Through Clouded Glass

All The Vital Signs - 32 Weeks (Baby #5)

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Sat, 23 Sep 2017 03:44:00 +0000

I had an appointment last week, so there are some semi-interesting things (to me) to report! We've been spacing my appointments out a bit this pregnancy (because it's hard to bring all four kids down and keep them relatively quiet in a doctor's office), so prenatal appointments are particularly exciting to me this time.

Updates From My Doctor's Visit

I especially wanted to ask my doc about a couple things at my appointment - first, I wanted to confirm that baby is head down now! I mentioned before that I felt her flip around a couple times. I thought she had turned back to a head down position, but I wanted to check to be sure.

The second thing I wanted to ask about was my blood pressure. The last couple appointments my blood pressure has been pretty high for me, and I was starting to get concerned. I had pre-eclampsia with Wyatt, so I'm always looking out for signs that I might have it again. I think my last appointment my blood pressure was 140/80, which is pretty darn close to an official "high blood pressure" diagnosis.

Thankfully though, my blood pressure this time was 110/66, which is right about where it normally is...so whatever was causing it to be high has seemed to resolve itself for the time being! Baby's heart rate was 148 bpm.

Then my doctor pulled out this little portable ultrasound machine to check the baby's position, and she was sweet enough to let each of the kids hold the wand and see Baby! (Minus Clarice, who gets anxious at the doctor's and will not leave my side.) The kids thought it was pretty fun, especially squirting the gel on my belly. Gwen saw Baby's head when she held the wand, Wyatt saw the heart, and Clyde saw the legs. Baby is officially head down, and also confirmed as a girl! It was fun to see her briefly again.

They also checked my iron levels at this appointment, and it was at an 11.5. Normal is 11-15, so it's on the low side (remember when I thought I was anemic earlier in this pregnancy and the nurse brushed me off?). They gave me a sheet with suggestions of high-iron foods, which let's be honest, I probably will not reference. At this point I eat whatever is in my cupboards that looks appetizing.

The iron thing does explain my recent craving for ice though. I can't get enough ice! So I probably should try to eat some fortified cereals or something.

Getting To Know Baby Girl

I'm starting to think about this girl's personality, and I'm wondering if she'll be a little independent like Gwen. She really doesn't like being poked at, and she'll kick my hand when I try to feel her little limbs through my skin! It's kind of funny. She's so active in there too. I haven't really had to worry about whether she's okay in there at all because she's constantly moving.

We also officially have it narrowed down to two name possibilities! Derek and I went on a Christmas-shopping day date (trying to get all Christmas shopping done before delivery), and we took the opportunity to discuss names. We have one that we really like and will most likely be using as long as we feel it fits her when she's born!

How I'm Feeling

As far as symptoms, I'm having a lot of heartburn, some rib pain still (though it's been better), and my hips are killing me, so I think there is some joint loosening happening. I don't think she's dropped yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if she did soon if the hip pain is any indication.

(I know I said I wasn't a leggings girl, but it's leggings all the way this pregnancy!)

I'm also feeling a little excessively emotional and overwhelmed by ordinary things lately. I hate this stage, where my emotions start to get all wacky. I think I need to take it easy and lower my expectations of how the house should look, etc, but it's hard because I really care about having things neat right now.

Now that we've reached 32 weeks, I'm starting to think ahead to the delivery. I've ordered a baby book, a coming home outfit, new pajamas for the hospital (I haven't bothered to buy new ones in months, and it's time), and backup mascara, facial cleanser, etc.

In the next few weeks I'm hoping to get my bag packed! I usually like to have it packed by 37 weeks, and I think it's a good idea to stick with that this time. I am measuring about two weeks ahead, and my doctor thinks this little one might be a little bigger than the others. That doesn't necessarily mean anything, but a part of me is hoping that my body can only handle 7-pound-something-ounce babies, and maybe she'll come a week or so before my due date! But I'm trying not to get my hopes up, because Clarice was 3 days late, and I know what an emotional roller coaster it can be when you go late and didn't expect to.

We shall see! We officially have less than two months left!

Somewhat Unexpected Joys

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 11:30:00 +0000

My, the last few weeks have been busy. I think the nesting is officially upon us, and I've spent a lot of afternoons sorting through long-neglected corners of my house. I've been trying to get things in order before this baby arrives, finishing projects, and spending a lot more time at home than I normally desire. I'm typically an on-the-go type of person, but this pregnancy is bringing out the homebody in me, and I've been enjoying all our quiet days at home. Actually I need the quiet days at home, because even a few hours out of the house these days leaves me exhausted!

All this being-at-home leaves me with a little more time to rediscover some simple joys. These are a few things I've been surprised to be loving lately.

Sounds of the kids waking up from nap time.

Don't get me wrong, depending on the day and how exhausted I am this isn't always necessarily welcome, but the longer I'm a mama the more I like hearing my kids waking up from nap. Maybe it's the fact that Wyatt doesn't nap at all anymore, so I've begun to let the "nap time is me time" idea go. But seriously, they are so cute. Some days they spring out of their rooms, cram their shoes on their little feet, and run outside. Some days they are especially sleepy and wake up with mumbles and whines, and it's a prime opportunity to get some rare snuggle-time in.

Today, the kids have just burst out of the rooms after nap time and are upstairs right now, decorating the house with "fall stuff"; paper leaf and turkey creations that Wyatt put together while the others slept. I am finding it really adorable. I love that we've had this time to stay home and let their little creative juices flow.

Leggings.

In case you couldn't tell, I'm just not a leggings type of girl. You will probably never find me in a grocery store in leggings or pajama pants. I like some structure to my clothes. So it's somewhat surprising how often I find myself reaching for my leggings lately. Maybe it's because I am so sick of tugging on baggy maternity pants that won't stay up, or rolling down the band of maternity pants that are cutting into my bulging middle, but bring on the leggings! Today I started out in jeans (they say to dress like you are going to be seen and you'll be more productive, right?), but now I'm sitting on my bed, typing in some glorious gray leggings, a tank top, and a chambray shirt. Going-out appropriate? (Not to me.) But while pregnant-and-staying-home? Complete bliss.

Making play dough.

I mentioned this on Instagram the other day, but it bears repeating here. This summer, I was curious about Zdough, which is a scented play dough brand that was popping up on all the homeschool preschool feeds I follow. I ordered some, and brought it out for the kids to play with the other day, and something about having play dough that smells good was just really fun for all of us. In fact, pretty much anytime some normal thing can have a scent, I'm all over it.

I popped back on Etsy the other day because I was thinking about getting some smaller tins for the kids' stockings this Christmas...and I realized that Zdough is only offering subscriptions right now since the owner is having a baby. Which makes total sense, but also totally foiled my play dough plans.

This seemed like a good opportunity to just try to make my own, so I grabbed this recipe and gave it a whirl. Then I made another batch. And another. I may have gotten carried away.

There is something weirdly therapeutic about making scented play dough.

So now we have three containers in our fridge, scented like pumpkin spice, almond, and orange cream (basically whatever flavorings or extracts I had in my cupboards). The kids love it, and I weirdly love squishing it between my fingers too. I promise I'm not turning into one of those wacko snowflakes who needs a safe space with play dough and puppy dogs in order to cope with life! But if you have kids, use the excuse to try making play dough. It's just kind of fun.

Bath stuff.

A few years ago, I purged my linen closet of all my bath products. I was coming off of a stage of life where bath stuff was the go-to gift, and I just had way too much of it. I figured that instead of limping along 8-year-old bottles of shower gel, I should just start from scratch and buy the stuff that I would really appreciate as a grown-up. I still haven't really replaced the shower gel, but a few weeks ago I got a free $10 to spend at Ulta, and I chose bath stuff.

Pretty much every time I have purchased C. Booth bath products I have not been disappointed. Right now I have the Egyptian Argan Oil Body Butter and the Foaming Dry Body Polish And Cleanser. Let me wax poetic for a moment, because I love this stuff. It makes my skin feel clean and fresh and healthy and like I smell good (which is nice when my pregnant nose is picking up every molecule of weird scent from every corner of the world which I inhabit).

First, the body butter - I hate body butters that leave me feeling greased or sticky. Heavy body butters usually get assigned to be my hand cream before I go to bed at night, and that's the only way I use them. This is the stuff I actually use all over, because it feels light and refreshing on my skin. And the smell is perfect - it doesn't smell like anything to me except clean.

Next, the body polish - this was a new product for me, but I'm so glad I splurged on it. My skin has been feeling itchy lately, like it needed some exfoliating. This is one of the more unique scrubs I've used - it actually is dry, like a powder, and I was a little taken aback when I opened the container. But when you add a little water and rub it over your skin it doesn't feel like scrubbing with sugar. It goes surprisingly far and does seem to foam a bit, and I like the smell. It exfoliates without adding a layer of oil onto my skin. It's just really nice stuff!

Our math curriculum.

I mentioned in my first grade curriculum post that we are using RightStart this year, and more than once I've gushed to Derek about it in the evening when he gets home. It just makes so much sense to me. I think some people might have a hard time seeing where the curriculum is going with some of the activities, but I don't because it actually reflects how I think about numbers. I can already see how Wyatt is grasping general math concepts and visualizing the numbers in his head, and it's kind of exciting to me! I'm not necessarily a math person (though I did alright with it when I was in school), so I'm surprised how much I'm enjoying teaching Wyatt math.

Personality books.

Since my little Myers-Briggs "What AM I?!" mishap, I've picked up a few personality books and I am excited to read them. I'm in the middle of one right now, and I'm hoping to get to the rest as soon as possible. Reviews probably coming soon (also keep an eye on my Goodreads), but this is the list I'm working with right now (these are affiliate links):

Creative You: Using Your Personality Type To Thrive by Otto Kroeger (Have yet to start.)

Please Understand Me: Temperament, Character, Intelligence by David Kiersley (Have yet to start. Also, this is apparently a link to the second edition, and my library has the first...)

Reading People: How Seeing The World Through The Lens Of Personality Changes Everything by Anne Bogel (Listened to Anne read the first chapter on her podcast and am anxiously awaiting my copy in the mail. Also, the Kindle version is only $3 right now, so if you are interested, grab it!)

The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin (Almost done with it, and while I thought it was a bit hokey at first, it is making more and more sense now that I'm 3/4 of the way through the book.)

Maple pecan iced coffees.

