07 September, 2014

Sleep

Sleeping seriously stresses me out. Not my own sleep or lack there if. But the sleep of my kids. I almost eish there weren't so many resources out there so I could live in ignorance. 

Don't let you baby cry. They will feel abandoned. You need to let your baby cry or they will never learn to self soothe 

Don't sleep train until 16 weeks. Start sleep training as early as possible.

Lay your baby down awake. Lay your baby down sleepy.  Lay your baby down passed out. 

Co- sleep. Never share a bed with your baby. 

You can't spoil your baby. Don't spoil your baby. 

It is seriously exhausting and all consuming. I thought I would have this all figured out having done it with Evangeline but it is just as stressful the second time around. Evangeline is an incredible sleeper and by the grace of God we never had to make her Cry It Out. That should be reassurance enough that Juliet can be a great sleeper one day also. 

One thing I need to make sure I don't do as a mother is always harp on the things my girls AREN'T doing and focus on the things are are doing. For example, Juliet is an incredible night sleeper. She goes down easy with a little bouncing and a few cuddles. Sleeps like 6 hours, eats, goes right back to sleep, wakes up 4ish hours later, eats, goes back to sleep and wake up 6:30-7ish. Sleeping the while time in her bassinet!! That's awesome!! Evangeline slept in our bed for months! 

So here is a little note to myself of we happen to find ourselves with baby #3 (please, Lord 2 is enough). Don't stress too much. Do what YOU feel is best for YOUR babies. Pray about sleep more than you read about sleep. And soak in the cuddles. Soon they will die at the thought of cuddling in your bed with you. 

Stress less, sleep more. 


Fruits of the Spirit

I found this blog draft that I never published. It is from when Evangeline was first born.  It really encouraged me as I am going through the newborn stage with Juliet.


I am learning more and more about prayer as I desperately seek the Lord day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute, as I take care of this sweet babe.  I pray for the fruits of the spirit to rise in me with every night feeding.  To love every moment.  Find joy in the middle of the night. Help create a peaceful home. Be patient with every diaper change. To be kind with every cry.   Be gentle with every touch.  Remember God in all his faithfulness.  Teach goodness to in all I do and self control in trying not to give into my selfish wants and desires.  I am so thankful to have the strength of the Lord to lift me up as I learn this new job.
2 Sam. 22:2:
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer.


06 September, 2014

Remember This

I wish I could write this blog post as in the middle of my day so I can accurately document my true feelings of our current season in life.  Because right now, I am actually having a moment to myself as I am sitting on the back patio, eating dark chocolate(which I crave like craze while breastfeeding) and soaking in the 90 degree weather while both my little woman are down for the night and it is ONLY 8pm!!  Serious success. And with this success my description is going to be much to mild.

But, this might be my first calm in the storm in over 8 weeks and I actually have time to describe what our life looks like right now. In February Kev decided to quit his job, be home full time with Evangeline and double his school load so he could finish his MBA early and I would continue to work full time. This was all good and fine until little Ms. Juliet entered the world.  I forgot how much attention and care and boobs newborns need.  So, now we have two kids, a full time student, a mom who works full time, and two parents committed to raise their babies and be at home.  Oh and to top it all off Kevin was offered a job we could not refuse. So, now we are trying to juggle our two jobs, two kids, school, and figure out how one of us can always home with the kiddos... oh and try to have a marriage.

I am not going to lie, the last few days there have been times when I want to sit in the corner and rock, and sometimes I do it. Everything seems so daunting and and impossible.  Thank goodness for Amazon Prime, it is a life saver when I've made a million trips to Target and still can't remember mascara.  There have been days when I look like a hot mess because little Ms. Ju is a snuggle bug and protests being put down which makes showering almost impossible.  Some days I find myself stand at the computer bouncing furiously with Juliet in my arms, singing the ABC's to Evangeline, trying to read an email. And worst of all, most days Kev and I are going to bed at different times because he is up studying and I am so exhausted I can't keep my eyes open.

