Momma G's Country Cafe

The Chickee La La's

2020-06-20T13:40:00.000-05:00

It took us years of discussion to finally pull the trigger on being "Chicken People". Let me tell you why, our dog Lady has Cocker Spaniel in her and she is a fierce hunter. So fierce in fact that she has killed at least 13 chickens in her lifetime along with an uncountable number of bunnies, chipmunks, etc. It takes her just minutes and she can demolish a flock. Unfortunately, she has proven this with an incident at the neighbors and involving the County Sheriff. This dog is just 20 pounds and the sweetest looking thing you would ever see, but when she is on the hunt that goes out the window and what can I say, it is in her nature.

Well quarantine and time on our hands pushed us to finally say, let's do it. We decided to build a fully enclosed coop/run and keep our fingers crossed they don't get out or we can train Lady to leave them alone. So I hopped online and ordered 10 chicks, the Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens and we were set to get them the next week. I have plenty of time to figure this out. Well, they came 2 days later and I had to go and pick them up at the post office in a tiny little 12"x12" box. Ready or not! I dropped them at home and made a run to Farm & Fleet and picked up a feeder, waterer, chick starter feed and a brooder light. We had a small cut barrel to store them and pine shavings. My book came the next day and the first thing I read was, "Don't order chicks until the coop is complete!"

Well oops, not a great start. I sat down and carefully reviewed coop plans until I found one I liked to which Dick reviewed and immediately threw out and told me he had plans already (they were in his head).

So we immediately began building as we found out quickly, chicks grow at a rapid pace they seriously look like they about double every couple days.

We found a nice flat spot next to our garden for their first residence as the coop we made is mobile. Well, sort of. We affectionately call them the Chickee La La's. They are all so similar in color it would be difficult to track who is who, but the kids have come up with a few names, "Feather Butt, Awesome, Richie, Princess...etc."

The plan is to raise these girls for eggs they are ISA Brown which from the description is a real basic "beginner's chicken". They are just about 7 weeks old so we have at least 10 more weeks until we would start getting any eggs. It did not take long at all for me to embrace being a Chicken Mom. I really love these girls and fear that they will be snatched up by a predator. Each night we lock them up in the coop in hopes that if something was able to break in, they wouldn't be able to get inside the coop.

Most recently I added their sandbox in which they love dusting themselves and picking out grit.

They have been a wonderful learning experience for the kids and for me too. They love the scraps from our garden and strawberry tops are their favorite. I really look forward to the days of collecting eggs for breakfast!

-Momma G

Kombucha Brewing

2020-06-14T10:31:00.000-05:00

THE OBSESSION My love of kombucha started a couple years ago when I went to a kombucha tasting. I was absolutely hooked. Additionally, there are many potential benefits to drinking kombucha (hello probiotics and staying ahem, regular) and I got hooked on drinking about 4-6 oz daily. The thing is, kombucha is not cheap and if you refer back to my Welcome Back post...well, I don't have job anymore.

GETTING STARTED I ordered a kit off of Amazon (don't judge me) from "The Kombucha Shop". It was great because it included everything needed for the first brew and a step by step brewing instructions. Now if you are thinking, this sounds great and want to jump on the "Booch Brewing Wagon" I suggest the very next thing you do after you order your kit is to join a Kombucha Brewing Facebook Group. These people know their stuff and the second you see something funky floating in that jug you will freak out and want to be assured it is normal.

THE PROCESS The next thing you want to think about is if you are planning on drinking plain Kombucha or if you want to flavor it. Don't kid yourself, of course you want to flavor it, so next you need to buy some bottles for fermentation 2 or F2. That is the stage I am at today. I am on batch #2, finished with F1 (or fermentation 1) and I chose to use Watermelon for F2.

Day 10 of Fermentation - Testing PH and Checking Flavor

Verifying PH is between 2.5-3.5 - Looks Good!

Batch #2 headed to F2, and starting F1 - Batch #3 & Batch #4

1/4 cup Immersion Blended Watermelon to each bottle

Start of Batch #3 & #4

Before filling bottles for F2, you need to reserve some of the liquid from the batch for the starter for your next kit. I reserve 2 cups per gallon and I decided to start 2 new batches. My batch #4 will be the one with the spigot and is something called a continuous brew. The picture above I have not yet added the SCOBY and starter because I am waiting for the sweet tea to cool to between 68-86 degrees F.

To finish up, the F2 Watermelon bottles will sit in a dark warm spot, (in our dining room in their original box covered with a towel) for 1-3 days or until I can't stand it anymore and then moved to the fridge which will then slow the fermentation process. At this point I will have a cold, fizzy refreshing Watermelon drink that I can't wait to try!

This process is definitely not as difficult as I imagined and I'm so happy I was able to overcome my fear and give it a chance. I still consider myself a beginner, but happy to have fresh homemade kombucha coming straight out of Momma G's Country Cafe!

Happy Sunday!

-Momma G

Welcome Back

2020-06-13T11:34:00.000-05:00

WELCOME I am not even quite sure how to start. Welcome back to my blog (formerly Julie's Junk Drawer). I couldn't be more excited to start writing and sharing again. The past (gulp!) 2 years I dropped off my writing as I pushed through becoming a Mom to 3 and working full time. I am not kidding you I had been going about a million miles per hour each day sun up to sun down.

