Tag Archives: life

home, mommyhood, pregnancy

13 Week Bump Date, Ultrasound, and Renovation Update!

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I can’t promise I’m going to do these updates every week, what with renovations and kiddos and all, but I can give it a shot!

I’m happy to say I have some energy back I’m still accidentally taking naps here and there, but at least not so exhausted that I have to nap every day. I’m glad to be able to do my thing without headaches and everything. I haven’t gained much weight – only about three pounds – but I’ve definitely got a little more belly than usual. Too bad it doesn’t look like a cute little bump yet. It’s mostly just a “did you eat a large dinner?” sort of belly. Yikes.

Yesterday, we went for our first ultrasound, and it was so awesome. That never gets less incredible, no matter how many times you see your unborn baby on that screen. It’s amazing to see hands and feet and a button nose, that looks just like Sister’s. Another thing that was totally adorable was EK, pointing at the screen, saying, “My baby! That’s my baby!” I pretty much cried, seeing the ownership she’s already taking of that little soul. What a good sister.

Our little jellybean, with the cutest button nose, waving hello!
Our little jellybean, with the cutest button nose, waving hello!

The one thing we did find out at the ultrasound is that our screening for chromosomal abnormalities came back positive. They took some blood, and I will get those test results back in two weeks. So pray that the blood test comes back totally normal, and that we won’t have any chromosomal disorders to worry about. My doctor didn’t seem worried to see the first screening positive, so we are trying (as hard as we can) not to worry either.

Our basement renovations are going well! There are lots of things happening, and more than just demo now! Temporary walls are going up, plumbing is being moved and updated, wiring is being secured, and we are seeing lots of progress! Here are a few pictures so you can see some of the craziness:

This one long room used to be Hubby's music studio (on the far side of the stairwell) and will now be two bedrooms!
This one long room used to be Hubby’s music studio (on the far side of the stairwell) and will now be two bedrooms! The perspective is from the family room (former and future).
This is today's project: Jackammering through the floor to lay a new pipe for the laundry room. The fireplace there looked like that after they removed the veneer. Disturbingly messy brick laying, but the contractor says it's strong and sound, so they're leaving it.
This was today’s project: Jackhammering through the floor to lay a new pipe for the laundry room. The fireplace there looked like that after they removed the veneer. Disturbingly messy brick laying, but the contractor says it’s strong and sound, so they’re leaving it.

We’ve been spending every other day or so at Hubby’s parents’ house, which serves a double purpose… our kids can nap, and we can also get some laundry done while we’re here. It’s a nice way to be away from a loud and dusty home!

So there’s a little life update for you. What’s going on in your life?!

mommyhood, pregnancy

Pregnant With My Third! (Volume 7)

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Written at 11 weeks.

I. Am. So. Hormonal. It’s pitiful. I cry often, I yell often. It’s almost like pregnancy bi-polar. Who am I? A tired mommy who gets frustrated at little things and cries about it. Yep.

Have you ever seen the movie Juno? Do you know the song that’s in the movie, a duet by a guy and girl who are only okay singers, and there are some weird lyrics, but “I don’t see what anyone could see in anyone else buuuuuuuut you.”? Yeah. There’s a line about “shiny, happy fits of rage”. I can’t get it out of my head, because sometimes that’s what it feels like. What can I say? I’m a weirdo right now.

I’m starting to show a little bit, so I guess it’s good that it’s winter and I can wear chunky sweaters and leggings. That’s about all I feel good in anyway. I had my first nurse visit today, where we talked about genetics, previous pregnancies, symptoms and future testing, and they took about a gallon of blood. I’ve been feeling really well though, so it was nice to answer “no” to a bunch of questions she asked me. The ultrasound is on the calendar, which is exciting, because who doesn’t love to see their tiny jellybean, squirming around!?

I’ve been craving smoothies, which is good. I pack them full of apple juice and spinach, so that they taste good while being healthy. The fruit that goes in almost doesn’t matter… usually there’s some blueberries and strawberries, a banana, some peaches maybe, or some other berries I’ve got around. At least half the fruit I put in is frozen, so that the finished product’s got a good consistency. I also put some oatmeal and some almond milk in so that there’s a punch to keep me full. Yay smoothies!

Well, that’s all I can think of for now. Just being hormonal and drinking smoothies. It’s been a little while since I’ve written a pregnancy update, so I felt like I needed to do it!

mommyhood, Uncategorized

The Unintentional Pampers Challenge, Part Deux

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All size 4: Pampers (crushed in the diaper bag), Huggies, Kirkland/Costco, and Babies R Us. Which do you use?

