The Daily Hailey

In many cases, sleeping until just before 8:00 would be an excellent night! Dekker used to sleep until noon most every day, and in turn, I was SO spoiled with sleeping in for the first couple of years of his life. Then, when he was two years and one month old, his sister was born, and from the very beginning of her life, it was clear that even her newborn self did not need as much sleep as his toddler self did. Thus began Hailey actually having to wake up at normal times in the morning. (Fun fact! Dekker and Laela are 25 months apart, and Solly and Bambina will be the same gap!) This system of sleeping in, or letting some of the kids sleep in to a degree, was glorious! However, school wrecked that for us.

SCHOOL!!!! Gah!

This morning, I woke up feeling SO nicely rested! The temperature in our room was nice, the darkening curtains were letting in just enough light to wake me up slowly, and I hadn’t had any leg spasms overnight, therefore no residual aches from them. I felt good. Until I checked the time. It was 7:54. And of course, its a school day. For reference, we always aim to leave around 8:25.

All the squishy, slow, morning vibes were out the window as I bolted out of bed to go throw some clothes on. For some reason, yesterday, I laid clothes out for today. I never ever do that. Ever. But thank goodness I did, because I was dressed in seconds and racing down to the kids rooms.

I went into Dekker and Rowan’s room first. They were both super cute, still in bed, in good moods. I explained to them what had happened, apologized that we’d have to rush this morning, and told them how this morning would look different. Both boys were on board, so I quickly pulled some clothes out for Dekker and he started getting dressed while I snagged Laela from the bathroom and told her the same stuff. Solly was talking a bit in his crib, but was totally happy, so I left him be for the time being.

I made Dekker’s lunch while he finished getting dressed, and when he came for breakfast, we improvised. We scrapped cereal for a granola bar, which he was completely thrilled about. He threw back a cup of milk, some yogurt, and his vitamins. The other kids wandered over, and also got their vitamins.

Oh shoot! The other kids!

I finished making Dekker’s lunch and retrieved Solly. He stunk. I went to change his diaper.

Shoot! Rowan needs a diaper change, too!

Two little poopers were refreshed and changed into new pants because theirs were just perpetually stinky.

When I came back out into the kitchen, Dekker had finished his breakfast. We had less than ten minutes before we usually leave. But the biggest part was over. Breakfast takes this group forever to eat, but the younger ones were totally willing to wait until we got home, which helped a LOT. Dekker hit the bathroom after he ate, to pee and brush his teeth. While he did that, Laela and Rowan set the breakfast table in preparation for our return.

Dekker was ready to go! Except that his hair was nuts, so we fixed that.

Then Dekker was ready to go, but he had a yogurt moustache. He laughed at himself and fixed that, too.

Into the entrance we all went to get our shoes on! The usual chaos ensues, but its the chaos that I actually secretly enjoy – when EVERYONE wants to get everyone’s shoes for them, and they fight because they ALL want to get their own shoes. Today, though, everyone seemed on point and listened as their siblings shrieked about which footwear they wanted that day. Laela chose her most complicated sandals, but assured me she’s close the door behind her and come in a minute. Yay for independence!

Dekker ran ahead to the van, I walked with the little boys, and Laela came seconds later. Two kids buckled themselves in, I buckled in the other two, and got myself into the drivers seat.

Took a deep breath. Checked the time.

We were literally only TWO MINUTES behind the time that we usually leave the house! Not late at all!

We drove Dekker to school, checked the mail, and came back home. Everyone was still in good shape. They put their shoes away and headed right to the table. Cereal and milk were poured, prayers were said, and eating began. No one missed a beat. It seemed like I was really the only one that took a hit this morning. But seriously, forget my delicious wake up and restful night. I could fall asleep this very moment, thanks only to that ridiculous half hour.

Coffee is not helping…..

So many of you have said to me over time that you feel like you know Jerilee, just based on reading posts. I like to think the vibe is pretty accurate 😉 Today is Jerilee’s birthday! Its s significant one *cough* 30 *cough* and I’m sure she’d vastly prefer that I gloss over it, buuuuut she probably also knows that I won’t, and she’ll still be friends with me. Let’s make that first one the list! (This list has been compiled by myself, my husband, my mom, and my kids, aka Jerilee’s biggest fans!)