TOP ANNOUNCEMENT So let's start off with my BIG news...I decided to take a break from the Corporate World and become a Stay at Home Mom! How did this come about you ask? Well, it was not even on my radar as 2020 rolled in and as we are all well aware, BAM Corona Virus hit and we all ducked away in our homes. I worked from home for a few weeks and things changed at work and I was furloughed. So, I found myself staying home with my 3 wonderful children Richie (6), Leela Jane (5) and Willy the Silly Boy (3) and though it has been challenging, frustrating, daily I run out of patience...I LOVE IT! The decision did not come easily as going from 2 incomes to one isn't just something that happens without a hitch. There was a lot of discussion, budget planning and communication over the past 2 months to figure out if this will all work. The good things is, decision like this aren't permanent. I can change my mind and we will make it work, but for now this is me living in this moment.

THE NAME CHANGE I spend a lot of time in my kitchen (actually I am sitting here right now) and it is my favorite room in the house. It is the beating heart of this home and a lot of the posts you will see will be related to things that come from the kitchen. I thought about beginning a new blog, but I didn't want to lose all that history of our infertility journey and everything leading up to where I am now. So, you get a new name, a new look and all the history is still there.

CONTENT The direction of this blog's content will be snapshots of our day, hobbies and just our simple county life. I enjoy gardening, line dried clothing, brewing my own kombucha, tending to my chickens, fitness, preparing food, writing, coffee & being a Momma and Wife.

Tomorrow I am going to be transferring my second batch of kombucha to the F2 phase which is where I will add fruit and bottle. Stay tuned!

- Momma G

William's 4 Month Check Up Stats

2018-03-21T20:47:00.000-05:00

Height 26"
Weight 13 pound 15.5oz

Have 3 babies they said...

2018-03-21T20:46:00.004-05:00

ow just wow! Have 3 babies they said...

Well I am here now and feeling extremely bummed I haven’t written in 9.5 months. We are still just catching our breath. Life is totally chaotic but totally wonderful. We simply cannot believe how blessed we are.

Today was Williams 9 month check up:
Length: 29”
Weight: 19 lb 9 oz

He is growing like a weed, big beautiful brown eyes and just a wonderful little baby boy. Everyone ... I mean everyone cannot get enough of Baby WillMAN! I am barely holding on breastfeeding in the early AM, pumping now 2x at work and starting to burn through my stock of what was at one point well over 800oz! My supply has diminished and I am okay with that. I will try to hold on for another 2 months but really make no promises. This boy is an army crawler cruising around at an amazing speed getting into anything and everything he can. He can sit himself up and loves to babble. He is patient and great at entertaining himself as long as he is free to roam and play but the second you put him in a jumper or car seat he scream bloody murder! He loves feeding himself and drinks well from a bottle or soppy cup!

Next up...my mini me Leela. She has grown up so much being ‘big sister’. She has this distinct raspy voice and she is not afraid to get a little rough and tumble with her brother. She sleeps from 7-6:30 and will not get out of bed. She has been potty trained since she was just over 2. She loves going shopping, having her nails painted and wearing dresses BUT she also loves going out in the woods with Dad to cut fire wood. She wants to go fishing with him this spring. She starts 3K this fall! What!?

...last but not least... Richie. This boy is just so intelligent and knows how to strike deals! He loves dinosaurs and playing outside. He also loves going to the library and playing games and picking out books. We took a trip to the Dells a couple weeks ago and I was impressed at his bravery going down slides. We had a blast. He knows how to steal my heart by offering a kiss ‘on the lips” which he very rarely will give out. He is doing amazing in 3K and picks up so much when we read books. He is forever my 1st baby!

We have been staying busy focusing on paying down our equity loan from our remodel and navigate being parents. I cannot day it enough, God has blessed us richly. We are so thankful! I celebrate my 34th birthday this week with a “day date”! I cannot wait!

Well that’s all for now... I’m hoping to write more soon but make no promises:)

Julie

I'm BEHIND! William Robert 6/2/17

2017-10-12T08:56:00.002-05:00

Let me start off by saying 3 kids is no joke. I'm a little late BUT William Robert was born on 6/2/17 via VBAC! Vaginal birth after C-Section. Here is what I remember...

Thursday 6/1/17 - A normal day at work... I had been stripped at the OB the week before and other than light cramping nothing was really happening. I had an OB appointment at 8:30 AM and no changes had really occurred. I think I was still around 1-2cm, not really effaced and things didn't appear to be doing much. I was stripped again and headed off to work. Had a normal work day and again had slight cramping but nothing major. After a routine evening I headed to bed and kissed my hubby good night and said..."See you later when we are headed to the hospital!" LOL...I was totally joking, only it didn't turn out to be a joke at all. 10:30 PM I am awoken with a feeling like...oh no! I peed my pants! I was extremely lucky this pregnancy and was typically sleeping through the night without even getting up so it was really odd. I stood up and felt a little funny and realized it maybe wasn't pee. I got to the bathroom, sat down...stood up and realized...it wasn't pee my water broke!!!

Since there wasn't much for contractions I wasn't too worried yet. I called my Mom and told her what was going on and she headed over to watch R & L while Dick and I packed up for the hospital. It was a calm ride over about 30 minutes to the hospital. Nothing but mild cramping at this point and they got me up and settled in my room. Other than my water being broken there was no changes from the morning. Unfortunately due to my VBAC attempt I was shackled to the bed...okay not really but I was told I needed to be monitored at all times. I tried my best to rest, but being checked on every little bit wasn't the most relaxing.

