Maybe I Leave the Bathroom Door Open On Purpose?

Klaeyton.s Newest Favoritest Game :)

He dashes into the bathroom every chance he can get.

Which is normally when I forget to close the door.

He grabs up a handful of dog food (also known as "food balls").

He darts into the dining room, pulls back his arm and...

DINK! you hear the food hit the floor in at least 20 different places. 

All of a sudden we can hear Klaeyton laughing hysterically as Jasey darts around the room scouring for each morsel of food. 

If it weren't so darn funny, I'd be more careful to close the bathroom door ;)

Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom. 

I Could Use A Visit From The Motivation Fairy

I started this post some days ago, but haven't had the concentration to sit down and finish it:


I've acquired a new obsession the last couple of days. I've found this blog http://moneysavingmom.com/ and I absolutely LOVE it! It has led to to me scouring some other blogs and stuff. I found some awesome coupons this week and when I went shopping yesterday I got some awesome deals. I didn't even spend that much time planning, but I figure as much time as I spend doing other stuff, I should take a little extra time to save us some money. It's not like we're millionaires or anything ;)


That's as far as I got. I'll elaborate some more :) I followed up this week with some more deal scouring. I didn't have any coupons that were of immediate use to me, but did shop at two different stores in order to stay within our grocery budget for the week and I have to say I did fantastic! I'm determined to start budgeting better so that we can start putting more into savings. 


Anywho, I still haven't acquired the needed motivation to get upstairs. And last night it took me forever to fall asleep due to the million things going through my head regarding what we still haven't done to prepare for the baby. I need to make a needs list so we don't end up buying everything at once and completely breaking the bank. I also need to find a sofa bed so we can get our stuff moved upstairs already. And (gulp) I need to start organizing the upstairs so that there will even be room for all that stuff. Oh how I need the motivation fairy. It doesn't help that we're still having these 95 degree days where all I want to do is sit in front of my air conditioner. I mean really? I think fall needs to hurry up and get here. 


I got so excited yesterday in the stores seeing all the fall stuff being brought out. This year...I am def ready. 


Matt bought Klaeyton Finding Nemo and he likes it! So for the last couple of days, we've been watching Nemo instead of Cars. I'm totally ok with that :) It's hard to believe that in little over a month K will be 2! It's going by so fast. I have to plan his birthday party yet too. I'm still deciding what we're going to do...and still trying to find the cheapest way to go...why do birthday parties always end up being so expensive?


oh the joy of being an ordinary mom. 

Our Morning Routine.

Klaeyton and I have gotten into a pretty regular morning routine. Before I got pregnant this time around, I'd be up at 530 so that I could have a couple hours to myself before anyone was up. However, I'm too tired for that now, even when I do make it to bed at nine. So, now I sleep till about 7 when Klaeyton gets up. Sometimes I have to wrangle him out of his crib because he wakes up cranky, but mostly the morning starts out well with a diaper change and some juice, then Klaeyton watches Cars for the millionth time. I try to encourage him to change it up with Shrek or Curious George, but ultimately, it's always Cars. Sometimes he'll sit in the big comfy chair with just his juice or he'll insist on a package of fruit snacks (this happens when he darts to the pantry before I can get the door closed). At some point, he'll be ready for breakfast and he'll pull his high chair over (so that he can still see Cars) and insist on getting up himself and doing the buckles. He loves to do the buckles now. He locks the tray himself and then grins a huge accomplished smile telling me he's ready to eat. Most mornings it's yogurt and fresh fruit or cereal with some bananas or raisins thrown in. I get him all settled and he eats away, every now and then yelling "Kachow!" from Cars. 


I used to feel guilty letting him watch tv with little or no interaction from me, but I've come to realize that if it gives me an hour in the morning to balance the checkbook, have my coffee and get my day straight, it's probably better for the both of us. Besides, I usually limit the tv time anyway and shove him outside when he's done eating :) 


When it's time to wake Matt up, Klaeyton has his own rituals. He normally waltzes in the bedroom yelling "Daddy-O"! He climbs up on the bed and immediately begins driving his "dump car" all over daddy till he wakes up. Sometimes, he even throws a wrestling move in there to change it up. I have to admit, I love to watch :)


Oy vey, what am I going to do when there's two of them? When one needs nursed while the other one is insisting on blueberry yogurt not strawberry? It's a whole new adventure I'll be tackling and let's face it, my time management skills can only get better :)


Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom. 

