Oddly disconcerting

Do you ever...

Feel like you're

Being watched?

Furniture Hokey Pokey 2011

When we moved into this house everything we owned fit (easily) into a medium sized u-haul. Come to think of it, when we moved to the state of Nebraska, everything we owned fit into a small u-haul. How times change when you buy a house and have a baby. Sitting in Levi's room the other day I realized that there was only ONE thing in that entire room that we owned before moving to Nebraska and it was the crappy old dresser we curb-picked back in pullman, and shared for our first three years of marriage (yes mom, I still have it, I don't have the heart to toss it out).

Fast forward to 2011 and yes, we have a LOT more stuff - especially furniture - all of which has been found used or gifted to us. So when we set out to move Levi to his twin bed (the pieces of which were all sourced from different craigslist folks over the past 6 months) it meant moving his crib and changing table out to make room. Of course to do that, we had to have space in the new baby's room across the hall which was filled with a guest bed and various other guest-room items. Hmm... Thus began the great furniture hokey pokey of 2011.

We began in the basement office. Rearranging the space was some help, moving my sewing table to the utility/laundry room provided the remainder of the space necessary to move the majority of the guest room downstairs. With the guest room reasonably empty we then had room for the changing table and crib, and (whew) you can guess what we did next...

That's right, we finally fulfilled our ultimate goal of setting up Levi's new twin bed, complete with "Thomas" sheet and pillowcase. The boy couldn't have been more excited.

After a completely anti-climactic first night and nap in said bed, he has been walking around proudly all day proclaiming "I sleep in a bed" to anyone who will listen. It's priceless.

So in the past 90 days my son has weaned, potty trained, and upgraded to a twin bed. and I'm quite sure that's enough change for ME, for now anyway. :)

recent conversations

me: "Levi, what are we going to do when we get home?"

Levi: "shoes off, pants off" (shortly followed by) "lunch, milk-cup, nap"

(all true, and in order, by the way!)

me: "Levi, what did you learn about at VBS today?"

Levi "JESUS!"

me: "who made the bunnies (part of a song they sing)

Levi: "JESUS!"

me: "who took you to the potty at VBS today?"

Levi: "JESUS!"

(unfair, but so cute!)

in the car...

me: "Levi, it's time to be all done whining and crying, please use your words."

Levi: "NO, MORE!"

me: "more whining and crying?"

Levi: (continues said unreasonable whining and fussing)

me: "Levi, all done whining, we're almost home"

Levi: "MORE!!"

me: "Levi, is mommy having a boy or a girl?"

Levi: "no, a baby"

me: "yes sweetie, but will it be a baby boy or a baby girl?"

Levi: "a bunny"

Me: "Levi, what does mommy want you to do if you wake up while you're still supposed to be resting?

Levi: "not stand up"

I realize that needs a little context: Lately I've been reminding him that if he wakes up in the middle of the night, he needs to roll over and go back to sleep. Apparently he also remembers something ELSE I told him to do - or rather NOT to do - a few nights back when he awoke in the middle of the night and I found him standing up in his crib (not such a safe feat for a very very tall toddler). He's been thoroughly obedient though, I must say.

naptime is over - more later

potty progress and the FULL week ahead

Well, since I last blogged we've come a looooooooong way (or maybe just what seems like a long way) in the potty department. Levi has started (gasp) telling us when he needs to go - sometimes even when we're out and about.

Last week he spent an afternoon at daycare with a friend (while I went to my 16 week pre-natal, and got a much-needed haircut) and stayed dry all afternoon. This came much to my surprise because I thought surely he'd have an accident the moment I left him someplace without a potty out in plain sight. Apparently not so. Away from home he's been doing a phenomenal job of using the big toilet (with a toddler seat on top) and doing so for people other than his folks no less.

This past Sunday I took a deep breath and sent him to Sunday school in underpants and returned (again surprised) to find him dry. This week he'll be at VBS every morning and so far, with one day down, things are looking high and dry!

I would be remiss if I didn't mention a few lessons I've learned in the past week or so. First, I should never (ever) again give my son a cup of anything, even boring water, to sip on in the car. This is ESPECIALLY true if we're in someone else's car :) and even more true when that special someone else has a DVD player going. Three accidents into our garage saling expedition, I learned my lesson. To the toddler's credit, he did tell me he had to go - but it was not in time for me to remove him from his seat and place him on the potty. He's really been a champ though.