The one on-the-go joy on this list. Everyone loves pumpkin spice in the fall, but this girl is recently on a stricter budget, and I just can't swing $4-5 every time I want a coffee. However, I have this horrible habit of thinking I need a coffee every time I'm running errands or heading to a playdate with the kids. It's like the promise of the coffee is what gets me out the door and fuels my uncomfortable pregnant self to go to all the effort of strapping four kids into the car, then out of the car, then back into the car (repeat x amount of times).

I was driving along running errands the other day, and decided to get something at Dunkin Donuts instead of the expensive-coffee-chain-that-shall-not-be-named. I'm so glad I did, because they had their fall flavors out, and I struck coffee gold! If you need a more affordable, and arguably more yummy, alternative to pumpkin spice, get yourself over to DD and try the maple pecan iced coffee! It is so good. I think I like it better than PSL, which was a happy and unexpected discovery.

Candy corn.

Of course. Because it's fall. I feel there is really no need for explanation here. So maybe this little joy is the one that actually wasn't unexpected, but it's fall, so I have to mention candy corn.

What kinds of things are you surprised to be loving lately?

Loving My Actual Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 11:30:00 +0000

A little confession: I've struggled for the last several years to really enjoy the Christmas season. Maybe it's the extra pressure that comes from being a mom and having more people to juggle, maybe expectations outside our immediate family have ramped up...I don't know, but no matter how much I prepare, the season still seems to be more stressful than I would like.

(Affiliate link below.)

Knowing this about myself, when I saw Loving My Actual Christmas by Alexandra Kuykendall, I knew I had to grab it. Because I am self-aware enough to realize that I do need to take some pressure off myself and learn to love the actual Christmas I have, even if it doesn't look the way I want.

This book is less a how-to, and more of a personal memoir of how the author herself managed to enjoy her Christmas even amidst all the hustle and bustle. Each chapter is centered around a week of the Christmas season and focuses on a theme - hope, love, joy, and peace. She writes about how her actual Christmas season pans out as she tries to keep her focus on these different themes each week.

It might seem like reading about someone else's Christmas experience wouldn't be overly helpful, but I actually found this whole book really encouraging. Because it wasn't perfect, and she was busy, and she cried a couple times, but in the end she found she enjoyed the season more because amidst the busyness she took time to focus on her themes, and how they relate to the reason we celebrate in the first place!

I loved how she ties it all back around to the nativity, and how God became a man in order to save us. It wasn't preachy, just reflective, and it gave me hope that maybe this Christmas season I can find time to prepare my heart too. That's really what I think I'm personally missing during December, the focus on Jesus's birth. I've usually blamed it on not enough time or space to really reflect, but I have tried preparing early and the busyness still gets to me - I need to find time to focus on Christ in the midst of all the Christmas tasks, and this book encouraged me that it's possible.

(I also just have to say that I LOVE the idea of Christmastide that she includes in this book - i.e.. extending the Christmas celebration and reflection beyond the actual holiday. I think this might provide me some of that space and time that I want so desperately at Christmas.)

The line that really got me was in the last part of this book:

"...I wondered if that's the point of this Christmas. The over and over. The message on repeat. In all circumstances. Whether we acknowledge it or not, this message of "I love you" this love note of a Savior wrapped in swaddling clothes - more importantly, wrapped in skin - is to be the wave over us every year. "I love you." And again, "I love you". And a year later, when we've had a heck of a go at life and things aren't looking as we thought the would or should, "I love you" again." pg. 91

Isn't that a beautiful way to look at the Christmas season? As a yearly reminder, a yearly "I love you" from the Lord. I hope to take that attitude with me this year and leave some of the stress behind.

Overall, I recommend this book if you are consistently finding yourself stressed out every Christmas season - it encouraged me, and I'm hoping to take some of her ideas into the season in a couple months!

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for free in exchange for a review. This is my honest opinion.

Recent Reads

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 19:11:00 +0000

I had every intention of doing a reading update every quarter this year...and that obviously didn't happen. I've been meaning to write this post for the last six months. Whoops! I've been really enjoying reading everyone else's book round-ups lately, so I finally felt inspired to write up my thoughts. These are a few of my most recent reads...excluding the books that I've already posted about on this blog. To see everything I've read in 2017 so far, you can check out my Goodreads shelf (I write full reviews for every book I read on there).

Fiction

I've found that I typically can't handle really heavy or depressing fiction since I found out I was pregnant...so I've felt myself drawn to middle-grade fiction lately. I think I've discovered a new favorite genre! Not only can middle-grade fiction be surprisingly deep, but there is no danger of inappropriate language or situations, which I also have little patience for these days.

(Some affiliate links below...to help support my reading habits, you know!)

Flipped (5 stars) - If you've never seen this movie, GO RENT IT FROM THE LIBRARY RIGHT NOW! It's an adorable coming of age/ middle school crush plot. And I think I've mentioned before how I'm a sucker for coming of age stories. The book is basically the movie in written form - they stuck really close to the book with the movie, so you could really read the book or see the movie and not miss much. Needless to say, I loved every minute of it.

Wonder (4 stars) - This is coming out as a movie soon, so there's been some buzz around the book...and the audio was only $4, so I decided to try it. I really enjoyed this story, about a boy with a facial deformity, and how he copes with it as he starts at a new school. I totally fell in love with the characters in this book, and I thought it struck a nice balance between addressing more serious topics (like bullying) while still being fun to read (listen to), and not too painful for my pregnant sensibilities. I took off one star because of some references to reincarnation, which I thought parents should be aware of should their kids read this book.

Austenland/Midnight In Austenland (4 stars) - Total fluff. I know it's total fluff. But I loved every minute of these books too! The plots of these books are based around a secretive vacation spot where women can go live for two weeks completely immersed in a Jane-Austen-era experience - included actors who romance them, so they can be just like an Austen heroine. Some sexual innuendos in these books, but generally pretty mild compared to most secular fiction. The plots were just too fun, I laughed out loud several times, and the endings were cute. I liked the second one even better than the first, but start with the first.

The Ark Plan/Code Name Flood (4 stars) - These novels are set in the future, after biologists bring back the dinosaurs, and the dinosaurs take over the world, forcing mankind underground. If that plot synopsis doesn't suck you in, I can't do anything for you. Nothing too meaningful in these books, and some evolutionary references, but I could hardly put them down.

The Secret Keeper (5 stars) - I read grown-up fiction too, really! This was my first Kate Morton book, and I'm kind of scared to fully dive into another one now, because I loved this book so much. I'm not sure any of her other novels will compare. The thing that really drove this up on my list of favorites this year was the way the book ended. There was a twist, and I loved the way it all turned out. I don't do sad endings. See Goodreads review for full content disclaimers, but I really liked it.

The Husband's Secret (1.5 stars) - I keep trying Moriarty books because I liked What Alice Forgot so much, but I've generally been disappointed. Nothing can measure up to Alice. I really didn't like this one. A lot more inappropriate content than some of her books, and I didn't like all the cheating. It left me regretting the time I spent reading it. Bleh.

Non-Fiction

I've read some pretty stellar non-fiction this year, and several of those books already received their own review on the blog, so please check them out here! Here are a few more though.

Teaching From Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide To Unshakeable Peace (5 stars) - I listened to the audio of this, and I thought there was a lot of encouragement and practical advice for homeschool moms here. I'll probably re-read this one again, to catch some of the stuff I missed on audio, but I found it really helpful to gear me up for starting homeschooling this fall.

Boundaries (4 stars) - This is practically a classic, but I've never read it before a couple months ago. I picked it up because I've recognized that I am one of those people that often has trouble saying no, and I've been trying to get better at it this last year. This book is about setting boundaries in your various relationships, and also with yourself. I didn't agree with everything in it, but it was still an interesting read! If you're into psychology at all, you'd also probably find this one interesting.

Escape (4 stars) - Prepare to be disturbed if you pick this one up! Carolyn Jessop tells her story of escaping the fundamentalist Mormon church. I found a lot of the (pretty graphically described) abuse in this book disturbing, but it was also hard to put down because I wanted to see how she finally escaped. It ended on a bit of a hopeless note though, which didn't help with my general level of disturbedness (that's a word, right?) - but I did learn a lot about Mormonism, and it made me add Jessop to my prayer list.

Why Men Hate Going To Church (3.5 stars) - I've heard this author speak on a couple of my podcasts, so when the audio of this book went on sale, I grabbed it. He brings up a lot of interesting points about why church (as in church services on Sunday) is not appealing to a lot of men. The thing that bugged me about this book was that a lot of his points were supported by personal anecdotes...I thought the book would have been a lot stronger if he could have provided some research to back up his thoughts. However, it did get me thinking about how churches are generally more geared toward women (which is pretty undeniable), and what to look for in a church if you want your man and/or sons to feel at home. It came in pretty handy since we've been in a position of looking for a new church recently.

Already Gone: Why Your Kids Will Quit Church And What You Can Do To Stop It (5 stars) - I read this book for free online, and you can too! Or you can buy the Kindle version for only $3 right now. We are young earth creationists and Ken Ham fans in this house - if you aren't, your toes may be stepped on with this book, I'm not going to lie. Ham argues that a big reason many young people have left church is because they do not take a strong view on the authority of Scripture (including Genesis) - and he presents evidence that they are picking this up because of a weakened view of Scripture in our churches (and homes). Unlike the book above, this one was really well supported by a survey study, and Ham breaks down the results and gives his opinion on where we are going wrong. I found it really fascinating, and once again, the points he made were good to think about as we were picking a new church.

Currently, I am reading World Religions And Cults: Volume One by Bodie Hodge (really interesting and informative so far), Loving My Actual Christmas by Alexandra KuyKendall (I need as much help as I can get in this area), and More Than Just Making It by Erin Odom (financial stuff, which I could also use help with since our budget is a lot more restricted this year). I've also abandoned many books that just weren't doing it for me this summer (maybe those deserve an extra post).

Have you read any of these? What have you been reading lately?

A Nursery Reveal Of Sorts (And 30 Weeks - Baby #5)

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Fri, 08 Sep 2017 16:38:00 +0000

These last couple weeks of pregnancy have been some of the more uncomfortable weeks so far. But there have definitely been some fun things too! Let's start with discomforts first.