Stickers and Mom Stuff.

I feel like this pregnancy is flying by. It's probably because I have Klaeyton around to keep me plenty busy and I can't complain. I really don't care for being pregnant. Some women apparently love it. Me? Not so much. At least, not with this little acrobat. When I carried Klaeyton, it was easy. My morning sickness was minimal, I didn't really get uncomfortable until the very end, and I could take all the time I wanted to myself to soak in the bath tub or snuggle up in front of the tv. This time? Hah. The sickness was so bad I was put on medication and was pretty much confined to the couch for at least a month. My face has broken out worse than it ever has in my life and now even at almost 6 months, I'm already super uncomfortable and having trouble sleeping. But no worries, I get my exercise chasing Klaeyton around ;) I shouldn't complain though. I can't even express my excitement about having a second child. Klaeyton's going to be a big brother and a big part of my anticipation is seeing them together. 


On that note. Bring on the fall. I didn't think I would ever say this and maybe it's all the pregnancy hormones speaking but I'm tired of summer. I'm ready for jeans, hoodies and flip flops. I'm ready for the days when I can keep my windows open and not run my ac or my heat and just throw on an extra blanket at night. I'm ready for changing leaves, cool breezes and pumpkin patches. I think this summer has just been a tad too hot for me. I'm ready. Now I know once we get that 8ft of snow in November I'll be complaining, but right now I'm ok with it :)

I can hardly believe K will be two in less than two months. He's becoming so independent. And he's so smart. His new thing is stickers. Oh how he loves stickers. And it keeps him occupied for awhile. I think I have found my new distraction for the grocery store and when we go out to eat. 

Klaeyton pointing at his sticker shoe :)

He's obsessed with cars. Both the movie and the matchbox kind. I think maybe he has gotten over his balloon phase because now he insists on taking his "dump car" to bed with him. Yeah, he won't say truck, he calls everything a car, complete with Boston accent. 


I'm still working on the house. I need more motivation to make it upstairs. I'm such a procrastinator I'll probably do it right before the baby arrives. I might just wait till it gets cooler so that I don't have to worry about hauling one of the ac units up there. 


So I'm completely addicted to Dexter. I finally broke down and started watching it after everyone kept telling me how awesome it is and now I'm totally hooked. It's such a weird show, but I can't help but get sucked it. Thank goodness for netflix. I love it!


I think I might bake something today. Granted it doesn't cause my kitchen to heat up to 400 degrees :)


Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom. 

Nesting and Jumping on the Bed.

I think I've figured out the reason I can't keep up with blogging on a daily basis...well for starters I'm lazy. Not like lazy like I sit on my couch all day, but lazy like it takes effort to think about what I'm going to write and every time I start to click on that bookmark at the top of my screen, I talk myself out of it. But sitting here in my glider (thanks to Nana and Papa Harden) in Klaeyton's newly organized and extremely clean room, I can smell freshly cut grass (not ours, we're so terrible about mowing the grass regularly) and I just feel like it's a perfect time to write. 


Yesterday my nesting kicked in. I'm determined to get the house in order before Julyiet gets here. I started with K.s room. What a mess. This child has so much stuff. He doesn't need any more toys for like ever. Anywho... I went through everything, got some more bins to organize, and threw a bunch of stuff out. I even went through all his clothes and yanked stuff that's too small or that he never wears. I moved stuff around and put his new town rug on the floor. It looks so much better and I can actually walk through his room without stepping on toys. Bliss. 


My next project is to start the upstairs, which I can do once we get an ac unit up there. I've told myself not to expect to get it all done overnight. It's a process and it will get done :)


One of Klaeyton's new favorite activities is playing on our bed. He loves to jump on it and wrestle and roll around. He'll just laugh and laugh. I need to get a video of it. Sometimes I think he's disappointed if it's just me, because he can't jump all over me like he does Matt. But when I watch the two of them together my whole body smiles. You can just see how much they love each other. It's a feeling only a wife and mother can know. 


Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom. 

