Extracurricular Activities, Fall 2014

The middle of November, both ballet and gymnastics had their "Parents' Week", and we got to watch Bridget show off what she has learned so far this year. She is in Pre-Ballet II and seems to be doing quite well. I think she is probably the oldest in her class, as she just missed the cut off for public school Kindergarten. The other girls are mostly 4 years old.

 

Her dance studio does not allow parents to watch every class, as it can be quite distracting for the students. Because of this policy, Parents' Week is crowded with parents and grandparents. Her teacher, Ms. Denise, is so good with the kids and they have the cutest songs to help them learn the different positions.

 

We also got to watch Bridget in gymnastics. I usually watch her during every lesson, but this time the parents were able to sit in the gym. Bridget has gotten much more brave and listens to the instructions well. She loves her teachers Mr. John & Miss Rachel. She is so close to doing a handstand without the support of the wall.

Bridget used to be afraid of jumping on the trampoline during her first year. This year, she's much more confident. She is able to control her jumps well rather than bouncing all over the place.

Halloween Festivities 2014

Halloween festivities lasted nearly a week for us this year. Every year, our church holds a 'Trunk-or-Treat' in the parking lot for all of the kids to have a safe place to show off their costumes and get some candy. Some areas also have chili cook-offs and games prior to the trunk or treat.

 

I am now back to using their real names. Their personalities change so often that keeping up with a good nickname was difficult and ever-changing. It was originally intended for privacy but became more of a headache. Besides, it's mainly family and friends reading this stuff anyway.

 

This year, Bridget wanted to be Elsa from Frozen (just like every other little girl on the planet!). Halloween was so warm this year that I didn't need to buy her any covered shoes to match her costumes. She was able to wear her summer time church sandals! She felt super regal every time she put on her costume. She even got to wear some makeup we had leftover from her ballet performance.

 

 

George wanted to be something that "roared", so I was very excited to find this dragon costume for him. He would get into character each time his costume was put on. The very first time his hand went into the "claws", he'd stare at them and wiggle his fingers. I know he was thinking how awesome it was to finally have dragon hands. He is such a fun, wild boy!

 

Liam became the third baby to wear this pumpkin costume for Halloween. He looked just as cute as his older siblings did. I love his smile!

Here are the older kids after the trunk-or-treat. As I rarely have given my kids candy (cookies and cake, yes.. candy, no), George really had no idea what all the packages in his bucket were. Bridget remembered from last year, though. Once we got back to the van, he got to try some. His life was changed forever.

Later in the week before Halloween, we headed down to my in-laws' to attend their trunk-or-treat. They had a lot more going on for the kids there, and we all had a blast.

Finally, the day of Halloween arrived. We typically stay indoors and have our own family fun. My dad brought over a huge pumpkin with some stickers to decorate it with. The kids began decorating themselves, and Bridget put this sticker on Liam. I couldn't resist taking a picture. I'm so glad he was happy about it.

I like to make a Halloween-themed dinner to make things fun for the kids. This year, I made "Ghoulash", using my husband's grandmothers recipe for Austrian goulash, and veganizing it (taking out the beef and changing the spices and adding a few more vegetables to make up for the lack of meat). It was so good and the kids got a big kick out of it. I kept the heat to a low so that the kids could enjoy it, but I personally would have liked to have more cayenne pepper. I can't wait until they get old enough to handle some heat! Oh wait, yes I can. STOP GROWING!

Our Halloween dessert: chocolate cupcakes with orange frosting and festive sprinkles. George couldn't wait to dig in!

He's Blessed, We're Blessed!

Our sweet Liam was blessed on Sunday, October 12, 2014. As previously posted, my husband's family came in from out of town to share the day with us. Liam was calm and happy while my husband gave him the blessing.

After sacrament meeting, we took some pictures in the foyer and came home to have a spaghetti dinner.

It was a little over a month later that we finally had some portraits made of Liam in his blessing outfit. I'm so glad that he was able to still fit in it!

One of my favorites. His eyes, his sweet smile, and those chubby cheeks.

 

 

His "Mommy, I'm ready for a cuddle" look.



