The Race is On!

So in a casual conversation with my sister yesterday, we discovered that we're only within a few pounds of weighing the same, and we both have the same goal weight.

I jokingly said "I'll race you!" and then we realized how much motivation that would be for both of us!

In talking to our our mom about it, we found out that she is also about the same weight with the same goal.

So my sister, mom, and I are racing to our goal weight. At the risk of losing our dignity, I'll just say that I have 16 pounds to go. You won't be getting an actual number out of me. ;) And don't worry, we have been this weight before, so we know it's attainable and a healthy weight for us.

Apparently, this was just the motivation I needed! I've had the approval to workout from my doctor since last Wednesday, but all I did was take the kids for a walk. But last night, with this new motivation, I laced up my running shoes for the first time in 11 months and hit the pavement. I can't tell you how good it felt! I was pleasantly surprised that I still have some stamina. I honestly expected to be starting from square one again since it's been so long, but that wasn't the case. Also, as soon as I started running, I naturally went back into my rhythmic breathing that took me so long to make a habit. I had to stop a few times to stretch some muscles so my time wasn't that great. My groin was pretty much bothering me the whole time too, so I kept the run short. I didn't want to push too hard and injure myself and have to rest for a while before being able to run again. I've been there before!

So, while I can't get out and run a half marathon like I was once able to do, I'm definitely farther than when I first started running back in '09, which is a comfort.

Greg and I are already signed up for the Virginia Beach Rock 'n Roll Half in September. So, I have 6 months to train for that, and have the motivation to beat my sister and mom to our goal weight along the way!

I am super competitive, so they're in trouble!

Hot Hillybilly

I've mentioned Pioneer Woman quite a few times on here. I frequent her website daily and love trying her recipes.

My latest thing having to do with PW is her new book Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. It's the story of how she and her now-husband met and fell in love.

Oh boy, the things is does to my heart.

And it's not just this book. I'm a sap and I love a good romance novel. I typically read Christian romance novels, and whenever I do, I get sucked into the love story and the emotions the characters are going through when they're falling for each other and it is like I fall in love with Gregory all over again.

The books just bring up all the feelings I felt when Greg and I fell in love. And I grow deeper in love with him because of it.

I really am so in love with him.

Sure, he's a man, and leaves dirty clothes in random places and forgets Valentine's day.

But I know he'd give me the world if he could. And amidst the stuff he doesn't do, he really does do so much - simply because he loves me.
He doesn't even question keeping the kids when I need to run an errand or go grocery shopping.
He changes diapers.
He puts up with me (unintentionally) leaving cupboards and drawers open all the time.
He's very supportive with my being in the choir at church and singing whenever I can. This doesn't seem like a big deal, but since we have one car, it is. He is frequently inconvenienced because of it. But never once has he complained. Instead, he fully supports me.
He frequently let's me sleep in on Saturday mornings.
He puts up with (and responds to) every single one of my 8000 "I love you's" (give or take 7900) throughout the day.
He does his best to give me what I want, even if it's not what he wants.
He cleans the shower for me when I'm big and pregnant and physically incapable of doing so myself.
He makes Hunter thank me for cooking a good dinner.
He randomly sends me "Just wanted you to know I love you" text messages.
He does everything in his power for me and our family to make sure we're taken care of.
And he loves me.

And I love him. More than I could ever articulate into words for a silly blog.

So PW has her rugged cowboy in his Wranglers and cowboy boots. And I have my hot hillbilly in his baseball cap and belt buckle.

And he's all mine.

Bowling

So I'm a bargain shopper. I love using coupons and finding any deals that I can. One way I get deals on things is signing up for any company that sends emails with freebies. My husband constantly rolls his eyes at me when a company will come up in conversation and I say, "Oh yeah, I get their emails." Anywhere from Kelloggs to Red Lobster to OfficeMax, I get their emails.

Another place that emails me is AMF Bowling. Last week, they sent me a coupon for a free game for up to 10 people, so we thought it would be fun to take Hunter!

It's so funny to introduce him to new things. I asked him last night if he wanted to go bowling and he just looked at me because he had no idea what "bowling" was. We looked up a YouTube video of kids bowling and he was sold! The bowling alley is literally right next to our neighborhood. If it weren't for privacy fences we could walk there in 5 minutes.