A Basketball In My Shirt

So Matt and I had plans to go out with friends last night, you know for some well deserved adult time. Well...the last few days my pregnancy hormones have been a little out of whack and I've been secretly crying over how none of my clothes fit well and how when I wear my regular shirts I just feel fat. I def don't feel cute and pregnant. I don't remember having this much trouble when I was carrying Klaeyton. Probably because one, I didn't get big until close to the very end, and two, we had just moved here, had no close friends and I really didn't care what I looked like out in public. Why this time around is so much different, I'm not entirely sure, although I do have an inkling. But anyway, I decided to go on a mission to get a couple new things yesterday. A mission that well...just read on. 


I tried Walmart, Target and even Old Navy before realizing that I was going to have to break down and actually buy Maternity clothes in order to feel comfortable and look cute. So I dove into Motherhood Maternity. The great part, I found out I'm actually wearing a size small instead of the medium I was originally thinking. I found some things I really liked. However, the price paid for them...not so much.  On the way home I was thinking about returning a couple things, when I realized they only do in store credit and no cash refunds. So what did I do? I cried and thankfully I have a hubby who is both understanding and thoughtful. He returned from Target with a beautiful new centerpiece for my table and told me not to feel guilty. How did I get so lucky?


The moral of my story... one of the unfortunate side effects of being pregnant is having to spend a little more on clothes (unless you get lucky and find a sale or are lucky enough to inherit a whole new wardrobe, neither of which I was), anyway you spend a little more but you don't feel so awkward when out on the town with friends and instead of a fruity umbrella in your drink, you're sporting a basketball up your shirt.  :)


Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom. 

Potties and Harsh Realities

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.


It's amazing how you can feel so accomplished yet so defeated at the same time. If you're ever feeling this way...read this verse...drink some herbal tea and woosah :) Trust me, it helps. 


Today Klaeyton walked up and told me that it was raining outside and by golly it was. How did my little man get to be so smart all of a sudden?


His new obsession (other than eating cheese with all his meals) is the potty. He talks about it all the time and he's even let me put him on it. He loves to flush it, and even insists on doing so after he tells me he needs his diaper changed. I'm skeptical as to whether he's really ready or not, considering he's not even two yet, but I figure we might as well buy him his own potty chair and give it a whirl. The worst that could happen is he loses interest and we wait a while and try again. Oh but how nice it would be to have him out of diapers before Julyiet arrives. 


This evening Klaeyton and I experienced a harsh reality. My belly is just getting too big for him to sit on top of me in the "big chair" when we snuggle before bed. Instead we sat on the couch and attempted to snuggle but it wasn't the same and at one point he got so frustrated he went and sat in the big chair without me and told me I couldn't sit with him. I think in that moment he broke my heart for the first time. I had to let him be and it was one of those moments when I realized that he won't always want me around, or better yet, he won't need me around. I know I know he's only a toddler but it's like a small glimpse into the later years of parenthood. Ones that I can already tell are going to be a lot tougher than taming tantrums and changing diapers. It didn't last long...he was back on the couch with me within minutes. But those few moments were enough time for me to realize that I better get all the snuggles in that I can. 


Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom. 

Name Drop

Matt and I finally decided on the spelling of Baby Harden #2's name. She now has a name :) We decided on Julyiet Luella Harden. 


I must admit. I'm pretty stoked. :)


Probably the shortest blog ever but I wanted to share.


Currently Matt just told Klaeyton not to drive his car through his macaroni and K replied, "car eat noni." To which of course Matt replies, "No Klaeyton your car does not need to eat macaroni." I just smiled.


Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom. 

A Pish-Posh of Stuff

Yay! It's grocery shopping day. But naturally I would wake up this morning remembering an expense that I haven't taken into account for the month that had to be paid today. Small damper but nothing unmanageable. I think if managing finances was easy my life would be just a little bit too great. :) 


It's amazing that it's almost nine and K is still asleep. It could be that I had him up late again last night. I feel like such a terrible mom sometimes, keeping my toddler out until 11 which is 3 hours well past his bedtime. But I do know this. Once Baby Harden #2 arrives I won't be able to do that. Taking one child to Applebees to enjoy some karaoke while Daddy's at work is one thing...but two? Yeah right. I don't even think I'm that brave. And lately finding a sitter has become a little bit more of a challenge. I already know it will be rough when there's two of them. 


