wilson family love

GAK!

2011-02-09T16:17:00.005-06:00

We made GAK today and it was so much fun! Analee and Brian were both amazed at how mixing a few household ingredients together could create such a fun, gooey mess.

"This is amazing!" were Analee's words, to be exact. :)

I used the "recipe" from this site: ohdeeoh

Just Checkin' In

2011-01-20T14:29:00.002-06:00

Analee Rebekah, 4 years & 3 months old. 30.2 lbs

Brian Arthur, 2 years & 2 months old. 25.4lbs

Charles Gregory, 10 weeks old. 13.2lbs

The Story

2011-01-03T12:59:00.018-06:00

I could think of SO many titles for this post:

Charles Gregory Wilson's Birth Story
The birth of Charlie Wilson
Charlie's Homebirth
I FREAKING DID IT!
Charles Wilson's water birth

Haha, it truly was AMAZING. Amazing. An experience I will never forget. And one that I want so badly to do again and again and again and again. We're not certain if we'll have more children, but in dreamland, I would have 20 more babies just to have 20 more homebirths. And NO, I'm not crazy!

--------------

10 November 2010

One day before my "due date." Throughout my entire pregnancy, I had told any and everyone who would listen that there was no way I was getting to my due date. My other two were early (Analee 4 days, Brian 2 weeks) so I just "knew" baby C would be early as well. Wishful thinking? Probably. So imagine my surpise when November 10th came around and I was *still* pregnant. I had been tossing around ideas of "inducing" myself (ie: spicy foods, chiropractic techniques, jumping, walking, herbal tinctures, etc) from about 38 weeks. Everytime I was tempted to try something, I talked myself down. I had to remind myself that he truly would come when HE was ready, that I wouldn't be pregnant forever.

I was discussing this with my midwife at my 39 week visit. She told me, "This is your experience. What do you want your story to be?" Meaning, do I really want the end of my pregnancy to be remembered as frantic & just trying to 'get it over with?' I quickly decided that I would just rest, relax, wait for baby C. The next week went on and I was so at peace. I was comfortable and any anxiety that I previously had just went away as we waited.

I kind of always felt like I would go into labor at night. So each evening as we were preparing for bed, I tidied up the house, and went over my checklists for birth. The evening of November 10th, we decided to go for a long walk before meeting up with Brandon's dad and sister for dinner. We circled the block a few times, stopping every so often so I could catch my breath and stretch out my back. Later we ate a yummy dinner at Culvers (of COURSE my "last meal" was a cheeseburger!). I had been having some strong braxton hicks contractions for a few weeks and they were starting to feel stronger, not painful, but stronger that night.

Every once in a while I go picture-taking crazy. When we got home I felt the urge to snap, snap, snap away...pictures of the children, Brandon, and myself. I later was very thankful for the impomptu photo shoot! It was our last evening as a family of 4.

We all went to bed. Goodnight.

-------

11 November 2010

2:00am

I woke up with some very strong, cramp-like contractions. Like both of my other labors, these contractions woke me from a dead sleep. Two o'clock in the morning on the dot.
(Analee's labor started at 3am sharp, Brian's at 1am sharp...interesting.)

I layed there for about 45 minutes, watching the clock. The waves of cramps came and went and didn't appear to be steady. I closed my eyes between each one and started to realize that "this is it!" and I couldn't help but smile. I was not afraid. I was READY.

2:50am
I sat up in bed and woke Brandon. I just had a big smile on my face and he said "Should I call into work?" I just nodded. A few more minutes passed and I decided to get up and call my midwife. As I walked down the hall to the living room, it was like a kickstart for my contractions.

3:00am

Contractions went from mild and crampy to moderately strong and close together. I quickly called my midwife and said "This is it!" and she was on her way. She had about a 45 minute drive so this is why I called her so early in labor (or what I THOUGHT was early labor).

3:28am

I sent a text out to everyone else on my birth team, telling them the time had come and for them head on over.

By this time I was already needing to focus and breath through contractions. I brought the birthing ball out to the kitchen and sat on that for a while. At this time Brandon began filling the birthing pool. I remember looking up during a hard contraction and seeing Cheli come into the house. Out of all 10 people that attended the birth, her arrival was the only one I recall. She immediately jumped into "doula" action, asking what I needed and coaching me through contractions.

It's funny, I had plans all throughout my pregnancy to do some light housework, relaxing, and spending time with the kids during early labor. Little did I know that that hour from 2am-3am was my early labor and as soon as my feet hit the floor at 3am, active labor began and while I was able to relax through most of it, there certainly was no "housework" being done on my part! Thankfully, my birth team rocked and took care of everything for me.

Here is a little bit, word for word, of the birthing journal that various people wrote in during labor:

"4:01am You are laboring great. Brandon is filling up the pool! Sara, Jenn, Cheli are here. Linda just arrived; Analee watching Max & Ruby, contractions getting noticably closer. Mom just arrived as well."

Oh yes, forgot to mention...Analee woke up around 3:20am when I was making my phone calls. She was very worried that I was leaving and became very clingy. I explained to her that it was time for Baby Charlie to come see us and that I was not going anywhere. I thought to myself, how hard would that have been to have her see me leave and be gone for a few days, coming home with a little new creature? I did it that way when her brother Brian was born , and no, she's probably not scarred for life. But being able to have her be a part of the whole experience, having my children right by my side...reason #63 to have a homebirth. She was so in tune with me, she knew exactly what I needed.

Brian come trotting down the hall around 4am. I was not expecting that! I remember seeing him and just pointing to him in the middle of a contraction. LOL I don't remember who got him, but I do know that he knew there was something exciting go on and did not go back to bed. He spent a lot of time playing in the living room with his Grandpa Darin and Grandma Jucy.

Ok, back to the journal log:

"4:06am You are vomitting; going through contractions on birthing ball, Cheli helping w/ counter pressure on lower back.

4:18am Jenny arrives

4:21am contraction"

At this point, Linda asked me if I wanted to try getting in the tub. I told her I was afraid because I knew that things would probably get more intense in the water. I was also nervous to speed things up since my midwife was not there yet. I decided to wait a few more minutes.

"4:24am contraction

4:27am contraction. Analee is in the bedroom w/ you and Brian is walking through the kitchen, livingroom with your mom.

4:30am Rosy arrives

4:31am contraction

4:33am contracton

4:36am You get in birthing pool

4:37am contraction; they are getting longer and more intense

4:40am contraction. Linda checks heart tones

4:43am contraction

4:47am contraction; Analee says "Baby Charlie is coming!"

4:51am contraction. Jenny & Brandon begin bringing boiling water in to control water temp.

4:54am contraction

4:58am contraction; you say you think you're pushing 'a little'

4:59am Linda checks heart tones, Brian is eating Kix at the table"

At this time, I starting getting "grunty" and letting out little involuntary grunt pushes. When asked if I felt like pushing, I whispered "I don't know." I'm not much of a talker when I'm in labor. :) The end of each hard contraction was met with a grunt and push. Again, my body was doing this all on it's own. Even in that intense moment, I was in awe at what was going on with very little effort on my part.

My mom and Cheli were sitting on the floor in front of me, verbally coaching me through contractions and letting me squeeze their hands. Brandon was offering physical support and giving counter pressure on my lower back. I may or may not have yelled "Get on my back!" at one point during labor. Haha!

At 5:05am is when my midwife noted that I began actively pushing. I think the little grunty pushes went on for a while before I put much effort forth, though.

5:09am I felt a BURST and knew my water had broken. I said, "I think my water just broke." Brandon said "OH YEAH, I saw it rush through the water!"

Again, even in the intensity of the moment, I found myself totaly in my head, thinking, "This is AMAZING. I've never experienced my water breaking on it's own. This is working...I am really doing this."

From 5:15-5:42am, contractions and pushing continued.

"5:43am you said 'It burns so bad!'

5:44am push, push, push

5:45am head is out!