When I asked you about diapers, you – the readers! – had a lot to say! I’ve broken down the info to help myself and help you, if you’re like me, and you want an expensive but reliable way to keep all the bottoms (and the clothes, and the sheets) dry.

The most common answer for the diapers you love is Pampers. I’m pretty much there with you. They’re basically the most expensive, but the cost seems to be worth it for most of us.

The next best thing sounds like Luvs. I’ve never even bought/used those at all, so I’m taking your advice. Next time I buy diapers, I’m going with a box of Luvs to try them out on the kiddos. From what you said, they’re less expensive than Pampers, but just as good!

I also heard great things about Honest Company and 7th Generation, mostly about how they’re great for the baby and great for the environment. Well, I’m convicted. I’ve heard great things about 7th Gen for a long time, and have wanted to try their diapers in the past, and I feel the same way about Honest Company, except that their expensive. I don’t really need my diapers to be adorable (I’m looking at you, Honest Company, and your delightful cupcakes and colorful hot air balloons) but I do need them to be affordable. I mean, I’m diapering two kiddos right now (EK still won’t be consistent about pottying. More on than later.) and while hopefully it’ll be only two when the next baby is born, I’m thinking that EK might still be in a nighttime diaper then anyway.

Lots of you say you use Huggies Overnights during the night and something cheaper during the day. I totally feel you on this. Especially if you’re potty training one, and it’s staying dry most of the day (or even some of the day) it seems like “Who cares what sort of diaper it is?!” I’ve never bought the Huggies Overnights, but maybe I need to! How much more expensive are they, someone?

The last awesome thing I heard was that Up&Up (Target) and Amazon Elements (Amazon.com) were possibly gonna be just as useful for daytime. That’s great, because who isn’t at Target all the time? And who doesn’t love diapers delivered to your door?!

Things you didn’t like: Wal-Mart brand, Sam’s brand (coincidence? Probably not.) and regular Huggies (with a couple exceptions).

Oh, by the way. Another hilarious side note from all my reader responses… Several of you mentioned having “super pee-ers” and almost all of you who said that said it in the same way. Well, I think I’m among you. Super pee-ers, unite!

So now I’ve got a to do list. I’m going to try Luvs. I’m going to try Huggies Overnights. I’m going to try Up&Up. I’m gonna try Amazon Elements. I’m also (gasp!) going to borrow some gdiapers from a friend, and try those, now that my kids are out of the new-diaper-every-two-hours stage. Because that’s a lot of laundry, am I right?

I’ll keep you posted on the diaper challenge front. I will be your diaper champion, and we will celebrate having the least-leaky, most affordable option! (Oh my. What a mom thing to say.)

home, mommyhood, parenting fails

The Unintentional Pampers Challenge

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All size 4: Pampers (crushed in the diaper bag), Huggies, Kirkland/Costco, and Babies R Us. Which do you use?

I’m so annoyed right now.

Due to our basement renovations, the Hsu house is extremely loud from time to time. It’s totally fine, and we knew it would be that way, and our contractors have graciously given us no less than 24 hours notice when we’re going to have a extra loud day. Today was one of the loud ones, so we got up, had breakfast, made a Target run, then came over to my in-laws’ house for nap times (my kids aren’t having the glorious double nap right now, so “nap times” can be anywhere from 2-5 hours). My in-laws are absolutely wonderful for letting us interrupt their days and their home by letting us come over, eat, watch tv, make messes and require quiet for naps. That being said, I’ll move on to the real point of this post.

I almost always use Pampers diapers. I thought about cloth diapering with J since we were “parenting pros” (HA HA HA) but Hubby nixed it. I wasn’t that sad. We’ve tried Huggies, Babies R Us brand, Costco/Kirkland brand, and a few others that are cheaper than Pampers. But in our experience, especially with bigger babies/toddlers, Pampers is the way to go. My in-laws keep a stock of diapers at their place, mostly cheaper ones since they’re sorta emergency diapers, used only for short periods of time and never for overnight, and I’m just super grateful that they’re there, because when I’m coming over with the kids, I don’t even bring a diaper bag. ((The photo above is Pampers (diaper bag crushed and all), Huggies, Kirkland/Costco, and Babies R Us, and all are size 4.))