We are all so very happy to have him in our family!

A Gift of Gardenias

Recently, my husband and 5 year old daughter were in our front yard trimming some of the shrubs. One of them being my gardenia bush. While my husband was clipping all of the beautiful flowers, my daughter was picking them up off of the ground and making a big bouquet. It was so sweet of her to save my beautiful fragrant gardenias. There must have been 12-15 of them in the bouquet. She presented them to me and I put them in a vase. They lasted for about a week and made my kitchen smell heavenly.

Her kind gesture also did something else for me. It made me think back to my grandmother. My grandmother had a small vase on her kitchen table that always had a single gardenia in it. It was a very simple table decoration, but it made the area smell so nice.

Then I thought of how I would play in her yard and pick all of the dandelions and bring them to her. I could tell how she accepted these dandelions that she really appreciated this lovely gift from her grandchild. Even though they were weeds. She would then put these dandelion weeds in a vase in her kitchen.

Looking back, I can't help but chuckle at the reaction my grandfather must have had when he walked into the house to see a vase full of weeds in his kitchen. Although, I'm sure he understood.

Kid Convos: October 2014

Sugar Plum (age 5) & Charmer (age 2), on the way to church (October 19).
Sugar Plum: Look, [Charmer]! Look at me! Look at what I'm doing!
Charmer: No, I'm fine.
Sugar Plum: Look at me! Look at me!
Charmer: Hmmm mmm [ignoring Sugar Plum and humming].

... a few second later

Charmer: Look! Balloons! (car dealership at corner of red light we were at)
Sugar Plum: NO! I WILL NOT LOOK AT THE BALLOONS! (somebody's holding a grudge!)
Charmer: Balloons! Look [Sugar Plum], look!
Sugar Plum: NO!

... just as the light turns green

Sugar Plum: [Charmer]! Look at all the balloons!


******************************************


Sugar Plum (age 5) & Daddy, during breakfast (October 24)
Sugar Plum: Daddy, do you know where I lived before I was 1?
Daddy: You always lived here in this house, but Mommy and Daddy lived in a different house before you were born.
Sugar Plum: No, Daddy. I lived in the temple.
Daddy: The temple? Do you mean you lived in heaven?
Sugar Plum: Yes. I lived in heaven for a long time. I had to wait a long, long time for good parents.
Daddy: Did you get good parents?
Sugar Plum: No, not really.

Little Man is One Month!

Our sweet baby boy turned one month old yesterday. I cannot believe he's been here for that long!

As his personality is still developing, he'll just be going by the nickname "Little Man" for now.

Some facts about Little Man:

--He eats well.
--He rarely spits up and has never had to wear a bib.
--He sleeps almost through the night, waking just once or twice to feed.
--He's very mellow.
--He naps better when the older kids are being noisy and won't nap if they're quiet or gone.
--He has the deepest and darkest blue eyes ever.
--We still don't know if his hair is blonde or red.
--He hates car rides.
--He loves his swing and the music it plays. When the music stops, he makes a small fuss until I restart it, then he's happy again.

Little Man had one major milestone this month: his first bath! It went well. He enjoyed most of it. We put the tub on the floor in the bathroom so that the older kids could watch and help bathe their baby brother.

 

 

 

The older kids also think Little Man is the cutest thing ever! They love him so very much, and we all love having him in our family.

Our Newest Little One

We welcomed our newest little one into the world on July 22, 2014 at 3:37 p.m. As I had mentioned in my previous post, I went in to be induced. I was nervous about this because I had already had a previous cesarean and a VBAC, and really wanted to do another VBAC, even though being induced could increase my chances for another cesarean. We got to the hospital at around 6 in the morning and by about 8, I was on the Pitocin. My midwife was going to be coming in later to break my water but it ended up breaking on its own (yay!). Around noon, I was only about 4 cm dilated, so I sent my husband home to see the kids for awhile (we live about 5 minutes away from the hospital). Shortly before 3 p.m., I was finally measuring at a 7. I called my husband to let him know to go ahead and come back after he got Snuggle Bug to calm down (I could hear him fussing in the background). No more than 10 or 15 minutes later, I felt a lot of pressure and a strong urge to push. The nurse immediate got my midwife who checked me and said that I was all ready to go and baby was coming. My husband hadn't gotten back to the hospital yet so I called him again to let him know to hurry up. After calling twice with no answer, he walks through the door. My midwife finished getting prepped and it was time to start pushing. Just 15 minutes later, our baby boy was here!

