What I learned today...

Yikes!

2011-09-03T20:15:00.001-07:00

I guess I am not keeping up very well with posting.

August was a very busy month! We gained a nephew/cousin in the process, which always makes for a good month! (We will also be gaining another one in December!)

We also bought a house!!! We are doing a 30 day close, so things are a little crazy right now as we work to get everything together in only about 3 weeks.

Here is a slideshow I put together tonight to see the 3 kids at similar ages...Notice any resemblance!?!? Lately, we have been seeing a lot of me in Henry--it is probably his laid back, go with the flow, always happy personality mostly that reminds people of me! I have been seeing a lot of Jonah in Logan--his hair, his eyes, his way of living in his own little world and loving it!

Enjoy!

Video

2011-07-31T03:35:00.000-07:00

Here is Henry in all his greatness! Make sure your speakers are on! (Filmed last night right before bed!)

Enjoy!

So Long!

2011-07-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been about 3 weeks since I last posted. Between being in Florida and continuing our searching and exploring up here, the time is FLYING!

Florida was great. It occurred to me that within about 2.5 weeks Henry had his first swim in a lake, in a pool, and in the ocean! Quite the lucky boy. He was very excited and accepting of all 3. Belli and Logan, as usual, LOVED being in Florida. Logan was a little swimming machine. Thankfully, I snuck his lifejacket into the big bag that carried one of the three carseats on the plane---he swam all over by himself. He also had no fear of the ocean, which was fun. Luckily, Daddy has no fear of the ocean either, so they were getting plowed over by waves and laughing hysterically.

Henry was the perfect little traveler. Belli and I sat with him on the plane. He stayed awake almost the whole plane ride down, but spent him time cooing and smiling! Belli was great as a big sister, helping whenever possible. Mema also had gotten re-routed and ended up being on the plane with us on the way down, so she was nice enough to hold Henry during potty breaks, etc. She was sitting next to another set of grandparents who were just about ready to eat Henry--he is so cute that other grandparents even like him! :)

Since we have been back home, we have been hanging out. Last weekend we visited Fort Snelling (or as Logan calls it Snort Telling). It was very cool to see how the soldiers used to live--and hear the cannon shot off!

Enjoy a few pictures! We are heading to Des Moines on Sunday for a few days to have some time with the cousins! And then heading to Illinois on the 18th to see the Beazleys before they head back home to Rome, and then to play the waiting game on the newest member of the family....I wonder if that little nephew of mine got the message that he can't come out until I am there?!

Hope all is well with everyone!

Henry has been cracking up laughing lately, so my goal is to get him in action on video---as soon as I do, I will post it! He has a tendency to get rather serious as soon as the camera is in his face!

4th of July, 2011

2011-07-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

4th of July was TONS of fun! It was so great to have family up here staying with us! We really appreciated having the company--I appreciated cooking for everyone! And we really appreciated them bringing boats, so we got to check out the St Croix River and White Bear Lake. The house had 12 people, 6 dogs and a cat for 5 days and everyone survived and left smiling!

I attached a video slideshow of some of the pictures I took over the weekend. You will see it starts off with photos of Jonah and Carl running the half marathon thru Minneapolis the morning of the 4th. We were all really proud of them! The morning was beautiful, and the boys worked hard to make the run happen. They finished by running across the Stone Arch bridge which is where Stephanie, Henry, and I were waiting and taking pictures. The skyline is really nice from right there too, so I had fun playing with my camera lense!

Hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th as well. We are off to Florida on Wednesday for a little vacation!

Where does the time go?

2011-06-27T19:06:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been so good about updating lately. We have actually been having lots of fun staying busy and exploring all there is to do around us!

There really is SOOO much to do and see up here. Tons that is family oriented and everything is very accessible. Charles Schulz (Peanuts & Charlie Brown) was born in St. Paul, so there is a park downtown with all the Peanuts characters. Woodstock was the kids favorite at Rice Park. We visited Des Moines for Barry's wedding, so Mema came into town to watch the big kids and dogs. Henry finally got to meet his Mimi and great-grandma Ellen. Such a happy day!! This last weekend, Jonah and I took the kids into Stillwater to have lunch and visit Teddy Bear Park...such a cute little park--Logan and Belli could have climbed all day long! Today the kids and I went and picked strawberries up in White Bear Lake. Such a fun time. I was really proud of the kids. They did a great job and picked for about an hour!

Enjoy the pics!!

We have more busy times coming up! We are having our first full house of visitors next week over the 4th---I can't wait to cook for a crowd!!

HENRY UPDATE!!! Henry is about 11 pounds or so now! Growing fast and furiously! He can't wait to catch up to Belli and Logan in more ways than 1. He is smiling a lot now. Really all you have to do is talk to him and he smiles, which is FUN FUN FUN!!! He got his tongue clipped about a week ago, so he can finally stick his tongue out, which Belli and Logan think is great. Henry copies them when they do it, so it can provide at least 10 minutes of entertainment! I also am now eating dairy-free to help alleviate some of Henry's gas issues, tummy pains, baby ache, cradle cap, etc...He was pointing many signs towards dairy allergy, and eliminating it from my diet seemed to have helped almost overnight. It is NOT fun for me, but hopefully in a couple months, he will be able to handle it! Hmmm...hard to remember what else?! He is doing great, still fitting in with the rest of the clan just fine. Belli is adamant that we keep him....she is also requesting another baby. She keeps telling everyone that 4 would be the perfect number...Mommy thinks that maybe 3 is plenty hard to do fun things with!

Hope everyone is well and not sweating too bad. The weather up here is PERFECT! We see about 80 during the day and usually upper 50s at night---so beautiful!

We spend a lot of time staring...

