The Geddes are a Swinging

At last the summer has just about reached us....at least warmer temperatures to enable some enjoyment outside.

With the new house, I made it a point to find one that gave us a large enough backyard. Nothing crazy big, but something bigger than a postage stamp. As we started spending time out there with my kids and a few others who join us a few days a week, it was becoming quickly apparent that we needed a few more things to do.

Phase one was building a simple basic sandbox. Its 5'x5' and required 400 lbs of sand. Yes you read that right. Try pushing it on a dolly through Lowes ;) The bottom has landscape fabric tacked on, so it never floods and keeps things where they are suppose to stay...as long as the kids will keep it all inside....sigh. Do far, any area cats have not discovered it, or do not care to, so we used the cover tarp as a nice shade canopy.

Phase two involved a little more time and muscle to construct. We were missing our ghetto swings at the old house. The old belt swings were kept, for just this possibility of building our own. After looking on Craigslist and other retail options, it was becoming clear it would be best to just build our own. Many folks who were selling theirs, did not construct them to be taken down and put back up. And for the price of it used, it was about the same in materials.

We ended up going with this option on Amazon. It enabled us to not have to figure out cutting any angles or wondering how we could get it cut. The 4x4 beams just slide in along with a 4x6 header. I wanted something which could last longer than most of the cedar products....and also to grow with the kids are they became bigger and taller. (The yard past the swings doesn't belong to us, but there is no fence and the house is bank owned for now)

Each new project has been presented with a learning curve....and tool components we lack..grrrr. And I'll never understand why there are no couples counseling resources to be found in the home improvement aisles, but its done and the kids love it!

Eliza the 5th

Here we go! Number Five is in the books for Eliza Ruth. And how awesome to have a house big enough to host a party. An even bigger bonus was to have weather which cooperated for outside play.

The cake was a layered brownie, using a mini loaf pan. This enabled me to stack and play around with them to make her requested letter E cake.

Lots of friends attended, with close to around 18 kids total (4-5 being babies)

Needless to say....both Matt and I were exhausted after everything. We kept everything pretty simple with the food provided (cucumber & PBJ with chips and juice boxes), and self entertainment. Yet, with just hosting a party, there is still a fair amount of cleaning and prep to be done. I think until she hits 10, we'll keep things to being a little more low key and do parties for the milestone years.

Kindergarten....here we come!

11 Months

Gah!!!!!!

I hate this month for the sole reason my babies look so much less baby and more so beginning toddler.

Teeth keep spurting up through those gums while my daughter keeps loosing em. His count is now 7 toofers.

Most of his clothes are in the 12 to 18 month range, with a few 2T pajamas he can get away with. 

Steps have been taken...4 at the most in one time. Alden loves to pull himself up on furniture and then let go and stand and gaze around like its no big deal. If I've gone upstairs, he is very quick to follow me and has made it to the 3rd step before I rush to remind him of the boundaries.

I think we've entered into some of the separation anxiety stage. For staying at the grands house, this was the first time he's taken a long time to warm up to his surroundings and to the warm open arms of grandma. He'll cry rarely in my arms....and claw his way to me if in daddy's embrace and I come within inches of him.

My yearning for his independance to increase accompanies damage to my heart. Of course I want him to grow and develop into the next phase, but I can't help but long for more of the baby wearing and cuddling stage. Yes....I want my cake and eat it too. Freedom for myself AND baby smells with long gazes at each other.

If only I had friends close by to get a baby baby fix and promptly hand them back. No nieces or nephews to dote over either.....being an only child sucks at this stage of life.

I know I keep promising a post about the house....but I RARELY get very long stents of time down in the basement where the office is kept to get images edited and posts typed down. I find I do most of my casual online involvement on the phone....which is not blog or photo editing friendly.

So hope springs eternal

p.s.

I have been seriously considering scrapping a 1st birthday party and doing our own family cake smash. I feel like ain't nobody have time for that party prep....or anything else fun.

When did I become soooo boring? 

Ten Months

We've entered double digits territory here!

Now if only mother nature would change as fast going forward as my son is growing each day :/ We had a late well baby visit last week, and as usual, they are never as heavy as my arms could swear they are!

