We're Pregnant Again!

We're pregnant again!!

Guess what?! We're going to have another baby!! :)

I've planned to blog all about it since I kept the blog up to date with Kylee and Gunnar's pregnancy and time has just gotten away from me. I mean really, my last blog was over two years ago. We are just pure busy these days with the kids getting older and us being involved in more activities, and with my business, Sew Cute by Emma. I have been diligent about keeping my Etsy shop up to date this year and it is definitely paying off!

ANYWAY...we have not used any prevention in about 3 years and although I've taken many tests (mostly because I liked to convince myself there was a possibility of being pregnant) I never was. This was a totally different experience from our others. We conceived all of our other children so quickly. Hunter happened the first month, our miscarriage happened 3 months after I stopped taking the pill, and then Kylee happened 3 months after that. And Gunnar, we weren't even trying, since Kylee was only 6 months old! So for us to go three years without using anything and not conceive, it was definitely different!! It gave me such perspective into friends' lives who struggle with infertility. It's such a different hurt when it's totally out of your control. It really helped show/remind me though that God is in control and I can trust Him with our family size. If I really believe He is a big enough God to hold the world in His hands, control our finances, big decisions, etc, why can't I trust Him with our family size? Why do I feel that I have the right to say, "oh yes, God, I know you can handle my finances, and where we should work/live, but I know best when it comes to how many children we should have." The Bible says over and over that children are a blessing from the Lord. And sure, if He wants to, he can make anyone conceive, no matter what kind of prevention they're using, but why would God give someone a blessing if they're not being obedient? ...stepping off my soapbox...although this is my blog, so it's the best place for that, right?

So anyway, we certainly weren't "trying," but we had had conversations that if the Lord did decide to bless us again, we would take it. Well, when we bought our house last June, we sold all of our baby stuff! (Isn't that how it works?) It had been 2.5 years of us not conceiving and we saw no point in keeping/moving it. I had come to a point where I didn't think we'd have another one. Even though my heart wanted another one so badly. 

Anyway, fast forward to the end of February. My cycles certainly aren't regular. They can range anywhere from 30-40 days, but they do average to about 34 days. Around 31 days or so, I'd been having the pulling/punching feeling in my lower abdomen sporadically. I do get that now before I start though, so I didn't think much of it, because it usually means I'll start within a day or two, but it kept on for days. By day 33-34 I started to wonder, because of its consistently and intensity. I bought an 88¢ test the evening of the 34th just so I could see a negative result and move on with my life. I woke up about 5am on day 35, which was February 23, because I had to pee. I thought about taking the test but wasn't up for the disappointment so I didn't take it. I woke again at 8am and decided to take it so I could put the wondering out of my mind and know I was going to start. I took it, then looked at the directions to be reminded of how long I was supposed to wait before reading the results. In about 10 seconds, I found my answer (3 minutes.) I couldn't help it and I glanced at the test. I saw the faintest of lines, and thought my eyes were tricking me. But the more I looked at it, the darker the line got. Within 20-30 seconds, there was no question it was a positive.

 I walked in my bedroom and just kept repeating, "oh my goodness, oh my goodness." I just couldn't believe it! We had co-op at noon, which meant we wouldn't see daddy until dinner time and I just knew I couldn't wait that long to tell him. I had enough patience (even though my hands wouldn't stop shaking!) to whip up a shirt for Gunnar, and we went to Toyota to show daddy his new shirt. When we got there, I took his sweatshirt off, Greg read it, and just had a look of shock. He said, "are you serious?"

 And I said, "yes, and I brought the test in case you didn't believe me." Haha. We told the kids right then too and they were so excited!

Greg said he didn't care who I told, so I pretty much told the whole world! haha. At co-op in the sign language class I help out in, the teacher was passing out conversation hearts for an activity, and this is the one that she just happened to give me. I absolutely loved it. :)

It's been 4 weeks since we found out, and it has been so fun with older kids. They are so interested in the daily development of the baby and ask every day what's happening. My What to Expect app has a weekly video update with the development and Kylee wakes me up in Tuesdays to ask to watch the video!! Greg is still adjusting to the idea, but I know he will come around. :) I can't wait to hear the heartbeat (hopefully next week!) and definitely for the ultrasound because I know that will help him get more used to the idea too. 

Greg thinks it's a boy. I did too until about last week, because I just think, so far at least, that this pregnancy has been more like Kylee's than the boys'. Time will tell though! :)

Stay tuned for weekly updates, although I won't be offended if you don't stick around. I'm mostly just blogging for myself. It's been awesome to go back to previous pregnancy posts and compare this one to Kylee and Gunnar's. 

9/11

In social studies this year, Hunter's book starts out by learning about America before learning about other countries around the world.

In the past few days, I've been able to teach him about some of the very things that make this country the best country in the world, like freedom of speech, freedom of worship, etc. For the first time, we've talked about how so many other countries don't have these same freedoms.

Today, we were learning about different symbols of our country, like the Liberty Bell, and the Great Seal of the United States. While reading about the Statue of Liberty, we came across this picture.

Hunter asked something about the height of the twin towers in relation to the Statue of Liberty, which led into a conversation about 9/11. It was so hard to have to tell my 6 year old that 9/11 happened, and to tell him that we still have to fight so that more events like that don't happen again. But then the conversation led into why we need to be telling people about God's love for them and why they don't need to do things like that. We talked about how it's so easy to get caught up in our little bubble of family and friends at church that we forget about the world around us that needs Him just like we do. We ended in prayer that we would be sensitive to when we're around people who need to hear about Him and that we would tell them what Jesus did for them.