1. Nothing even comes between she and I for very long before all is right with the world again. We do disagree from time to time, though not too often, and it never gets too awkward for very long.
2. Jerilee’s sense of humor is wonderfully dry and sarcastic. It has some good shock value thrown in there, also, complete wiiiiith…
3. Her beautiful laugh! 😂
4. She is a wonderful listener, even if the subject isn’t something she directly relates to or would normally need to know about. She makes the speaker feel valuable.
5. I’m trying not to make the whole thing about this one, but I LOVE that she loves my kids so well! 💖 She’ll play hide and seek, help Dekker with his homework, and will read and play games on the floor with them for longer than I even do!
6. Jerilee is trustworthy with secrets! Its possible she’s known this baby’s name long before anyone else! 🤫
7. She keeps us fuddy duddies in the loop with what the cool kids are saying 😉 Brady even says “totes” now, haha!
8. When Jerilee is in a bad mood or has had a rough day, she still manages to pull it together to be around people. To be clear, she’s MORE than allowed to be grumpy with us, and doesn’t sugarcoat it, but she has a nice way of still being super lovely to be around, even when she’s sad. What a wonderful quality!
9. Once upon a time, years ago, I was pregnant with Rowan, and we couldn’t find his heartbeat at an appointment. I had to wait TWO DAYS before I could get checked, and in those days, Jerilee brought me a party. 🎉 She brought my favorite soup, freshly made, a cake, hats, and something to do, and she distracted me for the entire day in between appointments. It. Was. Awesome. THAT is what friends are for!
10. She supports my unreasonable obsession with pineapples even though she is deathly allergic to them.
11. She is someone you can visit with, or be quiet with. Both are equally comfortable and enjoyable.
12. She has great taste in music! I think we agree on almost all of it!
13. Jerilee sees needs, and fulfills them. When we moved to our home two years ago, once everyone was done for the day, she went to the kitchen and shifted things off countertops and chairs, and got the room actually solidly useable, rather than just littered with boxes that would likely have been there for the next several days. She just knew how much easier that would make life.
14. She makes sacrifices for those around her, all the time. For instance, she’s skipping an important event in order to make it to the baby party, and thats only ONE example.
15. Of ALL the salespeople in the world, she is one of the few that is NOT pushy and overpowering! This is an amazing quality when it comes to sales, I find. She is the girl to go to!
16. I love her bangs!!
17. She encourages those around her and brings them value. I know I’ve felt it, and I’ve watched my kids puff up when she compliments their great pictures, abilities, etc.
18. Road trips are the BEST with Jerilee! She rolls with the punches if plans change, but is reliable when they don’t.
19. She is an involved friend and auntie to my kids. She makes the drive our way for birthdays, Christmas concerts, whatever she can get to. Even if they’re lame and disorganized. Last year, when Laela turned 4, we went and played at the playground. That was the “event.” And she came, just to be present! It was WONDERFUL.
20. Jerilee is ferociously strong, and can handle a LOT. But, on the days that she can’t, she will let herself be vulnerable, and I’m so thrilled to be her safe place to fall 🤗
21. I really appreciate that she will go outside of her comfort zone to bless her friends. She even braved the hospital and came to visit me when I was waiting for Jamin to be born. Anything could’ve happened in those hours, we both knew it, and she was up for the task! It was such a blessing to have some normalcy, and some laughs with my best friend, while I went through something super hard.
22. She is one of the few humans on earth who appreciate eating tuna on a regular basis. 🐟
23. Solly loves to scale his Aunty Jerry like a building and wrestle her 🤼
24. I love her itty bitty princess sneeze 🤧
25. Jerilee has wonderful taste in shoes, but poor judgement on when to bring which shoes where 😉
26. Laela LOVES that Aunty always has videos of her puppy videos on her phone 🐶🐶
27. Rowan says he loves sharing his stuffed toys with Aunty, very likely because she always lovingly accepts them. 🐻🦊🦊
28. Dekker loves that she reads stories very clearly, lol!
29. We all love Jerilee’s gentle spirit.
30. Laela keeps telling me she likes doing all kinds of things with Jerilee that they’ve never actually done together, so I’m taking that to mean that Laela loves having Jerilee in our lives, and hopes to have her around for much, much longer.

I know my dear Jerilee, my best friend, has not been eagerly anticipating this birthday, but I am thrilled and honoured to have known her for this second half of her life. Fifteen years have been great, and I hope there are many, many more. In talking with Dekker about birthdays today, he commented that, when he turns 100, he will be SO STRONG. I love that he associates aging with strength rather than weakness, and I agree 100%. Jerilee, girl, you are STRONGER than you were a year ago, and I am PROUD of where you are in your life, what you’re doing, and who you have become! I hope you keep me around to see how you keep growing and changing, because I’ve so enjoyed it thus far. Anyone who is a friend of yours is a lucky one.