5:46am almost shoulders...."

During this second stage of labor (pushing) everyone in the room was so encouraging, offering calm affirmations, and reminders that I was doing exactly what I needed to be doing. No coaching me on when or how to push. No holding my breath and pushing for a count of 10. After his head was out, my midwife did let out a single "You've got to push!" because his shoulders seemed to be a little lodged. The little bugger had his arms crossed up over his shoulders. But that was just the UMPH I needed to get him out, once and for all. I few more strong pushes and...

"5:47am Baby is out!"

2 hours and 47 minutes after active labor started.

Cue tears of JOY, laughter, smiles, high fives, hugs all around.

Out of the water and straight into my arms he went. I breathed a giant sigh of relief and just reveled in the moment. I had dreamt of this moment for years. After Analee was born in '06, I knew it would be different the next time. And after Brian was born in 'o8, while his birth was definitely different than Analee's, I still knew that the next time would be peacefully done at home. And it was.

I felt an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment. I've heard people say "I don't need a medal for going through natural childbirth" and they talk about natural childbirthers like they are just trying to prove a point or win some award or title. Of course I didn't do it naturally at home for any of those reasons, but I sure did feel like Super Woman and wanted to shout it from the rooftops. I did this for my son. I did this for me and my family. My intention was to bring life into the world as perfect nature intended, for the safety of myself and my baby.

And I did it. And BOY, DID IT FEEL GOOD!

-----

Charles Gregory Wilson born at 5:47am on his due date, November 11th, 2010

9lbs, 4oz. 20.5 inches

We are so in love.

I was able spend the next 3 days in bed with my new boy. I was so blessed by my family and friends who came to clean my house, make us food, and play with the big kids.

One week old

11 Days Old

Charlie's first Christmas

7 Weeks Old

Getting Ready

2010-10-22T13:49:00.003-05:00

Even though I have given birth twice before, I feel like I am about to enter a world in which I've never been. I feel like cannot draw experience from Analee's birth since I had many interventions and it was very much doctor-orchestrated and medicated. Who knows how long I would have labored or pushed had I allowed my body to do what it was trying to do already. The experience was scary and exhausting and in hind site, I have many regrets. Brian's birth was natural and while it was very, very hard, it was so empowering and rewarding to do it all on my own. His position and possibly head size made for a very long end stage of labor. I had both Anlaee and Brian in a hospital.

I think being in a hospital gives you a, sometimes, false sense of security. Because if you wanted, you could (in a sense) give up and let someone else do the hard work. I don't think I felt safer in a hospital. No, safety isn't a concern of mine. We are having a home birth this time around and I have been having intense bouts of anxiety about going into labor. I know that birthing at home is very safe and I know that my midwife will take great care of both me and the baby. I think the anxiety is coming from the fact that at home, it's all me. I won't have that "back-up" plan of laying back and letting the drugs do the work.

And the funny thing is that I do not even WANT those drugs. I know I don't need them. I know that I CAN do this. After all, I did it drug-free once before, right? But coming to the realization that it really is "all me" this time and there is no going back sends me into a tiny anxiety attack if I allow myself to think about it too much.

I know I am ready, I know that I was created for this.

I was laying in bed last night thinking of the things I still need to do before birth. I started to feel sick to my stomach and wondered if these emotions were a sign of impending labor. I started doubting myself and my ability to birth at home. Immediately, the scripture & song Psalm 23 came to my mind. I know it doesn't go exactly like this, but I kept repeating to myself, "The LORD is my Shepherd. I will fear no obstacle, no pain, no task, no hardships, nothing. I know I am ready, I know that I was created for this."

Eventually I fell asleep, only to be awakened several times by Brian. :) I then wondered, again, if he was sensing a change and just needed to be close to me. So I welcomed him into my bed and we talked and snuggled for a (long) while before he finally fell asleep.

So I don't know if my anxiety and emotions or Brian's late night need for Momma are any indication of labor. But I do know that when it IS time, I will be ready. I don't doubt the day will be long and my body will be tired, but I know that I am ready.

September 9, 2010

2010-09-09T09:57:00.003-05:00

Oh happy day?

Yes, it will be a happy day. That is, after I finish this cup of coffee. We've had a whirlwind of a morning already...let me tell you. Brian is a might early riser & was up and at 'em at 5:55am. I convinced him to come snuggle with me for a bit with his blankie, binkie, and Woody doll. We cuddled & he nursed for a while. And then suddenly I hear "There's a Snake in My Boot!" followed by 8 more Woody catch phrases. Each one with a little boy giggle behind it.

Yeah, yeah...fun & cute wake up call. It just might have been a little more sweet if it was an hour later. But, lucky me, daddy gets up with Brian. So off to the living room the boys went and I rolled over, pulled the blankets tightly up to my ears, and dozed off again. Brandon had to leave for work at 7:45 so when he left, he opened our door so Brian could get me if he needed me. Our duplex is really small and Brian usually chills out with some morning cartoons until about 8 when Analee and I wake up. But this morning he came back in right as Brandon was leaving and wanted up on the bed. I pulled him up and dozed back off. And shockingly, so did he! A very, very rare occurance. This boy goes from 0-60 the minute he wakes up and does not settle down on his own so easily, so I took full advantage of his sleepy self & snuggled up next to him.

And then...caois errupted. A sharp SCREAM, a scream that could only come from my girl, woke me from a deep morning slumber. I jumped out of bed so smoothly as to not wake Brian up, but in the process I jammed my poor little pinky toe on something. I ran into the bathroom and found a very devastated Analee, jammies half way off and soaked, standing in a large pee puddle.

Now let me stop for a second. I need to tell you that Analee HATES messing up. She hates messes & feels so badly when she does something wrong. The look on her face was more painful than the thought of having to now mop my bathroom floor all the while I coulda still been sleeping with Brian. It was more painful than my throbbing toe that I hadn't even taken .2 seconds to look at.

She immediately started apologizing and saying "I couldn't get the zipper all of the way down! I'm sorry momma, I'm so sorry!" Oh, my heart. I just told her accidents happend and silly sleepers are so hard to get off when you're only almost 4. We cleaned up quickly and both ran back to my bed to, thankfully, find a still sleeping Brian. We snuggled up on the other side of the bed and I just held her. She was so disappointed in herself, I could feel it.

I was so wrapped up in trying to reassure her that I had completely ignored the fact that my toe was THROBBING. Analee decided she wanted to get up so when she hopped out of bed, I took a peek at my pinky toe and discovered a nice little mess. Blood...all over my sheets. A trail to the bathroom, through the kitchen, and hallway. My poor little toenail hanging by a thread.

Honestly, my first thought was "Who's gonna come tell me it's okay and clean up this mess??" Here my almost 2 year old was sleeping the morning away, something that never happens, and the world is falling apart all around me so I can't even enjoy it with him. But I chose to just lay there with him. The sheets needing washing anyway. I fell back asleep and there we snoozed until 9:15. When we rolled out of bed, I took a deep breath, sucked up my search for sympathy, and gathered the bedsheets & pee soaked jammies, and started the laundry. Breakfast has been served, and coffee is sitting in front of me. The children are having a pretend picnic.

Life is still good.

Oh happy day.

Didja know?

2010-08-30T20:38:00.004-05:00

And busting out already! I'm starting to feel "normal" though. I 'popped' kind of early and have felt huge since about 18 weeks. Everyone has been shocked to hear that I'm not that far along since pretty much day one. But now I'm feeling a little more on track with growth & 10 weeks doesn't sound so far away!

EDD: November 11th
Gender: Boy
Activity Level: WILD CHILD

Analee Rebekah

2010-08-13T21:35:00.011-05:00

08/13/2010 Dear Analee, I should have started this 3 years ago. I've never been a "baby book" keeper so I may not remember the exact date you got your first tooth or the first time you made the "MMMM" sound...but I do remember and still feel the joy I felt when those things happened. Every moment of your life is not only a "first" for you, but for me, as your momma, as well. You have taught me SO much about life and myself; I have found who I am and who I am supposed to be by being your mother.

