Tag Archives: life

faith, mommyhood, My Big Jesus, pregnancy, siblings

Once… Twice… Three Times with Baby

March 2, 2015 Only Hsuman 11 Comments

I like to think that by blogging, I’m able to impart a little motherly wisdom, provide a little entertainment, and encourage some weary women out there with a little good news. I think this post does all three of those things pretty well… So here’s a post about pregnancies – and how they’re all different.

When you’re pregnant with your first baby, no matter how you feel, you probably have the opportunity to rest a lot. With your first, you can lounge around in your free time, sleep a lot, rest, and exploit your spouse to please cook the thing you’re craving and take out the trash because your pregnant nose is in overdrive and you can’t stand the smell. You always know what week you’re on (16 weeks, 2 days, 3 hours and 15 minutes) and you have the due date marked in all your friends’ and family members’ calendars. You have a perfect nursery, complete with outfits for every type of weather and every size up to 3T. You’ve looked at day cares and preschools, read parenting books and blogs, and chosen the perfect name for a successful human. You are way ahead of the game, due purely to excitement.

When you’re pregnant with your second baby, there is no resting unless your kid is resting (so basically none). There is no requesting special meals, because the meals revolve around the current kid, not you. If he takes out the trash, you’re probably doing the dishes or changing a diaper, anyway. You try to eat as healthily as possible (fruit, non-sugary cereal, etc) since you’re trying to feed your kid pretty healthy, too. You keep on doing your thing as much as possible, sneaking naps if you can, and going to bed a little earlier, if your spouse is helping with laundry.

With your third, all bets are pretty much off. You’re going and bopping and feeding and playing and cleaning and laundering and driving to and from and yonder. You’re eating a lot of mac and cheese, because that’s what’s easy to satisfy everyone’s palates. You’re already swimming in diapers and wipes, so no need to buy a bunch of those in preparation. You’ve got every type of hand-me-downs, so the kid is set on clothes. You feel like you want to buy the third kid something new, but you just don’t need anything and you don’t have extra cash really to throw at unnecessary baby items. You also better have your maternity clothes unpacked at 8 weeks, because you’ll need them.

But you know what will be the same every time? You’ll still smile when you feel the baby move in your womb. You will be excited to pick the name, however far along you are. You will know love that you didn’t know you had room for in your heart. You will begin praying for that little being and the rest of his or her life.

food, home

Currently – the Home Edition!

February 23, 2015 Only Hsuman 6 Comments

Linking up with Becky at Choose Happy and the other super bloggers for another Currently party! Join us – we want to hear what’s going on with you currently!

Watching || The Oscars! Since we don’t have cable, on nights like these with exciting televised happenings, I’ve gotta phone a friend and beg to use their cable. Luckily, my friend Ginna said come on over! So in my pj’s, snacks and laundry in hand (yeah, I used her big time) I headed over to watch the Oscars till I got too tired to pay attention. So naturally, I had to Google who won best picture this morning when I woke up (I loved Birdman, by the way, but I also kinda wanted Grand Budapest Hotel to win, because I also love Wes Anderson). And also, NPH is a favorite fellow of mine!

Organizing || The kitchen. And when I say organizing, I really mean that my husband is doing it (thanks, Babe!). Our sink is leaking somewhere, so he had to clean out the cabinet underneath and do some investigating, and organized while he was going. We’ve also got lots of kitchen stuff in valuable storage places that we aren’t using as often as other items, so we are having a few days where we evaluate what we want at hand, and what we don’t mind digging for when we use it every 4 months.

Loving || the paint color I chose for the mudroom and powder room downstairs. We used a totally neutral grey everywhere down there except for those two rooms and the laundry room. which is bright white. It’s tough to get a picture of how gorgeous the color is, but here’s my try:

We asked EK where the potty was... and she totally found its spot. — We asked EK where the potty was… and she totally found its spot.

The color is called "Swimming". It's a few shades lighter than the one of the tile colors we're using for back splash in the laundy room. — The color is called “Swimming”. It’s a few shades lighter than the one of the tile colors we’re using for back splash in the laundy room.

The grey we're using is called "Anew Grey" and it's a little less beige than our color from upstairs, but close enough that it won't look totally different as you walk down the stairs. — The grey we’re using is called “Anew Grey” and it’s a little less beige than our color from upstairs, but close enough that it won’t look totally different as you walk down the stairs.