Uncomfortable Symptoms

The heartburn that I mentioned a couple weeks ago has persisted and possibly even gotten worse. I still wake up sometimes in the middle of the night because of it - and I ran through all my packs of Rolaids, so I think it's time to take a trip to the store for some Tums. I am convinced that this means Baby Girl will be totally bald, because the inverse of the heartburn/hair myth seems to be true for my babies so far. More heartburn = less hair. If she's going to be bald, I'm glad she's a girl, because I can still dress up her cute little peach fuzz with bows!

I've also had some very pesky rib pain show up in the last couple weeks, and I haven't really known what to do about it. Every evening the last rib on my left side aches horribly, and no position seems to help it except stretching out as much as possible on my bed or the couch. I finally looked up some stretches for rib pain last night, and a couple of those also seem to provide some relief. I'm sure I look like I'm in the early stages of labor though, crossing my arms over my head and leaning against a wall. Hopefully I won't ever have to resort to doing my stretches in public.

I've also felt some pelvic pressure, which you would think would mean that baby is low and there would be less rib pain - but it's not working out that way so far! I think my body is just trying to get ready for the big event.

Fun Stuff

On to some fun things! First, Baby Girl has been moving like crazy lately! I am just sure one of these days some random person in the grocery store is going to comment on my belly jumping around. I tried to get a video of it the other day, but it's like she can sense when I hit the "record" button, and she stops. She also doesn't seem to like it when I poke at her (I can almost always find little hard spots through my skin - limbs or her bum, I'm sure). She moves away and then kicks at my fingers.

Labor Day weekend I was in a nesting mood, and I sorted through all our baby girl clothes and our hand-me-downs, washed everything, and organized the things we can use in the nursery. I also finished the baby's quilt, we moved Clarice up to Gwen's room, and I set up the nursery. So we're pretty much ready to go now, except for a few items that I need to purchase (a spare crib sheet, bottles, muslin swaddle blankets, baby book, and a going-home outfit for baby).

I felt so sad to move Clarice out of her room. She did not do great the first night in a toddler bed, in a new room no less. She cried off and on for a couple hours, but I knew from previous experience that we just needed to hang tough, because as soon as she had time to adjust to the change we'd have no problems at all. I was right! She finally seemed to realize that Gwen was in the room with her, and that this whole sharing a room thing could be fun! The next night she actually cried when she thought Derek was going to put her back in her old room, and she's been doing great ever since.

I always have intentions of taking fancy room pictures and sharing an official "nursery reveal" post, but let's face it, that hasn't happened with the last two kids. Taking room pictures honestly stresses me out. It's so hard to get good light, to get a good feel for the whole room, and to get satisfactory pictures of the details...and then that's a lot of pictures to sort through and edit and compile into a pinterest-worthy post. So I'm going with the "done is better than perfect" motto, so you all get some mediocre phone photos! At least people can see what the room looks like this time.

I'm pretty satisfied with the way it turned out (even though it's not completely done - still need to hang that chalkboard above the crib). Here are the details (a couple affiliate links below):

-Baby Quilt and crib skirt - I made it, and it was one of the easiest quilts I've done since I went with big blocks of fabric!

-Mobile - Amazon

-Chalkboard - I get paranoid about the weight and cutting capability of things I put above the crib, in the event that it would fall - I pretty much rule out anything heavy and any frames with glass, which limits my options quite a bit. So this "chalkboard" is actually posterboard that I painted with chalkboard paint (or rather, Derek painted it). I'm going to glue some hardware on the back to hang it, and use my chalk markers to write something on it eventually.

-Various vases and toucan pillow - Joann's

-Poppy muslin blanket - Spearmint Love

-Letterboard - Amazon

Now I just need to figure out what to put on that letter board!

I have another doctor's appointment next week, so the next update should have more items of interest...stay tuned!

Homeschool Curriculum Picks For First Grade

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 11:30:00 +0000

I’ve been gearing up for this year of homeschooling for months now, and I’m happy to report that I finally have all my curriculum choices ironed out!

I wrote last year about different homeschooling styles, and if you are familiar with homeschooling philosophies you’ll probably guess that my style (so far anyway) is an eclectic Charlotte Mason. I like learning through real books, but I do use some workbooks and texts too, which is where the eclectic side of it comes in.

Without further ado, here are my choices for the first grade! I have high hopes for this school year and am curious to see how all these choices work out for us!

(Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links.)

Science

For science this year we are working through Apologia Zoology 1: Flying Creatures Of The Fifth Day. I did Apologia science in high school when I was homeschooled and I LOVED it. I read through my science book just for fun sometimes - it was that good. I was really excited to see that Apologia had a science curriculum for elementary school as well! I love how it not only teaches solid science, but is written from a biblical worldview. It points out where science and the Bible intersect, and I love that! Wyatt is also very interested in “flying things”, particularly birds, so I think he’ll soak this science book up.

Some of the assignments/concepts are probably a bit much for a first grader, so we are just going to work through as much of it as we can, and I plan on keeping the book to repeat in a few years. This science curriculum is really rich, so I think he’ll get a ton out of it even if we do it in a future year.

Since we will be doing a lighter version of Apologia to fit our level, I am also planning on alternating and incorporating some lessons from Building Foundations Of Scientific Understanding. I’d say this book is more of a guide for teaching science, but I really like how the lessons are laid out to build on each concept and teach the scientific method. I think this will be a great guide to use especially in the middle of the winter when birds and insects become a little more scarce.

Math

For math, I decided to go with Rightstart this year. Over the last year I’ve started to figure out Wyatt’s learning style a bit, and I think he will do well with the manipulative and games that are used in the Rightstart curriculum. A lot of friends use Math-U-See because of the manipulatives, and I was considering that one because I really like Steve Demme - but I’ll be honest, sometimes the way he visualizes the math in that curriculum confuses ME (and I already know how to multiply/divide, etc). I went with Rightstart because it looked a little more doable for ME as the teacher, and because I think Wyatt will really enjoy the games that reinforce the concepts. I also like that Rightstart is a bit of a “spiral” math curriculum (as opposed to a “linear” curriculum like Math-U-See) in that it circles back to concepts, because I think we will all need the review to really tie everything together.

If you know anything about Rightstart though, you know that it is NOT cheap. I would have paid the full price because I am really thinking this will work for Wyatt, but I was so blessed to find it used at a used curriculum sale for about a quarter of the price!

I also got a math workbook, called Math Lessons For A Living Education, because I think in those couple months after the baby comes this will be a great fill-in. It’s a book that introduces math concepts through stories, and will be an easy thing to do with Wyatt sitting next to me on the couch while nursing Baby or whatever. I wanted to get this just to make things a little simpler on myself until I can get back into a regular routine again after the baby. This book can be a full curriculum itself, but I think we’ll be using it as a fill-in/review this year since it’s an odd school year for our family - and I’ll hang on to it for Gwen, because she is definitely a workbook girl!

History

I am probably most excited about teaching history to Wyatt this year, because I decided to go with Beautiful Feet Books! I got a big box of beautiful REAL books to read to the kids, with all kinds of wonderful stories about people and events from history. Beautiful Feet Books sends all the books I need along with a study guide with a schedule, questions and assignments for the students, etc. This curriculum can be done in one year or two, and we will definitely be stretching it out for two years. We’re doing the Early American History 1 course, and I’ll do another vlog soon to show you all the books.

Reading/Writing

For reading and writing we are continuing on with Teach Your Child To Read In 100 Easy Lessons until we finish it - though we’ll see how it goes. I loved the first part of this book, but I find myself getting annoyed the further into it we get, because a lot of it is really repetitive, and my Type-A side is irritated that we’re already moving on to two-syllable words and consonant blends before we even cover all the basic consonant sounds. It makes it tricky to incorporate most early reader books using this curriculum because a lot of basic sounds/rules aren’t covered until later. I’m adding in phonics rules and sounds as I deem appropriate. We are also working in some Bob Books for days when Wyatt (and I) get sick of using the same old reading book.

Either way, we will finish this book before the end of this semester, so we’ll roll into Rod and Staff’s first grade reading curriculum after that. Rod and Staff incorporates workbooks and readers, but what I really love about Rod and Staff is how Bible-focused the curriculum is. Wyatt has also enjoyed their preschool and kindergarten workbooks in the past year, so I think he’ll like that aspect.

For writing practice I ordered Teach Your Child To Read, Write, And Spell 100 Easy Bible Verses to use as a companion to the Teach Your Child To Read Book, because I love how the whole point of it is to get your kids memorizing and writing Bible verses.

Language Arts

I wasn’t sure what I really wanted to do for Language Arts, because a lot of grammar can’t really be covered until a kid can, you know, READ (and write). However, I found First Language Lessons For The Well-Trained Mind at the homeschool conference with basic language arts concepts that I can start to introduce now, even before the kids are independently reading and writing. These lessons are simple and quick, and I think it looks really doable.

Bible

I agonized a bit over what to do for Bible this year, because in a way Bible is incorporated into every subject. Everything can be related back to Scripture and our faith in Jesus, and I intend to teach that way. However, I did want something more specific particularly for myself, to make sure I won’t start to neglect spiritual instruction in the midst of the busyness of all the day-to-day subjects.

I went to Cathy Duffy’s site and started looking through Bible curricula, and I landed was interested in Bible Treasures, which covers Genesis to Ruth in the first grade year, but after ordering it and looking through it, I decided against it. I didn’t like how it explained salvation (it almost made it sound works-based). I could have worked with it and explained things better to the kids as we worked through it, but I have a tendency to get irritated when books geared toward children don’t explain these concepts well. So I sent it back and now I have no Bible curriculum to work with after all.

We are currently reading through some of our Bible storybooks, reading from scripture, and learning catechism questions, which is great, but not exactly the well-organized plan I was hoping for. If anyone has any suggestions for a Bible curriculum, I’m all ears!

Extras

I'm planning our Fridays to be the day for extras - including poetry, cooking lessons (with Usborne's Start To Cook), crafts and art lessons, and maybe some music/composer exposure (using Spotify and My First Classical Music Book). I'm planning to loop schedule all these different things, so we won't be doing each thing every week.

So there you go! Our curriculum list. you may have noticed that for several of the subjects I bought two resources instead of just picking one - which, I’m going to be honest, may be a mistake. I’ve heard it said that you should specifically NOT buy extras, because it is likely that you will never use them. However, for the subjects that I bought two curricula it was either because one of the curricula will only take us through half the year, or because I needed something less fussy to use in the couple months after the baby is born. The exception is science, but we’re just going to play that one by ear and see which curricula sticks (if our jump-start this summer is any indication, it will be Apologia). I do think that between this year and next year we will end up using all this curricula though, and I’m excited about our choices!