Here's a little re-cap. I will add more.

Analee Rebekah Wilson

Birth Date: 09-30-06

Stats: 8 lbs, 5 oz, 20 inches long

Analee was in the 75th-90th percentile for head circ., weight, and height until she reached a year old. After that, her growth slowed down and she became a skinny mini! At her 2 year check-up, she was in the 2nd and 3rd percentile for weight and height. She will be 4 soon and we haven't been back for a "Well Child Check Up" but she is still a skinny mini. She is healthy and active and slowly gaining weight though! Those silly percentiles never made sense to me anyway. Every child is different so I try not to focus on numbers so much as the child's health and overall behavior.

Recent Analee quotes:
"Lhiam, do you love your new sister Avyanah? She's beautiful and you have to be very careful with her."

"Mom, I'm tired. WAIT! I'm not gonna tell you I'm tired."
me: "Why not?"
"CUZ you will make me go to bed! I'm not gonna ever say I'm tired again."
10 minutes later....Analee is zonked out on the living room floor.

Analee (3): "Brian, YOU hold THIS ball, okay? And I will hit it with THIS bat, okay? Ready?"
Brian (22 months): "Okay A'lee."

‎"Mom, do we have any rug tape?" Uhhm...no? "Oh, ok. Just wonderin."

08/15/10 Analee is teaching me a lot about parenting. Every day it's something new and with each passing year and milestone, it gets harder and harder. I never thought about discipline and how I would handle these obstacles. Time outs worked when she was 2-3 and sometimes even just a "stern" talking to worked. But lately she has learned that she can just SOB and wail around when she is being disciplined, completely ignoring everything I say, leaving me dumbfounded and speechless. So last night...we tried a new approach. :) Analee was given an early bedtime because she refused to clean up a messy mess she made in the living room. Early bedtime with no privledges (TV and i-touch). I explained what a "privledge" was and she really seemed to get it. Well her 8pm bedtime turned into 9:45pm because of the fight she put up, but I didn't back down. I guess time will tell if she really learned anything, though I think she did because this morning she was very sweet with me and said "Momma, I'm sorry I throwed a tantrum last night. Do I get my 'pridgaledges' back today?" I told her that yes, it was a new day and we would start all over. But that today she would not get so many chances to listen and follow the rules.

So, it's a new day. Starting fresh. I still feel a little flustered from our several hour battle but that's not what is important. Even at 3 years and 11 months old, Analee needs & deserves a clean slate and a forgiving mother. Someone remind me of these "silly" transgressions when she is 16 and needing some SERIOUS forgiveness and slate cleaning!

8/18/10 Just a quick quote for this morning...I don't want to forget this one! Analee is playing with her dollies and told me that she has diapers, bottles, and toys in her diaper bag. I asked her if her baby would be having nummies or a bottle and she said "Sometimes she just needs a bottle. But she likes nummies more." And then a few minutes later she came out, "nursing" her baby and said "Mom, I just filled up my boobies for Baby Sally. She's happy."

8/20/10 Just walked in on Analee sitting on her bed wearing her new Jessie towel. She said "My dolly is having a baby and I'm Jessie midwife."

Last night we were taking a bath together and when I lay back in the tub, she asked,
"Why are you layin' down in the tub?"
me: "Well because I worked really hard today."
Analee: silence
me: "Do you think I worked hard today?"
Analee: "Hmmm....not really."

8/26/10 Analee & Brian have been sleeping in the same room since Brian was about 8 months old. Analee almost always comes into our bed at night & sometimes will just go to bed WITH us instead of ever going to her bed. I've been trying to be better about making her sleep in her bed for naps & at night so when the baby comes, he won't be waking her up in my room. Surprisingly it is going very well! Normally I lay them down for a nap at the same time and they both go right to sleep. But today they are having too much fun giggling and jumping up as soon as I leave the room.

So I just went in there a few mintues ago and told her that if I hear them GIGGLING one more time that she'll have to turn and face the wall (which she doesn't like, for some reason, but I know that they won't talk if he can't see her face.) She said "ok" and I left the room again. Well within 2 minutes they were both laughing and playing again so I went back in and told her to face the wall. She says, with much enthusiasm, "But MOM! I wasn't even JIGGLING at all. Brian was JIGGLING!" She was so serious but I could not keep a straight face! It was one of those moments where you just have to walk away so they don't see you laughing hysterically.

We are now on attempt #4 for them to fall asleep. She is being very quiet but Mr. Brian is calling her name. :)

Trying. Well...thinking about trying...

2010-08-13T21:32:00.002-05:00

to keep up with this stinkin' blog. I love reading blogs & often think "Oh, I should blog about that!" but I just never do.

I am going to start a few on-going posts about each child. Just short entries about funny things they say or do, memorable moments, etc. Those things happen often, so with any luck maybe I'll be posting MUCH more frequently. :)

I haven't forgotten.

2010-03-07T09:22:00.004-06:00

I really haven't. I've thought about blogging every single day but can't come up with the words to write. I could always do a daily breakdown but who wants to read what we do everyday? I don't usually have inspirational words, so that's out. I do tend to be quite opinionated but that usually just gets me into arguments and leaves me hot and bothered when I come across ignorant people. *smirk*

So maybe I need to just make a goal to write once a week? Whatever comes to mind? Sure, I'll do that. But for now, just some photographs.

I was testing the light for a photoshoot and she jumped in to help me. I love this photo; breakfast on her lips, bed head, and all.

Always making me laugh.

Happy boy! Seriously...this boy is always flashing his gappy teeth and deep dimples. *swoon*

Love(ly) Day

2010-02-15T20:51:00.005-06:00

Happy belated Valentines day! I don't really understand the point of this holiday, but any day that I get to find a babysitter and go on a date with my husband sounds like a fabulous holiday to me! Brandon was off work so we got to spend a lot of time together. My parents took Analee on a little trip to Madison in the morning while Brian napped & at the same time Brandon went to pick up donuts and run a few errands. I spent that "alone" time watching a movie and drinking coffee. It was beautiful, even though short lived.

When everyone was home later in the day, we just played games and snuggled all afternoon. Brandon and I took the kids to my parents house at 4:30pm and headed out to do some shopping. We went to Old Navy and picked out some fun spring clothes for the kids & Brandon found the most perfect swim suit for Analee. She loves polka dots. LOVES them. I will have to devote a post solely to her love for polka dots. Anyway, he picked out a navy blue suit with white polka dots....so super cute. He also chose a terry zip up swim suit cover. Totally an accessory that I probably would have done without and used the $10 on another pair of jeans or cute boots for her but just knowing that he picked it out and seeing the excitement on his face as he gave it to her was priceless. "Oh THANK YOU PAPA, I love my swim 'soup' and swim 'soup' dress." She definately loved it as much as he'd hoped.

After some shopping we went to dinner at Damons. I ate way too much food but it was all just too yummy! Chicken wings, ribs, spicy sweet and sour thai chicken strips, onion straws....MMMMM!

He really does love me. He just feels the need to ruin my pictures. Well dear, I actually quite like this one!

So then I tried to snap a "bad" shot of him while he wasn't paying attention. You know, as payback for being a doofus in the previous photo. Well the dude had to go and look all cute in this candid shot.

Learning to relax.

2010-02-11T20:57:00.007-06:00

I woke up this morning and thought about my intentions for the day. Of course I thought of all of the things that "needed" to be done; laundry, dishes, floors, bathroom, vacuuming, etc. I want my family to be more "unplugged" so the TV stayed off, music turned on, and we were off to a wonderful start. The kids and I listened to I've Got a Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas about 8 times in a row and just danced our butts off at 8:30am. And then we had a fun and loud breakfast: waffles with peanut butter & fruit. Brian chose blueberries and Analee had a banana. And I say "loud" because we ended the meal with a game of "Say THIS Brian!" Analee has Brian copying words left and right and he tends to SCREAM them rather then say them. :) Nothing makes me smile more than seeing my two babies playing together and understanding each other.