Our full week, which began today with VBS, will continue with a cheesemaking week for Jonathan. Pre-dawn mornings and late nights will punctuate his schedule - and if you have a spouse that works long hours you know what kind of a stressful effect that can have on family life. But I am fully aware that, for many families, long irregular hours are the norm. I am so grateful that is not the case for our family, and that my hard-working husband ordinarily has a very regular schedule that allows him to be home with us for dinner. This week may seem very long indeed, but at least it's only this week (and the week after next, and about 9 more of them before Christmas comes, but who's counting?)

I tried my darndest to post some adorable pictures on my blog the other day but blogger has been fighting with me tooth and nail. Instead I posted them on facebook, so hopefully you can enjoy them there. My effort to take pictures of our family happenings has been pitaful as of late, and I'm sorry to say we've missed photographing a few recent events including a delightful working farm/school we visited this past weekend. Levi adored the horses they had there, as well as the chickens, and ducks, and the one skiddish peacock. He's forever curious - and now talking a blue streak about his curiousities - occasionally in full sentences, which never ceases to amaze me.

If you don't live in the Midwest, now is not the best time to visit (although arguably better than, say, mid January). We're experiencing a daily heat index of 115 - which is mostly tolerable inside my air conditioned home. In my basement. Jokes aside though, I do love this hot weather. It keeps me going during the dark freeze of winter.

I'll have more to say later in the week when I have my thoughts together. Jonathan and I are reading a very interesting book together that I need to blog about. It's written by a skeptic, that's all I'll say for now. Adios!

for those of you who've been there

I have some potty training questions. First, here's where we're at:

When we're at home Levi goes bottomless. He decides when he needs to go potty. He sits down, and does his business. When he's done, he gets up. It's simple really.

When we're out I take him to the potty ever hour. He usually goes. If we happen to be between errands, I take his potty seat in the car and let him empty his bladder in the back of our subaru somewhere in the parking lot. He likes this set up, I don't mind it.

But...

I'd rather not drag the potty chair around. Added to that is the fact that I'd like him to be comfortable going potty on a regular toilet - currently, he is not happy to do so, even when there's a toddler seat on said toilet. He will, however, hold it until he can make it to a more "Levi approved" potty chair. The rub in all this is that I'm volunteering at VBS in a couple weeks, and Levi will be taken to the potty by someone other than his mom or dad, to sit on a real toilet with a toddler seat.

My concern is 2-fold. First, since we've only been doing this two weeks, he's used to being bottomless and having his potty at his immediate disposal right smack dab in the middle of the living room. Not so at VBS. Second, when we do have to use a potty elsewhere, he's used to mom and dad taking him. He simply would not produce anything for the loving nursery worker who tried to take him last Sunday (but peed a river 5 minutes later in his potty in the back of our car once church was over). Hmm...

Suggestions?

Oh, and the whole pants thing... how do I teach him to pull his pants down? That's a toughie.

A long awaited update

There is so much that has gone on in the past - oh - four+ months that it may take me a week of continuous blogging to recall all of it. Seriously, a veritable mountain of change in our lives. I'm lucky, however, that you may know a lot of it if we keep up with each other on facebook. If that's the case, nothing here will shock you, but will rather just fill in the blanks.

I'll add pictures at a later date as my camera is conveniently at a friend's house, in the depths of the diaper bag I left there this morning. Shame on mommy.

Ok, first things first. we're expecting again*! Our joy overflows! (It occurs to me that feelings and exclamations cannot properly or adequately be transmitted over the bloggosphere, but you get my sentiment).

*once a day I get a chance to blog. that time happens to coincide with the once a day that my toddler sleeps, which also happens to be the time I was also taking a much needed nap. Every. Day. Therein lies my non-blogging excuse.

We're due around the New Year, and we'll find out what we're having in mid-August. Although I am into my second trimester I am still sick-sick-sick. In my pregnancy with Levi my morning (ahem, ALL DAY) sickness was totally gone by now, but as they say, "every pregnancy is different" right? I remain reasonably hopeful my poor ailing stomach will even it's keel soon. If not I guess our eating-out bill will grow and grow as I simply can't stomach cooking ANYTHING that makes my house smell like ANYTHING at all. Truly.