Homeschool moms - what curriculum are you using this year?

Books For Littles - Night, Night Train Review

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 17:30:00 +0000

(Affiliate link below.)

I am preparing a post for next week about homeschooling and all our curriculum choices - it's exciting having older kids and introducing them to some of the books I loved as a kid! I am loving that we get to dip our toes into chapter books, and when my kids recognize a literary character my heart is just so happy.

However, one thing I am trying to be cognizant of is that while I am a mom to an elementary school kid now...I am also still a mom to toddlers and preschoolers. And they need some books geared toward them too. I'm trying to make sure I make time to read books that are on their level during our homeschool day too!

Tommy Nelson has so many adorable books for younger kiddos, and my recent favorite is Night Night, Train by Amy Parker. This book goes through different night-time routines as the characters prepare to board the train to "Sleeptown". All in rhyme! (I am particularly fond of books that rhyme.) If that doesn't give you an idea of how cute this book is, let's look at some pictures, shall we?

Not only are the illustrations adorable, but this book is about trains! Trains are Clyde's current favorite subject, and one of the transportation words that Clarice has latched onto, so this book is perfect for our family right now. We'll definitely be incorporating it into our nighttime routine!

Note: I received a copy of this book for free from Tommy Nelson in exchange for a review. This is my honest opinion.

How To Transition To Fall Fashion (Without Melting)

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Thu, 31 Aug 2017 11:30:00 +0000

Note: I received the dress below from PinkBlush in exchange for a blog post. All opinions are my own.)

Do you know that pumpkin spice flavors hit Starbucks this weekend?!

I can hardly believe it, but autumn is upon us. I am not sorry to say goodbye to summer and welcome fall, because it means we are that much closer to meeting our baby girl! (Plus, I love fall.)

What I am not so excited about going into September is playing the "what should I wear?" game. I always want to break out the long sleeves and boots this time of year, but the truth is, the technical season of summer doesn't end until September 22nd - and the weather knows it. It's hard to infuse a fall vibe into your wardrobe without also melting in the heat (especially when you are largely pregnant).

I have developed a few guidelines over the years though to help me walk that tricky summer-weather, early-fall line.

Switch to fall colors.

For early fall, I look for lighter-weight pieces in fall colors or patterns - then I feel fall-ish without resorting to my sweaters and sacrificing a comfortable body temperature.

Add in a brown leather or suede bag.

I have summer bags in various colors, but I save the brown leather bags for fall. It's amazing how just switching the color or fabric of your bag can make an outfit seem more pre-fall appropriate.

Go with the booties.

Avoid the tall boots until it actually gets cool enough to not melt your feet, and invest in some warmer-weather booties. I like the ones with cutouts so my feet can still breath when the temperature is summer-like.

Wear summer on top, fall on the bottom (or vice versa).

I think during these early fall days it's totally appropriate to go with different seasons for each half of your look. Wear some shorts with a light top and cardigan, or wear something short-sleeved with long pants and boots. Just make sure the colors are all fall-appropriate to tie it together.

Don't put away the dresses!

I rely on dresses a lot in the summer heat, and I see no need to change that in the early fall when the weather is still warm. I just apply tips #1 and #4 to my dresses and go from there. I'm really liking this new dress from PinkBlush going into this fall! It's short enough to keep me cool, but the long sleeves with the crochet really give it a fall feeling to me.

Does anyone else have as hard of a time knowing when and how to transition to fall fashion as I do? What works best for you?

Capsule Wardrobe While Pregnant - Why And How

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Mon, 28 Aug 2017 11:30:00 +0000

I've mentioned that I am feeling the need to organize everything right now, and a few weeks ago that manifested in the decision to create a capsule wardrobe.

I did a 30x30 challenge several years ago, but beyond that I have never tried putting together a capsule wardrobe. I think the last straw for me was realizing that I have been wearing the same 10 pieces of clothing for the past few weeks, mainly because my dresser drawers are stuffed so full of clothes that it is too much work to pull everything out and see what's going to work while I'm pregnant. What's the use of having all these clothes if I don't wear them? Why do I even have all these clothes anyway? I haven't worn some of them in years.

So I spent a couple days listening to podcasts about capsule wardrobes, which were really popular a few years ago. I think the trend has faded some, but the underlying idea is still really useful - which is to create a mix and match wardrobe with a limited number of pieces. To get the full experience, you are supposed to wear only those pieces for 3 months and not buy anything new.

Why?

I decided to give it a go with a couple goals in mind:

1. To clean out the old clothes that just aren't doing it for me anymore. I tend to hold on to old clothes much longer than I should, hence why my wardrobe is outrageously large right now, even though I only wear probably half of it. I don't want the extra clutter around after baby comes, so this seemed like a good time to tackle it.

2. To give me some space from the things I'm holding on to "just in case". My situation is a little unique since I'm pregnant - I don't want to get rid of everything right now, since some of it may be what I need for that postpartum transition when nothing fits. However, once I'm over that stage after the baby comes, I'm hoping that working with a smaller wardrobe for so many months will give me a good idea of the things that are really useful in my wardrobe, and the things I can let go.

3. To have less things. The end goal (which will probably take me a while to achieve) is to have a MUCH smaller wardrobe with only things that I really like, and to give me more specific parameters to work within when I'm buying new things. This will be a process because of factors like the need to have different clothes for different seasons, and not being able to afford to replace "meh" items all at once.

How I'm Doing This While Pregnant

When I first started feeling like I wanted to try a capsule wardrobe, I thought maybe I should wait until after baby before attempting this. But the clothing excess just got to be too much and I decided to go for it. My friend Cassidy made a good point that pregnancy is actually the ideal time to start a capsule, because you are already working with a limited wardrobe anyway!

The capsule I ended up creating is largely made up of things that I can wear whether I'm pregnant or not, with just a few maternity items mixed in - I think this will be perfect to give me more of an idea of what items would be useful in my wardrobe after baby. I can replace the maternity items I really liked with non-maternity alternatives - either from my closet or the store.

One thing I am NOT doing while pregnant is actually giving away my "meh" items. I do remember what things I liked before I was pregnant and what things I never wore, but that postpartum time can really throw you for a loop. I want to have options when I'm working through that transition phase, before my body goes back to normal. I'm putting all my "maybes" in storage, and then after I feel relatively normal again post-baby, I'll go through them and get rid of the things that I still don't want.

My Process

Here is what I did to assemble my capsule wardrobe.

1. Pile everything on the floor and start sorting.

For my purposes, I sorted into a "Like It" pile, a "Maybe" pile, and a "No" pile. The "No" pile was pretty small, sine I'm not getting rid of too much until I see what fits after delivery.

2. Store the "Maybe" pile, get rid of the "No" pile, and organize the "Like It" pile.

I sorted the "Likes" into categories, so a pile for cardigans/sweatshirts, a pile for tops, a pile for pants, etc. Since I'm doing this for a maternity capsule, I did a separate step in here and sorted each category pile into a group of things that would work during pregnancy, and things that won't. I put the things that don't fit back into a separate drawer until after baby.

3. Think it through.

At this point I was left with a bunch of clothes that I could wear while pregnant, so now the goal was to narrow it down to the things that I WANT to wear while pregnant. I sat down with Caroline's capsule planner, and thought it through a bit before I started. Some of the pages in this planner didn't quite fit my situation since the goal was to make a maternity capsule, but it was still helpful to slow down and think it through before I started.

4. Start narrowing it down.

The capsule planner suggested to pick 8 items that you like and that you find yourself wearing a lot, so you can see what it is you like about them. I did that and ended up with a basis for my capsule! After I had those 8 and had thought through the rest of the planner, I grabbed the list in this post to fill some things in. I tried to think through each item I added to make sure that it would mix and match with more than one other item, and to make sure I really did actually like it. It's crazy how confusing a large wardrobe can get when it comes to my affection for certain pieces. I had to think about whether I really liked the piece as a whole, or whether I just liked one aspect of it (the color, or cut, or whatever).

5. Commit to the capsule.

After all that sorting, I ended up with 40 pieces, not including shoes or accessories. This is pretty large for a capsule wardrobe, but I allowed myself some wiggle room because 1) this is my first attempt, 2) I am working with a growing belly and changing seasons at the same time, and 3) I fully intend to further narrow it down as I figure out which pieces are my go-to's within this capsule.

Here is the final selection (excuse the fact that these items were hastily laid out and aren't exactly wrinkle free - done is better than perfect):

Tops

Pants

Skirts

Dresses

Finishing Pieces

Hopefully you can see how these will all fit together, but if not, expect to be wowed by my outfit-making skills! I'll try to post periodic updates on Instagram and this blog over the next few months.

What Now?

My goal is to only wear these 40 pieces until after baby comes! I will allow myself to switch out a couple items when the weather turns cooler (short for pants, tanks for long-sleeves, etc.), but for the most part, this is it. I am actually really happy and excited about the items I ended up with, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that I didn't have to purge my closet of patterns and color to make a capsule wardrobe!

(Update: It's been a few weeks since I wrote this post, and I've been sticking to my capsule. I can already see which pieces are working for me, and which ones aren't, and I'll be allowing myself to make a few adjustments in the next few weeks as the weather gets cooler and the belly gets bigger!)

Have any of you tried a capsule wardrobe?
(If you are a blogger, post please! I'd like to see!)

Goodbye Summer, Hello Third Trimester! 28 Weeks (Baby #5)

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Fri, 25 Aug 2017 11:30:00 +0000

We took a little family trip to the zoo last weekend - kind of a farewell to summer, and (for me) hello to the third trimester!

Baby should be around 2 lbs. now, and over a foot tall! Baby Girl should be blinking, sucking, coughing, and hiccuping (I can confirm the hiccuping - it's so cute). There is also research to suggest babies may start to dream around this age, which is really interesting to think about!

We are officially 2/3 of the way through this pregnancy, and I have to say, I'm feeling it. I've been much more uncomfortable this past week. There have been a couple nights where heartburn actually woke me up - I had to prop myself up on pillows so gravity would be on my side.

Another big reason why I have felt uncomfortable is that this little girl has decided that now is a good time to practice gymnastics. She actually flipped around last week and was in a transverse position in my stomach! I was impressed that I could actually tell she had changed position (she's getting bigger), but it was so uncomfortable. Finally later in the evening I felt comfortable again, and I'm pretty sure she settled back in the correct way because her kicks were up high.