Analee has loved Brian very day one, but seeing them become friends has been remarkable. My daughter is very shy and startles easily. The other day we were visiting a friends house and Analee wanted to go to another room. I saw her go up to Brian, grab his hand, and say "Will you come with me, Brian?" I just melted. She trusts him...already. She needs him to protect her...already. Later that night when we were all cuddling in The Family Bed, Brandon and I had a chat with Brian about protecting his sister. I asked him if he would protect her and make her feel safe when she is scared and look out for her when they are older. He, loving being the center of attention, just laughed and shook his head yes, as he does when you ask him anything. I think Analee understood what we were saying though. She sat close by, just listening with a teeny smile on her face.

Often times I will find them sitting basically on top of one another looking at books or watching a show on TV. When Brian is upset, he will smack whoever/whatever is nearby and even if that happens to be Analee, she just grabs his hand and says, "NICE hands, Brian. We use gentle hands." At night, when I tell Brian that it's bedtime, the first person he smooches is his big sister.

Okay, back to today. (I tend to get side-tracked, just so you know!) We walked over to the neighbors house, who also just happens to be my BFF, and the kids played while Heather and I had coffee and chatted. When we went home it was time to think about lunch, get laundry started, cleaning, naps...normal day to day things. I knew that I would have a busy day tomorrow, Friday, so I really wanted to get a lot done around the house this morning. Well, Brian had other plans. He only napped for an hour or so and then when he was awake, he did not want to be put down. Thank you Jesus for my Ergo!!! If you are a mom or dad with a baby or toddler, or both, you must get an Ergo. When I realized Brian was going to have a clingy afternoon, I immediately thew him up on my back and then it was back to my "to-do's." The closeness and skin contact was just what he needed. Hmm, I think I will write a blog about my love for babywearing some day. :)

Later in the afternoon I started getting a little stir crazy and decided to ditch the rest of my housework. When Analee woke up we made fruit (and spinach, shhh!) smoothies. We sat at the kitchen table that was still messy from lunch. I threw the blender into a sink full of dishes. And then I finally, at 3pm, took my kids' pajamas off and tossed those into overflowing hampers.

Oh, I should have taken a picture of the yummy soup I had simmering all day. Chicken and potatoes and veggies. Pure deliciousness. No condensed soup and no "seasoning packets" just 100% whole, organic ingredients. I have come a long way!!! :-D It feels so good to make wholesome, nutritious foods for my family. I want to keep learning and getting better at it.

(see, off track again...haha)

We spent the rest of the day just playing & dancing. We visited Heather and Danny again and shared our soup with them. When we finally came home close to bedtime, the messiness of my house started to make me nervous. I really cannot relax in a messy house. As I frantically started filling the sink with water & straightening up the couch, both kids begged for my attention with books in hand and tired bodies just needing to be snuggled. So we did just that. I sunk into the couch and piled my babies on top of me. We read books, counted fingers, tickled, kissed, screamed, and just loved on each other.

I'm learning. I'm learning to relax and realize that these babies are all that matter. Their happiness and well being are why I am here with them. They are more valuable than a clean kitchen or an organized bedroom. I want them to remember me dropping everything just to lay on the floor with them and not making anything else a priority. THEY are my priority.

So I sit here in a disorganized living room and I don't even care. I laughed a lot today. I danced until I was out of breath and had great conversation with a friend. I heard both of my kids belly laugh and I got to pray over them as the slept like angels in my bed.

I liked today.

Flash Back to May 13, 2007

2010-02-09T22:36:00.002-06:00

Just one more flash back for tonight. Check out this video of Analee when she was about 7.5 months old. Brian laughs JUST like this now! Awww! I barely remember Analee as a baby, I'm so glad I have these old videos. I will post more in the future.

analee: seven

becky | MySpace Video

Flash Back to July 14, 2006

2010-02-09T22:03:00.005-06:00

Here is a blog I wrote back in 2006 when I was pregnant with Analee. Oh the words and thought process of a new mother. I laugh a little as I read parts of this, cry a little when I remember savoring every second of that pregnancy. My sweet Analee is almost 3 1/2 now. My sweet, hilarious, smart, gentle, momma's girl.

[14 Jul 2006 | Friday]

"my beloved"

I guess it's been a little bit since I've written one of these. I had my latest doctor appointment this past Wednesday. Everything is looking great! I am officially in the home stretch, only 12 weeks to go. That thought makes me SO excited and happy. Yet at the same time I feel sick to my stomach thinking of actually going through the labor and delivery. I've told myself (up until this point) that I would be completely calm and handle everything wonderfully, I'm beginning to doubt this. Although I know it will be very painful, I'm not worried about that part. I'm just worried about my mental state of mind, I just have a feeling that I'm going to be loopy and/or delirious BECAUSE of the pain. Also just because of the mere thought of becoming a mother. For that I am ecstatic. I cannot wait until the moment I hold her for the first time. I know that I will be a basket case, bawling and laughing at the same time. I have being dreaming of that moment, really for my entire life, but vivid dreams in the past few monthes.

Sometimes when I'm just sitting and I feel AND see my entire belly shift and make a new shape, I am AMAZED at the fact that there is really a human inside of me. Its a really bizarre feeling, knowing that Brandon and I have created a person, an angel. (and now of course I'm crying)

I feel so blessed to be handed this responsibility. I could never doubt the grace and miraculous love of my Jesus again (as I've done countless times in my life) because I know that this blessing inside of me would not exsist without His hand. What a miracle!!! When you think of it that way, how could you doubt or not believe?

for a child is born to us
light of god upon her face
filled with favor and with love
she's a miracle of grace
::jason upton::

Let's catch up.

2010-02-09T19:46:00.002-06:00

Today was a long day. I feel like we were running from the moment the sun came up. Brian is the early riser of the family. At this point in the game, we consider it "sleeping in" if he's still snoozin' at 6:15am, so when I heard him through the baby monitor at 5:44am, I knew then and there it would be a long day. I went in to try, again, for what seemed like the 12th time, to get him back to sleep. He was all smiles and saying, "All done!" which sounded more like "Ah da! Ah da!" as he jumped up and down on the bed. I scooped him up and offered to nurse him. He gladly accepted and even let me lay him back down into bed a few minutes later. As I walked back to my bedroom, I quickly prayed that he would sleep for at LEAST 20 minutes, so we'd get past 6:15 and Brandon wouldn't grumble quit as much when it was finally time to get up.

Brandon has been getting up with Brian since Brian was about 5 months old. Those one and a half to two hours extra I get in the morning are amazing. It's like my body just knows that the baby is not going to interrupt these last couple hours of sleep, so it makes up for the horribly broken sleep the previous 6 hours brought.

Back to today. Brian did in fact sleep at least 20 minutes. He actually slept until 6:45 and then called out, "Papa, papa, papa, papa, papa!" I heard, though the monitor, Brandon go to get him and as soon as Brian could see his papa, I heard the crib bouncing from his excited reaction.

We had a playgroup at my sister inlaw, Jenny's, house at 9:30. So as soon as I got up, I began baking some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, made famous by my sweet friend Katie. At this time I noticed the blanket of snow we had received the night before and the flakes that were still falling. Instant sadness. I decided that I was going to be brave and head out to our play group anyway.

