Here I Am!

How does one start a blog post when they haven't blogged in nearly 12 months? I guess I should just jump in!

Much has changed for us in those months. We moved to a new house (that we love) in a new state (that we love even more, although it was only a 25 minute move) and had a new baby (that we love the most)!

It's been a year of changes and if you know me, you know I don't like change. However, these changes have led us into one of the sweetest seasons I could've imagined.

Our new house is a great setup for our little family and it's in a wonderful neighborhood. We have a big backyard that has no pool (Hallelujah! We were so over being pool owners.) and the kids love to run and play. I love to be able to read a chapter in my book and not have to worry about someone drowning. Griffin was always very cautious around the pool, but Annabeth is a different story. The Lord knew that we needed to get out of that house before she became mobile. Having her around a pool that took up 80% of the backyard would've been a nightmare. We do miss our house and especially our amazing neighbors, but this is a good place for us in this season of our family life.

The best part of our new house is that my parents live ten minutes away! I can't remember if I previously mentioned it, but they made the big move from Michigan about a year ago. It has been a joy to do daily life with them; my kids are so thrilled to see them regularly and Tyler and I surely don't mind the free babysitting! It has been blessing to have them so close and after seven years away, I certainly do not take it for granted.

Now to the most important change of 2015. On at 8:41 pm on April 3, our precious third baby made his grand entrance. John Samuel Haney has been an angel from the start. When he was born, they weighed him twice to be sure the scale wasn't broken and he indeed was a whopping 9 lbs, 4.5 ounces and a long boy at 22 inches long! I hope to write out his birth story soon. All three of my births have been very different, but my word, is there anything better than the birth of your baby? Praise God for such a gift!

We named him John after my brother, but also because it means "the grace and mercy of the Lord". Samuel means "asked of God; heard by God". Last June, I sat on my back deck and wrote in my prayer book asking God to give us another baby someday, somehow, some way. Many of you know that having Annabeth was not easy for us and we were not guaranteed any more children after Griffin, so that prayer was audacious and bold. A month later, we discovered that Samuel was on his way. Basically what I'm saying is that if you desire something, feel free to ask me to pray about it, because it generally produces results. (I kid, I kid!)

Samuel has been the sweetest, sweetest baby. He fits right in, goes with the flow, and is adored by Griffin and Annabeth. He's growing like a weed (how is he 4 months old already!?) and I'm trying my best to find out a way to effectively stop time. No luck yet, but when I do, I'm pretty sure I'll make a fortune.

Griffin and Annabeth are both doing well. Griffin will be in 4 year old preschool this fall; we love his school! It's a wonderful place with even better people. He LOVES playing sports (soccer, baseball, "dennis", golf) and is big on quality time with his people. He also loves reading poetry books, which makes my teacher heart so happy! He is sweet and spunky and one of the funniest people I've ever met!

Annabeth is every ounce of a delicious 18 month old. She is busy, but such a joyful little girl. She loves stuffed animals, reading books, climbing on things, and sleeping. She really loves her brothers and the feeling is mutual! She has done so well with her transition to big sister; she is so sweet to Samuel and loves to kiss him and tell him to "Shhh!" They are 14 months apart to the day.

Tyler is busy with work and we're both really thankful for a good job that he loves. I still stay home with the kids and it is the best job I've ever had! We've been tossing around some ideas for something I'd love to start doing while staying home that would help me use some of my passions; we'll see where it goes! He just gets better with age while I just look older and more tired. You win some, you lose some! ;)

So, as you can see, all is well here. It's obviously a very quick snapshot of what we're up to, and certainly our life is not perfect, but oh my... it is good.  I've been itching to get back to blogging for awhile, but the task felt super daunting. Where do you being when it's been a year and the last post was a surprise pregnancy announcement? This felt like a good place to start, although I can assure you there will be no more pregnancy announcements anytime soon!

Several weeks ago, a sweet friend that I've known for several years through the blog world passed away. I'd been praying for Leslie daily for about four months. She was a dear soul and left behind her husband and two baby girls, who are the same distance in age as Annabeth and Samuel. But she gave her girls such a gift in her blog. They will be able to read about who their mama was, their parents love story, and about how much she loved them... and all in her own words! What a gift. I was prompted to sit down and start to record our memories and our days again after Leslie's passing. These are the best of days and they're passing all too quickly.

