Snow Days



The first real snow of the year has come!! This is view from my window this morning. There was a bit more but some has already melted. I expect that it will be all gone by tonight. First snows don't have much staying power. 

I love snow. Love it! Until about February. Then I get tired of it and want it to go away. There is just something special about that first snow. I love sitting on the couch with a hot cocoa or coffee (today I opted for a peppermint mocha) while I watch the excitement of my children as they squeal and watch the snow. Fun and relaxing! I also skip most housework the day of the first snow and just enjoy life.

My peppermint mocha. It got cold while writing this. While I like cold coffee (with ice), today is not a day for my coffee to be cold. Takes some of the magic out of the day.

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The three older children bundled up, ready to play in the wet, wet snow. Miss A kept sticking out her tongue. Silly girl! 

Mom, take note - I saved all the cards this year. You are proud of me, yes?

Fun in the snow! The person whose back you see is one of W's therapists. I let her go out in the cold and get wet while I stayed in, sipping my once again hot mocha. I stayed in because of the baby, of course. Tee hee.

More fun. They made a 'laying down' snowman. Somewhere. They came in happy and soaked. Well, happy until W got his fingers pinched in the screen door and then the fun ended. (He's ok now, but will probably end up with a bruise.) First snow injury of the year!

Baby J is here! A picture review of his first week

The latest Turnage model, J, was born June 8th @ 5:52PM. He weighed 9lbs 11oz and was 22in long. Not my biggest baby but he was close! It was my longest, hardest labor and delivery, both mentally and physically. The transition so far has been fairly smooth: My wonderful MIL and SIL stayed with us for the past week made the transition so much easier! I am so thankful to have amazing in-laws who are willing to jump right in and help out! They left Saturday morning and I am going to miss them dearly tomorrow when I have to go solo for the first time since Baby J was born. It will surely be interesting!

Baby J is a wonderful little man. He is doing so well! He eats and sleeps very well, is a peeing and pooping machine, and is gaining weight well. On Thursday he was up to 9lbs 14oz already! His jaundice levels were higher than the doctor liked so poor baby had to have several blood tests done but things are looking great now. He had three appointments this past week and one follow up appointment next week. I am hoping things will settle down into a nice routine now.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from this past week:

In labor! Last belly pic of this pregnancy, 40 weeks 2 days. J is my earliest baby.

One of my favorite pictures of J. He is about 12/13 hours old here. All the pictures from his first day didn't turn out well since the lighting was dim and we didn't want to use the flash. That and he cried the first three hours of his life.

The adoring big sister. She loves him so much! All of his siblings adore him. They love holding him, helping change and diaper him, getting his pacifier, giving tons of kisses, and just being near him.

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Very proud big brother!

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B is probably the most helpful with his brother. All the children are great with him but B is such a helper and enjoys doing everything he can to care for his little brother. He is the one I worried about the most since at first he didn't want another baby. He got over that quickly!!

I admit it, I make cute babies.

Daddy helping W read a book to his siblings. He is an amazing father!

The cute factor here is almost too much to take. Miss A gave him a hat and he wears it well, if I do say so myself. Coolest baby in town!

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B fell asleep watching a movie. Having a new sibling is tiring work.

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He begged and begged to help feed his baby brother and was so excited when I finally let him!

The Waiting Game (40 week pic included!) and Fun Times

 Part I

The Waiting Game

Today is my due date. I am now 40 weeks pregnant. As you can see by the picture, Squishy Bug is still on the inside. This is not at all surprising considering that I have never delivered before my EDD. I thought yesterday might be the day, but nope, he decided to stay put for awhile longer. If history repeats itself, I will probably give birth within the next week but have a chance of going two more. B was almost a 42 weeker but the other two came before 41 weeks (W @ 40w 3d, A @ 40w 6d). Now I just have to sit back and wait. Ok, there is probably not a whole lot of sitting in my future but you know what I mean.

In fact, today started out quite busy. Here is what I had accomplished by 7AM:

Got up

Dressed two toddlers

Fed one toddler

Dealt with a toddler tantrum (toddler wanted to sit in daddy's chair, daddy said no)

Tried to feed toddler, failed

Dealt with toddler tantrum, take two (toddler didn't want to wear bib)

Attempted to again feed toddler, failed

Dealt with toddler tantrum, take three (toddler wanted mommy to cart her around, mommy said no)

Got dressed

Toddler finally ate breakfast

Made bed

Made some much needed coffee

Checked Facebook for any baby news

Took belly pic

Kept one toddler from killing the other over a book

Got last child out of bed

Fed child

Kept toddlers from maiming each other over what kind of tower to build with blocks

Started to strain yogurt

Started to write blog post

If this is any indication of how this day is going to go, I am going to need more coffee!!