2011-05-31T05:11:00.000-07:00

From the pictures, it looks like Henry sleeps a lot...He doesn't. That is just the only time he lets us set him down! He also wanted to show off his double chin. He was very jealous when his cousin Lukas visited...Lukas' girth was something to be envied, and Henry is working diligently at matching him! As of last night, pre bath, Henry was almost 10 pounds...Not to shabby for 3 weeks old. I am going to have to look back and check out Logan's stats. I am sure they will look similar!

The "older kids" as they are now referred to, have become very comfortable with "baby." Every morning they come in and first thing have to check on him!

We have made 2 trips to the zoo...I will post those pictures later. One with just the kids and I, and the other time, Jonah came with!

Can't wait to head back to Illinois on Thursday and let all the Illinoisians meet Henry!

More later!

Completeness

2011-05-18T19:53:00.000-07:00

So, last Sunday, Henry was freed from his bili-blanket. He ended up having a combination of physiological jaundice along with breastmilk jaundice, and while breastmilk jaundice is not dangerous, it would not allow his bilirubin count to come down, so the doctors would not allow him to come off "treatment." We ended up supplementing every other feeding with formula for 48 hours and his levels plummeted! So thankfully, life has returned to our "unchained" normalness.

We have taken full advantage of being free this week. On Tuesday, we all went hiking at Wirth Park in Minneapolis. They have a Quaking Bog and a wildflower sanctuary that we all had fun exploring...and the weather was gorgeous. Today, we hung out at home and walked to the park and then played in the sprinkler this afternoon. The kids were excited to get the sprinkler out for the first time this year!

(I had to add some photos of the kids drinking from the water fountain at Wirth for Jill...We did not allow the kids to actually lick the metal part, but they did try to come close!)

I would say the picture of Henry sleeping and smiling pretty much sums up how we are all feeling these days. There is a great sense of being complete in our house now. Not that we were missing something before, but we definitely feel like a whole now. As crazy as our house is MOST of the time, and as crazy as we all drive each other, I think that if any one of us (or the animals) were missing, we just wouldn't function the same. It makes me happy numerous times each day that for the rest of my life, my little family will all have the same memories. We will all be included in making them happen. Henry has for lack of a better way of putting it completed us! (So Jerry McGuire)

There is also something amazing this time around. Maybe it is because the "big" kids are a little bigger than Belli was when Logan came along. All the fears of how a day would look, or if we would make it through, or if everyone would get what they need, don't exist this time. Everyone has fallen seamlessly into place. We never even missed a beat. This week has been our first week "alone" (visitors are gone, Jonah is back at work) and we have done just fine. It really has been great. (Henry has also been sleeping 6 hour stretches at night, so that doesn't hurt!)

Hope all is well with everyone in Illinois. We miss you all a lot. Then I went to the DMV today to get my Minnesota drivers license and everyone holds doors for me and asks about the baby and tells me how perfect he is and lets me rush through lines because I have him....And I think Minnesota isn't really all that bad.

The Incredible Shrinking, Glowing Baby!

2011-05-13T15:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, so Henry's stats at birth since I never posted them were:

Born May 5th, 2011 at 3:35 pm. 7 pounds, 12 ounces. 22 inches.

Now, 8 days later, he has returned to his birth weight as of this morning (he was down to 7 pounds 5.5 ounces)--and surprisingly enough, he shrank. When we took him for one of his first check ups, he was 20 3/4 inches. We are attributing this to his enormous cone head at birth. His cone head was accompanied by a huge bruise on the top of his head--technically called a cephalohematoma.

As I think I mentioned in the last post, Henry is jaundiced. This bruise on his head definitely did not help things. He has been under the bili-blanket since last Saturday. His levels peaked at about 20.9, which the doctor said had I been a first time mom, she would have hospitalized. He now is at a 19.1. Coming down slowly, but they are now questioning if he has a combination of regular jaundice with breastmilk jaundice (which lasts a long time...). The doctor does not feel comfortable taking him off the bili-blanket until his level is back down to about 15. While he is not showing any signs that this is at all bothersome to him, I think continuing treatment has more to do with the doctors protecting themselves...So Jonah and I are trying to figure out the best method to resolve the issue ASAP so Henry can be "unleashed" and taken out into the world. To add to things, we have had an abnormally cloudy week up here, so he can't even sit in a sunny window!

Overall though, we are all doing great, and without a doubt, Henry will get his numbers down and be fine.

Enjoy the pics from this week, and I will keep you updated!!

(As you can see from the picture, when Henry met his cousin, Lukas (11 weeks old), he decided to just eat him instead of play!)

Oh What A Wait...

2011-05-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

I figured I would start with some pictures, because let's be honest, that is what most of you are looking for. :)

As you can see from the first picture, Belli and Logan are pretty proud of themselves! They are on their way to being quite possibly the best big sister and big brother ever! Belli took to Henry immediately. Logan kept his distance for a while, but now is pretty sure he always knows best, as usual. I have a feeling that within the next year, I will begin dreading the bond the 2 boys already have. Logan will in fact be a great teacher to Henry, whether it is things I want him to know or not.

Long story short--it was a quick delivery! Basically at about 2:25pm, I was still smiling and laughing--talking to my sister on the phone, facebooking on the IPad. At 3:00, I felt like I was not going to make it. They told me I was 6 cm--I was thinking to myself that there was no way I could make it thru another couple hours of labor. After what seemed like a LONG time, my baby was out and laying on my chest. He was born at 3:35pm after 6 minutes of pushing. Needless to say, after fear of everything that happened at Logan's birth (meconium, shoulder dystocia, & the cord wrapped around his neck) in combination with really not wanting any pain medication and horror story after horror story of how much worse labor is with pitocin, I was thrilled to pieces that I had done it---My goal in this birth, going into it with a basic understanding that it will be my last, I really wanted to be present in every moment. I feel like I accomplished that. I feel like I proved to myself what my body is actually capable of. And on top of it all, I walked away with a happy, healthy baby.