I've always been a major wuss when it comes to driving in the snow. I *thought* was driving very slow and cautiously but was proved very wrong. As I approached a bridge, I hit a patch of slushy snow and completely lost control of the car. We did a 180* and slid backwards, towards a cement guard rail on THE BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER, and thankfully there was a good amount of snow next to the rail and that stopped my sliding, rather than the rail itself. Let me just tell you, that was hands down the scariest moment of my life. My hands and legs were shaking, my heart was in my toes. I should have just turned around and went home but decided since I was already halfway to my destination, that we would just keep going. We arrived, drank coffee, ate delicious food, the kids played. Normally we would have stayed for a few hours but the snow was getting heavier and my nerves were getting to me. We left after an hour or so and drove about 8 miles an hour the whole way home. haha I have since made a vow that we are hibernating until spring!

When we got home, we ate some lunch and attempted naps. Analee lay down without a fuss but Brian, oh Brian, did not want to sleep. I tried for 4 hours to get him to sleep today. That has NEVER happened! He is my good napper! But not today. He was up and down and crying and over-tiredly laughing and then crying again and nursing and nursing and nursing and nursing. He finally crashed at 4pm and must have sensed Brandon's early arrival home from work because within 5 minutes of Brandon walking in the door, Brian was up. Thankfully, Brandon took him downstairs to distract him for a while so I could make some dinner. Fast forward an hour and it was finally time for a bath then bed. I should have expected the challenge I was facing, since he was so extremely over tired, but I proceeded with excitement, as I thought relaxation time was near. Not so much. The whole process, from bath to finally sleeping, took 2 hours. But it is in fact over and for that I am grateful.

I just scarfed down dinner and a caramel sundae out of pure starvation after a long and restless day. I wish I had something profound to say or some enlightening words of encouragement. But I've got nothin' today. As exhausting and beat-you-down and wear-you-out being a stay at home mom is, I would never even dream of doing anything else.

I love my babies so much it hurts.
Literally. I've got a headache.

HIiiii, it's me!

2010-02-08T14:30:00.004-06:00

I'm still here. I'd love to say life has been crazy and that there just hasn't been time in the day to write. But...so not true. Haha I just keep forgetting or even when I remember, I can't think of anything worth while to write. I found a bunch of old blogs on my old Myspace page that I'm thinking about transferring over here. Some controversial topics but hey, that's what a blogs for, right??

I just need to type this out before I forget (and because I'm super lame and haven't written in the kids' baby book, well, EVER)
2/6/10
Analee, 3 years 4 months, 26.6 lbs
Brian, 15.5 months, 22.0 lbs

Ok, I will be back with old blogs. LATER!

ChocoPeanutbutterscotch Oaties

2009-12-08T21:43:00.008-06:00

I came up with this delicious cookie recipe today. It's a cross between 3 traditional cookies: peanut butter, oatmeal, and chocolate chip...with a few exta yummy ingredients tossed in.

And because I have recently become obsessed with picture tutorial baking blogs, here is a picture tutorial. :-D

Ingredients: Flour, Old Fashioned Oats, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Salt, Softened Butter, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Egg, Vanilla, Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips, White Chocolate Chips, and Butterscotch Chips.

Oh! And Peanut Butter! Forgot the peanut butter.

First: 1 Cup of Flour.

Next, add the rest of the dry ingredients. 1 Cup of Oats, 1/2 teaspoon of each of the following: baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Mix all the dry ingredients together and then set this bowl aside.

In a large mixing bowl, throw in 1/2 Cup of softened butter, 1/2 Cup of sugar....

....1/2 Cup of brown sugar....

...add 1/2 cup of peanut butter and stir.

Next comes one egg.

After you've mixed in the egg, add the dry ingredients. S.L.O.W.L.Y. It's easier to stir if you just do a little at a time.

Now it's time for the fun part. I didn't measure here. A handfull (and then some) of each of the chips. Can you tell that I'm partial to butterscotch chips? They're kind of my favorite. :)

Now roll them into teaspoon size balls and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. They don't spread a lot, so you should be able to fit 14-16 balls on a standard sized baking sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for exactly 10 minutes. Of course, your oven may vary, but you are looking for 2" cookies that are just SLIGHTLY golden on top. These can be overbaked very quickly, so keep a close eye on them around the 10 minute mark. I took mine out even when they felt a little squishy to the touch, but if you leave them on the baking sheet for 1-2 minutes (out of the oven) they turn out PERFECT!

Save time and roll out the dough while another batch bakes.

Even at 14 months old, Brian knew that cookies were being made in the house! I had to peel him away from the oven every time I needed to open it. It wasn't hot, don't worry. ;)

These turned out nice and plump. Chewy with just a little bit of crunch.

Before & After.

We love Melissa and Doug!

2009-11-14T13:35:00.002-06:00

Especially when the toys are free! :) Melissa and Doug is an awesome toy company that specializes in wooden and handmade toys. Over the past few months we've been slowly replacing the kids toys with a M&D wooden version.

Both Analee and Brian LOVE to play with their play kitchen. We got a cheapy plastic one for Analee for her first birthday and it has gotten a LOT of use. All of the food that we got for her kitchen is either smashed, has bites taken out of it, or has already been laid to rest in the garbage. So we've decided to replace their old tattered kitchen & accessories with the Melissa and Doug Classic Kitchen and hopefully (if we find a good sale!) a cabinet full of wooden play food as well for Christmas.

SO imagine my super excitement when a friend shared the link for a M&D play kitchen give away! I jumped right on that bandwagon and am doing everything I can to get entries in the contest.

Go check it out! You will love all of the M&D products. They are quality toys and will last forever. My kids love the animal train and shape sorters they got for their birthday this year. :)

http://www.melissaanddoug.com/

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-28T13:36:00.002-05:00

feeling emotional

2009-10-21T21:27:00.009-05:00

Many people, my husband being a perfect example, are emotional moved by music. Certain songs & lyrics remind them of a memory and sometimes lyrics say something they couldn't explain better themselves.

Brandon is an amazing musician and he spends hours pouring his heart into writing and producing. And I can tell by listening to his finished work that there is a lot of emotion there, in the lyrics and in every note. At times it's hard to understand such a strong passion for something that almost no one ever hears or sees, but then I remind myself that I, too, have a deep, emotional passion about something that is something that only I can truly understand.

Obviously I love to take photographs. Professional I am not, but photography is an outlet for me. Sometimes I look at a photo and just want to cry. Not in a sad way, but you know how you feel when you hear a song that was really popular at your High School prom? That's how I feel when I took at a picture of my son's toes in a pile of leaves or a shot of just my daughter's very mismatched skirt and socks. I can't explain it really, but a wave of nostalgia and intense love knocks me over.

Many of my photos could easily be disreguarded and easily forgotten by many because they are off center and out of focus. I try to capture the moment just as it is, from my own personal point of view. I don't ever want to forget my children being so young and innocent.

Here are a few recent shots to give you an example of what kind of photos evoke emotion in me:

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-21T21:11:00.004-05:00

I'm borrowing this theme from a fellow blogger, Anna, from under the elm.

Just as the title says, I will post a photo with no explanation. If I'm successful, the photo will say enough. :)

Fall Favorites

2009-10-17T20:44:00.010-05:00

I LOVE Fall! I seriously cannot get enough of it. We were kind of robbed of a full, hot summer so I'm really counting on fall to come through and give us a nice season before the brutal midwest winter that will be arriving very soon.

The kids, my mom, Hannah, and I visited a pumpkin patch today. We drove out to Skelly's Farm Market. The kids and I went several times this summer to pick strawberries & play on the awesome handmade playground but this was our first FALL visit. There were pumpkins galore! Seriously, everywhere we turned were piles and piles of pumpkins. Little ones, big ones, green ones, white ones, and of course, orange! Brian was totally enthralled with the big round pumpkins everywhere and loved playing on them.

The place was totally packed so we didn't play very long. We went through the shop, bought some yummy snacks and headed home.

This will DEFINITELY be a tradition this fall. I want to go to other Apple Orchards and Pumpkin Patches that are further away but Skelly's is the perfect little get away because it's not too far and not too big.