I can't promise anything deep or eloquent here, but I promise it'll be real life. I turned 30 last week, and although 30 seems so old, I can't imagine doing anything other than raising our babies and being married to my number one guy at the ripe old age of 3-0. I'll be back soon! Thanks for reading, my dear, dear friends! xo

*You may have noticed I am watermarking my pictures on my blog. I've toyed with taking this private, and probably will do so sooner rather than later, but until then, I wanted to watermark to hopefully avoid anyone stealing pictures of my three greatest earthly treasures. Trust me; I don't think I'm that big of a deal, but I just want to be safe. Thanks for understanding! 

Annabeth's (Really Long) Birth Story :: Part 3

Part 1

Part 2

When I left off, I had been debating whether or not to get an epidural. Tyler didn't care either way and was very supportive of whatever choice I wanted to make.

I remember thinking, "Why wouldn't I get one? Who would I disappoint?' And truthfully, the answer was no one I really cared about.

I knew I wouldn't have the support of the general natural birth community, but for me, the right choice in that moment was to ask for the epidural... so I did. It was my birth, not anyone else's birth and it was the best thing I could've done for myself at that point.

When Dani came in to check on me at 1:00, we told her that I wanted an epidural. She was wonderful and ordered it right away. I cried and cried because I still somehow felt I was letting myself down. I felt like my body was failing me, which was such a lie.

The sweetest anesthesiologist came in about 20 minutes later and got to work. The pain only intensified during those 20 minutes, so when she came in, I was feeling more confident in my decision. I think the crying helped, too.

I truly felt almost nothing when I got the epidural. Well, nothing except contractions and let me tell you, it's not easy to sit up straight and be still for minutes at a time when you're having terrible contractions that are rocking your whole body. But I do think my anesthesiologist was a miracle worker because she got my epi in and cranking so quickly.

Blessed relief!

They got me situated in bed and I started to feel better gradually. I didn't realize that with an epidural, you can still feel your contractions but that they aren't so painful that you think you're going to DIE. I also didn't realize that you can still feel/ somewhat move your legs. I was under the impression that you were 100% paralyzed from the waist down. I kept saying, "I can feel my legs! I can feel them!" I think Dani probably thought I was bananas, but I was so relieved to be out of pain that I think I was semi-delirious. 

Once I was feeling better, Tyler scooted out to grab some to-go lunch at the cafeteria. Dani started shifting me and I was lying on my back when all of a sudden I felt a pop which was my water breaking. Woo hoo! I knew we were well on our way at that point. Dani checked me and I had progressed to a 5, so she encouraged me to rest while I could. I snuggled in for a quick nap around 2:50. A nap! Who would've thought you could nap during labor!? It was glorious. 

I slept well and woke up a little after 3:30. I was still feeling great and I was wondering if I'd progressed at all. Dani came in a few minutes later and said that the baby's heart rate had decelerated a bit, which is often a sign that she is moving down into the birth canal. She checked me and sure enough, I was at a ten and the baby was LOW. She ran out to call my doctor and in came a new nurse to start preparing the room for the birth. 

My mom had been with us for most of the day, but since she was in the delivery room when Griffin was born, we decided to have her leave before I started pushing. We wanted it to be just the two of us this time and she was very respectful and understanding of how we felt. She gave me a quick kiss and a hug and scooted out to the delivery room to wait for her granddaughter! 

Once my mom left, things really started to get going. Dani came in and said that it was a good thing my doctor was already at the hospital because otherwise, she wasn't sure he would've made it in time! Shortly after, he came in and it was baby time!

Selfies before the birth, because why not?

I started pushing right around 4:00. It was all very quiet and calm. I have a wonderful doctor who is very calm and he set the mood for the birth. I pushed for about 15 minutes and it was so different from my experience with Griffin. I don't regret a second of his labor and delivery, but this was just different. I was very present the whole time and very focused. 

