Whoa!

How behind I am!!! I just realized that I never even posted Henrik's birth story! (Yes, he's most definitely here). For tonight, I'll post his birth story (this post is taken directly from my other blog) and tomorrow, I'll post a family update : )

The morning of July 4th, 2013 I woke up around 5:45 having real labor contractions but they wouldn't regulate or stay constant. I timed them all morning before deciding they were probably just going to fizzle and went about my day. We fed the kids lunch, put them down for naps and I took a nap myself. When I woke up, the contractions were back and a little more consistent but still not in any sort of pattern. We watched some TV together as a family before getting ready to go to my parents' BBQ. We packed all our bags in the car just in case. Once we got to my parents' house, we did a little more walking and the contractions were sticking around. After a couple of hours, the contractions were about 7-8 minutes apart. We ate dinner and I sent Jason outside with the kids to do some fireworks since I figured we would be going to the hospital later. Minutes after sending them outside to play, my contractions went to about 3-4 minutes apart. Since we had an hour drive to the hospital, we had to leave as soon as possible. We unpacked the kids' stuff and headed to the hospital. 

We finally made it to the hospital and my contractions were still about three minutes apart. We got admitted and I was hooked up to the monitors which meant I had to stay in bed. I was 6cm dilated, 90% effaced and it was about 10:00 pm. I asked the nurse if I could get in the birth tub which she had to get orders for. I worked through the contractions which were miserable when I couldn't get out of the bed. 20 minutes went by before she got the orders approved for me to get in the tub. By that time, I had no desire for the tub. I was focusing on getting through the contractions one at a time. The nurse was busy getting the room ready when I told her I needed to push. She had to check me again and I was complete. I said out loud "I KNOW! That's why I'm going to push NOW!" She called the on call doctor to let him know I was ready to push. I did a practice push which made the baby crown and she called the doctor back again and told him to hurry but I couldn't wait. I pushed on the next contraction and his head was out. The nurse got on her phone AGAIN and called for "back up". Jason sprung right into action and helped me deliver the baby while the nurse fumbled with her phone and tried to get gloves on. I felt the next contraction start, waited for the urge to push and he was born. Henrik Alexander was born at 11:39pm on July 4th. He weighed 7lbs 15oz and is 21 1/4" long. His birth was a beautiful, unmedicated birth and Jason got to deliver the baby like we had hoped he would. 

The resident, OB, and three different nurses all confirmed that our son's palate was intact! I was in complete shock and so thankful. He latched on and started breastfeeding right away - he was a better breastfeeder than my other two, non-cleft babies were. I was exhausted but just kept looking at him in amazement - he really was perfect. His lip was absolutely beautiful! I looked at his face and felt as if I had known him my whole life - this was my Henrik : ) I immediately started dreading the day when he would no longer have his sweet lip. We finally got settled into our recovery room around 2:30 am. I let the nursery take Henrik for a bit so I could get some sleep because I was absolutely exhausted. It was so hard for me to fall asleep because I just kept thinking about my sweet little boy. I finally drifted off around 3 and woke up around 5:30 unable to sleep so I called the nursery and had them bring my little boy in. He kept me company while my husband slept. I felt ready to sleep again around 7 before being woken up by the pediatrician at 8. He was seen by just about every member of our cleft team between 8 and noon and also had his pictures taken and his hearing tested - it was a busy morning!

I was so happy when my parents came in with our two oldest. My two year old daughter ran over for big hugs. My four year old was a bit more hesitant but so happy to finally meet his little brother. Our oldest immediately asked about his brother's lip. We had tried to prepare him to see the cleft but seeing pictures is different than seeing it in person. We just re-explained that his lip didn't grow together but that the doctor would repair it in a few months. That seemed to answer his curiosity and he went on with his day, snuggling his little brother.

Another random update

There has been soooo much going on lately - I can't believe I haven't posted more!! Then again, one could argue that the flurry of activity is the cause of my not blogging. Truth. But let's get down to it, shall we?

