Surprise! Baby Samanda 2.0

I had all kinds of intentions of pouring thought into a (hopefully) wise and well-crafted "Everything I think about being 30" blog post. But, all the room for reflection has been pushed out of my mind as I try to wrap my mind around being a mom of TWO!

That's right. We were SHOCKED to find out Baby Samanda 2.0 is on it's way (I mean, Sam literally had heart palpitations for multiple days).

I feel like this changes everything. That might sound odd. Doesn't having your first baby change everything?? Or for that matter, didn't having two foster children change everything?

I can't fully explain why we feel like this is such a game changer, except it is what we feel. I suppose becoming foster parents was very much a choice, and even having Preston at a very specific time somehow worked out spectacularly as planned. I suppose I had just begun to assume that I could control when children came into our life...ridiculous...I know...

I don't know if other mamas out there feel this way, but I feel like one child is so manageable and a JOY! I can grocery shop with one kid. I can do laundry with one kid. Heck, last weekend we even went kayaking and to a concert with that one magical, portable kid! I've worked out this great system of working during naps, a few hours of babysitting a and some strategic daddy/son time.We had an awesome plan for "preschool"(ahem, daycare) a few mornings a week next year and were even planning a real honest-to-goodness vacation to Italy while Grandma and Grandpa hung out with P-dog.

But, most of all, the biggest reason that I feel like my world is rocked is because I love my time with just Preston. You can tell me all you want how great it is for kids to have siblings and I totally know that is true, but selfishly I just want more time with my delightful, energetic toddler.

So, we don't have all the answers yet. I don't know how I will finish my dissertation or where exactly our children will sleep. We probably won't ever get that Italian vacation. But, truly once I saw that first ultrasound again, I know for sure it's all worth it.

As I think about the realities of two under two, all I can think is "Oh man, do I feel thirty...."

P.S. Just for extra laughs, guess what Baby Samanda 2.0's due date is? Yup, Friday the 13th!

"Blanketed" in Love

I can remember thinking, "Why do all these moms keep giving me baby blankets? I mean, how many blankets can one 7-pound tot need?!"

I now know why I was gifted a shelf-full of blankets. For the pukes. And the squirts. And for laying on the nursery floor with your 10-month old, as he catches a few Zsss before showering you with mango, yogurt and stomach bile again.

The nasty NoroVirus reared its head and took every single one of us out. Grandma and Grandpa included. Thankfully we emerged from the ordeal in tact and perhaps even a few pounds lighter! During never-ending rotation of blankets through the laundry, I marveled at the creativity of the many dear friends who made beautiful baby blankets for our little dude. I figured their creations deserve more than puke stains, so here is a little photo gallery of their lovely work:

Sweet neighbor and friend, Jeanie, made this gem on her LOOM! What?! It was the last blanket she made on the loom before she gave it away. 

Every mamma with a baby at my church has one of these special blankets, all made with love by Evelyn.

Our fellow Kenya-loving friend, Joan, is also an accomplished quilter. Hopefully, staring at this quilt in his crib will make Preston a Kenya-lover, too.

Another sweet church friend, Ann, made this blanket to fit in with our around the world  nursery theme (by train, by plane or by boat!). Dukes up!

Steelers blankets are perfect for watching the game with daddy. This was a "commissioned work" by soul-mate Aunt Erin. I can't wait for Preston to finally meet her now that she is moving back East :).

True to Sam's Mennonite roots, this was made by an Ohio friend's Auntie and is stitched entirely by hand (the precision is incredible). A true heirloom.

Every man needs a quiet corner with his quilt so he can read (i.e. poop).  Fittingly, this quilt was made by our fun-loving family friend, Donna. When I was a kiddo, she once helped me sew pair of polka dot shorts with flamingo stripes down the side :).

Steelers blankets are also awesome for PLAYING football with daddy! Did I mention this set also came with handmade matching Steelers burp clothes? Let the jokes ensue, Browns and Ravens fans :).

A Farewell Ode to Zeke

It is done.

Zekey-dog is in a better place.

No, he didn't die. He was adopted by a family that will actually love him. That has a fenced in-yard. That has two school-age kiddos to play fetch with him. That excitedly painted him a special dog bowl before they even got him. It is a better place.