Part II

Fun Times

Speaking of not sitting down much, I took the kiddos to the McDonald's Playland the other day. I realized it had been probably about a year since they had gone and I thought it would be a nice for them to have a special day before the baby came.

The boys had a blast! Last time we came, B was too scared to play. This time he took to it like a fish to water.

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This is what Little Miss did - eat. She had very little interest in playing. She did try the toddler area but quickly lost interest and came back to eat.

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Random pic of the boys sleeping. Why I bother having a full size bed for them is beyond me. They don't need it. A twin would suffice for all three since they love squishing together all night anyway. Most nights they don't even take up half the bed!

Contentment

Yesterday I was sitting in my backyard, sipping iced coffee and reading a book while watching my little ones play in the sunshine. In that moment I realized something: I was perfectly content with life. I needed nothing, I wanted nothing. I was content. It was an awesome feeling! One which I plan on encouraging and continuing in my life. Sure, my life isn't perfect, my house isn't the biggest or the best, I don't have the latest and the greatest gadgets on the market, my clothes are all technically 'out of fashion' but I have what really matters - Christ the Lord and a family who loves me. With that, I am content.

Now a few pictures from our week:

With all the rain, the puddle at the end of the driveway has been rather large lately. The kiddos love playing in it!

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It's a good thing children and their clothing are washable.

A with daddy, singing songs. She loves singing with daddy! When he walks in the door after work she runs up to him and begs him to play Signing Time songs for her, lol. Signing Time and 'Wawwy' (translation, Larry).

The boys are really into superheros. Spiderman is B's favorite, Superman and Batman are W's favorites. They even have superhero sandals. The other day the boys were playing and W was Superman, B was Donkey Superman (not really sure what that was all about but he was having a great time) and A was designated as Spiderman. Boys are fun :)

Quick baby update:

I am now past the 39 week point. All things considered, I am quite comfortable. While I would love to meet my little man, I am ok with being pregnant. I have actually been enjoying this pregnancy, a new concept for me.

38 weeks (pic included) and some other stuff

 

It has been a good week in the Turnage household. The lilacs are blooming (B calls them 'li-li' for some reason), the grass is very green and was very long due to all the rain we have had, and the sun is finally out again. Of course, it was 34 degrees out when I woke up this morning but the sun is shining and the sky is blue! It has been a productive week for me since we stayed inside a lot due to the rain. I had been letting the housework lapse a bit because it had been so nice outside but now my house is once again clean and (mostly) organized.

In other news, W finished 1st grade math! He has been working really hard to get it done because he wants to start his new math book. I am hoping his enthusiasm lasts a long while.

 W has been enjoying the 'Betsy' books, this one is no exception. Great book!

A and B getting creative. A is constructing a tower and B is building a dinosaur barn. With a silo. He likes silos.

And here I am! 38 weeks huge now. According to my pregnancy app, there are 12 days left until my due date. Whoohoo! Now if only Baby T would come close to his due date, we will be all set. I feel ready: my house is clean, all his clothes are organized, washed, and put in his dresser, I have a few freezer meals ready to go, and my bag is packed. Just waiting on little man to be ready, which should be sometime in the next 2-4 weeks.

Another view. More belly to see here. Not that you could miss it, lol.

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She is just too cute. Don't let that cuteness fool you though, she can throw quite the tantrum when she doesn't get her way!

Meal Planning Conundrum, or How Do I Plan Meals Around A Birth?!?!

I have a conundrum. I am sitting here trying to plan out meals for the next, um, __ number of weeks. The number is the problem. Usually I plan on doing the shopping every 2-4 weeks, depending on what is happening in our lives and how much extra freezer space we have (on a side note, I think we may have just about outgrown our chest freezer and will soon need two. But that is just a side note and has nothing to do with this post). Two weeks would land me on my due date, three would be right at 41 weeks. So, do I plan for 1, 2 or 3 weeks? We don't have the freezer space for 4 weeks so that is out. My freezer is packed full with freezer meals and breast milk (the meals are for us big people after baby comes, the breast milk is donor milk for baby). So the question becomes, do I want to do it week by week and drag my very pregnant self out with three little kids every single week, or do I plan for two to three weeks and hope baby stays put until I can get out again? Grrrr....nothing sounds appealing at this point. Hubby usually shops with us if we do multiple weeks but he has been working a lot lately so that isn't a good option right now.

My other problem is finding meals that do not require, A. much effort, B. the oven, and C. are actually healthy. Oh yes, and D. meals that the family will enjoy. I have been feeling very...lazy, unmotivated, sluggish? And have no desire to put a huge amount of effort into cooking lately. This has resulted in meals that are not necessarily the healthiest. Translation, mama has been serving hotdogs and chips (with a veggie, of course) instead of making a meal. While the children (and my husband) have been quite delighted with this fare, I am not. Winter is so much easier because I can make a nice soup and call it a day but soup is a little warm for these hot Summer months. 