Some BIG news from this past month - Jason and I graduated college!! We got to take a fun little vacation to Branson and stopped in Springfield to walk across the stage for our diplomas. The kids got to have a little vacation to their cousins' house making this the FIRST time we have left them overnight since David was born. I thought for sure it was going to be difficult to leave them but they were in good hands and I didn't have any worries. I can't believe we're finally done with school. I thought I'd be going back for my Bachelor's but I'm just not sure about that yet. I feel like my hands are currently full with finishing my Doula certification, teaching Zumba and welcoming a new baby that perhaps I'll wait a year to see how everything pans out.

Now some BIG news from the last week - Jason signed his career contract! He is now a full-fledged agent for Farmers Insurance. OK, well, he's always been an agent but now he receives a base pay and has monthly quotas to meet. I think it's great for him to have these goals set for him - it'll keep him out of trouble ; ) We hired our first employee today and are looking to hire two more within a week or so. I never thought it would take us a year to get to this point, but looking back, I can see why we needed to wait the full time. We learned so much more in the extra time and established our agency in ways we needed to before this point.

Now, onto the kids! David is truly amazing. We have gone through a lot with him over the past year including three different diagnoses. It was all so overwhelming in the beginning but the people we've been working with have been great! I am so excited for him to go back to school in the fall and be with his teachers who he really loves and who care so much about him and helping him progress. He loves learning and has come so far in the past few months. I loved getting reports from his teachers about how he's doing.

Ainzley is soooo stinking cute! I just love watching her be a little girl! She loves to have tea parties and play mommy to her dolls. Her favorite person is her "boy" (as she calls David). She gets so excited to see him when she wakes up from her nap and loves to cuddle with him on the couch until she wakes up all the way. She wants to help with everything and loves to be in the kitchen while I cook. She's my little mini me : )

Things are still going well with this pregnancy. I'm feeling great about my weight gain so far - only up 20 pounds and have been able to keep up my active lifestyle. I still workout every morning and have been having to do Zumba 3 times a week as well to keep up and be ready to teach again after the baby comes. My schedule is becoming more strenuous now that I'm 36 weeks along so I'll be slowing down soon but I've felt amazing and I definitely accredit that to being so active. The baby is doing great too. We've been having regular check ups and ultrasounds since his cleft diagnosis at 20 weeks. We still think he's only lip affected but will have to wait to know for sure until he's born. We met with the surgeon a couple of weeks ago and see the specialist often. We have another ultrasound coming up this Friday and they want to do weekly ultrasounds after that. Being the hands off kind of person I am, I feel like it's too much. I'm going to talk with my OB and see if he's ok with me going biweekly for ultrasounds since all they want to do is monitor fluid levels. It would be easy to see an increase in fluid levels with weight checks and regular fundal measurements so I feel like weekly ultrasounds are just a waste. But we'll wait to see what the doctor says.

Other than all of that, there's not too much going on right now. Just working and getting ready for baby : )

Baby Update

This poor blog has been so neglected since we moved from Springfield!! Someday it will come back to life... today is not that day, lol.

I just wanted to give a quick update on the baby. We had our anatomy scan on Valentine's Day and found out our #3 is a BOY! We are so thrilled for our new little boy to join our family : ) During our ultrasound, we discovered that our son will be born with a cleft lip and possibly a cleft palette. We had a follow up, level 2 ultrasound 2 weeks ago which confirmed a cleft lip. The tech and the specialist both said they think the palette is unaffected but we won't know for sure until birth. We have another ultrasound this Friday and will have at least two more before birth.

It was difficult news for me to hear at first but I'm doing better now. I gave myself a day to feel all my emotions at once then decided I wasn't going to waste time worrying. I've been doing a lot of research and seeing what our lives will be like post delivery and in the next few years. I'm going to start a blog about our whole experience over Spring Break. I've met a lot of nice women who have gone through this and some who are going through this with me. It's really made me want to document everything to hopefully help someone going through this and to help me remember what our experience has been. I'll post a link once I get around to getting everything in order : )