Weight: 21 lbs. 3 oz (52nd%)

Height: 30.5 in (95th%)

12 to 18 month clothing seem to be the norm around here, with even some 2 piece pajamas being 24 mo/2 t. I've never had a child reach and exceed the 20 pound mark before a year old. In fact, it isn't until a couple months late they make that milestone. Something tells me Alden is going to taller and maybe bigger than his big brother....and possibly sooner then Nolan knows.

Milestones:

Easter egg hunt and church celebration

Practicing on balancing on 2 feet without using any hands ( I think first steps are not too far away)

Inaugural first spaghetti meal

Two new top teethers!

As Alden grows and developes in personality and desires, I've noticed how he's becoming more feisty when interacting with Nolan. He'll put up much more of a fight over a toy and is increasingly wanting to scout out what the big kids are doing. Eliza has also been showing an increased interest in him and will ask to hold him on her lap.....Well lets change that to, "picks up brother" and take him to the couch. She'll even try and dance with him, holding his hands while he stands. All the while I am having to remind her to "slow dance" until he gets his jitterbug legs.

One thing is for certain.....he is a mommas boy! Those eyes will track the momma bird when temporarily placed with daddy. Sometimes cooking becomes a bit interesting as we make laps around the kitchen island, trying to catch a hold of my legs. 

I guess I should start planning that 1st birthday celebration.....

Settling Dust

I am at a loss as to how hard it has been to have the chance to sit at the keyboard (aside from the phone) and download my thoughts into a coherent blog post. Bits and pieces come out from time to time while getting a few spare moments to myself with a friend or two.

So I guess....where to begin?

Life since moving has been full of emotions. I almost immediately felt like we've lived here for years as I pulled out our belongings from the amassed boxes in the basement. Our house is no 'open concept' layout style, but more so, a 'double the fun' size. (did you just start singing the old double mint commercial?) We aren't living on top of each other nor getting lost in all the new space to breath in. It's old and new and doesn't scream any particular style of house.

In a way......it fits us perfectly.

We beam with pride at the new.

Grimace at what we'd like to change.

Accept what we cannot change....

....and look hopeful to the future and the memories to be recorded.

This house will mostly be the only one Alden will be aware of, outside of the pictures taken in the past. And speaking of pictures....it only recently dawned on me that I no longer have my mini tree laden forest backyard to step out to for impromptu kid pictures.

Change always comes at some sort of price....whether you realize it now or many years later.


Change, change, change....

It evokes thrills and panic, and sometimes all at once!

Alden is changing and growing everyday. And as I look into welcoming spring and the even more welcomed summer season....my spirit kinda sinks. Summer marks when my baby boy will turn one. Why didn't I cherish more of those first few months? Why did I have to be so busy with my own interests or tending to the other kids to not sit and hold him and soak it all in? Quite a few folks are having babies and I'd be lying if I didn't say some of the baby fever wasn't sticking.

Forget all the pregnancy dealings.....lets just skip to when they place him/her in my arms and we melt together.

Deal?

Matt will say without hesitation that he is done with the bio babies. If anymore come to us, he will insist they be potty trained. And I too, will admit we are probably done....but I can't shake the pain of 100% coming to that point myself. Logistically, it's spelled pretty boldly as to why, but the heart doesn't always agree with the brain.

Over and over I will have to tell myself...."Just as it was scary to enter motherhood and adjust to all the rigors and ecstasy of being a parent of babies....the same can be said to saying goodbye to that chapter too."

It's okay to have your own passions and to pick them back up. Having that newborn in your arms is not the be all end all. Only a precious pause of the numerous you will find throughout your lifetime. You'll adjust to new changes and then go back to mourning them when a new season of change comes through the doors.

Wash, rinse, repeat.....and that's okay.

It's okay to be sad and miss, as it proves it was something worthy amongst all the dull and dripple of our everyday lives.

Or at least that's what I keep telling myself!  

P.S.
I will post pictures of the house and write a post on all that we've encountered since being homeowners. So stay tuned.

Oh Boy- Nine Months

It has come to that point that you've now spent more time outside of my body than in it. It feels like forever and just ago that you joined our crazy loud family. I have always had mixed feelings about this milestone....but it seems like every night I put you to bed....you grow a day older.