However, she ended up turning transverse again later in the week, and now I'm a little unsure if she stayed in a head-down position. I'm going to ask my doctor to pull out the portable ultrasound at my next visit and check.

Moving on to fun stuff though, I have been feeling little feet and knees and arms moving around inside my belly, and I love it so much! She is definitely growing because I feel like I can distinguish body parts better now. I can tell the difference between limbs and her little bum (or head...hopefully bum). She doesn't seem to like it too much when I poke at her, but sometimes she'll give me a gentle nudge and I feel like we're bonding.

This week of pregnancy has long been my favorite stage - I think because the belly is just the right size. And since it's my favorite week of pregnancy, it seemed like a good time to compare the baby bellies.

I think I definitely carry the girls a little different than the boys, and you can tell most this week - a little higher and bigger, I think.

I started on her baby quilt, and I'm hoping to get Clarice moved up to Gwen's room in the next week so I can start organizing the nursery...wish me luck on that!

(I don't know what I was doing here, but you all would probably laugh at me if you saw how awkward I really am while taking these photos...)

I'm also trying to take pictures with each of the kids with these pregnancy update photos, so here is the biggest brother. I am so excited to see him with this baby!

Solar Eclipses & Personality Types

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 23:21:00 +0000

Confession: I was this close to not doing anything for the solar eclipse this week.

My thought process was that solar eclipses are cool and all, but do I really want to spend $10 a piece on glasses? And how many stops will I have to make with my FOUR kids to find these stupid things? And will it really be worth it since it's only a partial eclipse where I am anyway?

I think I've reached that point in pregnancy where anything that requires too much effort and isn't absolutely necessary just isn't really worth it to me. Plus, I was a little paranoid about the kids hurting their eyesight.

So I really had no plans for anything, until I was laying in bed last Saturday night with sudden anxiety when I realized that I might be depriving my children of something. What kind of homeschool mom skips a solar eclipse? On the first day of school, no less? What was I thinking? How could I have even considered stealing this experience from my kids?!

In my sleep-deprived haze, I settled on cereal box projectors, which I was more comfortable with anyway because of the whole eyesight thing. We had a grand ole time decorating them and checking the eclipse on Monday. The kids did try to glance at the sky a couple times, but I scolded them enough to put the fear of retinal scarring into their little hearts. I'm glad I actually did something with them after all! We had 93% totality, and it did start to feel like evening there for a bit, which was cool. Complete totality would have been better, but in 28 years another eclipse is coming through that puts us right in the path of totality, so I'm just going to wait until then.

(That's glitter on my nose, from our decorated boxes.)

(I didn't realize I needed to make the hole so tiny for the box to work, so that's why there are several holes.)

On Monday evening after that eventful day, I went to work out and I tried out a new podcast. Despite it being a fun day, I was having a particularly anxious/getting-down-on-myself type of day at the same time, and I needed a distraction. I listened to Personality Hacker, and I came home feeling like I understood myself better and determined to find out Derek's Myers-Briggs type so I could understand him better. He took the test, and I thought I'd take it again too just to see if any of my percentages changed. I was confident I would still be an ENFJ, and I like that type.

Imagine my surprise when the test tells me I'm now an ESFJ! What?! No! I knew my type! I have a type! You can't just change it on me! I retook the test. Same result. I read the description. It didn't sound like me. I retook the test on a different website. Now I'm ISTJ. Huh? I read the description. Nope.

At this point it's 11:00 PM, and I'm exhausted, so I put the computer away and decided to figure it out later. It took me at least a half hour to fall asleep, because this was all just so upsetting.

I woke up in the morning and pulled out my laptop again (I get a little obsessive about things when I'm pregnant - yes, I'm blaming pregnancy). I retook the test again and adjusted some answers - it said ENFJ, but now I felt like I cheated. So read an article about cognitive functions (which is what this whole crazy test is based on), and it seemed to me I'm an Introverted Intuitive, Extroverted Feeling. Which would make me an INFP. I read the description. It sort of sounded like me, but not really, because I'm just not a dreamer. I don't think of myself as a dreamer, I don't daydream about things or invent fictional characters. I call myself an optimistic realist.

I went back and read the ENFP, INFP, ENFJ, INFJ, ISFJ, and ESFJ descriptions, and then all the descriptions of their cognitive functions, and I finally decided that I'm...wait for it...an ENFJ.

So that was a lot of effort to tell me something I thought I already knew! Ugh. I'm just going to own that type now though and not retake the stupid test. I read somewhere in the midst of all this that it can be hard to type a person if their personalities are really underdeveloped, or if their personalities are very developed. I'm going to say I'm just a very developed person. Because very developed people clearly spend 3+ hours scouring the internet with anxiety, trying to figure out their type.

Now I'm completely exhausted and have been dragging myself through the day. I had things to do this week, Personality Hacker! Sheesh.

So out of curiosity, what Myers-Briggs personality type are YOU?

You can start with this test here. And I'm sorry in advance if this leads you on a wild goose chase that keeps you up half the night.

How We Saw New Orleans In Two Days (And What You Should See If You Go)

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 11:30:00 +0000

I am pretty sure we squeezed every ounce of New Orleans adventure that we possibly could out of 48 hours in the city. I landed in New Orleans at 1:23 PM on Wednesday, and left for the airport at 12:50 PM on Friday - it felt like a strangely relaxing whirlwind! I am so glad we took the chance to have a pre-baby getaway to a place that was brand-new to both of us.

More on where we went and what we did below, but first, pictures.

DAY ONE

I am pretty much a mountain girl, and rarely spend this much time in the city...so while I think my urban photography skills could use some help, this whole trip gave me a great chance to practice!

Here's what we did the first day:

-Arrived in the afternoon at Hotel Monteleone, which was so pretty! It also is home of the Carousel Bar, which is a rotating bar - we didn't get anything there, but it was cool to see it.

-Derek finished his conference class, and we set out to explore the city! We walked to Jackson Square and saw the oldest operating cathedral in the US.

-We also found some pretty doors to take pictures in front of. So many of the streets were so picturesque! If I lived there I would be hunting for good photo spots all the time.

-Stopped at Bourbon Street - that would be the picture where I am not grinning. It was so gross! Nothing pretty about that street at all, unlike the rest of the French Quarter.

-Went to the Palace Cafe for dessert. Derek got the bananas foster, which they made right in font of us! I got the lemon pie. Both were excellent!

-We also grabbed dinner, just at the Marriot because it was most convenient that night. We discussed baby names!

-Went back to the hotel and crashed at like 8 PM, home time. I was so tired from traveling.

DAY TWO

What we did on the second day (our only full day):

-Got some coffee at French Truck Coffee. I loved that place! It was clean and pretty, and they played oldies. I already waxed poetic about it on Instagram, see more there.

-Walked back to the hotel and waited for my tour bus to arrive while Derek went to the conference. I booked a city tour with Cajun Encounters, and it was definitely worth the money. The tour guide (forget his name, looked like Ashton Kutcher) was one of the better tour guides I've ever had. I wouldn't have seen nearly as much of the city without it, and I learned so much!

-The tour stopped by one of New Orleans above-ground cemeteries. It was creepy and interesting, because the reason they bury that way is not what I expected. Much too gruesome to describe here for all my posterity to read, but comment if you want to know and I'll explain.

-Other things I saw on the tour: Creole millionaire's row, Creole neighborhoods, Jackson Square again, the Tomb Of The Unknown Slave (which was interesting but so sad), the Garden District, and of course the cemetery.

-The tour also took us to a cafe called Morning Call, and we got free beignets and coffee as part of the tour! Score! These were actually my favorite beignets from when we were there.

-After the tour I went to a buffet for lunch (a little intimidating walking through the city by myself, it is so busy there). The food was okay, but the desserts were amazing! Every dessert I got in New Orleans was fantastic.

-Went back to the hotel and waited for Derek to get off from the conference. This was when I washed my hair - a turning point in the trip, because I washed out all my good products from home, and my hair responded way differently to the humidity without my products!

-I had intentions of sitting by the pool, but it was actually raining that afternoon, so I sat at one of the covered tables on the pool deck and started narrowing down our list of baby names and looking up meanings. Derek and I really wanted to use our time alone on this trip to get a short list of names for our girl!

-We decided to go ahead and book a riverboat cruise! When Derek got out of his class, we got dressed and walked over to the river (we might have stopped and bought some maple fudge on the way). It was a jazz dinner cruise on a steamboat called the Natchez, and it was an excellent decision to go. The music was amazing, the views were so pretty, and the the steamboat horn was so deep and cool-sounding. We got back when it was dark, and the city lights were so pretty!

-We took a pedi-cab back to the hotel - good because our feet were hurting, scary because our driver was nuts! I thought we were going to tip over! But hey, a 15 minute walk only took her about 3 minutes, so she was efficient!

DAY THREE

What we did on day three:

-Got more coffee at French Truck Coffee. I miss that place!

-Walked over to Cafe Du Monde for beignets and orange juice.

-The humidity was out of control that morning! My hair was wet by the time we got back to the hotel, but we stopped at several gift shops and a gallery on the way back (partially to escape the heat!). I practiced more photography in the city. We bought pralines for the kids, and a Christmas ornament with Santa riding an alligator.

-The gallery we stopped at had these unique paintings - the artist layered the pain on really thickly, so it had a 3D effect, I wish you could see it better in the picture, it was pretty cool!

-At this point Derek had to leave me again, and I took another shower before packing up my things. Derek had already packed and gone, because his flight left several hours later than mine, and he and some of his co-workers were going to do a swamp tour that afternoon! I have to admit, I was a little jealous of the swamp tour. He got to feed alligators! And hold a baby alligator!

-After washing my hair, I went to lunch at Mr. B's Bistro, right across from our hotel. I had the gumbo and the molten chocolate cup cake. Oh my goodness. It was so good! I gushed to Derek in a text about it, so he and his coworkers ended up stopping there too before they flew home. It was just really good. In my book, you pretty much HAVE to go there if you visit New Orleans.

-The airport shuttle picked me up, and home I went! I was sad to leave, but my hair was not sad. I worked on middle name pairings for baby while I waited for me plane.

I am so glad Derek and I got to explore New Orleans as much as we did, and it was a great time to reconnect (and think of some names!) before our little girl arrives in less than three months!