 

 

He weighed in at 7 lbs., 14.7 oz., and measured 20 inches long. He's perfectly healthy and is sweet just like his older two siblings. He also has quite a bit more hair than they had at birth. 

 

This pregnancy has been my easiest (I did not throw up even once). The birth was also pretty easy (epidurals help, but I'm also glad I wasn't pushing for an hour). And while this little man is only 3 days old, he's been very easy to take care of. We had a very good first night at home. My husband went in to work this morning for half a day and things went very smoothly with all three children. A part of me is waiting for my luck to run out.

This sweet boy has made it very easy for us to fall in love with him.

 

 

Jenny

 

Last Day as a Mother of Two

It's now official. Today is my last full day as a "mother of two". My due date for baby #3 was last Thursday, and I am now 4 days overdue. I had an appointment this morning with my midwife and she had mentioned inducing some time next week, as that would be the furthest they could let me go. However, after the crazy weekend we had it is just time to get this baby out (an illness that I'm not going to get into has hit the family which knocks out one option of childcare and my other source of reliable childcare will not be available next week---so my reasons for wanting baby out now are not entirely selfish, as I feel pretty good physically and could keep going).

I am scheduled to be induced tomorrow at 6 a.m. Honestly, I'm a bit nervous. I was hoping not to be induced as it could increase my chances for another C-section. I had a C-section with my daughter, and even though it wasn't what I had desired, it still went well. But then with my son, I attempted a VBAC, and did really well with that (and healing was much better!). I really hope I can have another successful VBAC, and that my decision to be induced doesn't come back to bite me.

I've been spending the remainder of my day at home with my two sweet children as I get in my last really good snuggles before their world gets rocked. Sugar Plum should be fine, as she's gone through this before, but Snuggle Bug may have a hard time. He knows there is a baby in my tummy and he snuggles it all the time. I just don't think he understand that baby will soon be outside of my tummy and making a lot of noise and needing a lot of attention. I've spent a portion of my afternoon on the couch with this little guy and had to get some last shots of him loving on my tummy. It's been an amazing few months as I've grown and got to experience Snuggle Bug's tenderness and his love towards his unborn baby brother.

I adore his big blue eyes.

I told Sugar Plum as soon as I got back from my appointment this morning that her new baby brother will be here tomorrow. She's so very excited. The picture doesn't show it, as the movie Alice in Wonderland has her attention. Just for the record, I love her big green eyes too.

As far as everything else goes, I feel prepared yet very unprepared. My house is not how I'd like it to be. I'm good on my everyday chores like laundry and dishes, but everything else is chaos. Not extreme chaos, but I wish I had more motivation to get some other things done. I've accepted the fact that the house will never be completely ready, especially with a 4 year old and 2 year old destroying it.

I think I'm prepared enough with food. I have two baked penne dishes and two lasagnas in the freezer, along with a bag of chili and a bag of Brunswick stew. I made a list for my husband of take-out options to bring me while I am in the hospital. While I am going to try finding vegan options on the hospital menu, I know it will not be easy so it's good to have a backup plan. As I experienced during our hospital stay last October for my sons surgery, the cafeteria does not offer hardly any vegan options. (Yes, they do have salad with one vegan option for dressing, but I, like many other vegans, have gotten very tired of salads as they are the only vegan option at most restaurants). While they did have hummus, it looked gross and dried out since hummus eaters in eastern North Carolina are few and far between.

That's about it I guess! My next blog post will hopefully be about our newest little one.


Jenny

Our Fourth of July

Bright and early yesterday morning, the Sugar Plum came into our room and asked in a very  loud and excited voice, "Is it time for the party?!!". I looked over at the clock and it wasn't quite 6:30 yet, so of course I told her no and to go back into her bed and read her books so we could get a little bit more sleep.