This time for us is hard, really hard.  I didn't know what busy was until now.  I remember feeling this way when Evangeline was first born, I didn't know how easy I had it then.  This is just a testament of how God won't give you more than we can handle.  I just need to soak in the moments when I can slowly enjoy my chocolate (instead of hiding in the pantry scarfing it down). It will be great to reread this blog post years from now and know that we survived.  We will survive, won't we...?

25 July, 2014

Moments

I lay here at 8:20pm trying to figure out why this is so hard for me. I've got our beautiful two week old resting on my chest (sweet Juliet). I can smell her sweet breastmilk breath and hear her soft baby pants as she's sleeping. I can hear Evangeline's (now 20 months) sound machine on and can see her curled up in her crib fast asleep on our video monitor. 


 


I'm having trouble laying here being the comfort to this new human. Anytime I move this sweet little Juliet off my chest she wakes up and needs to be loved back to sleep.

I've got laundry to fold, a bathroom to clean, my bible readying to catch up on, I could probably make a mile long list. But, I'm trying my best to laying here and soak it all in. Trying to enjoy this moment, this phase where this baby needs me and is comforted just by my smell and my warmth. I know the years ahead it won't be so easy to comfort these sweet little woman. Trying to enjoy the sight of Evangeline snoozing away after a fun day of play. 

Goodness. Why in the world would I want to fold laundry and clean a bathroom?! Oh my sweet little woman, how you tug on my heart. This is beautiful and wonderful and not hard at all.

26 April, 2014

7 Months in a Nutshell

I get on In My Hindsight blog a lot and get disappointed that there isn't a new post. And then I remember that is because I'm supposed to be doing the posting!! Ugh...Why can't my thoughts just automatically upload to this blog with images attached? Invention yet to be invented.

I seriously love going back and reading the stuff I've posted on this blog. I crack up at my own jokes over and over again. Or I get SUPER annoyed at all my typos. Even if I reread my blog postings 5 million times my eyes refuse to see typos. Kathy Erickson- point them out to me, won't ya?

LOTS has happened since my last post and if you follow The Short List you get picture snippits of all things new.  But, here on this space I verbally vomit all my thoughts.  I always write blog posts in my head but can't seem to find the time or motivation to write them down.  So, here is a list of all things new in our life.

1. I'm preggos with baby #2! If you've seen me lately there is no hiding it as I am slowly becoming the size of a house at  7 months pregnant.  I am kind of sad I have been so lazy with blogging as I have already missed 7 months of pregnancy posts (I mean EVERYONE loves to read all about everyone's pregnancies, right?)
2. We moved into our house next to the Scheeles.  And, yes we are still friends.  And, yes this was one of the best decisions we have ever made.  Seriously so fun.  Constant playmates, second pantry to raid and basically live in babysitters.  BEST.DECISION.EVER.
3. Kev quit his job and is full time dad and MBA student.  It amazes me how he balances everything so well.  He is super dad, of course.  Super husband, as always and so dedicated to school.  Somehow making each party feel like the priority.  How does he do it?  He is just pure awesome.
4. is that it...? I felt like I had more HUGE news, but I think that is it.

Well there you have it.  In a nutshell out life the last 7 months or so.  Hopefully there will be a lot more posts, to document in more than a sentence and a quick picture what we are up to.  If no one else enjoys it, I do. 


13 March, 2014

A Year Later

I just realized I never posted this from this SUMMER.  Summer of 2013!!  Still fun to look at!

Remember forever ago I told you I was going camping and it would be worth blogging about?  Well I did go camping and it totally is worth blogging about but I didn't get a chance to blog about it until right now.  Only about two months late. Oops!

Last year Kev and I decided to host a camping trip at my parents resort in Oregon.  It was such a huge success we decided to do it again this year.  Boy were we in for a treat.  8 adults 5 kids, two of those kids being babies...it was interesting and fun in a terrible kind of way.

The Wagners brought a kid tent.  It was a hit and a genius idea to contain the munchkins.



2013- look how cute we are with our cute hair and cute clothes and cute bellies.
2013- look how cute our babies are.
Crazy what a difference a year makes! Can't wait to see our 2014 picture.