I could go on and on and on about the reasons why the dog had to go. No matter how many I list, I still feel terrible. So, instead I will list all of the things I will miss:

Zeke

Who will clean all the crumbs on and around the highchair? Or my chair for that matter :)?

How will I know when the UPS she-man is at my door? Or within 5 mile radius of our house?

Who will prevent me from getting a second bowl of icecream because I don't want to refill the bowl you so kindly licked clean for me?

Who will guilt me into taking walks in the woods?

How will I justify not cleaning my house for a month because "dog hair will just be all over everything in an hour anyways"?

How will I know when the mail has arrived? The meter reader is here? Or a leaf blows down the street?

Who will let me know that 5 o'clock is approaching (dinner time for man and beast) by whining for 2 hours prior?

What fury beast will Preston bury his face into their chest, tug on their ears and stick his hands in their mouth? (Ok, maybe Sam can fulfill that one)

Who will spoon with me when Sam is out of town? And protect me from monsters, robbers, and creepers who may hide in closets and behind shower curtains?

And most of all, who will decorate my law with literally dozens of  stolen sock snacks every month? :)



And now, the photo history of Zeke (2009-2013)...I'm sorry we failed you Puppers... I'm literally shocked by how much I miss you!

2009. It all began.

Hiking Mt. Nittany

Playing by the creek.

Recovering from the machete incident. This was before he ate 3 feet of ace bandage off of his paw.

Camping with "Aunt Cassie."

Bark in the Park at the Spikes Game

When it rained at Bark in the Park and Sam had to carry him because he was so freaked out.

Doggy-sitting one of your buddies.

Helping me study

Helping Sam nap.

Snowball fight

Gracious dress-up doll

Hanging out with the newest addition

Expressing your displeasure with the newest addition.

Sadly contemplating how much  he hates babies.

And now presenting...Eight, Nine, TEN!

P-dog and his first foray into the snow.

I have to admit a personal pet peeve, I hate dislike a lot when people continually write updates like, "I just can't believe [insert child, dog or guppy's name] is [insert one week, one month, one year, a hundred years] old today!!"

UGH! Yes, said being is said age because it was born that long ago. We ALL know that everything gets older faster than we think it should (most of all ourselves), so you don't need to remind us.

Therefore, I will refrain from any "I can't believe" statements. But, I do understand them a little better now :).

Anyways, this Preston update is brought to you by Preston's favorite things; spoons, growling, putting disgusting things in his mouth (think toilet bowl brush and handfuls of dog hair), electrical wires and outlets, the dishwasher, stacking cups, keys and trying to escape when you are changing his diaper.

In these last few months he tackled crawling, pulling to standing, 2 more teeth, using a sippy cup and (FINALLY) feeding himself his own bottle. For awhile he was waving bye-bye and signing "milk", but he has stopped doing those things, likely because he has better things to do like ALWAYS moving (at least that is what I tell myself, rather than googling "diseases that cause childhood waving regression").

In one of those tuck-away-to-remember-forever moments, P-dog celebrated his 10-month birthday by squealing with delight as he took his first 3 steps into mamma's arms! Which totally makes up for the multiple times he bit by leg last week.

As for family life, I still feel like each month is more fun than the last, but I am starting to feel the impending dread of the toddler years. I think one of the reasons I've enjoyed babyhood is because it is a respite from the constant training and correction that older kiddos need, which I am sure was compounded by the extra measure (through no fault of their own) which our foster children needed.

I hesitate to say this because I am sure it means I've doomed myself to a wickedly crazy toddlerhood, but these days being the mommy of just one 10-month old is mostly easy and enjoyable. C'est la vie!

He celebrated eight months on Thanksgiving day  and even got his very own organic "holiday meal" puree.

Are you believing for even a second that I happened to get that sign out in the snow with us...no?? Ok, fine, I tried to photoshop it, but it looks ridiculous.

So, this is the real 9 month picture.

And here we are 10 months, trying to decide whether to attempt to walk or take the easy route and crawl. He does more squats each day than a body builder

2012 Themes: Surviving and Thriving

I hope the fact that I am writing a New Year's themed post a week and a half late doesn't speak to the way the rest of this year will play out... :)

I read somewhere recently that one should celebrate the previous year before heaping expectations and goals on the next one.

As I reflect back on 2012, the first word that comes to mind is joyful.  But as I contemplate further, I realize that in the midst of the thriving and joy, there were many days and weeks we were just surviving.