So many new things you've learned in only a month!

Full blown crawling

Pulling up to stand

Furniture cruising

Walking and pushing your walker

Moving to the big boys room at Grandma and Grandpa's house

....and being stopped from climbing the stairs!

We see some new little personality quirks come shining through like laughing when your brother comes down the stairs, or shaking your head back and forth wildly for some unknown reason. Unless you are held captive in the playpen or jumper, you rather explore the floor than play with toys.

You tirelessly keep trying to cut your four top front teeth. But I am sure this month will bring success. And I am sure that first unassisted steps won't be too far away.

Without a doubt, you are undeniably a mama's boy when it comes to having to pick someone. 

If you're still reading this post....thank you for enduring all the sickly sweet drippings of our baby's moments!

Eight Months!

Oh me oh my! The days just keep rolling into each other and my little baby is becoming less and less of one!

Probably the biggest milestone has been full blown crawling and exploring. Unless he's in the 'pen', crying it out doesn't work so well when they go off to find you. Alden has been teething 4 top teeth at once, so that has made his desires to be attached to me at all times all the more intense...

Toys are becoming much more interesting....including his brothers! Nolan isn't as inclined to share his planes at this point though.

Since the move, I've tried to go back to our cloth diaper roots. The intentions have always been there...but I've given myself a long vacation from them since his birth to simplify life. And I have to say....I've forgotten just how much more frequently you have to change them compared to disposables. Either I need to strip the diapers or the elastic needs some refreshing....but I doubt I'll be giving disposables completely up anytime soon aside from being away from home. 

I'm very happy to have window light and wood floor in Eliza's room to continue our monthly milestone basket pictures. As much as I love the new house, our old one did have wonderful window light for daily pictures. But, its a trade off I am happy to make!

Survivor: Toddler Edition

There are some days where I wonder if I'll ever make it through the 2nd and 3rd years of Nolan's childhood.

I mean....how can a child be so disobedient and angry a lot of the time, while in between, pull a 180 and be clamoring for my attention asking for cuddles. I want to sock the person who ever started spreading the rumor that boys were easier than girls!

News flash.....either sexes are difficult no matter who's kids they are.

Matt and I'll notice we have to guard things which Eliza had no interest in. Things like climbing baby gates, pounding on doors, running toys on the walls, scribbling on walls. The list could go on forever.

Every child develops at their own rate, but I can't help but wonder if my son will ever be bright. Simple things like describing where something is in the room for them to put away or bring to me. Speech articulation is still an issue and we have him set up in March for another evaluation, but this time from the school district.

People say girls are usually ahead of the boys, but when do things level out?

This season of life with my oldest son has made it hard to want to love him. To feel like he is the world to me, and will be successful in life.

Nap time can go either way. We've had 1.5 hours of him screaming and pounding the door sooo hard that I wonder if he'll punch a hole in the darn thing. Simple requests are met with many 'no's' and temper tantrums. He'll bite me when I have to carry him to time out...take a swing at me or his sister while walking by him while on time out. A real Jekyll and Hyde kind of personality and its wearing both Matt and I out. Is a little balance too much to ask for?

I've tried everything I think imaginable as far as tips and tricks go...but this stubbornness is world record worthy.....

Please, please tell me there is light to be found at age 4 and beyond?

Seven Months

The new year has come and we've put to rest the year in which Alden was born in. Has it really been that long? It feels like forever and just last month that we had to swaddle him and precariously perch the binki just so to keep it in. How I could carry you around the house in the crook of my arm and not feel like it was about to fall off.

Sigh....

So here are the most recent firsts 

Celebrated Christmas

Sitting up unassisted

Two teeth! (ouch)
Scootching backwards around on tummy (and getting stuck)

Restaurant highchair club

Attended a funeral 

You can just see the tiny tips of those teeth. But they don't feel tiny sometimes while nursing...

With the move coming up, this may be the last basket picture in this house. It makes me a little sad to think Alden will only know of this home by pictures. But there may be some hope in Eliza's room floor and window. We shall see!

2016 Prayersolutions

Dear Gracious Heavenly Father...