So that is how my morning of the Fourth of July began. I had done some baking the night before (a blueberry and lemon cake and chocolate strawberry shortcake cupcakes), which is how Sugar Plum knew that today was going to be a special day.

When it was time to wake up, my husband promptly went outside to blow up the kiddie pool for the kids. This got both of them very excited as they watched their daddy from the back door. I did a little bit more cooking and then relaxed for the rest of the morning. I waited until early afternoon to add the frosting and fruit on the desserts, so that it would be as fresh as possible (nobody likes a wilted strawberry). My husbands parents arrived in the afternoon and we all went outside to watch  the kids play in the pool. It's fun as an adult to watch little kids play and splash in a pool, or play on the swing set, etc. I remember having fun doing these things as a child but I think I love watching my own children have that kind of fun even more.

We had a good Fourth of July dinner and desserts, then sat around and chatted for awhile. Then it was time for my in-laws to head home. We opted not to go see the fireworks because Sugar Plum is terrified of loud noises, so the kids ran around the house and played for awhile before bed time. They were both being very silly, Snuggle Bug with his funny faces for the camera and Sugar Plum had fun running away from me while I tried to take her picture. Luckily with my new camera I was able to catch her in action without the shots being blurry. Her laughs and smiles are one of my favorite things.

By bed time, the kids were so exhausted from their busy day that Snuggle Bug fell asleep during the bedtime story and while Sugar Plum made it through the story, she decided not to have any books to read in bed and let us turn off the lamp early (she usually spends about 15 minutes looking at her books before she falls asleep). So we knew she'd be out soon (and she was, within about 5 minutes). I hope everyone was able to enjoy their Fourth of July holiday!

 

 

Jenny

Weekly Menu for 6/28 - 7/4

I am looking forward to this weeks menu, as this week includes a holiday and I love holiday meals! It means I get to "pig out" and eat desserts and let the kids eat whatever they want (for the most part... they will still need to eat something descent before they get dessert, as I don't want to deal with tummy aches later). Most of the week is pretty easy as far as meals go, because I'm hoping that "nesting" will kick in and I'll be busy preparing for baby.

Reminder: I start my menu planning for Saturday since that is the day I do my grocery shopping.

Our menu this week is as follows:

Saturday

Breakfast: Cream of Wheat w/ Agave and Strawberries

Lunch: Leftovers or Peanut Butter Sandwiches

Snack: Popcorn

Dinner: Brunswick Stew

Dessert: Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Sunday

Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Waffles

Lunch: (late breakfast, snacks or leftovers for lunch before church)

Snack: ----

Dinner: Boca Vegan Chik'n Patties

 

Monday

Breakfast: Cereal & Fruit

Lunch: Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwich

Snack: Teddy Grahams

Dinner: Baked Penne w/ Vegan Italian Sausage 

 

Tuesday

Breakfast: Cinnamon Sugar Toast 

Lunch: Veggie Strips (Vegan Chik'n Fingers) w/ Tater Tots

Snack: Pears

Dinner: Veggie Fajitas, Rice, Refried Beans

 

Wednesday

Breakfast: Orange Marmalade Muffins

Lunch: Tofurkey "Turkey" Sandwich

Snack: Apples &  Peanut Butter

Dinner: Sweet & Sour "Meatballs" w/ Veggie Lo Mein 

 

Thursday

Breakfast: Biscuits and Gimme Lean Sausage

Lunch: Peanut Butter & Crackers, Raisins

Snack: Applesauce or Fruit Cocktail

Dinner: Homemade Pizza

 

Friday

Vegan Fourth of July Feast

 

 

While the meals are pretty easy, I'm not looking forward to this weeks grocery bill! Because I'm getting so close to my due date with Baby #3, I'll be doubling up on some of the recipes so that I can freeze them for later. Definitely want to make sure my kiddos are fed while I'm in the hospital and I really don't want to be busy in the kitchen when I get home (or running out to the grocery store).