Friday 6/2/17 - About 4 hours after arriving at the hospital they began Pitocin to see if we could get things moving and they started a little at a time. Finally things got started and I opted for the epidural. I can't remember all the timing on everything but as things got moving along and I was still feeling contractions to a certain point but I was definitely still uncomfortable and not really making any progress. Dick left to go grab some food and shortly after a nurse was in to check. I told her I was uncomfortable around my c-section scar and she told me I had just had a really, really long contraction (not good). Next thing I knew there were a few nurses and my OB around me and I started to panic. One of the main risks with VBAC is that the uterine scar could rupture and at that moment was a real threat. I was still freaking out and Dick was gone and they told me I needed to relax. I went into meditation mode and started breathing exercises. I was still feeling so much pain. The doctor checked again and I was maybe at a 3 but pain was gone from my C-section area and we had to start the drip all over again. I continued to focus on breathing and relaxing and soon I was starting to feel some downward movement. Things were finally starting to move along. When it came time to push I was ready and after 2 long pushes he was out! I'm terrible and can't remember the exact time, but it was something like 6:47PM, 8 pounds 6oz and 22.5" long! Dark brown hair!

The next day my Mom brought Richie and Leela to visit their new brother lovingly they call him "Baby WILLMAN" and after the visit Dick took them back home and my Mom stayed to get caught up on all the details. Auntie Gina (Godmother) stopped in on her way home from Oshkosh and I spent most of the day relaxing with my new little man. I was feeling great! When it was time to go home I had a lot of family waiting for us and William got to meet his Aunt, Uncles and cousins on the Suhr side. They cooked (and cleaned) for us and it was amazing because I was completely exhausted and going through a major hormone crash.

Fast forward... we had an amazing summer including a 4th of July party we hosted at our house. Maternity leave I had the kids home with me on Tues/Thur/Fri and the older 2 went to daycare M/W so I could spend time with the new baby. Time flew by and before I knew it I was back to work starting on August 28th.

Recently we finalized the paperwork to donate our 7 remaining embryos to the clinic we used for our IVF and life really feels full circle. I've had a lot of emotions come up going through the legal paperwork but overall I know in my heart it is the right choice. Our family is complete and our hearts are full. I'm thankful every day for this. Anyways... I hope to find more time to keep my blog updated. It has been a blessing to have everything written down because one thing is for sure...it is easy to forget where you came from...easy to push aside the pain and pretend it never happened. I don't want to forget...I want to remember exactly where this journey started and one day I want to be able to share it with our kids.

Julie

Attempting VBAC

2017-10-12T08:21:00.002-05:00

Just noticed I never finished this post... from 5/18/17

We are getting very close! Almost 37 weeks and I can't remember if I mentioned that I will be attempting a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section). It's actually turning out to be more of an ordeal than you would think. At 20 weeks I made the decision to change OBs and hospital who would allow the attempted VBAC birth. I've done a bit of reading, I know the risks but also know if all goes well I am the perfect candidate. I've had a vaginal birth before, the reason for my C was position of the baby and I have a great support team!

I was checked at my last appointment and still high but maybe 1cm. We are definitely getting started but not there yet. That's okay! I have little bursts of energy here and there but am very sleepy by around 7:30-8.

....

I never really expected this day to come...

2017-04-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

Many of you reading my blog know that my husband and I struggled with infertility issues before going through IVF to have our first child. After our marriage in 2009 we threw out the birth control and thought lets start our family. Fast forward to mid 2011 and still no baby and a trip to the OB starting with small doses of femara, moving right along to a fertility specialist in January 2012 and a year including 3 failed IUI's and heartbreak. Ready to start IVF in early 2013 our first month was cancelled due to an ovarian cyst. The very next month we produced some high quality embryos and SUCCESS. Pregnant with one healthy baby leaving 7 embryos frozen, still no diagnosis.

Fast forward again, healthy baby boy in December and surprise a natural pregnancy later in 2014 resulting in healthy baby girl! Decided to go on mirena for a year and then off then hoping for a 3rd child we were excited to be pregnant again naturally in fall 2016 (expected due date June 5 of this year). We have decided our hearts and our home is full as a family of 5. We get our annual embryo donation storage letter and payment due April. I often get very emotional about it and this year is no different knowing it is decision time. There has never been a doubt about what we want to do when the time came, we will donate but I'm having a much harder time with it than I expected. Then again I never expected to become pregnant naturally after struggling so much the first time around.

Every time I look at the letter or think about calling I burst into a bucket of tears. I remember all the pain, frustration, heart break, worry and think about how I never expected this day to come. Mom of soon to be 3. I do realize that as part of our embryo donation we will hopefully be helping another families dreams come true and I feel blessed to be able to offer it, but it doesn't make it any less emotional. Our DNA child/ren could possibly be out there someday and we will never know. That will be with me every single day of my life.

Anyways, decision is made. We are truly very lucky and I am so happy that we can help someone else. I pray and I try to let go as I let God watch over my 7 embabies and their future. I look at my 2 soon 3 beautiful children and thank God because there was a time I didn't know if I would ever become a Mom.

Julie

Beating Winter Blues

2017-02-07T14:56:00.000-06:00

Winter's in Wisconsin tend to be a little ... well... horrible. This one has been no different. We have had a few days of relief 40 degree weather and we definitely took advantage when we could.

We had a Zoo Day in January! Much need relief from our cabin fever.

Started this post last week so this was my 22 weeks picture.

This week 23 weeks and morning sickness is pretty well gone...now acid reflux has kicked in. I'm not sure which is worse. I wake up to the crackling in my throat and it shows up on and off throughout the day. This pattern is mirroring pregnancy number #2. The good news is that the second tri has me feeling much better and with a little more energy. I think if it wasn't the middle of winter and perhaps we had a little more sun I could say I was feeling good! I felt my first kicks "on the outside" on my belly and can't wait to hopefully have Dick feel it too. In February I'm looking forward to hopefully less weight gain, more energy and hopefully thinking about new room arrangements.