The conversation started out so hard, but I'm so thankful for teachable moments like this where I can tell Hunter about why we're supposed to be a part of the Great Commission!

Matthew 28:19-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

And thank You, Lord, that right after You commanded us, You reminded us that You would be with us ALWAYS!

Are My Choices Pleasing to Him?

In light of Disney's children's show "Good Luck Charlie" having a lesbian couple on it (Sidenote: I've never watched the show, but here is my source) I feel the need to share some thoughts on the subject. I'm normally not one to get into political issues, let alone BLOG about one, but I just want to get these thoughts out of my head, and felt like my blog was the most appropriate place for that.

It's reminded me of shows and movies alike that I've watched myself (without my children present.) There have been more times than I'd like to admit when I've kept watching a show or movie even though it's contained something in it that was contrary to my beliefs. I tried telling myself that it was "just a show" and I'm "just watching it." Well, isn't everyone "just" watching it? All it takes to support a show (and the ideas they're supporting) is to "just" watch it. If the media sees us supporting adult shows with these same ideas, why wouldn't they include it in children's shows too? But the bottom line is that if there are things in it that are making me think on things that are not true, pure, lovely, etc (Philippians 4:8) then I shouldn't be allowing it in my life! It is impossible to watch something on tv and not think about it at all after I turn it off. God wants my mind on eternal things. (Colossians 3:2)

So...if I realize there's shows and movies that I shouldn't be allowing my kids to watch, why am I not holding myself to that same standard? I realize that their minds are impressionable, but SO IS MINE! If it wasn't, then I would think that God wouldn't have told me to be renewing my mind. It's what will transform me! (Romans 12:2) That means that every day I need to be reminding myself of His truths by staying in His Word. It's the only way to say renewed and transform into who He wants me to be. It means taking a stand on both children's and adult's programs alike and saying that it is not ok for my family. I'm supposed to be living differently. I'm not supposed to be loving things of this world. (1 John 2:15-17)

I want to make sure this passion inside of me (partially from Disney's choice) is used to live differently. Matthew 5:16 says: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." I know tv isn't the only thing I struggle with making the right choice on. But I want to work on every choice I'm making, and everything I'm participating in, to be one that would be letting my light shine so that people may see Him. What kind of signal am I sending to the world when I am supporting shows, movies, books, magazines, et cetera, that are contrary to the truths of His Word?

May everything in my life be pleasing to Him. 
"Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him."
-2 Corinthians 5:9

Our Little Graduate

We did it! We made it through our first year of homeschooling, and my baby completed kindergarten! I'm so proud of him! :)

Kylee's Hair

I've been having so much fun with my baby girl's hair lately, and she loves it!

I've been braiding...

 

and twisting...

and knotting...

and anything else I can think of or find to do to her hair.

She even tells me how she wants it in the mornings. Her favorite lately is "two braids." Then after I'm finished, she has to make sure I did what she wanted. Silly girl.

Gunnar is 1!

Our sweet baby boy is 1!

For his actual birthday, we made cupcakes and let him have one all to himself, just like we did with Kylee. He was more interested in playing with it than eating it!

 

He eventually did eat a bit though.

 

For his birthday, we did a Dr. Seuss theme. So fun!

Per my mom's suggestion, the invites were little books.

This was the cover...

and all the pages...

 

 

{if you're interested in using my invite idea, just let me know and I can link a downloadable file of all the pages for you to download and print. All I ask is a pin on Pinterest as a thank you.} :)

For the party, we did a Cat in the Hat cake. We had originally planned to just do the hat, but this was our first time using dowels to help hold up the cake, which resulted in improvising. After we had placed the fondant on the cake...it started to settle a bit, resulting in this:

 OOPS!
So we improvised at 12am and I did my best to make a Dr. Seuss-esque fish.

The themed food was so fun!

 We had Oh, the Places You'll Go! cookies...

 One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish...

 Hop on Popcorn...

 Truffula trees...

 {I bought yellow straws, and put black electrical tape on them. Then I put marshmallows on one end. I dipped the marshmallow in melted candy melts and then colored sugar.}

Pink Yink Ink Drink (Even though I messed up the recipe and so it was actually red...)

And what would a Dr. Seuss party be without green eggs and ham?!

 I made his little personal cake into a "Thing 3" cake.

 A friend at church who teaches at their school had a bunch of Dr. Seuss cutouts that she uses in her classroom and she let me borrow them. Awesome! Thanks, Ashley!

 I made a banner of all of Gunnar's monthly pics and hung it on the wall in our foyer.

 And here's the birthday boy!

Gunnar did even better with his cake the second time around...

And he had no problem digging in!

For games, I used an oatmeal container, a paper plate, and construction paper to make a Cat in the Hat hat, and the kids tried tossing marshmallow in it.

They also played Pin the Hat on Cat with some of the hat cutouts I had, but I didn't get a picture of it.

The third game was called "Would You Eat it in a House?" The idea was to puree food and dye it green and have the kids (and adults!) taste it and guess what it was. I have leftover baby food in the pantry so we just used  that.

We let the kids and adults play, and it was fun watching everyone's faces! A few of the foods we picked were green beans, peaches, and even ground chicken...yum!

The party went great! Thank you, everyone, for helping make his day special!!