Today, J went down for his nap first, right when we got there. Nothing was out of the ordinary… I put a fresh diaper on him, gave him his swaddle (my kids both sleep with one) and his bottle of warm milk, and he went right to sleep. He slept for three hours! HALLELUJAH! However, he had woken up with wet pants, because his Huggie (same size as the Pampers he always wears) had leaked. It wasn’t as if I left him for his nap and he drank several cups of water. He NEVER leaks at nap time. Sometimes at night, but never at a nap. So of course I changed his pants and went on about my business.

Right before J woke up, EK fell asleep, without drinking anything I might add, watching a movie (a special privilege since we’re at her grandmother’s house – she doesn’t do that at home) on the couch. As far as I know, she had a dry diaper on, because we’d just had an accident in the Pull-Up right as the movie started.  Her diaper was a Kirkland brand (from Costco, size 4, which is her normal diaper size – yes, same size as J. Yes, that is a wonderful phenomenon.) She woke up in a puddle on the couch.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Two leaking naps, in two different brand diapers that aren’t our usual, and at someone else’s house, no less?! I felt terrible… Not only am I already doing my laundry over here (no laundry available at our place during the basement reno) but I’m causing more laundry and wrecking the couch. Or my kids are. Or we as a family are. Ugh. Good thing I have forgiving, wonderful in-laws who love me with my messy kids.

Moral of the story: I may never buy anything but Pampers ever again. Has anyone else have tried and true Pampers stories? Has anyone had good luck with the off-brand diapers?

mommyhood, My Big Jesus, parenting fails

Failing at Manners

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This post also appeared on MyBigJesus.com !

Growling "like a dinosaur" instead of eating her lunch.
Growling “like a dinosaur” instead of eating her lunch.

So, I’ve been trying to teach EK about manners. I know, my two and a half year old doesn’t know much about manners (says anyone who’s ever spent time with her). She’s a little spastic, likes to run around instead of stay in her chair during meals, and thinks spitting, yelling, sounding like a fire truck, and pushing down her brother (who just learned to walk) are all acceptable things to do. We talk every day about being polite, making good choices, and being kind to others, and I can tell it’s finally starting to sink in. She knows better than doing lots of the things we talk about. And that’s where we get stuck.

Recently, she’s been saying, “That’s funny!” or “Ella Kate so funny!” after she does something mean or rude. So the other day, I countered with, “No, that’s not funny. That’s rude.” If you could tell me how to take those words back, I’d pay you a million dollars.

I have literally heard that phrase several times a day since I said it the first – and only – time. Of all the things I say that she parrots, I can’t believe that’s the one. Sometimes, she does something truly funny, and we tell her so. And right on cue, she responds with, “No! That’s not funny! That’s rude!”

Talk about a lost meaning. A giant parenting fail that I committed, just as I was trying to teach manners. The best laid plans, right? Well, I can’t stop teaching her about manners because I had an epic fail. I can’t just let her run me over when I try to teach her right from wrong. One failed teachable moment doesn’t excuse me from ever teaching her anything again. It just makes me want to get it right even more. As a parent, it’s my job to teach her to make good choices on her own, so that she can do it without me later. It’s a scarily important role, teaching those things. It’s tough. I’m sure when she’s a teenager, it’ll be tougher still. But I can’t be discouraged by one fail, or five fails, or a thousand. That loud, endearingly crazy girl is going to get the right idea, if I can help guide her in spite of ourselves.

mommyhood, pregnancy

Pregnant With My Third! (Volume 3)

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Written at 7 weeks.

Being pregnant is hard. Being pregnant with a kid is harder. Being pregnant with a job and two kids? My hats are off to y’all that have done this and survived. I hope I’ll join your ranks in a few months.

I’ve been feeling a little guilty these past few weeks because I feel like I’ve been choosing to either be healthy for the baby in my belly (aka take a nap, lay on the couch, eat the comfort food) or be the best mom to the existing kids (get up, turn off the tv, facilitate learning and go outside to play). Those are exaggerations, but sometimes it does feel like I can either choose to succumb to the fatigue and let the kids watch tv all afternoon, or I can choose to ramp it up and possibly make myself puke. Blerg.

Anyway, I know there are tons of you out there who have already done this, more times probably, and have great ideas and encouragement. So hit me with it! Leave a comment with how you balanced your life, or how you got the best of both worlds. I know there’s a way!

mommyhood, pregnancy

What I Know Now

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When Hubby and I got engaged, all our married friends were telling us to go out, party, and hang out with our single friends while we still could. Because, of course, we could never go out without our spouse. They told us to get ready to stay in every night and never see other people and be boring and lame. At least that’s what it sounded like to me.

