EK: (Pointing at the bump) Mama! You got a baby in your tummily?
Me: Yes! Are you excited?
EK: Yeah, I love him!
Me: Do you remember his name?
EK: *says the name* My friend! He is so special!
Me: That’s a wonderful thing to say! I think he’s special, too.
EK: You go to the doctor to make sure he’s safe? (That’s how I had explained going to the doctor so much.)
Me: Yes, I go to the doctor to check on the baby and make sure he’s safe.
I’m blown away by the little gal’s love and kindness toward him already. However, sometimes I wish she’d show a little more love and kindness to the brother that’s outside my womb.
Welcome to this week’s Currently! As usual, I’m linking up with Becky at Choose Happy and other wonderful bloggers as we share what’s going on in our lives currently. Join us! We love making new connections!
Thankful for || lots of friends who let me do laundry at their place. The count of borrowed laundry rooms is up to five. It doesn’t sound like that many, but it feels like a lot. Thankful to have five places we can run to!
Loving || game nights with friends! Hubby and I have a few couples that like to play games with us on occasion, and they are some of our favorite nights! After our kiddos go to sleep, we play Taboo, Catchphrase, Buzzword, Heads Up, or spades (if there are exactly four of us). Looking at that list, it seems we like word games. Ha!
Excited about || leading worship at two services this week that are a little out-of-the-box for me. One is tonight (I’ve never even attended this one before!) and one is Wednesday. I’m excited to be worshiping with some different people in some other venues!
Listening to || 1989. I’m just now (kinda embarrassingly) jumping on the Taylor Swift bandwagon. I didn’t like her as a country artist, and I don’t like much current pop music, so I just sort of assumed that I wouldn’t like her any more as a pop artist. HOWEVER I do really like her new album. Must be her take-no-shit attitude and I-am-who-I-am sentiment in her music. Cue sheepish grin.
Counting down || the 24 days (exactly) that I have till Hubby and I have iPhone upgrades. We got our 5s right when they came out two years ago, and we have loved them well. Mine spends most of its time in a Lifeproof case, because I’m clumsy and I have kids, but it still has a giant crack (read: shattered screen) and Hubby’s does too (read: one crack). The memory is full, upgrades take forever, and they’re just plain running slowly. I cannot WAIT to get a new-fangled, enormous iPhone 6.
Thanks for checking out my happenings currently! What are you up to?
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.
I’ve had a few friends who are expecting their first baby ask for a little advice on how to prepare for the bundle of joy. So here are a few things that I figured out either with EK or with J or because a wise woman told me so.
This was when a friend and I took our collective three kids on a walk. Only two are mine, but she was saying since we knew we’d have another, it was only a matter of time until it was me without a friend…
1. When placing your nursery furniture, to important to make it look nice. It’s also important to make it convenient for you to use each of the pieces in the room. For instance, when you wake up to the cry of your newborn at 3:00am, walk in the nursery, and immediately smell something… terrible… you know that you’re gonna need to change a diaper, and probably clothes, blankets, and maybe sheets. You pick up your sweetie, move to the changing table, and roll up your sleeves. Within arm’s reach, you want to have that extra change of clothes, as well as diapers and wipes, of course. So when arranging your furniture, it’s good to have your dresser (or wherever clothes are kept) within easy reach of the changing table, so you don’t have to walk off and leave the baby!
2. Speaking of changing the sheets, all moms know that changing crib sheets is a giant pain in the booty. So how do you make yourself have to change them less often, even though your baby will have messy poops, incredibly sized pees, and spit ups that stink to high heaven? One word: layer. My wonderful mother-in-law introduced me to this idea, and it’s saved my sleepy or busy self more times than I can count. So what you do is have 4-6 sheets AND full mattress-sized waterproof pads, and layer them into the mattress. I like to take the mattress completely out of the crib to do this. That way, I just peel off the offending layer whenever there’s a mess, and toss it in the laundry, and there’s already a sheet on there, ready to go! Of course, 1/6 times, I’m screwed. But I’m saved the rest of the time!
3. When someone offers to make a meal calendar for you, take them up on it. When they ask for email addresses, give them every single one you know. If people don’t want to help/are too busy, they just won’t sign up. But everyone else? Let them feed you. Lots of them (like me a lot of times) will just ask what you want from your favorite take-out place. It’s a win-win. And sometimes, it’s a sweet friend, who comes bearing dinner, and does some dishes or some laundry while she’s there, because it’s somehow easier to do someone else’s than your own. ((If you need help with this one or don’t have someone to do it for you, email me and I’ll help you out.))
4. Related to #3, stock your freezer. If you’ve got a meal calendar set up with people doing dinners, stock the freezer with pancakes, waffles, muffins, breakfast sandwiches, sausage, bacon, etc. Another great idea is to pack individual baggies with everything for a smoothie in them. Put in your fruit, kale, spinach, oats, flax, or whatever you like in there, each in an individual Ziploc bag, and then all you have to do for breakfast (or lunch, or a snack) is put it in the blender with the liquid of your choice, and yogurt or peanut butter if that’s how you roll. For lunches and dinners, spaghetti sauce and chili are easy things to make and stock up on, as well.
5. Get the book Happiest Baby on the Block or at least skim it in Babies R Us one day. Cliff notes: When they are fussy, swaddle them, let them suck on something, swing or bounce them, hold them positioned on their side or stomach and make some loud white noise (loud “shh”, vacuum, hair dryer, etc). Y’all are thinking I’m crazy. Try it.
6. Start letting baby put himself to sleep even when he’s a couple of weeks old. When he’s fed and diapered and snuggled (and swaddled, in my opinion), lay him in the crib and leave the room. Learning to go to sleep on his own will make everyone’s lives easier in the long run.
