There Must Be More To Life Than Dishes and Laundry...

Happy 9th Birthday Phoenix!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:04:00 +0000

Happy 9th birthday Phoenix! You are such a joy to our family. You are smart and witty and cute and petite. You'll only be the baby of the family for a few more months so enjoy it but then you'll even have a more important role, big sister. I can't wait to watch you flourish and grow as a big sister. I'm proud of the young lady you are becoming. You definitely are not a baby anymore. Keep up the good work. We love you!

Baby Phoenix on the right

Phoenix's 1st day of kindergarten

My beautiful ballerina, 2010

July 2011

The birthday table all set for the birthday girl

The birthday girl on her way to school this morning

2012 Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:22:00 +0000

Last year writing out my goals on my blog and updating on my progress throughout the year helped keep me accountable so for 2012 I'm doing the same. Some are personal goals, some are financial goals, some are fitness goals, and some are family goals.

1. Be more patient with my children. Generally speaking I am a relatively patient person but I know I could grow in this area this year. Honestly now that my kids are older my expectations for them are high and I get frustrated when they do things like ignore me over and over again or fight non-stop with each other. These and other behaviors are not acceptable but my response needs to be more patient and I need to institute appropriate consequences for the misbehavior, and not lose my temper or yell. I think this is a very important goal for me this year with the new baby coming in May.

2. Spend more quality time with my husband, go on dates more, and make it a priority to spend at least two weekends with him this year completely kid-free. Last week we had a nice treat, 24 hours kid-free. I can't even describe how it refreshed my soul. Hubby and I had a wonderful date and lots of time to just be a couple and take a break from parenting. We got about halfway through The Love Dare book last year and we need to make it a priority to finish it over the next couple months. I'd also love to get involved with a small group or marriage study at church if there is one available that fits our schedule.

3. Make more local friends. Spend more time with my long time friends. I'm a people person, plain and simple. People feed my soul and I need that interaction with friends on a regular basis. I'd love to meet more local women to get together with regularly. I'd also love to get together more regularly with my long time girlfriends who I love spending time with but most live 45 minutes away or so. A little progress in both regards this year would make me happy.

4. Learn more about parenting tweens and teens. I feel very unprepared for the challenges that lay ahead now that I have an 11, 11, and almost 9 year old. Babies, toddler, preschoolers, I'm an expert at, but teens they are almost alien like creatures. Luckily none of my kids have gotten to the stage where they "hate" me and think everything I do is wrong. Both 11 year olds have attitudes though drastically different due to gender and personality. The 9 year still hasn't hit the attitude, pre-teen stage yet but I told hubby we've got 1 more good year out of her at most before it starts with her too.

5. Stick to a budget! I am awful at this. I make a budget, I'm frugal, yet we still overspend. It is vicious cycle. Life with three kids isn't cheap but we should be saving and paying off debt quicker than we are. My number one financial goal this year is to stick to a budget. Nate is now helping more with the finances instead of all of it resting on my shoulders and we implemented a new system to track the budget this year so I am hoping it works.

6. Find little ways to cut back on spending. Cut grocery bill down even more, restart The Grocery Game, 2nd hand shop for the kids as much as possible (in 2011 I had great luck with consignment sales and a local consignment shop), cut back on eating out, and any other little way I can figure out. It may only total up to $100-$200 per month but if that can be paid towards student loans and less interest the impact is magnified.

7. Fully fund a 6 month emergency fund, then start paying down student loans. We're having a baby in May. We have a lot of large expenses the first half of this year, $3000 deductible and co-insurance for delivery, a new car that seats 6, finishing a bedroom in the basement for Brennan, and re-decorating Phoenix's old room for the baby. These things are going to take a lot of our extra income for the first 6 months of the year, not to mention everything the baby needs like furniture, gear, clothes, etc. Being realistic my goal would be to have our 6 month emergency fund fully funded by the end of April. Given the expenses we have coming up this year, after our emergency fund is fully funded my goal for our student loans would be to pay $10,000 towards student loans by the end of 2012. That isn't much at all considering the huge amount of student loans hubby and I have but it would be a start in the right direction. I think that amount could at least pay off both of our private student loans and leave us both with only Federal Stafford loans which have low interest rates and the most flexible repayment terms.

8. Get back into running. I was running until about 13-14 weeks pregnant but then it got cold here in Colorado and I can't seem to get the motivation back. I was really hoping to keep running my entire pregnancy and run a fall 2012 half marathon but that goal may be too big for this year. Plus the half marathon I wanted to run is now when we'll be out of town in September. Running a summer 5K and a fall 10K and training well for them are probably better postpartum goals. This will leave me ready to train for a spring 2013 half marathon and the Colorado Marathon is my first choice. It will also leave me very well trained to run a fast (for me) 2013 Bolder Boulder. Running the Bolder Boulder has been my dream since I got into running but this year I'll only be a couple weeks postpartum so it will have to be delayed until 2013.

So those are my goals for 2012. Thanks for helping keep me accountable!

Introducing Baby Brown

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:38:00 +0000

The baby's first photos! We had our first and likely only ultrasound on Tuesday. It was the 20 week anatomy scan though we waited until I was 22 weeks 4 days so it would be in the 2012 plan year for our insurance deductible.

It was so amazing to see the baby. My favorite part was the tech got an up close shot of the baby's little lips and nose, and they looked just adorable. The tech said everything looked great and got all the measurements we needed. We left there with about 15 profile photos of the baby and a live action DVD of the whole thing. Technology has definitely improved over the past 12 years since I've been pregnant!

We also got a call from our midwife yesterday going over the ultrasound report and she said everything looked perfect. We have a healthy baby growing in there! I wasn't worried something was wrong but hearing those words, "your baby looks perfect" sure felt great.

At my 22 week appointment I was measuring 24 weeks or 2 weeks ahead according to fundal height. At the ultrasound the baby was 1 pound 4 oz and measuring 5 days ahead. Since we're past the first trimester and babies grow at all different rates according to their genetics they will not adjust my due date but I'll likely have a bigger than average baby. Brennan was 8 lbs 1oz and I was 8lbs 12oz and hubby is 6'0" tall and 180 pounds so I wasn't expecting a small baby to start with. We were just happy to hear everything looks great and get a sneak peek at the baby. The day was even more special because hubby and the kids all got to be there to see the baby too. I can't believe the baby will be here in a little under 4 months!

Mommy and baby photos

Side view

The frame for our dresser

Baby

Love this profile shot!

A One Day Can Change the Course of the Rest of Your Life

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:59:00 +0000

6 years ago today, despite hubby going to the wrong Starbucks (there is one on every corner in Colorado) hubby and I had our first date. It is amazing how something so simple can truly change the course of the rest of your life. We had met on Match.com and had a few long phone conversations but had never met in person. If I hadn't realized he was at a different Starbucks we both would've probably thought we were stood up and moved on in our dating adventure. Lucky for both of us that isn't how things turned out. Our first date was wonderful and we spent hours sitting in Starbucks talking and laughing. The rest is pretty much history but 13 months later we were engaged and 2 1/2 years after our first date we were married. Now 6 years later we've been married 3 1/2 years and are expecting our first "together" baby.

I love you so much Nate and thank God each day for bringing you into my life. You are a wonderful husband, father, provider, companion, and my best friend. I can't wait to see what 2012 has in store for us with the arrival of our new baby and all the excitement that brings. Here's to 6 more and 60 more years of happiness together! I love you!

If you want to read more about our love story I wrote about it here.