I am SO lucky!! 💞

One. Month. Left. I can’t even believe it!! We’ll be aiming to have our baby in the very first few days of July, give or take, meaning the countdown is ON! This past weekend was the biggest thing we were committed to before Bambina’s arrival, and now that its done, I think time is going to absolutely whip by!! There is no shortage of things to do around here before she comes, but its starting to get done 🙂 The nesting bug has hit hard, and Brady and I have been hard at work accomplishing next to nothing off our list, but all kinds of other things, haha! She won’t care either way, right? Right. Whew!

Size Comparison: A “bunch” of carrots. Thats technical, haha! I appreciated the comparison to a small kids backpack, also. The internet says baby is 18” tall and 5.25 lbs. I can’t see inside of myself, but I’m willing to bet she’s bigger. I’ve been thinking small for a while, but recently, I’m thinking she’s going to be another big one. I already feel noticeably overfull, which I really noticed with Solly, and while he was technically lighter than Dekker was, I’d argue that he was my biggest. I guess we shall see!

Appointments: I have my next prenatal on Friday, and they will be weekly from there on out, which really says something! Once you get into the weekly appointments, you know you’re RIGHT at the end! Eek! I am, however, less looking forward to the test coming this week. This is the week of the test to check for Group B Strep. If you’ve had a baby, you know this is a pretty standard test, no big deal, but its definitely a swab of your bum hole, which I could do without 🤷 Not my favourite thing, but its got to get done, so I’ll roll with it! Besides that, I don’t have too much to talk about. Some apprehension, but as I seem to say every week, I think I’m just going to have that until there is a baby safe in my arms.

How am I feeling emotionally: My emotions are working in extremes these days. I am beyond psyched that the time is drawing nearer and nearer where we will finally hold our baby. Friends, family, and my doctors have all assured me that, even if I went into labour today, our baby would be nice and strong and all would be well. But I admit that the other side of my emotions aren’t afraid of going into labour early. They’re afraid of my precious child dying with no warning, and our being left empty handed once again, with another child to grieve and miss and wonder about. I don’t know what I’d do. I’m terrified of that happening, truth be told. But on the opposite side, I know the chance of that happening is slim, and I’ve successfully brought children home before, and I hope very much to do it again! Just a lot of swirling thoughts, thats all.

How am I feeling physically: My body continues to hold up decently well, considering the stage of pregnancy I’m in. I’m not sleeping very well these days, but thats been a theme for a while now. Since I’ve been nesting so hard, some of my aches and pains are worse than when I’m not doing as much, but thats not shocking. I think the only really notable change is my legs. I guess you could say I have leg cramps, except for the fact that I never notice they’re cramping until I’m mostly asleep, stretch my legs, and they go into crazy spasms. That’ll wake you up, let me tell you! My natural stretch is to point my toes down, and recently, when I do that, my calves go into spasm, and I cannot move my feet. My feet and calves burn like crazy, and I basically am just stuck trying not to cry out in pain for a minute or two until they settle. I’m learning that they’re worse and more frequent if I don’t get evening soaks for a couple days in a row, and Brady massages my legs once in a while now, too, which seems to be making a huge difference. Live and learn, I suppose!

Wish Lish/Purchases: I bought a dress for the baby party this week!! Don’t worry, its not a fancy party or anything. I’m just going to be so freshly postpartum, and I wanted to have something a little bit fresh that fit my middle ground body, if that makes sense. So I’m happy about that 🙂 I don’t have much left to buy, so perhaps this category is about to get boring. Sorry in advance if it does!

Pictures: The bumpity bump! Or should I call it the lumpity bump? Both are accurate. My size changes so significantly each week, it seems. Agreed?

Last week was the first time I was asked if I was having twins 😳 Sooooo that was a thing. I laughed, don’t worry, but in case more people are actually wondering, there is only one in their. I would be THRILLED to have twins, no joke at all, but there’s only one cooking in there this time! Its ok, though. She’s at least three kids worth of “awesome.” At least.

How are the kids feeling: Yesterday, we did a TON of things around the house, and one of those things was moving Bambina’s clothes into place. Her sleepers and blankets are staying up in our room, where she is staying for the first chunk of her life. Her hanging stuff is going in the HUGE closet in Dekker and Rowan’s room, which tends to be the place where everyone gets ready for the day together, and winds down before bed together. Her little bottoms and extras go in the dresser in the same room. Dekker was SO THRILLED when he opened his closet and saw all of her little girly things in there! I think Bambina’s entry into our family is going to be so smooth. Not perfect, of course, and there are always unexpected things that will come along, but Dekker has always been our one who struggles harder with change, and is a bit standoffish of the baby. We never push him too hard with it, and he comes around quickly, as he is SO loving and sensitive naturally! But this time around, I anticipate nothing but love and instant attachment to her!

