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Freedom!! And some very cute singing.

by Jessica on February 4, 2012

Um, so I’m off bed rest and medicine now.

This morning, I am off to Babies ‘r Us where I will use a gift card to buy a ridiculously cute coming home outfit for Brody. Then, I am coming home to scrub this house to within an inch of its life. Crazy nesting cleaning urge, take that!

Now, for the important stuff. You guys know from my post the other day that Knox turned into a crazy counting machine and almost made me faint from the sheer shock of hearing him count to ten in his own way (1,2,3,4,8,9,10… who cares about 5,6,7 anyway, right?). Well, Thursday night, the trend continued.

I started singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” to Knox, and I haven’t sung that to him in a LONG time… like since he was much smaller, because we’ve been concentrating on counting and activity songs that require participation/ movements like “Ring around the Rosie” and “If you’re happy and you know it.” Anyway, I started singing “Twinkle twinkle” and I hear Knox mumbling something to himself. I stopped and listened and almost died of shock when he said this: “up above… high!”

Is this really happening?? It’s like he really gets it, all of a sudden. All day for the past two days, I’ve been hearing “8,9, 10!” or “up above, high!” then see a bright and smiling face, so full of pride in himself. You guys? God is so great. I’ve prayed and prayed about Knox and his speech, and I know that so many of you guys have prayed for us, as well, and I truly feel that God is answering those prayers right before my eyes. It’s truly amazing, and I am so, so happy. The past few days have been like the best dream I’ve ever had, to see him progressing like this and being so thrilled with himself!

Now, for your viewing pleasure, a short video of Knox’s “singing” (but please ignore mine!!). I’m so proud of my sweet boy! I’ve tried to capture the counting on video, but no dice as of yet! Hopefully soon.

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Brody’s Nursery

by Jessica on February 2, 2012

After many months of planning, crafting and decorating, Brody’s nursery is finally finished!! I absolutely love how it turned out, and I am so excited to bring him home to his new room sometime very soon! Without further ado, here are tons of pictures of Brody’s space!

This picture shows the wall color most accurately- it’s a bright, cheery aqua, but it shows up light blue in most of the other pictures for some reason!

Well, there it is! I hope you guys like it as much as we do. Knox certainly loves it, he loves to sneak in and take toys from Brody’s basket! Now, all we need is Brody!

In case anyone is wondering where any particular item in the room came from, here’s a source list for the room, I think I got everything in there!!

Crib: Legendary by Baby’s Dream
Glider: Wal-mart
Dresser: Ethan Allen via Craigslist, refinished by me
Crib skirt: etsy, Rocky Top Design
Large wooden B: etsy, Vintage Blue by Sophia
Animal paintings over dresser: painted by Linny Fish Creations, inspired by Oopsy Daisy Collection
Book slings: DIY
Animal silhouettes over crib: DIY
Pillow: DIY
Floating shelves: Target
Piggy bank: Carters brand, Tuesday Morning
Elephant and giraffe figurines: Kohl’s, spraypainted orange
Count your blessings print: free printable, Pinterest
Every good and perfect gift print: made by me, get your free printable here
Chalkboard Toy basket: World Market
Roman shade: JC Penney
Curtains: Wal-Mart

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Shut the front door!

by Jessica on February 1, 2012

So my kid? Counted to ten. You could have knocked me over with a feather! Yesterday, I swore he said “one, two, three” while he was playing, but he wouldn’t do it again. Then, last night, my brother came over and told me “I think he just counted to four.” We were debating whether this was a fluke or not. Tonight, he proved otherwise. We were sitting on the couch, and I held up my hands to count, he likes to touch my fingers when I say each number. I said “one” and he said “one, two, three, four, {unintelligible sounds} eight, nine, ten!”

OH. MY. GOSH.

My kid, that doesn’t talk, just counted to ten. And then he did it again. And again. And again.

He knows there’s more between four and eight, he just can’t quite remember what they are, yet!

I feel like he’s finally “getting” it. Once he said “more” and started to see that he actually got things when he spoke, I think he may be realizing that talking isn’t all that bad! He also said “ball” today while he kicked his soccer ball and told me “Night, night” when I left the room tonight without being prompted.

What an awesome day!!! Thank God for this progress!!

P.S. Tomorrow? Come back for Brody’s nursery reveal!!