7. Something I didn’t do until recently (mostly because I think they didn’t have it when EK was a newborn) is sign up for one of those Amazon or something diaper subscriptions, where they just send them to you. I’ve got it now that my kids aren’t growing out of diaper sizes too quickly (and they’re both in the same size), but here’s what I did. I took all those coupons for creating registries at Babies R Us and Bed Bath and Beyond, and bought diapers – a couple of cases in every size. I waited till they were on sale (since before you have the baby there’s no rush, right?) and used the coupons. Babies R Us is great at mailing you stuff monthly, and almost every time there are coupons for diapers. I only bought one box of newborn size (they grow out of those the quickest in my experience) and two boxes of the rest (stopping at size 4) just in case. I felt totally prepared, and if I did run out of diapers, I at least had some in the size up they could wear so I was never completely and totally out.
8. Find a good stain remover. This is a total must, because your baby is going to be causing stains on everything. I really love Babyganics, and it really seems to work on everything from poop and spit-up to red wine and coffee (and those are the four most common stains at my house).
9. Use the heck out of those annoying and wonderful Bed, Bath and Beyond 20% off coupons you get all the time. Use them on carseats, strollers, toys, nursery furniture, pillows, swaddles, and anything else you can buy there instead of a baby store. Our BB&B recently got a major baby section upgrade, so I get tons of stuff there with those super coupons.
10. Don’t refuse the help. Yes, there’s a line between letting a thousand people traipse through your house every moment of the day and accepting the help of well-meaning friends and family for a few days, or a few days a week if they’re willing to keep it up for a little while. But if someone offers to snuggle the baby and let you nap, or let you shower, let them. If someone offers to do a load of laundry or pick up some groceries, let them. These things are so nice and helpful, and often it’s a chance for a friend or aunt or someone to meet your little bundle. A win-win for everyone!
All you almost-mamas, I hope this helps! Pass it along to anyone who might need some words of wisdom before their little babe gets here!
Do the veteran mamas have anything to add to the list?!
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.
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.
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!
Confession time: This morning, I heard J fussing a little around 6:45. I didn’t really feel like going to get him yet, so I stayed in bed for a few minutes, willing myself to wake up. Well, during that time, he got quiet again, so I just drifted off back to sleep. In the mean time, I heard EK get up around 7:00, but she typically plays by herself with puzzles or her dolls for a few minutes, so I didn’t rush to get up then, either. She shouted for me a little while later, so I got up, and it was 8:00! Oops. I didn’t mean for there to be an hour of extra sleep while she played alone. Good thing she’s a little bit responsible (famous last words – tomorrow morning she will break everything into tiny pieces and then set it on fire). By the way, it’s after 9:00 as I write this, and I haven’t heard from J yet.
I’ll be honest. There are times like this that I like to keep on doing what I’m doing instead of turning back on my “mom mode”. Sometimes, when EK needs to potty, I put her on there, and leave the room, so that I can have 30 seconds by myself (often to pee alone in the other bathroom) before she shouts, “I’M DOOOOOOONE!” (At least she doesn’t shout, “WIPE ME!”) Sometimes, when they’ve been napping, I can hear that they’re awake, but I don’t get them just yet. I take my time finishing what I’m doing, or reading the last couple of pages of the chapter.
Sometimes, when they sit down to eat, I know I have about three minutes before they need anything else, and before anything starts to hit the floor. During those three minutes, I sit in a different room, sometimes with a cup of tea or coffee, and play on my phone. I “like” photos on Instagram. I read y’all’s blog posts and respond to your comments. I stare out the window.
Every once in a while, when there’s a grocery run that needs to be made, a check to drop off at the bank, and someone’s grown out of all their socks, I ask Hubby if I can run the errands while he keeps the kids. And he says, “Sure! Take your laptop too, and sit and have a cup of coffee and write.”
And I swoon, thinking about how wonderful he is to suggest such a lovely afternoon.
Someone… tell me you do the same; tell me you sneak your moments of sanity. Tell me I’m not alone in this!
I am lacking some serious creativity (and dare I say it… motivation?) to name this little guy. I’m surprisingly content to just call him the little guy or little brother. Maybe it’s because I’ve placed too many restrictions on the process… Here are my requirements:
1. I want the name to have a significance besides “it sounds nice”. Either a good origin, family name, good meaning, etc. That being said…
2. I want it to sound nice. I want there to be a nice flow between first to middle, and middle to last, and first to last. I want it to go along (at least a little bit, not like rhyming or anything) with Ella Kate and Joseph. I don’t want to be calling out, “Ella Kate! Joseph! Gunner!” like I’m calling my dog. (I only say that because I know two dogs named Gunner. No hate if your kid’s name is Gunner.)
3. I’m not a huge fan of “alternate spellings”. I know some people are, and I don’t mind them, but I don’t really care for random y’s or x’s thrown in for no reason. Our last name is hard enough to get people to understand, without having a first name with a silent letter or something. No Jaxon or Kaleb or Camryn.
4. I don’t want his first name to be one syllable. I know, I know. But one syllable in the first name AND the last name just sounds choppy.(I’m getting ridiculous, I know.) Jack Hsu. Bob Hsu. You get my point.
5. I don’t want a name with the sound “ooh” in it. Like Jude or Lucas. Lucas Hsu is too much “ooh”.
Alright, that’s all I can think of for now, but don’t be surprised if I come back and edit a few more on here later… Do you have any suggestions for my little guy that follow all my ridiculous rules?
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?
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.
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