I bought this to start inspiration for G#3's room!

I'm excited to dig through old clothing totes and maybe a couple new things here and there.

Other exciting news is this week Leela (we call her our naked protester) has started potty training. I'm going to be honest I really didn't want to, but after days/week maybe of stripping all her clothes off every time she had pee pee in her diaper I thought...heck why not! She will be 21 months 2/9. Very advanced I say!

Starting to make plans for March and a Mommy Weekend Away in Chicago. Its been awhile and honestly I'm going a little stir crazy.

That's all for now!

Julie

Boy or Girl?

2017-01-23T15:13:00.002-06:00

We are so excited to announce we are expecting another little boy! Wow! My gut feeling was boy, but to be honest I didn't have a clue. I am weirdly super giddy about it. Maybe the chance to go through all the old outfits or I have this feeling like, hey maybe I won't be totally clueless this time around? (Lie) Who knows but either way we have another little boy ready to steal our hearts due June 5th 2017. The name you ask...you will have to wait :).

Our last appointment with my current doctors office was the ultra sound last week and this week I will make my first visit with my new OB. I decided to make the change due to the fact that the hospital in town where my OB delivers does not allow the opportunity for VBAC and the new one does. Will I have one? Who knows, do I want the option if it is a possibility? YES! After experiencing both I have to say the recovery from a vaginal was still painful, but being able to get up out of bed after delivery and no catheter is definitely worth a shot. I guess we will wait and see how this baby wants to enter the world.

Richie was a little upset since he was sure he had another little sister on the way. "I don't want a brother!" Sorry honey, you don't have a choice. Once I showed him the ultrasound pictures and we talked it over he was onboard. Not sure Leela really understands what is going on yet. When she does I don't think she is going to like it.

Tomorrow night we have a parent informational meeting for 3K. What!? Not possible!? However, I think it is a good choice for our smart little man and the right decision for us. He will start this fall after I am back to work. Life will be pure insanity, but I'm sure we will figure out our stride as we always do. Cheers to having a 3.5yr old, 2yr old and a newborn this summer! Bite me infertility, I kicked your ass.

Julie

Life in 2017...soon arriving Party of 5

2017-01-09T12:15:00.000-06:00

It seems as time goes on I have less and less time to blog. Hm... I wonder why...lol. I crack up that I was able to post almost weekly when I was pregnant with Richie. Now...how many weeks am I with number 3? *consults cell phone chart* Ah yes, 19 weeks today of course. Actually we have our 20 week ultrasound next week so that should not be so hard to remember. R & L tell me it is a girl. I'm thinking boy. We will see.

A few topics I'd like to discuss:
...goals: Amidst the winter blues I am excited to start a new year 2017 with high hopes and high goals (at least before June, then all chaos will begin). Each year we sit and discuss the goals of the upcoming year labeling it 20XX the YEAR OF SAVINGS. Then that never happens! Obviously from previous posts you can see we did some major renovations last year. We were able to sit down and discuss real plans to pay down the home equity loan we used to pay for it setting aside a weekly amount at least until June. I'm excited, its ambitious but doable.

...where do we put all these babies? We have a little rearranging to do before #3 arrives including moving our bedroom downstairs into the room now labeled "toy room", moving L our of her current room "the nursery" and making adjustments to "the nursery" depending on if we are having a little boy or girl.

conversations from the potty... we have made definite strides with potty training our 3 year old. He started at about age 2.75 ... hm you know what I mean. He has his ups and downs but here is the part that has me laughing and questioning my parenting skills. We aren't modest in front of our kids. Often times when nature calls an adult will be using the bathroom at the same time as R or if one of us is in there he will yell out "I HAVE TO GO POTTY TOO"! Okay get in here! Now he has started noticing things like never before... Momma are you pushing "it" down? We always have to remind him to push it down to keep it from spraying every where. Ummmm eek oh um no honey, Momma doesn't have to push it down. As immature as it sounds we have settled on calling "it" a wiener ...um is that bad? I know I should be saying penis but I just can't. Anyways, sigh...um honey Moms don't have wieners. "OH does Grandma have a wiener?" No honey. Only boys like you and Daddy. ...more thinking... "where does the pee come from then?" Ohhhhh sheesh...so many questions. Yup I said it..."girls have vaginas". Blank stare. Conversation to be continued at a later date... Even more entertaining is our 20 month old girl being super interested in potty training being in the bathroom when Daddy is going potty. *Mind blown*

Anyways, here we sit in 2017 ready to become a family of 5...if you told me in 2012 that was my future... "Julie in 2017 you will have a family of 5" I would have probably had some choice words for you because it sounds almost as unbelievable as it is. R will be 3.5, L will be 2 and we will have a newborn. Unbelievable and crazy! As always I move forward trusting my gut instincts, working hard for what I want and putting my faith in God that he is right there next to me as we navigate this crazy life!

Julie

Leela's 18 Month, Richie is ALMOST 3 and ...

2016-11-23T13:46:00.000-06:00

Let's start out with a couple stats for Leela's 18 month visit:

Weight: 25 lbs
Height: 33 in
Head Cir: 18.5 in

Everything is going just fine with her growth! It was for the most part a fairly simple appointment until they asked her to get on the scale. Bring on the Leela stink face scowl. A little bit of a change for us being a new doctor. We opted to change doctors to be closer and also a family doctor rather than a pediatrician.

She is a walking talking maniac who loves to copy her brother. She puts on her own boots, can pull on a pair of pants and is ever increasingly independent. Favorite word right now....NOOOOOOO.