Klaeyton's new thing is telling everything Bu-Bye. Bu-bye car, Bu-Bye dog, it's like everything we leave behind he has to make sure to give his farewells to. It's awfully cute. I wish I could peek into his brain on more than one occasion. I think he's really intelligent like Matt is and I wish there was a way I could see what's going on in there. 


Last night during Karaoke he was so well behaved. I can really only count the curl under a rock in public moments on one hand with K. As wonderful as that it, it makes me think, Oh No what will the next one be like? Complete opposite I'm sure. 


She's def a mover. I can feel her all the time now doing acrobatics in my belly. I can't wait till I'm just a little bit bigger so that Klaeyton can feel her too. I'm looking forward to the look on his face and seeing how he'll react. It's hard to believe I'm already half way there. Then again, we are def not ready yet. There's so much to do! I really should get hopping. 


Well anywho, I need to make my grocery list and enjoy my few moments of peace and quiet while everyone in the house is still sleeping. Despite my love for noise, it's def nice to have some time to myself in the mornings :)


Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom. 

Everchanging

I am beyond overdue. And the interesting part is I've been itching to write for awhile now, but have been so busy that I haven't squeezed in the time to sit down and actually write. Well, today I decided to do just that. I've been extremely productive all morning and believe I am taking a well deserved break :) 


Let's see. Where should I even begin? Well... I'll start with a Thursday a couple weeks ago. It was a great day. Matt and I were having an ultrasound done at the imaging center and were leaving the house with K when we checked the mail and got an excellent surprise that enabled us to head to the Apple store that day and purchase our new Mac :) I'm sure you can imagine how extremely excited I was. So we drop K off with the grandparents and head to the imaging center. Now keep in mind we are pretty positive this baby's a boy. But not only were we wrong but the ultrasound lady was so great! "You see those three little lines...no boy parts...you're having a girl" The surprise was huge! Here I had accepted that I'd be in the house with all boys, when God throws me a curve ball :) I won't reveal the whole name yet because we haven't decided on a spelling yet :) You know us...it's gotta be a little unconventional. But yes Baby Harden is def a GIRL!


We were then off to Michigan, where I got to meet a lot of Matt's extended family for the first time. It was a fantastic couple of days! Klaeyton had an absolute blast and we were sad to leave. But now we know there are many more fun times to be had. 


We're making some changes. If you know Matt and I, you know we're always up for change. Matt's looking at new programs and possibly looking for a day job. I think I have finally found my calling and am now scouting Master's programs as well. It's exciting. 


Klaeyton grows by the day. (And some days he thinks he's so grown that he doesn't need a nap, but Mommy is working on negating that one) His vocabulary especially. Yesterday Matt taught him to call Mommy a fat fat. Which I have to admit was absolutely hysterical. He still won't repeat I love you, but he'll talk to you for hours if you'd let him. 


The other day he threw his shoe out the car window. Thankfully we were parked and I just happened to be looking in the rear view mirror at that moment. 


He broke a ceramic gum jar at this mexican restaurant we were at on Sunday. A tad embarrassing. 


He growls at every unknown female that attempts to talk to him. I still haven't quite figured this one out yet. 


One of the best yet though...one morning as Klaeyton and I are trying to wake Matt up in the bed, Klaeyton farts and then says, "Daddy, Shoo-ey" Yep. Hysterical. 


I want to start keeping more notes of all the memorable things he does. I know twenty years from now there will be a gazillion and some of them I just don't want to forget. 


Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom.

Cars and Words

You'd think with all this time on my hands I'd be writing all the time. But the truth is, I hardly ever think about what I'm going to write until I'm already writing it. And lately I've been in this funky mood (mostly just during the week) because we haven't been as busy as usual and I find myself struggling with finding things to do (that aren't work or house related, there's plenty of that to go around). With Matt's work schedule and only having one car it can make things difficult sometimes. 


Cars have become Klaeyton's new obsession. Yesterday we spent a half an hour digging everything out of his toy box so that we could sort through and find all his cars. I'm trying to teach him to keep them in a separate shoe box now so that we don't have to do a daily search. Every time we leave the house now, K has a at least one hand clutching a car. And the way he says "car" is hilarious. He has the thickest Boston accent when he says it. Who knows where that came from?