Here he is while we waited for a lane.
I didn't get a picture but I thought his little size 9 bowling shoes were so sweet!

Here's a video of his very first go at it!

One time while I walked up to bowl, I saw that it was "mom's" turn. It was an odd moment for me because, for a split second, I thought of MY mom! Greg said it was a little weird to put "mom and dad" instead of "Greg and Emma." It's taken two kids, but I think we finally realize we're parents! ;)

Two frames into the first game, daddy losing to the three year old. :)
Here's more bowling pictures.

They had a ramp for kids to use too. Hunter tried it a few times but preferred bowling without it. Here he is after I said, "Ok put the ball up there but don't push it yet. I want to get a picture!"

He's great at following directions.

Kylee had fun too. This is what she did the whole time.

It was a really fun night. We even got a free game because the guy at the counter was nice and decided to not charge us!

While watching Greg help Hunter bowl, I thought about how Greg and I met at a bowling alley. It wasn't until a year later that we started dating, but it was still the first time we met. Bowling has always been special to me because it's where we met. It was fun to go now with our ever growing family.

More Babies

He came up with this idea all on his own!

First Solo Grocery Trip

Good news...we all made it out alive!

For the Love of Cars

This is what a mechanic's toddler is interested in...

Smiles!

Smiling at Daddy :) I think we may have a daddy's girl. 

Happy Sunday!

Sibling Similarity

While there are so many things that are different between Hunter and Kylee, our children do have one similarity...

Crazy hair.

(They get that from their father.) ;)

Folding Prefold Diapers

Disclaimer: First, let me apologize for the lighting of the photos. We have a pink lamp in Kylee's room which is super cute, but does NOTHING for photography. Second, this whole post is about how to fold a cloth diaper. If you're not interested, I'm not offended. Cloth diapering isn't for everyone. However, don't catch yourself saying "I'd NEVER use cloth diapers." My friend, I said the same thing a few years ago, and now I'm posting a blog about how to use them! EEK! It's amazing how the Lord can change you...

Anyway, cloth diapers! I've been using them with Kylee. We're doing prefolds, a Snappi, and a cover. It took some trial and error to get the knack of getting them on her, but we've got it down now. However, when I first started using them, I did the traditional trifold, where you just single fold in each side to the center. She blew out of the diaper when I did that so I had to figure out a new way. That's what this post is about.

Here's our method: start with the diaper unfolded. Typically, I have her laying on top of it, but I didn't want to post pictures of my daughter without a diaper on the Internet. I'm sure you understand. When I put the diaper under Kylee, I fold in the part that goes on her back, only because she's still little and I need to shorten the diaper. You'll see it folded in later pictures, so I just wanted to explain. Whether you fold it or not obviously depends on the child's size.

Ok, next step is to fold in one side about 1.5 inches. (Again, I typically have Kylee on top of the diaper here so she helps hold it when I fold it.)

Fold the same side over again.

Do the same thing to the other side, and look! You've got yourself what I like to call a "poop pocket!"

Since the baby is already on the diaper, just fold up the front over their bottom.

Take one side and unroll only the end, just enough to secure it to the back part.

Pull the back part over what you just unrolled. (If you look, you can see where I fold mine down in the back in this picture.)

Take your Snappi and secure that first side, then pull it and secure the middle. Do the same thing to the other side and secure. I typically have to readjust that first side after doing the second side.

Here's the finished product.

Stick a cover over all of it, and you've got yourselves a sumo baby!

Happy

As I was sitting on the couch tonight loving on the baby, I looked over at daddy and Hunter. They were sitting on the floor playing together. Hunter was in Greg's lap being tickled and he was laughing hysterically. I couldn't help but think about how happy I am and that these are the best days of my life. When I'm an old woman, rocking away in a rocking chair, these are the days I'll remember. The sound of little feet, laughing toddlers, and newborn coos.

I love my life. I love my family.

Thank you Lord, for how you've blessed me.

Am I Beautiful...

Or what?!

Tummy Time

Rough Day

If you know my sister and her blog, you'd know that I copied her blog title from yesterday.

As I was reading her blog post about her rough day, all I could think was, "preach it, sister!" We are both going through two totally different things, but rough days are rough days.

