No Cabin Fever Here!

We knew when we moved back to chilly Michigan from warm sunny Georgia that the winters were going to take some adjusting. We knew that we were going to have to learn to deal with snow and ice and single digit temperatures. But never did we think we were going to have to deal with -17 degrees temperatures.

Long before this Arctic blast, ring, cyclone whatever your weather station calls it arrived, I vowed to hibernate. Not only to keep the yucky sick germs far far away from my toddler and soon to be newborn, but also just because I don't like the cold.

Don't get me wrong, there is something nostalgic about having a snowy blowy white Christmas and New Years. After the first few weeks in January...most people are over the cold, slick, icy, snowy roads and grey skies. The sun came out for probably 5 minuets this morning and Parson and I found ourselves in front of the biggest window in the house. Faces turned towards the sun soaking in the warmth and vitamin D. The sad part is....we still have at least 12 more weeks of this stuff. Thats right this baby thats still in my belly will spend the better part of his first two months in our house.

When Parson was two weeks old I was out pushing the stroller twice a day because I was getting "Cabin Fever"...funny how a few years can change things...and people. I giggle because all across Facebook I see status about people getting stir crazy because they are on day 2 or 3 of being "stuck" in their homes. 3 years ago this also would have been me.

When I came home from the hospital after giving birth to Parson I remember being SO board. Lets be honest, newborns sleep ALOT. Sure I was tired from being up every 2-3 hours but not tiered enough (yet) to want to sleep the day away. I was home for two weeks unable to drive, one of which Aaron was working. So it was me and a newborn baby...in a house. After working full time for a few years and then before that working two jobs, going to school and choreographing musicals, this new found life of "slow" was just not for me! After my 2 weeks no driving rule was lifted I was FREE. By free I mean able to go to Target, Kroger, or for a simple car ride just to get out of the house. Granted this was April in Georgia so we are talking capris and short sleeve shirt weather.

Anyway fast forward about a year...we decided that its was time for me to stop working for pay full time and to stay home with Parson. After we made the decision for me to stay home we had 6 months of "surprise" "big" expenses...which made us broke...and by broke I mean BROKE. Like at one point I was going through all my old purses, cars, laundry, couches, and junk drawers looking for any change I could find to add up and buy groceries with. During this season of broke...my car broke down. We had one functioning car and it was a manual transmission which I do not no how to drive. So...this lack of money and a working car cured me of my cabin fever. Fall and Winter in Georgia means rain..and lots of it. So very limited outside time, literally no cash, and a car I couldn't drive...I had to learn to entertain myself and my toddler in the same few rooms with the same things over and over and over day after day. At first it was awful. I hated it, I was mad, I was sick of house work and I was sick of being unable to do anything. I made myself a schedule our a routine for each day and stuck to it...and I like routine. I thrived on weekends when Aaron was off so we could go to the mall play park, go to church on Sundays, and once a week evening small group bible study...those were my outs. I also got connected online with a group of Moms that all had kids the same age as P, in fact I still talk daily with them. I learned quickly that that was all I needed.

So...back to cold Michigan and cabin fever. I vowed to hibernate...which I love to do now. I am just as happy waking up and going through Parson and I's routine then I would be getting up and "going" somewhere. I love spending all my time with this sweet little boy child. So this winter storm has been great for me/us because it has given me and excuse to NOT leave the house. Here are a few pictures from the past 3 days of hibernation:

So even though slowing down is not in most of our natures...maybe we need to stop and enjoy, snuggle, slow, and enjoy being in for just a few days. 

Patty

Your baby is now the size of a watermelon

As we closed up the holiday season 2013 I opened one of my pregnancy apps on my phone and I read,

"Your baby is now the size of a watermelon"

I wont lie, the past month kind of stunk. I was sick, feeling...large, ended up in the ER once, and was hit with a bout of morning sickness. I was so over being pregnant that at one point I looked at Aaron and said if I dont' start to feel better...I just don't see how I will carry this baby to term! He is such a support and told be to hang on and that things would get better. Thankfully on the 23rd of December the morning sickness was lifted and I had energy again! Praise the Lord!!

We are 100% ready for baby brother to come...well besides curtains to be hung. After our detour to the ER a few weeks ago...I repacked our hospital bag and made sure to check it twice. We had our final meeting with our Doula and finalized a game plan for P for when I go into labor. 