A Decision I Just Cannot Come to Terms With

As I mentioned in my previous post, I will be delivering this baby in the hospital - a decision that I literally cannot come to terms with. Let me preface the rest of my post by saying tow things Most importantly, I feel like I should stress that despite the extraordinary circumstances surrounding Ainzley's birth, this decision is NOT being made out of fear. Secondly, that I have a TERRIFIC OB. He is seriously the best. He delivered me 25 years ago, both of my brothers, several of my cousins and my own son. I am completely comfortable in his care and I don't feel like he brushes my concerns or wants to the side like I've heard other women complain about their OB's. I'm also delivering at a terrific hospital. They have incredible technology and one of the best NICU's in the St. Louis area. Their birthing suites have been completely redone and feature amazing, soothing decor plus every bath attached to a birthing suite features jetted showers and jacuzzi tubs. The hospital also (if your OB clears you) allows deliveries in the jacuzzi tubs. They encourage wearing your own clothing for delivery to make you more comfortable and trying various birthing positions.

I feel like if I had to go back to the hospital, this would be the place to go. There's just one problem...

I'm a control freak. I want control over every single aspect of my labor and delivery. I don't want to be hooked up to monitors, I don't want an IV, I don't want my baby whisked away for cleaning, weighing, measuring... I want my home birth again. I want my amazing midwives and my laid back atmosphere. I want my support team doing what I ask/tell/demand (bc let's face it, it's labor, lol). I want to be on my schedule, not theirs. I know that my OB is wonderful and that we have talked and have made decisions about my care, but I also know that once we walk through the doors of that hospital, that there is a third player in the game. One who will overrule and have the final say because of liability risks more than anything. For me, it's almost spirit crushing.

Every time I think about the labor and delivery of this baby, I get so giddy and excited. Neither of my other deliveries were a piece of cake yet here I sit looking forward to the day when I get to do it again.

I know most women would roll their eyes at me and say I ask too much - I should just be thankful for the healthy baby in my arms at the end of it all. But the fact is I do care about how the baby got their. I worked my butt of for 40+ weeks leading up to that moment and I want the end to be magnificent. Ainzley's birth was probably one of the empowering moments of my life - it was filled with challenges - yet it was simply spectacular.

So here I sit. Torn between what I want and what I know is coming. I am determined to still have my natural birth. After having a fully medicated birth and a fully natural birth, the two cannot compare (for me at least). I know their are obstacles ahead and I'm trying my best to stay optimistic about it. I'm working on accepting the fact that I'll be giving up some control and accepting some "risk" in going to the hospital. At the same time, I'm fueling my passion. I'm rereading my previous birth stories, picking them apart for the best of both worlds, trying desperately to grasp reality and not live in ignorance.

Meshing two very different experiences together is difficult for sure. I'm determined to make this birth the best I've experienced. I'm very much looking forward to the marathon again, this time in a less comfortable surrounding, but surrounded by love with Jason by my side. I'm sure this won't be my last post on the subject but writing this made me feel more at peace.

Last semester!

Welp, here I sit - 18 weeks pregnant and finishing my final semester before graduation - YAY!!! I could not be more excited! We have a lot going on in our lives right now.

Ainzley is growing and growing! She is such a busy little Miss and really such an easy baby. She is learning at a fast and furious pace and I feel like I just can't keep up with her curiosity some days! She loves to play with her "boy" who is such a great teacher to her. A couple of weeks ago, they were playing in David's room. Just giggling and enjoying their playtime. David came out of his room (followed by Ainzley) and said, "Mom! Ainzley has something she wants to tell you!" David turned to her and said "Ainzley, how much do you love Mommy?" Ainzley said (very giggly) "Very, very much!" We've always told David we love him very, very much and he says he loves us very very much... and now he taught his sister. It was flat out adorable!

David, besides being an awesome teacher to Ainzley, is such a busy little boy. He goes to Preschool 4 days a week in the mornings and he loves it. He has two really great teachers and tells me all about all of his friends - I just love seeing him be excited about school and making friends. He also started Primary this year and he's doing pretty good. He's only been twice this year due to sickness. He does have a hard time going in to sharing time most weeks but he calms down and starts enjoying himself. It helps that he has a teacher who is super nice with an abundance of patients.

Jason is working busily with his agency. December and January are typically difficult months to sell insurance since everyone is paying for Christmas during those times but we've already seen a huge turn around and we're looking forward to the Spring and Summer months. We're going to be expanding the agency and taking on some employees in the next few months as well - I can't believe we're to that point already! Jason is eagerly awaiting Spring and Summer for one thing - Cardinal's Baseball!