Here are some photos of our fun fall day:

Brian's Birth Story

2009-10-15T12:29:00.001-05:00

[17 Oct 2008 Friday]

Brian Arthur

This is just the start of a work in progress, also known as Brian's birth story. I want to write right now while it's still fresh. I will add to it as I need to and update here.

I was due with Brian around October 27th and had felt all along that he would come a little early. I had been joking with people that the 14th was the full moon and hoped that it would send me into labor. Also, my good friend, Rebekah, was due on the 15th and we had been saying for a while how cool it would be to have our babies on the same day. I had my 38 week appointment with my OB on the morning of the 14th and she said I was dialated to 4cm already. Of course this would excite any pregnant woman ready to give birth! I went home so excited but trying NOT to be so excited because I knew very well it could still be weeks before he arrived. I went about my day with a gut feeling that it would in fact be soon. I installed the baby's carseat, got a few things checked off of my to-do list, and finished packing my hospital bag. We went to bed around 10 that night, not expecting in the least what the next 12 hours would bring.

I woke up out of a dead sleep at 12:50am on the 15th with a mild contraction. A few moments later, another. I laid in bed until 1:30am with the contractions coming about 6 minutes apart when I finally decided to get up and walk around to see if they went away. I paced my living room, ate a banana, and got on the computer. The contractions kept coming ever 4-6 minutes and were pretty managable. Around 2:30am they became a little stronger and I was needing to actually focus on my breathing to get through them. I tried sitting in a warm bath for a while and that helped, but while in there I noticed some "bloody show" and decided to get out and wake up Brandon. By this time, the contractions were 3 mintues apart, lasting about 1 minute each, and really requiring some focus on my part. I told Brandon what was going on and tried to lay back down for a little bit. I instantly got sick to my stomach and had Brandon running for the trash can so I could vomit. It was about 4am by now and he started gathering our things for the hospital. Standing up was not an option as I had thought it would be from the different positions we had practiced in our Bradley Method classes. I stayed on my birthing ball for the next hour or so before we left for the hospital. I called my sister Meliessa and she arrived to stay with Analee at 5am and Brandon and I left.

The car ride is a bit of a blur. I think I had my eyes closed mostly as I breathed through contractions. We checked in and got into our room pretty quickly. I had sent out text messages a little earlier letting friends and family know I was in labor, Rebekah (my friend who was due on the 15th) was one of them. No sooner did we pull into the parking lot did I get a reply from her that said "I'm here already." We were both in labor at the same exact time! So anyway, we got into our room and the nurse wanted to check me just to see where we were at. She couldn't even feel any cervix and thought I was at 10cm, so another nurse checked and thought it was more of a 9. I tried using their "labor tub" which I found to be no help at all! It was like a standard bath tub...but even more shallow. So my belly wasn't even submerged, not to mention the barely luke-warm water they filled it with. I stayed in there for a little while and suddenly needed to push. I think it was just before 7am when I moved to the bed and my nurse checked me again and said I was fully dialated and ready to push. My doula, Bobbi, had arrived at this time also.

Other than the one contraction in the labor tub, I don't think I ever actually felt the urge to push. I was encouraged to try pushing with each contraction and I think I did try, although I think I this is about when I went through transition and everything was a blur for a little bit, I don't remember actually starting to push. However, things got serious pretty quickly and I was up on the squatting bar pushing with all of my might. My legs were falling asleep so Bobbi suggested that I try hands and knees position and I remember I kept saying "I don't know what to do! What should I do??" and then tried a new position. I was having terrible back labor and pushing was not bringing any relief like you hear a lot of women say it does. The only thing that got me through each contraction was tons of counter pressure on my back and hips. Between Brandon, Bobbi, and my mom, someone (or 2 of them at some points!) was pushing with all of their strength on my lower back and hips and when they stopped, I yelled, "GET ON MY BACK! DON'T LEAVE ME!" After almost 2 hours of pushing I started to get really discouraged. My doctor check to see where he was at and he was still quite far up the birth canal. At this point I was so ready to quit. I kept saying "it's not working!" and "he's stuck...I just want to be done!" Bobbi was AMAZING with encouraging me to stick with it and telling me how every single birth is different and Brian just needed more time and encouragement. I kept trying. I was in a totally different world in my mind. I pictured begging for drugs or even the c-section to just get it over with. But I had my mom in one ear, Bobbi in the other, and Brandon completely physically supporting me...I knew I could push through. The doctor had offered to break my water at some point and although I didn't want any form of intervention, I let her, just hoping it would bring forth some progress. Well, it didn't. Brian was below the bag of waters so there was no release since he was basically blocking the bag.

About another hour of strenuous pushing went by and I finally asked for something to help me relax and take some pain away. We decided on an epidural since the IV drugs make you really loopy and only take the edge off, not the worst part of the contractions. So the doctor called up the anestesiologist. I had to have a liter of saline first so the IV was hooked up. By the time that was finished, the anestesiologist was ready to start the epidural. I was about to begin a contraction so I asked her to wait a minute...and wouldn't you know it, Brian began to crown! Little bugger!!! I think it was 3-4 contractions later, at 10:37am, that he finally came out. We concluded that he was most likely face up and stuck on my tailbone that whole time, hence the back labor and pushing for 4 hours, and by the grace of GOD decided to turn and decend at the very moment I was begging for pain medication. The nurse kept saying, "See..he just needed to be threatened a little bit!" and then Bobbi would say, "No..he just needed some encouragement." She stayed so positive the entire time and I can't even begin to tell you how much that helped. Everyone in the room that day played their role perfectly. Brandon was my phsyical rock...he stayed by my side the entire time and while he was pretty much silent, he did just what I needed him to do. My mom was sweet and comforting and I even yelled out "MOOOOMMM!" during a few hard pushes. Bobbi kept talking to me and reassuring me that this was what my body was meant to do and she helped my mom and Brandon with supporting me. And Brandons mom, Judy, stayed supportive from far way. Haha...she was awesome. She was silent and strong and kept control over herself. LOL That's only funny if you know that she probably wanted to yell "get the drugs!!!" the entire time. She did amazing and supported me in the exact way I needed her to. And my doctor and nurse...they were awesome. I was so dead set on doing this alone and not needing their help. And while they didn't play much of a part during my labor, they were so cooperative with my birth plan and so encouraging while we fought and pushed for 4 hours. They left all of the decision making up to me and didn't try to push medical interventions.

I got to hold my sweet little man immediately. Skin to skin. It was amazing. He had a beautiful cone head from his rough journey, but he cried and cried and then began nursing right away. It was so surreal, to finally have him in my arms after everything we had just been through. My doctor gave me a few stitches for a 2nd degree tear and then they let us be. I held him for another 45 minutes before they weighed and measured him. He was 7 pounds, 12 ounces, and 20 inches long. Brandon then held him for the first time and then my sisters and the Grandpa's came in. Shortly after that, Miss Analee got to meet her brother. I had her come sit by me first because I hadn't seen her since the night before. She was so sweet and curious about my IV and everyting going on around us. Brandon handed me Brian and Analee was amazed! She softly said, "Ooh...baby!" We explained that that was the Brian we had been talking about all along...she just sat and smiled and touched his face. I tried to put her down but she wanted to stay close by. Brandon took Brian and THEN she wanted down...turns out she just wanted to be by Brian! We had the chance to go home after 6 hours but I decided to stay the full 24 because I literally felt like I had been hit by a semi. We moved to our recovery suite shortly after birth and left the next morning by 11am.

Brian is doing amazing and nursing like a little pro. He gags a lot but the pediatrician said that was normal, especially since he was sitting the birth canal for so long, he probably swalled a bit of amniotic fluid and needed to get it out. Analee loves him and asks to hold him all of the time. She has been a little more testy than usual but overall she is doing awesome considering this new life in our house.

And as for me, I feel pretty amazing, too. My muscles are very sore but that's pretty much my only complaint. It was so awesome to be able to move around, use the toilet by myself, and not feel so drugged and out of it after his birth.