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Mom guilt

by Jessica on February 1, 2012

I’m officially having the “what have I done to my poor first-born??” guilt. I am so, so excited for Brody to arrive. I’ve been preparing for his arrival for months and months and loved him before he was even conceived. I just knew we’d have a little Brody one day, and he held a place in my heart before he even existed. Of course, now that his arrival is imminent, my eyes turn to Knox. My sweet little boy that has been the center of my mommy universe for the past three years, even through the stressful journey to conceiving him. That guy is blissfully ignorant of the fact that his little brother is coming into the picture… extremely soon.

I know every single mother of more than one child goes through this. The guilt over bringing another baby into the picture, over what it will do to the other child/children and all the ways it will change their life. I know that it’s going to be a good thing for him in the long run. He’s going to have a little brother to love, to talk to, to play with and hopefully to NOT beat up on! I can see them being best friends throughout their lives and growing into old men together. But right now, all I can see is that innocent two year old that has no clue what’s about to happen to him and his perfect little world.

Knox needs so much of my time right now, not just because he’s a rambunctious toddler, but because he needs extra time and attention from me for his speech therapy. We met with his speech therapist today and he’s about a year behind in his language, so it’s going to take a lot of work. His prognosis is good at this point, but it’s going to take time. Time is something that is going to be in short supply around here in the coming weeks. Tending to a newborn is a full-time job, as anyone knows that’s ever been around one. But what about the baby I already have? How am I going to juggle two little boys two and under? How am I going to be everything they BOTH need? How on Earth am I going to cut it?

I’m just going to have to. I’m going to pray like I’ve never prayed before, and I’m going to have to lean on God for help, patience and strength because I cannot handle it all on my own. I know Trevor and our families will help out as much as they can, but I’m just going to have to tell myself that I can be a good mom to both of these boys at the same time. They each need me in different ways, but they need me just as much as the other one does. I’m not going to do this perfectly. I’m not going to win any awards for Mother of the Year. But I am going to do it.

How did you do it with two or more? Was the transition rough or smooth? Impart your wisdom on this soon-to-be mother of two little boys because I need it!

________

*After writing this, I sat down to do my daily devotional. I have to share some of it with you:

“I am your strength and shield. I plan out each day and have it ready for you, long before you arise from bed. I also provide the strength you need each step of the way. Instead of assessing your energy level and wondering about what’s on the road ahead, concentrate on staying in touch with Me. My Power flows freely into you and through our open communication. Refuse to waste energy worrying, and you will have the strength to spare… I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.”

Psalm 28:7, Matthew 6:34, Psalm 56:3-4, Genesis 28:15

(from “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young, January 31)

The Bible verses fit perfectly with how I’ve been feeling, and included some of my favorites. I tend to gravitate towards verses about dealing with anxiety! I love my God. So much. He is so much bigger than my problems, and He always finds a way to tell me what I need to hear. If that isn’t devotional isn’t direct, I don’t know what is! He thinks I can do it, I just have to let Him help me.

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A day in the life: Bed rest edition

by Jessica on January 31, 2012

I thought I’d give you guys a peek into my riveting life- at least how it’s been for the past several weeks while on bed rest. I think one of the hardest things about being confined to your bed/ couch is the monotony. Luckily, having a cute two year-old helps add some excitement into the picture, but most days are pretty similar. I find myself thinking of my weeks in terms of when I get to leave the house or have someone visit. For example, “okay, it’s only two days until my doctor’s appointment” or “one day until church” or “Trevor’s working tomorrow, so ______ will be coming over to help.” I try to vary my location some, alternating between the living room and the playroom couches- I don’t actually do any resting in bed unless it’s night time and I’m asleep! For the most part, here’s how the day goes.

7:30 or 8:00 am- Wake-up. This time can vary depending on what time Knox wakes up or if it’s a preschool day.

8:00-8:30- Get Knox dressed, brush his teeth, put him in the playroom while he drinks his milk and I get ready. I do try to get dressed and fix my hair/ put on make-up every day. Otherwise, I feel like a total bum, and it makes me depressed! It’s nice to at least not look like crap if I can’t do anything! Of course, I’m only wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt, but wearing pj’s all day makes me feel like I’m sick or something.

9:00 am- Breakfast for Knox and I. I’ve already taken a Procardia and drank at least two glasses of water (or chocolate milk if I had dreams about it… don’t laugh, I totally dream about drinking milk when I’m pregnant!) by this point.

*If it’s a preschool day, this whole schedule is shifted back by about half an hour. We leave the house at 8:30 for school, which is less than five minutes from our house. Trevor always takes him if he’s home, if not, I do it and pray for a close parking spot!