As for me, I'm still enjoying pregnancy. Things are still pretty uneventful which makes me happy. We'll find out the gender on Valentine's Day. I wasn't planning to find out this time but I want to know ahead of time for my own preparation sake. I want to have the clothes washed and ready, I want to be able to buy a few special things for this baby, and I want the kids to be so excited about having either a brother or a sister... not just a baby : ) I've been feeling the baby kick for about 3 weeks now. The first time happened when Jason was giving me a blessing. He mentioned the baby in the blessing and I felt what I knew for sure was a baby kick. It was so special. I really, honestly, 100% have been enjoying my pregnancy this time. Knowing it's going to be my last has really helped me to stay positive and enjoy the moment. One decision I'm still in the process of making (well, I'm fairly sure I've made the decision... but I'm just trying to come to terms with it) it having the baby in the hospital instead of at home. After Ainzley's birth, I swore I would never go back to the hospital again. As I shared in her birth story, her birth was far from uncomplicated BUT it was amazing. I was well cared for (as was she) and prefer being at home 10000000% over being in the hospital.... but I don't think a home birth is going to be the way we go this time. A blog post in the next couple of days will explain more fully.

Awesome giveaway!!!

Hi All!

In the midst of winter, colds run rampant through our house for some reason. Being the "crunchy"  person I have become over the last few years, I hate using medicine when I'm sick - I especially hate giving it to the kids! But what do I hate more? Giving the kids medicine or letting them feel miserable?
Anyway, when I was super pregnant with Ainzley, my midwife introduced me to essential oils - I was skeptical at first but was sooo converted after using them. I have never felt better quicker during a cold and am so glad to not be putting artificial yuck into my body. One of my favorite features of EO's is that your body can't build up an immunity to them they way it can to medicine. I just cannot say enough good things about essential oils.
Except that there is an essential oils giveaway going on in the blogosphere!!!! Housewife Eclectic is giving away some great EO's from Plant Therapy Oils! Head on over and check it out! : )

http://www.housewifeeclectic.com/2013/01/how-essential-oils-changed-my-life-and.html

The Finish Line

We have finally crossed it! The glorious finish line at the end of the semester!!!!! Jason completed his Associates of Arts degree and I will finish my AofA next semester. Jason is waiting for me to finish my last semester and we'll graduate together in May - YAY!!!!! We'll move on to the next chapter of our lives already in progress, lol.

This pregnancy has been an absolute BREEZE! Seriously, I couldn't have asked for a better first trimester. No nausea and no running to the toilet - my two least favorite parts of pregnancy. I've been tired but that's really been about it. Honestly, the only difference is the fact that I'm in shape this time around and continue to keep up an exercise routine. I wake up early every morning (a challenge on it's own when I'm pregnant) and get an exercise in. Working out in the morning works great for me because I'm up before the kids, getting some me time and honestly, first thing in the morning, I'm too tired to argue with myself about not working out LOL! I feel good about my weight so far and hope I can stay motivated. We had our first ultrasound on November 19th and the baby was looking great! Heart rate was 180 and baby was only measuring 3 days small so we were pleased. My due date was set for July 3rd but since my other two were 2 weeks late, that'll put me closer to July 17th - my little brother's 16th birthday! What a present for him ; ). David is very excited about the baby. Ainzley doesn't really get it - every time we talk about the baby, she runs to her room and gets her favorite baby doll, lol. Jason and I think the baby is a boy. We won't find out for another 8 weeks and have a great gender reveal planned!