October 14, 2002

2009-10-14T12:58:00.006-05:00

Seven years ago Brandon and I had "the talk" that we were ready to start dating and be an 'exlusive' couple. I had been writing him letters telling him that I felt that we really were meant to be together & we needed to try dating to see where things would go. The first time I wrote him was in May of that year and he didn't address the letter for months. I think he was taken by surprise when I first gave it to him because at the time, I was just his friends little sister. He and my sister Sara were really close friends and he was giving my brother, Tyler, guitar lessons. So the time we spent together was always in a large group and never about "us."

So, back to the letter. :) I poured my heart out, explaining this connection I felt with him and that it was more than just a friendly thing. I gave it to him one evening after playing cards with a group of friends. I remember being nervous all night long, knowing that at some point I had to 'man up' and hand over the letter. As we were all getting ready to leave, I grabbed it out of my bag and pretty much threw it at him. LOL I was so nervous that I didn't even say a word...just ran out. Like I said before, he didn't even acknowledge the letter for a quite some time. Can you imagine how awkward that was???

Finally, in SEPTEMBER, he told me one day that we needed to talk. He came over to my house that night and we talked for hours about the letter, 'us', and the future. He agreed that there was "something" going on but he was unsure if it was just a feeling or something more. I knew from the beginning that it was something more but I also knew that I couldn't convince him of that. He would have to discover that on his own. He told me that he'd been praying and talking to a friend about it all. He told me he needed more time to think about it but didn't want to leave me hanging. Uh hello! I had just been waiting for 4 months man! haha

So, October rolls around. I don't actually remember too many of the details and dates but things kind of just changed as we started seeing eachother more. The connection that I had felt months ago starting becoming more apparent and I think he let his guard down a little bit and was able to see it. At times I wonder WHY he was so guarded and apprehensive about our relationship at first but I know now that God had it that way for a reason. Brandon is a really emotional person and a very deep thinker. He has a hard time just jumping into things and following his heart, especially something as big as a serious relationship. He had had a few relationships in the past, whereas I had never been in one so I was quick to follow my heart and of course, being a 16 year old girl, I was totally smitten with him and just had to act on it. :) He needed to be 'reasonable' and think out every detail. LOL

And well, I guess the rest is history. :D I actually didn't know our official anniversary was on October 14th until several months later. We were working at Kmart together and he paged me over to his cash register (LOL) and gave me a reciept with the date October 14, 2002 stamped all over it. I was like, "Um, thanks?" And he said, "That's our anniversary!" Hahaha I was so happy that at least ONE of us remembered. It was so sweet!

I wish I could find a picture of our early dating years. Everything was on film back then and I digging up the negatives sounds like a lot of work. :)

So, for now, here is a couple photos of us from the year we got married.

Hello!

2009-10-12T23:09:00.003-05:00

Remember me?

I cannot believe it's been so long since my last post. Our life has been busy (who's hasn't?) and well, I just forgot about the blog. At times it would cross my mind and I would think, "Hey, I should go blog about that!" but...nada.

But I am determined to keep up with it this time! The kids are growing and changing so much. They are learning new things all of the time and saying hilarious things that I never want to forget. So for now, I am revamping the page & gathering ideas for future blogs. Stay tuned!

Where are my babies?

2009-05-12T15:10:00.007-05:00

"Enjoy every moment because they grow up way too fast!"

This is something I've been told by just about everyone I know. It's the kind of quote you remember, kind of laugh it, and shrug off as you wait and anticipate each new milestone. When Analee was a baby, I couldn't WAIT for her to sit up, crawl, eat big kid food, walk, talk, etc. I find myself taking things much slower with Brian, trying to keep him a baby for longer. And I can't help but really wonder, where DID my babies go?

Analee will be 3 in just five months. THREE! Soon after Brian will turn 1. While I'm so excited to have two toddlers to enjoy, I get very sad thinking about it. These years truly are going by so fast. I'm afraid that I'm going to wake up and suddenly all of my children will be adults, off living their own lives.

For now all I can do is be patient, take each day and each milestone as they come. I try not to rush things and just enjoy every moment I have with them. Afterall, tomorrow is never promised. I am so thankful, so blessed, for my little family.

While we're here *wink*, here are a few of my recent favorite photographs of the children:

mmm good!

2009-05-12T14:11:00.014-05:00

So I've had this cook book, Deceptively Dilicious, for 2 years and have never 'used' it. Why not, you ask? Because I don't enjoy cooking. Rather, I used to HATE cooking. I hate the prep, the time it takes, all the different ingredients that are needed that I don't even like. But as Analee gets old and her eating habits seemingly are getting worse, I decided it was time to take charge and make myself learn (and enjoy!) cooking. So I dusted off the cook book and have been studying it for a week or so now. It's full of recipes where you "deceptively" sneak in veggies. I made some mac n cheese last night with a cauliflower puree and it didn't go over well. Haha.

Today I decided to make something
I KNEW everyone would like. Muffins! Nervously, I whipped up a batch of Peanut Butter Banana muffins. Sounds easy, right? It really was. I was in and out of the kitchen in 30 minutes,and that includes steaming the veggies and bake time.

They are DELICIOUS! Seriously...so yummy!Now I just have to wait until we have dessert tonight and see what Analee & Brandon's reactions are. ;)

And, just in case you were wondering, the 'deceptive'part of these

muffins is that they include CARROTS! Hehe, just don't tell Brandon or Analee that!

analee's new swingset.

2009-03-19T21:28:00.005-05:00

Brandon and I bought Analee her very first swingset on Monday. We've been able to get away with a few small yard toys for the past few summers but we both knew she needed some "big girl" toys this year. We dropped the children off at Grandma & Grandpa's house and went shopping at Toys R Us. Thankfully, they had a nice BIG set available...and it was on sale! Yes! We loaded it up and took it home. Brandon's brothers' friends (haha) came over to help put it together. Thanks Zach & Brian!

Here are some photos of the kids enjoying the new playground aka our backyard.

we've been sick.

2009-03-09T21:38:00.004-05:00

For over 2 weeks now, someone has been sick in this house. At first it was me and Brandon, then Brian, then Analee. Today was our first fever-free day in a long time! Being sick is no fun but it's even worse when it's your children. I feel so helpless when they aren't feeling well; there is only so much you can do. We just layed low for a while and had lots of snuggly nursing time. I try not to bring out the Motrin unless Analee's fevers reach at least 103 and I actually had to administer it to her twice this time. Both times were in the middle of the night. She was such a sweetheart through it all, though, saying "thanks mom" when I gave her medicine.

I really wanted to blog longer tonight but the time change and sleepless nights are getting to me...so I'll upload a few photos and call it a night.

Analee taking a bath after eating lasagna the other night. LOL

Brian hanging out in the bathroom with us...

Not feeling so great...

So smiley! Brian is almost 5 months!

learning to sew.

2009-02-24T07:57:00.003-06:00

I learned the basics of sewing back in 7th grade by Miss Peterson in Home Ec class. We made pajama pants and a purse, I think. I grew up seeing my mom sew. She made a lot of clothes for my sister Hannah, as well as dresses for both Sara and myself for formal school dances. Curtains, pajamas, dolls, blankets, and Kozee Knees! She can make it all.

I've thought about getting a machine for a few years but I'm kind of um, not disciplined, when it comes to crafts. I like to get things done FAST and don't like long, drawn-out projects. When I paint, I finish it in minutes. Maybe that's why I love abstract art. Haha, doens't take too much effort or time to schlop some paint around on a canvas. Anyway, the idea of sewing an outfit just seemed too meticulous. And when Analee was a baby, I never allowed extra "me" time...it felt selfish. I never did things I liked because I was too paranoid about leaving Analee.

Well, after 2 children, I've realized that a mother NEEDS that "me" time and a space to her own sometimes. I am so so so so thankful and blessed to have such a supportive husband who gives me that time. He loves spending time alone with the children and loves even more when I am so thrilled about accomplishing something I've been waiting for so long to do. I got groceries ALONE the other day! Hahah...it's the little things and short outtings alone that really refresh me and help me get focussed again.