Then

Now

Pregnancy: 20 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:19:00 +0000

Due date: May 4, 2012

How far along: 20 weeks

Weight gain: 17 pounds. I think my 16 week update was a little off with 10 pounds because I was up 17 at my 18 week appointment. I gained 10 first trimester and still am hungry all the time. I've just come to terms with the fact I am going to gain 40 pounds again this time. Luckily with Brennan it came off right away with no work. Hoping for slow and steady the rest of my pregnancy.

Maternity clothes: All maternity clothes. A couple pre-pregnancy shirts and dresses fit. The dress and tank in the pictures above are not maternity.

Baby bump: Between 13-14 weeks my belly definitely "popped". While it has gotten bigger since then I think it has been more gradual. It also depends a lot upon what I'm wearing.

Gender: We aren't going to find out the gender. We are really excited to announce both the gender and the name on the day the baby is born.

Heartbeat: We got to hear the heartbeat at my 18 week appointment again. The baby had a nice strong heartbeat of 152 BPM. I can't wait to hear it again next week!

Movement: Still waiting to feel lots of movement throughout the day. Brennan and Wynter were able to feel the baby move around 18 weeks when the baby was really hyper. Nate and Phoenix still haven't been able to feel it :-( This last week I have been feeling a bit more spontaneous movement throughout the day which is exciting. I'll be interested to see if I have an anterior placenta at my ultrasound because that can muffle the movement of the baby's kicks. Either that or I just have a really chill baby. The baby is still most active around 9pm.

Symptoms: Overall I still feel great! I'm happy to report my blood pressure has been great since early November! After several weeks of normal readings at home and a great reading at my last appointment I have stopped monitoring it. I think worrying about it non-stop doesn't help and now that it has been normal I don't worry. I still severely limit my caffeine intake though I have been cheating more this past week. I also still take all my heart health supplements and the liquid iron and herbs the acupuncturist recommended and will continue those throughout my pregnancy as a preventative measure. After 4 sessions of acupuncture I have stopped that now due to cost and that my blood pressure is normal again. I would definitely consider it again in the future if my blood pressure goes up. I also happy to report the mid-pregnancy headaches that I complained of last update have subsided too. I'm still tired if I do a lot during the day and occasional sneak in a 30 minute nap but I can stay up late getting stuff done if need be. I did have horrible pregnancy insomnia from about 8 weeks until about 18 weeks. I tried to just chalk it up to normal pregnancy stuff but it was starting to wear on me. After chatting with some other women at similar stages of pregnancy the biggest things I've done is add a snack right before bed so I don't wake up hungry, limit water intake after dinner which was hard because I am a water-o-holic, and sleep with a body pillow. The body pillow helps a lot more than I thought. I still toss and turn a bit and often I don't wake up with the body pillow but I always start with it. I really can't complain much though, just like with Brennan I am having a pretty easy pregnancy!

Exercise: I am still doing horrible with exercise which is disappointing to me since I was so active before. The cold weather really is my enemy! I signed up for an hour long prenatal water aerobics class two days per week the entire month of January so I hope paying for that and putting in on my calendar will keep me accountable. I need to get running again because I know if I take 6 months off it will be harder to pick up postpartum. Anyone want to be my running buddy? I run really slowly, especially pregnant ;-)

Next Appointment: Friday, December 30th. I'll be 22 weeks and Nate and the kids will all be coming. The kids don't have school so I thought I'd take the opportunity to let them meet the midwives and hear the baby's heartbeat. I know they can't wait. I hope the exam room doesn't feel too crowded with 6 people in it. Our ultrasound is scheduled for January 3rd and the kids get to come to that too!

Here is the link to the Baby Center: Your Pregnancy: 20 weeks. Some of the highlights are: baby is now 10 1/2 ounces and 6 1/2 inches. He is swallowing more these days and his digestive system is getting some practice. Your uterus is now level with your belly button and you've likely gained around 10 pounds (ha!). Expect to gain about a pound or so per week the rest of your pregnancy.

Brennan's New Etsy Shop

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:08:00 +0000

My 11 year old son, Brennan recently opened his own Etsy shop. I'm so proud of him! He makes custom made duct tape items. Right now his shop is offering wallets, purses, checker boards, and bull whips with plans to add more items as business expands. Each item is made to order with your specifications. You chose the color and can even add a custom design. His prices are very reasonable too. Please take the time to click over and check out his shop.

Orders placed by 12/16 will be shipped in time for Christmas delivery.

An example of a wallet

Woven wallet

Bull whip

Checker board, includes duct tape checkers

Purse, size can be customized as well as colors

Current colors he has available

Thanks for looking!

Bedtime Battles

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

You would think with two 11 year olds and an 8 year old the bedtime battles would be over but they're not! Sure I can get them to go to bed, stay in bed, and sleep through the night but now that we have entered the tween stage we have entered a new battle: the fair bedtime battle.

I am not some sort of routine or sleep Nazi but my kids have always had a pretty early bedtime. This is mainly due to the fact that they've always had to get up early for school. Experts still recommend children ages 7-12 get 10-11 hours of sleep. Over the years my kids school schedule has dictated how early that have to get up from 5:45am until 7am. For my 8 year old who has to wake up at 7am and truly needs more sleep than the older to that means to get 11 hours she would have to be sleeping by 8pm. For my two 11 year olds who get up around 5:45am and need a little less sleep, in order for them to get 10 hours of sleep they would have to be sleeping by 7:45pm.

Getting ready for bed, bedtime, and when the kids are actually asleep are three very different things in our house. I will admit how smoothly the process goes depends how involved I am that night, if they had after school activities, how early I was able to serve dinner, and how early we start the process. The earlier we start getting ready for bed, the smoother the process goes, and the earlier they are sleeping. Up until this year 8pm was their bedtime and we would start getting ready at 7pm. Usually all three take showers at night which makes the process a bit long but alleviates morning stress. They also pack their lunches, pick out their clothes for the next day, pick up their rooms, do their chores, and take care of their other personal hygiene items like brushing teeth and hair.

Last year Brennan was in 5th grade and began complaining about his early bedtime. Most of his friends had bedtimes of at least 9pm and he felt he was being babied. He really began bringing this up at the end of the year while we were preparing for our move and hubby was living in Colorado already so I told him we would reevaluate this year when he entered middle school. With three children 2 years 8 months apart it is difficult to institute separate bedtimes, especially for the older two who are only 6 months apart. My youngest needs more sleep but the older two get up earlier so the same bedtime makes sense. After some discussions we decided on an 8:30pm bedtime, and 7:30pm get ready for bed time. This seemed ok if it was strictly enforced but it seems like life keeps getting in the way and they aren't sleeping until 9pm a lot of nights.

I began to realize the later bedtime wasn't working especially for my middle daughter who goes to the middle school for math so she is up early and at school late. Her school day is 1 1/2 hours longer than the other two kids. There have been several instances over the past few months where I have sent her to her room at 5pm or 6pm because she was in trouble only to go up there and find she had fallen asleep and stayed asleep the entire night. They truly need the sleep and I was tired of bedtime always getting pushed back.

So yesterday I instituted a new rule. We now start getting ready for bed at 7pm. Anytime they are ready before 8pm is their free time to play video games, watch TV, etc. but at 8pm I want them in their beds to start winding down. I told them they can read or listen to music quietly or relax but they had to be in bed. I then came around at 8:20pm last night and tucked everyone in and turned the lights out. It was a lot less stressful for me because I had some quiet time after they were sleeping before I went to sleep. I know the bedtime isn't too early because they all fall asleep right away. A long day of school with a 40 minute bus ride each way makes for a long day. Plus whatever we do after school usually wears them out too.