He's always wanting to put his own shoes on. They end up on the wrong feet most of the time but sometimes I can convince him to switch them. I know wearing your shoes on the wrong feet can't be all that comfortable. 


His vocabulary is growing daily. This morning when I put Jasey outside he pointed and said, "Dog Poop" like he knew exactly why she was going outside. Sometimes he just repeats what we say, like when we were leaving today I said "Ready, set, go" and the next thing I know he's saying "set (which comes out a little explicit), go!" a thousand times in a row. Not only is he talking more, but he repeats himself oh about 80,000 times unless you can manage to change the subject to something else he's interested in. For the past two weeks or so he keeps reminding me that Poppy is Bu-bye, out of nowhere. Sometimes I wish I could peek in that little brain of his. 


Matt has a blast getting Klaeyton to repeat what he says, from Bosstones to Ewww, he'll do it all. Well...almost. Matt and I have noticed that we can get K to say just about anything except I love you. When I try, he just stares at me. It's fascinating. We'll keep working on it. 


Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom. 

I'm Not Just a Mom...

This morning K was up at 630 for some reason, and I tell you, I was not ready to be awake and moving. But I drug myself out of bed and stumbled into the kitchen to put coffee on and get K some juice. And this is what I was greeted with...

As a mom, I might think "what can I do with these?" I can't keep Klaeyton quiet in line at Target  with them, or buy diapers with them or feed them to him. I can't even pretend they're a truck and vroom across the living room with them. 


But that is precisely why they were perfect.


As a wife and a woman these were just what I needed. I know I forget that I'm not just a mom. I'm a wife and first and foremost a woman. I like getting flowers for no reason. I like getting dolled up and actually putting make up on for an event other than going to the grocery store. I like looking at things other than vacuums and furniture. 


Don't get me wrong, being a mom is def my calling from God, and I wouldn't change it for the world. But I do know that God wants me to remember that before He made me a mom, he made me Matt's wife and this morning I got that small reminder and it brought back a lot of good memories:


When Matt and I first started dating I was student teaching 45 minutes away and had to be up so early. Matt would get up and pack my lunch for me every day. One morning he made me an omelette in bed. It was fantastic. 


On my birthday the first year we were together, Matt wrote me a song and sang it to me. I bawled. 


He made me cinnamon rolls (which are still my favorite) and watched movies with me when I was so exhausted from teaching. 


He always told me how great I was, even when my professors were breathing down my neck . 


When I told him I was pregnant with Klaeyton, sobbing hysterically because I was so scared, he just held me and told me everything was going to be ok. 


The weekend of my college graduation my hormones were raging and I was mean to everyone in sight. Matt was calm and let me be, never getting angry with me (at least that I ever knew of :) 


After a blown up car, 85 degree heat with no a/c and a 12 hour move to Ohio to a house with 5 other people, 2 dogs and 8 puppies, I curled up and cried from exhaustion and defeat. Matt held me and sang I'll Catch You by the Get Up Kids. And he just let me cry. 


He wrote me a book telling the story of us to propose marriage. And gave it to me on the beach. It was perfect. 


He was with me every second when Klaeyton was born and he told me over and over again how great I was doing. 


And even after becoming a father...he still buys me flowers and tells me he loves me. 


Yep...that's my husband...


Oh the joy of being an ordinary...wife.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

So we've been confined to the house for the past few days due to the crazy heat wave that has hit Ohio. Our poor little window air conditioning unit is definitely overworking itself. My thermostat has read 84 degrees by five p.m. for the last three days. Maybe I'm being wimpy but it just makes me so tired and unmotivated to do pretty much anything. Today I did take K on some errands with me just to get him out of the house, including a trip to the cruddy old Walmart in Elyria. Only because I heard a little rumor that they're closing and had massive amounts of baby stuff on sale. Well, not only did I find three piece sets for Baby Harden #2 for a buck, I also found some tank tops and t-shirts that should fit over my big belly :) and for super cheap. Score!


Klaeyton amazes me every day. His new thing is to walk around the house with adult shoes on and his pants on his head. You'd think after the first time he ran into a wall that he would learn, but definitely not the case. He thinks it's hilarious. And he now laughs every time Matt wears a shirt as a hat. 