 

Jenny



Weekly Menu for 6/21 - 6/27

Being a vegan, I get asked often what I eat. There are a lot of people who still don't know what a vegan is and how it compares to being a vegetarian. When I explain the difference, I get some crazy looks and they think all I eat is lettuce and tofu. While lettuce and tofu are both delicious when prepared properly, vegan food is so much more than that and can be quite tasty. I try to prepare most of my meals from scratch, but with two children and getting close to my due date with my third, processed foods like fake meats (generally, I try to keep those to a minimum) have started gaining popularity on our menu for the time being.

One big misconception about vegan food is that it's very expensive. It can be expensive for some people, but I prefer to cook "veganized" versions of more normal types of food, and stick to a strict budget ($600 a month for food and all other essentials--shampoos, soaps, detergents, toilet paper, clothing, toys, etc.). I probably spend less money on food than most non-vegans. It's all about careful planning and not being wasteful.

Each week, I try to plan out a menu for the week, make my shopping list, and buy everything I need in one big trip to the grocery store. Sometimes I go to two different grocery stores, as the cheaper one doesn't carry a lot of vegan essentials and their produce is not always the best. Here in the South, my "go to" stores are Food Lion (for the basics at a cheaper price) and Harris Teeter (for fresh produce and special foods).

Because I typically do my grocery shopping on Friday afternoon or on Saturday while my husband can watch the kids, I begin my menu on Saturdays.

This week, my menu is as follows:

Saturday

Breakfast: Vegan Coconut Yogurt & Granola

Lunch: Maple "Bacon" Tempeh and Tomato Sandwiches

Snack: Popcorn

Dinner: Spanish Rice

Dessert: Hot-Fudge-on-the-Bottom Cake w/ Vegan Ice Cream

 

Sunday

Breakfast: Pancakes w/ vegan breakfast sausage (Gimme Lean Sausage)

Lunch: --- (our Sunday breakfast is more of a brunch, so we're still not very hungry around lunch time and will either eat leftovers or some sort of snack before we go to our 1:00 p.m. church service)

Dinner: Chili Dogs, Loaded Baked Potatoes, & Corn on the Cob

 

Monday

Breakfast: Orange Marmalade Muffins

Lunch: Vegan Chik'n Fingers w/ Sweet Potato Fries

Snack: Apples & Peanut Butter

Dinner: Breaded Eggplant w/ Spaghetti & Marinara Sauce

 

Tuesday

Breakfast: Sausage Biscuit (using the second half of the tube of Gimme Lean sausage from Sunday)

Lunch: Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwiches

Snack: Teddy Grahams (not something I typically buy for the kids, but we still have some leftover from a road trip)

Dinner: Bean Burritos

 

Wednesday

Breakfast: Cereal & Fruit

Lunch: Pizza Hummus w/ Triscuits and Fruit

Snack: Popcorn

Dinner: Sesame Tofu, White Rice, & Green Beans

 

Thursday

Breakfast: Cinnamon Toast

Lunch: Peanut Butter, Crackers, & Raisins

Snack: Pears

Dinner: Southern Black-Eyed Peas w/ Biscuits

 

Friday

Breakfast: Vegan Coconut Yogurt and Granola

Lunch: Sloppy Joe's

Snack: Fruit Cocktail

Dinner: Grilled 'Cheese' Sandwiches & Tomato Soup

To satisfy anyone's curiosity on the cost of groceries this week, the total comes to: $105.36. This also includes things like soy and almond milk, vegan butter, orange juice, grape juice, and other things that are not necessarily on our menu but we do consume each week or that I'm running low on and like to have on hand.

Jenny

Family Update for Mid-April 2014

After noticing that I have been posting way too many recipes lately on our blog, I thought it was time to make a non-food post! We eat a lot. Every day, actually. Delicious food, too. And I like to share the yummy recipes that I find. But, we are more than just food.

Homeschool Planning

I have been spending a lot of time getting ready for homeschool in the Fall. My daughter will be studying a kindergarten curriculum and I am trying to plan things so that my toddler son can be included in the lessons, and for the subjects that Sugar Plum needs my one-on-one attention I need to find something to keep him entertained (without using the TV, of course). It’s actually quite challenging. He’s more at a learning-through-play age right now while she’s ready for more actual instruction mingled with learning play (there’s only so much fun that can be put into practicing handwriting or learning to read, but I am trying).