Eating || these little fruit-and-nut treats that I found at Costco! They’re not great for you but not terrible, and right now the salty-sweet combo is floating my boat big time. Totally yum!

Partially dipped in dark chocolate, and only 7 grams of sugar per serving? Okay!

Well that’s what’s happening currently in my home – what’s going on with you?!

faith, mommyhood, My Big Jesus

That Moment When…

February 23, 2015 Only Hsuman 4 Comments

That moment when you look at your kids, and they’re playing nicely together.
That moment when their plates are empty, and haven’t been flung to the floor yet.
When they say please and thank you.
When they ask for an extra hug and kiss.
When they blow your mind with their brilliance, their intuitiveness, and their stinkin’ cute curls.

But also, that moment when she pushes him down.
That moment when all the stuffed animals are in the toilet.
That moment when you aren’t sure how much they ate, because food seems to multiply when it hits the floor.
When you’re sure your kids had friends over while you went to the bathroom, because two kids couldn’t have done that by themselves.
When you didn’t finish your breakfast, or your coffee, or shower.
When they refuse to nap, refuse to eat, refuse to be held, and refuse to be put down, simultaneously.

That moment, you are a mother. Yes, you’re always a mother, but you might wear a hundred other hats in a day… wife, sister, chef, friend, housekeeper, daughter, co-worker, chauffeur or any myriad of other jobs you may sometimes hold. But that moment, you’re simply a mom.

You are more than just a busy woman or even a slightly sticky, exhausted human. You’re a mom who provides fully, loves deeply, tries hard, and picks herself up when she slips. You’re a mom who kisses booboos, fixes hair, wipes noses, and cuts crusts off sandwiches. You’re a mom who molds minds, chases dreams, encourages personalities and shapes the future.

faith, home, mommyhood, parenting fails, pregnancy

Hard Mornings Can Still Become Good Days

February 21, 2015 Only Hsuman Leave a comment

This morning, I was the grump queen. Can't you tell? — This morning, I was the grump queen. Can’t you tell?

Sometimes, EK drives me up the wall.

She shouts. She often shouts things I’ve heard myself say. I try really hard not to shout or yell or holler or whatever at my kids, but sometimes the words I use in a speaking voice that probably are the same as yelling. Sometimes, she’s whiny and tantrum-y and needy and clingy and attached to Daddy even when I’m the only one around, and it’s hard. It can be so hard. Especially when there’s another little one who is also clingy and needy and whiny, it’s really hard. It wears on me. And let’s not pretend that my pregnancy hormones aren’t making it worse, because they are. “She of little patience” has become “Monster with no patience at all”.

Today, we had a hectic morning. I was trying to get the kids and me (with our laundry) out the door so that sick Hubby could rest without screeching (the happy or the sad kind) and bumping and whatever other kid-related noise. While I was doing the normal stuff to get them ready to go, something happened. For the first time, EK hit me. I was totally baffled. I didn’t even punish her. I couldn’t figure out why or what started it. I’d been doing what I normally do in the morning – fixing breakfasts, getting everyone dressed, finding shoes and coats, convincing them to help me get them ready to go, etc. I leaned down to pick something up off the floor (I can’t remember what, now) and while I was leaning over, she swiped at me, right on the side of my head.

It didn’t hurt. She’s just a little girl, so obviously I wasn’t hurt. But my feelings were. I’ve never clocked her on the side of the head (duh) so why would she think to do that to me? She didn’t seem particularly upset in that moment, and I didn’t even say much besides, “Why did you just hit me? Should you sit in time out?” I didn’t know how to respond, really. I just went on with getting us ready and out the door, and remembered it only a few minutes ago.

It was a terrible morning, really. We were all on edge from the moment we woke up. It might have to do with the fact that I woke up on the couch, EK woke up too early, and J woke up too late. It might have to do with the fact that I rushed them immediately out the door. It might be that I wouldn’t let them go see Daddy because I didn’t want them to get sick. It might be a hundred other things. But we were all in a crappy mood, and it just compounded when we were all doing it together.