I hate being the mean mom or the strict mom but sometimes it needs to be done. We are only one night in but I hope I can keep it up and keep them on track with their earlier bedtime and getting the sleep they need. I guess we will see.

Proud Mama

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:38:00 +0000

This week we were able to celebrate a special achievement of Brennan's. Brennan is a 6th grader and his middle school participated in a county wide poster contest. The winners of the poster contest's art work was made into the 2012 Drug Free Calendar that is distributed county wide by the district attorney, law enforcement, and in local schools.

This year's theme was "Too Smart To Start" and Brennan made poster that showed the earth in the middle of black space with a giant tower coming up from the earth, with drug addicts jumping off the tower, throwing their lives away. Very unique design and a great idea!

There was a lot of great art work. First all the winning posters were displayed in the judicial center during Red Ribbon week in October. The kids were invited to a little celebration where their pictures were taken with the District Attorney and the School Resource Officers. The photos are featured on the back of the calendar.

This week the kids were invited back to the City Council Chambers at City Hall for a special awards ceremony with the area Police Chiefs, The District Attorney, and the Mayor. Each child received special recognition and prizes. It was neat to see Brennan's work recognized.

Here are some highlights from the awards ceremony:

Brennan and his poster and award

Photo featured on the back of the calendar

Up close of Brennan's poster

Brennan receiving his award from the County Sheriff

Brennan and his poster

Much To Be Thankful For and Delicious Green Bean Casserole Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:52:00 +0000

This year I have so much to be thankful for. I am truly thankful for all God has blessed us with this past year and I try to not take it for granted. We had three wonderful Thanksgiving celebrations with the various sides of our families and ate way too much food.

I am thankful for my husband. Not only is he a loving husband, a great provider, wonderful dad, he also is my best friend and I truly enjoy spending time with him. I can hardly believe we've been together 6 years at the end of the year.

I am thankful for my kids. They truly are wonderful. They are polite, they are smart, they are responsible, and overall they are just great kids. I am so thankful God chose me to be their mom.

I am thankful for the new baby growing inside me that we will meet this spring. I have longed for another baby for many years and am beyond overjoyed that our new baby will finally join our family in a few months. This baby will be part hubby, part me, and something as a stepfamily we all have in common.

I am thankful to be living in Colorado again. I am thankful we now have so much family so close and to have lots of long time friends close as well. I love seeing the mountains everyday and going and playing in the mountains as often as possible. I love all the sunshine we get here in Colorado. I love the slower pace of life and the fact that strangers are friendly and take the time to smile and talk to you.

I am thankful for my hubby's job. Not only does he get to make beer for a living, his job allows me to stay home and raise our children, something I don't take for granted.

I am thankful we were able to purchase our first home this year. Not only is the home bigger and nicer than anything we ever though we'd be able to afford, it is close to hubby's job, in a neighborhood full of kids and really great neighbors.

I am thankful we have finally found a church here in town and I look forward to becoming more involved. This morning church refreshed my soul and changed my bad attitude and I really appreciate it.

I am thankful for so much. I know as college educated Americans hubby and I have more than most others worldwide. Thanksgiving is a great time to pause and reflect on everything we truly do have here in America.

And as an added bonus here is the most delicious green bean casserole recipe you'll ever have. I made it for our first Thanksgiving celebration and it was amazing!

Paula Deen's Green Bean Casserole

From: foodnetwork.com with my modifications.

Ingredients:

1/3 stick butter

1/2 cup diced onions

1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

2 cups canned green beans (drained)

1 - 10 3/4 ounce can of cream of mushroom soup

1 - 2.8 ounce can of French's fried onions

1 cup grated sharp cheddar

salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to taste

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2) Melt butter in skillet and saute onions and mushrooms.

3) Add green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and fried onions to onion and mushroom mixture.

4) Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste, at a ratio of 2 times more salt than pepper or garlic powder. I didn't measure but maybe 2-3 good shakes of pepper and garlic powder, and 5-6 shakes of salt.

5) Stir well and pour into baking dish.

6) Bake for 20 minutes, then add shredded cheddar on top (don't stir) and bake for 10 more minutes.

7) Serve hot out of oven and enjoy!

Pregnancy: 16 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:37:00 +0000

I can't believe it has been 6 weeks since my last pregnancy update.

The baby belly is giant already!

Whose belly is bigger mine or Phoenix's?

Already in love!

Due date: May 4, 2012

How far along: 16 weeks

Weight gain: 10 pounds

Maternity clothes: All maternity clothes. From about 10 weeks on I've been in maternity clothes.

Baby bump: 2nd pregnancies are no joke. My belly started rounding out around 6 weeks and I was obviously showing by 9-10 weeks. When I was pregnant with Brennan I wasn't showing this much until 26-27 weeks. Good thing I have Babycenter and Facebook so I can see my big bump fits right in with all the other 2nd time moms. Now if I could just get my family to stop teasing me about having twins we'd be good.

Gender: We aren't going to find out the gender. We are really excited to announce both the gender and the name on the day the baby is born. The waiting may kill the older kids and some of our other family members but we are super excited for the big surprise. My intuition from the beginning is that it is a boy. Hubby says he thinks it is a girl. We'll see in about 24 weeks who is right.

Heartbeat: We got to hear the heartbeat at my appointment on November 3rd. I was 13 weeks and 6 days. The baby had a nice strong heartbeat of 160 BPM. It was an amazing sound to hear and I loved seeing hubby's face light up when he heard it too.

Movement: I first felt the baby move on November 4th when I was 14 weeks along. I noticed other 2nd time moms saying they could feel the baby as early as 12 weeks then I finally read in one of my pregnancy books that 2nd time moms can sometimes feel the baby at 14 weeks so I decided to give it a try. Last time I was pregnant I didn't feel Brennan until about 20 weeks along. My doctor then told me to eat a snack, lay down and be still and focus on feeling the movement. I did the same thing this time and sure enough I could feel some nudges and even some tumbling going on. I still can't feel the baby move during my day to day activities but if I lay still and try to feel the baby move I can. The baby is most active right before bed around 9pm at night. I hope that doesn't mean we're going to have a baby who doesn't want to sleep.

Symptoms: Overall I still feel great! I noticed a significant boost in my energy levels around 12 weeks. I still get tired, especially if I do a lot during the day, but now instead of falling down in bed at 8pm because I can no longer function, I am tired but can stay up until 9:30 or 10pm getting done what needs done. I've had a few instances of round ligament pain but usually it is a dull ache if I do too much. I've had more headaches the past few weeks but not too many. The breast tenderness has subsided. The always feeling hungry has subsided too though I now try to eat a lot more protein especially in the morning so I stay fuller longer. My blood pressure has still been a little high. When I take it now it tends to be in the mid-upper 120's over upper 70's or lower 80's. I had 4 acupuncture sessions which helped. I'd continue those but we won't be meeting our deductible this year and will have a lot of out of pocket costs next year so I can't keep paying out of pocket for acupuncture. My original blood work didn't say I was anemic but the acupuncturist suggested adding a liquid iron supplement from Vitamin Cottage and I think it is helping keep my blood pressure down.