There is so much that I want my children to learn and I just don’t have enough time in the day to teach it to them. That and having school for 12+ hours a day would not be fun for them! Planning an age appropriate curriculum that will keep the kids entertained and interested is hard work! I had thought about purchasing a full curriculum, but I am not satisfied with any of them at the moment and they are far too overpriced. But I did settle on a math curriculum. This is the only curriculum that I am not going to plan all by myself, because it’s such a crucial subject that I don’t want to leave anything important out. Now I just need to budget my money to be able to afford the curriculum each year (my husband and I set up budgets for just about everything, so yes, I also have a homeschool budget to go by). I can see how homeschooling can be very expensive, but I’m going to try to be as frugal as possible.

I have come across some great resources online to help me teach them both and some blogs with advice for mom’s like me that still need to teach but also need to take care of younger children. I feel ready. The only thing I am clueless about is the temperament of baby #3, who will not be born until mid-July, just 2 weeks before the start of school! There’s a lot that we’ll have to play by ear and take one day at a time.

Getting Ready for Baby #3

Something else we‘ve been up to is getting ready for baby. I still have another 13 weeks to go but I already want to start unpacking and washing the baby boy clothes. My daughter has completely accepted that she will have another baby brother. She has fallen in love and likes to give the baby (my tummy) hugs often. Bear finally understands that there is a baby in my tummy. If I am holding him and he starts kicking and throwing a tantrum, I tell him to be careful not to kick mommy’s tummy because the baby could get hurt. When I say this, he starts crying. Really, really sad crying. Like he thinks he already hurt the baby and he feels so sorry. Then it makes me so sad because he’s feeling sad. I assure him that the baby is fine and we sit down on the couch and he gives my tummy lots of love. I am so lucky to have two tender-hearted children. They have their moments, but they really are just amazingly sweet most of the time. How did I ever get so lucky?

Other than homeschool planning and daily life, we don’t have much going on. I suppose it’s time to end this update and get back to work!

Jenny

 

Six Months Later

Something amazing happened yesterday and I didn't even realize it.

 

Yesterday, April 7th, marked 6 months since the Charmer's open heart surgery.

 

 

He is amazing. He has healed so well and that's why I didn't think of it.

 

I love his scar. It has faded a lot over the past 6 months, but I still love it. It reminds me of what he's been through.

 

It reminds me how strong he is. It reminds me of how incredible modern medicine is. It reminds me of how amazing the power of prayer can be. It reminds me how fragile life is, and how we should treasure every moment. It reminds me of how much I love being a mother.

 

I love how he points to his "boo-boo". I love how he giggles when I kiss it.

 

I could never change this experience because of how much I have learned from it.

 

I love my little heart warrior.

Welcome, Warm Weather!

Spring is here and the sun is shining!

 

It has been a long winter for us here in eastern North Carolina. Mild compared to other places in the U.S., but we're not used to that sort of thing down here. I lost count of how many inches of snow we've received. But we are so thrilled for it to be warm enough to enjoy playing outside.

The kids live for the outdoors. They both enjoy it in their own way.

 

Bridget wants everyone to look at her and what she's doing, over and over and over again. She's a bit needy, but she's cute.

 

George on the other hand is very independent. He plays with a pinecone or a stick for a few minutes, then moves onto something else in the yard, like the garden. I think he's going to be our little gardener this year. We'll need to get that started soon.

 

On this particular day, I realized something about George. The kids had been outside playing for well over an hour, but he hadn't yet broken a sweat. The temperature was 86 degrees, so it was plenty warm, but he was still dry. His hair was dry, skin was dry, and his cheeks were just a little bit pink. This is significant for us because of all that he had been through last year. He used to sweat a lot because his heart was enlarged and not working properly. This year is different. It's great. We are so fortunate to have two healthy children.