Henry and I left the hospital the next day. He has a huge bruise on the top of his head...I am sure it was a little traumatic to him to be floating peacefully and forced down a birth canal a half hour later. He is currently jaundice (just to follow suit with his brother and sister) so he is glowing away here at home in his biliblanket. He is a great eater, overall very laid back baby. We have his first official baby check up on Monday.

At the hospital, he did not pass his hearing screen. The nurses and doctors did not seem too concerned by this. They said that ordinarily he would have just been retested, but since we were leaving the hospital so quickly, he just has to have it retested by his physician. I think they will retest in a couple weeks.

I feel so lucky and happy and so in love. There is a lot this time around that is easier being the third. I also feel like there is a lot more anxiety---I know how much I get from my kids each day and the fear of anything happening to them gets scarier and scarier. It was much easier to worry before I loved them so much. :)

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes and kind thoughts and words. It was successfully my longest pregnancy, and I think both Jonah and I are happy that part is over. We are all feeling very complete here at home.

Long time...

2011-04-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not updating more recently. We had a great visit to Illinois the 2nd week in April, and then returned home to get final nesting done! ;)

The kids, the 3 dogs, the cat, and I drove down to Illinois on Monday, April 11th. Nothing quite like a car full when you are 37 weeks pregnant with 2 toddlers that like to alternate when they go to the bathroom and 3 dogs that do the same! Needless to say, my goal for the trip down was to take our time and just get there in one piece. And we did! No one cried, except the cat. Jonah flew down on Tuesday night to join us, and we sure did miss him for those 36 hours we were apart....We are all still trying to figure out how we made it through January, February, and March!

We had a super busy week in Illinois and were so glad that we got to see everyone. One of the highlights of our trip was Grandma and Grandpa Sanye being nice enough to let their Easter bunny hide some eggs for us a week early!!

Belli was very concerned about making sure that there were "baskets" to put the eggs in, and thankfully Grandma came thru and was well stocked!

Belli also learned the secrets to hunting very early on. She may have even remembered from last year. Secret One: Stick close to Grandpa--he gives hints. Secret Two: Always keep your eyes open!

Logan had his own egg hunting secret. Secret: Hunting on foot is for schmucks. Get the tractor and throw your basket in the back.

Grandpa was nice enough to "grill" for us after the hunt. The kids had requested hot dogs about 4 days in advance, so he knew what his job was. As you can see from the picture, sometime in between putting them on the grill and taking them off, Grandpa got distracted...(This was my fault, however, I am only taking part of the blame!) Thankfully, Grandma had some backup hot dogs in the fridge and some pasta too!!

Overall the trip down was amazing. We had so much fun seeing everyone. Isabella even got to return to school for a final week. Her class made her a pillowcase that each child signed and drew a picture on. It is so cute, and now she sleeps with it every night!

Back in Minnesota, we got all the laundry done, cleaning done, baby stuff bought and organized...Now we are just WAITING!

We were blessed with a great snowfall on April 20th.

It was very exciting, but only lasted about 2 hours. It was green and sunny by the afternoon!!

On the 21st, the kids and I were getting a little stir crazy, so the 3 of us went to the movie theater and saw Rio! It was very cute, and bright, and fun music! Belli really liked Blu--Logan is still talking about how the white bird isn't really mean, he just had a bad movie. Logan is always seeing the bright side of things! As we were walking out, Logan said, "I really love you so much. That was a great story." It was cute...

We are down to 2 to-do's on the list. Dinner plans on the 30th and have the baby.

Sarcastically, a friend from college emailed me today to ask if we were considering the name Thor for the baby...It was a little embarassing to email him back and write that (X-Men) the Wolverine will soon be joined by his brother, the Beast. Yes, the Beast from X-Men is named Henry. Jonah and I both had to confess to each other that we had both independently looked into this as part of the name approval process. I was keeping it in my back pocket as a go-to in case the name was rejected...Jonah just kept it as a "win" in his book!

So--as we move into another week, we look forward to meeting "The Beast" more commonly referred to as "The Tank" in the next 10 or so days!!

Belli's Haircut & Jonah and Logan hiking!!

2011-04-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

Ok...

2011-04-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

Where to start? Last weekend the weather was beautiful, and we ate it up---We also took Belli to get a haircut and we LOVE the new place we go for kids haircuts. Logan did feel a little cheated after seeing where Belli went, so next time he needs a trim, he will be upgraded to Wild Child Hair!

I found an OB practice. I met with them 3 times this week to catch up on things. All is well, and although I am dilating, the baby is still high, and I was told to head back to Chicago! So we will be leaving on Sunday afternoon and staying until the following Sunday or Monday.

We spent the week mostly outside...Not really doing anything eventful--Just hanging in the backyard and around the neighborhood. The kids have taken to going to the park with Daddy after dinner while I clean up. And Jonah and Noah have taken up almost daily rollerblading on the trails that go ALL over the place. There are trails EVERYWHERE up here and they all connect somewhere.

Today, we decided to get up and go explore...After coming up with about a hundred places we wanted to see, we decided to head to Minnehaha Falls. It is one of the largest parks in Minneapolis, and one of the most visited...Also, as a perk for me, they have an amazing seafood restaurant on the premises!!! The falls is the original location that the Minnehaha creek used to lead into the Mississippi river. The glaciers are amazing, as the water level has drastically changed over years and years, and has left behind a 53 foot waterfall. It is especially fun to see this time of year because the water levels are so high--and as you can see from the pictures, there is still snow back by the water.