She often has "yes" "no" "yes" "no" arguments with her big brother in which she usually wins because she is relentless. What she is saying no to, I believe she doesn't know or care but let me tell you her answer is NO. We are still battling the car CRY. Any ride past about 15 minutes she goes into this horrible howl that really doesn't stop until we reach our destination. I can distract her for a couple minutes and then the howl begins. We even thought when we bought our new van with DVD player she might be distracted by the movie playing...nope. Record howl to date: 1.5 hour. S-T-R-E-S-S-F-U-L. Please tell me she will grow out of it...please tell me...

Richie...my little Scooper. I can't believe my baby is almost 3 (Dec 1st). This year we opted for going to a Jumpy House rather than our traditional at home party. Things are just too busy and to be honest I didn't want to bring on the stress of cooking and cleaning. We are going this Sunday.

What a smart, funny little man. He can count to 10 and tries to go beyond...11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 20. Starting to learn ABC's and about halfway he gets himself mixed up. We have conversations after daycare about his day. He tells me when I'm being a "bad boy" and Momma is the boss and his b"r"est Friend. I see him growing each day and he is always willing to test my patience. Potty training is still ongoing. Every time we think we've got it we take a couple steps back. His favorite show is DINOTRUX and he loves playing with his construction equipment toys.

Anyways, I am out of time and thought I would get to the ...AND... part...
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Time for an update!

2016-09-19T13:51:00.004-05:00

It is definitely time for an update! Life has been absolutely crazy busy wonderful lately. Lets see... I started at a new location for my job (same company) in June, we changed daycare providers to have someone watch them in town and these 2 little people keep us on our toes all the time.

I don't remember my last update but I am just going to write about these two little people as they are right now.

Richie will be 3 in December and he is an outgoing, stubborn, loves routine little boy. He LOVES all shows on PBS, being outside with Daddy, Grandma, helping in the house unloading dishes, making messes in the toy room, reading, putting on band aids, playing games, playing in the sandbox and pushing his sister in her stroller. He likes to be a puppy in which he will crawl on all fours and walk up and lick your leg or face. Puppy will also pick up toys with his mouth to put them away. Sister Leela also becomes puppy whenever he does. He will walk up to other little kids and ask "will you play with me" which usually intimidates them and they run away. He does not like, the dark, being told what to do, getting outside our normal day to day routine unless it is something he's interested in, watching "news" (anything outside of his favorite shows are "news"). He isn't shy but he is cautious when it comes to dangerous situations very much unlike his sister who I am pretty sure would go skydiving if we would let her. He loves his Momma but really loves his Daddy and is not shy about telling you he loves his daddy more. He wears 3T or 4T for tops and can wear 2T shorts or 3T and 3T pants and weighs around 34 pounds. He has been working on potty training and now wears big boy undies all day and still diapers at night. In the picture he is wearing his favorite foot apparel a pair of rain boots that he loves stomping in puddles. He fights with his sister a lot, but will tell you he loves Leela. At dinner he will say the prayer in which he tells you to "not to pray and don't fold your hands" and will continue "I love Daddy and Momma and Leela" then I convince him to also say "AND I love Jesus...Amen." He is harder to get to bed, but sleeps well once he is asleep usually around 8:14 at night.

Leela... oh my Leela. She is at a wonderful fun age of 16.5 months old. It amazes me how different each kid has been at these stages. She is shy but a risk taker. She falls off things often but is tough and rarely cries when she hurts herself. She is continuing to talk and expand her vocabulary! Momma...Momma. Daddy, then will repeat other words after you say them. She likes reading books. She loves her puppy Lady and also plays puppy with Richie "woof"! She refuses to hold her brothers hand or sit close to him for fear she will get pushed or hit. She isn't afraid to take a swing herself. She is by all means a mommas girl. She LOVES her momma and her momma loves it too! Last we checked she was around 23 pounds but has grown since then. She is wearing 18 months clothing. At night time she will walk herself upstairs into the bathroom where we brush her teeth. She also likes coming in and sitting on the little potty next to you when you are in there. She likes to snuggle and read books before bed.

Leela also enjoys picking flowers, eating rocks, and she giggles with glee on the swing outside. She started walking at 13 months old and gets around really well. She loves climbing up on things and has had her share of falls.

Both love dancing, picking apples, helping in the garden and with dishes, being close to Momma while she is cooking dinner and spending time outside in the sandbox.

We had a wonderful busy summer and I am looking forward to enjoying fall and the holidays with them. I am hoping to visit a pumpkin patch, go on a hayride, trick or treat with cousins, jump into leaf piles and clean up the garden with them. We have our day to day struggles, but I am so happy with where we are at in life and I enjoy spending time with my two precious miracles.

Julie

Infertility - Does the pain ever end?

2016-08-09T08:48:00.000-05:00

Its been a little while since I've touched on anything infertility related, but it has been on my mind recently and I thought it was time to circle back and reflect on a resounding theme that ran through my head while in the thick of things with infertility. I often sat and wondered when it was all done, when we had our resolution would the pain go away?

I am so happy to say our infertility resolution has come to us in the form of 2 of the most amazing miracles. THEY make me so happy every day and to be honest sometimes its hard to even remember the pain and sadness of infertility. Like it was some horrible dream and mostly I try to keep it that way not because it wasn't significant or real but because it was one of the most horrible things I have ever gone through. We are so lucky that after having our son through IVF we were blessed with a miracle baby #2 naturally. I know that isn't the case for everyone. I am thankful for that blessing every single day.