So if I was to make recommendations for a quick trip to New Orleans:

-Take a tour. They are definitely worth the money, and you see so much more that way!

-Jackson Square was really pretty, definitely walk over there.

-Eat at Mr. B's Bistro. It's a must.

-Try to find somewhere to listen to some jazz music! We did the riverboat, but I'm told Frenchman Street is a good place to go too.

-Bring your good hair products if you have even a slight hint of curl/wave! Your hair will thank me for this one, trust me.

-And get some beignets somewhere! It's kind of a New Orleans requirement, I think.

Praying For Girls Review

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Fri, 11 Aug 2017 11:30:00 +0000

(Affiliate link below.)

I wrote a couple months ago about verses I want to pray for my daughters, and I mentioned in that post that I wish someone would write a book about praying for girls - well, little did I know that book was in the works! I snagged Praying For Girls by Terri Lynne Underwood as soon as I saw it, because it seemed so timely.

This book covers 20 different prayers to pray specifically for our girls. Each chapter starts with a personal story and commentary from the author, then moves into fill-in-the-blank prayers (a pre-written prayer where you can insert your daughter's name). Each chapter closes with a section for moms (since we often struggle with the same things we are praying for our daughters!), and a practical suggestion section, with activities for opening up the conversation with our "little", "middle", and "big" girls.

I really liked the idea of this book and the way it was organized. I thought the author brought up a lot of specific things to pray for girls that I wouldn't have thought about. Though I was a girl once, I often forget just how many emotions and struggles I had as a girl - and this book was a good reminder for me to try to put myself back there when I'm raising my daughters, so I can remember the kind of things they are likely going through and pray for them!

Still, I kept having mixed feelings about this book as I read it. At times I really appreciated what the author was saying thought this was a great guide. At other times, I felt like it was missing...something. I think in a lot of ways this book focused so intently on struggles girls may have in their growing-up years, and part of what was missing for me was a more wide-angle view of not only their current struggles, but praying for the kind of women we want our daughters to become. Maybe not everyone will agree with me on that, but it's the closest I can get to explaining what wasn't quite working for me. I wanted focus not only on the feel-good prayers for our girls (ex: knowing she's loved, loving others, having an undivided heart for the Lord), but also for qualities of character (love for truth, courage, honesty, etc). I felt this book was a little more focused on the former, which are certainly important things! But when I think about the women I hope my girls will become I also largely think about praying they will be women of character, so I would have liked more character-qualities addressed here too.

I also thought the author shared an awful lot about her daughter's struggles in this book, and I found myself wincing at times and hoping that she got her daughter's permission to share certain things! She probably did, but I can't remember if she spelled that out for the reader.

Overall, I would recommend this book, but I think a more general praying-for-children book would be a good companion read as well!

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for free in exchange for a review. This is my honest opinion.

Tickling Baby Feet - 26 Weeks (Baby #5)

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 11:30:00 +0000

This is the last pregnancy update in the second trimester!

Baby Girl is nearing 2 lbs. in weight, is starting to hear other people's voices from inside the womb (aside from mine), and should be practicing breathing!

I am feeling pretty good still! That burst of nesting energy that I had a couple weeks ago has slowed down...at least until after our trip to New Orleans, because then I'll probably get back into full-blown closet-cleaning mode. But I am happy to report that our school cabinet and Gwen's closet are looking much cleaner and more organized after all my efforts.

I've mentioned several times that my belly has been consistently bigger this pregnancy, but looking at these pictures, I would say this is about what I looked like at 28 weeks pregnant with the other kiddos. Which means we are only looking about 2 weeks ahead now, instead of a full 4-5 weeks! I think the rapid belly-growth is starting to even out. I am enjoying the size of my belly right now - right around 28 weeks has always been the sweet-spot in pregnancy for me, and with my belly a little bigger this time I think we're just hitting the sweet spot a little early.

These last couple weeks mark the first bit of sciatic nerve pain (which I've had with all my pregnancies), and the first rib pain from my belly growing into my ribs. The sciatic nerve pain held off for a really long time, so I'm pretty happy about that! The rib pain seems earlier than my other pregnancies. I am not complaining, however, because this pregnancy has been one of the easiest on my body overall!

My favorite development is that we have finally reached the phase where this little girl's limbs are strong enough to jut a foot or hand out the side of my belly - and I love it! I love running my fingers over my belly when she does that and feeling the little foot-lump under my skin. It makes me feel more bonded to my baby when this happens, like she knows I'll tickle her little foot and that's why she kicked so hard in the first place.

She seems to be a pretty active baby during the day, but not as much at night. This may change as she gets bigger and her movements are strong enough to wake me up, but for now let's just hope this sleeping-at-night pattern holds!

Since Baby's hearing is developing more now, I think the goal for the next couple weeks will be to sing her some lullabies. I always think that surely babies can form an attachment to certain songs if they've been hearing them from the womb. There will be some favorite hymns in the rotation.

I'm also planning on printing out some social security top 1000 name lists so I can start sorting through them on the plane to New Orleans - it will be a good, long stretch of alone time, so I can really think it through and see which names jump out. Wish me luck, because we still don't really have any front-runners in the name department!

I thought I'd throw in a picture of the newest big sister too. I think she's starting to really understand that there is a baby in there!

Third trimester, here we come!

The Lucky Few Review

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 11:00:00 +0000

(Affiliate link below.)

I'm not sure what made me pick up The Lucky Few by Heather Avis. I didn't follow her Instagram account, and had never heard of her before. But I am so glad I grabbed this book!

In The Lucky Few, Heather tells her motherhood story - how she struggled with infertility, finally decided on adoption, only to discover that God was leading her and her husband to adopt a little girl with Down Syndrome.

The author really tells this story well - even when she was describing the more ordinary bits of motherhood I found myself completely caught up in the book. This is not only an interesting story, but also a powerful testimony of the beautiful things God can do with someone who is willing to take the gifts He is offering, even when they may not look they way we thought.

This book was a quick read, and uplifting and encouraging. I highly recommend it!

Note: I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for a review. This is my honest opinion.

The Big Easy

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 18:32:00 +0000

Have you heard of having a "babymoon"?

The idea was first becoming popular when I was pregnant with Wyatt. It's basically one last trip with just the two parents before baby arrives.

At the time, part of my liked the idea - it does make sense to travel one last time before baby! But another part of me rolled my eyes. Really? Another thing we have to try to find the money to pay for before baby? The perfectly decorated nursery, perfect maternity and newborn photo shoots, not to mention the hospital bills - those just aren't enough expense by themselves, huh?

We're not rolling in the dough here, after all.

Still, before we had Wyatt, Derek and I planned a little weekend Valentine's getaway, and I thought, there ya go. That can also be our babymoon! Little did I realize that we would end up having to cancel our weekend getaway and check into the hospital to meet our boy sooner than expected.

Since then, Derek and I never attempted another babymoon, and I had no plans to do one this time either...until I found out Derek was getting to go to New Orleans for a work conference. I've never been to New Orleans! I wanted to go! So I booked a flight, and am now spending two nights with Derek in the Big Easy.

Kind of like that babymoon we never had!

Except this is our fifth baby, not our first, and Derek will have to spend most of the day in his conference...but I couldn't pass up a chance for a getaway. We'll still have the evenings together (like two date nights in a row!), and I plan on adventuring a little by myself when he's working. Either adventuring or laying by the pool, I haven't decided yet.

My to-do list thus far:

1. Get beignets somewhere for breakfast.

2. Find some good restaurants for dinner.

3. Take a lot of pretty pictures.

4. Relax by the pool (if I don't die from the heat).

5. Read a lot.

So what do you think? What do I need to see in New Orleans?

We're staying in the French Quarter, and I really have no idea what to expect. Have you ever been there?

The Last Thing I...

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 11:30:00 +0000

(You may be wondering why I have a picture of pants as the headliner photo for this post. It's a good question. I'm adding an extra element to this post by adding the last photo in my phone. See "The Last Text I Sent" for a full explanation.)

Back in the good ole days of blogging, one person would post a q&a, and the post would resurrect itself throughout Google Reader for the next week, each person filling out their own answers. So for a little blogging nostalgia, that's what I'm doing today. I saw this on Erin and Michelle's blogs, and if you like it, feel free to grab it too!

Last thing I ate: Creamy Chipotle Potato Soup. From a can. I think it was Campbell's? I used to eat cans of soup for lunch all the time when I was working, and I have rediscovered the joy of a ready-made hot lunch. Don't tell me about all the chemicals in canned food, because "ready-made" means a lot more to me at this stage in my life.

Last thing I drank: Leftover Vanilla White Mocha from Caribou Coffee. Sometimes I buy an iced coffee and take two sips of it, and then don't finish it until the next morning. Thank goodness for modern refrigeration. We've also been trying to branch out from Starbucks lately, because Derek and I are both a little bored of it. Introduce some new syrup flavors, would ya, Starbucks? I feel like they just recombine the same drinks they've been doing for years, and they are all starting to taste the same. If I had to suggest a flavor, I would point them in the direction of orange and Mexican hot chocolate. Do something with those!

Last text I sent: To my friend, Kellie, in reference to my capsule wardrobe project (you may have seen a sneak peek already if you follow me on Instagram): "Yeah, I have been thinking about doing it for a while, because I typically only wear things I really like at any given moment anyway, and then I get bored of those items and feel like I want new clothes. Having stuff that can go together gives me a lot more options for outfits with those things I like to wear, and being limited helps me be a little more creative with the things I already have." Stay tuned because I have a whole post about my capsule wardrobe in the works (hence the picture of pants)!

Last book I read: (#afflink) I'm in the middle of Code Name Flood by Laura Martin, which is a middle grade novel set 150 years into the future after scientists have brought back the dinosaurs and the human race has been mostly destroyed and is now living underground. In line with what we know about the future (and the past) via the Bible? No. Imaginative - yes! It's a page-turner! I've been on a middle-grade novel kick lately.

Last time I laughed: I have been mostly holing up in different rooms of the house and organizing things for the last couple days, so...I don't know? Probably something cute one of the kids said or did.

Last thing you bought: A stuffed animal net for Gwen's room. See the answer above about holing up and organizing things.

Last movie you saw: Sense And Sensibility, which I watched as part of a watch-along with Hillary Manton Lodge (author), and I learned that the actress that played Elinor married the actor that played Willoughby!! What?! Also, I did not win the watch-along giveaway (rats).

