Life is Good: Day 74

This will be a lot of posts. But it will be good!;)

Day 74:

I love this photo. It's Caleb's genuine smile, smeared with chocolate. Who could ask for more!?

From Life is Good Count Down

Life is Good: Day 75

So, From the time frame on my Baby Ticker I have 75 days left until my due date. So I decided to do something kind of fun leading up to the baby. I will do a little count down. Every day I will share a reason why Life is Good. This will keep me thinking all day about what I'm going to post that night. Positive... That's the goal!

Day 75:

This is a picture of Leif reading the scriptures to the boys. We've finally created a habit of family scripture study. On good nights, the boys sit on their special mats (to keep them from crawling all over) and listen to Leif, and we might even get to discuss what we're reading. After Leif reads, Jakob reads a verse (and is doing quite well!) and now Caleb insists on "reading" a verse. It is definitely a Life is Good moment that closes our day.

From Life is Good Count Down

SUMMER TIME!

Today was the last day of Leif's Day Job (for the Summer.) He works at the elementary school. So we get him to ourselves the whole summer!! Oh how grateful I am for this!!! We thought about having him take his CNA course this summer, but decided it would be okay to wait on that.

Technically, Leif and I will be really busy with our online classes that we've signed up for. But there's nothing like being able to work out our own schedules and visit and help each other throughout the day. And WOW do I need his help these days! I'm blessed that he's able and willing to give it.

Hopefully we'll squeeze in some fun throughout the Summer days too. I've mentioned this before, but we're really looking forward to my sister and her girls' visit in June. Jakob is signed up for two sessions of swimming lessons. So I think we'll be covered for the fun factor. And then a new baby to top it off at the end of the season. Ahhh, that will be the BEST!!!

New Perspective: Stephanie Nielson

Do you ever have those moments where something or someone stops you in your tracks and puts you in your place? I have had one of those experiences today.

Honestly, I'm surprised that I haven't heard of this precious woman until now. However, I think that may have been meant to be. Does the name Stephanie Nielson ring a bell for any of you? If so, consider yourself lucky. How about the NieNieDialogues blog? Well, if it doesn't sound familiar, I suggest you take a minute and become introduced. Especially if you need a bit of encouragement. There's no way I can do her story justice by telling it in my own words. So here is the best link I have found Stephanie Nielson: Plane Crash Survivor Regains Hope.

I have fallen into a funk lately and her story has helped put a lot of things into perspective.

As I sit here pondering exactly what changes have taken place in my heart, I think perhaps the most important is the fact that our mortal body is only a small part of our soul. It is not in control. When we have times where our body and our spirit are at odds with each other and feel the need to rival one another, it is most important to remember that our spirit is the control center, the one with all of the wisdom to overcome the frailties of our mortal body and conquer in the end. So, once we remember this we must humble ourselves enough to allow our spirit to overcome.

Fine! Is Just Fine.

So I need to give a quick update. Like my header says, Fine. I am doing just fine and that is good. Life is moving along and I'm just taking the day as it comes. It's working so far.

We are very excited for the Summer vacation to start because Papa will be home all day throughout the summer. We are both taking online classes. But I'm thrilled with the time we'll all have together.

We are also looking forward to a long visit from Aunt Heather and her girls! Can't wait for that!!

So, good things to look forward to!

Good News and Bad news

Well, we finally got a call from the Nurse today. I missed it, so she had to leave a nessage. To get to the point quickly, so far my test results came back normal. So that is a really good thing!

Bad Thing? I'm still feeling exceptionally unwell. I'm trying to work through it and tell myself all is well. But we'll meet with the doctor on Friday and talk to him. I'm wondering if I've become anemic again. If not, well... I have a bit of a long road ahead.

Just to let you know.

Mama's Update: Possible Complications

I need to write. To update. Maybe that will help me sleep better tonight. Sleep these days is just another task. Medicine to try to GET me to sleep, then prayer that the medicine will work and I will be able to find a decent position to sleep in, and then hope that I'll be able to stay asleep through the night without exhausting dreams and screaming kids. Yep, this post looks to be a definite venting post.

I told Leif I was going to wait to let everyone in my world know about the current state of "my world." But I think I'm just going to write. Then I'll let the upcoming days play out how they may ... Good, Bad, or Ugly.

Well, the last couple of weeks I just haven't felt well. I've felt extra big, more of a full heavy feeling. Yes the scale has definitely gone up, and faster then I liked. So I was working on living more healthy. But I've also been dealing with weird blood pressure issues. When I stand up for any amount of time I'll have sudden spells where I just feel weak all over and I feel like my breath is slipping away. I am forced to sit because of it. It seems to happen more in the first half of the day. I've had HORRIBLE headaches! And I am just TIRED, so Tired.

I was/am feeling frustrated because the way I feel is how I should feel at the very end of my pregnancy. Where, here I am a little over half way. So, for some people, these issues might cause them to wonder enough to go into a doctor earlier then planned or something. For me, I just chalked it up as my personal experience with pregnancy and was sucking it up and working through it. Pregnancy is pretty much a nightmare in my world.