I am having a rough day today, myself. Well, I have been having a rough few days. I am so in love with my children and my life, but this whole "transitioning from one child to two" is a rough thing to do, and I don't want to sugar-coat anything and make anyone think that it's a piece of cake over here and I'm Supermom and handling it just fine.

I'm not. I think Hunter is finally starting to realize that Kylee isn't going anywhere, and the world doesn't revolve around him (shocking, I know.) It's just been hard because he has been acting up a bit more than usual, and it's really hard to discipline when you're nursing a baby and your three year old is smart enough to realize there really isn't anything you can do at that moment.

I've been making it a point to give him extra time with just the two of us to play with his toys and stuff. I don't know what else to do though. I want to discipline him accordingly but I don't want him to think I've changed now that there's a new baby.

I don't want him to think that I yell at him all the time. I love him so much and I don't want him to ever question that especially now that he has a sibling.

I laid in bed last night crying over times that I've snapped at him from lack of patience, and asked the Lord to help me with that.

Today has been somewhat better. I definitely feel the Lord with me keeping me calm, but I still have such a long way to go.

I know I'll get there and we'll figure out a routine. And I know all of my tears and frustrations probably still have a lot to do with hormones, and those are leveling out too.

In the meantime, I'll just keep leaning on the Lord for patience, and wisdom in how to deal with it all.

Opposites

I am so blessed. I can't tell you how full my heart has been the past two weeks since Kylee has arrived. I've lost count on how many times I have smothered both of my babies in kisses and thanked the Lord for them. I don't know why He has chosen to bless us with two beautiful, healthy children, but I am not complaining, and I am making sure that He is constantly being thanked and praised for letting us raise them!

Naturally, I have been comparing ways that they are alike and different from when Hunter was a newborn. Please bear with me and my list. It's mostly just written for myself to have it documented. I won't be offended if you get bored and don't read to the end. ;)

Starting with pregnancy, I gained way more with Hunter than I did with Kylee. I know part of it was my inability to control my portion sizes, but Wehrman boys also require way more to eat than girls, and this even applies in utero!

Labor was quite different also. Even though you try to dramatize everything and make it seem like it was terrible, in retrospect from having done it twice, I had a pretty easy labor with Hunter. The epidural worked with no problems, praise God! I pushed for nearly an hour with him, and then our 10 pound, 8 ouncer was born.

If you read my labor posts with Kylee, you know that my epidural stopped working, I had uncontrollable shakes, and I felt everything at the end. But, I only had to push for 3 minutes with her, and our little peanut 8 pounder arrived.

Hunter was born with almost no hair, and what was there was very blonde, and still is. Kylee was born with a full head of dark hair! I think she has more than he does and he's three!

There's been lots of differences since she's arrived also.

For whatever reason, when my newborn children nurse, they squeak. I don't know what it is, but it is absolutely adorable (at least to mom.) However, Kylee doesn't stop there. We call her our little squeaker because that's all she does! Awake or asleep, squeaks are coming out of her mouth.

Poor Hunter has my complexion. We are both as white as sheets. Kylee got her father's complexion and is a little bit more tanned.

Hunter wasn't a bad sleeper, but Kylee is a pretty good sleeper. She does really well throughout the night, as long as we make sure to keep her up a bit before bedtime.

Hunter is his father's son and is up most mornings in the 6 o'clock hour. Mom and Kylee like to sleep in whenever possible.

With feeding, if I offered food to Hunter, he ate it! Kylee is a bit more tricky and doesn't want it all the time. I have to catch her at the right moments. She keeps me on my toes.

Kylee is a pretty laid-back baby except when it's time to change her diaper, or change her clothes, or bathe her. She does NOT like being messed with and lets you know so. Hunter didn't mind any of these.

After fighting him for 2 months, I finally gave in and let Hunter be a thumb-sucker. Kylee, thankfully, has taken to the pacifier. (It's way easier to break them of it!)

Their differences amaze me since it's only been two weeks. I am excited to see what else makes them unique as time goes on.

The differences keep reminding me of Psalm 139:13-14:
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

God hand-picked every little detail about them while I was pregnant. Every similarity and difference between them was because God chose it to be that way.

They're very much different from each other, and Greg and I love every little difference about both of them.

We're so in love with both of our babies. :)