I don't have too much else to say right now. We're getting very excited to celebrate Christmas with our families next week. We have so many fun activities planned : )

Just a short update

My oh my how I have neglected my blog!! My sincerest apologies. This semester has been kicking my butt! It's been far too many years since I was enrolled full time - and I've NEVER been enrolled full time in online classes. I've been trudging through happily leaving myself only two classes to complete in the spring before I graduate : ). Jason's work is going amazingly. I would say he has successfully learned how to be a salesman and amazes me how good he is, lol. David is doing well. Last month, we learned he has OCD and some sort of sensory processing disorder. We're currently working on seeing a specialist for a more defined diagnosis but until then, we're learning all we can and are just enjoying him. We know he was given this special quality for us all to learn and he's really doing well with the new info we're able to help him with. Ainzley is simply amazing. Her vocabulary is so broad and her little personality is so big. It's so fun to see her and David (who she calls "the boy") play together. She gets so excited when "the boy" gets home from school or wakes up from his nap - she runs right over to him and gives him the biggest hug. My kids just melt my heart. We also recently found out a couple of weeks ago that we are expecting our third! The new baby is due late June or early July 2013. This will probably be our last so I'm just enjoying every moment of pregnancy. So far, my pregnancy has been delightfully uneventful. I've been tired and get an uneasy tummy when I go too long between meals but other than that, I give it two thumbs up : )

So, here we are. Still working hard and playing hard and enjoying each other. More to come after I crawl out from under this school semester

Holy Wow!! It's been FOREVER since I've updated!!! What can I say, it's been a busy summer! We're relocated and (temporarily) settled into our rental home. Jason's new job has been going really well! We got off to a slow start but things have really started started taking off for us in the last couple of weeks : )

The kids are doing AMAZINGLY! They really love all the grandparent time they've been able to get in while we've been here. David starts preschool next Thursday which is absolutely crazy to me - how on earth do I have a kiddo old enough for that!?!? Ainzley is growing and has a HUGE vocabulary!

As for me, I'm working again. Well, I work for Jason. I'm the Office Manager/Administrative Assistant/Quote Runner... basically, I do everything except initial client contact and presentations. I work from home so I do it all with the kids in tow until we have enough clientele to warrant hiring an outside person.

Jason and I are enrolled in school for the fall - me with 12 hours and him with his last 6 (I have 7 more to finish in the spring before I graduate). We're very excited to finally have degrees! I'll continue on to my bachelors but Jason is going to stop (for now) and focus on building the business.

Overall, things are going amazingly for us. We are feeling so blessed and optimistic right now. We really feel like we can do it all! : )

Moved and settling

So we're all moved. Well, I had to say "all" moved because we still have some stuff sitting at our old house but we'll be swinging by to pick up the last few things. What a move it was!!! We clearly could not fit everything we had in the truck/ car. We still have some cleaning and paint touch ups to do and somehow we have to bring our fridge to St. Louis but seeing that we're all here and settling in, that will do for now : )

Ugh... burgled... again

Last night was quite eventful. I was in some pain around bed time so I took a Vicodin to relieve the pain and help me sleep... this was around 10:30 and I fell asleep around 11:15. Jason was studying for his insurance license test and went to bed around 1am. Around 1:45, I thought I heard someone banging on our door. Usually, I wouldn't have to wonder if it were real or not but because of the Vicodin, the lines between dreams and reality were pretty fuzzy. When I heard it louder (people banging on both the front and back doors), I knew it was real... which meant something was wrong. Jason got to to the back door to find our neighbor who informed us that Jason's scooter had been stolen. Our neighbor had called 911 on his cell phone while trying to wake us up. He handed Jason the phone, got in his car and took off after the thieves. A few moments later while Jason was still on the phone with 911, I heard Jason's scooter start (not in sight... because it's been upgraded, it has a distinct running noise) and moments after that we saw the lights of a police car turn on maybe 3 blocks down the street.

Apparently, our neighbors are night owls for which I am very grateful. A lady that lives (or maybe was just visiting) next door was outside smoking in the dark when she saw the thieves walk up to our place. I guess it didn't click to her that they were stealing something until after they left when she got the other two guys out of the house which is when they came and woke us up. We found our lawn mower in the alley behind our house which is where they ditched it to come back and get it later. They rolled the scooter down the street and hot wired it which is when I heard it start. Jason had forgotten to put the wheel lock on it obviously. They also carried our weed eater with them. We got everything back. There is some damage to the scooter from them breaking open the front cover to hot wire it but Jason fixed the wiring they pulled apart so it drives just fine.