He's signing a lot more. Today he actually wanted to put pants on his legs (even though he already had shorts on) and just brought them to me and signed for help. The visual of his tight pj pants over his huge shorts was nothing short of absolutely goofy. That sign is probably more useful to me than anything. Klaeyton is actually quite a cautious child. While we were at the church picnic last weekend he went down a slide with another mom and she told me it scared him. It was fast and pretty steep and he flew right out coming down. So as I was watching him later on, I saw him get to top of the slide, look all the way over across some grass to me and start signing for help. Everyone else thought he was clapping but I knew exactly what he wanted. So I went down the slide with him and couldn't help but think about how smart my little man is. 


We sing the itsy bitsy spider all the time and yesterday this thought occurred to me. Well, if I put motions to it I bet Klaeyton can mimic them back. He does sign. It's pretty much the same thing right? Duh. So, we're sitting on the couch playing peek-a-boo (which Klaeyton now covers his eyes, of course peeking a little, and then yells BOO as he pulls his hands away) and I start singing the itsy bitsy spider complete with motions. And what do you know, Klaeyton starts doing them back to me. I almost cried. I'm not really sure why, signing has always been a part of what we do. But this was different somehow and at that moment I was so proud of that accomplishment and I couldn't help but think about how many more of those moments I have to come. 


Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom. 

It's a....

Matt and I had a nice well deserved break thanks to my mom. She took Klaeyton to West Virginia Thursday night. Well... actually we took him over there Thursday morning and didn't pick him up until Friday evening. I was able to relax, get some work done, enjoy some one on one time with Matt and believe it or not I slept till 9 am yesterday morning. It was bliss. I woke up feeling more refreshed than I have in a very long time. 


Well last night I was reminded of why I needed a break to begin with. On top of the terrible dreams I've been having Klaeyton was up at least three times screaming for at least twenty minutes each time around. And of course I was so tired I gave in. I know. Shame on me. But I just wanted to sleep. Today one of the many goals I have is to do some toddler sleep research so that I can get him sleeping through the night again. 


Back tracking a little, when I went to get Klaeyton from Grammy and Poppy's last night, I was stoked. I missed my little man. And I knew Matt did too since yesterday morning he started mimicking Klaeyton as he walked around the house (which by the way was quite hilarious). However, K could have probably stuck around with Poppy and that riding lawn mower a little longer. He ran away from me as I tried to hug him! I almost didn't know how to react. It just goes to show how much his personality is developing. Of course like I said he was clingy enough last night to make up for it ;)


Well... I went for the ultrasound yesterday. I am so thankful to Amy for letting her student scan me :) It was a blast. Before I reveal the gender of Baby Harden #2 I would like to say that in the very beginning of this pregnancy I was completely anti-girl, just wanting another little boy to love on. Well, everyone kept telling me little girls were cute and so much fun to dress up and after watching two dance recitals this summer I began to get that girl itch that I had when I was first pregnant with Klaeyton. In fact I had convinced myself that since this pregnancy has been so different, that I must be having a girl, but alas, God must believe I'm a momma who can handle a houseful of boys. Yep. Baby Harden #2 is a boy :) Amy wants me to come back in because we couldn't get an extremely clear picture of said baby's little boy parts but her and her student are pretty darn sure of what they saw. My midwives will be ordering another ultrasound here in a couple weeks also so even though we're 90% sure, we'll be positive soon enough :) 


Disappointed? I was a little at first, but like I said, God knows what's best and I know he is giving me what I'm supposed to have and as long as he's healthy, I can't even think of the slightest complaint. Actually I am pretty excited at the prospect of loving on another little man and even more so that Klaeyton will have a little brother to play with. 


Time to get on the baby planning :)


Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom.

Pros and Cons

I definitely know this blog will be all over the place, especially since it's been over a week since I've been able to do it. First off, we received terrible news about the MacBook. It's kaput. They found liquid damage which completely voids our warranty and would cost us 750 big ones to fix. So that officially stinks. So now, we made the dreaded switch back to Windows until we can get a big lump sum to buy a new Mac. Oh how I miss it. Windows just isn't my thing. It's a huge pain in the rear. But we'll manage. As long as I'm able to work (since most of what I do involves a computer), and Matt is able to get his school work done (which is all on computer) it'll be fine :)


Klaeyton is spending today and tomorrow with Grammy on a road trip to West Virginia to see extended family. It's a well needed break for the both of us. I forgot how tiresome it is to be at home with him all the time. Don't get me wrong...I wouldn't trade it for the world. But there are definitely pros and cons.