So I walked into the doctors office for our routine appointment and the doctor was standing in the hall as I was coming to my room. He asked how I was. Well, at this point I have stopped rattling off all of my aches and pains to people. I sound like a crazy woman if I do. So I said with a smile "I'm fine," and walked into the room (hey we didn't have the kid's with us). I then did the routine pee in a cup.

Well, my doctor soon walked in and seemed a bit more weary or concerned then usual. But he's a very busy doctor and father of several children. So he always comes in with a smiling sigh.:) Anyway, he looked at me and said, "so, you have a lot of protein in your urine." Right away I knew what he was getting at and things started making some possible sense. So the concern that comes when you have protein in the urine is Preeclampsia. It's really dangerous for the mother and the baby. No fun at all. And I wasn't a bit surprised.

So I asked him if it was a little protein or a lot. He said it was a lot. I of course told him the reality of how I've been feeling. From there we did an ultrasound and the baby looks great! Then he sent me for blood work. I did the routine glucose test as well. And tomorrow I have to start a 24 hour urine collection (I know, too much information. Sorry!)

So, as of the moment, I have no official diagnosis. But as I said, I won't be surprised if the tests come back telling us we have concerns to deal with. We'll know either early this upcoming week. Or our appointment on Friday.

So what are the possibilities? Well, of course we'll all be on the cautious end. All of this seems a bit too close to da-ja-vou. But if things are mild, I'll take medication and check in with the doctor weekly. If things are more severe, I'll be on bed rest and probably in the SG hospital near the NICU.

So, that's my world. Right now, I'm just really tired and anxious to make sure everything is being done to keep the baby and I well.

And on that note, I'll keep ya posted! Then if all is well, you can celebrate with me.

Surprise Award!

Last week I received an invitation in the mail from the school that I attended last Summer. The invitation stated that I had been selected for an award and I was invited to a luncheon where I would be presented the award. Hmmm? We thought. Interesting... My other thought was, NICE: An afternoon away from the kids with Leif and Lunch, Perfect!

During the luncheon I was presented the:

Certificate of Excellence for Outstanding Achievement in Creative Writing

for Mohave Community College

Very Neat!

Update: Jakob's (and Caleb's) Home Schooling

We are starting a new routine during our school time these days. For the last several months we have been working on the packets that I put together for the times that I would be down sick in the early pregnancy. THANK HEAVENS for the foresight and preparing of those packets!! They Saved Jakob's whole school year!

During those months Jakob mastered the alphabet (writing, recognition, and the sounds of the upper and lower case letters.) He also worked on writing and recognizing the numbers up to twenty. Of course he can count higher. But I felt it important that he be able to write them down as well as count. So it worked out well.

We've moved on to a few new things. The first may seem very basic and routine. But in our family it is something we take very seriously. We hung an American flag in our living room and the first thing we do to open "School Time" is to say The Pledge of Allegiance. Jakob, Caleb, and myself all stand together and repeat those very stirring and all important words. Often times after saying the pledge we will discuss different topics that go along with America and our heritage. The latest topic stemmed from the question Jakob asked, "what do the red and white stripes mean on the flag?" Good Question! Here is the answer.

Starting next year we will begin something I am VERY excited about!! It is called "America's Heritage: An Adventure in Liberty" It is a series of lessons covering the History of the United States from the very beginning. Throughout the lessons there are four themes that resonate through the lessons: Freedom, Unity, Progress, and Responsibility. We are very Excited! Check it out HERE.

We have also started working more with math then just counting and recognizing numbers. We have found an AWESOME website for this and the best part is that Jakob enjoys it!! It's called IXL Math. It is a website that goes along with the State guidelines for math. They provide lessons for your child following these guidelines. Jakob's favorite part is their awards system. Every time he works on his math he is working toward a certain goal and receives fun little awards to continue to encourage him. So far it's been Great!!

And Finally, it's time to begin the process of helping Jakob learn how to read. On a scholastic level we use StarFall.com (including MoreStarFall.com) and a series of flash card games to help Jakob with the sight words and phonics. We have also included a spiritual approach to this subject. During school time Jakob and I read from the children's version of The Book of Mormon. He points to the words and I read, unless he recognizes a word. It gives him a chance to "practice" reading. But of course my favorite part is the chance we get to talk about the gospel! In the evenings Jakob gets to read the last verse of our scripture studies. While reading he earns a sticker for every word that he clearly recognizes on his own and reads without help. Last night he earned his top number of stickers, five. I am realizing that this will be a long process, but worth the effort.

In the end of "School Time," I believe both Jakob AND Caleb have come away learning something new. A very Good Feeling!!

Spring Projects

We've tried to enjoy every bit of sunshine that we received this last month. I can't say I've done a lot, but I've tried. Leif on the other hand has scored big time! Here are a few pictures telling about all the fun we've had lately.

We've cleared out the garden plot and Leif tilled it up. We're planning on planting most of our veggies in Earth Boxes this year. So we actually spread wild flower seeds throughout the garden area.