At my last appointment with my doctor he had a huge smile on his face and said...well this is it! Your almost there...now just to wait and went over the signs of labor. We talked about how I want to labor at home as long as possible so I have freedom to, move, eat, sleep whatever. We spoke at our first appointment about how nervous I was going from a midwife to a OBGYN. Even with Parsons pregnancy my OB office staffed midwives, so this was my first time with a strictly medical doctors and nurses and it made me nervous...simply because they are trained to look for and find problems. Which is great and dandy...but can also cause more stress because something small can be made something big out of genuine concern but can really be nothing. 

I was also put at ease after our little trip to the ER. I was SO impressed with everyone that I came in contact with. From the ER to the birth center part of the hospital. Everyone was kind, helpful, patient, and the birth center/the doctor on call communicated with the ER doctors to ensure that baby and I were both healthy. It put my mind at ease for when I do go into labor. 

Now that all the sickness besides a silly cold is gone I feel pretty darn good for being 37 weeks pregnant. My belly button did not Pop with Parson and I did not "waddle" with Parson. Well my belly button is popped and I am waddling...and there is NO hiding it! It is clear my body "remembers" what is about to happen in the next few weeks because my hips are widening are are nice and loose :P 

The same as with Parson my belly is measuring on track but I can tell this baby is nice and long. At my last check up baby brothers head was down and low...and I can still pat his little tush clear up by my ribs :)

With 3 weeks left until my due date I am trying to remain patient..not because I don't want to carry baby brother in my belly any longer but because I cant wait to meet him! Aaron is SO excited for baby brother to come. With Parson he was nervous, anxious, and unfamiliar. Just last night he said to me "Come on baby brother...come early please! I want to meet you!" then he looked at me and said "I am so excited because he isn't "starting" our family he is another "addition" to our family and I want him here so he can fit into this perfect puzzle" WHAT...I know isn't he greatest man ever :)

Here is a little look at our growth over the past 37 weeks :)

17 weeks

27 weeks

37 weeks

It sure does look like there is a watermelon under my shirt! 

So now we wait...and wait and wait for little brother to decide that he is good and ready to come meet his family. Oh boy are we excited!

Patty

In 4 months he will be 3!

In just under 4 months my fabulous first son will be 3! How is that possible? I feel like it was just yesterday I was awaiting the stork to tell me it was time for me to have my first baby.

He is making a venture from toddler to little boy. Most days he overwhelms my heart and I cannot get enough of him.

But lets be honest there are days that he drives me bananas.

He speaks so much and so well now. There are still a few words that he pronounces backwards, for instance instead of saying "Snow" he says "Sown" he will get it right eventually, for now we love to go play in the "Sown". :)

He has been able to recognize and say letters and numbers for a long time now. He never was able to sing the Alphabet song until recently. It really is so cute. At the end he exclaims "NEXT TIME YOU SING WIT ME!" and then he yells "FOURTEEN!" We don't know where the fourteen comes into play, but according to Parson it is definitely part of the alphabet song.

Homeschool preschool is going good. He loves learning. Playdough and the iPad have been big teaching resources for us. He also is a very good learner with flash cards. We started a pack of sight word flash cards a few days ago. Sight words are a big step up from letters, but it is teaching him to recognize familiar and new words. We are taking them slow with only 5-6 cards per week, we will add new cards each week. I also picked up a pack of "Ready for school" flash cards and they go over all sorts of things from colors, shapes, counting, letters, remembering images and their names. I was SO proud of him for being able to recite the info on those cards almost 100 precent correct. We celebrated with hot cocoa and marshmallows :)  He cant start "preschool" until Fall of 2015 because he has a late birthday. We might shop around for a "preschool" type environment for him to start next summer or fall for a few hours a day a few days a week.

I ran into another scary parent decision this week at church. Now when I say scary you are all probably going to laugh when you hear what it is.

I dropped Parson off at his church Sunday school class. They had already been asking me if I wanted to move him up to the 3's room the past few weeks. I have not really wanted to yet because I am nervous that it will be "to big" for him and he wont want to go. Most of the kids in that room are older 3's and even though Parson is getting better with words, he is not socially there. Not to mention the new big kid room wont have the cool inside play park with the blue slide he loves so much. Anywho...I picked him up after bible study and the teacher that was in his room that morning said... "he is board in this room...you really need to move him up" It was my first I have to challenge him and make sure he is learning and developing and not just staying at one stage. My heart is still a little heavy about moving him up. See how silly am I for worrying about moving my child up a class at church...I will be a nut case when he is in preschool.