So what is the real aftermath. One of the most difficult things about infertility is how isolating it can be. Relationships are strained. Things like attending baby showers, and being involved in the lives of friends/family who are newly pregnant or new mothers becomes impossible. Sometimes in order to function as a human being you have to protect your sanity and say, I need to step back, I need to protect myself. I know it came to a point for me when I thought I might lose every single one of my friends. I think I came close. I wasn't myself, I wasn't able to function as a normal human being because my mind could only focus on one thing alone and that was figuring out my next step, waiting on another 2 week wait, hoping, crying and the truth is I was socially paralyzed by infertility.

A couple years in I started going to therapy and started on an anti depressant and while it helped it only made me numb to all the emotions I was feeling. Then in early 2013 we underwent IVF and got our miracle. I was pregnant! All of a sudden everyone wanted to be there for me again because being pregnant is normal. I didn't have time to process everything that happened because over halfway through my pregnancy my dad passed away suddenly. A whole new train of emotion, sadness and coping. Then our son was born and honestly I believe something you are never truly prepared for is having a newborn. Something you wanted so badly is suddenly so much harder than you could have ever imagined and all you want to do is be happy but you are so tired and while I didn't realize it until having my second child I believe I struggled with post partum depression.
9 months later I was pregnant again with our second and the hormones and emotional roller coaster continues. It is different, it isn't sadness but I still feel there wasn't much time to process how I was really feeling "post infertility".

So here I am. My second baby is 15 months and while I could have written this post about a year ago I didn't know how things might shake out. One of my strongest friendships I had through out my struggle with infertility came to a grinding halt. While I knew it was happening with the above craziness going on I didn't have time to stop and think about it. In the end I was told it was my selfishness and jealousy that ended it. Sigh, was I selfish and jealous and probably a million things, yea I probably was. Did I have a pretty darn good reason for the way I acted. Yes I think I did. It makes you question every thing that happened, every deep emotion that was shared to that trusted friend. Why wasn't something said. Could it have been worked out? I don't know the answer.

Life happens and people change. I have reconnected with many of the people I thought would be lost forever by the strains infertility put on our relationship. Many are now stronger on the other side and I couldn't be happier. I realize now and can see from their perspective that as much as I had to self preserve they did too. Infertility is confusing and emotional. Sometimes even I struggle to find the right things to say to friends that I have who have/are struggling with infertility now. I guess the answer to my original question of "does the pain of infertility ever end" my answer is no it only changes. The only thing you can do is communicate and be open to the perspective of those you want to keep close. You may not always agree with them and they may not always agree with you, but if you truly do care about someone keep the door open that though you may not be able to be close right now it doesn't have to mean you won't be close again in the future and you may need that relationship in the future.

Julie

Uf-da - - Septoplasty & Concha Bullosa Removal

2016-06-26T23:07:00.002-05:00

I have been down and out the past couple of days. See subject line... Yea I had that done on Wednesday and now it is Sunday. Basically long story short I was born with an extra "egg shell" like bone in my sinus. How did I find that out you ask? Well this is a long story!

First I have an extremely long history of allergies starting in high school following a trip to Europe in which I believe I was severely anemic. Put on ALL of the meds over the years.

Fast forward to April 2016 noticed "popping" in my ear and finally couldn't stand it anymore! Scheduled appt with an ENT (ear nose throat specialist) $50

Diagnosis severe allergic reaction (probably) due to remodel dust caused misfunction of the part of the ear that pops when you go down a large hill. Put on Flonase to control allergies. Allergy test scheduled. $50

Follow up appt diagnosis, allergic to basically everything, dust, weeds, mold, pollen, cats, mice, dogs etc. also on tail end of sinus infection. Follow up one week. $50

Discussion on moving forward with sinus balloon in office procedure to widen sinus with hope of lessening sinus infection frequency $50

Sinus CT $50

Follow up, scan shows concha bullosa and new option to shedule surgery to remove, straighten septum and balloon $50

Insurance approves surgery not balloon procedure

June 22nd Septoplasty & removal $ ??

And here we are trying to recover. Follow up appt tomorrow AM to remove stents.

Interesting how you can live your life not knowing why you can't breath easily through your nose, get sinus infections etc... Interested to see if this was all worth it.

Julie

Birthday Girl

2016-05-23T15:50:00.001-05:00

Oops a little late! My baby turned 1 on May 9th. We had a wonderful party the Saturday before where she got spoiled with gifts and lots of love from all the Uncles, Aunts and Cousins and Grandparents too. Then on the actual day of her birthday I took the day off of work and we went and got sushi for lunch and spent the day with our Cousin Sarah.

She is such a beautiful little girl. She is standing now on her own and taking a few steps here and there. She is getting more independent and having fun playing on her own. She will push trucks around on the floor until big brother comes and steals them. Not really saying many words just yet but no doubt she lets you know what she is thinking via facial expressions and other noises.

She thinks Richie is hilarious and loves wrestling around with him. She is still napping 2x per day a short nap in the morning and a longer afternoon nap. She is NOT a morning person. She'd prefer to sleep in and Richie likes getting up early. Her favorite food has to be mac n cheese and she also loves avocados. She loves being outside and pulling grass and weeds. She also loves playing in the sandbox. We haven't done a lot of swimming yet, but so far she enjoys bath time.

She was just under 22 pounds and I forgot the length, I think around 30". Tooth #7 & 8 on the bottom just popped through. Life is so hectic and wonderful these days as you can tell I am rushed even typing up this post.

In two weekends, we are going to visit my friend in Chicago and we are taking her BFF Violet (& momma Laci). The boys will stay home. Anyways, I wish I could document every precious moment but we are too busy living them and loving them!