9:30 am- 12 pm: Chill out time. Typically I lay on the living room couch while Knox plays with his toys. Trevor’s home two out of three days, so those days are easiest since he’s here from the time Knox wakes up. He does a good job keeping Knox entertained and keeping him from injuring himself! I try to lay down as much as I can from this point forward. Though I do get up frequently to pee. By frequently, I mean about 20 times a day. Yes, that is the actual number… I counted the other day because I thought it was getting ridiculous. I also guzzle water like crazy ALL day.

My buddy, the Nalgene bottle.

If Trevor’s working, my mom tries to come over in the mornings around 9:30, which is a big help in watching Knox!

To keep myself entertained during this time of the day, I usually watch the Today show, check my email and surf around Facebook/ twitter for a while. Of course, Knox is super playful at this hour and loves to climb up on the couch with me. He will sit and we’ll practice talking, or he’ll just cuddle for a while. He will go through all of his books, then move on to his toy basket. He’s pretty entertaining to watch, so I don’t watch much TV when he’s around!

*On preschool days, Knox gets picked up at 12:00 pm

12 pm-ish: Lunch. I do eat lunch at the table because Knox needs supervision! He usually eats some form of chicken, fruit and crackers/crunchy item, and I’ll have leftovers or a sandwich or something like that. If my mom’s over, she’ll pick up lunch for us on those days.

12:30 pm: Nap time! Trevor does this if he’s home, or my mom if he’s not. On the rare days I’m alone, I do it. While Knox is asleep, I usually read (currently “Catching Fire”… second in the Hunger Games trilogy), blog or watch something on Netflix. I’ve already gone through all of the seasons of “Parenthood” (which rocks) and am almost finished with “Downton Abbey” (also, quite awesome).

2:30-3:30: Knox wakes up and snuggles with me while he drinks his milk. This kid LOVES milk!

Then, we play, normally in the playroom for a change of scenery. If Trevor’s working, his mom comes over around this time if she’s off, or if she has to work, she’ll arrive just after 5.

I take another Procardia around this time, and am still guzzling water.

This is the longest part of the day for me, for whatever reason. It always seems to drag by!!

5:00 pm: Bath time for Knox. Trevor or his mom do this every day. I really miss giving my little water baby a bath- he loves the bathtub so much!!

6:00 pm: Dinner time! I’m getting super sick of “convenience” food items. Ie: frozen lasagna, frozen pizza, basically if it’s frozen, I’m sick of eating it! Last week I really wanted to cook something homemade, so I sat on a bar stool and made Apple Pancakes! Since I’m not on strict bed rest, I didn’t feel too badly about that!

When we grocery shop (online! Love that convenience!), I try to get things like Rotisserie chickens, Pasta-roni and microwavable veggies, so it tastes like a home-cooked meal, even if I don’t have to do much cooking! If Trevor’s working, his mom will pick us up dinner. I know. Our moms rock!!

6:30-8 pm: More living room play time for Knox. He drinks a third cup of milk around 7:30 and starts to wind down.

8:00 pm: Knox’s bed time. Trevor or his mom do this daily, as well. They brush his teeth, read him some books and lay him down. He puts himself to sleep, generally within 30 minutes or so. I did have to read to him last week because I missed it so much!

8:00 pm- 12 am: More resting. After Knox is in bed, Trevor and I may watch a show together, or just talk for a while. He normally does the dishes or some laundry, and I will get a basket of laundry and fold it on the couch. Somewhere in this time range, I take another Procardia. I also take a shower and do a devotional every night. I’m using the “Jesus Calling” devotional by Sarah Young, and it’s amazing, if you’re looking for one! It really helps me to re-focus and connect with God, which I sorely need in the midst of stress.

I continue to surf the Web, read or watch TV. Trevor usually beats me to bed- all of that laying around doesn’t make me very tired, so it’s typically 12 or 1 before I go to bed.

Then… it starts all over the next day! Super exciting, right?

I’m so, so thankful that our families have been willing to help so much, it’s been such a blessing! I can’t imagine having to do everything alone… that would take the rest out of bed rest, for sure! Plus, it’s nice to have women to talk to!

The best days, like I said earlier, are those where something “different” happens. Saturday, our awesome friends, Cole and Lindsey, came over with their two kiddos to bring us dinner. It was so sweet, and so much fun! Noah, Knox and Sam did lots of playing (and so did their dads!) in Knox’s tunnels while Lindsey and I got to talk.

This week is particularly slow because I am so ready for Saturday to get here! Saturday= 36 weeks and the end of bed rest and all medication! Guess what I’ll be doing this weekend? EVERYTHING. When I went off meds with Knox, he was born five days later, so I am very curious to see how it will be with Brody!