For instance, I love waking up to him giggling and laughing, running first thing into the pantry to get fruit snacks. But I loathe the days when he wakes up mid tantrum and screams for the first thirty minutes because he's still tired. I love meal times when we sit and eat together and carry on conversations that no one else could comprehend. I dread the fight when he wants to eat a whole jar of pickles and I cut him off after 4. I love when he sits in my lap and we read books and talk about dogs and balloons and his new favorite obsession, cars and trucks. However, it can ride my nerves when he insists on playing by himself and gets frustrated because something isn't going exactly his way and he whines and whines. But I love that last hour of awake time when we snuggle on the couch and watch a movie or Rugrats and he just lets me love on him. Bed times are getting easier but staying there is still a trial sometimes. But I know I just need to firm up and not give in to those wails in the middle of the night. The last few months I've seen this baby turn into a toddler with his own personality and as it makes me sad to see, I can't express the joy in knowing that he's growing because of Matt and I. It's a feeling only a parent can understand. He's going to be such a great big brother. 


Speaking of big brother, tomorrow is the day we find out if K will have a baby brother or a baby sister. I'm so very excited to find out. Partially because then I'll feel like I can really start preparing. I'm sure there will be a blog posted shortly after so stay tuned :)


Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom.

A Broken Laptop

Well...writing will be sparse until we get our computer back. It's currently "in the shop" and for free thanks to our lovely Apple Care plan :) I'm hoping to have it back by the end of this week/early next week at the latest. Plus we've spent the last couple days in Kentucky visiting Matt's family. It has been one fantastic breath of fresh air. 

Kentucky has been overly hot and humid but we still miss it nonetheless. We've gotten to go swimming, Klaeyton got an awesome new bike, and yesterday I was able to fulfill a White Castle craving that I can't enjoy at home. I've been able to rest and I've also been able to get some work done despite the lack of our laptop. 

More awesomely (I know that isn't really a word, at least I don't think it is) than all that is watching Klaeyton with Nana and Papa. He took to them right away like he just saw them last week (when we actually haven't been here since January). He's having a ball. It makes me sad that we don't live closer, but it also makes me feel so blessed that we are able to have these times that we do. I love that Klaeyton has so many people that love him. 

Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom. 

Worry of a Mother

I sat down ready to write my heart out and I have to admit it's hard to concentrate with a screaming toddler in the background who refuses to go to bed. I'm trying though. I'm not giving up on keeping him in his bed, it's just those brief moments of weakness that bring all the progress crashing down. Ahh and the screaming ceases. 


I sat with Klaeyton reading books tonight and felt like I haven't really seen him the last couple days. It was nice to snuggle him. I've been getting a lot done for work and he's been spending a lot of time with my parents so that I could spend some time with Katie. She's still in a lot of pain and it's absolutely terrible to witness. I can't imagine being in my mom's shoes. It's hard enough to watch just being her sister. 


It's made me think about a lot of things about being a mother. Especially since today at our Midwife appointment I was asked if we wanted to test for cystic fibrosis, down syndrome and a bunch of other things. I don't remember ever feeling scared about Klaeyton but today I could feel that anxious drop in my stomach and the worry that fell over me was overwhelming. I had to stop and Thank God for all the blessings I have and remember that I trust Him. 


And then we heard that tiny heat beat that sounds like a washing machine and I thought about the new baby and I thought about my Klaeyton and how your love for a child is truly indescribable. 


Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom. 

A Non-Biased Mom With A New Job!

The weekends are always busier than we intend them to be. And it makes it harder to get back to the daily grind on Monday mornings. And this week I was able to start a new job. One that I actually love doing. I was honorably selected to be the Director of Church Life for Great Lakes Church (www.greatlakeschurch.net check it out!) And I have to say I think I've found my calling :) 


Klaeyton's been a little rough around the edges the last few days. Between a diaper rash, still not wanting to sleep by himself and the whininess of being cooped up because the yard is so yet it's been a little trying. Today I might embark on taking him with me to do some errands just so that I can get him out of the house. 