From Spring Projects

We needed a fence in front of the yard to keep Caleb and Lady Bug in the yard. Leif and his brother worked hard and put one up for us. It sure has been nice! Lady has calmed down a lot and loves to run around. I love that I feel that the kids are safe.

From Spring Projects

The kids kept digging in the garden. It's far from sanitary. So Leif and I finally looked around the yard at the scrap wood we had and Leif built a sand box frame that includes a lid (to keep animals out.) It is AWESOME! We found sand for a Great Deal! So that is even better! Once everything was built Jakob and I went to work painting the Sussex Chicken Coup and the Sand Box. It was a lot of work, but a good accomplishment!

From Spring Projects

From Spring Projects

From Spring Projects

I have mentioned before how much I miss having a bathtub. Well, we found a huge box at the town wood pile. It was actually carrying a light weight fiberglass bath tub in fine condition. So, we brought it home. Leif built a frame to set it in to stabilize it. We patched up the drain, bought a white hose and a shower attachment, and there we have it, A Bath Tub! Yes, we use it. No it's not perfect. It will be fine when we get a good pump to pump the water out quickly. When the tub is not in use, it is a very much loved reading/make believe play room! Love It!

From Spring Projects

Our Caleb Is Two Years Old

My Precious Little Caleb is two years old. He's still my Bright Eyes! Oh how we love him! Right now it's just he and I in the house and he's content to play with his toys. Well, almost content. He does get quite frustrated when the toys aren't doing just what he wants them to do. Being patient is NOT his favorite thing to do right now. Now Laughing, that is definitely a favorite. Wrestling, another favorite. Teasing, ahh, he's very good at teasing! He is still willing to snuggle with me in the morning when I get him out of bed too. For that I am grateful.

So far, Caleb has a language of his own. Oh the stories that he tells. He'll go on and on, laughing and carrying on as if we understand every word. It's priceless! He's mastered a very few words. But no worries. My little ones take a while to talk. Then, it's all I can do to quiet them...

Caleb is standing at my desk begging me to do something with his shoes. Caleb LOVES shoes! The problem is keeping them on. The only shoes I can keep on his feet are his Robeez. They are leather moccasins. I have had to apply duct tape to the soles one then one time. I finally broke down today and bought a new pair that has rubber soles. They are EXPENSIVE ($30+) Ugg! But the elastic around the tops make it hard to pry them off for some reason. I sure hope these new ones work like the worn out pair he now uses.

And now, I turn my head and see Caleb following through with yet another interest. This one is VERY annoying. He has a pen and is decorating his toys with it. If I don't watch him, he and everything else around him will be covered in ink. PAPER! We keep trying to get him to stick to drawing on PAPER! OHHH!! He got to my shoe!! Stupid Pens!

Well, he's two, right!? That excuses everything, right!? I WISH! So, anyway I'll go back to the LOVE this kid part. I do!! We all do! Happy Birthday Little One!!

From Collages

General Conference With Our Little Ones

It's that time of year again. Spring General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am thrilled to say that Jakob (5 years old) was actually anticipating and excited for these next couple of days. Not for the same reasons as Leif and I of course. But it's a start.

General Conference is a series of 4 general sessions of speakers. Each session is two hours long spanning two days. So as you can imagine, it is not easy to sit through every session, let alone sitting in a room full of little ones. So I have taken it upon myself as the mama to try my best to make it an uplifting experience for everyone. My goal is to keep the spirit of the Lord in the home throughout the sessions so all can be edified in one way or another. My next goal is to train my sons to eventually get to a point where they will sit quietly during the conference and Listen to the words being spoken. Leif and I take this quite seriously. It's not every day that you are able to sit at the feet of prophets and apostles and be taught the word of the Lord.

So here are the few things that we do to help us all pay attention:

The night before the first session of conference we set up a "Conference Tent." This gives us boundaries and guideline of where we are "sitting" during conference.

This year I found "Apostle Flash Cards." Each Apostle had a picture as well as a fun description about them. As Papa set up the tent, I sat with the boys and we read about each Apostle and the Prophet. Jakob loved learning about their military career as well as how many children they all had. He thought it was AMAZING that someone could have 12 children. He also learned that he and Elder Hales share the same birthday. (Caleb enjoyed looking at the pictures and sitting on Papa's lap.) In the morning I taped each of the pictures up. Jakob earned a treat every time he recognized when one of the Apostles were speaking (with some help of course.)

From conference 2010

I was also able to find a great "General Conference Packet" this year that was made especially for Junior Primary children. I printed it out and Jakob's enjoyed it so far.

From conference 2010

Of course we always have a "Conference Bingo" game going which includes WAY too much Candy. This year Jakob turned to Leif and I and said, "I remember last conference I ate way too much candy, I was SICK!" So, I have taken that into consideration.

This next session we'll put the candy away and I have a fruit platter with a cool whip/yogurt dip, trail mix, beef jerky, and Chex mix to keep our mouths and stomachs occupied.

So far, So good!

From conference 2010