Exercise: I've been doing horrible with exercise since it has gotten cold. Brennan and I went on a 5 mile bike ride yesterday but on average I am only exercising 1-2 days per week. I'd really like to continue running my entire pregnancy so it is easy to pick up postpartum. There is a prenatal water aerobics class through the city I am going to sign up for. I figure paying for a class will be motivation enough to get me there and be 2 days a week of exercise. If anyone has any great cold weather/no exercise partner suggestions for keeping me motivated I'd love to hear them. I also have Your Shape on the Xbox and occasionally do the yoga or cardio but honestly don't love exercise videos.

Next Appointment: Friday, December 2nd. I'll be 18 weeks and I scheduled it for when Nate isn't working so he can come along too. Our ultrasound is scheduled for January 3rd. It is the standard anatomy scan since we won't be finding out the gender though I am excited to see the baby.

Here is the link to the Baby Center Your Pregnancy: 16 Weeks Some of the highlights are: get ready for a growth spurt your baby will double in size in the next few weeks. Your baby is the size of an avocado (4 1/2 inches and 3 1/2 ounces). His legs are more developed. His eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. He's even started growing toenails. His heart is now pumping 25 quarts of blood each day and this amount will continue to increase as he develops.

Made In America

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:09:00 +0000

Last night was Phoenix's "Made In America" program at school. It was very cute and very entertaining with singing, speaking parts, props, and dancing. It also was just 30 minutes, the perfect length for a performance in my opinion. Phoenix is the first speaker at the beginning of the video. The song is the entire 3rd grade singing but I did zoom in on Phoenix during the song. She is in a red skirt, white shirt, and brown knee boots. Enjoy!

Happy 11th Birthday Wynter!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 23:08:00 +0000

Happy 11th Birthday Wynter! Daddy and I love you so much and are so proud of the beautiful young lady you have become. Don't lose sight of who you are over these coming teen years. You are unique, beautiful, and compassionate and I know will become a successful young lady.

Love,

Mom

Bath time!

Cheeseburger smile! 3 years old, 2004

Me and my sister! 4 years old, 2005

My angel, Halloween 2007, 6 years old.

Our wedding, May 2008, 7 years old.

September 2009, 8 years old.

Beautiful! July 2011, 10 years old

Do Everything

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:56:00 +0000

By Steven Curtis Chapman

The music video is a little weird but just listen to the lyrics. I heard this song yesterday in the car and while I had heard it before it spoke to me. Sometimes as stay-at-home moms it feels like what we are doing isn't important. Especially for very career driven woman like me. At this point in my life I expected to be a high powered attorney not a stay-at-home mom but you know what I couldn't be happier. The song says, "...wonder sometimes does it matter at all. Well let me remind you it matters just as long as you do everything you do to the glory of the one who made you." It goes on to talk about it doesn't matter if you're a high powered executive, or a stay-at-home mom, or the guy flipping burgers, as long as you do it to the glory of God it doesn't matter.

Homebirth vs. Hospital Birth

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 13:54:00 +0000

Hubby and I are over the moon! We got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time yesterday. We were both so happy to hear that amazing sound. The baby had a good, strong heartbeat of 160 BPM. It is a great feeling to know everything is going ok.

A lot has happened since my 10 week pregnancy update and when I told you the story of how I almost got kicked out of my midwife's practice at my first visit. The background is we were planning a homebirth and found an amazing homebirth midwife that hubby and I loved. At my first appointment with her at 8 weeks along my blood pressure was high. My blood pressure isn't normally high so it was a bit surprising. It wasn't it a little high, it was through the roof high. I had to give up coffee and all caffeine, add supplements, add exercise, make diet changes, and add rest time into my day. I also started acupuncture and started monitoring my blood pressure daily.

At my 10 week appointment my blood pressure was still over the 130/90 maximum allowable under state law for homebirth so my homebirth midwife told me I had to transfer care. I was pretty bummed out but tried to keep a positive outlook on things. One thing about being a parent you quickly learn is a lot of things are out of your control. I while I was understandably disappointed that my plans for a homebirth were not going to work out I realized it was out of my control. I could either be really upset about it or accept it. My faith is a grounding factor in my life and I feel if something is meant to be it will happen and if it is not meant to be it won't happen. Maybe having a homebirth wasn't meant to be for me.

After getting the news that I had to transfer care then the stressful part started, I had to find a new care provider. Everything about homebirth sounded perfect for me and my family but incorporating some of those thoughts and philosophies into a hospital birth was going to be difficult. Hospitals are meant for saving lives and birth is a very natural process that women having been doing forever. In a normal birth there doesn't need to be tons of interventions and "life saving procedures" going on. During my first birth which took place at a hospital with an OB I loved I felt like I was forced or bullied into a lot of things I did not want to do. I felt like decisions were out of my hands and everything was "for the safety of the baby". The classic OB, surgeon approach is, "the only c-section you get sued for is the one you didn't do." The average U.S. c-section rate is 33%, the World Health Organization studies find the optimal c-section rate to be 5-10%, and my homebirth midwife has a 5% c-section rate. More isn't always better when it comes to interventions. These are just a few of the reasons I wanted a homebirth. Finding a new care provider who shared my philosophy about labor and delivery and it being a natural process that really needs little interference was going to be hard.

The first doctor we interviewed was the opposite of what we were looking for. My homebirth midwife recommend a family practice doctor. She said they are most similar to what a homebirth midwife can provide because they are not surgeons trained in complications of pregnancy, they provide care for mom and baby both, and generally are very supportive of natural, intervention free childbirth. I've only had female OB, midwife, and family practice doctors and much prefer female doctors over male doctors though I have seen a few specialists who were males that I liked working with. The first family practice doctor most highly recommended by the homebirth midwife was a male doctor in a 4 doctor, family practice group. Let me say, a lot can be said based upon scanning the practice's website, reading the doctor's bio, and looking at pictures. In fact, when I lived in Maryland I didn't go see the specialist my PCP suggested because they guy looked creepy in his picture. Instead I found someone else in the practice who has research experience in the area I was looking for and didn't look like a creep. He turned out to be an exceptional doctor and I was happy I chose him. I didn't think I'd like the family practice doctor based upon reading his bio and looking at his picture. He also looked creepy and something just told me I wouldn't like him. I scheduled a "meet the doctor visit" anyway and the visit was a train wreck from the beginning. We waited for over an hour past our scheduled appointment time. Hubby was furious and was ready to walk out before we even saw the doctor. The doctor's website talked about the work he did with low income patients and with the crisis pregnancy center and it suffices to say by the other clientele in the office we were not his typical patients. During the interview I felt he talked down to us and didn't listen to what we were saying. He couldn't provide me information about their c-section rates. He said they scheduled 15 minutes for prenatal visits compared to the 1 hour my homebirth midwife schedules for each visit. He then proceeded to tell me how dangerous birth is and that hospitals are for saving lives and that women should be giving birth there because women die in childbirth all the time (actual figure is 11 in 100,000 not all the time). Needless to say, I left his office very upset because if this was my best option I was completely screwed and was not going to find someone who shared my philosophy. I couldn't stand the guy so maybe moving to an OB who I at least liked would be better than nothing. At this point I was even more upset than when the homebirth midwife told me I had to transfer care.