BABY UPDATE:

I thought I would toss this in as well, for my baby obsessed friends - you know who you are :)

Baby is doing great. Moving around like a crazy little man and poking my ribs and happily squishing my bladder. I can tell he is getting big! Not complaining, but everything is giving me heartburn now. Even ice cream. No joke. I am now 37 weeks, 5 days pregnant and am getting lots of regular contractions. Before you get excited, I had regular contractions for 6 weeks with Miss A so that is not an indication of anything other than pregnancy for me. Delivery could easily be a month away yet, if my past history is any indication. While I am kind of hoping for June 5th (selfish reasons - 5 is my favorite number), I am expecting him to come between the 10th and the 20th of June.


                                                                                                                                                                           

Beginning of the school year, planting seeds, and a belly pic

The first week of school has arrived!

Now, I know you are scratching your head and looking at the calendar. To answer the unspoken (technically unheard) question, yes, it is indeed May and yes, we are starting school. The beauty of homeschooling is that I can do whatever I want :)

Let me explain my reasoning.

We live in WI, the frigid North. When the lucky, toasty kids down South get to learn about insects and flowers and actually see and touch them, we have snow. No bugs. No flowers. Not even a blade of grass to study. Just cold, ice, snow, and barren trees. So, I am doing some science and our nature study at a time of year when my kids can learn about nature by seeing and touching it, not just reading about it from a boring old textbook. While I am at it, we are doing math, reading, and some other fun Summer-y projects.

This week's big project is planting seeds and watching them grow. Now, learning about flowers and plants is actually part of W's curriculum but I added the planting seeds part. Ulterior motives. All his books have him do is read about seeds but my garden needs to be started and my beloved children need to learn how to help me so I don't have to work as much (like I said, ulterior motives - child labor, bwahahahahahaa!!!!).

How To Plant A Garden, Step 1: Eat Pop Ice. Ok, not exactly but the boys didn't complain.

They took turns putting in the potting soil. Most of it actually went into the egg cartons. W was a little concerned that some got on the ground until I explained that it was just plain old dirt and some getting on the ground wouldn't hurt anything.

Smoothing out the soil and making it even.

Planting seeds! We planted watermelon, summer squash, peas, and beans. The boys like the beans the best. Why, I have no idea.

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Watering the planted seeds. You can see my ice water melting in the sun in the background. I was rather disappointed when I went to take a sip later.

Mission accomplished! The little seedlings should be ready to plant in the actual garden in a couple of weeks. More, um, school work. Tee hee hee.

Enjoying a bounce or two after their 'strenuous' work.

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I asked him to smile for the camera. This is what I got.

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This is what Missy was up to while the boys and I were hard at work in the heat of the day. Sleeping in front of a fan. Life is rough for the baby of the family.

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Post bath, watching Veggie Tales. The boys were, of course, filthy and Missy joined them in the dirt shortly after we finished the planting. She missed all the real work. Little slacker.

As promised, a belly pic. Ok, not a real one but I thought it was cool. 36 weeks 5 days! According to my pregnancy app, I have 22 days before my EDD. I am so glad the weather has been on the cooler side so that I am more comfortable. Pregnancy and heat do not mix well! Next time I will post a real belly pic. Promise.

Review: Tide Free & Gentle

A couple of months ago I received some Tide Free & Gentle to review for a website. I decided to write a review here as well.

I have a child with sensitive skin (W) who will get irritated using many of the regular detergents. Whether it is the dye, the perfume, some weird ingredient, or a combination of the three, I have no idea. Up to this point, I had not used one of the dye and perfume free detergents on the market, opting instead to make my own laundry detergent. Since I am über cheap (haha), I wasn't all that interested in trying a product that would cost more for the same result as my own detergent. However, when the opportunity to test some out for free came along, I took it.

I was very impressed.

Although I had low expectations in the beginning, Tide Free & Gentle lived up to its claim of getting clothes clean and taking out the stains (see claim here). Not only did W do just fine, but our clothes came out nice and clean. No irritation, no nasty skin breakouts, nothing. In fact, you couldn't tell the difference between the two detergents. The only down side is that this detergent does have a chemical-ly (is that even a word? No? Oh well.) smell to it. That I didn't really like but the results were great.

Now, the big question here is, will I switch? The answer is no. I would recommend this detergent to anyone who needed a good, dye free detergent for sensitive skin or a new baby and has no desire to make their own. Since it works just as well as my own, homemade detergent, I will keep using mine since it is more cost effective. I would gladly use Tide Free & Gentle if I could not make my detergent for some reason. It is a great back up and I am glad I know what to use if necessary!

The 12 Days of Sickness

*Set to the tune of The 12 Days of Christmas*

On the first day of sickness, the beginning of it all, my daughter wouldn't stop throwing up...

Ok, never mind. A poet I am not. Anyway, Little Miss started the whole thing. 5 days of a nasty GI bug, one trip to the urgent care, and some Zofran later my gorgeous little gal shared it with me. The good news was I got it on a weekend when Hubby was here and could take care of the kids while I slept it away. That was followed by both of her brothers getting it. B was sick the longest - 6 days - for a total of 12 days of loveliness. I say loveliness but it was anything but lovely. I am really hoping this is the end of sickness in our house for many months to come! This Winter has been really rough on us. The kids have never been so sick. Maybe it is because there are three of them? If so, I dread next year when there are four...

In other news, today is my baby appointment!! I get to hear baby again, which is always exciting. Due to all the illness around here I haven't had one in almost 5 weeks. This will be my 34/35 week appointment and first appointment since my 30 week one. This pregnancy is flying by! Just a few weeks left before Squishy Bug makes his appearance. I am trying not to think about my To Do list since it got put on the back burner for the last couple of weeks. Somewhere on that list is taking another picture. Maybe, just maybe, I will get one done before labor. For some reason, this is not a priority....

32 Weeks and a Birthday

Well, Squishy Bug is having a blast, flipping around and stretching. I am not. The last couple of days I have been feeling REALLY pregnant! Insomnia has also kicked in...just as Little Miss started sleeping through the night consistently. How is that fair, exactly??? It's not. Believe me, it's not.  However, I am glad that baby #4 is doing well and is a healthy little boy.

On to other news...W is now 5! I cannot believe how fast time flies. My mom always told me time would speed up faster and faster the older I got and she was right! I remember the day he was born...it was snowing and that trip to the hospital was one of the most uncomfortable car rides I have ever had.

Here is my birthday boy, holding his new beanbag. He was so excited to get a beanbag! He had been drooling over them at the store for awhile now so he was thrilled to finally own one. His siblings are also excited and they have all been taking turns rolling it over each other. Yeah, I have weird children.

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Update on Weekly Challenges

The first week went really well (you can find the post here). All my clothes now not only fit me but fit in my closet and dresser. Putting clothes away is so easy now! Before, I dreaded trying to squeeze everything in and hated putting away my own clothes (how sad is that???). Now I don't mind it at all. Such a refreshing change!

I was going to do the same for the littles (especially A, her dresser is crammed with more clothes than the child could possibly wear) last week but we had a little problem. Ok, not little. Huge. There was a blockage in the sewer on our street and the sewer backed up into our basement. It was a disgusting mess! I went down to do a load of laundry Monday morning only to find about 3 inches of standing yuckage (probably not a real word but it fits the situation perfectly so I am going with it. Besides, if Shakespeare can make up his own words, then I can too) covering the entire basement. The unfinished basement, not the finished one. I make this distinction because we have two basements. Odd, yes, but for some reason someone thought this would be a good idea. I now know why.

The good great news is that our insurance agent took care of everything. EVERYTHING. He called the clean up crew and filed the claim with the insurance company and with the city. We are hoping that the city will pay for the clean up since it was not on our property nor was it our fault.

The greatest news is we didn't lose a thing. Well, we lost some plastic bags and the gift bags. Nothing of value and nothing that couldn't easily be replaced. We have been through two floods now in less than 5 years and the only thing of value that we lost was Hubby's truck and that was on its last leg, barely hanging onto life. The insurance company covered it completely and we probably got more than we would have if we had tried to trade it in so that was actually a good thing in the end. God is so good!!

But I digress...

I didn't do a weekly challenge this week. I did finish getting the boys' clothes pared down and they are now each in half a dresser. Miss A will share with W and newbie will share one with B. Next week my challenge will be to get A's clothes under control...gulp. I have been saving her wardrobe for last because out of all of them, hers will be the hardest. I love all her cutsie clothes! Even the ones she has never worn or has only worn once. Yet, it must be done. Next week.

My Weekly Challenge - Less Is More

I have decided to do a weekly challenge for myself. My goal is to become more organized before Baby Boy makes his appearance in June. With 4 kids ages 5 and under, I am going to need to be more organized than I am now. I am not an overly organized person so I am not expecting any miracles but it would be nice to be rid of some of the junk that is cluttering up my house and find a place for everything.

Week 1: The Wardrobe

My new motto is Less Is More. Putting this into practice, my challenge this week is to clear out my closet and dresser. Both are full to the max and I don't even wear half the clothes. Some do not fit any more, others I am just holding on to just because I can't seem to let go. I will keep 3-5 articles of each type of clothing (dresses, pants, t-shirts, etc,) and donate the rest. Not an easy task but I am determined to do it!

Bring on Week 1!