But after we had spent a morning having breakfast with friends in our favorite little bakery (Tart Sweets – their cinnamon rolls were divine), had a few minutes of play time at home, picking up lunch from Cookout and eating at while we shopped at Babies R Us (it was a weird day, okay?) the kids were in great spirits and are now down in the second hour of their naps. A DOUBLE NAP! I’ve already prepped dinner! It’s wonderful MADNESS, I tell you! Hubby is a little weak, but still peacefully sleeping as he’s been doing all day, the kids and I had a tickle fight on EK’s bed before they napped, and I thankfully got a shower. See, my day could be redeemed. But I won’t pretend that as I packed them in the car, both crying, to go to breakfast, I wasn’t crying along with them, saying, “Jesus, take the freaking wheel.”

After a freezing cold week of being semi-iced-in, cancelled preschool and church activities, and random bouts of sickness, we needed a day out on the town, visiting friends and being productive. We needed to be worn out in a good way. We needed a day away from the TV. The kids are tired of spending all their time in one room (they’re used to roaming between upstairs and downstairs), the half of their toys that aren’t packed, and the fact that we’ve resorted to watching too much TV (even if it’s movies). It’s terrible. I’ve felt cooped up and so do they. We are ready for spring, for the renovations to be done, and for life to return to its regularly scheduled programming. Right now, in our lives, the struggle is real. But thank you Jesus for the reminder that my day, the kids’ day, our lives in general, can be redeemed.

home, mommyhood, pregnancy

Happenings with the Hsumans

February 20, 2015 Only Hsuman 2 Comments

HEY-O! I am 17 weeks. Say WHAT?! It’s nuts. I can’t believe I’m already here. We’re getting closer naming our little guy (woo!) and I’m finally posting the much anticipated bump picture! (Even if it wasn’t much anticipated, just give it to me. Just let me assume you’ve been wondering how big the bump was.)

The Hsu house has been struck with the stomach bug. EK had it two nights ago, a quick, relatively easy 7 hours of sickness, and then bouncing back to normal. We thought maybe it was something she had eaten… but alas, today Hubby started feeling yucky and is in the throes of it now. Here’s a GIANT prayer that J and I don’t get it. I hate stomach issues more than anything else.

As far as the house goes, we’ve had half a wall torn out upstairs, and replaced with plywood and plastic (ha!) to keep out the draft from the basement. (This is a good place to insert how wonderful ICON is… they replaced all our furniture, rug and toys before they left that day.They are totally awesome.)

Wiring is getting finished up, painting happened today (I didn’t get the chance to go see, but I’ll post some pictures later), and cabinets are going in early next week. I’m hoping that once the floors are done, we can look forward to having our washer and dryer hooked back up! That would be the biggest relief, because with our laundry constantly going and coming and being everywhere for lack of a place to put it, random rooms look like this:

Anyway, there’s a mini update on the craziness that is our life right now. Here’s hoping everyone is well and life is moving on tomorrow!

home

It’s Coming Up the Stairs…

February 17, 2015 Only Hsuman 3 Comments

Renovations are getting real, y’all.

Wanna know how real? The basement renovation just turned into a home renovation… as in, it’s no longer contained in the basement.

Hubby had this idea early in the process to open up the stair well (right next to the living room) so that it was a whole open space, and you could stand in one place and see to the other. I promise there will be pictures once it’s opened up to explain it, but that’s the best I can do for now. Anyway, what started as a crazy idea has morphed into a possibility, and now a reality. Anyone who has been to my house knows that the living room and kitchen are the most beautiful spaces in our home (as we wanted them to be!) and now it may completely change looks. I think it will still be beautiful, but I’m also a little nervous, because I don’t want it to take away from the look we’ve got going at the moment.

Anyway, the tearing out of most of the wall will be this Thursday or Friday. That TOTALLY happened fast. I had only just reconciled myself to the idea of doing it at all, and our architect suggested we get the demo done before the stairs and floors were finished downstairs, so that we wouldn’t get the dust, etc all over our finished spaces. That means the living room basically moves into the kitchen (there’s no room in the bedrooms with everything we moved up from the basement), we’ll stack the art against the far wall, roll up the rug, cover things in plastic, and cross our fingers that nothing is dirtied up irreparably. We’ve started to move things out of the way already in preparation.