His favorite foods right now are black beans, apples, and yogurt. He literally would eat only these three foods if we let him. He eats at least one apple a day. Its the best snack because its easy to take places. In fact I always have a bag of apples in my car. 1.) in case we get stuck somewhere....we have a healthy snack. 2.) I am pregnant and need to snack often 3.) its an easy and favorite snack for P.

His imagination is booming. He loves to play and make up stories. I managed to find a Fisher Price Little People Farm set at a garage sale. He cannot get enough of it. Feeding the animals, taking the tractors to the depot and to the moon to get more cheese. We cant help but stare and just watch his little mind create. Before I had a child I never understood how parents could watch their kids play for hours at the park or with toys. I thought it seemed to boring. Now I could watch Parson play and learn for hours without feeling a thing but joy.

He still is a snuggle bug, especially when he is sick. Over thanksgiving our whole family got a nasty cold. We spent lots of those 4 days together snuggled up reading and watching shows. Sometimes he still just wants his Mama. One night I was making supper and he really wanted to be held and snuggled. Being 34 weeks pregnant or not, holding/carrying him is not something that we do or is really necessary any more. I looked down at his tired sick self and couldn't help myself. I got out our Ergo (which is safe for preggo mamas to wear) and put him on my back. Only for about 15min and then he was ready to get down. I relished those 15min of sleepy toddler snuggles. Aaron got those same snuggles at the Santa parade earlier this week. 

I still cant believe in just a short few months he will be 3. I don't think he will ever understand just how much we love him. 

Patty

Sweet Georgia

We get asked all the time if we miss Georgia...and we do. Here is just a short list of our favorite things and parts of Georgia that we miss...

Our friends and GA family - Our small group and our closest friends. Two of my best friends got married just a few months after we moved. Holidays were spent with our small group and closest friends and even some extended family. Though we are so thankful to be spending our holidays with our immediate"blood family" traditions of 5 years past are missed. We missed the funeral of one of our dearest friends Andrew. One little boy turned 2, one boy turned 3, and our favorite sweet little Sarai turned 1. In just a few short months our other favorite little guy who shares a birthday with Parson will also turn 1. Jeanette, Jennifer, Kiley, and Fredrick would always have a Christmas party with us involving to much food, nerf, and usually being a little sugar drunk.  Parson still calls for his Mimi and Papa, his Georgia grandparents and his very first love TyTy (Kiley) and even his cousin who will forever be referred to as  "baby Blakely"

Southern Hospitality - No matter where I went alone or with Parson someone almost always held the door open for me or wanted to have a 30min long conversation. Ma'am and Sir are words that are forever in our vocabulary after living in the south, say yes Ma'am or sir to the wrong person and you will get a scowl in the north :P Being called "honey or sweetie" by a complete stranger was not creepy...instead they were terms used for sincere endearment.

Retail - Kroger, my favorite little road side fruit stands, Trader Joes, "real" super targets and an over abundance of Apple stores all within a short drive. Having to adjust to shopping at a big box store like Meijer from a small store like Kroger was almost culture shock :P

Food - Thats right the food. Shrimp and grits, biscuits and gravy, real sweet tea, boiled peanuts and our favorite restaurants. Maybe its because I am pregnant that I miss our favorite restaurants...but there have been multiple occasions that I wanted to call our favorite tex-mex restaurant and see if they could overnight me some crab cake tacos or my favorite sushi place for a yummy seafood fix.

Church - Now we have found a church in Holland that we love. We are slowly getting involved and establishing a new church family. North Point Community Church will always hold a special place in our heart because we know and love so many people that are a part of that church.

The Culture - Because we were so close to the city of Atlanta we lived in such a melting pot. People from everywhere and part of the world. 9 times out of 10 everyone got along. No one cared where you were from, what your religion was, or how your skin looked. Children all played together not knowing any different. The area we live in is fantastic but it always seems that there is this judgement that is held over each other...and its enough to drive me bananas :)

We are thankful for Facebook, texting, emails, and phone calls to keep connected to those who are dear to us in the south. We know that we will be visiting there within the year. Georgia taught us a lot and helped grow us into the people we are. We often joke about how we just need to move all our family to the south.