Contentment

2016-04-06T21:33:00.001-05:00

Ahhhh so this is contentment! The kitchen and bathroom are nearly done and I just feel so happy with life right now. My two little minions make me so happy and I just am loving this stage of life! We have really been kind of caught up in the grind (and crummy weather) but today I finished work, picked up groceries and was just excited to be home with my people.

Raising two small children and working full time requires quite a bit of schedule/discipline and I truly feel we have it down. I can't say for sure things won't change once again and we will need to adjust but as I was cleaning up dinner and packing lunches for tomorrow there was a brief moment I thought... I've got this!

Renovation Part I

2016-03-18T13:35:00.001-05:00

Remember I said we tore apart our house??

Here are some photos!

Then we took all this down and the wall...

And started putting it back together

To be continued...

Renovation Life and 9/10 Months

2016-03-06T21:51:00.001-06:00

Well this month has gotten away on me for posting so I guess I will have to do a joint March/Feb post. We are deep into our kitchen/bath renovation and I think I've gone immune to the fact that I'm hating living without a kitchen. Each day we figure out how to get through meal time and taking dishes to Mom's to wash them has becoming a weekly thing. We have dust every where and walking through the construction zone is a part of every day life. Please dear Lord let it be over soon. I know I know it will be worth it, but I don't want to think about it until we are to the other side. Renovation sucks! I can't eat another days worth of easy mac!

On to other things...let's start with my Leela Jane. She is always on the move whether going to pick up a spec of dirt, a bug or put some other awful thing in her mouth. She LOVES big brother Richie and is one tough cookie. I caught them rolling around on the floor together today and just as I went to yell "RICHIE be CAREFUL WITH THE BABY!!" I noticed she was laughing, and not just a little, a deep baby belly laugh. She was loving it. She is now standing with ease while braced on something and pulling herself up no problem. She can cruise a bit along the couch and her favorite toy is her play table.

She eats three solid meals a day and is still taking 1 nursing in the morning, 3 bottles at daycare and another nursing session before bed which gets to be less and less. My supply is now pretty poor and I really am winding down. I try to at least pump 1 time at work and once before bed.

At her 9 month check up she weighed 18 pounds 15 ounces and was 28". Just around 60 - 70th percentile for everything. She is perfect in every way :) except she is a bit of eczema. I am worried what the summer will bring since it shows up on her wrists, back of her knees and arms. I am hoping the heat doesn't bother it too much.

She is now starting to say "ba ba ba" and sometimes "da da" but just once I heard "ma ma". I love how she repeats it when we say it and then big brother morphs into a baby too and is all MA MA MA MA BA BA BA. LOL!

Mr Richie is now 2 and 3 months and let's just say he is a wee bit bossy. I have to sometimes remind him he isn't the boss of me (really he is though) and the tantrums have really hit full force. I am just learning myself how to deal with it but I haven't really hit my stride yet. Anything that doesn't provide instant gratification is cause for screaming and his new favorite thing to say is "one more time". He loves watching Thomas the train, Winnie the Pooh and CliPPARD (Clifford). His favorite toys are his chainsaw, his trains and he loves playing with his sissy (see above, rolling around on the floor). As any good big brother would he keeps Leela in line "NO NO NO LEEDA!" "NO SPITTING OUT LEEDA, UCKY GERMS" "NO LEEDA MINE!!!!" On the other hand he loves helping out with picking up wood for the fireplace, throwing away garbage and on a rare occasion cleaning up his toys...(burst into song) "CLEAN UP MY TOYS AWAY". Before bed we let him watch a show and he loves to "SNUGGLE DADDY" (not usually Momma) and then at 8:00ish off to bed. Then fires off the checklist - water - nukker - froggy blanket - ducky blanket - monkey blanket - *new* - elmo light and then you must touch ones (pointer fingers together) - high five - knuckles (he says nickels - hugs.... - more hugs - kisses GOOD NIGHT. No days is a boring day around here.

At the end of January we went on our first family of 4 vacation and met up with our friends Josh & Laci who are also a new family of 4 at Chula Vista in the Dells. We had a blast spending time in our condo, taking the kids to the waterpark and having a Daddy's night out and then a Mommy's night out. We hope to do it again next year!

Anyways, I promise at some point I will post before and after pictures of the renovation but for now I need to get to bed!!

Julie

8 Months and life

2016-01-18T12:18:00.001-06:00

We've got a mover! Miss Leela has begun crawling and oh man is she a pro. It intrigues me because I remember Richie working at it from 6 months until he started which I believe was around the same time. He rocked and rocked and rocked some more for over a month. Leela just seems to be a natural. Once she decided she was ready it didn't take much and away she went. She looks so petite like a ladybug when she crawls. Adorable!

Let's see.. Mr. Richie , well he is a fairly typical 2 year old. He knows his colors, we are working on numbers and can recognize the letters in his name. He is obsessed with the minions and we have watched Despicable Me 2 every day for a couple months now. He is developing quite the personality and enjoys testing his momma on a daily basis.

The great kitchen remodel 2016 is getting ready to be underway and I'm so excited! Cabinets are being ordered on Monday. I will for sure be documenting the progress. It will be my dream kitchen! That's all I have for now. We have a little mini family vacation in a couple weeks. Here are a few recent photos

7 Months

2015-12-14T20:15:00.001-06:00

My Leela is now 7 months old.

She can sit up on her own and is scooching herself around backwards. It won't be long till she takes off. She definitely has grown more independent and loves her make up mirror toy. Still a mommas girl to the core!

I'm still breast feeding and have lots in storage. She has her 2 bottom teeth and the drool is telling me the top two aren't far behind. She also is eating 2 meals puréed per day.

We are looking forward to Christmas and spoiling our babies! Richie is getting a Harley Big Wheels and big boy undies. Leela is getting books and a leap frog picnic basket and various other little toys.