A bunch of furniture jammed into one corner? Alright. (And yes, that’s J’s birthday banner from December 28th, still up.)

That being said, I went yesterday to buy our outdoor light fixtures and our big pendant light for the stairwell. I’m excited for fun, modern light fixtures in our home. I’m also on the hunt for something else to go over our dining table. I’ve hated that fixture ever since we moved in, and I’ve gotten used to it, but while I’m buying lights I might switch it out!

This is the light that will be at the outside doors in the basement. It’s from Lowe’s!

This Allen + Roth pendant caught my eye immediately, and it'll be the one in the stairwell. Also from Lowe's! — This Allen + Roth pendant caught my eye immediately, and it’ll be the one in the stairwell. Also from Lowe’s!

My biggest prayer for us at this point is that we survive a little bit of craziness upstairs. The actual building upstairs won’t start for a couple more weeks (after cabinets and tile are done downstairs) so we will be living with a plastic-and-plywood-covered hole in the wall. Eh. At least we can live around it!

Has anyone been through a home reno that totally displaced their life? Do you have any advice for us, as our situation gets a little bit worse for a couple of weeks?

home, mommyhood

Currently

February 16, 2015 Only Hsuman 12 Comments

Excited to be linking up with Becky at Choose Happy for the Currently series again this week! Link us with us, and tell us what’s Currently going on with you!

Thankful for || A few quiet days around the house. Towards the end of last week, things finally got quiet around here. Naps were at home, and therefore longer than they’d been somewhere else. I took naps, too! Cleaning got done – it was getting pretty bad, but we hadn’t been home long enough to deal with it – and some paperwork is all caught up. Thank goodness for getting over the hammering part of the renovation!

Organizing || Everything in my head. A lot of our stuff is packed in a storage unit out in the back yard, so we can’t even get to it easily. But I’m already deciding how the basement and the kids’ new rooms are going to be arranged and organized. It’s also going to be nicer upstairs, because we will have places for things we haven’t had places for in a while. Specifically, the laundry room and mudroom are going to change our lives, big time.

Watching || The Gruffalo. It was originally a book, but we have discovered the short cartoon on Netflix (which is surprisingly packed with famous voices). It’s J’s favorite thing to watch right now, so we’re watching it a lot. He only has an attention span of about 25 minutes, so he can zone out to this adorable story, and I don’t feel too bad, because he’s not sitting there all day watching episode after episode of Chuggington (or, God forbid, Caillou. Gross.)

Eating || Krispy Kreme donuts. On Valentine’s Day, I wanted some (because they’re the prettiest donuts of the entire year, of course!) so we stopped by and got two dozen. We have shared some, but the leftovers came home with us, and we’re still eating on them. I’m trying to limit myself, but what can I say – the baby loves them..?

Loving || That we might get SNOW this week! The weatherman is calling for it – and we are ready! I’m going through the kids’ closets today to get out our best snow play clothes (they don’t really have ski boots/pants/suits and I don’t feel like buying them for one snow a year) so that we can at least do a little sledding! We’ve got our construction Dumpster at the bottom of our hill, but we will just have to sled around it! I hope we get the 4-6 inches they’re saying to prepare for!

Well, that’s about it in my world… what are you currently up to?

faith, mommyhood, My Big Jesus, parenting fails

You Ruined the Moment!

February 16, 2015 Only Hsuman 2 Comments

Today, I had a moment. A moment of full appreciation of all my little guy’s cuteness and quirks. He’d gotten up from his nap a little fussy, and just wanted to cuddle. He needed his mama. I was obviously glad to oblige. I was even tearing up, burying my face in his curls behind his ears, and telling Hubby how glad I was to have a little guy who loved his mama. Then just like that, the moment was over – squelched by a bit of vomit, rolling right down our sleeves and on to my pants.

Thanks a lot, kid.

Luckily, we both needed baths anyway, so I took him to my bathroom, figuring we’d just hop in the shower. As soon as I got his diaper off, he decided to make sure the aforementioned sweet moment was completely gone. He stood up straight, took a big breath, and peed right onto the bath mat.

It was gone. But thanks for making sure, kid.