Family
Very much is uncertain for our extended family. Matt's father has been diagnosed with stage four cancer. Its been all rather sudden for us all. Please give the doctors the wisdom as to how to best attack it. Give our father the strength as he goes through chemo. Also give peace and endurance for our mother as she cares for him. I am so thankful for my children getting to grow up with a grandfather in their lives. It was something I never got to experience, and I praise you for breaking the cycle in our family.

Home
Please bring fourth a moving crew to help us make this move in yet another winter. I look at all we've amassed in 6 years of our last cross country move and can't help but feel overwhelmed at all which has to get packed and moved. You also know of the work we still will need to put into the house before and after we move in. May your timing be perfect and help us realize it when we get worried or frustrated with the work being done.

Community
I pray for the wisdom and discernment as to how best to serve our community. There are many hurting and broken people who just need to be loved. Please help our family better reach out to these people and any resources we might need to do so.

Business
Please help bring photography clients my way. I really do enjoy doing what I do when the opportunities present themselves. I would love to seek out any other working from home possibilities...whether it be doing side work of face painting or even being able to bless a family with affordable childcare like we have experienced in the past. I know how frustrating that process is when you want a reliable care provider in a loving home. With the blessing of having a bigger house, I ask for your will on that way to help provide for our family needs.

2015 Prayersolutions Answered

Dear Heavenly Father.... (January 2015)

Family
Help put in place the people and resources as we prepare to welcome a new family member. Please let this birth experience be a positive one with better healing and recovery after surgery. May our baby be healthy and strong. Also for Nolan, to transition well into his new big brother role.

God came through for us in a huge way this time around. With having a mentor mom from our MOPS group take our kids for 2 nights for the birth of Alden...it was a great weight lifted. Another person also fell into our laps for some day coverage. Nolan loves his little brother too. Healing also went much smoother and enjoyed recovering in the summer verses winter. Our Aflac coverage also came with a big financial discovery that enabled us to pay some debt down and cover bills. A much needed blessing after little to no tax return and having to unexpectedly purchase a new vehicle.

Space
As much as I have tried to be content in our starter space here in New York, it is becoming evidently clear that something has got to give. I desire to have a place for people and things, instead of cluttering up on each other. The winter months are long and having a finished basement for family time and play would be a wonderful blessing. To have the space means, being able to keep things clean for longer periods of time and use the new place to host gatherings of fellowship.

An interesting discovery came when after the snow melted and new neighbors were discovered. We had a new community of friends who had children and liked to play outside and open their homes to others to enjoy. I had become content with our home and loved the perks among the pits it came with. But with the city taking ownership of the properties, it pushed us to put on our grownup pants and purchase a home!

I would have never dreamed this day would happen back in January, and will answer many of our problems of living in a small space with 3 messy children.

New Beginnings?
We've spent about 5 years in one place....the longest for myself at least since moving away from home. We keep wondering when you will open the doors to a new state perhaps that will be better for our family's future outcome. I know it would be a mixed blessing, as I have made some wonderful friendships over the years, as have my kids with theirs. Help us discern what your will is for our family.

With deciding to stay in Rome for a little longer with the house, I think God has closed many a doors to moving away, while opening the financial ones to finance a house. Matt was also offered a promotion after interviewing for a new position at DFAS. I thank the Lord for his job security and benefits offered.

Health
This last half of the year was rather eventful when it came to our health. Besides the birth of our 3rd child, please keep us healthy and well, with no hospital stays. We are grateful for your providence when these surprises have popped up and for the insurance Matt has with his job.

Our health has been very uneventful in this department! So happy to have healthy and thriving children :)

Six Months!

My my my....how six months has flown by....and yet it feels like Alden has been part of our family forever. He really does help balance out the older two, giving them a distraction from fighting with each other...some of the time.

In this last month, we've celebrated Thanksgiving, moved out of the infant carrier to a convertible car seat and spooned our way into the world of solids!

.....yes, I know...riveted reading material here folks.

He can still fit into a few 3 mo onesies, but mostly in 6 to 9 mo clothes. And I think we are on the way out of size 2 diapers, but not till our last pack of 2's are used up.

Right now we are working on sitting up unassisted without the boppy or sitting in a high chair. I think this is where the world really opens up to them when they master this gross motor skill.

Our Well Baby stats are as follows

height: 30 in 97th %

weight:18.3 58th %

head: 91st %

Nolan at 7 months 

Weight: 18.5 lbs. (41st%)

Height: 28 inches (76th%)

Head: (78th%)

So weight wise, they are pretty much spot on. But on the height...yeah this kid certainly grew. Our boys also seem to carry on with the big head trend :) Our next appointment will be at 9 months.

Heaven's Baby Boy

Life

It's unpredictable and many times unfair when you think about it.

A phrase we tell kids many times when they are not happy or the situation was not fair.



Sometimes we don't know when we are going to have to use the resources we prepared for. Sometimes we have lots of notice for when we will be required to use it...and then it may be sprung on you on a normal everyday kind of day.

For me...that was a Thursday I will never forget.

I had just recently put Nolan down for a nap after giving him a haircut and a special mid day bath time. Eliza was away at school, but expected to return soon on the bus. Alden was rather clingy due to teething, so I kinda ran with it and wanted to enjoy some non kid tv time. A real luxury.

Then I found my front door opening. It couldn't have been Matt, as he had already come home briefly on his lunch break and there were no other therapists scheduled to come in the afternoon for Eliza.

It was my neighbor.

She had a baby in her arms, one who I knew and had held at just hours old in the hospital. You could see a frightful look in her eyes. At first I thought she needed some help with some first aid supplies for a bloody nose. But as she came closer, and proceeded to hand him in my arms....there was much more going on and he was limp.

For a split second, it dawned on me, "Oh my God, I am actually going to have to use my cpr training for real!"

I immediately took him to the floor and did a rescue puff. Then as my training was flooding back to me, I remembered to try to locate a pulse. No pulse. As I gave rescue breathing, I could hear fluid in the lungs and there was a bloody discharge coming from his nose.

Well now...they certainly didn't go through this in class!?

 So as I continued rounds of CPR, my neighbor was continuing her call with 911 and ensuring the emergency help came to the right house. I continued with this until a paramedic took over and I assisted with the oxygen until the ambulance arrived and they didn't wait for them to come in the door. He was scooped up and rushed inside it.

It wasn't until I was at the police station, giving a deposition that I was able to get an update on the baby and his passing. A flood of 'what ifs' came gushing. Did I do the CPR right? Was my rescue breathing strong enough or too strong?

One would hope for a positive outcome to result in having this sort of training for his life to be saved. But despite how the day ended...God was in the details.

He helped me remain calm

He helped bring my training back to memory

He had a doctors appointment for Alden canceled before hand that morning. If this hadn't happened, I wouldn't of been home when she tried my door.

He helped Matt be able to get off work to help watch the kids and give a place for our neighbors to crash at our house for the afternoon and evening while the police did their investigation.We had food to eat and warmth from the outside.

No one but God could see this coming. Life can be too short and there are no guarantees about the one you are given. But I do know where this little baby boy is sitting, and it gives me hope.

So please, hug your children tight. Love them all the more despite the times they are driving you nuts and crying over anything and everything. Because they are alive and well to do those things. There is so much brokenness going on, but I have faith in The Almighty who will use this and good fruit will be produced. Maybe not right now, but with time....anything is possible with God.

We're Expecting!

Come January, we'll be adding a mortgage to our family!

Part of the lack of posts on here has been partly due to house hunting and going through all the highs and lows of that process. And I'll add...trying to do so with 3 children with you makes it real interesting to say the least.

So far we've done everything on our end. The house has already been inspected and came back with glowing comments despite it being built in 1899...but it doesn't matter when the previous owner has lived there for 50 years and raised her family in it.

I'm thrilled to have my laundry out of my kitchen..

Eliza is giddy about having her own pink room

And Matt is delighted to have a second toilet ;)

....Well I think we're ALL happy about that last one!

We never thought we'd ever buy a home here in Rome, but with a family of 5 and the cost of renting a larger and still well kept house just wasn't in the financial cards. So I guess we are going to put some roots down for a few years and go from there.

More details will follow when things get even more real with a closing date and such.

Now the fun stuff starts with packing up all our crap we can't part with and having to do it after 6 years and 3 kids later.

At least it beats having to pack for a cross country move!

Mothering with ADHD

*Note- Not sure if I've posted this before...but its something pretty important I feel to share. And maybe someone else won't feel so alone in the process*

The year I turned 27, I finally got some answers to some long wondered difficulties. It seemed like once I moved away from my safe haven of 24 years in the same house and community....everything kinda hit the fan.

Like the biggest stinky pile into an industrial special effects fan.

Since getting the diagnosis of ADHD as an adult, it was as if there was a fog being lifted.

Everything.made.sense.

Growing up and my educational struggles before college were now explained. When I went to college and was able to focus on something I was very interested as opposed to the things I HAD to take previously. My HS GPA was 2.85. Graduating college it was 3.80. I knew I was smart, but couldn't understand why it didn't translate.

As the years have passed, I've been on and off medications. Turns out...being an adult who needs meds is actually a hard thing to be prescribed, let alone be able to pay for it. Then throw in pregnancy and having to go off them for safety and breastfeeding concerns...

It seemed like every time I was eligible to go back on....after two weeks I would be pregnant. Coincidence maybe?

The biggest challenge in the past has been my working environment. I've described it like being a Philips head in a flat head world. I can do the same thing as everyone else, but I just get there differently. I have my own 'tool box' of tricks to apply if I'm allowed to use them. Otherwise....we have lots of frustration and tears shed.

Being a SAHM with ADHD has been an interesting journey as those who have faithfully continued to visit this blog can surely vett for this. I live/breath/sleep in my office. No sick time or vacation days or even date nights for that matter! Every day is the same and different at the same time. I struggle with finding the motivation and drive to do the daily tasks while also give care and attention to my children. Many times, I don't find this until late at night.

So do I give in to chores or have some 'me' time? Me time is usually because I found an unexpected burst of creativity and I want to ride the wave as long as I can. This can also happen with house chores.

Having ADHD is like surfing. You paddle out, waiting for the perfect wave to come. Mean while, you bob up and down...going no where. This going no where, is when you find yourself getting depressed/agitated or letting your anxiety get the best of you. The motor is revving, but has no where to go or put that energy into something.
A lot of the time, there are things outside of your control.

You.don't.like.this.

Focus comes in different categories.

Maybe I'll get a wave of child oriented focus where I'll come up with an activity or play on the floor with them.

Maybe a house cleaning wave comes my way.

Or the hardest....a me focused project.

Then, like jealous children....they get upset and fight with each other...feeling neglected while guilt sets in over not giving them enough attention.

Drugs are not 100% the answer. They only allow me to better utilize my tips and tricks for daily life. Right now, I am on some sort of medication that can help with focus and keeping the idling engine in check. It's not perfect, but it will have to do due to my present breast feeding relationship.

But at least I can afford this one.

I am not sure how individuals can afford mental health drugs each month. The previous one I was on recently, which was the only non stimulant option, was also the ONLY one available. And of course that meant it was brand name. Even with my decent health insurance AND a prescription savings card from the pharmaceutical company...came to $105 dollery doos!

You may not see my disability on the outside, but many of us go through life with invisible struggles. Some know about them, and others have yet to get the answers as to why life is so difficult to function with most of society.

My name is Erin Geddes, and I have adult ADHD

Five Months

Time is just whizzing by before my very eyes. If only to bottle up this baby time to enjoy it when I have more time for it. That's the problem with each subsequent child. You have to divide you time and attention while the house work only multiplies!

Besides the festivities of Halloween and his dedication with the grandparents...there hasn't been too much big news or accomplishments. Oh well maybe except...

Sleeping.through.the.night!

We've graduated him to the crib and out of our bedroom. Knowing how he seems to prefer sleeping on his tummy the most and feeling like we've gotten out of the wonder weeks period of sleep ridiculousness...it was time to bring on the CIO. I've tried to wake him before heading to bed myself to nurse to ensure there isn't any legit hunger pains later on.

First night he woke up twice...

Second night was just once

Third night was freedom! 

Mommy and baby are doing MUCH better in the day now that we are getting some better sleep and naps are becoming more predictable in the morning and afternoon. And as long as he is indeed napping...he can sleep through the noise of his brother and sister fighting. So well that I don't even bother to shut the bedroom door, hehe.

