Around Here: Week 44

(This orb was in lots of pictures I took that day,
which was the third anniversary of my first miscarriage)

For fun, here's Logan doing the same thing, wearing the same boots!

(Also for fun, here are the twins meeting my sister's first son, Ferris)

(And here is Logan in the shirt Carly's been wearing-- so fun to look back!)

Pumpkin patching... at an adorable farm near our hometown.  We had originally planned to go while some family was in town, but that fell through, and we were down to the final weekend before Halloween.  Sort of last minute I decided it was important enough to me to take all four kids by myself.  It was totally worth it, (the money & the 30 minute drive each way).  It had zip lines, a hay stack for climbing, apple slinging, a bunch of animals to pet, a giant tube slide & a 4 wheeler train ride. Oh my gosh, so much fun!  Plus we got pumpkins!

Carving... the pumpkins we found at the patch and being impressed by each of our boys' independence in carving.  Josh and I barely had to help, which was awesome.  We waited until Carly was asleep to carve and it made for some nice special time with our three bigs.  They loved how they looked all lit up on the front porch.

Meeting... my new niece for the first time and helping take her newborn pictures with my sister. The baby is absolutely precious and perfect, and I am so happy for my sister's family. (Also, seeing my babies with actual babies, like, makes me explode. Too much.)

Creating... a Christmas playlist on my phone! And perusing Shutterfly for cute holiday card ideas. I am so excited for the holidays!

Passing... my final interview for VIPkids.  All that's left is paperwork and scheduling. I am anxious for my first actual teaching experience, but also excited. I think this is going to be the perfect job for me, as it will allow me to work while the kids sleep and I'll still have 100% stay-at-home mom availability during their waking hours.

Participating... in #30daysofgratitude in honor of Thanksgiving this month. (Check out my Instagram account.) I love November so much. I love that we're all getting into the holiday spirit; I love that it's my birthday (Can't believe I'm turning 35!); and I love that so many people are gently reminded that that we all have so much to be grateful for. It's a beautiful thing.

Taking... Wyatt to the doctor for both a concussion and what turned out to be a broken foot, from two separate incidences.  He fell off the trampoline (he was sitting on the trampoline, about to get off, when he fell backwards, flat on his back, hitting his head) causing whiplash and concussive symptoms- massive headache and brain vibrations- that lead us to urgent care, and on top of that, over the weekend we had noticed his foot pain complaints had escalated to actual limping, so we had them look at that too.  Basically the doctor thinks he has stress fractures on his cuboid & navicular bones from one of his brothers landing on the foot on the trampoline a few weeks ago.  So he's in a walking cast (we call it his "boot") for the next six weeks and then we will recheck.  He's been a real trooper about the whole thing, but he did get very sad when the doctor said no trampoline jumping during those six weeks.

Fixing... Logan's lazy eye with daily patching and checking in with the doctor. This last three months didn't provide any further improvement, which is a bummer, but we're going to commit to a final three months of daily patching and then he will be done.  The trouble was that his glasses weren't able to fix his vision to 100%, so by fixing his lazy eye, his glasses will be better able to correct his vision for the rest of his life.  He hates it, but I know it will be totally worth it.

Not reading... anything. I just haven't been myself the last two weeks.  Between the end of October (with Halloween craziness and the anniversary of my miscarriage) and the kids all being sick (coughs, colds, broken bones, etc.) I've been lucky to have two minutes to breathe, let alone rest (I have an ear infection & sinus infection I am still working to get rid of) or read. Maybe next week?!?

Thankful... that Logan's medication increase is done, and he seems totally stable and feeling fine other than a head cold he has. I am so grateful we haven't noticed any increase in moodiness or lethargy, as those were the two side effects I was most worried about. Thank you so much for your prayers and well wishes.

Looking forward... to a visit from my mom on Saturday & Sunday.  The kids can't wait!!!

Deciding... that 35 is going to be amazing.  (My birthday is on the 18th.)  This is going to be my year. I am going to be working and getting a handle on our finances; I am going to love myself (and my body); and I am going to choose to be happy!!!

***

#30daysofgratitude

(instagram)

Day 1: Josh

Day 2: Logan

Day 3: Jack

***

Around Here: Week 42

 

Reeling... from Logan having a seizure this weekend, and the corresponding news from his neurologist that he is due for a medication increase.  When we were first putting him on meds back in January, it was a long (long) road as his body adjusted.  He suffered stomach aches, headaches, dizziness and lots of anxiety.  So increasing his meds is making me nervous to say the least.  Prayers for an easy adjustment are welcome.

Visiting... my sister & her family this weekend while Josh worked on his parents land building a pump house.  We let the kids go wild in their costumes at a park near her house and they had so much fun. It was a great way to spend a Saturday in October.

Sharing... a new post, as well as some older posts, about miscarriage as we celebrated Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Day on October 15th.  I'll post all the links here so you can read them more easily.

• Pregnancy Loss Awareness
• Every Feeling
• Life After Miscarriage
• Extending Grace
• Hope After Miscarriage
• Not Allowed

Created... more cards for my Etsy shop this week during nap time and uploaded them this morning.  So many cute cards-- check them out!!!

Not yelling... and sharing an update on the blog.  Basically I haven't been yelling in three weeks, and it feels so good.  I am still occasionally sending the boys to their room for a minute while I calm down, but for the most part I am able to keep my cool, which is a huge change from September.