Things are good and life is crazy!

Julie

Richard Roger is TWO!

2015-12-07T09:59:00.002-06:00

Holy cow! My baby turned two last week. I'll start with a few stats:

Height 35"
Weight 29 pounds 12 ounces

I'm excited his party is coming up this weekend. We had a small dinner with my Mom and brother on his actual birthday and opened a few gifts. It was a lot of fun. I hope to make that a tradition. I was just reminiscing this weekend and watching a few "old" videos of just earlier this year and how much Richie has changed in the last year. Just one year ago he was just starting to walk, saying just a few words and now he is a walking talking hilarious toddler. He is a little boy to the max, he loves being outside, playing with his trains, BIG trucks & tractors, he enjoys coloring and recently we did a little stickering. He also knows his colors and is starting to learn numbers. His favorite number is 8. LOL! I'm not sure why but that is the one he will always say. He dislikes the vacuum, loudish noises, Santa & that's about it. He is my independent & adventurous boy! Often times when he doesn't want to leave somewhere I will start saying goodbye to him like I am going to leave and he just waves and says bye Momma. He is also quite the comedian. He likes getting a reaction out of people and will keep an eye on you when he is trying to be funny. If he gets the reaction he wants he takes it a step further. He can't get enough of his Na Na (my Mom) and makes her laugh.

Na Na lives just a few hundred feet away from us so he is able to go over for frequent visits. He also loves his baby sister and as she is getting older I am starting to see them interact more. The other day they were both in our dining room making faces at each other and laughing. It made my heart melt.

He is having a farm themed birthday party. I will have to post pictures next time.

6 Month Update with Stats

2015-11-13T13:30:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was Leela's 6 month appointment. Everything went well! Here are the stats:

Height 26.7" - - 77%
Weight 16 lb. 13oz. - - 61%
Head 43 cm - - 73%

She is wearing size 9m clothing (some 6/9M) and going to be moving into 12m for the winter.

She sleeps mostly through the night in her room in her crib. No feedings at night and usually only up 1-2x!

She has 2 bottom teeth.

She eats about 27-30 oz of milk per feeding and we just added another meal of purees at lunch and dinner. She can sit fairly well on her own. She does not hold her own cup but I am pretty sure that is because she thinks she is a princess and doesn't have to. I am still pumping at work and I now make a bottle before I go to bed which is getting her though her bottle feedings at daycare. I have approximately 1000 oz in the freezer and feel extremely blessed. My goal is for her to make it to 11 or 12 months and go straight to whole milk. We will see how my supply lasts! Here is her 6 month photo where she was grumpy and feverish from teething.

Are we out of survival mode yet?

2015-11-09T14:14:00.001-06:00

The first months of a newborns life are extremely hectic. Sleepless nights, constant feedings, stress of making decisions like "is this normal", "should I call the doctor" "am I a good parent"? On top of that you finally think you've got your shit together and then teething begins. We are lucky and the first go round we had a real trooper. Besides the drool and chewing on everything Richie made it through teething fairly easily. Leela is now teething and it seems like it is taking much more of a toll on her. She has had a fever for days, she is grumpy and overall just seems uncomfortable.

Anyways, having back to back children has made our lives feel like we are in constant survival mode. Throw in moving between the two babes and its a wonder we made it through! However, here we are Leela is 1/2 a year old and we survived and things just keep getting better. She is becoming more independent and more importantly she is sleeping better! We waited longer than we should have to begin sleep training and we paid for it dearly. The sleepless night went on way too long and the unnecessary nighttime feed has finally been cut. I'm able to string together more than 3 hours of sleep at a time. I'm not saying we are out of the woods, but every once and awhile I can say I feel rested and that is a big deal!

This weekend marked a huge weekend for me. It was the first time in a long time things felt calm and routine. We stayed home. We baked. We had a fire in the fireplace. We watched the Packers get their butts kicked. We cleaned. We went to church. We snuggled. We were content. We were happy!

It got me thinking...hey...maybe we no longer have to live in survival mode. Maybe we can just live!

Julie

6 Months & Mr. Big Boy Bed

2015-11-05T00:22:00.001-06:00

So much has happened this month! Richie has moved into his big boy bed, Leela is in her crib. She has been sleeping so much better and going to bed earlier 7:30-8. Almost the same time as Richie. She is a side sleeper like her Momma. She started solids this month along with still nursing. She takes 3 - 5oz bottles at daycare and one solid meal at dinner. Like her brother she likes sweet potatoes and carrots and again we are making our own baby food. We are so excited to have over 900 oz frozen breast milk and I'm still pumping enough each day at work so we haven't had to use much of it.

She can sit up and loves playing in her kitchen. She is very chatty and thus far is a mommas girl! Tonight we noticed she popped her first tooth!!! Halloween was this past weekend and I had a little duck and a chicken.

We've been so busy with work and parenting and house chores its kind of nice to have the kids sleeping early so we can relax.

Richie cracks me up every day whether it's his excitement about BIG trucks or asking "you okay"? Every time I sneeze. He loves Thomas the train and Mater from Cars. He also loves to color and paint.

He also loves being outside.

Somehow I've managed some time for myself! 2x per week I stay after work and go for a run with my coworker before I pick up the kiddos. A couple weekends ago I spent a day/night in Madison and saw Wicked, ate ice cream, and ate at a German restaurant and drank a boot of beer!

I must say life is exhausting but amazing!

I feel so blessed to have what we have and be where we are at in life. I'm a firm believer that God answers prayers and He has given us more than I could have ever imagined.

Julie