Getting to know the baby: For some reason, speculating about our beautiful daughter feels ballsy and vulnerable these days. I like to think she’ll be a content little sweetheart who will just fit the bill perfectly for our family. It feels scary to dream too specifically, though. I’m not sure. Now that we spent so much time in the last few days actually preparing for her, I think I’m just irrationally worried that she won’t come after all. If she does, she is going to be one CELEBRATED birth, let me tell you!!! She’ll know how to party, straight out of the proverbial gate!

The BEST part of being pregnant: This baby hasn’t been super hiccuppy like other babies I’ve had, and I’ll admit that I’ve missed it. Some people find baby hiccups annoying, and thats completely fine! To each their own! I love them, though 🙂 They’re so small and consistent and some guaranteed movement for a few minutes, at least. It just feels like a gentle poke, but its so humanizing. I love them. The other morning, I woke up a little bit before Brady, and as I took my time lulling awake, the baby got the hiccups. I was laying still, with my hand on her, enjoying feeling her hiccups, when Brady rolled over and lulled juuuuust enough for me to coax his hand onto my tummy before he fell back to sleep. I lay still for a nice long while, feeling my baby hiccupping, with my husband held her. It was glorious. These are some of the best moments. Sigh. ☺

Favourite thing: BLANKETS!!!!!

My mom and I chose fabric together a while back now, and my mom spent this week pouring over her sewing machine, making Bambina her beautiful little receiving blankets! They are all perfect. I don’t have one I like more than the others, to be honest. They just feel like they’re SO “her,” if that makes any sense. They are exactly right, all soft and sweet and pretty. They are EASILY my favourite thing this week! Hands down!!

I’m SO excited for June to play out, and I hope and pray I can finish it out strong, without letting my anxiety and nerves get in the way of all the other fun stuff! School wrapping up, track and field day, a handful of appointments, Jerilee’s birthday, the list goes on! I hope to add in a date night with Brady and maybe a pedicure towards the end of the month 😉 Its always hard to prioritize the fun stuff, but I think it will be worth it! Now let’s just see if I can fit it all in! Wish me luck, guys! And welcome to JUNE! Our last month without a new baby in hand!

Two years ago, on this day, June 3rd, we went out on our first outing as a family of 6. Solly was three days old. The reason for our outing?

We picked up the keys to our brand new house!!! It was SUCH an exciting day! I remember crying a lot, haha! I was so overcome with emotion at that point. We moved in the very next day, thanks to a HUGE group of willing, loving friends!! I will never forget that time of life!

Last year, on June 3rd, we spent the morning at the towns parade, and spent the evening with my parents, celebrating Solly’s birthday. According to the blog, I spent the afternoon napping, as I was feeling decently sick that day, as well as the day before. As memory serves, I had gotten my positive pregnancy test not even two weeks before then. I remember being quite anxious about it all, considering we had lost Theo earlier that year, and it had taken a few months to conceive again. So I was feeling quite nervous and excited and sick and tired and hormonal and ALL the things. Also nervous about other things, as our little band played its first “gig” the very next day! There was a lot going on one year ago! Like the year before, there was a LOT of emotion!

Now, this year, June 3rd. We are in FULL nesting mode! Well, I guess I’m the only one nesting, but my loving husband is happily on board to join me, and is working hard alongside me, doing way more stairs and lifting and general running while I made decisions, organized, purged, and – lets be real – made a mess. Laundry has been buzzing since breakfast, we’ve organized a bunch of boxes that made their way inside during our garage purge a while back, and threw away a TON of stuff that I was storing in the storage closet that we really don’t need to keep. I brought the hanging baby clothes into the boys big closet. We borrowed the carpet cleaner from my parents in hopes of cleaning our living room carpet and seeing how much further we get in the coming weeks. Its been a BIG day of getting stuff done, and there is more coming! The laundry continues to wash. Lots of things need organizing and tidying. I found five or six fridgesmart Tupperware containers that I’m SO excited to wash and LOAD with veggies so everything lasts and gets eaten and nothing goes to waste. The kids were scratching at the doors to get out this morning, so we promised them a bit of outside time this afternoon. I think Brady is going to clean the van with them, and maybe even install the bucket seat. I know, its SO early for that, but if he’s already in there, pulling seats out and vacuuming, he may as well, right? Eek! Stuff is getting DONE!

There is no shortage of stuff to get done around here, but I’m thoroughly enjoying it! It feels great to actually be prepping things for summer, and for our new baby to come home. Not that she’ll notice or care, but I will 🙂 Even Dekker has the bug, and spent the last chunk of playtime before lunch going through his nightstand, and purging out the things he wasn’t attached to anymore. I love watching him make judgement calls and deciding whats important and what isn’t. He’s so grown up! They all are 🙂 And they’re all amazing! I’m so smitten.