Reading... nothing this week except for The Magician's Elephant which I am reading to the boys at bedtime.  Up next is How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton Christensen, which Ralphie from @simplyonpurpose recommended.

Surviving... seven days (in.a.row) of migraines.  What a nightmare that was.  Thank goodness for Sumatriptan.  It makes me feel like garbage for about two hours, but then the side effects (and the headache) are gone for good!

Enjoying... meeting for coffee & playdates with my friends here.  They are such a blessing to me as I navigate October, which is a notoriously hard month for me.  October 2013 I suffered terrible depression & anxiety while living in rural Alaska, October 2014 I suffered my first miscarriage, also in rural Alaska.  October 2015 I was pregnant with Carly & living without Josh (because he was gone teaching in rural Alaska). And last October, I was adjusting to the boys in school and living in our new hometown, which was hard as summer ended.  I had been doing well this month, but Logan's seizure along with a few other stressors have thrown me for a bit of a loop, so I'm allowing myself to do whatever it takes to get through the days.  If that means I have coffee & playdates four days a week, so be it!  I know that I have to be functioning for this family to keep functioning, so I am going to take care of myself as much as possible.

***

Around Here: Week 40

{a lucky ladybug!}

Reading... Present Over Perfect, oh so slowly on my Kindle, and listening to The Selection, which was a book club pick this month for our local book club.  I am surprised to find myself LOVING The Selection, as it reminds me a lot of Hunger Games in all the best ways.  I finished The Boys in the Boat this week, and while I didn't love the writing style, the story of course was very inspiring.  At the library I got The Shakeress, and I'm enjoying that one currently as well.  Reading The Magician's Elephant with the boys, as well as working through our stacks of library books and Halloween books from our holiday box.  If I make the time the read to them, I am always so happy that I did.  So I've been making sure to take the time at bedtime to read their chapter book to them, and I've been trying to squeeze in a book or two each morning before school as well.

I received my copy of Winter Solstice this week, which is making me excited for winter.  Each year I have read the trio (Winter Street, Winter Stroll and Winter Storms) to get pumped for the holidays and now I get to add this one to the mix.  Elin Hilderbrand is my go-to for summer reads (my favorites are Barefoot and The Island), but it turns out she has a magic way with winter as well!

Selling... lots of card sets in my Etsy shop last week.  Thank you all so much for your love and support.  I am getting more created and will upload them to the shop soon!

Shipping... my greeting cards so easily with the Etsy labels. Seriously, I had no idea it would be so simple!  I simply printed off the labels, slapped them on my envelopes, and dropped them in the local USPS mailbox.  I enjoyed making my own business cards (complete with my business logo!) and packing up all those cards I made with love.

Getting... a handle on my temper and reducing the amount of yelling I've been doing. I did a little update, at week one, and it's going swimmingly.  {Check out the post for some pointers if you suffer from yelling like I did!}

Enjoying... all the new windows Josh has put in our house.  Now I need to do the work and paint the trim he put up all around them.  The light that they let in, and the clarity through which we can now see is awe-inspiring.

Feeling... validated with Josh while discussing my degree.  We were talking about educational options for our children in the future (college, trade schools, etc.) and I told him that in some ways I felt like I got my degree just to get my degree and that sometimes it felt like a waste. (Of money) Josh brought me to tears saying that he didn't think my degree was a waste at all.  That education is always worth it, and that he thought I was a more confident stay-at-home mom because of my degree.

Spending... special time with Wyatt last weekend.  We played Pie Face and laughed so much with him.  We find that getting one on one time with our boys during the school year is really challenging, so we've implemented "special night", where, on an alternating schedule, we let each boy stay up late with us on Saturday night after family movie night.  It's a great way to get to spend time with them alone, apart from their brothers.  And makes for some super special memories.

Preparing... the house on Sunday for the week ahead.  We went all out this week and I did haircuts for all the boys; changed all the sheets; and cleaned the entire house, top to bottom.  It felt amazing, and really set me up for the week, which was nice because I haven't felt great this week.  I have some kind of sinus thing going on.

Caring... for Carly as she has had some sleepless nights, some low grade fevers and has even fallen asleep in her high chair and in my arms, which are both rarities for our fast moving girl.  She's teething her last two bottom teeth. She's so drooly and just generally not herself.  I am hopeful this next week she starts feeling better.

Running... with the boys at their school Jog-A-Thon. Carly loved running along with her brothers & their friends and I was happy to be out in the sunshine. The boys were so responsible and called their aunts & grandma's for donations, which will help their school get more PE supplies & some new recess equipment. (Thanks ladies!!!)

Dealing... with a really naughty cat this week.  George has taken his naughtiness up a level and is eating EVERYTHING.  He ripped into a bag of jerky, ate through a bag of Marshmallow Mateys, and even consumed a Cheeto puff. He's something else!!!

Decorating... for fall.  Pulling out the Halloween decorations really helps me accept that summer is over and embrace the coming months & holidays.  Halloween is so fun for the kids, and my birthday is in mid-November.  So there's lots to look forward to.

Joining... a friend for coffee and the neighbors for dinner.  I feel so blessed by all the connections we've made in our new hometown in the last year. This place is chock full of beautiful people who have loved our kids, our family & myself, and that acceptance means so much.

***

{thanks for sharing this beautiful quote Heather}

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