Last TV show you watched: Everybody Loves Raymond. I just appreciate that show so much more now that I'm an adult.

Last thing you googled: "Laura Martin Books", because I forgot the name of the book that I was reading. Is it weird that I remembered the author's name but not the name of the actual book? This happens to me a lot.

Nesting Early? 24 Weeks (Baby #5)

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 15:26:00 +0000

I don't know why, but with every baby I feel the need to change up the nursery. Up to this point it's been necessary since we've been alternating boys and girls, but this time I just wanted to make sure this baby still had a unique look to her room. I put together Clarice's nursery specifically for her, and I want to put something together specifically for this baby too. This week I picked up the last thing I was wanting for the Baby's nursery, and it's making me just that much more excited to meet this little girl! Baby prep is in full swing, even though we've still got 3+ months to go.

This is still technically "viability week" I guess, even though babies have survived when born as early as 22 weeks! It's always a little comforting to get past that point where you know all hospitals would try to do something if Baby was born early though. I feel like she is getting stronger too - up to this point her little kicks have been so delicate, but this week she got in some pretty good jabs! I am excited about it because I love the big kicks later in pregnancy, and I kind of forgot when in pregnancy they start to feel stronger. With the other kids it got to the point where I could feel a little arm or foot under my hand, and I can't wait for that again. It's the coolest feeling, and in my mind it makes for good bonding with Baby, because surely she can feel my hand too.

I'm feeling great overall - Baby Girl has been so easy on me this pregnancy. I haven't really had any back pain, the round ligament pain has calmed down, I am tired but not excessively so. I do have heartburn some days, but other than that I feel pretty comfortable! It's probably good that I'm nesting early because who knows how long this will last, but I am just thankful that this pregnancy has been one of my easier ones so far.

The kids are still excited, but I think they've accepted that it's going to be a while before the baby arrives. Wyatt keeps talking about wanting it to be fall, and I think the motivation is half because he's excited about the baby, and half because fall means it's closer to Christmas! Gwen tells anyone who will listen that we are going to have "three little princesses" in our house. Clyde asks to see the baby's pictures every time he spots an ultrasound. And Clarice seems to be understanding more too - she pointed to my belly the other day and said "bebe tum-mee", which was adorable!

Back to the baby prep - I do think the nesting is kicking in early this time. Or maybe it's partially pre-school-year cleaning too, but I feel like I need to organize every area of this house before this little one arrives. Every time some difficulty comes up in keeping the house in order, I get the idea that this could be solved with better organization. And maybe it can, but I hope I can keep things in perspective and not drive myself and everyone around me nuts with the to-do's!

I'm going to try to get back to my old-fashioned blogging routine this week (it's just kind of falling by the wayside with summer!), so I'll save all the nesting details for then. Stay tuned!

(Referral links below.)

Dress: PinkBlush Maternity

Bag: JustFab

Sandals: JustFab

The Most Misused Stories In The Bible (Highly Recommend)

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Sat, 29 Jul 2017 14:52:00 +0000

(Affiliate links below.)

I saw this book, and the title intrigued me. I wanted to know "The Most Misused Stories In The Bible"! I am so glad I picked it up because this book exceeded my expectations.

Bargerhoff tackles so many issues and misinterpretations in this book, some that I was not even expecting. However, the part that I was really pleased with is how he incorporates principles for proper biblical interpretation while sharing these stories. He not only tells you how and why they are misunderstood, but how a proper Bible study method and interpretation of Scripture can help us avoid similar mistakes.

Everything in this book was biblically sound, the author shows the biblical support for his arguments about how certain Bible stories are misused, and he really got me thinking about new things with some of the stories he presented. He also is not afraid to shy away from controversial topics, taking a strong stand on the truth of God's Word.

The drawback of having literally no complaints about a book is that the review ends up being rather short - but it's a pleasant problem to have. This book was excellent, and I'd highly recommend it. I think I'll be picking up the other book by the author, The Most Misused Verses In The Bible as well!

Note: I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for a review. This is my honest opinion.

Operation: Feel Cute While Pregnant

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Mon, 24 Jul 2017 15:01:00 +0000

Note: The (very cute) dress in these pictures is one I received for free for this post in partnership with PinkBlush! All opinions are my own.

I've always been one of those people that loves being pregnant.

In the past I've heard women make comments about how pregnancy is not their favorite state, and while I could understand that with my head, I had no personal experience with that feeling.

This pregnancy has been a little different for me though. It's not that I am not enjoying pregnancy this time (I am), but I don't feel as...cute?...this time around. I finally understand a little better why other women have made those kind of comments.

However, I have determined to enjoy this pregnancy, and well, I learned a long time ago that if I am no longer feeling good about my appearance, it's probably time to change things up! This is what I've done so far this pregnancy:

1. Changed my skincare routine.

In past pregnancies, I haven't worried too much about skincare. I knew there were some skincare ingredients to be avoided, so I just grabbed an inexpensive moisturizer that looked clear of anything harmful, and the pregnancy glow kept me feeling good about it. I figured out pretty quickly this time though that it was not going to be the same. Maybe it's just because I am getting older, but my skin was dry and dull and crying out for some TLC, and I didn't want to postpone getting the good stuff until after baby. So searched until I found some skincare products I was comfortable with during pregnancy, and I got into a really consistent skincare routine for the first time in my life! Taking a little extra time on my skin makes me feel less worn out in the morning and night, because my face feels fresh and healthy.

2. I got a gym membership.

I have mentioned before that the weight is coming on alarmingly fast this time around - yikes! After hearing me griping about it for a few weeks, Derek finally suggested that he add me to his gym membership.

I have never actually worked out while being pregnant before (confession time), so this was a new thought. But I tried out the gym, and it was glorious! Not only do I weirdly enjoy the exercise bike, but heading to the gym a few times a week gives me some much needed refresh time in the evenings after a busy day with the kids. I can't say the weight gain has slowed down any, but I do feel healthier regardless, which goes a long way in feeling more "cute" again.

3. I got new maternity clothes.

This is my fifth pregnancy, I figured it was time to refresh my maternity wardrobe! A lot of the items I bought for my first pregnancy (seven years ago), are faded and out of style now. Being stuck with faded, out-of-style clothes does not make you feel cuter during pregnancy, I'll tell you that. In some ways it seems a pity to get new clothes that I'll only get to wear for a few more months since this is our last baby, but I decided not to feel bad about it. If this is my last pregnancy, I should enjoy it, and after four pregnancies in those other clothes I figured I have earned a few new things.

The dress in these pictures is my latest new piece from PinkBlush! I love the fitted t-shirt dress silhouette, and it's fun during pregnancy since it shows off the belly. The material of this one is perfect for more formal occasions (I wore it out on our anniversary), but I think it's easy to dress down too. Since I do a lot more online shopping these days (it really is hard to try on clothes with four kids in tow), I've been browsing PinkBlush quite a bit this pregnancy, and they have so many cute maternity clothes!

So that's my strategy thus far in Operation: Feel Cute While Pregnant. And I think it is working for me! Next up on the agenda...get a haircut. In case you haven't been around that long, my hair length in these pictures is pretty long for me, and I'm ready to have less hair. Stay tuned!

Guilt-Free Breastfeeding: Advice From A Mom Of Five

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 11:30:00 +0000

I partnered with/received compensation from Babywise.Life to write this post. Even though this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own.

First I should probably clarify for new readers that I'm a mom of four on the outside and one in the oven, who I plan on nursing despite my difficult beginnings with breastfeeding!

I was never an obsessive breastfeeding advocate before I had a baby, but before Wyatt was born I knew I wanted to try to breastfeed him for a year. I was pregnant with him seven years ago, and maybe this is the case with new mothers now as well, but I felt like the pressure to breastfeed was at the highest it had ever been. There were plenty of studies about the benefits of breastfeeding, and I heard them all. I felt that if I was really going to do the best for my baby, I had to try to make it to a year. That’s what good new mothers did.

Wyatt was born at 37 weeks after an induction from pre-eclampsia, and all the nurses were surprised about how quickly he caught on to nursing. They expected small babies to have a tougher time, but we didn’t seem to have any problems. I left the hospital proud of my baby, and proud of myself that everything had gone so smoothly.

That didn’t last long.

About a week after I brought him home from the hospital, we started having problems. And by problems, I mean that I would cry out in pain every time he latched. I couldn’t figure out what went wrong! I talked to my doctor and lactation consultants, I read online great articles about breastfeeding trouble-shooting and about what a proper latch looks like. But every time he went to eat, I ended up with tears streaming down my cheeks.

On top of that, I developed mastitis, which took a little time to be properly diagnosed. I remember a few days being laid out on the couch with a fever and a hard knot in my chest, knowing I needed to nurse more often to try to get it out, but crying when I thought about it because I knew it was going to hurt so badly.

All this lasted about a month, and I started to almost resent when Wyatt would get hungry and want to eat. Even though it wasn’t great for our relationship, I’d suck it up anyway, and scream in pain, and cry a little. Finally someone told me something that I will never forget (even though I forget who exactly told me this amidst this painful newborn phase).

Someone told me that your bond with your baby is more important than whether you breastfeed or not.

That little bit of advice meant so much to me - because someone had finally given me permission to let breastfeeding go if I needed to. Someone had finally acknowledged that there are more important things in motherhood than whether I breastfed or not.

That advice helped me to take my doctor’s advice when she suggested I stop nursing on the affected side and just pump until there was some improvement. That advice gave me permission to not breastfeed because I felt I had to, but only if I wanted to.

It was the most freeing thing I could have heard at that time in my motherhood journey, because it made me realize that breastfeeding is not what makes a person a good mother. The love and care you have for your baby, and the bond that forms with or without breastfeeding, is what makes you a good mother.

I did end up finally healing and I nursed Wyatt until six months old. Even with future troubles with my supply and nursing a baby with a food sensitivity (Gwen), nursing has been a such a sweet time with all my babies. But it’s been sweeter yet knowing I breastfed my babies because I wanted to, and not because I was obligated to. I am most proud today not of how long (or not long) I breastfed, but that it was a guilt-free journey.

So if I were to give advice to a brand-new mom today about breastfeeding, it would be that: Breastfeed because you want to, not because you have to. Know that if everything doesn’t go as planned, you can fight through it and still have a successful breastfeeding story - or you can decide to let it go for the sake of reducing the stress on your bond, and that is a good choice too. Your bond with your baby is not dependent on how successful you are at breastfeeding. Loving your baby, and caring for their needs as best you can, until someday they don’t need you anymore - that’s what makes you a good mother. Regardless of how this part of your motherhood story goes, it’s only one brief part, and not anywhere close to the most important.