While I was pregnant with EK, I heard all those cautionary tales from friends and family about “Get sleep before the baby comes!” and “Enjoy your pedicures and massages before the baby comes!” and “Have lots of date nights with your husband before the baby comes!” Well, it sure sounded like my life would be over after I had that silly baby.

Then when I got pregnant with my second, there was a lot of “Enjoy the time with just one!” and “Spend lots of one on one time with your daughter before your son arrives!” as if somehow I wouldn’t see my daughter again, and my son would totally take me over and I wouldn’t want my daughter.

Well folks, let me debunk those lies. Your life isn’t over when you get married, or start having kids. It is only beginning. I have more love in my heart than I ever thought possible. Hubby and I party, and hang out with friends, and go out. I still *gasp!* get pedicures and massages. It may take a little more planning, and I don’t necessarily go on a whim, but I still do it. I still have date nights with Hubby – and he is more attractive and lovable to me than ever. Seeing him as a father, first to our daughter and now to our son, has filled me with such love and pride and happiness that I could never fully describe to you. It amazes me how much I can love him loving our kids.

To the naysayers who believe (or who are just telling themselves) that the only way to truly live is to be single and mingle, well, you don’t know anything about it. I’m not saying that if you’re single, or if you don’t have kids, that your life can’t be fulfilling. It can! Marriage isn’t for everyone, and neither are kids. But just because marriage and kids are for me, do not tell me that my life will be over. Don’t tell me that I should enjoy my free time while I have it. I would never change my life for a minute. My husband is my rock, my best friend, and the person I choose to spend time with every time. My kids are my little loves, my proteges (haha, right?), and my most fun and hilarious, if unpredictable, companions. Yes, Hubby and I bicker and get on each others’ nerves. Yes, my kids have rough days and I get frustrated with them. Yes, sometimes I need a girls night (or weekend, let me be honest) to rest, recoup and regenerate. But does that mean I regret any of the decisions I’ve made, or wish that I wasn’t in the position I’m in? Absolutely not. My family is my everything, on good days and bad, on days when they make a fabulous dinner, use the potty, and don’t have teething issues, and on days when we go through diapers like they’re grains of sand and the blueberries from breakfast are still smashed into the floor at dinner, which is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

This is totally characteristic of our relationship.
This is totally characteristic of our relationship.

I don’t want you to think my life is perfect. If you know me, or read this blog, then you know that. But seriously… my family is the best. They are my everything. And I wouldn’t trade them. It’s my 2015 motto (in lieu of a resolution, remember?): Embrace it. Embrace this life. Embrace these people. Embrace all of the things.

My crazy family that I love.
My crazy family that I love.
home

Beginning the Basement Renovation

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Y’all. The basement renovation is happening. And it is happening FAST. We (when I say we, it’s really Hubby and his buddy) have been tearing out the basement (carpet, crown molding, sheetrock, interior doors, fixtures, etc) for the past two weeks, and the crew is coming over the next few days to do the rest of the demo and start moving the bones of the place around to make room for NEWNESS! I am so excited.

I’m also really nervous. It’s going to be loud. My babies like to sleep. Not sure how those two things are going to go together. Also, we won’t have laundry for basically the entirety of the project. That’s a little scary for a family of four. My mother-in-law and a few others have graciously told us their laundry rooms are open for our use, and we are so grateful to have family and friends close by to help us out. It’ll be like living in a big city where no one has their own laundry space and everyone goes to a Laundromat. Except the Laundromat will be a friend’s house. With cable. Thank goodness.

The entire basement is either packed into our UNIT in the backyard, sold, donated, or stored in a friend’s garage. That includes furniture, linens, baby clothes and toys my kids have grown out of but we aren’t ready to part with (I mean, I’ll need them come summer!), Hubby’s and my out of season or rarely worn clothes (including my zillion bridesmaids dresses that I can’t figure out how to deal with), copious amounts of musical/sound equipment, and other various things that for some reason we can’t part with but don’t really belong upstairs. Soon, all the kids’ bedrooms will be downstairs, we will have a laundry room and a mud room, and lots of the spacing problems will be taken care of. I can’t even imagine how wonderful that will be! Come on, three months. Pass quickly.