Living in the south is just something you need to experience and cant quite explain. It holds something that the north doesn't have. Even though the invisible line that separates the north and the south is just that...invisible, the lifestyle and culture is so different, refreshing and endearing.

So Georgia even though it was time for us to leave...you are forever a part of us and we do miss you :)

Patty

Photo Post

Parson is busy...

Creating new ways to sit in strollers

Mastering the "Selfie" 

Waiting for Daddy to come home

Snuggling with the kitty

Modeling his new Elmo hat

and...

Creating masterpieces 

Contract or Covenant?

You know how sometimes you go to church and the message seems absolutely mind blowing? Like for whatever reason the information you are hearing is being presented in a way that only God knew that you needed to hear it? Today was one of those Sundays. 

We walked into church today on time for a change because of the time change, boy am I glad we did. The children's choir was helping lead worship today. Something about watching the innocent children worshiping with their whole hearts gets my heart (and tear ducts) working every time. One little boy in the front row was dancing his little heart out...he just could not contain his happiness...it was the best way to start a Sunday. 

Anyway...our church is doing a 4 week segment called "Why did I get married?" based on Andy Stanley's series "Staying in Love". Now I am an information junkie. I have just about every marriage book, bible study, ect and I have read almost all of them. I am no better of a wife because of them :P Granted...all of them have bits and pieces of information that Aaron and I try to practice often. 

We have been married 5 1/2 years already which seems absolutely crazy and I am not quite sure how that time flew so fast. The thing Aaron and I decided before we said i-do was that we were going to make this work...no matter what. That unless it was a seriously unhealthy relationship then divorce was just never going to be an option on the table for us. Of course you have moments when you think "What the heck did I do...why did I get married?"

We have already had ups, downs, and dull moments and they will happen in the future to. Generally we think our marriage is pretty good. We manage to work through major things together as a team. What I have found in the short time we have been married is that its the daily junk that eats at our relationship. 

That is exactly what todays sermon was about. I am simply going to share my notes from the sermon and I am by no means taking any credit for this information...I just thought it was such a good perspective change that I HAD to share it.

We all walked down an aisle of some sort weather its was to wait for our bride or we were the bride walking to our groom. Down this aisle we brought expectations... "When we get married we will..."

-Buy a house

-Have kids

-Have images of what our husbands will do (yard work, change diapers, work for pay, buy us flowers)

-Have images of what our wives will do (work or not work for pay, clean, cook like your Mama, pick up your dirty socks)

-Images of our friends together or separate

-How you will spend time with one another (or a lack of time)

-Images of intimacy and how often you would have sex

Once those expectations begin being met or not met...we go into "negotiation" mode. Usually a 50/50 split...

You work outside the home = I work inside the home

You do the outside work = I do the inside work

You say kind things to me = I say kind things to you

In our minds we split things up "equally" 50/50. But once we get in this mode we turn our marriage into a relationship with a contract. "Ill do my part ONLY if you do your part" 

We then move into an "You owe me" mentality. For example, "I cooked and fed the children...you owe me...you HAVE to put the kids to bed" "I worked for a paycheck...you HAVE to cook and clean" or whatever your 50/50 situation is. It then makes it literally impossible for your spouse to make you happy...impossible for their 50% to be met because you always feel like your the one doing more.

You are no longer thankful for each other or the things that are being done that you are not seeing because your to busy looking at what YOU did. 

When you lose thankfulness you lose intimacy...you go from husband and wife to roommates. 

Our next error is we see marriage is a two party deal...that it only effects the "you" and "me" in the relationship. This is so false. Obviously if you have kids, your kids are effected by the happiness and continuation or stopping of your marriage. Your family, friends, coworkers, ect are all impacted. 

The next error we make is by writing God out of our marriage. Its not about weather or not you go to church or pray. Its about weather we choose to "do" marriage Gods way or our way.

 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church." Ephesians 5:31-32

Marriage is not man/our idea. It was Gods idea...ya know remember those first few chapters of the bible...the whole Adam and Eve thing.  Its not our job to figure out how it works (I am SO guilty of this) "Two shall become one flesh" to become "united as one". United in hebrew literally means to glue together and to never come apart. 