But the truth is that I often look at my little humans and think about how incredible they are. I think about how EK has her daddy’s hazel eyes, with the speckles of gold. I think about how J has the ice blue eyes of my grandfather, who died while I was pregnant with J. I think about EK’s stubborn personality and wonder (batting my eyes and smiling sneakily) where she could have possibly gotten it from! I listen to J’s happy wordless jabber, probably making up stories and using his imagination already. They’re amazing. God has already given them a thousand unique qualities that I will love, struggle with, pray over and brag about. They are mine, my own. And they are wonderfully and fearfully made.

holidays, home, mommyhood

Life Update on Valentine’s Day!

February 14, 2015 Only Hsuman Leave a comment

In honor of proving that I didn’t boycott Valentine’s Day, here are a few (a lot of) photos from the last few days!

EK’s outfit for her preschool Valentine’s party. Heart. Explosion.

Getting together with friends to make gluten and dairy free cupcakes for our valentines!

Mini cupcakes for the mini-valentines in my life.

Hubby took me to a local production of Pride and Prejudice last night. It was awesome, and it had been so long since I’d seen anything on stage. VERY fun!

This valentine didn’t feel like getting out of his pajamas. And he also felt like eating socks.

Outfit #3 for the win, 80s Gator and all.

J’s actual Valentine’s outfit, as he looks at his cousin on the monitor and begs him to get up and play!

When we got home from playing and visiting, we took a little tour of the basement, and showed the kids their new rooms (we’ve finally decided where everyone will be). So excited to see drywall all finished, and doors and windows installed!

This looks like a construction fail (door leading nowhere?) but it’s actually where they ripped the old stairs out, and haven’t put the new ones in yet. Sorry for the blur – I couldn’t get back against the wall far enough to get the whole thing really.

Hubby posing next to the new window, basically in the laundry room. How adorable.

Tonight we’ve got a birthday dinner for Hubby’s best friend, so we’re hosting a few families for taco night. Should be a blast! What are you doing? How are you celebrating?

mommyhood

Don’t be discouraged, Mama.

February 13, 2015 Only Hsuman 6 Comments

So I had a text conversation with a mama friend today that was really encouraging and enlightening for me… and I’m glad that I made myself vulnerable enough to have it. Here’s a little cliff notes version: we talked about how being frustrated at something that happens with your kids (today it was lack of naps) can begin a self-pity party, and turn into frustration and even anger, and then all bets are off as far as having a good day after that. No one benefits when Mama is mad. Everything from that point escalates into a worse problem than it might have been when approached with a cool head and a loving heart.

How much did I need to have that conversation? A lot. When I’m frustrated over things that are totally out of my control (no naps were due to a loud house, what with screwing in the drywall ceilings today), I’m setting myself up for disaster. I could have just resolved for a snuggly afternoon in front of a movie, and early bedtimes, but instead, I got frustrated, strapped those kids into the stroller, and went for a run. That may have been the second best option (I didn’t yell or put them in time out or anything when it wasn’t really their fault) but I still feel like my heart wasn’t in the right place until I had the vulnerable conversation, opened my heart, and let a good word in.

Yes, as a mama, you get frustrated. Things sometimes will not go your way. Messes will be made, schedules will be off, kids will wake up in the middle of the night, your coffee will never get finished, and you’ll need your glass of wine earlier and earlier.

When your mama heart is tired and heavy, your kids’ tempers are flaring, and the clock says it isn’t bedtime or wine:30, just turn on that Disney Pandora station and have yourselves a little dance party. When no one slept well the night before, and the morning is starting way too early, invite your friend and her kids (who probably also woke up too early) for a cup of coffee in your messy living room, and let those kids entertain each other for a while. Sometimes breaking your own rules can be fun for all involved. When you feel like you’re not the best mother today – or you feel like you’re the world’s worst mother today – remind yourself that you love those kiddos, even when you don’t lie them. Remind yourself that they’re mostly fed (goldfish do count!), they’re wearing clean diapers (even if they should have peed in the potty), and they’re well-taken care of (even if you didn’t have an activity planned to stimulate each of their five senses). Some days are made for PBJs, all-day-PJs and snoozing in mama’s bed. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be the “Pinterest Mom” or the “Volunteer Queen” or the “Homeschool Heroine”. A mom who loves her kids and survives one day at a time is just fine.

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