Hubby and I went home and regrouped and thought about what was important to us. For me having a female care provider who I liked was very important so I decided to eliminate male care providers from the short list my homebirth midwife provided. In our town there is a very large (20 OB) practice which almost anyone I asked had used to deliver their babies. People seem to love them and according to my homebirth midwife there are phenomenal OB's there who are low on interventions and there are OB's there that jump to interventions at every turn. Problem is they rotate call so you could see the fabulous OB your entire pregnancy and have c-section friendly OB overseeing your labor and delivery. That did not sound like it was for me. There was an all midwife practice that operated independent of any OB's in town but still delivered at the local hospital. I had considered them as an option before deciding on homebirth but was unsure with my high blood pressure if they'd be able to take my case. I decided I was running out of options. Suddenly being without a care provider at 10 weeks pregnant when you found the perfect one at 6 weeks was a little disheartening so I called the midwife only practice. The receptionist was extremely friendly and helpful and despite not being a patient she immediately put me on the phone with one of the midwives. The midwife spent 20 minutes talking to me on the phone about their practice and philosophy, specifics of my situation and medical history. She explained they handled all their high blood pressure cases in house and didn't refer out to an OB. She thought their office would be a good fit based upon what I was telling her and said of all the midwives in town that deliver at the hospital they were the most "crunchy, granola" which sounded like just what I was looking for.

Today was my first appointment with the new midwives and it definitely is not a homebirth. The practice is much more medicalized, my appointment was shorter, we didn't spend time talking about emotional well being, diet, exercise, family issues, like the homebirth midwife does. My homebirth midwife takes a very holistic approach and treats you as a whole person and all aspects of your life. We were able to hear the baby's heartbeat which was amazing but we spent most of the appointment talking about my medical history. The midwife did answer all my questions without rushing me and explained a little more about their office procedures. I got a ton more reading materials but interestingly enough almost none of it overlapped with what the homebirth midwife gave me. A different approach I suppose but she did assure me they would spend as much time with me in labor as I needed, I could eat and drink freely in labor, moving, walking, and changing positions is encouraged, routine IV is not mandatory but I can get a Hep lock instead, opting out of standard newborn procedures such as eye drops and Hep B shot are fine and all newborn procedures will happen right there with me, the babies cord is not cut until it has stopped pulsating (newborns who umbilical cords are cut right away lose up to 1/3 of their blood and have to make it up during those first few days after birth), and baby is immediately placed on my chest and encouraged to breastfeed. Would I still want a homebirth if it was an option for me, yes! Since it isn't an option though I think transferring care to a midwife only practice that delivers at the hospital is the next best thing. Next month I meet one of the other 4 midwives so I hope I like her as much as I liked the midwife today.

Pregnancy and parenting in general is an exercise in giving up control, something which I am not good with, but I'll make it through. Yesterday also marks the end of the first trimester, yay! Happy, healthy baby makes for a happy healthy mommy.

Trusting Your Intuition

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:00:00 +0000

This morning I woke up early to turn on the news reports and check the school website to see if school was closed. Last week we got 12 inches of snow and our district didn't close. The main roads weren't bad but there were tree branches falling left and right and power outages and my kids bus route isn't along a main road. The middle school bus got stuck, they sent another bus, which drove into a ditch. I drove the kids to the bus stop, waited for about 20 minutes, the bus ended up being 45 minutes late. I drove the kids back home and contemplated keeping them home for the day. I decided last week to be a responsible parent, load up my elementary daughter and drive everyone to school. The oldest two were a few minutes late and me and Phoenix hung out in the coffee shop across the street for an hour waiting for her school to start. I did not feel comfortable sending them home on the bus so I drove and picked up all three kids when the middle school let out. It turned out ok in the end but was a huge hassle and whether it was really safe was questionable.

Last night we got 7 inches of snow and it was still snowing until about 11:30am today. Total I think we ended up with around 9 inches of snow. This morning according to traffic reports the roads were a mess and people were sliding all over and spinning out. My older two kids get on the bus at 6:50am. I was definitely not comfortable sending them on the bus in those conditions. I also didn't think I could safely drive my sedan the 7 miles to my kids school. I woke up hubby and asked if he wanted to drive him in his Jeep or if he thought they should stay home. He said keep them home so I did. I hope that doesn't make me a bad parent but my children's safety is more important than 1 day of school for 3 children who excel in school and rarely get sick.

Maybe living in Maryland for over two years made me a wimp because in Maryland they close school with nearly every snowstorm and sometimes even close school when it doesn't seem necessary. The kids school district here seems to be of the opposite mindset not closing when it seems safer to do so. This is also the first year my kids haven't lived walking distance to their school and had to ride the bus. The way the boundary lines are drawn there school is 7 miles away. Maybe if it was a mile or two down the road I would've sucked it up and drove them, safe or not. Putting them on a bus in bad weather worries me a lot and since I don't work outside the home it is not something I am willing to do.

The crazy part is my kids' middle school is the district middle school for the mountain areas of the district and some kids ride a bus 1 hour each way to school in good weather. Last storm the highway to the mountain towns was closed and I suspect the same happened today. I guess those kids weren't going to school.

I previously lived in Colorado for 20 years and maybe I'm delusional but I don't remember back to back 9 inch plus snowstorms in late October, early November. I recall 2-4 inch snowstorms spread out a week or two throughout November-April with 2-3 bigger storms a season and a blizzard every few years. Maybe we're getting all our big storms in early this year? I have a feeling I may be in for a long winter!

Happy Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:34:00 +0000

I hope all you goblins and ghouls have a very spooky Halloween. We started our Halloween fun early this year but will continue the celebration tonight. Here are some of the highlights so far:

Our friends hosted their annual Halloween costume party this past week and it was a ton of fun. I was a pregnant nun (yes, my belly is stuffed) and hubby was a drunk priest.

Sister Michelle

We took the kids to their first haunted house and they had a blast and so did we!

Last night we carved our pumpkins

Helping Phoenix pick out her pumpkin design

Brennan's final product

Wynter's final product

Phoenix used the pumpkin we grew in our garden

Report Card Time

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:29:00 +0000

Last week was a first in our house. The first time one of the kids brought home a bad grade on their report card. All three of our kids are very smart and school comes very easily for them. Usually I am struggling to make sure they are being challenged in school not worrying about their grades.

I haven't seen the third child's report card yet but according to online grades it will be all A's and one B. That child was hoping for straight A's but one B isn't bad. The second child got a report card of mainly B+ but I expect to see improvement over the year as the child gets accustomed to the new school and new curriculum. Also, not a bad report card overall.

Then there is the child at hand. This child brought home A's in every subject area expect Science in which the child received a D. You read that right, all A's and one D. No C, not average grade, straight from excelling to unsatisfactory. According to their teacher it was mainly based upon a quarter long assignment that culminated in a two overnight field trip and outdoor learning experience. The opportunity was a great one and I know the child learned a lot but when it came time to do the assignment that was required during the fun the child was simply lazy and put little effort into the assignment. Whole sections were incomplete and the sections that were turned in were not correct or lacked detailed. The teacher also explained that it was explained to the children over and over again that this assignment would be the main component of their grade. Despite warnings my child couldn't take a break from having fun to be responsible, sigh!

On a positive note, the teacher said not to expect any similar grades moving forward since child is a good student. I think receiving such a low mark on the report card and knowing there would be consequences shocked and embarrassed the child. You could argue the teacher is being a little harsh leaving the entire quarter grade to one assignment but I think this child is old enough to understand the consequences for their actions and in defense of the teacher, that is really what they worked on all quarter long.