Patriotic Gender Reveal Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 11:30:00 +0000

Since we found out the gender of Baby #5 on July 3rd, I knew I wanted to do a patriotic-themed gender reveal party this time around! Kind of a late 4th Of July celebration/gender reveal.

It's pretty easy to do patriotic food too - I made some swirly patriotic fudge, and a s'more dip in the colors of an American flag. Throw some American-inspired Hershey kisses and red, white and blue flowers in there, and there you go!

We served hamburgers to our guests, and asked everyone to bring a side to share - and there was plenty to eat!

We had our friends and family wear a pin with their guess. I basically just cut up some decorations from Hobby Lobby and hot glued them onto pins - red hearts for a girl, blue hearts for a boy.

Everyone expects some sort of gender reveal party games at our parties, so I came up with a couple...

Game #1 - Guess how many pieces of candy are in the jar. There were slightly more red M&M's for those who thought they would be talented candy guessers. There were 311 pieces of candy, with $5 Starbucks gift card for the winner!

Game #2 - Our Baby Name Game involved learning the names of everyone in the room, and then coming up with a baby name (opposite of each person's gender) that starts with the same letter. There may have been ulterior motives to this game, since we don't have a girl name pick out yet. I got a couple ideas from everyone's sheets! For participating, guests were entered into a drawing for another $5 Starbucks gift card (the promise of a prize just makes any little game so much more appealing).

I won't show all the pictures of our friends and family here, but we had a great party! It was fun to visit with everyone and enjoy all the wonderful food that everyone brought! And of course, our family dressed up in all our patriotic attire.

Finally, for the actual reveal we did a little contest too. I made pudding/whipped cream pies for a "pie" eating contest...

In each pie was a paper with the combination to open this box:

I put a pink glow stick on the inside! We had originally planned this party in the evening because we wanted to announce Baby's gender with a sparkler...but our county was put under a fire ban right before our party, so I resorted to a glow stick instead. It worked out pretty well! Everyone was extremely competitive and fought over the box, but in the end, my sister got to open it!

Baby #5 is a sweet baby GIRL, and we are so excited!

Also, for those of you who entered your guess on Baby's Gender...the poll ended up being almost dead even for boy vs. girl guesses! Thank you to everyone who participated, I had so much fun reading through all the guesses. And the winner of the drawing from those who guessed correctly was...my blog friend Alex, from Inspiration Clothesline! I'll shoot you an email soon Alex so I can send you your prize!

It's A GIRL! 22 Weeks (Baby #5)

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 11:30:00 +0000

In case you missed it on Monday, now you know - Baby #5 is a GIRL! We are excited to have another little lady in our family!

We found out on Monday the 3rd, and then spent the next day celebrating 4th Of July. I never got to write a post about that, so I thought, "Why not include it in this update?" Little Girl's first fourth of July in the womb, and we announced the gender with a sparkler, so it seems appropriate!

Baby's First 4th (On The Inside)

We went to a fireworks show with my family on the 3rd after we found out the gender at dinner. I coached the kids not to say ANYTHING about the baby, and they actually did really well! They didn't let the secret out at all before our party, and I was pretty proud of them. It's nice to know you can count on your kids not to say something when you don't want them to.

On the actual 4th we were invited to dinner with some friends, and they bought a bunch of fireworks to do in their culdesac - it was nice, because the fire ban was on by then so we couldn't do any sparklers or fireworks at our house! At both fireworks show and the smaller fireworks with our friends, the kids were so into it. They cheered every firework and jumped around and were generally just really excited. Clyde loved the "little fireworks" (sparklers). We left for the drive home right as a lot of fireworks shows were starting, and we got to watch three different shows from the car as we drove through town, with the kids cheering in the backseat! It was so fun. I have my eye on a good show for next year now, since we were able to scope out four different shows this year.

The only child not as into the fireworks was Clarice - she cried when it got too loud and wanted to be held every time a firework went off. Poor sweetie. She is generally fearless, so it surprised me a little, but I can't lie, I didn't hate the extra snuggles!

Alright, enough about Baby Five's first 4th of July, and back to the update!

How I'm Feeling

I have been feeling pretty good for the last couple weeks, but for some reason right around when we found out the gender my back started hurting! I have been having such an easy pregnancy as far as back pain goes so far, so I can't complain too much, but my sciatic nerve pain is getting to me. If I sit for too long on a soft surface, it's hard to get up without my lower back hurting. I'm not sure what shifted in the last couple weeks to cause this, but something did. I need an adjustment.

I have also been eating too much lately, and I got on the scale the other day, which was rather alarming. I haven't been feeling good about the way I'm gaining weight, and decided it was probably time I started to be a little more regimented about working out during pregnancy. Derek's gym let me try them out the other day, and I had so much fun riding on the stationary bike, and I felt energized afterward, so we're going to add me to the gym and my plan is to go at least 3 times a week. I think it will be a great stress-reliever for me and also hopefully keep the weight gain to a reasonable level! Or as I told Derek, at least if the weight continues to come on quick, I'll at least feel healthier.

Ready For A Girl?

Then obviously the big news is finding out we are expecting a sweet baby GIRL! I am excited to know another piece of the puzzle of who this little one will be, and I find myself trying to figure out her personality now that I know it's a she. I think she seems like a pretty relaxed baby so far. She doesn't kick too hard, and I feel like there are some good sleep patterns developing because she only kicks during certain times of the day. She is also in the proper position already, head down and facing my back, which I am happy about!

Look at her cute little pixie chin!

I will say, for some reason we were not really as prepared in a practical sense for a girl. You'd think I would have been mentally preparing for either either gender, but I actually was trying to not get set on one or the other at all, so this practical unreadiness is totally by coincidence. We just had more stuff ready to go if it was a boy, and until this point I didn't want to make plans for a girl, lest I get attached to the idea of a girl and it wasn't a girl. Does that make sense? So here is the status:

-I had a whole bag of boy hand-me-downs, but I cleaned out a bunch of our girl clothes before we found out I was pregnant, so this baby definitely needs her wardrobe filled in.

-We had a boy name ready to go (leftover from when we were expecting the other boys), but we have absolutely no girl name at all. Not even an idea.

-For some reason I had a vision in my head for a boy nursery, but I couldn't figure out where to take a girl's nursery!

At first I was letting all this stress me out a little bit, but then again, all this extra preparation and planning will actually be pretty fun. I spent this last week shopping for girl nursery items, and I'm really excited about the direction it's going! We started looking at girl names, and I am reviewing my previous baby-naming system. And as for clothes...the budget is a little stressful, but how can shopping for baby girl clothes not be fun?

So here is to the next few weeks of fresh plans for this little girl!! And if you think of any baby girl names that go with my other kids' names, send them my way!

Stay tuned for photos of our patriotic gender reveal party coming next week!

Dress: Would you believe I got this at Sam's Club?
Earrings: Charming Charlie

Baby #5 Is A...

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 11:30:00 +0000

I feel that I have to ramble a minute, because if I don't the answer to Baby #5's gender will just be right there in your blog reading feed - and where is the fun in that? Just give me a minute to play "I know something you don't know" a minute longer.

It's...

a...

GIRL!!

We have officially broken our boy/girl pattern, and the girls won the tiebreaker!

We found out last Monday! We always have the ultrasound tech put the answer in an envelope for us to open at dinner, so after we got to see our sweet baby up close we headed to a fun themed Mexican restaurant (with caves and cliff-divers and dinner shows and everything - it's a fun place.).

On the way over I showed the kids all the pictures of the baby's face, and they were so interested. Clyde especially asked to see the pictures over and over again after we found out the gender, and he kept giggling and saying, "She's so cute!" He's pretty smitten for a child that claimed to have wanted another brother - it's pretty adorable!

We took a risk and opened the envelope with the kids at dinner, and they were all excited! It was fun to see their reactions, and I'm glad we decided to tell them before everyone else. They did a great job of keeping the secret until our official announcement!

Now to just pick a girl name!

Sweetbriar Cottage Review

noreply@blogger.com (Callie) — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 11:30:00 +0000

2.5/5 stars.

Whenever I see a new Denise Hunter book up for review, I have to snag it because I always enjoy how her books are quick, easy reads. She has a way of sucking me into the story, and even when I think I can't take the drama anymore, I somehow can't help myself from turning the pages!

In this Sweetbriar Cottage, Noah and Josephine thought they got a divorce 18 months ago - only to realize that a paperwork glitch resulted in them still be married. Through the book we find out more about how their relationship started, how it ended, and glimpses into Josephine's troubled past.

I have to say, this wasn't my favorite book by Hunter. The main character's past was pretty dark, involving r.ape, and subsequent promiscuity, all that she hid from her husband while they were married. I thought Hunter handled it all in a tactful way, but it was more than I was expecting and the subsequent problems in Josephine and Noah's marriage got all psychological, more so than in her other books. Hunter also has had a tendency in all her books to focus on the physical attraction between her characters too much for me, and it seemed especially pronounced in this book - I'm assuming because of the sexual sin in the character's past, and remembrances of previous intimacy in her marriage to Noah. Like I said, it all ended up being too much.

Also, we find out a lot about Josephine and her past, but hardly anything about Noah's. He didn't seem to have as much of a backstory, and I wish he had.

My final complaint about this book is that the salvation message was really weak. Josephine asked Jesus "into her heart" as a child, but obviously turned away from Him. She has a renewal of "faith" in this book, and "the cross" is briefly mentioned, but it is never clear what she is being saved from. She is plagued by the guilt of her past sins in this book, but her sin is never called sin (neither is Noah's, as he acknowledges his lust several times) and it's never clarified that that's why Jesus died in the first place - to cleanse us of our sin when we repent and put our trust in Him. He didn't die for us so we could feel less guilty about our sin, He died so He could take our sins away from us and give us His righteousness. This wasn't communicated well at all, and that troubled me. The message seemed to be about Jesus's "unconditional love" for us, but didn't address sin and repentance really at all - and that's pretty much crucial to salvation. So I was disappointed in that.

All that said, I did shoot through this book. Like I said, she always keeps me turning the pages to find out what happens. But this book wasn't my favorite.

Note: I received a digital copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.