Finally, at 4:16 pm on February 3, Annabeth Noel Haney entered the world. It was the best! Our long awaited girl was here! She had the cord wrapped once around her neck, which I've come to understand isn't entirely uncommon. My doctor called it "jewelry". She wasn't crying when she was born, but started soon after. They laid her on my stomach and my heart just stopped. I couldn't believe that after all that we'd gone through prior to her birth, she was finally here in my arms. I didn't even realize I was crying until I looked back at some of the pictures that were taken right after she was born. My beautiful miracle girl.

Our first picture with our girl!

My angel baby.

She was crying something fierce and it was clear that sister was HANGRY. The biggest surprise was her head full of strawberry blonde hair. I think everyone, including me, was expecting a mini-Griffin, but Annabeth was her own girl. She looked (and still looks) just like her daddy. In fact, one of the first coherent thoughts I had was, "That baby doesn't look like me!" She may not look like me, but she was the most beautiful baby girl I'd ever seen.

My wonderful doctor and incredible L&D nurse

They got her cleaned up, foot-printed and wrapped up and then her daddy got to hold her. He got some good cuddles and then he gave her back to me so that I could spend a little time with her. We couldn't help but marvel at the tiny Tyler-girl we were holding in our arms. 

Have mercy.

Shortly after, my mom came back to meet her. It was so special to introduce her to her first granddaughter who was partially named after her. My paternal grandmother, whom I was very close to, was named Elizabeth. My mom's middle name is Ann, so we took the two names and combined them to name her Annabeth. Noel is my middle name and we loved how the two names sounded together. It was also very special to be able to tell my dad that we'd named her after her great grandmother. I know my grandma would've adored my kids.

After my mom got to hold her, it was clear that sister was still very hungry. I'd had a lot of trouble nursing Griffin, so admittedly, this was something I was nervous about. However, she latched and ate like an old pro. Our nursing journey started off smoothly and only had a few minor hiccups. After going through what I did with Griffin, I did not and do not take this for granted. I was so thankful! 

My dad came to meet Annabeth a few hours after she was born and we were able to FaceTime with my brother and Tyler's family that day. Mostly, we just soaked up our girl. I had struggled with anxiety during my pregnancy and the moment she was born, it all evaporated. I can't even come up with the words to express how it feels to hold a baby that doctors had told us a year before probably wouldn't happen for us. It's a sacred redemption. 

The time between her birth and when they moved me out of the labor suite absolutely flew. We headed to our room where my dad brought us food and Annabeth got her first bath. When you have that much hair, they have to really shampoo your head! Sweet girl loved it; she hardly made a peep while she was being bathed. 

A few hours after she was born, my mom noticed that she was taking a deep breath and then many shallow breaths. The charge nurse came in to check on her and they ended up hooking her up to a pulse ox, which made me feel like I couldn't breathe. I stood outside the window of the nursery where she was hooked up until they gave me the "all clear" and brought her back. It ended up that she had inhaled a lot of fluid while she was being born and she was just working to clear her airways. It made me nervous for a bit, but soon she stopped and started breathing normally.

We decided not to have Griffin come to the hospital, which ended up being a good choice seeing as though we got hit with a huge ice storm the night after she was born. We had a few very sweet days getting to know AB at the hospital before we brought her home to meet her brother. I was able to FaceTime with him several times and I don't think he missed me a bit. He loved meeting his baby sister when we got home and he still adores her. 

Although Annabeth ultimately decided to be a February baby instead of a January one, there's no question that she was worth the wait. I always say that the best day of my life was when I married Tyler, but the two best moments of my life thus far have been when our children were born. I haven't found an earthly joy that's comparable to the moment you meet your child. 

During the months preceding my pregnancy with AB and the nine (ten!?) months I was pregnant with her, the song "Not For a Moment" by Meredith Andrews was my anthem. The song is heavy on truth and it spoke to me in every season I found myself. There's a part that says, "I was held in Your arms, carried for a thousand miles to show not for a moment did you forsake me." It doesn't say that you won't feel at times that He's forsaken you, but that He never will... that He will carry you. And He certainly does; I am living proof. I was carried for a thousand miles just to show that He never let me go, not even for a moment. 

I had to trust God's heart for me a lot during the months before I got pregnant. Hindsight was clear and showed me that His hand had been all over that experience and over my pregnancy with Annabeth. Holding her for the first time and looking into her precious face was one of the most all-consuming experiences I've ever had. Here was my redemption baby. Here was God's heart for me through my pain. Here was what He'd been waiting for and whispering into my ear... to wait, because He had something, someone, who would be so wonderful and perfect for our family.

It's also incredibly overwhelming to be trusted with this baby because I know the story does not end like this for everyone. My battle with infertility, although difficult and painful, was somewhat short lived. I hope to share more about this soon, but I'm not naive enough to think that everyone who struggles and fights infertility ends up with a baby. If that is you, all I can say is that I know that take-your-breath-away pain. I know how difficult pregnancy announcements can be. Infertility is isolating and a special kind of torture. I pray that God will meet you where you're at and that His ultimate plan for you is a baby. 

Annabeth Noel was a wonderful gift that was entrusted to us on a frigid afternoon in February. I am so thankful for God's kindness and mercy to our family. We love our girl! 

P.S. I loved my natural birth and I loved my epidural. I would highly recommend both. :)

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Well hello there.

I always tend to have trouble figuring out just how to start blog posts. I think this is a problem that will haunt me to the day my blog says goodbye.

I wanted to come here and write. I'm not even sure the direction in which my writing is going to go today, but I need to write.

The winds of change are blowing through our lives. When I say the winds of change, I want to be clear-- there is no bad change here. It's all good, but man... it's big. Also, I'm not pregnant, so don't go thinking that Annabeth is going to be an Irish twin. Ha!

I think of this blog a lot as I go about my day. I think of things I want to share, want to remember. I love the community I've become a part of thanks to blogging and the (albeit spotty) record of our family that I've been able to keep here. However, as my kids grow, I really toy with how "public" this blog should be.

I don't have a huge readership, but it's still a blog that's available to anyone who has an Internet connection. I've toyed with shutting it all down, but I don't think that's the answer because I love this little space so very much. The only other options are to leave it public or take it private. I know I can't control everything, but knowing just who is reading this blog appeals to me.

I've never had the goal of having thousands of readers. It's just never been important to me or the direction my blog has gone. Please hear me when I say that I have dear friends who have a large readership and they are wonderful people and writers. I have gained so much from what they write and how they share their lives. Just because of how I'm feeling doesn't mean that I think they should feel the same. I have to add that disclaimer because I would never want to unintentionally (or intentionally) hurt someone.

I don't want to go away completely. No one puts pressure on me to keep this blog alive but ME. And I feel that pressure from myself every day. I'm a terrible word documenter-- I have the desire, but not the follow through. And with the months that we have ahead of us, I just don't see myself having a lot of time to sit down and write. As I sit here, there is a kitchen full of dishes and stuff that needs to be put away. There's laundry and vacuuming to be done. There are beds to be made. There are thank you notes to write and birth announcements to stamp (yes, 4 months late). The children are sleeping, so I'm not totally neglecting them. ;)

So what to do? I want to write. I love to write. I want to remember these days of our lives.

I still want to finish writing Annabeth's birth story.

I still want to post her 3 and 4 month post.

I still want to share the pictures we had made in February and April.

I still want to share what Griffin is doing these days and talk about how funny and amazing he is.

I still desperately want to share what our family went through last year in regards to my health. I need to share God's faithfulness in a dark, dark time.

I still want to share about the changes that are coming for us.

I still want to share pictures and stories about my home and the things I create here.

I want, I want, I want. There's so much that I want.

But right now, I'm feeling a bit over my head. I'm feeling kind of swamped and tired and overwhelmed. I have a running to-do list that's a mile long. I'm never done. I've not been taking time for what matters most to me.

When I sat down to identify that, I came up with this. What matters to me most is my faith in Christ, my marriage, my children, my friendships and family relationships, and a little bit of self care thrown in there.

For me, I do believe that blogging is part of that self-care. When I sit down and let myself write, I feel the tension dissipate from my shoulders and I breathe a little easier. It's something I can actively engage my brain in for a little while. For a long time, I've felt that self-care is actually quite selfish, but I'm slowly getting over that. There's nothing wrong with taking a little time to understand what makes me, me. What makes me tick. Thanks to a lot of over-saturation from social media, I feel as though I've really lost who I am over the past 3-4 years and that is no one's fault but my own. I'm pointing my own finger right at my own chest.

So why write all this? Why share all this? I don't know. I'm not looking for sympathy. I'm just looking to make sense of all this stuff that's rolling around in my brain. I've felt conflicted for awhile and I can't put my finger on why. But if there's anything I've learned in the last two years, it's that my feelings are a great liar. I can't look to them to drive me, to steer my actions and my thoughts. I have to look to Christ.

Have you ever had a time like this in your life? When the change makes you tremble with anxiety and perhaps a little bit of grief over what will never again exist? That's where I am. Even with my eyes on Jesus, that's where I am. That's the honest truth.

I want to reiterate that these changes truly aren't negative. They're just changes and I've always struggled with change. Always. Some things never change... pun intended. Ha!

Thanks for reading and for listening. This was kind of an incoherent brain dump, but I already feel a bit better. Again, I love this little community. I've always felt very supported and encouraged even when I come here and write out a little bit of my crazy for the world to see!

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens."

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Annabeth's (Really Long) Birth Story :: Part 2

Part 1

I left off on the night before I was going in to be induced. Like I said, I'd had contractions on and off on Sunday, but nothing consistent. I slept fairly well, but was up bright and early because we had to leave for the hospital at 7:00 AM.

Two days shy of 42 weeks pregnant. BLESS.

I got up, showered, did my hair, and grabbed a few more things to take to the hospital. My mom was sweet enough to get up early and make me a delicious breakfast since I didn't know how long it would be before I could eat again. By this time, those random contractions had all but stopped. Lovely. I had really thought that they might be the onset of labor, but no such luck.

I knew I was going to wake up Griffin before we left to say goodbye, but he ended up waking on his own. We got him out of bed and I got some good snuggles before we took some pictures and headed out.

Surprisingly, I was not the hot mess I expected to be when I said goodbye to my first baby. I thank God for that because anyone who knows me would've probably bet on us having a DEFCON 3 emotional situation. Griffin didn't seem to be alarmed that we were leaving because I wasn't having a total meltdown. Once again, thank you, Lord.

I was also at complete peace about being induced. I knew that I'd given it 12 days past my due date and that it was time for her to come out. I think that's another reason why I was so calm leaving Griffin; we'd had 12 days to have our "lasts", if you will. 

We got to the hospital shortly before 7:30 and went up to labor and delivery. They got us in our room pretty quickly and then my friend Janelle who is a labor and delivery nurse came in to say hello. I was so disappointed because her shift had just ended when we came in, but I was able to talk to her about some questions and fears that I had and she put my mind at ease. She also had chosen my delivery nurse and told us we would love her.

My last birds-eye belly shot!

After Janelle left, our L&D nurse Dani came in and introduced herself. She knew we wanted another natural birth, aside from the Pitocin, and was very supportive of that. I knew I liked her right away; she had a fantastic bedside manner.

Soon after Dani started getting everything ready, the anestheisiologist came in to say hello. She was incredibly kind and gave me her spiel and asked me some questions. I shared with her that as long as it was safe for the baby, we were planning to have another natural birth (except for the Pitocin, obviously). She wished us well and left.

Dani checked me and said I was still at 3.5 cm and about 70-80% effaced. Once she got my IV set up and the Pitocin started pumping (a little before 9:00 AM), she strapped me to the fetal heart rate monitor and said I could pretty much do what I wanted-- walk, sway, bounce, etc. I decided that I wanted to walk for awhile, so Tyler and I walked around the floor for about 45 minutes to an hour. While we were walking, my mom arrived. She was a great support to me during Griffin's labor and delivery and we'd decided to have her join us for the labor process once again.

We ended up going back to the room around 9:45 and I tried some different positions. I stood and swayed for awhile and then rocked back and forth while standing up. I remember that I really started to feel the contractions while I was swaying. I eventually ended up back in the bed.

We turned on a movie, but shortly after it started, things started to get more intense. I remember just laying on my side, but shifting back and forth as I could. I labored on my side for quite a few hours with Griffin as well. My mom and Tyler were great; they kept asking what they could do for me, but for a long time, I just wanted to be quiet and focused. They were very respectful of this. It was really encouraging for me to know they were there if/ when I needed them. I labored quietly and on my left side for probably close to an hour before I really needed Tyler.

Like I said, it was around 10 am when my contractions really started to get intense. I'd heard Pitocin contractions were awful, but I'm going to tell you what-- you can't comprehend how awful until you actually have them. My Pitocin contractions were much worse than my worst transition contraction with Griffin. They started out much like regular labor contractions, but they got bad so, so fast.

Starting at 10:00 am, I had contractions every two and a half minutes. I absolutely could not get on top of them. They were coming so fast and they were so intense that I could barely breathe through them. I was trying every position in the book and it truly felt like one continuous contraction. It was so much different than my labor with Griffin; his was long and intense, but I could get on top of the contractions and come down off of one before the next started.

There was none of that this time. They came and they came and they came. And they were horrible.

Dani was so diligent about coming to check on me every 30 minutes on the dot. At 11:30, we expressed to her that I was struggling big time (as if she couldn't figure that out on her own) and we asked if she would check me. She did and I was only at a 4. If you can't do basic math, that's only one half of a centimeter in two and a half hours of Pitocin. That's not a whole lot, friends.

I was so discouraged when she told me that. I started crying because I knew I could not do these contractions all day and all night. I just really wasn't progressing a whole lot and I was already exhausted. I labored on the bed for another thirty minutes before I knew that wasn't going to help anything anymore.

I decided to get in the shower on the birth ball to see if that helped. A little side note for you: Tyler had left his bag in the car (on purpose) when we got the the hospital. I was very bothered by this for some reason. I wanted him to have his basketball shorts, a t-shrit, and flip flops in case I needed him to support me while I was in the shower. So of course, when it came time to shower, he had none of this. Y'all, I FREAKED out. He was wearing his jeans, shoes, and a button down and I was so disturbed that he was going to have WET CLOTHES TO MEET THE BABY OH MY GOSH. You know, because I'm sure that's what my 0 minutes old baby was going to be focused on. The shower was set up in such a way that he was able to help me and not get wet at all, but that was after his nearly 42 weeks pregnant wife practically bit his head off about not having his FLIP FLOPS.

I got in the shower around noon. I bounced and I bounced and I bounced. I sat on that ball and had hot water spraying on my back for each contraction for the better part of an hour. Tyler stayed in that hot bathroom with me, rubbed my shoulders, helped adjust that shower nozzle and held my hand the whole time. I am so thankful he's mine; I couldn't have done one minute of the labor process without him.

While we were in the bathroom, I brought up the e-word... epidural. I was feeling so beat down. I said this before, but I virtually could not get on top of my contractions. It was the most intense physical and psychological pain I've ever felt and this is coming from someone who labored for an unmedicated 21 hours. Pitocin is NO JOKE.

I knew that I could not continue to labor like I was for hours and hours and still have the energy to push out a baby. I remember snoozing off and on between contractions with Griffin, but there was none of that this time. I asked Tyler if he would be disappointed in me if I got an epidural and he couldn't have said no fast enough. He expressed that he wanted me to have the labor experience that was right for me, that he knew I'd been working hard and that I was tired, and that he absolutely wouldn't be disappointed in the slightest.

Truly, I knew he didn't mind either way, but I kept asking him. He kept giving me the same answer, but for some reason, I needed to keep pressing the issue because that's just who I am. See? He's a really good husband.

I cried and he kept talking through things with me until we came to a decision. Again, I'm so incredibly thankful for such a supportive, level headed husband who understood my desires for a natural birth. I couldn't have asked for a better birth partner.

I'm going to finish this up in a few days with one last post. I promise I won't let two weeks go by before I post the last installment. It's important to me that I remember the details of AB's birth and that means being quite wordy, apparently. Thanks for hanging in there!

Five on Friday :: Found on the Internet

I'm linking up with the ladies today for Five on Friday! 

Since I'm still spending a great amount of time nursing Annabeth, I've been finding some fun stuff poking around on the web. I thought I'd share some things that I'd found via Pinterest, my Feedly reader, and through friends. Consider this my Five on Friday "Found on the Internet" version! 

1. Ham, Ham, and more Ham

Both of our families were in town this past weekend for Annabeth's dedication on Mother's Day. We had a ham on Sunday (one of my favorite meals!) and we were left with the ham hock plus a few baggies full of ham. What to do besides freeze the hock for soup? Of course we'll be having ham and cheese sliders from Tasty Kitchen. They are so easy and super delicious. But we needed something different. Enter Fettuccine Ferrari from Samma's blog. I made this last night (I subbed a random shorter cut of pasta I had in the pantry-- it had some fancy, weird name) and it was fantastic. Tyler and I both liked it a lot and said it would be great with grilled chicken this summer. If you have leftover ham (or grilled chicken), make this. You could even just add more veggies and leave out the meat. It's quick, easy, and tasty. Two Haney thumbs up!

2. Patio Furniture DIY

My mom and I repainted an iron patio a few years ago. We used a pretty yellow spray paint and while I have loved the color, it just hasn't held up well. Maybe it's because it's been about 3 years. I have been thinking about repainting it, but this post from my friend Rachel really inspired me to get my behind to Lowe's and spray it again. We use it almost everyday in the summer, so it really needs to be done soon. Maybe a new umbrella and cushions will be my reward! 

3. Aldi

I have noticed that my grocery bill just keeps getting higher and higher. No matter how many coupons I have and how much I try to use what's in my pantry, it's nearly impossible to keep it reasonable week after week. My sweet friend Kara (we went to college together!) wrote a great post on why she shops at Aldi and what she does and doesn't buy there. I love reason #2; Kara has such a heart for the Lord and people. Make sure you add her blog to your reader; she has a great sense of style and three of the most darling children I've ever seen! I shopped at Aldi this week and ended up spending only $60! I did buy a kickball, plate, and cup for G and didn't buy my meat there, but I'd say that's a pretty good deal! Plus, Griffin thought it was the best day of his life when he got to put the quarter in to get our buggy. Small pleasures.

4. Organizing vs. Purging

We are putting our house up for sale soon and I'm preparing by going through each room with a fine-tooth comb. Well, as fine-tooth as I can with two little ones demanding a great deal of my time. I loved this post by Tsh about how different decluttering and organizing really are. I found myself nodding as I was reading and thinking about the post days later. I think she's really on to something. I wouldn't consider myself a minimalist and I probably never will, but many of her points were spot on. 

5. Kids and Starbucks

It's no secret that I like to frequent Starbucks as much as I can. I can't help it; it's a sickness. It certainly helps that the Cincinnati area is very light on drive-thru Starbucks. It's rare that I want to drag my three year old and his 13 pound (plus heavy car seat) sister into a storefront for a coffee. This pleases my husband and our budget, obviously. But we do have one drive-thru near Trader Joe's, so if I'm in that area of town, I'll often swing through for vanilla macchiato. Griffin begs for a cake pop every time we pull into the parking lot and I usually rarely indulge him. I loved that Raechel posted about what she gets her kids at Starbucks. I think Griff would go bananas over this as he always begs for "just one sip of your Starbucks coffee, Mama!" This way he can have his own treat that isn't a ball of sugar on a stick. But you can't blame him, can you? Those things are so stinking good. 

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! I'll be back on Monday with the second installment of Annabeth's incredibly long birth story.  And just because I can't help myself, here are a few pictures of my kiddos. We're so glad spring is here to stay! 

Annabeth's (Really Long) Birth Story :: Part 1

Well, I figured that since my baby is about to turn 3 months old, it was probably time to get her birth story on paper... or, blog, I guess. I have loved reading Griffin's birth story here and there over the last three years and it's important to me that I can do the same with my baby girl!

Let's start at 40 weeks.

That is a big old 40 week belly. Whew.

I was due on Wednesday, January 22. If I had a dollar for every person who told me they though I'd have the baby early or on time, I'd be a wealthy woman. And honestly? I agreed with them. Griffin came 48 hours after his due date and in my heart of hearts, I thought we'd meet this baby before or very close to her due date.

To that, I say, "Bite me, heart of hearts." Apparently I don't know much about my own child and body.

So 40 weeks came. We had our 40 week doctor appointment and although I adore my doctor, he scared the pants off me with all of the risks you run by going over your due date. I think I cried out of fear for about 24 hours. I even called one of my favorite nurses back and talked to her about it. Thankfully, she reassured me that it's his standard speech and that they weren't worried about the baby at all.

Into week 40 we went. It came and dragged on and on and on. And next thing I knew, we were back the next week for my 41 week appointment. I had a NST (non stress test) and an ultrasound where everything looked good. The baby was measuring around 8 pounds and 21 inches and I had plenty of fluid. I was checked and I was about 3 cm dilated and 70% effaced. This was all well and good, but I hadn't had one contraction. I hadn't dropped. Things looked fine on the inside, but it didn't look like much was happening in the way of labor.

After these things, we sat down with my doctor. As I said before, he is a wonderful man and I appreciate him so much. He's not the doctor who delivered Griffin; he moved and I still can't talk about it without tearing up. I know, healthy. Anyway, my current doctor was very much on board with our desire to have another natural birth. Since the baby looked healthy and there wasn't a concern about her immediate health or safety, he said he was fine waiting until week 42 to induce.

However, what you have to know is I was D-O-N-E. I was huge and in pain and exhausted. I just wanted to meet my baby, but again, I wanted to have another natural birth. He told me that if I wanted to be induced, he could do it on Friday, January 31 or Monday, February 3. Tyler and I talked on the drive home and decided that if she hadn't come by then, we would induce. I felt a great amount of peace about this and thought she would surely come before then.

Again, my heart of hearts just isn't as sharp as it once was.

A "date" to my 41 week appointment

Sweet girl! It was kind of nice to have a bonus ultrasound.

My parents were planning to come when I went into labor to keep Griffin. Because they live 5 hours away, we did have a backup in case they didn't make it in time, but my labor had been so long with Griffin that they'd made it with plenty of time to spare before he was born. Since baby sister decided to be born during the WORST WINTER EVER, we were a bit nervous about the questionable weather. After my appointment, they decided to drive down that day so that they'd be here in the event that I did go into labor spontaneously and the weather was poor. I'm so glad that they did. They kept me and Griffin occupied during the long days of waiting.

This seems normal.

And wait we did. We got to Sunday and I still was very, very pregnant. In the week and a half that I'd been overdue, I'd tried EVERYTHING to get un-pregnant. Seriously. Everything. Massage, spicy food, walks, acupuncture, other... things. I tried it all. No dice. So when Sunday rolled around and I still hadn't contracted once, I resigned myself to the fact that I would be induced the next morning.

Truly? Even for someone who wanted a natural birth bad, bad, bad, I was okay with the induction. I wasn't thrilled, but my main goal was a healthy baby. And I just wanted my baby. I didn't care how she had to get here; I just wanted to see her face. After all we went through to have her, I was focused on simply meeting her. It was all about the end result for me.

We had a wonderful day on Sunday. We went to church and my mom made everyone their favorite appetizer while we watched the Super Bowl. I was able to really soak up my last day with Griffin as my only child and I was also prepared for what I knew was to come the next day. That night, as we were watching the game, I started to have some inconsistent contractions, but SPOILER ALERT, they meant nothing.

After I put Griffin to bed (and bawled my eyes out), I put the rest of our hospital stuff together and went to bed. I wanted to get up early to shower, do my hair, and eat a good breakfast before getting to the hospital for our 7:30 AM induction time. I didn't sleep well that night because I was feeling a whole host of emotions-- excitement, nervousness, anxiety, and disbelief that the day was finally here. We'd been waiting for much longer than 9 months for a chance to have another baby and I was bowled over with gratitude that our miracle was finally coming to pass. I also enjoyed a final night of (somewhat interrupted) sleep. It was a good day and I was beside myself with excitement that we'd be holding our baby within 24 hours.

Our last night as a little duo.

I'm going to continue this in another post because with the way I'm going on and on, you'll be here reading for the next week. My word with the long winded. I promise I'll post the second part tomorrow, so stay tuned!

And bless you, you're probably thinking that this whole portion has nothing to do with her birth, but to me, it was a big part of her arrival. I guess that's what happens when you reach the nearly 42 week pregnant mark. Bless.