So what are the consequences we doled out. For this child, time with friends is most important so they are grounded and unable to play with their friends through at least this past weekend, longer if they aren't helpful or have an attitude. No electronics through at least next weekend. The grounding from friends will continue for a few additional days because this child didn't understand the "I am grounded and now it is time to kiss up to mom and dad and be on my best behavior in order to get ungrounded sooner" act. One of our other children has this down and immediately starts cleaning, tidying up, and generally being extremely helpful once they are in trouble in order to get out of trouble as soon as possible.

The other issue with having three kids 2 years 8 months apart in age and the oldest two only 6 months apart in age is fairness. Another one of the children was recently grounded for two separate behavioral issues (talking during class) in the same class in the same week. This punishment lasted until the teacher could report the child was behaving better in class, which amounted to almost two full weeks of grounding. While the child in question's grade was mainly based on one assignment I think a D on a report card from an A student warrants similar punishment to behavioral infractions in school. It really isn't fair if the punishment is less for the D student, than for the child with the behavior issue.

I don't expect we'll have any further disappointments this year in the report card area but isn't parenting lovely?

Goal Update

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:38:00 +0000

I set goals at the beginning of the year and listed them here on my blog to help hold me accountable. I haven't posted an update since March so it is time.

1) Be debt free except student loans! We met this goal by the end of March and what a great feeling. We now are working on building up our 6 month emergency fund by the end of the year. Once that is fully funded we will start paying down student loans as quickly as possible.

2) Become homeowners. We did it! We closed on our house June 17th and couldn't be happier. This house and neighborhood are more than we ever imagined we'd be able to afford. The home buying process is long and difficult and we plan for this to be our "forever" home.

3) Be ready to start trying for a baby. I guess plans change. When we started planning for our big move and buying a house we were planning to wait until next spring to start trying for a baby instead of this year. Then when the job I thought I had lined up didn't pan out and I didn't have any other strong prospects we started discussing starting trying sooner. After lots of talks during our trip to Yellowstone hubby said he was ready to start trying so in August we tried and in August we got pregnant. I guess it was meant to be.

4) Run a half marathon. This pregnant mama still runs but I am not ready to take on training for a half marathon while pregnant though running a few 5K races sounds like a good short term goal. My BFF and I are already planning to train together and run the October 2012 Denver half marathon. I should be about 5 months post baby, which means I'll start training 2 months post baby. It will be a great way to lose the baby weight and having a goal and your BFF as a running buddy should keep me motivated.

5) Eat healthier, exercise more, lose 10 pounds. I had met my weight loss goal by March. Starting my pregnancy at a low weight is great and so far I've gained 3 pounds and only have a few days left in the first trimester. For not having any morning sickness, 3 pounds is awesome. My goal for first trimester weight gain was 3-5 pounds. I've definitely been eating a more balanced diet since becoming pregnant. My homebirth midwife gave me lots of diet information and I had to keep a diet chart so she could see what I ate. I think I do pretty good, not perfect but good. I am only doing so-so with exercising more. Since my blood pressure has been high my goal has been to exercise 6 days per week, with running being 3 of those days. Right now I'm running about 1 day per week, with the other days being long walks or bike rides. I am not sure why but I am in a bit of a running funk. I need to update my iPod with some new songs and find a running buddy. I am getting tired of running by myself. In December I am going to sign up for a 3 day per week prenatal water aerobics class which I hope keeps me accountable. I figure if I have something on the calendar 3 days per week, getting the other 3 days in will be easy between walks and bike rides with the family and some running. My goal is to run as far into my pregnancy as I can but at least into my 3rd trimester.

6) Attend Sunday morning worship at church at least twice per month. In Maryland I did great at this and was going 3-4 weeks per month. Since moving to Colorado not so much. We tried a church that the kids loved but I only thought was so-so and really didn't feel like it was the one. We found out about another church about a month ago that we want to try but my hubby has literally worked every weekend since then except the one weekend we were out of town. We are planning to try the church this Sunday and I hope we like it.

7) Post new blog content at least 3 times per week. It looks like in August and September I posted 8 times each month, or about 3/4 of the way to my goal. The rest of the months since March have been less. I went to Bloggy Boot Camp Denver in September which got me excited to try some new things but I'll be honest, life with 3 kids is busy, even if you mainly stay home. I post as often as I can though 3 times per week is still my goal with M, W, F, being the ideal days I'd post on.

8) Manage my time better. Be more on time. I'll be honest, I still run late but I think I am doing much better in this area. I've been on time to numerous events over the past year and even the first to arrive at several events which in the past never happened to me. I am still late about 1/4 of the time but even that 1/4 of the time I am less late than previously.

9) Save more money. Spend money wisely. Not making much progress in this regard. We are still working to save more and I am still working to cut back our discretionary spending.

10) Travel to my heart's content. This has been a lame year for travel for someone like me who has the travel bug. We did manage a road trip/camping trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton that was a fabulous 6 day family vacation. It was super affordable and we used up some vacation time hubby had to take before the end of the year. I just booked a long weekend trip to Maryland to visit friends in a few weeks. I am looking forward to seeing the twins I nannyed for, a friend's new baby, and lots of other old friends I already miss. Besides those two trips 2011 was not a big travel year for us. Not sure 2012 will be either with a newborn but I'd like to take at least one big trip next year.

Prenancy: 10 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:07:00 +0000

10 Week Baby Bump

Side View

Due date: May 4, 2012

How far along: 10 weeks

Weight gain: 3 pounds

Maternity clothes: Yes, the outfit in the pictures above is from Motherhood Maternity. I definitely cannot fit any of my pre-pregnancy pants. For shirts I can fit some pre-pregnancy shirts that are looser through the mid-section. Maternity shirts make me look pregnant not fat so I like that.

Baby bump: The baby bump has definitely made an appearance. Everyone who said you show much sooner with your second pregnancy wasn't kidding!

Gender: We still aren't sure if we are going to find out the gender but my intuition from the beginning is that it is a boy.

Heartbeat: Not yet, but maybe at today's appointment.

Movement: Not yet

Symptoms: Overall I feel great! Symptoms so far are: tender breasts, hungry more often, and ready for bed by 8pm.

Exercise: Since my blood pressure was high at my 8 week visit I've been trying to be consistent with my exercise. My goal is still to run 3 times per week but it really has been once per week. I usually go for long walks 2-3 other days and long bike rides 2-3 other days. Fitting in the exercise or finding an exercise buddy is the hardest part because walking, running, or bike riding is always more fun with a partner.

Next Appointment: Today is my next midwife appointment. At my 8 week appointment my midwife wanted to see me in two weeks because my blood pressure has been high. It still tends to spike at least once per day in the afternoon but overall has been lower and most readings are in the normal or pre-hypertension range. We will see what my midwife says at today's appointment but if my blood pressure doesn't go down I will have to give up my plans for using a midwife for a homebirth and transfer care to an OB and deliver at our local hospital. The whole idea of transferring care bums me out but I know it is not in my hands, it is in God's hands and whatever is meant to happen will happen.

Here is the link to the Baby Center: Your Pregnancy: 10 Weeks Some of the highlights are: the baby is the size of a kumquat, and weighs less than a quarter ounce, the baby has finished its most critical development, vital organs are in place and starting to function, the baby has fingers and toes, and can bend its limbs, your uterus is the size of a large grapefruit. In the coming weeks the baby will double in size.

My Kids, The Triathletes

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:03:00 +0000

I am not sure I tell you often enough how awesome my kids are. They're awesome, I promise you! Wynter and Brennan did their first kids triathlon a few weeks ago. I am so proud of them for asking me to sign them up, for training, and for completing the race. Here are some highlights from the race:

The Happy Triathletes!