Softball on Sunday was a blast! Two of the GLC teams played each other and then we went to watch the last team play. As usual K is running around like a mad man. At one point he made it into our dug out and picked up somebody's hat. Of course it was about eight sizes too big for him but naturally he stuck it on his head sideways anyway. Everyone just kept telling me how cute he was. I have to admit, it's nice to hear other people say that so that I know I'm not a completely biased mom. :)


Oh the joy of being and ordinary mom.

Yes. I Took My Toddler To A Baseball Game.

Yesterday was full of new adventures. Klaeyton and I hooked up with some friends and first went and checked out Splash Zone. I think we might just be purchasing a membership. I had never seen the outdoor facilities and I have to say I was very impressed. It was very much geared towards children and their "baby" pool was awesome, full of buckets, a huge mushroom and a slide. At first K was skeptical but once I got him in he loved it. I even illegally took him down the kiddie slide (in which I got yelled at by a lifeguard, and now have a bruise on my thigh because it went significantly faster than I was expecting). Even when they called break, Klaeyton was able to entertain himself on the swings and the playground slides that he has become so efficient at climbing. He certainly didn't want to leave, but I am now excited at finding a good summer pool spot for us :)


We were so awesomely invited to enjoy club seats at the Indians game last night. Now of course some people may think I'm crazy for even considering taking a toddler to a baseball game (and don't get me wrong, the idea crossed my mind once or twice) but I can honestly say now that I don't regret my decision one bit. I didn't take his stroller, and it wasn't too far to walk from the parking area to the stadium, so Klaeyton enjoyed the walk (and the occasional ride on mommy's hip when we hit some stairs). When we got into the stadium, I could see K's eyes get big as he took in the sights around him. We ate first. And oh was it wonderful. I was so impressed with how Klaeyton sat in the big chair (they didn't have high chairs, which was my first sign that people probably don't take their young children to club seats) anyway, he sat in this chair and used his fork to eat his hot dog (don't worry I cut it up in tiny bites :) and didn't put one piece of food on the floor. He ended up scarfing 1 1/2 hotdogs before moving on the the ice cream. I've never seen him sit so still for such a long period of time. He diligently consumed his ice cream and half of mine without making a huge mess. Yes, it was a proud moment for me :)


We moved to the seats in the stadium and I honestly was expecting Klaeyton to not let me sit at all, but surprisingly he did quite well. There was the occasional "AAAHHH" that he does when he's mad, and we did get up a lot and walk around and even ventured to the kids area. And yes, I got some dirty looks, but thankfully I'm confident enough as a parent to not really care what people think. But Klaeyton would clap and smile when everyone cheered and until it was well past his bedtime, he was quite manageable. The last little stretch was kind of rough and I knew it was because he was getting tired, but we were determined to stay for the fireworks show, so I gritted my teeth and hung on. 


Oh was it worth it. It got dark in the stadium and K and I were coming back from a diaper change when the first ones went off. I wish I could freeze frame that look on his face. He sat still the entire show in awe pointing and calling the fireworks balloons. I melted. I didn't care if anybody thought I was crazy for bringing a toddler to a baseball game. He loved it. And it was so worth it to watch his face for those twenty minutes. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. And I learned even more so that I know what my son is capable of and what I can handle as his mother and we could tackle any baseball game again :)


Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom.

My Short Vent Session

So I'm not trying to be a negative nanny or anything so I apologize if this post radiates some bad energy. I'm going crazy. Klaeyton used to lie down for naps and bedtime so well and now he clings to me and screams for at least 20 minutes before deciding to finally give up the fight. He's only napping maybe an hour and a half verses the two to three hours I was getting before.  At night he's up at least twice and he screams and screams and it takes forever to get him to go back to sleep.  I thought the newborn stage ended months ago. The only thing I can think of that has changed is that he's not in daycare anymore. And he's clingier now than he was then. It's driving me nuts. And I wanted to put him in a toddler bed and move him upstairs in a couple months. I would really like to enjoy my shot at sleep while I can since I can vividly remember the sleepless nights with Klaeyton as a newborn. I don't think I can handle two kids keeping me up all night. One will surely be enough. 


Ok. I think I'm done venting. I feel much better now. Sometimes a good vent is all it takes.


Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom.