Un-un-un-un

It is a beautiful summer day.  "A ten," as Blaine's mom would say.  Gorgeous.

We have 15 acres to explore.  We have ducks, geese, chickens; a sandbox, swing set, kiddie pool; the perfect climbing tree; butterfly nets, their "tipi house" fort in the trees, lots of space to run, and a little baby kitten that showed up to live with us last week.

And I just had to tell them to go outside and play.  That they wouldn't be coming back inside until lunch.  That there was no choice, they would absolutely be going outside.  For a good, long time.  Un-un-un-un.

Though I will say . . .

Right in the middle of writing this, the baby kitten came into the house while they had the back door open, finally giving us an enclosed space to get a hold of it.  I held it in a towel and caressed its head until it relaxed and then we all petted it quietly until it started purring.

Now they are parading around the yard with their new little kitten friend.  Formerly known as Benjamin Sparkle, newly renamed Polly Sparkle.

All it took was a little jump-starting.

Big Brudder, Little Brudder

Whew!  And there went another week.

Eliah's blissful long afternoon nap coordinating with Jamie's nap dissipated at the end of last week.  Up in a puff of smoke.  It was nice, really nice, while it lasted.  He hasn't quite settled into a solid routine yet, so I'm working on staying flexible and taking what I can get.

We moved the swing back down into the kitchen and I put him down to rock for a couple of naps each day or if I need to work quickly in the kitchen.  Otherwise, he usually takes at least one morning nap and an evening nap in the sling.  I like keeping him with me unless I need to bust a move and get some serious work done.

And . . . knock on wood . . . he's sleeping, by himself, in the bed, during Jamie's nap while the older boys are upstairs for QT.  The sweet bliss of solitude.  May it last the entire hour.

Just look at this big and little brudder --

taken yesterday on the 4th of July.

Eliah is 5 weeks old today.

 Givin' the old boy a smooch.

Isn't Jamie's hair pretty??

I put his bangs in a clip yesterday to keep it out of his eyes.

Now that the weather has warmed up,

I really need to give that boy his first haircut.

But when???

Awwwww . . .

This big brudder is so proud.

And check out that cleft chin.

A quick story about Jamie: 

Last week we went to the pool and park for the day.  It was the third or fourth time I've ventured out since the baby was born.  We stay home a lot.  On top of that, due to living so far "out here", when I go somewhere, I make sure it counts.  We left at 9:15 AM and didn't get home until 8:30 PM.  I know.  Insane.  

Chiropractic appointment, strawberry patch (no picking, I just bought a flat), fireworks stand, lunch with friends, pool, playground, pool again, out for dinner, home.  It was wild.  It went really well; I usually consider our van "home" for the day and make sure to pack everything, especially a lot of water and food and cloth wipes with a tea tree oil solution for our hands.

Anyway.  Jamie.  When we got home at the end of the day, he walked into the sunroom, looked around, and stammered, "Our house . . . our house . . . our house . . . our house beautiful."  (He was extra-cheerful because he had slept in the stroller at the park between the swimming sessions.)

I love that.  Getting a peak into his little mind and seeing that home is a place of happiness and security for him.  Sometimes it takes being away from home for a stretch of time to appreciate it fully.  The sweetness of it all.

And now for another set of big and little brudders --

 These fellas.

♥ ♥ ♥

Far away, so close.

I wonder if there will be a time when these memories blur?

I remember taking each of these pictures so well.

Their little faces . . . awwww . . . 
My tender mother's heart . . . it hurts a little.

Misc. postpartum notes

Oh my goodness.  This calls for a good old list post.

• Eliah will be 4 weeks old tomorrow.  One month!  I am amazed.
• I am approx three-quarters of the way through writing his birth story down.  After I'm done, I will start working on posting it here.
• He has started taking a long afternoon nap.  Hallelujah!  It used to be late morning, but it now coincides perfectly with Jamie's nap and the older boys' quiet time.
• I am so thankful for that hour of solitude.  Though now it is the only time I am able to take care of any particulars (paperwork, email, blogging, etc.) now that the evening hours are out the window.
• Yes: the Evening Crabbies have begun.  Isn't 3 weeks a bit early for that??  But the little fella is highly irritable at night and keeps us hopping.
• The only sure-fire way to snap him out of a crankfest is to put him on the washing machine where his makeshift "changing station" is.  We have watercolors on the wall that my MIL and the boys did a couple of years ago.  That combined with the door frame and the dark, red berry wreath is second heaven to Baby Eliah.  He stares and stares.

These pictures are from a couple of weeks ago,

but they are so sweet that I can't resist posting them.

 

 

Just for you, Ash ♥

• I am feeling very good, pretty much back to normal.  My main issue is getting enough water.  My honest-to-goodness goal is two gallons a day.  It seems like an insane amount, but I pay for it if I don't.  I drink water through the night as well, every time Eliah wakes up to nurse I guzzle as much as possible.
• My other issue is my own fault.  I am so sad about this, because I was almost done bleeding.  BUT.  This week I went into the basement and saw that the dehumidifier bucket was full.  I picked it up and carried it up the stairs and outside to water a plant without pausing to think, though I did notice it was starting to feel uncomfortably heavy a little over halfway through.  Dah.  I am so stupid.  I ripped open whatever healing had happened inside my uterus and started bleeding red blood again.  I bet I put myself an entire week behind.
• At least my body feels fine, but what a pain.  I have to be careful for even longer now and, worse, I don't have the luxury to just sit and lay around for the next week to speed healing.

 Kimchi ingredients assembled:

pak choi, radish, scallions, ginger, garlic, chili peppers, salt

 The entire bowl, 5.5 lbs of vegetables,

packed into this 3-liter Pickl-It.

 The results after a week-long ferment.

Not quite as pretty, but so, so delicious.

Blaine described the flavor as going up-up-up-up --

It just didn't quit.

On the transition from Three to Four --

• I've been told by several different people that once you go beyond three children, it is the same-difference.  The stress levels don't go up much after Three.  Though I'm only a month into it, this definitely seems to be the case.  
• Perhaps it is mostly because I'm used to the level of mania, so adding one more doesn't seem to be much of a deal.  Or perhaps it is because our routine is so entrenched by this point and this little guy is sliding into place so easily.  Perhaps it is my accumulated level of experience.  I'm not sure.  All I know is that it doesn't seem that strange.  It honestly feels rather . . . normal.
• Though I will say . . . Jamie.  That little rascal.  He's two and a half so I know it is normal, but ay-yi-yi.  He has been exactly what everyone says to me when I'm out in public, that "I have my hands full".  Yes.  I've had to work hard on keeping my patience with him and in some cases I have partially or mostly failed.  He's a stubborn little guy and doesn't bend easily.
• He's been getting into things like crazy.  On my first day solo, he pooped on the floor in the morning (an accident, but still) and ate all of Truen's green strawberries in the afternoon (not an accident at all).  Later in the week he found a stick of butter on the table and glopped it all over the place under the table. 
• Tables are his favorite place to hide when he's on the sly or being naughty.  If I see him under a table, I know I'm in trouble.  Add to that his sly, furtive glances and that coy look and the electrical pathways instantly connect.  He knows.  And I know.  That rascal.
• His other main issue has been getting into a funk for whatever reason (fill in the blank . . . it can be that ridiculous) and having a very hard time coming out of it.  Things usually dissolve into him being nasty and screaming at me until he spends some time strapped into his chair in the bedroom by himself until he is finally ready to be kind and respectful.
• Oh dear . . . in brighter news, he just learned how to put on his sandals by himself last week and has been working on dressing himself this week.  Perfect timing!  And he's so proud of his little self.

Angelically asleep

He'd have his "papo" all day long if I let him,

but I've kept it confined to resting on the loveseat in the sunroom.

• Along the same lines of the transition from Three to Four, I've found myself not as stressed as I remember being last time.  I honestly don't mind waking up to nurse several times a night.  I revel in the solitude and silence that time provides.  I love snuggling with him and seeing his sweet face in the half-light. 
• Nursing the baby throughout the day, carrying him around, sitting and holding him while he bops and bobbles on my chest, etc. isn't as much of a drain on me as it was the first time 'round.  Don't get me wrong: I loved it dearly, but it was a shocking transition to go from autonomous adult to baby-slave.  
• I must be used to it.  I think I am also reveling in things, knowing that time is fleeting.  My life will be "back to normal" soon enough, I know that.  I have decided to make the choice to take things slow and savor "just life".  Even if it means showering is a rare treat or getting dinner every night is a strain or I don't get to do "what I want to do".
• Zoinks.  I think I have matured as a mother.  It is a good place to be and even better . . . I know it is only up from here.  
• Now if only my body would stop aging while my mind and spirit progresses.

 Zombies.

 Isn't Diego's zombie outfit hilarious??

He was moaning and hobbling all around, 

totally cracking me up.

• All the boys are extremely affectionate with Eliah.  At times they will stop what they are doing just to comment on how cute he is and give him a little snuggle.  It warms the cockles of my heart.
• Diego and Truen are particularly helpful.  I have them sit with the baby when I need to shower or be quick about something.  They run and fetch things for me, or lug heavy items if I need it.  I've had them not just clearing their spot at the table, but clearing the entire table and wiping up their spots.  I've really appreciated their assistance and have tried to make sure they know that.
• We have one week left of our little homeschool.  After that, I am going to read one chapter a day out of Viking Tales, The Blue Fairy Book, The Burgess Bird Book for Children, and the DK Illustrated Children's Bible in rotation.  I'll plan on four days of reading with Friday as our "flex" day.  Something always comes up, you know.

Smitten

Yes . . . I am that busy.  No time to write, but take a look at some pictures.  In order of date, starting with a week ago last Sunday.  Baby Eliah is the sweetest most darling little fella.  Totally in love.

 Two weeks old with Mama

In the boys' "Tipi House"

 Two-ish weeks with Jamie

Sunning his wittle diaper rash

 Two-ish weeks with Truby

Waking up from another nap

 Three weeks old with Diego

Dramatic lighting from the storm that blew through

. . . one of my faves.

Snuggling with Dada at three-ish weeks

Another one of my faves . . .

The sweetness.

And then I made a big batch of kimchi

Saying goodbye to Grandpa and Grandma

So . . . here we are, two weeks postpartum.  Un-un-un-un.  My parents were here the second week and just left this past Friday.  They manhandled the house into submission inside and out, cooked all our meals, enjoyed their grandboy-ohs, and gave me the luxury of rest and the ability to savor my newborn.  Bliss.  I am so thankful for that time.  So thankful.

Blaine's mom came for a few hours in the morning almost every day the first week as well, allowing for a peaceful week of rest and enjoyment for all of us.  Instead of stress and distress (which was my postpartum recovery period with Baby Jamie), we actually enjoyed ourselves.  Blaine was outside with the boys most afternoons, playing badminton or the "throw the ball on the garage roof and catch it in the butterfly net" game.

My focus the past two weeks has been to rest and recuperate.  I've been vigilant about recovery this time, knowing what it is like if I don't guard myself.  So I've been sitting around, doing nothing but admiring my wee one.  I'm not even really reading anything while I'm nursing, something I've always done before.  I'd rather just soak this little fella in.  Time is short.

My gratitude to my parents and my MIL is immense.  Thank you so much!  Thank you for giving me time to heal.  Thank you for enabling me to enjoy and savor these precious first few days and weeks.  Thank you for taking such good care of all of us.  Thank you for loving us.

Physically, I feel "back to normal".  I honestly do.  Two weeks of rest has done me a lot of good.  I am light-years ahead of where I was with my postpartum recovery last time.

I am ready to face "real life" again......

 Pak choi and the cutest little fella ever

 Cilantro and parsley --

Subsequently chopped and frozen in ice cube trays

 A sink full of spinach
(Chopped, blanched, frozen)

This is what I did this morning during Eliah's morning snooze in the rocker.  With Blaine's help!  Don't ever think I did this alone.  Blaine went out before anyone else was up in the lovely morning sun and harvested both spinach beds, the cilantro and parsley, and 10 pak choi for kimchi.  Later in the morning, he washed and picked through it all as I chopped, blanched, and sorted.

The babe slept an extra-long block of time, so when Blaine went out to the garden to paper and straw (after picking scallions, radishes, horseradish, and burdock), I got started on the kimchi.  I completed it in three sessions and ended up with a 3-liter Pickl-It full of kimchi fermenting on the countertop.  I wish I had a picture of it.  It is so pretty!  Drat.  Tomorrow.

While we were working in the kitchen, the boys were working on their new "house".  They finally discovered a magical part in our grove of trees, just to the south of our East Garden.  The ground is covered in violets and lily of the valley, with trees leaning in on all sides that creates a canopy over a circle of space that makes it feel secret and special.  Both Blaine and I have had an affinity for it since we moved in, remembering that burgeoning excitement of hidden spaces and imagination.

It finally clicked for them this year.  Just this weekend!  We are so glad they finally "discovered" it.  They have played back there many other times, but it has never fired the imagination like it did this morning.  Finally.

 The entrance of what they call their "house"

There is a fallen tree, still rooted and growing, on the left

 They laid down straw to mark the trails --

Their idea and they did 100% of the work.  Un-un-un-un.

There was a ready supply, as Blaine was getting straw from the "raccoon barn" 

(due to a mummified raccoon carcass found at one point).

 They also hacked up last year's caveman's club and snake gourds

to make bowls and waterers and "mead horns".

The mead horn idea was inspired by

Viking Tales by Jennie Hall,

a book we are reading for our little homeschool.

The boy is named

::: Eliah Len :::

It took us 5 days, the longest ever.

His name is like a little sunburst in my mind --

I wake up saying it to myself at night, so happy.

Brand-new baby borealis, yet unnamed

 8 lbs 3 oz :: 22 inches long :: one hour old

Born at home at 2:13 AM on 5.31.13

He is the exact same weight (but an inch longer) than Baby Diego --

We think he looks a lot like Truen as a newborn.

♥ His hair is dark and little tendrils curl upward ♥

He has a good latch and took to nursing like an old pro.

The next morning: 

Meeting the two biggest brudders for the first time.

They were so excited!

We went to bed "as usual" last night and they slept through everything

They went to G&G borealis' for the day today . . . 
the solitude is divine.

 Big brudder Diego got to hold him first --

He ooooh'd and ahhhhh'd over all his little baby parts.

 Big brudder Truen held him second --

He was particularly interested in his little hands and feet.

 Big brudder Jamie held him third --

He tapped his little nose gently and seemed very interested and pleased.

 Surrounded by boy-ohs

First family picture --

I love all the action in this shot.

Jamie was cranky because we took his "papo" out.

An update in short

I've had contractions all day long, 15 minutes apart during the day, 10 minutes apart in the evening hours.  I went to bed like normal and tried to sleep, but pesky contractions kept bugging me and waking me up from my almost-sleep.

Then . . . right as I was about to call the midwife to report, my water broke.  I felt a pop and it gushed all over the bed.  So I guess this is it.  For realz.

Various updates

Updates do not include a baby on the outside of my womb.  Or any rumblings therein.

They do include:

•  A concerning lack of nesting instinct.  Seriously, I'm not feeling that compulsion.  A first.  Does this mean I'll be pregnant until the end of time?  Kidding.  But seriously.  Maybe another week...?  It seems odd.
• Lots of contractions triggered by the babe's activity level in the evening hours, coupled with my body's fatigue after a long day.  Very unpleasant.  It includes lots of pushing on my innards and groin spasms that don't go away when I sit or lay down (oh joy).
• The babe moved back up, recommencing pressure on my ribcage and stomach.  I measured 44 inches at this week's prenatal because of it.  Last week I measured 39 and 3/4 inches.
• The enjoyment of sweet snuggle sessions with our little 2 year old and the ability to pay concentrated attention on the older boys.
• And time to get "one more thing done".
• I am also experiencing the strangeness of planning my week (menu outline, activities, errands, schoolwork, housework, etc.) with such a huge, distracting, life-altering event on the horizon.  I keep weekly lists in my organizing notebooks, something I usually do in the solitude of Monday mornings.  Very helpful in keeping me on track.  
• My agenda is loose enough, but I am still left wondering, "Maybe I should get at X today, because I might not be able to do it tomorrow".  Like today.  I need to go to the meat locker to restock to ensure we have enough food for my parents to work with while they're here.  But I'd rather go tomorrow, because that is an ILL delivery day at the library.  But dare I wait?  That kind of thing.

Overall, I am still doing fine.  I feel good (and normal) throughout most of the day and have been surviving the evenings.  I want to accept this waiting game with grace.  There are certainly many, many women who have waited much longer than I ever have.

I can take it.  I will wait in peace.

Un-un-un-un

Two things.

First off, sick kids.  Yes.  Un-un-un-un.

Truen played outside for most of the afternoon on Sunday alongside Blaine as he weeded the garden and cleared a ski trail through the trees.  He felt fine and acted totally normal until he came inside and crumbled into a sore throat and runny nose.  It seemed to come out of nowhere.  Then the next day he had an upset stomach.  Warm compresses and a warm bath seemed to help a lot on Monday and he feeling better today, thankfully.  The sore throat is gone, his stomach is fine, and he has a just the scantest trace of residual congestion.  So weird.

Part II.  Jamie was complaining of a headache yesterday.  It was so cute (and sad) to see him holding his dimpled little [big] hand up to his forehead to show me.  Things developed into a fever mid-afternoon, which turned into puking mid-evening.  He spent all last night blazing hot in hazy sleep, the poor little guy, with a 101.3 degree F temp.

His fever broke this morning around 10:00 AM.  He ate a piece of toast with yogurt, got down out of his chair and said, "Me fine, Mama.  Me fine", then proceeded to go get our copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and ask me to read it to him.  He acted more like himself after that and crashed into an early afternoon nap around noon.

Diego is yet unscathed.

All this makes me very happy that this babe has not made his grand entrance yet.  I can't imagine laboring or recovering with a newborn while one of my boys is feverish.  That would be very hard on me.

Besides, we still don't have a name.  Heh.  But seriously.  We don't.  And I bet no one is surprised.

Secondly . . .

I did the math yesterday and realized that I have had an extra 5 days gestation with each subsequent pregnancy, at least based off the projected due date.  For realz.  Very strange.  Diego was 8 days early, Truen was 3 days early, Jamie was 2 days late.  If we follow the pattern, then this little fella will be 7 days late and born on Saturday.  What if??  That would be really weird.

So yes.  I'm still holding tight and feeling fine with it.  I'm glad to be pregnant still with sick little guys.  That is so much easier than the opposite scenario.  I just hope nothing will develop until this whatever-it-is clears outta our house.  Believe me, I can wait.  I want to enjoy my birth and those first few days with my new babe.  Not stress or distress.

Holding steady

Nothing has changed other than the baby dropping last week.

I'm still feeling fine, just fine.  It actually makes me a little worried, because I've been so antsy and irritated at the end of my other pregnancies that it makes me wonder if we're in for another couple weeks.  I don't even like contemplating that, because honestly . . . I really would like to be done.  Just give me a few more days and not a few more weeks, little baby.  Please?

I found my breast pump in with the newborn diapers this morning and thought, "Oh, I am so smart!"  Seriously.  That was some good thinking.  I remember packing everything away last time 'round with sorrow, assuming I would never use it again.  But I packed things away with forethought nevertheless, "just in case". 

When Baby Truen was born I was completely unable to find the breast pump (granted, we had just moved) and ended up seriously bruising my breasts in the process of trying to relieve some of the pressure.  Yeouch.  That hurt.

So yes . . . . there aren't really updates other than to say that nothing is happening.  I am getting contractions on and off, but it isn't anything consistent and they are usually triggered by working too long in the kitchen.

Sweet relief

I walked out of the bedroom yesterday morning and realized that my belly had sunk down an inch or two.  The babe dropped in the night, giving my ribs and stomach some blessed relief.

I ate breakfast yesterday morning and felt mostly normal.  I've been forcing myself to eat for awhile now because I know I'll pay for it if I don't.  The fee?  Heartburn and feelings of fatigue and ill-will toward men.  It is so nice to not be pressed upon, though peeing is now even more of an emergency.  Oh well.

The babe has moved into a different position because of it.  His back and butt are right in the middle of my belly (they had been on the left/upper-left for months) and his feet are much lower and switched from upper-right to the middle-left side.  I guarantee I will measure smaller at my prenatal appointment today.

I've only had one other baby drop like this.  It was with Baby Truen, also in the night, and coincided with my water breaking.  He was born the following night.  Not the case with this one!  But whatever, it is one step closer.  I still have a lot to do.

And ultimately, it is so nice to have a little more space.  The boob-shelf is gone.

39 weeks

Un-un-un-un.  My mind is boggled.

We have the baby's due date (this coming Saturday, May 25th) marked on our school calendar.  What a visual.  There are only four blank days until that date.  Wow . . .

I washed my nursing bras this weekend (that was weird).  All the babe's clothing is washed.  Diapers are down, I need to double-check whether I need to wash those or not.  Probably.  The box of pads for the lochial flow are out.  I need to find the breast-pump.  Etc.

These are the things I'm thinking about right now.

I took care of all my scattered paperwork this weekend.  I tackled that unpleasant phone-call list this morning.  Freezer meals are taken care of.  I got the majority of next school year's weekly schedule laid out this weekend (my goodness, but did that feel good).  I still need to brainstorm a work list for Blaine's mom (she'll be here for a couple of hours each morning that first week): housework and weeding are on the top of the list.

Other than that, the most pressing need is to complete the seasonal clothing shift.  All summer clothes are downstairs.  Most of the winter clothes have been washed, checked for stains, re-washed if need be, and waited to be folded, then sorted, then put into storage.  It's tough though, because we're in transition: there are still cool days mixed in with the warm ones.

My uterus.

I'm feeling generally good.  Contractions are coming daily; the old girl is practicing.  It is rather annoying, but it just comes with the territory.  TMI, but I've noticed that my flow of urine is either sped up or cut off if/when the baby is bopping while I'm peeing.  It is the weirdest thing.  We are definitely running out of space; all my innards are protesting.  The baby is riding high, so I get heartburn when I get too hungry.  The little sucker is pressing on my stomach and wreaking havoc.

I've also noticed that I am reminded of labor when the babe is pressing down and putting pressure on my pelvic floor.  It makes me remember what is ahead of me and I've realized that I don't want to feel that unpleasant sensation until it is the "real deal".  When I'm able to focus on the task at hand, I'll be ready for it.  Meanwhile, I just don't want to deal with the discomfort.  If that makes sense.  It doesn't happen with much frequency, mostly just when the babe is awake.  His most active time is around 6:00-ish - 7:00-ish PM.  It is better to just sit during that time, or I'm doubled over or stopped in my tracks with the groin spasms, and feeling downright uncomfortable and pressed upon from the insides.

Overall, I'm still not feeling all that antsy.  I am definitely looking forward to having my body back.  I am tired of being pregnant.  But things aren't razzing me like they have in the past.  I'm fine.  I'm honestly fine (though I do feel a little more ragged in the evenings).  I still have a lot of work to do, which helps me maintain my calm.  I am focused on my tasks at hand.

The birth.

For this birth, I will have two midwives (the same two from Baby Jamie's birth), my doula-friend Suz, an18 year old daughter of a local friend, and Blaine.  I will be literally surrounded by women!  I remember feeling so taken care of last time 'round, supported and held up by the three women attending me.  It was wonderful.  I like having Blaine there; to have his solid presence, playing witness and participating in the awe, but I'd rather be tended by women.

The 18 year old, like I said, is a friend's daughter.  She is extremely curious about birth and is interested in becoming a doula.  I figured this would be a perfect opportunity for her to get an inside view of the real deal.  She came to my prenatal appointment with me last week and will be coming with me again this week.  She seems really excited about it, which is fun.

I'm curious to see how this birth pans out.  I am experienced enough by this point to feel like I'm not quite sure what to expect.  Every birth is different.  Diego and Truen were both born around 1:00 AM.  Jamie was born at 10:30 AM.  My water broke 22-ish hours ahead of time the first two times, but not until the very end last time.  My second birth was the most peaceful, the third birth was the most tumultuous, the first birth was the most confusing.  So what will happen...?  I'm not quite sure.  How will it begin?  And when?

It will be very interesting to see what happens.

A meandering post

After two days of fierce wind, it is now 90 degrees F outside.  Un-un-un-un.  I put on a dress this morning (a thrifted number I wore while pregnant with Baby Truen) and it felt so amazingly good to not be in pants.  I love skirts and dresses, I really do.  They're the best.  So much cooler and more interesting.

I'm at 38.5 weeks.  I'm starting to feel more uncomfortable, particularly on such a hot day.  But just in general, I'm feeling plenty of squeezing contractions and feel weighted down, unable to move very fast.  Moving fast has dire consequences; specifically, groin spasms that stop me in my tracks.  I literally fell on my knees during one episode, which feels so pathetic.  But there is something about the baby's position that triggers my right groin to seize up when I'm moving around a lot, particularly when I'm tired, but also when the baby is awake and moving.

Oh well.

I'm enjoying the last few weeks of Three, soon-to-be Four.  I marvel at how sweet my fellas are and how well they play together.  Not all the time, of course.  But they really are a crew.  Lately, they've been pretty obsessed with She-Ra (of all things).  We got a Smart TV this spring in order to access Netflix and that has opened the flood-gates of vintage episodes of He-Man, She-Ra, and Heathcliff.  Blaine loves to watch it with them in the evenings.  He particularly enjoys the color and kitsch of He-Man, though She-Ra is basically the same/diff.

Just as long as I don't have to watch it.  Our house rules for television watching is that we "watch TV at night, with Dada".  They don't even ask me to turn it on during the day, which is so nice.  I love the freedom from harassment.  Likewise, Diego gets to play video games (Blaine's old Nintendo NES) for a half-hour or so after Blaine gets home.  Having set expectations is key in living a pester-free existence.  It really is.

Anyway, back to the boys playing together . . .

Jamie is always She-Ra, Truen is his crab-claw sidekick, and Diego is "all the bad guys".  This usually involves a lot of running and yelling and rolling around.  Diego is always on the attack while Jamie swirls around bravado-style kicking and hacking, saying, "Ya! Ya! Ya!" and "She-Ra!" and Truen rolls around on the crowd clacking his imaginary crab-claws.  It is hilarious.

I tried to capture it on video yesterday, but it disintegrated into chaos that ended up with Truen and Jamie screaming and crying.  Also pretty standard.  Diego is twice the size of each of them and tends to be quite impulsive, so there are typically a lot of injuries on the little fellas.

In other news, we have a garter snake den on our acreage (under a mysterious rectangle-shaped strip of concrete that was here when we moved in).  The boys caught literally 8-10 snakes at the end of last week and used our handy-dandy thrifted 5 gallon terrariums with mesh-lids (we have two of them) to keep them as "pets".  Diego swore passionately that he wanted to keep the snakes for the rest of his life and that all other pets were boooooooring, but he was already ready to let them go today.  We've been feeding them earthworms and bugs, but it was time to let them move freely again.

Truen made a "Snake Chore" list in his special notebook.  I wrote it down as he dictated it to me.  Amongst the chores of making sure they had food, water, and plenty of grass, one of his daily tasks was to "bask with the snakes in the afternoon".  Bask with the snakes.  And he honestly has been doing that.  He'll sit in the sandbox in the afternoon sun, holding a snake quietly and gently.  For 10-15 minutes or more.  He does that with the goslings too.  He is un-un-un-un.

Jamie has been lugging the snakes around as well and is amazingly gentle with them, for the most part.  I have to keep my eye on him because he likes to pick at their scales with his fingernail (out of curiosity vs. maliciousness, the little rascal).  But overall he does very well.

And I'm not sure if I've taken a single picture of any of it.  Dah, I'm getting really bad.

Can't stop chortling

Post title: The Phantom of the Living Room
Picture caption: It was the start of something beautiful.

Love it: Awkward Family Photos

Not antsy

I just looked at the calendar this morning and realized that we are approx. 2.5 weeks away from birth.  Zoinks!  I'm 37.5 weeks.  That is amazing.

While I am thinking about what I need to do before the babe comes, I'm not feeling particularly antsy about it.  Not wishing the time away.  Honestly, I'm not even thinking about it that much.  There is too much else to think about and do.

I definitely feel depleted and ready for bed by the evening hours.  I can't lift anything heavy.  I get muscle spasms in my right groin when I try to move too quickly in the evening hours or when the baby shifts a certain way.  I'm dealing with yeast both vaginally and in my armpits (treating it with garlic suppositories, GSE internally, topical applications of tea tree oil, etc.).

I'm drinking approx. a gallon of water in a 24 hour period, probably more.  I regularly suck down a quart throughout the night (on my way back from my bathroom trek) because I am so thirsty.  I get up to pee 2-3 times a night, but don't mind much.  Getting back to sleep is easy enough and I get to be alone . . . no one needs anything from me.  I feel completely refreshed and like my normal self every morning, which feels very good (though I slowly go downhill by the afternoon until I'm ready for bed in the evening hours).

I am also slowly whittling away at my to-do list: baby clothes out, diapers out and ready, seasonal clothing change organized and put away, freezer meals stocked (done! thanks to the help of my friend and neighbor Lindsay), Year Two homeschooling curriculum guide under wraps (in process), baby necessities purchased (layette gown, swaddler, birth kit, butt paste, new diaper bag, Ergo baby carrier), etc.

We still don't have a name.  And we certainly don't have any excuses this time 'round, since we know we're having a boy.  We are pathetic.  Blaine brought it up last weekend, but Jamie woke up from his nap literally 30 seconds after the conversation was initiated and nipped that one in the bud.

* * * * *

Speaking of . . . our garden is almost totally planted with the cool-growing varieties.  All that is left is the cabbage.  This weekend Blaine planted the onions (100+), celery (40-ish), and broccoli (55).  He planted a bunch of stuff (seeds) last night as well, but I don't even know what it was because I was inside working in the kitchen and talking to my brother on the phone.  Oh dear.

The tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant are outside "hardening off".  They'll go in the ground within the next week or so.  He'll also plant the West Garden soon, with all the heat-loving squash and melons.

* * * * *

And, last update: approx. 3/4 an acre directly south of our driveway will be seeded this week with native prairie grasses and flowers.  We are so excited about this.  It is going to be a gorgeous view out our sunroom windows come next summer.  We had the perimeter of our property seeded similarly in 2010 and it is a rainbow of different flowers and interesting grasses throughout the summer, but we have to trek out to see it.  Not anymore.

The area has been brown and dead since last summer in preparation for seeding, so we are really looking forward to seeing a bit of life.  Before that, it was a grassy weed patch.

Recent quotes

"Did you know that a 'dude' is a horse's butt-hair...?  Dada told me."

::: Diego ::: at breakfast this morning.  I laughed for several minutes after this lil' beauty.

* * * * *

"'He eats his lunch and asks for more'.  That's just like me."

::: Truen ::: yesterday afternoon after listening to a song about a pet dinosaur.  His snack quota has skyrocketed this week; like, 2-3 boiled eggs, cheese, raisins, nuts, and a banana all in one day in addition to eating full meals and asking for more.  Growth spurt anyone?

* * * * *

"Catching floggies, Mama.  Yike dis!"

::: Jamie ::: last weekend.  He then making a grandly dramatic swipe through the air with his net.  Frogs = "Flogs",  Broken = "Bloken", etc.

Recently

 A fine game of "chesst" with Diego.

(We found the missing rook just this morning.)

Two bandits in carefully crafted costumes --

Once dressed, they disbanded and played something else.

Like, within a couple of minutes.  Go figure.

The babies

 Squeeee!  Aren't they adorable??

On Sunday we spent most of the day in the garden.

Blaine planted while I took notes or got water --

Lettuce, kale, chard, spinach, peas.

The goslings and ducklings were with us the whole day.

 The chicks? They were in their box the entire time.

Chicks are sooooo last year.  LOL

(But seriously, they are a lot smaller and more timid.)

 These babies are the sweetest things and LOVE to be with people,

particularly the goslings.  I think the ducklings would be more shy,

but they follow the goslings everywhere,

and peep in distress if they get too far away (the cutest).

Here they all are, snuggling with Truen while he played in the dirt.

 After planting and the subsequent clean-up,

we took a stroll to the orchard and around the farmplace.

We initially tried to keep the babies penned in the garden

(it was such a long walk for them), but they were so distressed 
seeing us walk away from them that we let them come with us.

Here they are, following the crew.

 But after their long walk they were tiiiiiiired.

When we stopped for a rest in the grass, 

they nuzzled right up to Diego and immediately took a nap.

Did you know that waterfowl have two sets of eyelids?

We didn't, though it makes sense.  

One is clear, on the inside of the outer eyelid, and goes front to back.

They were snuggling with Blaine as well.

In fact, they love him the most --

if he is outside they stick by him,

and when he walks away, even if there is someone else near,

they peep in distress and try to follow him.

Homeschooling research blitz

This week we had two snowstorms.  No joke.  But yesterday it was in the 40s F in mid-afternoon and today I do believe it is in the mid-60s.  What a relief.  There is still snow on the ground, but it is melting.  The bugs are starting to come out and the poor robins actually have the potential to find something to eat again.

I have been in the throes of researching and defining my schooling plans for next year.  I've decided to continue following the Ambleside Online curriculum, but stripping it down to an almost skeletal form, then use it as a base to build from.

Yes, I am delving into planning my own curriculum.  After a year of "training wheels", I feel like I have more of a grasp on what I want to do and how to do it.  It is liberating and a little scary all at the same time.

One of my main goals is getting our weekly schedule in order.  This year, I've been following a weekly reading schedule based off of Ambleside Online's Year 1, then inking in whatever else we've done that week, from working on memory work to countless games of Go Fish or chess.

This has worked well enough, but I've realized that a lot has fallen through the cracks with this method.  I need a more complete survey of our weeks, or one of two things will happen: I will let things slid or simply forget all the other great things we could be doing.

With that in mind, I plan on creating a more in-depth weekly schedule of reading and activities.  It will be undated so I have flexibility of time, but still have plenty of structure to keep myself on track.  Monday - Thursday will be the most structured days, with Friday left for catch-up or fun activities.  I've found this year that any reading I had scheduled on Fridays was usually ignored or dropped, until I finally got wise and absorbed it into the earlier part of the week.

Other than these things, here is the run-down of my plans:

History

We will start following the classical tradition for studying history.  I like the idea of covering world history in chronological order and repeating the same time periods every four years.

While I like the idea of using biographies as a primary means to an end, I feel like I need more structure to help me along the way.  Because of that, we will be using The Story of the World: Volume 1: Ancient Times: From the Earliest Nomads to the Last Roman Emperor by Susan Wise Bauer as our history "spine" to branch out from.

I plan to supplement with a good variety of corresponding readings throughout the weeks to help ground us in actual people and how they lived.  The SOTW: Volume 1: Activity Book offers a lot of ideas that will help guide me through various options for "extras".  Whatever I can handle, big or small.  I'm sure we'll do an archaeological dig in the sandbox, but I doubt we'll be mummifying a chicken.  Heh.

Art

I had planned to do picture study this year, but haven't had much structure.  And with no structure, at least in my life, not much happens.  For next year, I plan to buy three Picture Study Portfolios (studying one artist per term) from Simply Charlotte Mason and make it a part of our weekly routine.

Music

This year, we've listened to various works: Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Beethoven's Wig 1-4, and Can You Hear It?.

But next year, I plan to pick three composers (one per term) and listen to their music throughout the weeks and months.  I'm sure I'll probably source some kids' biographical works for each composer, but mostly just focus on listening to their works.

Literature

I have no qualms with our literature study this year.  I plan to continue on track, using various booklists for Year 2 as a guide to what we are reading: Ambleside Online, Tanglewood Curriculum, Mater Amabilis, etc.  We read a lot, as well as listen to a lot of audiobooks, so I feel very good about where we are at.  We will also be going through a lot of good books via our supplemental history readings.

We will continue on with our "poem a day" practice as well as using poetry for our memory work.

Math

At this point, I haven't gotten formal with math.  No worksheets, no workbook.  Most of our math work has come through games, questions, money, measurements, calendar dates, time of the day, etc.  Very laid back.  I feel good about this at this point.  For the first few years I want math to be seen as a regular part of life vs. a worksheet.

I remember being very confused and intimidated by math in the "worksheet format" and while I don't want to press my memories into their experience too heavily, I feel like what we've got going is a good thing.  Diego can do simple addition and subtraction in his head without much trouble, which makes me feel like we are heading in the right direction.

I may get slightly more formal by adding in "math time" each week, where we deliberately work on a math concept or problem.  Otherwise, onward ho.

Geography

We followed Paddle-to-the-Sea along the Great Lakes this year.  I plan to go forward with AO's geography recommendations again next year, as well as doing mapwork during our history studies.

Science

All of our science up until this point has involved Nature Study.  I plan to continue that theme for the next several years, as there is so much to explore, learn, and appreciate.

I'd like to incorporate Nature Notebooks this summer and fall, where we will record our findings by sketching them and written descriptions.  I had planned to buy our supplies at Blick before we headed home from the Twin Cities two weeks ago, but the snowstorm nipped that goal in the bud.  I may just have to buy online and have it shipped here, as I doubt I'll be able to get my hands on high-quality art supplies in this area.  We shall see.

Reading Instruction

Amazingly, Diego still doesn't know how to read.  I would have thought things would have clicked by now, but he shows very little interest or enthusiasm for it.  Throughout this school year, we've worked on letter sounds, vowels and consonants, letter games, three-letter word puzzles, sounding out words, etc.

He recognizes his letters and knows his letter sounds fairly well, but has no desire to "connect the dots" and actually read.  It has been somewhat discouraging, but I've read enough to know that it isn't that abnormal  So I'm basically trying not to stress about it.  I've backed off a bit and will re-initiate again in a few months to see if he is more receptive.  At this point, Truen (at age 5) is far more interested than Diego (at age 7) and will actually get excited about letter games and sounding words out, whereas Diego usually just moans and groans.