This entire week has been beautiful. We might be in for a rainy weekend but the temperatures don't seem to be getting lower than the 60s. We've waited a long time for this. We hope everyone else is enjoying this lovely weather, too!

Family Photo Bloopers 2014

We did it!! We survived family photos. With the crazy year we had last year (with George's heart surgery), family photos kept getting put off. Then we found out we were having another baby and my tummy began growing. I needed to get photos of just our family of 4 before I got too big. I didn't want George to look back and think, "oh, they forgot about me" when it came to family pictures (our last family picture was with just our family of 3). So we finally got it done today!! Some of them turned out really great, and of course there are the "bloopers".

 

 

This little boy is just adorable, and I love that little tongue sticking out. But it didn't make the cut to send to our family. But it does show his silly personality!

 

Oh she is so sweet. And super shy. It totally shows in this photo. In fact, it shows it in a lot of photos with her looking down yet still trying to look at the camera. I hope she gets over her shyness one day because she really does know how to make a great picture.



I think hubby and I look fine (I do have some hair out of place) but of course the kids are looking just a little bit off.

My husband's family apparently carries a gene (or a curse?) where they automatically shut their eyes when the camera goes "click". Bridget may have been able to avoid that gene but poor George inherited it!

My sweet little Bridget again. This would have been a perfect photo, but I don't know what in the world she was doing holding up her fingers!

 

This photo captures George's thoughts (and actions) during each little setup of photos. "Okay mom, I'm done now!"

 

That's why I say we survived family photos. Bridget was great (other than her shyness) but George was all over the place, grabbing extra props and using them as building blocks and wanting them all in his pictures. Then of course he wouldn't sit for more than 2 seconds. So I am amazed by some of the really good shots they did get of him.

 

It feels good to finally have this over and done with, and to have some updated pictures of our family to put on the wall. I've been a bit of a slacker. Now I just need to buy more frames (or save money for frames and buy them in 2015? Ha!).

Here we go again!

We are very happy to announce that we are expecting!

I'm sure that face will look much cuter in July.

We found out back in December. So far, this pregnancy has been going great. While I did have some nausea (which occurred in the late afternoon/evening), I never actually threw up. This is also my very first vegan pregnancy. (The kids and I have been vegan for about a year. Even George spent a little bit of time drinking whole milk before we switched to soy). I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to do a vegan pregnancy because I want to make sure the baby is getting all the nutrients it needs, but so far everything is great. My blood work came back and baby and I are both healthy (and I got a bonus in good news along with this, which I’ll post about later). Even my iron was great, which was really good news because I had low iron when I was pregnant with George and had to take a supplement. And that was when I was still eating meat. Ha! So I’ll continue being vegan until I am told that I need to do something different. I won’t be happy about it, but a healthy baby is top priority.

Yesterday, we had the big ultrasound appointment where we learned what baby #3 will be!

The kids and I met Hubby at the doctor’s office and we all went in together. Bridget was not feeling her best (she caught the latest GI bug) but she so badly wanted to go. She has been so excited about having a new baby, and has even prayed that it would be a little girl for her to play with.

Very quickly into the ultrasound, we discovered that it is a BOY!

Bridget was heartbroken. She just stood there and I could tell that she wanted to cry, but her shyness prevents her from doing that in front of strangers. She’s the only one who was hoping for a specific gender… the rest of us just wanted a healthy baby. But seeing her so disappointed, I was almost wishing that it would have been a girl, just for her. But, we are still very happy to have another boy.

After coming home, I let Bridget know that with her and I being the only girls, we get to have our own special ‘girl time’ and that she’s still going to be daddy’s baby girl. This cheered her up a little bit. Throughout the rest of the afternoon, she’d come to me with questions like “Why does Heavenly Father think I need another little brother?” and comments like “I wish I was having a little sister so that I won’t be so lonely”. Way to break my heart, kid.

George's reaction was… nothing. He has no idea what’s going on. I think he finally got the concept that there is a baby in my tummy, but he’ll probably need reminding. I’m sure he’ll be a good big brother, as he is so loving towards Bridget's baby dolls. It’s sweet to watch him feed the babies and carry them around. Then of course being the boy that he is, he’ll whack the baby’s head on the floor a few times and laugh.