The whole event was over by 2:20 am including filing the police report and getting our stuff home. There were three guys arrested and taken to jail. Jason plans to prosecute them. The policeman who seemed to be the primary guy says he recognized one of the men arrested which makes me sad for him but then just makes me angrier. Seriously, we work hard for the things we have (as do most people) and this guy has been arrested multiple times for being an overall lazy bum.

I was pretty shaken up by the combination of an abrupt awakening, being robbed AGAIN and having taken a Vicodin. I didn't really get back to sleep last night so here I am absolutely exhausted and needing to make the most of today in preparation for our move... in SEVEN days. Which somehow makes me just a little angrier at the thieves, lol. Jason is at work all day today, I'll be packing and baking cookies for our neighbors. Cookies hardly seem like a good enough reward for their quick action (and helping us getting back nearly $2000 worth of merchandise) but I'm sure they're not expecting anything anyway... right? lol

Have I mentioned how ready to move I actually am? Our neighborhood isn't on the awful end of the crime spectrum despite us being robbed three times in the last year. The first time was when someone stole our hose and nozzle before we even moved in... not really a big deal. The second time was our car and now this. Yep, ready for a change. Sorry this is kind of rambling but I'm tired, lol

Happenings

Well, I guess I'll start with Mother's Day. Mother's Day started fantastically. Jason got the kids up, changed, dressed, made them breakfast and all while I was just chilling in bed. It was glorious. I'm going to be honest: I did not want to go to church on Mother's Day. It's not that I don't love church but lately, church is a fight to get through. David cannot sit through Sacrament meeting and Ainzley is walking now so she doesn't want to sit anywhere for any length of time. David gets to go to the magical land of nursery but Ainzley doesn't yet so she spends the next two hours wiggling everywhere and fighting me because she's exhausted thanks to church being during lunch and nap time. So yes, the one thing I actually asked for was to not go to church. Shame on me.
So we went for a drive after breakfast. Then we had lunch and the kids took naps. Oh, did I mention I didn't have to change any diapers up to this point? I didn't? Well, you should know that, too : ) I got a fantastic back massage during nap time and then continued to lay around in bed. Jason was studying for his insurance license exam and started feeling yucky. So he decided to lay in bed while I cooked dinner which I didn't really mind. The kids woke up, we ate dinner, hung out and then Jason got sick - stomach flu : ( So Mother's Day ended pretty much the same as any other day except that I was taking care of a sick husband, too. So I ended my day by making a single serve coffee cake in the microwave and went to bed... and it was glorious : )

So, since Mother's Day, Jason and I finished our semester and are out for the summer. It's been so great! Jason brought it to my attention that I am truly a stay at home mom for a few months which I just love thinking about. I get to do nothing but play with my kids. oh, and move across the state in two weeks from today... yeaaahh, lol. But we are very excited about the move and the new job and our upcoming Branson vacation. In the mean time, I'm working my booty off finishing sewing projects and packing and playing with my kids. I've found that when I'm not stressed about school, I can be the kind of mommy I always wanted to be. Doing super fun stuff with my kids in between the errands and laundry, lol. Today, I took one of the biggest boxes I could find (intended for our move of course but I'll replace it) and two strands of Christmas lights. I spent 20 minutes poking the light bulbs through the box then plugged the strands into the wall... It was magic. David now keeps taking about how excited he is for Christmas (aren't we all, son : )) and Ainzley keeps talking about the "pretties". I love the fun, creative moments I get to spend with my kids  : )

It's Official!!!

We're moving! JASON GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!!! :):):):):) We are beyond excited! So, Jason will be an agent for Farmer's Insurance in the St. Louis area. He gets to open his own agency, hire staff and be the boss man, lol. I don't think we could be more excited right now. So, Jason's working on getting his insurance license, we're waiting on the ok from his big background check and then we'll be out of here. Oh yeah, and selling our house... still working on that but it's competitively priced and move in ready. The market in our neighborhood/city is actually really good so we're hoping for a quick sell. Fingers crossed!! :)

MIA

Hello dear readers,
I'm so sorry I've been absent for awhile - it's been a crazy few weeks! Firstly, we have decided to move. We're selling our house and moving back to St. Louis. We are so excited about it! Secondly, Jason has been working so hard on getting a new job. We found an incredible opportunity and he got an interview... and then a second interview... and has a third interview in just over a week! We have been driving all over the state lately and haven't had a weekend at home in forever. The third interview is where I get interviewed (imagine my joy about that! ;)) and where a job will be offered. I can't believe we're moving after only having lived in our house for a year, but buying this house has given us lots of learning opportunities and a good amount of equity so fingers crossed for a quick selling process!