This weekend was our towns annual celebration of itself, basically. There was a parade in the morning, activities all afternoon, and there are still fireworks to come tonight.

We went to the parade in the morning and stocked up on candy, as per usual. Also “as per usual,” a freezie leaked in our candy bag and I’m tempted to just throw the whole thing out rather than wiping down each individually wrapped piece of candy. We shall see. We got home, ate lunch, and put our prematurely grouchy kids down for a nap. Brady and I also took a bit of a rest.

In the mid-afternoon, my parents showed up and hung with the kids while Brady and I loaded up our instruments into Carrie’s truck, and the three of us headed to the location of our local car show. There was a trailer set up for us to stand on, and the rest of our setup was being assembled. We worked with two sound guys to set up the rest of the “stage,” and to get our instruments up and running. When it got to the sound check, it was time for the volunteers to enjoy some supper and a sit down before the work began, so we played a bit for them and got some claps and encouragement. It was fun!!

We had a quick supper break before it was actually time to start, and I’ve got to say, their pulled pork on a bun was SO delicious! SO much better than mine, and pulled pork is pretty straight forward! It was super duper yummy 🙂 Carrie’s family arrived shortly before we started, and my parents were there soon after with our kids. We had a very cute little front row cheering section!

Guys, we had SO much fun up there, on stage, pretending to be a real band! We were definitely imperfect bu we had a blast, and our mistakes didn’t matter. Nothing we couldn’t come back from and laugh about. Just human error stuff 😉 Not too ominous. We played two sets with a short break in between, and lots of people really lovingly encouraged us with positive feedback and an invite to come back next year 🙂 It was such a great way to roll our afternoon into our evening. The kids ate pulled pork, too, as well as coleslaw and chips. They were happy and fed, and only started breaking down in the last few songs.

Sadly, the breakdowns continued after we got home, and they are already tucked in bed, wiped out from the day’s activities. It seems like they didn’t do too much, but that crazy wind really takes it out of you, and unfortunately, they’ve been kind of off their game since they first got up in the morning. Not their best day, but Brady and I had a really good day, anyway 🙂 It can’t always be perfect for everyone!

Same time next year, guys, if you missed it this year! One gig a year makes you a real band, right?

Just at our house? Cool.

Very recently, as in maybe in the last week or so, Rowan is getting brave and mischievous, and likes to get up from bed and leave his room multiple times for unimportant reasons. I know this is considered pretty normal, but its not especially normal around here. Unless they really need something, like to use the bathroom or because they’re sick, they stay put. But Ro has been testing those limits recently 😉 Little punk. Its almost as though he’s three…

Yesterday, he was out of his bed very early on, multiple times. It lost its novelty pretty early for us, but he eventually cuddled in and called it a night. Until the wee hours of the morning.

I woke with a start at 3:45am to the sound of running in my house. I sat up in bed and, of course, saw a figure in my doorway. Not at all horrifying. I saw the hair and knew it was him.

“What are you doing out of bed? Whats wrong?”

And this is what I get…

“Oh, hey guys. Uh, my blanket is tangled…”

So let’s have some real talk for a minute. Brady and I were both furious. Of all ridiculous things, he had woken us (and we soon found out, most of the other kids) because he was playing in his bed and couldn’t straighten his blanket out on his own. So when he announced his issue, Brady and I just stared at him for a few seconds. Brady heaved a sigh and said he’d go help him, and walked him down.

The next hour or two was spent trying to get the two boys to shut up and fall back to sleep. I was pretty pissed, because I’m already not sleeping well, plus I woke up with reflux, of all frustrating, gross things. But eventually the kids fell back to sleep, as did Brady and I shortly thereafter.

Needless to say, its been an iffy day at best. Dekker has been very easily upset today, crying multiple times before going to school and now since getting home. He is SO overdone. And Rowan is a big ball of arguments and attitude. I can’t say I feel all that different than they do. Grrrrr…

Hopefully tomorrow is a MUCH better day! Local folks (local folkal?) you know its our big weekend around here! There is a parade in the morning, and I heard the car show not only has pork on a bun for supper, but also live music! Hmmm… I wonder who could be playing?? Probably worth checking out!

I cannot believe that my youngest baby here at home is TWO!!! I do not remember allowing this to happen, but it appears that amazing things are completely out of my control! Solly was an amazing newborn…

and amazing one year old…

and the theme continues with him being an absolute stellar two year old! He has changed SO much in the last year! Makes him mama a bit weepy 😭

The year between ages one and two is a big one, because the kid really comes into his own, and Solly has done just that. He learned to walk, discovered opinions about things, and learned to eat and drink most things on his own (I’ll admit I still help him with messy stuff.) He makes jokes and LOVES his siblings. He’s not much for talking, but he’s taken well to basic baby sign language, and in the last few days, his speech has jumped noticeably, no joke! He went from signing “more” only out of desperation, to making the sign while saying “mo,” and if we didn’t tend to him fast enough, verbally saying please!