Great job kids! I am so proud of you!

How I Almost Got Kicked Out Of My Midwife's Practice At My First Visit

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:23:00 +0000

There is never a dull moment at my house. Yesterday was my first official prenatal appointment at 8 1/2 weeks. We are planning a homebirth with local midwife who we interviewed a few weeks ago and loved. The first prenatal appointment is scheduled for 2 hours and I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. Our interview was a full hour and that felt long but the 2 hours flew by yesterday. There was lots of paperwork, lots of paperwork, and regular stuff like weight, peeing in a cup, measurements, history, and blood pressure. This is where we ran into trouble.

I don't have hypertension, never have but it does run in my family. In the past when I have been really sick my blood pressure tends to be high but when I am healthy is always normal. It is never low but falls around 120/80. I don't go to the doctor a lot but every time I have been in the past couple years my blood pressure has been great. In the past my blood pressure tends to run higher at the doctor than at home, nerves I guess.

So yesterday about 3/4 of the way through my 2 hour appointment the midwife's assistant takes my blood pressure and gets some astronomical reading, like 164/104. Holy crap, I don't think my blood pressure has ever been that high! So she has me lay on my right side for 10 minutes or so and retests while I am laying down. It went down but still really high, like 152/90. Yikes, people with high blood pressure can't have homebirths.

So the midwife schedules another appointment in 2 weeks instead of in a month to follow me more closely and sends me home with a blood pressure cuff to monitor my blood pressure at home. She says to take my blood pressure several times throughout the day, resting, after working out, etc. to get different readings. She also gave me a handout on other changes I need to make to lower my blood pressure. Guess what was #1? Eliminate coffee! Going from 2 cups per day to one was a big change for me but I started when we started trying to conceive so at this point I have adjusted. She said I could do decaf for a week or two but my goal is to move to no coffee at all. Wait, did you hear that? The coffee lover has to do without coffee. A sad day in my house but my baby and my health is most important so you do what you need to do. She also says to increase my running to daily since I am a runner. She said that is the single most important thing I can do to lower my blood pressure. She also suggested some diet changes and additional supplements. The whole thing caught us completely off guard.

Typically at your first visit the midwife collects a $500 deposit and sets up a payment plan. How much my insurance is going to cover is unclear, $900-$1200 at most but her fees are very reasonable and we are prepared to pay completely out of pocket if necessary. She said she is going to wait to collect our deposit until we see if my blood pressure comes down, because if it doesn't than I'll be referred to an OB right away. No more homebirth for me if this doesn't resolve itself ASAP.

The interesting part is when I came home I took my blood pressure and it was still through the roof. Hubby took his, which is never high and it was through the roof too. I took mine again about half hour later after resting and it was still very high. Since the midwife said to take my blood pressure several times throughout the day after various activities I took it before bed after I had been up and down the stairs a million times and doing laundry, etc. and amazingly enough it was 121/86. This morning when I woke up it was 119/76 and even after running around for a few hours this morning it is still 127/80. I hope it stays low and the changes I make keep it there.

The negative part of me is thinking though if this homebirth isn't meant to be and if I am going to be kicked out to an OB at some point I'd rather it be now. The insurance piece of homebirth is tricky so if it isn't going to workout I'd rather just meet my deductible with the OB.

Not sure what the rest of this pregnancy holds, I still have 7 more months to go, but wish me luck and send calming, relaxing thoughts my way.

Gender, To Find Out Or Not?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 17:00:00 +0000

Those of you who know me well might be really surprised to hear this but we are seriously considering not finding out the gender of this baby. For someone who is very organized, a planner, and very much type A personality this is not typical "Michelle". I say we but hubby is happy either way. I think he assumed we'd find out the gender like most Americans do but when the midwife brought up the idea of waiting he seemed as intrigued as me. I have been very blessed with an easy-going husband. If he has a strong opinion on something he lets me know. If he doesn't have a strong opinion on something he is happy doing what makes me happy and finding out the gender or not finding out the gender falls into this category for him.

With my son there was no question whether I was going to find out the gender or not. Honestly the wait between 12 weeks and 20 weeks was miserable for me because I could hardly wait to find out if the baby was a boy or a girl. With my son I did things in a much more conventional matter. He was born in a hospital with a OB, I vaccinated according to schedule, and I used disposable diapers. Hubby and I are not that conventional of people and don't mind doing things that are out of the norm. With this baby we are using a midwife, planning a homebirth, going to cloth diaper, and delay vaccinations. These are all decisions we have come to over time and through much research. I think is in this case age has made me wiser and I am 12 years older than when I was last pregnant.

So, should we find out the gender or not? We would not have an ultrasound unless we request a referral. Our insurance will pay for one, 20 week ultrasound but our midwife does not routinely refer out for ultrasounds unless the parents request it. I think the idea of waiting until the birth to find out the gender is really neat. Life these days leaves very few big surprises and what greater a surprise than waiting to find out if the baby is a boy or girl until they are born.

Since I am a planner my concerns are mainly logistical ones: what about the nursery? what about baby gear, baby gifts, and baby shower? The room we are going to use for the nursery is currently my youngest daughter's room. We will be finishing our basement and building a room for my oldest and moving Phoenix into Brennan's current room. The future nursery is a small room with great built in shelving and white wainscoting that makes it super cute but the walls are purple. The room was painted purple before we moved in but purple isn't my favorite color. If we knew we were having a boy we would probably paint the room a medium blue color. If we knew we were having a girl we'd probably leave the room purple even though it isn't my favorite color. I know we could wait until the baby is born to decorate but with 4 kids I know I am going to have little time on my hands so I'd rather have most things done in advance. My best solution if we don't find out the gender is to paint the room a neutral beige color like the rest of our house and add color through bedding and wall accents after baby is born. I am not that excited about a yellow and green room or gender neutral stuff in general so we wouldn't go that route either.

My other concern is how to handle baby gear, baby gifts, and a baby shower. This is our last baby so I don't need gender neutral stuff and personally I don't like a lot of gender neutral patterns. I especially don't like gender neutral clothes though some basic newborn stuff doesn't bother me. It wouldn't affect the crib or rocker we'd register for because they are gender neutral. From baby showers I have been to lately it seems like a lot of people buy baby clothes and blankets despite what you register for. I get it, people can't resist the adorable baby clothes. A traditional women's only baby shower with games would be fun but I wouldn't want to get all green and yellow clothes. I think if we do decide to wait to find out the gender we may do a shower after the baby is born and maybe even do a "meet the baby" men/women party at our house to just welcome and celebrate the new baby.

I'd love to hear from you. If you waited to find out the gender how did you handle decorating the nursery and the baby shower? Thanks in advance for your input.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:11:00 +0000

Last Sunday in celebration of my hubby's birthday we went to a Denver Broncos game. Hubby hadn't been to a game since he was a kid and I had never been to an NFL game. Hubby's grandpa has been a long time season ticket holder and has been selling his season tickets to Nate's cousins for several years so getting my hands on some tickets was easy. The Broncos played the Cincinnati Bengals and it was a nail bitter. The Broncos came out strong and then struggled in the 3rd and 4th quarters. The did pull off a 24-22 win.

The experience was so much fun! The seats were amazing! We were 17 rows back from the end zone and could see great. The whole atmosphere was pumped full of energy. Hubby had some much fun he can't wait to go back. He started talking about trying to buy the season tickets next year. I had to remind him that would be $1200 and that maybe we could go to a game or two a year. I guess he just got wrapped up in the fun and excitement.