We're getting close to rolling over from back to tummy and working on our core strength in sitting up. If he is sitting just right in the boppy, we'll get a diagonal upright position. I look forward to when I can place him on a blanket and surround him with toys for longer times of occupied bliss. Its the little things :)

To Potty or Not to Potty

**Disclaimer- if hearing about toilet training and the words poop and pee make you at all squeamish...stop reading right here and close this tab immediately. You've been warned**  

I think one of the most nerve wracking things for a parent to go through is toilet training their children. Maybe even deciding when to start. Everyone has their advice and the loads of approaches available online. But of course....

Every child is different....grrrr.

Nolan has been giving us quite the mixed signals about being ready for it. But after finding a dry night diaper, we thought...let's see what happens!

In the last 2 days...I've seen a lot of little boy parts. In starting off as I did with Eliza....its a bare bottom attempt. Nothing to hinder the pee from hitting the target. Leg warmers are fashionable still, right?

And we've had some successes. Even poop after only a day.

Between special stickers and mini M&M candy for successful liquid deposits...its been enough incentive to encourage him to sit on the potty chair. So much in fact, that he's tried to cheat the system with pouring water and juice in the collection bowl and pass it off as his own waste.

Nice try bub....

(I think we'll avoid any apple juice for a while to ensure there are no fraudulent entries)

But the frustrating part thus far is when I put anything on him...he'll pee as if it was a diaper. Even loose shorts. With this being said, I am about to try some pull ups, which I never had to with Eliza. But my couch cushions/pillows will cry foul if I don't do something soon.

For some reason, the middle of the morning is when we have accidents in a row. And of course we are not nap or nighttime training. So now we'll see how long we both last until one of us breaks....

This sucks....

A Gallagher Visit

No matter how I get, whenever family from my side is able to visit...it really is a treat. We were blessed to have my Uncle Dave and Aunt Grace come out to our neck of the country and visit for a few days.

The kids took right to them and gave the usual workout of wrestling and climbing all over.

We finally got out to taking a walk on a new trail that opened up along the Mohawk river and found where a group of ducks lived. The kids loved every minute of their attention while visiting and were a bit sad to see them leave for the west coast. The last time they visited, Eliza was only but 2 weeks old when she was dedicated. First borns get everything  right?

Dedicated

Once again, our newest family member was dedicated by his grandparents. Albeit with one less grandmother, it was still special none the less. For those who aren't familiar, a baby dedication is a special ceremony where we, the parents, are held accountable to take the responsibility of raising our child to know God and to raise them in the church and sheperd. This isn't to take the place of asking the Lord into their hearts. They will have to make that choice on their own later on as we believe Salvation is a personal decision.

Now that there are three little ones on the stage.....two year olds will ALWAYS have a mind of their own and only cooperate so much. Nolan spent much of his time laying on the floor. At least he stayed on the platform.

A special thanks to my neighbor Katie for taking pictures of the service. Otherwise I would have had to try and tripod the camera and have a remote shutter in hand and pray I could get something of worth.

Pumpkin Face

As the kids become older, I've tried to instil some holiday traditions into our family time. I grew up celebrating Halloween more so than Matt, but we both did do trick or treating. 

Without getting too huge into what this holiday means and what we want it to represent to our kids, I think there is nothing wrong in carving pumpkins and being creative. Hence why we do it a week away since we are not worried about them lasting until Halloween night.

 

We gave Eliza a marker and told her to draw a face, while going over the different parts that make one and how many of each. Then I tried to interpret the stribbles to the best of my abilities to showcase Eliza's design.

When trying to do an activity with all the family and with the young ages....I won't lie....it wasn't as magical and peaceful as we'd like when Matt is barking at the kids to not touch the knives and ensuring the pumpkin mess only finds its way to the slop bucket or table. I'm sure things will get a little easier each year...I hope!

Cell phone flash light apps work wonders for pre night testing. Once dark, I cracked a few glow sticks and put the pumpkins in their room for bedtime. Eliza is already counting down the days when we let her carve with a knife ;) 

PS- I found a WONDERFUL technique for roasting the seeds. I used season salt for the baking seasoning. Makes me sad that you can't buy pumpkins throughout the year.