After hiking for about an hour and a half...Up and down the waterfall--YES, I was TIRED, and having contractions is NOT fun while climbing a ton of stairs up a waterfall--we did indulge in a great outdoor lunch at Sea Salt. The food was amazing!! Fresh oysters, steamed shrimp tacos, and crab cakes!!

Enjoy the pictures--

Busy, Busy...

2011-03-31T11:50:00.000-07:00

This week has been a little busy, a lot emotional...

Jonah has been in Duluth for the week, so the kids and I are successfully all alone at the house. We have survived. No boogie men have broken in and taken us away...There were some monsters in Logan's room last night, but they turned out to be nice monsters who like Lightening McQueen and Mater, so we were ok.

Last weekend when Mema was here, Jonah and I were able to go shopping for all things Easter...We have all the fillings for 3 Easter baskets, so if by chance the little guy shows up by then, he will not be forgotten by the Easter bunny. Wouldn't life be hard if the Easter bunny forgot about you in your first few days of life?!

We were also able to get the kids removable wall decals, so they could somewhat decorate their rooms. Belli got Disney princesses and Logan got Cars-The Movie! So their rooms are personalized to a certain degree.

This week we have made some headway in all things practical as well. Jonah and I were able to tour Isabella's new preschool on Monday and officially register her on Wednesday. She will be attending St. Ambrose of Woodbury. It is a Catholic preschool! OMG! They also have a grade school thru 8th grade, although the schools around here are great-- I also put Logan on a waiting list for their 2 day program, so if something opens up, he will go at corresponding times twice a week next year. Belli will be in their frog room and her teachers will be Miss Barb and Miss Jan. She wasn't thrilled with her teachers names, but she is excited about being in the frog room. I drove her past yesterday, so she now is referring to it as her "red school" since the building is red brick. Their website is http://www.saintambroseofwoodbury.org/education/ecec/ecec.html if you are interested in checking it out. I was really impressed with the program, yet I still burst into tears when Jonah and I got back in the car afterwards.

I have found my biggest struggle up here comes in the fact that I have a tendency to make decisions based on long term. I decided where Isabella would go to preschool with the intention that all my children would follow suit, have the same teachers, etc. Same goes for the pediatrician, dentist, where we buy their first pair of shoes...I am a planner, and my plans have changed. That is the hardest part for me! Thankfully, everyone I have dealt with up here has made me feel extremely comfortable, which makes it easier.

We also were able to meet with the kids new pediatrician last night. Her name is Dr. Crosby-Schmidt. We really, really like her...And their facility is open late at night and offers x-rays, so with luck Logan and I will be able to go to the office instead of the ER next time he has an incident, because let's be honest, he will break something or cut something open again. :)

Now, we are working on an OB-GYN and hospital for the littlest member of our clan. Nothing quite like putting things off! I have looked at 2 hospitals, both are great. And I have some calls into some dr's offices. At this point, I don't really care who my doctor is. Once I know though, it will take some pressure off.

Also, I wanted to throw it out there to anyone who is looking for a nice little vacation--our house is completely open to visitors the last week in April and first week of May. I will feed and house you. I will even do your laundry. The catch? If I go into labor, you are in charge of my kids! This is the biggest hurdle I am facing today--My dad has thankfully given me free reign to call him as soon as I go into labor, so really we just need about 6 hours of coverage!

As far as our trip back to Illinois, we will be heading back for the week of April 11th, as Jonah has some work function in Chicago for the week. We will also be back in Illinois with the baby the weekend of May 14th for the Paul Smith Celebrity Golf Outing, or as I tell my friends, a charity outing that Jonah plays in each year...

As far as Easter is concerned, we will be missing the bug hunt at Grandma and Grandpa Sanye's house for the 2nd time in my life...(last time I missed it, Jonah and I were in Lyon, France and I pouted all day long!). I haven't asked them yet, but I am going to make a slight request to see if they will host a pre-emptive hunt for Belli and Logan the weekend of April 16th before we head back north. Hopefully, mentioning it here, they will feel obligated! :)

As soon as I know our official dates of travel, I will post them! Hope all is well with everyone. I have loved getting everyone's emails and phone calls. It is great to stay connected!!

No, Logan, we can't get a zebra...

2011-03-24T20:15:00.000-07:00

Nuff said.

Oh What a Week!

2011-03-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

After the excitement of moving in last week and the elbow issues that followed, who knew that this week would be so fun too! My dad likes to refer to my current lifestyle as more of a permanent "staycation" as opposed to real life...I don't really doubt that is the case. I also feel as though there is so much to see and do up here that we might be in staycation mode for the next 2 years or so...

We started the week with gorgeous weather in the 50s, and somehow talked Jonah into taking about 2 hours out of his day to check out the zoo with us. I am so glad he was able to join us, and I think it is not only fair to say we will return to the Como Zoo but also that we will be visiting frequently. The highlight of our day was supposed to be the flamingos, until we found out that they are still away for the winter. Nonetheless, we found lots of other animals, and all were extremely excited to meet and greet us in very close proximities.

Below is Logan meeting a Tamarin monkey. This little guy would have sat on Logan's lap had there not been glass stopping him!

The lions were not as impressed by our family! ;)
Belli decided that snuggling with a baby sea lions in an igloo was more entertaining than the polar bear exhibit.
Jonah posed nicely with the zebra...But the kids were more interested in the kudus...
This sea lion LOVED Logan!! As soon as we walked up to the glass the sea lion dove out of the water and kept sitting on the edge right by Logan. He did this for about 10 minutes. Logan thought for sure we should take him home!

I was so glad to have a nice day at the zoo, as I continuously feel like my days of getting out alone with the kids are being numbered.

I was even more excited we went when I found out Tuesday night that a winter storm warning had been issued and we were expecting 6-10 inches of snow.