Now, back to the baby: He is due on July 17th, 2014. His heart rate was 148 (at 16 weeks, 5 days along). So far, I’ve gained just ONE pound (although I do feel like I’ve gained more). I was a bit alarmed by this and promised my OBGYN that I am eating a lot but she said that this is perfect considering the baby only weighs 6 ounces right now. She said most women gain way too much too early but that I’m on the right track. So yay! My next appointment is in 4 weeks, and sometime in March I also have a fetal echo scheduled with George's pediatric cardiologist to see if this new baby has any sort of heart defect. It’s rare for someone to have two CHD children, but it does still happen. I’m not worried about it and I think it will all be okay. Even if the new baby does have a congenital heart defect, at least we know what to expect with surgery, recovery, etc. But we’re hoping for the best, of course.

George's Surgery: Days 5 & 6

Not much happened on Day 5 at the hospital. We woke up in a new room, having moved the night before. The PICU was clearing out and they wanted to move us closer to the nurse’s station. In the morning, George FINALLY pooped for us. Kinda gross to announce, but it is a big deal following major surgery to know that my little boy’s body is functioning properly. Nurse Monica was back with us again, and she attempted to get George to walk again. This time, it worked. He seemed ready and eager to get out there! His legs were still very weak but he was moving right along.

This was bittersweet, because it meant that it was time to move out of the PICU and to the Peds floor. The nurses in the PICU are some of the most amazing nurses I’ve ever met, and we especially bonded with Monica as she was our nurse the majority of the time we were there. Here is George and I packed up and (sort of) ready for the move.

 

 

Moving to the Peds floor was a major change for us, and I couldn’t wait to get out of there. That first night away from the PICU was rough. George threw up twice and needed to be changed and bathed. Luckily, the nurse we had that night used to work in the PICU at a hospital in Raleigh before she moved here, and she was particularly familiar with the care needed for heart surgery patients. She was a lifesaver! She gave George some medicine to stop the vomiting and we went to sleep for the night. That was the end of the vomiting! The next morning, George woke up ready to eat some Cheerios. Doesn’t he look so happy? I enjoyed sitting with him and holding him, especially with him smiling so much. My little George was coming back to me.

After breakfast, we were allowed to go into the playroom early to pick out some toys for George to help him start standing/walking on his own. As soon as he got in there, he was all over the place! It was hard to keep up with him and at one point he fell down trying to push around a toy car. That was pretty scary, but he was fine and recovered quickly. Once we picked out a few toys, we hung out in the play room for a bit longer to play while the nurses set up and awesome play area in our room, complete with a soft playmat for him to stand on.

But before he was able to start playing, we were told that he will be getting released from the hospital at around noon!!!! The nurse took his last IV out, which he did great with except once it was finally out and she put the Band-Aid on he started crying. Go figure.

Then it was time to play! We got him out of his hospital gown and into a pajama top. The pants were a bit too long and we didn’t want him to trip over them. His legs had gotten so skinny since we first got to the hospital. I didn’t realize how much muscle mass he was losing just laying in bed until I saw him standing on those little sticks. My little boys chunky thighs were all gone. Now I can see why he was so wobbly.

Shortly after playing, the pediatric cardiologist and pediatrician came in to talk about care at home, when to call the doctor, fever concerns, etc. All that fun discharge stuff. Then all we had to do was wait for Aaron to leave work and get the van to pick us up! Once he arrived, he started loading the van while I signed the official discharge papers. Then the nurse brought in the wagon for George to leave the hospital in style. He wasn’t too sure about the wagon this time and looked rather grumpy/unsure to begin with.

But then as we started going down the hall, onto the elevator, and down the main hallway where he could see out the window, he started to get happier. Then for the first time in almost a week, we were OUTSIDE! I saw George light up as soon as we walked out the door and he could hear the cars, feel the breeze, and then he saw our van and I knew that he knew he was finally going home!

Here is Aaron and George shortly after we got home from the hospital. George was all set up on the couch with some juice and crackers, a blanket, and the TV. So happy to be home!