Has anyone else lived in a home while a renovation was happening? How about with young kids? How did you survive?!

books, mommyhood, random thoughts

Ponderings on “What Alice Forgot”

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Once I finished Where’d You Go, Bernadette? I read the next suggestion from my friend Ginna…

Here’s a short book review of What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty:

what alice forgot

It’s good. Great, actually. It is thought-provoking, to imagine losing the memories from ten years of your life. Alice falls off a spin bike at the gym, and when she wakes up, she thinks she is ten years younger and pregnant with her first child. She doesn’t remember her three children, crumbling marriage, or anything else from the past ten years. The greatest thing about the book is her journey to find herself, combining the woman she is at 40, and the woman she was at 30. There is heartache and pain, but also grace and redemption. I flew through it, just needing to know what the next page said.

Now that you’ve got the synopsis… I’ll tell you this: I’m not quite yet 30, but it made me brutally aware of how much can happen in ten years. Obviously, the last ten years of my life (aka my twenties) were vastly different than my thirties are going to be. My twenties consisted of college, partying, traveling, job searching, falling in love, getting married, and birthing two kids. My thirties will be full of raising toddlers (read: potty training), choosing schools (and running the chauffeur service to get various kids to various places), doing laundry, hosting holiday get-togethers and getting to know my kids in every stage of their lives. I can’t imagine waking up halfway through my thirties, and not remembering anything about it.

But on the other hand, what would I want to be the same? Which things would I want to wake up ten years later and know would be consistent? My marriage. My relationship with my kids (no matter how old they were). My friendships. My place at my church. Those would be my priorities, if I had to choose something to be consistent throughout my life. Just thinking about what I’ll be doing ten years from now makes me want to focus on those things more than ever, so that ten years from now, I’ll know where I stand.

What would you think if you woke up, and didn’t remember the last ten years? Would you have wanted something to change? Would you like where you stand?

mommyhood, random thoughts

A Line-Up of Mock Resolutions

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Growl less. Trumpet more. Figure out what the fox says. Reach higher. Drink milk. Sums it up, right?
Growl less. Trumpet more. Figure out what the fox says. Reach higher. Drink milk. Sums it up, right?

A few days ago, I posted about my New Year’s “Resolution” that wasn’t really a resolution. I tried to go along with the “one word” for 2015 thing that I’ve seen becoming a trend (I think it actually started last year, and I can’t even remember if I got on board – oops). As you might recall (or as you might be hearing for the first time!) I have decided to “Embrace It” this year. Embrace what, you ask? Embrace motherhood. Embrace messes. Embrace hardships. Embrace family and friends. Embrace life and all that that entails. I will make the choice, whenever possible, to not complain about my circumstances. If I choose to be positive, to make lemonade from lemons, and to make good opportunities arise from situations in which I could sink to the floor and give up.

I’m not saying I’ll always make the good choice. If I hold myself to that, I’d be more disappointed than any other resolution I could’ve made. But I’m saying I’ll try. I’ll try for me, for Hubby, for the kids, for my family and my friends. I’ll give it my best shot. So if March comes along and I’ve already forgotten, someone remind me, okay?

Anyway, in light of New Year’s and resolutions and moms (and the combination of all of that) here are some hilarious and impractical resolutions that I could have picked to make instead:

1. Put a stick figure family on my minivan.
2. Get the minivan mentioned in #1.
3. Monogram the back windshield of said minivan.
4. Get over the hangup about the minivan I don’t own.
5. Decide to never get frustrated with my children.
6. Clean more, so that I have a lovely, guest-ready home at all times.
7. Clean less, so that I can spend more quality time with my kids.
8. Get reusable bags for my groceries, and use them. Because I would always remember, right?
9. Practice random acts of kindness… such as not yelling when messes are made or punching Hubby when he snores.
10. Get back into yoga… because it makes me yell less.
11. Clean the leftover sweets out of the house, because I’m upset about how much junk food I ate during the holidays, then go to Starbucks and order a venti sugar bomb.
12. Stop eating fast food, so that I’m a little more stressed about making sure we have enough groceries and time to make three meals every day.
13. Stop spending so much time on my iPhone, because no one wants to see pictures of my kids or talk to me when they call. My relationships can WAIT!
14. Get more sleep at night. Because my kids made that their resolution also, of course.

And one that I really am going to try to do, even though it is a lot, and sort of a funny one:

15. Continue writing down all the hilarious things my kids do and say, because I know at some point during their lives, they’ll like hearing the stories.

What resolutions did you make? Do you have any hilarious ones to add to my list of “fake” resolutions?