When we woke up Wednesday morning, this was our backyard!

Going from green grass one night to this the next morning was so exciting...for the kids!

And for Noah. He didn't miss a beat. He has played more outside the last 2 weeks than he did all winter in Illinois. No one really has fences here, so Noah gets frequent visits from his "neighbors"--he loves the Shelties on the left, and even the black lab that visits from up the block AND across the street.

Mema flew in this morning, so the kids got a nice surprise when they woke up! We had a HUGE day today going into St. Paul to Caffe Latte for lunch and then heading over to the Mall of America this afternoon. We were able to find Lego Land, which Logan is sure he was born to go to. We also made baby Henry a stuffed monkey we named Banana Split at Build A Bear. We ended our day with a trip to White Bear Lake, so Mema can make all the ladies at work jealous!

This weekend promises to be busy and fun filled as we continue to show Mema what we have already discovered up here, and continue to look around for more...

We'll keep you updated!

Oh what a week...

2011-03-19T06:47:00.000-07:00

We are settled in even more than we were, and I am starting to figure out my surroundings. The kids and I drove around for a couple hours yesterday and found all the necessities...Trader Joes, etc. :) We also found our "new" KPW. The city has an indoor playground called Lookout Ridge. It is in the same building as the library and the YMCA, down in the city buildings like city hall and the police station, etc. Everything here is REALLY nice since it was all built in the last 10 years or so. Even the grocery store has an Aveda spa, a Starbucks, and a specialty wine shop IN it! Yes, a spa in the grocery store!!! My trips buying groceries might start requiring HOURS!!

For those of you who haven't heard, we also found the hospital at about 3am on Thursday morning. About a half a block up the street, we have a really nice park for the kids. Jonah took all 3 dogs and the kids there Wednesday evening as I was cleaning up from our corned beef and cabbage dinner, which my dad so nicely walked me thru cooking! They returned home an hour later---Logan crying. Jonah and I both being of the less is more mindset got him settled down and asleep...He woke up at about 3am crying and wouldn't move his arm, so I ended up taking him into the ER. He had dislocated his elbow. X-rays and all...for a kids who has never been to the doctor for being sick even, he was quite the trooper. His elbow is now fine, and he is slowly regaining usage of his left hand, which is either sprained or has a mild break. If he isn't better Monday, we are going to the orthopedics. He does keep assuring me almost hourly that it is getting "much better."

In the ER, they put him in a sling before we left. The tech had barely closed the door before he ripped it off and told me he was "not wearing this." His thoughts about his sling haven't changed.

Isabella has tried it on. Actually, she really liked it, but it pulled her hair once, and the relationship was over. So now we just have an unused sling in size XXS sitting on the counter that I am sure we will get a huge bill for!

Belli woke up this morning, as she does most mornings, all smiles. I crawled in with her and took a couple pictures.

She is really excited because the baby's room is unpacked and his clothes are all being washed. The baby bath sling is sitting by the tub--she knows it is getting closer FINALLY! I was thinking about how funny it will be to drive away from the house in 2 weeks with an empty car seat and return a month later with a FULL one!---Actually 3 full car seats, but who is counting.

Belli and Logan also asked to go to Grandma and Grandpa Sanye's house the other day. Imagine how excited they were when I told them we were going there for Easter. Some how, they remember the egg hunt and cannot wait for another big hunt. With any luck, Henry will also be joining in this venture with us--on the outside. With Easter being so late this year, it would be a great day to have him in the front carrier and be outside. It would not be such a great year to still be pregnant and HUGE! :)

Jonah and the kids are enjoying each others company on a daily basis. Last night they all played in the BIG tub together, and then we all watched Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and had popcorn. Great choice of movies for Spring!

Below is the front of the house and then one of the backyard. You can see the walking trail to the right of the backyard. That connects to the grade school which is about a block away. They were taken this morning, so it is a little foggy! Weather is supposed to be in the 50s all weekend though!

The Move

2011-03-16T08:40:00.000-07:00

We are moved and situated for the most part. My closet is NOT unpacked, but I can only wear about 5% of my wardrobe at this point anyways, so no biggie there.

The garage also still has to be organized...Lots of Christmas boxes in the corner out there. Hopefully in the next week, we will be able to park in the garage. By that time, it will be consistently in the 50s and won't matter anyways. :P

Here are some photos of the house. You can see that the kids have had no problem unpacking themselves and feeling at home.

The living room right off the foyer.

The dining room off the living room.
The kitchen. The first thing we had Papa do is install baby gates to keep the dogs and Logan out of the kitchen. I cannot tell you what a difference this has made in my world. Cooking dinner the last 2 nights was amazing!
The family room off the kitchen. And a big thank you to Minnesota for providing great antenna service. We were going to get cable, but the channels we are getting with just the antenna are better than we had in Illinois, so we can save that $50 a month!!!
The view from the top of the stairs. Overlooking the foyer and living room.

I am so happy to be unpacked, and sort of settled. We are here in Minnesota for the next 3 weeks and then heading back to Illinois to await the littlest member of the Smith clans arrival. Hopefully, he will make his grand entrance sooner than later. Upon packing up things, Isabella and I came across her baby book. Inside was the receipt from my pregnancy test with her. As of next month, I will have officially been pregnant for 27 of the last 60 months. So if you have seen me in the last 5 years, you have a 50-50 chance that I was pregnant! Awesome! The cool thing for me (being a numbers person) is that Isabella's date of conception is approximately 5 years to the day of Henry's due date. Very cool, and maybe a big huge sign that we are done having babies! (If anyone wishes to complain about this, Jonah and I are freely accepting donations to raise the kids. With unlimited financial resources that would include a nanny or 2, or at least afford the "grandmas" the ability to not work and come stay with us for a month or so at a time, we will be happy to add to the brood!)