That's all for now... I'll be sure to update when we know more :)

House pictures

Living Room


Dining Room

Master Bedroom


Master Closet

Master Bathroom





Pantry


Back Hallway - the folding doors on the right is the laundry room

Guest Bathroom featuring the penny floor :)





Upstairs storage closet

Upstairs Bathroom



Loft area






Main floor guest room


Main floor guest closet

Beautiful 2750 sq ft, 2 story home on corner lot. 11 foot tall ceilings. Features 4 LARGE bedrooms with large walk-in closets and 3 spacious baths. Original hardwood floors in living and dining rooms. Brand new carpet in the master and guest bedrooms on the main floor. Wainscoting in dining room. Upgraded kitchen with oak cabinets, new countertops and stainless steel appliances. Guest bathroom on main floor features a penny floor, modern countertop and spacious shower. Extra wide staircase to upstairs. Second story has loft living space with vaulted ceilings. 1st bedroom is HUGE with an extra large closet to match. Room also has vaulted ceilings. 2nd upstairs bedroom features architecturally interesting ceilings with walk in closet. 3rd bathroom is also upstairs. Energy efficient windows throughout. Lot size is 11,000 sq ft with large privacy fenced back yard.

My heart is a little heavy right now :(

Nursing school is going to be put on hold until the fall... again. Things just aren't working out for it right now. I was really hoping otherwise, but, it's just not happening.

We do have the opportunity to go to California for the summer for a job for Jason. It will allow him to make 2/3 of his annual salary in about 3 months so that when he does go back to nursing school, he'll be able to spend more time studying. It sounds like a great opportunity though it will be a hard 3 months. We're still deciding if we're going to go. Right now, we're not sure where we belong and it's tough. I think that's what I'm struggling with the most is finding what we need to be doing. We've been praying about it for awhile now and still don't feel prompted toward anything.

On the bright side, the kids' birthdays are next week. I'm pretty excited! Jason has to work all day on David's birthday but not on Ainzley's so we're going to celebrate them both on Monday. I'm really looking forward to having some great fun with them :)

I thought I'd do a quick family update :)

School is in full swing! Jason and I are in the same 2 online classes as well as Jason's seated Microbiology class and I've got an additional online class. We've been having lots of computer problems so it's not exactly been easy but we're getting through it. Jason's doing well at work and I'm still home with the kids. I'm considering getting a part time job (like, 8 hours a week, lol) once Ainzley's weaned so I can get out of the house for a little while... but we'll see.

We're still working hard on the house. Yesterday we took up the old ceramic tile in the back entryway, guest bathroom, laundry room and coat closet and put down laminate wood flooring. It looks fantastic but the wood was slightly warped so it didn't install exactly right. I'm going to all the company and see about getting some of the money back. We also have the tile picked out for out master bath remodel - wahoo! We're still deciding exactly what we want to do with the garden tub, though so we haven't started demo or anything. And we're having carpet installed in the bedrooms on the main floor next monday! Things are coming along. Oh! and I've picked out a playset I want for the kids so I'm just waiting to see if I can get a better price at the lawn and garden show and if not, I'll order it and we'll be set :)

The kids' birthdays are next month and I cannot believe it! David will be THREE and Ainzley will be ONE - where has the time gone?!?! My kiddos are growing up so fast! David is just so amazing. He loves watching Backyardigans, riding his bike and playing with his puppy. Ainzley is a crawling maniac and can stand up now, too. She says mama, dada, baba (bye bye) and LOTS of other random noises, lol. She folds her arms when we get ready to pray, waves bye bye and covers her mouth and her ear when we play peek-a-boo. She just cut her 8th tooth and had a rally hard time with it. Probably because she was fighting a cold at the same time.