Poor kid, the biggest milestone of this year has been figuring out his mad constipation issue. I’m sure he’ll be embarrassed when he reads this one day, but hopefully it won’t take too long after that for him to be thankful we did 😉 He’s three months into his corrective laxative treatment, with anywhere from one to three more months to go. It feels like a long process, but he changed SO MUCH since his physical pain left. It is worth the effort!!

Solomon is well loved by his siblings and parents, his extended family, and the amazing tribe of people who have come around us in the last year or two, just because. There is no shortage of affection for him, arms are always ready to scoop him up, and I know he is well prayed for. He is one fortunate little boy, and we are truly blessed to have him in our family. 💙

I love you deeply, my Solomon Brady. I’m as smitten with you as I was on day one, and I will be just as in love with you until the day I leave this earth. And even then some, I bet 😉 Happy birthday, son.

I have nothing too crazy to report on the subject, but I think at least some of you can relate to the satisfaction of some good lists!

Before, I had a beastly long list of “before baby” stuff, and a slightly less (but still pretty darn) beastly list of “before the party” stuff. In the moment, that felt good and organized. Made it all seem doable. I’ve since seen the light, and everything is rearranged and feels WAY more doable! There is still a LOT on them, but its just so so much nicer!

Firstly, I combined the lists. Because I want ALL the baby party stuff to be in hand before baby even comes. At least as much as possible. Many things will need to be purchased fresh, obviously, but for the most part, I want it ALL arranged pre-baby. So that made for one big fat list.

So I broke it down!

I have four categories. Things I need to BUY, BOOK, DO, and ASK FOR HELP with.

The “buy” list has so few things left on it! We crossed two more things off of it today, one we’re waiting a little bit longer on, and a few things I have to look a bit further into and just make decisions. That list is not ominous.

The “book” list is also short, so thats made it feel less ominous to me. A couple of appointments, and two other things that are not necessities in any way, but I think might be worth the fuss of scheduling. A date night, specifically, and a pedicure for the week before baby day 🙂 I also still need to decide whether I’m going to deep clean my house, or hire a cleaner. If I decide to hire a cleaner, I need to book that too, so thats an alternate…

The “do” list is the longest and the most daunting, obviously, but even that one isn’t bad. Brady and I have been better at buckling down and spending some time working on jobs after the kids go to bed. Its SO easy to just let down right around 7:30 and rest the evening away, but a few of the “to do’s” are bigger and will take a few days to accomplish, so we’re trying to be proactive. And its working! The list feels less ominous looking at it like this, because reading through it, I can pick out the priorities and the things that don’t need doing for a couple more weeks still. Its good 🙂 Some of the things on it are even *gasp* fun things!!

My “ask” list only has two things on it! For the record, I know I can and likely will ask for help with other things, but my ask list is specifically just for things that I’m needing from other people. I’m not afraid to ask for help on the other stuff too 😉 Beware, friends.

Each day feels exciting and like an opportunity to cross a few things off of these lists. Anything to bring her closer! Yet I KNOW that if literally NONE of these things get done in the next month, she will be more than fine, and we’ll all be ready for her. It feels like a good point to be at.

Today was the preschool windup! We went to a nearby town and all brought our kids to an indoor play place for a couple of hours. Its a very well known place, yet I have never been, nor taken the kids. It was a new experience, and the place was just BURSTING!

Not only were all three preschool classes together, but parents and younger siblings were also welcome. So I was on the hook for three, and I can honestly say I expected it to be a lot crazier. Only once did Rowan get stuck on the top of the structure and wanted me to come get him. Not to be a total twerp, but I REALLY didn’t want to go climbing up in there, so I asked Laela if she’d help him. She ran to his rescue right away, and they were making good headway until another kid came in and tried to just push him down the levels. Rowan completely freaked out and headed back up to get away from that kid, which seemed justified. Luckily, Laela had gotten him down far enough that I could talk to him from the ground and help coax him down. After that, he stayed and played on the ground level.

Solly spent a good amount of time exploring and running back and forth between me and the structure. He was happy as a clam minus two brief cries he had when he got knocked over. I wasn’t even there for one of them, but another loving mama scooped him up and held him until I came back.

Laela had the most fun, as she should. She was beaming, calling to me from every platform, chasing her friends, and going down slides over and over. I couldn’t convince her to stop for a snack, even. Just water, and only once or twice. She was a ball of sweat and energy!