One thing that has been really fun about the move is seeing what things remind the kids of "home". Logan was happy to point out "Matthew's car" while driving up here. Isabella thinks that Famous Dave's is just like Grama and Papa's house because they have antlers and corn on the cob. Any red barn is immediately Grandma and Grandpa Sanye's house...

So, settled and happy to be together, we are. AND anxiously awaiting the next arrival!

White Vinegar

2010-02-13T17:46:00.001-08:00

We have all heard that vinegar is amazing...I didn't realize how amazing.

My mom has been cleaning with vinegar for years, but I found a website that shows the many, many uses and thought it could be helpful.

Take a visit and be impressed! ;)

http://www.versatilevinegar.org/usesandtips.html#4

For Jill...

2010-02-08T07:59:00.001-08:00

I told you a couple weeks ago that I was going to get Michael Pollan's new book Food Rules. I picked it up that day, and read it all that day twice. It doesn't take long to read and is totally worth adding it to your home library as a permanent reference tool!

So, like I said, I suggest buying this book, but here are some of my favorite rules. Michael Pollan's basic guidelines are "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." This is the way his food rules are broken down as well.

Here are my favorites:

2: Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.

5: Avoid foods that have some form of sugar (or sweetener) listed among the top three ingredients.

6: Avoid food products that contain more than five ingredients.

13: Eat only foods that will eventually rot.

14: Eat foods made from ingredients that you can picture in their raw state or growing in nature.

23: Treat meat as a flavoring or special occasion food.

24: "Eating what stands on one leg (mushrooms & plants) is better than eating what stands on two legs (fowl), which is better than eating what stands on four legs (cows, pigs and other mammals)"--This is a Chinese proverb.

39: Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.

44: Pay more, eat less.

54: "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper."

56: Limit your snacks to unprocessed plant foods.

60: Treat treats as treats.--(The s-policy, "no snacks, no seconds, no sweets except on days that begin with the letter S"

63: Cook.

If you have any questions on the rules I have listed, please ask. Otherwise, BUY THE BOOK! Keep it in your purse and take it to the grocery store with you as a reminder. Each rule has a paragraph or two that explains the reasoning behind the rule.

Enjoy!!

My little world.

2010-02-02T10:35:00.000-08:00

Ok, so here are my thoughts for today. They are actually my thoughts on a very consistent basis, but today I thought I would share them with you instead of just Jonah.

I love my house. I love my little bitty overflowing house. If I get my way, I will never move. If I have just the 2 kids or 14 more, I want to stay in my little house forever. I love that we are never far away from each other. I love that I can walk to almost anything I could ever need. I don't love the midwestern winters, but hey, what can you do? A little more global warming and they won't be an issue anyways--I know, not a good joke! My house serves every purpose I could ever ask for. I can't imagine sleeping further away from my babies. I can't imagine having our living areas be any more spread apart. I just love this little house and all the memories it contains. I think that one of the problems in society is the need for more, bigger, better now! Enjoy what you have. Be happy you have something. It really is a great life that we live. So to all those who don't think my house meets the social standards they expect, or those who don't think we can comfortably accommodate people, to them, I say, I love my house. We are always happy to have visitors and guests. We will always make room for anyone in need. Our table and door is always open--

A house is just a house, a family makes it a home.

Recipe...

2010-02-02T10:33:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe that I like for Vegan Brownies. Jonah likes it when I mix about half a bag of vegan chocolate chips in with them. That adds the extra little kick that he needs. I also omit the pecans because I don't like nuts in baked goods...

1 cup soft to medium tofu

1 cup dry sweetener

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp oil

4 tbsp coca or carob powder

1 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup pecans, chopped

Also need: 8 x 8 cake pan Sifter

Recipe: Preheat oven at 350° F. In a blender or food processor, blend tofu, sweetener, vanilla, oil and coca powder until smooth and creamy. In a large bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder, Add pecans and tofu mixture, and mix together gently until “just mixed”, If batter is too dry, add a splash of water, Spoon the batter into a lightly oiled 8x8 cake pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes

Test with a knife to see if done.Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before cutting into squares. Makes 6 large brownies.

I have another post to "post" so hopefully later today, I will get it up! Until then, enjoy the brownies!

Woo Hoo

2010-01-27T09:34:00.000-08:00

Michael Pollan!!! He was on Oprah this morning! And I thank her for having him on the show for SURE! SEE FOOD INC, SEE FOOD INC, SEE FOOD INC!

His new book is called Food Rules. The basis of the book is the basic rules for eating. It says it is for anyone who has ever asked "What should I eat?"

I will be actually purchasing this book (although that doesn't happen, it is much more socially conscious to get it at the library)...But seriously, I don't have to read it to know it is going to be good!!!! I am SOOOO excited.

And again, watch Oprah if you haven't already today, and SEE FOOD INC!

Recycling 101

2010-01-27T08:51:00.000-08:00

My dad was just asking me about this stuff on Sunday, so I thought I would share.

Recycling takes a LOT of energy and resources. The best thing that you can do is choose products that don't use a lot of packaging and when you can reuse something before you choose to recycle. By all means, recycling is a better option than throwing it our overflowing landfills, however, reusing or not using at all is always the best option.

There are little things about recycling though that many people DON'T know. Not all plastics can be recycled. Check with your local garbage/recycling center to see what is able to be recycled in your area. We are lucky in Geneva. They recycle numbers 1,2,3 & 5. However, did you know that they won't recycle numbers 1, 2, & 5 if the lid is on?! Make sure you throw the lids away before putting the bottle into your recycling. They just won't take the time or energy to remove the lid to recycle the bottle. It is also EXTREMELY helpful if you can completely rinse everything you recycle. Everything does go thru a cleaning process prior to being recycled, but resources are wasted if there is food still stuck on the plastics. Aluminum foil is extremely easy to recycle! But of course, reuse first.