The verse then says "this mystery is profound" that marriage is a profound mystery. AKA: not easy. Regardless who you are married to...pick anyone in the world....and its still not going to be easy. Changing your spouse is not going to solve the mystery of marriage. It will change the problems maybe...but certainly not the mystery. 

13 Another thing you do: You flood the Lord’s altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer looks with favor on your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. 14 You ask, “Why?” It is because the Lord is the witness between you and the wife of your youth.You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.

15 Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring.[a] So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth. Malachi 2:13-15

If you got married in a church...with a religious ceremony..with a priest or pastor. You agreed to the "covenant of marriage" a covenant not a contract. 

What does a "covenant" mean to marriage?

You commit yourself to your relationship with God first.

You commit yourself to your relationship with your spouse next (not kids/job/ect)

That your relationship will be based on what YOU GIVE...not what you get.

That it will be based on a promise into the future, "till death do us part" not "Until you gain weight, work to much, stop doing laundry, stop buying flowers, ect"

A lot of times people will say "S/he isn't the same person as when I married him/her" Your right...people change. No one can say that their spouse "was" perfect when they got married...they weren't and neither are me or you (then or now).

If your marriage is a contract...its like a cell phone bill. You provide service...I pay. If I am not happy...I leave and start over. But if I switch companies and don't pay...they won't provide service. Its a never ending cycle of contracts and disappointments.

If your marriage based on a covenant...it means loving this person into the future. Even if you give more than you get.  No one relationship or person will stay the same forever and that means accepting and loving through all the ups and downs. 

Our pastor ended with a marriage statistic..that you know 50% in marriages will end in divorce. What they don't tell you is the other statistic that is tacked on to that. That if out of those 50% of failed marriages would have gotten help or if both parts of the relationship worked at/ wanted it to work..that 75% of those within 5 years would have survived for many more years to come.

So is your marriage based on a contract or a covenant. If its based on a contract are you willing to put in the work (5years or whatever) to get 50 more years of happiness? 

Take this all as you want. Aaron and I were shocked at this perspective and never really realized that yes even though we are happy in our marriage...that it was based on a contract. Even if we did not ever intend on leaving the contract...think about all the un necessary "downs" you can avoid by changing your perspective. 

Our 1 year wedding annaversary <3 p="">

Patty 

Third trimester - Pregnancy Update

Its here! Its here! My third and final trimester with babe inside is here! I did not think it would ever come. I have had a stellar easy pregnancy...until now.

What morning sickness or food aversions I didn't get in the first trimester are here and showing their ugly faces now. Even though I may feel yucky its such a fantastic sign of a beautiful little life growing inside of me.

Thankfully I have been able to compile a list of foods to avoid to avoid the yucky feeling:

Anything sweet...thats right cookies, cake, ice cream, even yogurt and coffee creamer. I just cant do it. I was at a birthday party this weekend and had a small slice of cake and ice cream. Car pooling with one of my dearest friends...I did not want to puke all over her car...but I was almost sure it was going to happen. Thankfully I made it home and a nap rid of the yucky feeling.

Tomatoes/Tomato soup...which is almost more sad than losing sweets. I think its the richness of the soup that does me in.

My staple meals and snacks have been:

Seltzer water
Salad with hard boiled eggs and sunflower seeds
Toast with avocado
Hard boiled eggs
Life cereal
Grilled cheese
Bananas
Grapes
Raw veggies like cucumbers, carrots, orange bell peppers
Milk
Tea
Broth like soups (veggie, stew, ect)
Black bean quisdillas

My body changed so quickly this pregnancy...I didn't really grow faster but my hips widened months earlier than they did with my first pregnancy. I was able to wear most of my own pants with a hair band well into the third trimester with Parson. Well those pants have been long gone for quite a few weeks now. Sheerly because my hips have grown.

I gained 32 pounds with Parsons pregnancy and I am on track to gain the same amount give or take 5 pounds which is comforting that little brother and I can both stay healthy.

I am not nervous at all for labor and delivery this time, probably because i've done it before and know kind of what to expect. Lots of braxton hicks help me remember that my body will be practicing for a the next 12 weeks :)

Besides feeling tired and the beginnings uncomfortable I am so thankful to have reached this far and am more than happy to deal with these small no fun parts of pregnancy to have a sweet boy in my arms in just a few more weeks!

5 weeks

27 weeks 5 days

Its pretty amazing what a womans body can do. :)

Patty