See? THAT is a girl who has truly enjoyed her morning!! Those cheeks and that hair are a dead giveaway.

I gave the kids a five minute warning, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. I was expecting an absolute meltdown from at least the little boys, but instead, they surprised me, and everyone cooperated and came willingly with me when it was time to go. I got them all buckled, and gave everyone a banana in an effort to keep them awake for the drive home, and I’m happy to say they are ALL sleeping!!! What a fabulous morning they all had. It really shows.

I, on the other hand, really enjoyed the morning as well. I got lots of visiting in with some other preschool moms, and I got to sit and relax my body for a couple of hours. It was definitely a win-win.

Now, I rest, though, because even great outings take energy, and this evening, I’ll head into the city for fresh nails!! I think tomorrow is a commitment-free day??? Correct me if I’m wrong! Or, wait. Don’t. Ignorance is bliss.

As these weeks roll on by, it just feels more and more surreal that we may actually have our baby girl in hand soon!! If you’ve been keeping up with my blogs recently, you know its hard for me to see outside of my lists, but they’re very relevant right now! They’re keeping me sane and organized, considering how soon baby is due to arrive and just how many commitments we have leading up to that point. I’m pretty stoked, though, that I can actually put thought into these things. I don’t feel “home stretch-ish” just yet, but I realized just the other day that its almost June, and June is the LAST month before baby comes! So thats bananas.

Size Comparison: This weeks size comparison is all over the map, once again. Our app says the baby is the size of a cauliflower blossom. Also, the size of a basketball hoop. These two things are not the same size, in my book. Baby Center suggested she’s the weight of a cantaloupe. To mix it up, we looked on Fit Pregnancy and while it makes next to no sense, it suggests the baby is the size of a mid-century modern hanging lamp 🤣 Awesome, right? I, on the other hand, look like a potato. If I was always standing up, always with flawless posture, maybe it would be different, but I have caught myself at angles many times in the recent past where I just look like a potato with legs. While its not exactly my favorite silhouette, I’m thankful to be at the “potato” stage of pregnancy at all!

Appointments: I really enjoyed my prenatal appointment on Friday, actually. I’m up one pound, making my total 16 lbs so far. I’m sure there are a good handful more coming, lol! Brady and I brought the three kids along. (Dekker was in school) It felt a little like old times, when Brady would come to all of the appointments, and the kids were super acclimated to the office. Its gotten trickier as our family has grown, but not impossible, and they actually did quite well!  

Two notable things from my appointment were 1. trying to describe the frequency and type of contraction to my student doctor, and 2. asking if we could bring a photographer with us. So, story number one goes like this. He asked if I was having contractions, and I told him I have lots, but they’re just braxton hicks. He right away started making notes and asking about their frequency. I told him they’re not consistent, I’ve definitely never timed them, but they’re just always. If I go from sitting to standing, or standing to sitting, I get one. If I eat to fast, I get one. If I roll over in bed, laugh too hard, bend, pour milk, etc. I always get one. Brady piped up and said “Sometimes she thinks about contractions, and then gets one.” This seemed to totally baffle our student doctor, but Dr. Guselle laughed about it with us later. She gets it 😉 Story number two is my FAVOURITE! I asked my question about bringing a photographer when both doctors were in the room. I know many people bring photographers into labour and delivery with them, and have for years, but I wasn’t sure the protocol, if I had to confirm in advance, etc. My doctor was actually surprised that I never had before, and we had a funny conversation about some of her birth videos, where she turned a bit red and finished them up with “Well, that was too personal!” It was hilarious. But when she boiled my question down, she simply said “Some people don’t want a photographer in the room in case they do something wrong, but really, then just don’t do something wrong.” I LOVE that! I know there is always room for human error. Always. But I trust my doctor implicitly, and she is confident in her skill! Her saying that to me reassures me that, no matter what happens, she is making informed decisions that she is confident in, and she will stand behind them. I LOVE that!! I also love that we’re okayed to bring our photographer in!!!! 😁 I hope she’s amped too!!

How am I feeling emotionally: My emotions are all over the place. In general, I’m a bit more on alert, because as Bambina runs out of space inside my womb, she is less able to move in big ways. I feel far less kicks and rather, rolls and wiggles. Some days, I get nervous that I haven’t felt her move hardly at all, but I just have to be more intentional about being still and feeling for her. Almost always, I can poke at her and she’ll shift around a bit. Its just not as obvious as the big kicks and stretches were. Last week, my brother and his wife welcomed another baby, my new nephew, Jonah, into their family. Getting to snuggle that new little dude felt SO good in my heart and my hands. It amped my anticipation and excitement. Yet on the very same day, a friend of mine suffered the loss of her baby when she was just shy of 20 weeks pregnant. So many emotions swirled in that day and the days following. The excitement of remembering how amazing it is to bring home a new baby, and the devastation of not actually bringing that baby home after all. So my heart has been full and heavy with joy and sorrow, and a sprinkling of fear for myself. 