Grocery bags are horrendous! Paper cuts down trees, and plastics are nasty! Take them back to the store to recycle them. Better yet, as we do in our house, don't use them at all. I have 5 Chicco bags that I keep in the car all the time. I even use them at Target!

Help support companies like Preserve. They use all recycled plastic number 5 to make their products. (Toothbrushes, mixing bowls, cutting boards, razors, etc.)

Please, please, please recycle. But more than that, be conscious again of the products you are buying, how they are packaged, and what you can reuse before recycling! You don't really need to put your apples in a plastic bag at the grocery store.

Happy shopping, and don't forget that you are VOTING every time you shop!

I miss...

2010-01-22T17:36:00.000-08:00

I miss my jeans. I was thinking about them today and really missing them. I know that it sounds dumb, but really they were the ONLY piece of clothing in my closet that made me feel good. I miss that feeling more so than the actual jeans. It is amazing what time does...What it is to be a mom with 2 kids instead of an 18 year old who thinks they are fat!

I went to a preschool forum at the library last night to check out some of the local preschools. I had a pretty good idea about where I want to send Isabella in the fall, but thought I would check out all my options. As I was talking to the director and teacher of my favorite preschool, I BURST INTO TEARS! I was devastated. I cannot believe that I can't even handle talking to preschool teachers much less when I am going to have to take her there and leave her! My baby girl is growing up so fast. What an amazing process to watch and be a part of. I love everyday of it and wouldn't change my life for anything. (But I would love to look like I did when I was about 22) :)

Love to my baby girl.

Problem of the Day

2010-01-21T10:17:00.000-08:00

I have a really hard time finding that little balance between keeping the house full of good, wholesome, healthy foods, and allowing the kids to be kids and eat yummy stuff. Isabella does great with sweets as an encouragement. Treats for going potty, treats for sleeping in bed, treats for doing her chores! But where do you draw the line? The little ones don't seem as satisfied with the "love" as their reward, but are sweets a good thing to be teaching as a reward? Wouldn't going to Target and teaching consumerism as a reward be even worse?

My kids thankfully love the Clif kids "treats" (Z-bars and Fruit Twists or whatever) and then I try to make sure I buy their treats at Trader Joes...Stay as natural as possible, GMO free, and free of artificial coloring. Oh man, oh mom....I know this will only get harder as they get older. Who wants to be the only without Oreos in their lunchbox. Isabella's newest thing is whenever she goes to a friend's house she immediately asks for juice. We never have juice in the house, so she begs for it wherever we are somewhere she might have it.

Oh man!! Suggestions welcome!

New Website

2010-01-19T16:09:00.000-08:00

My new favorite website is www.greenyour.com.

Once you are on the site, you can click on any number of categories and it will give you suggestions on how to "green" any area of your life from your home to your babies to your birthday!

Enjoy!

Cleaning Schedule

2010-01-04T17:34:00.000-08:00

Just as we have a dinner schedule, we also have a cleaning schedule...This allows me to not (with luck) spend a whole day cleaning EVER!

So here it is...

Sunday: Vacuum and Mop

Monday: Vacuum

Tuesday: Clean Powder Room

Wednesday: Vacuum

Thursday: Clean Upstairs Bath

Friday: Vacuum

Saturday: Dust Whole House

Dishes are done daily. Laundry is done almost every other day. General pick up is done nightly...It used to be done about 3 times a day, but I found that to be an utter waste of energy and resources because the little crumb crushers follow me around and make more messes! So don't stress about messes while the kids are awake...It isn't worth it. One day you will wish you had toys to trip over!

What is a dinner schedule?

2010-01-04T07:19:00.001-08:00

Ok, this is what we do each and every week...It makes it easy to sit down on the weekend, make a plan, grocery shop and go on with life! :)

Monday: Grill Night (This week we are having grilled venison and sweet potatoes.)

Tuesday: Pasta Night (Whole wheat pasta with green beans.)

Wednesday: Breakfast/Ethnic Night (Pinto bean tacos)

Thursday: Soup/Salad/Sandwich Night (Venison Chili)

Friday: Pizza Night (We make homemade pizza usually loaded with veggies.)

Saturday: Jonah's Night/Eat Out (Likely we eat out this night for obvious reasons)

Sunday: Dad's/Leftovers (9 times out of 10 we are at my dad's house on Sunday nights)

So that is how our week plays out...I am trying this year to also try new recipes, so we will see how those turn out. Also, I am a firm believer in NOT making special kids meals. I try each night to make sure there is an option for the kids in whatever we are eating, but they must eat what is for dinner. That starts at about 10 months, and continues for the rest of their lives! :)

New Years Resolutions

2009-12-31T14:23:00.000-08:00

Ok, here we go...

1-Put myself on the list of priorities. This will involve me taking the time and energy to worry about me, instead of just the rest of the people in my house! I hope to gain health and happiness and lose weight. I plan to run 3 times a week and do yoga once. Stick to the weekly dinner plan!

2-Plan one activity with the kids each week. Anything from a museum to the zoo...

3-Get on budget and stay there. We have a household budget that is edited down to the penny...Now if we follow this budget and don't go over it, we will be RICH! :) Also in this one, for the first 3 months of the year, I intend to spend money on food and gas alone. We do not NEED anything other than that.

Good luck on any resolutions you may be making, and Happy New Year.

Shampoo, and Deodorant, and Makeup--Oh my!

2009-12-29T11:50:00.001-08:00

Ok, so there is LOTS of yucky stuff in your life, and it goes WAY beyond just your food.