The weather was beautiful, low 80's and sunshine. I just had my cheap point and shoot camera but I was able to capture some great shots of our fun.

The newly named Sports Authority Field at Mile High aka Mile High Stadium

View from our seats, AMAZING!

National Anthem

Time for some action

Here we go Broncos, here we go!

Half time was a ceremony honoring Shannon Sharpe's induction into the Football Hall of Fame.

Shannon Sharpe in his glory days with the Broncos

A win for the Broncos!

The South Stands had some impressive pyrotechnics and fireworks

Nate

Pregnancy: 7 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:14:00 +0000

Did you miss my big announcement last week? I'm pregnant!

I can't even begin to explain the joy I am feeling right now. Having another baby is something my heart has been longing for over many years. Hubby and I have been married 3 1/2 years but the timing never seemed right and I knew I didn't want to force the issue. I knew I wanted to wait until we were at a point financially where I could stay home with the baby full-time at least the first 6 months and mostly stay home (watch one other child) until the baby was in preschool, maybe longer. We still have some financial goals to meet (mainly paying off student loan debt) but we've made great progress these past two years paying off both our cars and all our credit card debt. We also bought our first house where we plan to live forever. Hubby has a great job and now we live closer to family. I figured it would be next spring before we started trying for a baby but after some long talks during our family vacation at Yellowstone hubby said, "why are we waiting? If we're going to have a baby let's do it." So we started trying in August and BAM! after one month of trying, a positive pregnancy test. I was beyond overjoyed but admittedly a bit shocked because I was convinced it would take at least 6 months or more. Everyone else I know has had to try for months to get pregnant, some people even years, or even had to resort to fertility treatment. We are definitely feeling blessed right now.

Now for the details:

Due date: May 4th Our midwife says the due date is only an estimate since full-term babies can come between 37-42 weeks. The range she gave for us is April 13th-May17th.

How far along: 7 weeks

Weight gain: 1 pound so far. My goal is 25 pounds this pregnancy but we will see.

Maternity clothes: Not yet though my size 4 pants are all too tight. I have a few size 6 pants that fit ok but they aren't my favorite pants to start with. I've used the belly band with the size 4 pants once and that was ok. Maternity pants are too baggy through the butt and hips. All my shirts are fine. I think a lot of shirts will last partway through my pregnancy. I am definitely entering that awkward phase were none of the pre-pregnancy pants fit and all the maternity pants are too big.

Baby bump: See for yourself in the photos below but I definitely have a little baby bump. This is my 2nd pregnancy and with my son I wasn't showing this much until 20-22 weeks. Everyone told me with your 2nd you show much sooner but I wasn't sure. I fully expect by 9-10 weeks to be obviously pregnant.

Gender: We aren't sure if we'll find out the gender though my Type A personality will most likely win out and we'll try at a 20 weeks ultrasound we request. I have had an intuition from the beginning that the baby is a boy, I guess we'll find out.

Heartbeat: Not yet

Movement: Not yet

Symptoms: Overall I feel great! My pregnancy with Brennan was really easy so I am hoping for the same. Symptoms so far are: tender breasts, hungry more often (I have to eat something every 2-3 hours or I don't feel well), pregnancy bloat and beginning of baby belly. I am still sleeping ok though I am tired by 8 or 8:30pm. I have found if I go to bed by 9pm I can still wake up at 6am and not be tired most of the day. I have had three evenings where I have had an hour or two of mild nausea but it always passed quickly and I have never felt like I was going to throw up. One night as I was laying down to sleep I was pretty nauseous and couldn't decide if I needed to eat something or if I should just fall asleep. I feel asleep and woke up feeling great.

Exercise: I am pretty active so I want to keep that up. My goal is to run 3 miles, 3 times per week throughout my pregnancy. In addition I want to keep up long bike rides with the kids and going for hikes and walks. Carving out the time can be hard but I need to make it a priority. Nate also got me the Your Shape for the XBox Kinect so I will do some yoga and workouts on that. I know the importance of exercise in pregnancy so I hope I can keep it up throughout the winter months.

Here's the link to the Baby Center: Your Pregnancy: 7 Weeks Some of the highlights are: hands and feet are emerging from growing arms and legs, about the size of a blueberry, having doubled in size since last week, heart is already beating, brain is growing, liver is working, and umbilical cord is beginning to function.

Our positive pregnancy test: August 26th

The 4 week baby bump (nothing there)

The 7 week baby bump (getting bigger)

Keep a watch out on my blog for more pregnancy and baby related posts: Why We Chose A Midwife?, Homebirth, To Find Out The Gender or Not?, Ultrasound or Not?, Cloth Diapers, To Circumcise or Not?, Delayed Vaccine Schedule, How To Choose A Pediatrician?, The Nursery, Co-Sleeping or Not?, Breastfeeding, The Real 411, Medical Conditions In Pregnancy, Fertility Awareness, and much, much more! I am looking forward to documenting my pregnancy on my blog and connecting with other pregnant women. Don't worry if you aren't interested in pregnancy and baby stuff, I'll blog about my regular stuff too.

Promotion

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:19:00 +0000

I got a promotion this week. After my disappointment about not getting the job I thought I had and the fact my substitute teaching license may not be approved before my orientation later this month, hubby and I talked about things and he gave me a promotion. I have been promoted to full-time stay-at-home mom.

My job duties include not only childcare, getting kids ready and out the door for school each day, homework help, driving back and forth to all their activities, cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping, meal planning, laundry, dishes, my job also now includes keeping us on a strict budget and saving us money.

I haven't been working since mid-June but having the burden of looking for a job off my shoulders is huge. It takes a lot of emotional energy to be constantly searching for a job. Not that I won't take any part-time work I can find until the baby is born but it is just the weight has been lifted. I am still pursuing substitute teaching though I just have to wait and see if my license will ever get approved. I also think I found a few hours per week childcare job at a local church, similar to what I've done in the past. Also since we made this decision Tuesday, three leads on occasional child care/nanny work have came up. If they pan out great, I'll work, enjoy it, and take the extra money. If they don't work out that is ok too.

Being a full-time stay-at-home mom has been on my heart for awhile though before paying off both our cars and all our credit card debt it was never really an option for me. Being a stay-at-home mom is completely different than the career driven me of years past when I had aspirations of law school and being a full-time career woman. Things change though and the demands of raising three children and managing a household are a lot. Add a newborn to the mix and you definitely have your hands full. I can't even imagine trying to balance a full-time career, 4 children, including a newborn, and keeping my household running. Not that it can't be done, lots of women do it and do it well, I just know it is not for me. I strongly feel that these years with my kids are years I cannot get back. That being available to them and making them my number one priority is important to me. I can have a career later but for now being a mom is more than enough for me and a job I do with pride.

Things won't look very different at my house at first but I am taking this job seriously, especially the part about sticking to a strict budget and saving us money. This has been somewhat of a gradual change for our family from full-time career outside the home to watching children inside our home, to nannying, to now being a full-time mom. I know I am a better and more patient mom when I can devote the time and attention to my kids they need instead of worrying about calling in sick to work or missing their school play because work has an important meeting. It is easy to say as a career woman that your family is your number one priority but I made sacrifices, missing countless activities of my kids that I simply cannot get back. It is also an amazing feeling that if your children are sick they can simply stay home, no guilt or pressure for calling in sick to work. I am not saying what I am doing is right or wrong but it is right for my family at this time and that is what is important.