There are so very many more things I could say about this pregnancy (especially because we conceived so very soon, and so very much to our surprise, after our March loss) but I'll leave most of that for future posts. Suffice to say I'm certainly reserved, although excited; I'm paranoid, but peaceful; I'm afraid, but also very sure that this pregnancy (like the two which preceded it) belongs fully to my Heavenly Father who makes no mistakes, and does not act on whims. Amen.

Levi turned 2 on May 28th, Hooray! Grandma Jen came for the celebration which consisted of a dual party for he and his best pal Teague in our back yard - complete with sprinkler running and the blow-up pool. Loads of fun for any 2-year old. Levi reveled in the gifts he was generously given, including the delightful tool-bench I found at goodwill a few months back. He's our little builder now and the saying holds true "to the toddler with a hammer, the whole world's a nail"

Not two weeks later Levi weaned - I was 10 weeks pregnant at that point, and more than willing to be DONE nursing. Nursing hurts when you happen to be pregnant, a fact I did not fully understand until I was in the middle of it. So, one evening (Levi was only nursing once a day, just before bed) I suggested to Levi that we snuggle instead of having "milk time" and he agreed. Wow, I really expected that to be a bone of contention, but apparently he was as ready as I was.

Soon after (or was it before - I'm losing track) I embarked upon jam-splosion-2011. You may remember my 2010 edition? Well, I created 42 sticky pints of delicious strawberry jam for just under $60, a feat I'm more than proud of - especially considering how sick I felt whilste making said jam. And it turned out great, just ask my friend Kim, who bought a few jars for her family to enjoy. Although my jam extravaganza was just as messy this year as it was last year, I spread it out over a week instead of doing it all in two days. MUCH BETTER OPTION. Just sayin'.

I'm sure there are more things that have happend between all that stuff and this, but Levi decided almost two weeks ago to be all done with diapers. Friends, I will be completely honest with you and admit I used to scoff at parents who attempted to get their kids out of diapers early in their second year. And then, a little strong willed two-year-old of my own refused to wear his one morning. I agreed that he could go au-natural as long as he sat on his potty and made a deposit every 30 minutes. He abliged, and the rest is history. I remain attached to the notion that this was HIS idea, because SURELY, I would have to be CRAZY to think I could force any child, let alone my strong-willed 2-year-old, to put his waste anywhere he didn't want it to be. Whew.

Potty training has been an unreasonably easy road for Levi (and as such, for us as parents) and if you want any more details I'm happy to share. I have no tricks though, save a few pieces of sweet reward (m&m for urine, gummy worm for poop). We now use one diaper each day (night time) and it is occasionally dry in the morning if I get to him soon enough. I had NO CLUE little bodies were capable of holding it so long. I'M NOT EVEN capable of holding it that long. Just sayin'.

The weather in Nebraska has taken a turn for the HOT, as per usual around here. We're enjoying 90-100 degree temps and hanging out by our wading pool under the shade of the giant silver maple that I spend all fall cleaning up after. That tree, man, I despise it from September to December, but it sure is nice to have during the summer. We've also spent time with friends at their various pools and back yard sprinklers. My child continues his affinity for all things wet - we refer to him often as our little fish. He'll happily dish out the splashes, but he can take 'em too.

Most recently we spent the 4th of July holiday at a local parade with friends of ours - it was so fun to watch the change in Levi since last year - this year he RAN for the candy being thrown from each float. He grinned at all the fire trucks and motorcycles, and other assorted vehicle floats that passed us by (last year, by contrast, he wailed). Of course all of that made for a very tuckered out little boy who took a delightfully long nap before we went to our neighbors' home for a picnic dinner complete with ice-cream sundaes.

The longer we live here the more grateful we are for the collection of friends we've made. Summertime, and all the fun togetherness that comes with it, makes it even more enjoyable to be raising a family here in Lincoln.

Have I forgotten anything? Oh, yes indeed, about a billion pictures; Ultrasound pictures, birthday pictures, parade pictures, petting local livestock pictures, and pictures of very many other varieties. They'll come, in time, as I re-gain the energy I'm quite sure I used to have. Having some semblance of appetite wouldn't hurt my energy needs either, but I'm guessing that will return eventually also. Here's hoping anyhow :)