We are just having a terrific time lately. The weather has been great. We're making progress on the house, in school and the kids are growing! Keep checking for more exciting updates :)

"Make me up! Before you go go..."

I hope that song is now stuck in your head as it is mine :)

Anyway, I changed the first lyric to represent my blog subject... catchy, right? ;)

Today I had to run errands with the kids while Jason was at work. We woke up, had breakfast with Daddy before he had to go to work, then I started diaper laundry, cleaned up the kitchen and we were out the door! Just to WalMart for some groceries... no big deal. I was on my way to the kitchen gadgets when I passed a mirror in home goods and realized I hadn't put on make up this morning. I continued on my way wondering how long it's been since I did my make up. A few days? A week maybe?? I was sick on Sunday so I didn't make it to church therefore no reason for make up... hmmm... even now my best guess is almost a week and a half since the Sunday before last when we did go to church and we had our game night that evening.

When I was younger, I did my make up every day. I enjoyed doing it. Watching the transformation - seeing myself beneath but changing my features. LOTS of make up for show choir and pageants. Maybe some foundation and eye shadow for church. Now, make up is one of the least important things. Obviously, it rarely crossed my radar, lol. Being married to a man who tells me I'm beautiful EVERY DAY is wonderful. Sure he likes it when I do my make up, but he has no idea what his small words do for my self confidence.

I sure do love that man :)

The best of the best

This weekend, my amazing friend came to visit me. We have been close since we both started college (where we met) and I joined the church. She was my maid of honor at my wedding and we were practically inseparable. I considered her to be my best friend for a long time.... After this weekend, I'm not so sure I can call her that any more. We have done quite a bit of growing apart and both admittedly suck at staying in touch, lol. After I left Springfield, I met my husband, got married, had kids and have this amazing new life. My friend is still in college and is very successful with her job. Not that either of those is better than the other, they're just very different. During our visit this weekend, this realization came to me and I almost cried. We're both happy with where we are individually so I wouldn't wish to change that, I just hope we can do a better job staying in touch.

I feel like I'm struggling in several relationships right now. (Thankfully, my marriage is NOT one of them :)) I feel like family doesn't understand me and they're too preoccupied to care. I feel disconnected from my son sometimes. He's going through the "terrible two" phase and try as I might I just can't seem to get through to him. There is no feeling worse than being a mother and not knowing how to help your child. Socially, I feel like the odd one out more often than not which isn't helped by my introverted-ness, lol

A bright and shining moment amongst this mess of mumbling is I realized just how close I've grown to Jason. It's cliche to say your husband is your best friend, but it's the truest it's ever been. I've always relied on Jason. I knew he'd always be there for me, always care, always take care of me... but I'd save all my "girlie talk" so to speak, for my best friend. I realize I've been having that with Jason as well, lol. I LOVE that Jason is my best friend (or maybe that I've only just now realized it). I can't believe we've been married for more than four years. Every moment has been amazing and a learning experience. What a journey I've been having with my BEST friend. I can't wait to see where we go next! :)

First Snow Day of 2012

Why hello snow! Long time no see! Today we have been taking it easy. Jason had to go to work but the kids and I are taking it easy. We're still in our PJ's, David is watching Bee Movie for the second time today, and Ainzley and I are hanging out on the living room floor. Jason and I are giving talks in church this Sunday so I need to work on that but other than that, I don't have much planned for today.

School starts next Tuesday and we're getting geared up for that. Jason is questioning whether or not he wants to go back to nursing school... We waited for so long for him to get in and were THRILLED when it happened, but he feels completely unsupported by his teachers. One in particular has made it very obvious she doesn't like him and no one in the program seems to understand how she grades (two people will have the same answers and one will get it right while the other is marked wrong... people have had answers directly from the book and she will say it's wrong...) He's just not happy. We'll see where we are in March (when his classes are supposed to start again). He's decided to apply for his BSN (which is two "steps" ahead of where he would be if he stuck it out with his current program) at another school and hopefully get into their program starting in June. A friend of ours from our last ward is in the program right now and has absolutely wonderful things to say about the teachers, program, etc. So right now, we're just reviewing our options and praying about it.

That's about all that's going on for us right now... just hanging out and deciding what to do with our lives :)