Some of those times looked like this:

January and February....weeks of serious-I-need-medical-intervention- insomnia...barely surviving

March 31st...back in the ER on Morphine a week after giving birth...TWICE...surviving

Spring...fighting a five-figure medical bill (despite having "excellent" medical coverage)...surviving

May and June...managing a difficult reunification process between chickadee and her biological parent...surviving

March through June...hubby working all day, often going in early, and coming home and working at his second job much of the evening...barely surviving

July...studying for comprehensive exams while caring for a 3-month old...surviving

There were a lot of hard moments, but God saw us through them all. Sometimes in the form of the miracles of modern medical care, but often in the form of sacrificial parents, grandparents, and dear friends. We saw several huge financial miracles, particularly when Sam got a pay raise that allowed him to quit his second job (and continue making the same income as before!).

I am thankful that my memories of 2012 are mostly sweet, but I don't want to forget the ways that God provided for us. Over and over in the Old Testament, when God speaks to his people he reminds them to remember the Lord and do not forget the Lord. He reminds them that they were slaves in Egypt and He brought you out.

It is good to remember what the Lord has done for us. It is good to look back at trials and difficult times and  see that God was in them. It is good because there will certainly be more trials in this life and remembering the goodness of God gives us the strength to face the future with joy.

With JOY!

These are a few of our favorite things (baby edition)

I recently asked a friend who just moved to the U.S. if there were many differences in raising babies in her home country. She told me that not many things were different except that Americans have a lot more STUFF for our babies.

It is true, isn't it? We have a lot of stuff for our babes. I think it is partly that babies can be so confusing that when they (or we) are having problems, we are constantly looking for THE solution to make them not insane.

When Preston was a little under a month old, and he was miserable and refusing to sleep anywhere but his car seat, I SERIOUSLY considered buying this hundred dollar piece of foam. I thought it would be a miracle...it HAD to be if people paid that much for it...right???

Thankfully, I never pulled the trigger on that one, but there have definitely been some other duds. Like this bumbo seat:

WHY did he look so pathetic in it (and why does my dog look like an alligator)? And by the time he looked normal in it, he could practically sit on my own. Once again, a VERY overpriced hunk of rubber. On the up side, we chose to borrow the hunk of rubber, rather than buy it. Phew!

However, there are a few items that have been worth every penny. Here are our favorites for the tiny tots:

1) Rainforest Bouncer- Provides hours of fascination, and it also has this obnoxious light show attachment (not pictured) that babes seem to LOVE. This is definitely TMI, but whenever P was constipated, I just put on the vibrations, and it did the trick (since babies can't just drink coffee when they need relief :).

2) Boppy- The boppy is supposed to be a nursing pillow. I never really found it helpful for that (a regular pillow was easier), however I loved sitting P in the boppy and having little chats with him. Apparently, Sam found another use for the device...

3) Car Mirror- No picture, but it's pretty self-explanatory. Good to be able to see why he's wailing or if he's sleeping. 

4) Jumperoo- From 3 months, when this dude could barely fill out the seat, he was obsessed with bouncing. Totally obsessed.

5) Ergo Baby Carrier- I know the bjorn is all the rage, but for a ridiculously overpriced glorified backpack, I want something that is not going to kill my back. Perhaps your child is less gargantuan than mine, but by four months my shoulders couldn't handle P in the bjorn.

Now that Preston is a "big" baby, he has moved on from flopping around in bouncers and boppys. Despite the more-than-adequate toy supply grandparents, neighbors, friends and colleagues have bestowed upon him, THIS is his "toy box" of favorite things:

Other faves include remote controls, keys, pens any electronic wire he can get his hot little hands on when mommy isn't looking.

What were your baby must-haves?

My husband is sawing in the laundry room again...

...and I'm pretty excited about it. Especially since last time he was making a mess in there, he came up with this:

That's right. He designed and built a nativity scene (in my laundry room). I was definitely a skeptic when he told me what he was up to. In fact I was ruing the Home Depot bill for the plywood and paint, but he proved me wrong. Now, we have a sweet reminder in our yard of the miracle and majesty of the birth of Christ. I am not a handy woman, but I sure am glad that my husband is. Even if it means sawdust in my clean towels and paint on my dryer.


Merry Christmas!