ANYWAY...this blog is about sewing, remember?

Ok, so. We use cloth diapers. And a lot of women in the "cloth diapering community" that I chat in online sew amazing diapers, diaper covers, clothes, toys, EVERYTHING you can imagine. I've always been amazed and told myself I could never do anything that awesome. My mom saw a new diaper cover, called longies, that I bought and she started saying how simple they would be to make. Then I found a free pattern for the pants online and something just clicked: I can do this! Why not?? I haven't even TRIED!

(enter awesome husband)

So Brandon comes home from work yesterday. I bat my eyelashes, tell him what a productive day I had (hehe), and say "I kind of want a sewing machine." His resonse? "Why don't you and Analee go shopping and get one?" :) :) :) Ok! So off we went. Completely blind. Haha, I was looking for the cheapest and most basic one I could find. I stopped at JoAnns and all of the anti-pill fleece that I would need for diaper covers was 50% off! So I stocked up on several prints and colors and got a machine. No thread, needles, pins, or anything else. Haha, again, I had no clue what I really needed.

Later that night, after dinner, Brian and I went to my moms house with all of my new sewing supplies. My mom showed me how to use the new machine and we made 3 pairs of longies for Brian! She said it would get easier and easier after each pair and it actually kind of did. These are in NO way perfect, but I don't care. I love them and am so pumped to start making more clothing for the children. I want to find a pattern to make dresses for Analee.

So here they are. I only got to take a picture of 2 of them because it was late and I was super tired when I got home. I used a piece of the fleece and embellished a t-shirt to match the pants.

Here you go!

stawberry popcicle.

2009-02-20T22:54:00.003-06:00

The title says it all. :)

squishy playdough.

2009-02-16T12:28:00.006-06:00

This morning I dug out a package of playdough and molds that we got Analee for Christmas. We hid it away because she got so many presents and really didn't need them all opened at once. I really didn't think she'd enjoy the dough as much as she did. She is so picky about textures and getting messy. But she dove right in! She was poking and squishing, molding and smashing. I was kind of anal about not mixing colors...but so was she! Haha...she didn't want to mix them at all and put each and every scrap back into the proper containers before getting another color out. Just like momma. ;)

my sweet valentines.

2009-02-14T15:54:00.007-06:00

Brandon is at work all day, so I've been relaxing at home with the children. Analee was getting a bit stir-crazy so I put her down for an early nap and took some photos of Brian. He is 4 months old tomorrow!

Here is my little stud muffin:

Analee woke up very rested and ready for photos. It's almost impossible to get a nice, STILL shot of her though. She decided to dance and make silly faces instead.

Later tonight we are going over to my sisters house to eat Chinese food and chocolate fondu for dessert! Ben, Sara, Eric, Meliessa, Brandon and I, and my parents will all be there.

Happy Valentines Day!

fresh air!

2009-02-10T12:00:00.006-06:00

I've never been a big fan of winter. I hate being cooped up in the house and I hate being cold all of the time. Never in my life have I realized how precious sunshine is until I was snowed in for 3 days in a row with 2 small children. You find yourself getting VERY creative on those days, just trying to keep everyone happy and prevent the stir-crazies from setting in.

We have been longing, yearning, waiting, dreaming of sunshine for months. The snow is slowly melting and the temperatures are rising. I took the children out for our first walk of the year this morning. It was glorious!

Analee was just amazed at the water puddles and even enjoyed the wind hitting her face. Last year she hated the wind. I am constantly amazed at how much she changes. I am so excited to see the new things she'll discover and try this spring and summer.

Analee found her shadow! She even pointed it out, saying ,"Mommm! Shadow!" And then proceeded to laugh hysterically and chase her own shadow as well as stomping on mine. ;)

Following the leader! She walked with her hands out like this and was singing really loud. Haha!

Brian was such a trooper. He, like Analee last year, gasped and gulped as the wind hit his face. It wasn't terribly windy, but we got a few gusts here and there. He was bundled up in his blue fleece suit and snuggled right in when I put him in the stroller. It didn't take long for him to drift off into baby dreamland.

ellie me'

2009-02-08T22:55:00.004-06:00

Here is my beautiful little niece, Ellie Me'. She is 10 months younger than Analee. I am so excited for them to grow up together and be best friends someday! They fight...a lot...these days but we know that it won't last forever. They are both typical toddler girls all around. :)

sara has a baby in her belly.

2009-02-08T22:22:00.004-06:00

I took my sister Sara's maternity photos a few days ago. She is due in the middle of April with another little girl! They aren't sharing the name yet so I call her "Little Becky" Haha!

sticker fun.

2009-02-06T22:30:00.006-06:00

Analee found a sheet of stickers this morning and decided that sticking them on our faces would be fun! Poor Brian, haha.

brian likes to play.

2009-02-04T21:49:00.004-06:00

I spent a while on the floor tonight with Brian as he tried to grab a toy. He was successful getting it in his hand but kept losing it. The kid hates tummy time other wise I'm sure he'd be rolling across the room. He likes to move! His feet and legs are blurry because he is constantly kicking and wiggling. Haha!

breaking in the new camera.

2009-02-04T21:36:00.002-06:00

my family.

2009-02-03T21:51:00.017-06:00

You will probably learn rather quickly that my husband, Brandon, does not like his photo to be taken. If he's not pictured it's not because he's not around, it's because he likes to scurry away or make a rather riduculous face when the camera comes out. :-P

Brandon is an amazing musician, husband, father; just a great guy all around. He works so hard for our family and had made an amazing life for us here.

My main squeeze, Brandon Lee.

Analee Rebekah is a typical toddler in so many ways. She is changing every day and amazes me with how smart she is. She loves to dance, sing, "cook", color, and pinch her brothers cheeks.

My sweet girl, Analee Rebekah. Birth date: 09/30/06

Brian is such a sweet little baby. He is almost always happy and loves to watch Analee play. He will smile at anyone and has recently started "talking" and cooing really loud! It's so fun to see him starting to interact with Analee.

My cuddly little man, Brian Arthur. Birth date: 10/15/08

let's get this started.

2009-02-03T21:25:00.007-06:00

Hey...
I am new to this blogging thing but I hope to keep up with it. I love to write and used to be so good at keeping a journal. Since I'm on the computer so much, hopefully this will be easier to keep up with rather than pen & paper.

I want to use this space for random thoughts, exciting happenings in our lives, not so exciting happenings in our lives (haha), venting (hey, everyone has to sometimes!), and of course, PHOTOGRAPHS. If you know me even in the slightest, you know that I love taking pictures of just about anything. I actually just got a brand new camera today and plan on putting that thing to good use starting immediately.

At times I may be kind of vague and other times maybe too transparent. Either way, the point is to let you in on what's going on in our little world, even if it's not always butterflies and rainbows.

Till next time...

wilson family love

GAK!

Just Checkin' In

The Story

Getting Ready

September 9, 2010

Didja know?

Analee Rebekah

Trying. Well...thinking about trying...

I haven't forgotten.

Love(ly) Day

Learning to relax.

Flash Back to May 13, 2007

Flash Back to July 14, 2006

Let's catch up.

****HIiiii, it's me!****

ChocoPeanutbutterscotch Oaties

We love Melissa and Doug!

Wordless Wednesday

feeling emotional

Wordless Wednesday

Fall Favorites

Brian's Birth Story

October 14, 2002

Hello!

Where are my babies?

mmm good!

analee's new swingset.

we've been sick.

learning to sew.

stawberry popcicle.

squishy playdough.

my sweet valentines.

fresh air!

ellie me'

sara has a baby in her belly.

sticker fun.

brian likes to play.

breaking in the new camera.

my family.

let's get this started.

HIiiii, it's me!