How am I feeling physically: The most notable thing I’m feeling is just that I’m running out of room to house this kid. Or womb, perhaps. Yup, running out of womb. I have the constant “overfilled” feeling, am unable to lean very far forward, and deep breaths are hard to come by. But as I always feel I need to add, I wouldn’t trade it. I don’t want to whine about pregnancy being uncomfortable because I know how many of my friends ache to carry babies in their bodies, and I know how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to do so. Hopefully you all understand what I’m saying. I’m not ungrateful, I promise. Just a bit lumpy. 

Wish Lish/Purchases: I mentioned the other day that I had ordered some playpen mattresses and sheets. It’ll be good to have those for the lake for Solly and Bamiba, buuuuut I’m SO stoked about yesterday’s purchase!! Bear with me if you don’t care about this kind of thing or you’re a dude… Yesterday, I ordered a handful of menstrual underwear! I’m SO pumped to have these as an option as I’ll be in this sort of “recovery” all summer long. I went back and forth between two brands for a long time, as one seemed far better than the other but was considerably more money and harder to get my hands on. However, thanks to Memorial Days in the states, they had a sale over the weekend, which I’m under the impression almost never happens! All underwear was 30% off, and because I was buying seven pairs, I got an additional 20% off the top!! It was still a decent purchase, but SO much more doable this way! I can’t wait to have these things in my possession! I feel so much more prepared!

Pictures: She be bumpin’. SERIOUSLY bumpin’! 

This side shot doesn’t show just how lumpy she is, but those photos exists, too! My babies always lay on my right side, and their limbs hang out on the left side. Therefore, the right side of my abdomen is far larger than the left side, even when I’m not pregnant! This picture doesn’t show it to the full extent but its definitely there!

Its just like that now, and I’m cool with it 😉 Kind of a funny detail.

How are the kids feeling: The three kids who came to the doctors appointment with us really enjoyed listening to her heartbeat through the doppler! My student doctor is usually pretty quick with the doppler, gets his number and turns it off, where Dr. Guselle kind of let it go for a bit so I could get my fill and some relief. Different people, different methods. But this time, he held it in place and even offered the kids could help, if they wanted. They all declined, which was fine, but they were crowded around, listening intently. It was nice. In our regular daily life, they often tell me how much they love her, and how much they want to bring her to the lake. Rowan colors pictures for her constantly. Dekker has clearly been watching his daddy, because he always insists on saying good morning and good night to her, greeting her when he gets out of school, etc. Just sticks his cheek against my belly and talks to her. I love that. He is going to be SO good with her!! 

Getting to know the baby: Bambina doesn’t seem too worried about running out of room. She seems pretty peaceful and comfy. I hope thats her MO when she’s born. Just content wherever she is with whatever she has. She seems chill now. But also responsive when we want her to be. I hope she’s always this cooperative! 

The BEST part of being pregnant: I asked Brady his thoughts on this category. He says he likes that I’m tired earlier in the evening, and he gets more sleep. He’s not wrong, I’m very tired these days, though I’m up tons in the night, peeing and rolling over a lot. So maybe he is getting more sleep with me dozing off earlier, but I am not getting more sleep. Not. At. All. Such is life!

Favourite thing: McDonalds dollar drinks!!! I could drink those iced coffees every day! I don’t, but I could. I decided to use dollar drinks in this category almost a week ago, yet every chance I’ve gotten to drink one, I accidentally drink it before I remember to take a picture. Its a real problem. McDonalds used to offer any pop or iced coffee, any size, for $1. Now, they only offer the iced coffees up to size medium for a dollar, but still. I love a good cheap iced coffee!! VERY refreshing.

Thats all, folks! Its been a bit of a crazy week, and this week is proving to be about the same level of crazy, just for different reasons! This coming weekend is going to be SO fun, and while I’m totally looking forward to it, its also a big milestone in my head, leaving us with just one month before Bambina comes!! Eek!!! I just can’t wait! I anticipate that June will FLY by, school will finish, we’ll all sleep for a week, and then have our baby!! Or maybe we’ll work our butts off rather than sleep for that week. What I wouldn’t give to get a spring cleaning in before then! Oy! To have my cabinets wiped, bathrooms scrubbed, and living room rug properly cleaned and back to its original color. If anyone can recommend a super affordable cleaner for a one time thing, send that info my way!! Best baby gift ever???