons I can think of to try to explain to myself why things have to be so hard. But my hope is that it won't be this hard forever and I am sure that it won't.

God has been teaching me patience. Me, a person who always had things come easy and immediately, who now will have to learn to wait. We need windows, siding, another bedroom, a garage, a driveway, car repairs, we will have medical bills after the baby, chiropractor costs, and other little things that always come up. Do all these things NEED to be had now? No, but it would be nice to not waste heat in the winter to poorly sealed windows. It will take time, and not that much really, a few years and if we do it right we can get all that done. Patience, is what we need to learn.

I think of James 1:1-4 which says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Be happy when you face problems! Really? Well, yes! We don't have to go through our struggles alone. If we have a relationship with God, he will be there to guide us lift us back up when we've been knocked down! It is easy to feel sorry for ourselves, I have, but thankfully it doesn't last long. When I start to feel that way I think of all the ways God has pulled us through one problem after another.

We have food on our plates, a roof over our heads, and bills that get paid on time. We always have JUST enough to get by, but we ALWAYS have enough. God will provide! And for that we are very thankful.

36 Weeks and Wyatt's 4 Year Check Up!

We are finally on the home stretch! We are now doing our weekly visits, which have been in and out. It takes longer to drive there than it takes to have our appointment. Things are good though. On Sunday I had to take my wedding bands off and start wearing them on a necklace. I am not really swollen, but just enough that the bands are too tight. The last couple weeks I have had a LOT of pain in my lower long ligaments. Hurts to walk, stand up, and roll over. The last two days though, it has been better. I have been very tired lately. Naps don't do too much, but I will take them when I can.



{36 Weeks}



{Also, please ignore the casual attire, I am allowed at 36 weeks to wear stretchy pants whenever I want.}

So far total weight gain is 32lbs. Not too bad. The doctor is saying we will have a smaller baby. I hope he is right! Wyatt wasn't big, he was about average, but smaller would be nice!

Wyatt has been sweet on the baby. He has been giving my belly hugs and kisses. We have been talking to him a lot about whats to come, and trying to reel in his temper before the new arrival as well. He has gotten into this phase of throwing things when he is mad or upset, and we can't be having that around the baby.

I dug out a lot of Wyatt's baby stuff, and sorted through it gathering all the universal things I could find. It didn't add up to much and I think we will need to get a few things just to be safe. I got the infant carrier cover all washed up and just need to find a day that isn't raining to clean out the car so we can hook it up. I still need to pack my bag for the hospital. That shouldn't take too long. We had Wyatt at 38 weeks so, I am hoping it will only be a couple more weeks and we will be a family of four!



{Hugs}





{Kisses}



{Listening for baby}



{Big Brother}

We had Wyatt's 4 year check up today. He has been anticipating this visit for a couple weeks now. He has been so excited to have his OWN Dr.'s visit! On the way to the pediatricians he asked if he was going to get that sticky stuff put on his belly and if he would have to pee in a cup. We laughed and decided he has been going to too many prenatal visits lately.

He stood on the scale for the first time {he always refused before} and weighed in at 34 lbs. He is now 40 inches tall! He had his hearing checked and all was good and also had his vision checked and has 20/20 for now.

He got three shots and didn't even cry! {No more shots until he is 11!} What a trooper. We had to go across the hall to the lab where he had to get his blood drawn, which was his first time. They were testing his hemoglobin to see if he is anemic. We are pretty sure though that he is not and just has his mama's pale white skin! He did cry, but he did great! He left the pediatricians with a sticker, a book, a stuffed puppy, and a sucker! I think he made out pretty good!