This is a huge issue with both adults and children. Your shampoo likely contains everything from cancer causing agents to hormone disrupters...And that explains your PMS...(Not really, but it may add to hormone related things)

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php

This website above is a great reference point for any product you might have in your house, what is in it, and what side effects it might have.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate is a common ingredient in cosmetics/shampoos, etc. It is a major irritant, lots of people have issues with it on their skin. An ingredient in it is a carcinogen--meaning it causes cancer, and it increases the frequency of canker sores. This is most likely found in everything from your shampoo to your toothpaste.

Parabens are a preservative in cosmetics that have been shown to increase your risk of breast cancer and they have estrogenic activity associated with them--acting like fake hormones in your body.

Synthetic fragrances can cause everything from headaches to rashes.

Aluminum in your antiperspirant can cause everything from cancer to alzheimer's.

So what can you do?? Remember that you skin is your largest living organ!! Everything you put on it is being absorbed into your body. Check out the skin deep database. Find products that are "green" and healthy for you and your family.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the California Baby line for the kids and adults! I use the Tea Tree and Lavender body wash on the kids, myself, and as a face wash. The wash is super concentrated, so it lasts a long time, and the packaging has no phthalates, and is made from post consumer materials!!!

Also to make life easier, go to www.thegreenguide.com and look up personal care on that website. It is put together by National Geographic and takes into account a products effects on you and the environment.

Happy shopping!!! :)

PCRM

2009-12-23T17:14:00.000-08:00

PCRM=Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

I am a fan of theirs on facebook, and I get their weekly or so emails. Every few months they run a 21 day kick start program to become a vegan. If you sign up for the emails, each day you will get a little tip, recipe, meal plan etc, to help you in your quest to become a vegan. This is also a great website for referencing---Especially since I think that most of health comes thru diet.

Thomas Edison 1902--"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease."

"Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet." —Albert Einstein

Visit www.pcrm.org!!!

This is the link for the vegetarian starter kit--http://pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/index.html

After a lot of thought, I think that if you are only going to do one thing to help the planet, the one thing that you can change and have the greatest impact is to stop eating meat all together...Driving an SUV pollutes TONS less each year than eating meat. Recycling takes a lot of energy! STOP EATING CARCASSES! It will make you healthier and the planet healthier.---Or hunt...At least the karma from that animal won't be nearly as bad... :)

Interesting...

2009-12-23T09:08:00.001-08:00

I get the Wysong newsletter emailed to me periodically...They are a great company--their website offers a great basic plan for lifestyle/eating.

This was on the newsletter this morning! AHHH!

10 Random Health Facts You Never Knew
Here are some interesting, and maybe even frightening health "facts." Whether they are true or not is anyone's guess. They are at least worth a good laugh.
1) Some parts of the world protect their babies from disease by bathing them in beer.
2) There are more than 1,000 chemicals in a cup of coffee. Of these, only 26 have been tested, and half caused cancer in rats.
3) There are more bacteria in your mouth than there are people in the world.
4) According to U.S. FDA standards, 1 cup of orange juice is allowed to contain 10 fruit fly eggs, but only 2 maggots.
5) Apples are more efficient than caffeine in keeping people awake in the morning.
6) Strawberries have more Vitamin C than oranges.
7) You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.
8) It is possible to go blind from smoking too heavily.
9) Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people do.
10) During your lifetime, you’ll eat about 60,000 pounds of food; that’s the weight of about 6 elephants.

Well, I am glad I don't drink orange juice, and I am a little upset that I am left handed! ;)

This is his optimal health pyramid--http://www.wysong.net/PDFs/ohp.pdf

A great day...

2009-12-22T17:59:00.000-08:00

Today all we did was play outside in the snow...whether it was the dogs or the kids, we played. And no plastic toys made in China were required. :) What a great way to spend the day. Out in the elements with nothing but each other.

Remember that everyday when you go shopping for food, toys, clothes, etc, you are VOTING! Make sure you believe where you money is going. If you believe it is ok to harshly raise and kill animals, buy a McDonalds cheeseburger. If you think it is ok to let your kids drink out of cups and bottles with BPA--this is a hormone disrupter that has been shown to cause cancer. (Most industrialized countries have outlawed it--Not the USA), put your money there.

Choose to buy organic, free range eggs, where the chickens can wander and produce eggs with way more omega 3s. Play outside! Outside air is way cleaner than any indoor air, and once a baby is about 6 weeks old, they can regulate body temperature just fine!

PS---And we went to see Santa tonight...who knows where the candy canes full of high fructose corn syrup came from?!

Why???

2009-12-21T17:11:00.000-08:00

This blog is for Megan because I respect the fact that she wants to learn...Learning can be fun and exciting! :)

Why is it called I want celery! Because that is what Isabella said to me when I was trying to find a name that wasn't taken...We ruin our kids. They are born loving things like celery and apples until we introduce them to the crap that is out there. My daughter is a huge fan of turning down Portillos in favor of an apple or whole wheat pasta.

What did I learn today?

More than that, what I want to share today is Dr. Greenes top 10 things you should feed yourself and your kids ORGANIC!

1-Milk

2-Potatoes

3-Peanut Butter

4-Baby Foods

5-Catsup

6-Cotton

7-Apples

8-Beef

9-Soy

10-Corn

Bonus-Wine

(see this link for reasons why...http://www.drgreene.com/555560.html)

Also here is the "Dirty Dozen"--These fruits and veggies should NEVER be bought unless they are organic. They are loaded with pestisides!!!

Peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, leafy greens, grapes, carrots, pears.

The top 10 fruits and veggies you can buy conventional are:

Onions, avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, mango, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, papaya, watermelon, broccoli, sweet potatoes.