It's official...on August 21 at 12:37PM Josiah Henry was born and we became a family of four.  As an only child, I've never been a part of a family of four before.  It still sounds a little strange for me to say.  

However, so far, being a part of a family of four has been a wonderful experience.  From the beginning Josiah has done his best to make life pretty easy for us.  Yes, he's only 2 weeks old now and I have yet to spend a day alone with two kids (thanks hubby, mom, and mom-in-law for making this possible), so we have a long way to go, but so far life is good.

Here's a quick ( not at all graphic) run down of the birth experience and life with Josiah so far:

Contractions started at regular 7 minute intervals at 2 am on my due date (seriously, how many babies actually arrive on their due date?) and increased to a steady 5 minutes apart over 3 hours.  This was actually ideal for us, as it meant that Dave was home and my very pregnant sister-in-law was off the hook for driving me to the hospital while Dave was at work.  Plus, that early in the morning is a pretty low traffic time here in Mexico City, which relieved the stress of the 45 minute plus commute to the hospital.

My doctor arrived at the hospital as we were checking in and was there for almost the whole time I was in labor.  The whole time I was in labor at the hospital amounted to a grand total of 5 hours - so much better than the twenty hours I went through after I was induced a week after my due date with Eli.

Everything progressed quickly.  I turned down an epidural knowing that last time I had made it a full 10 hours without one and it had largely worn off by the time I actually gave birth.  Although, I realize that it is no great feet to give birth without anesthesia, people in Mexico (including my doctor) seem to be amazed that I did so.  Apparently it's practically unheard of here.

After three quick pushes (so much easier than the 1 hour plus of pushing last time) out popped our healthy, 6lb 8oz. 19.5in. little boy.  My doctor has since likened the experience to being on a roller coaster with her driving and me on the accelerator.

Since then he has been amazing.  He breastfeeds without any problem and pretty much just sleeps or quietly looks around when he's not eating.  He already regularly gives us 5-6 hour stretches of sleep at night.  Seriously, Eli wasn't a difficult baby at all.  How did I get SO blessed this time?

So, for all who have looked at us with concern as we have prepared to have a baby in Mexico, do not be concerned at all.  We had a wonderful birth experience and received great care during our stay at the hospital.  My biggest complaint would be the amount of moving around they made me go through during the birth process. Four different rooms and five different beds seemed a bit excessive, but certainly not a reason not to have a baby in Mexico.

So here we are, getting used to life as four:

So I'm due in 4 days and more than ready to no longer be pregnant (although you should probably ask me if I still feel this way on my first day home alone with two kids).  Anyway, as stated previously, I've been trying to soak in my last few days of one-on-one time with Eli.  I have been in search of activities for him which match all of the following requirements:

1. Will keep a 21 month old's attention span for a significant amount of time (at least 30 minutes).
2. Only items that are already in our home should be needed (baby number 2 is putting us on a tight budget and we only have one car here so I don't have a vehicle many days).
3. A minimal amount of planning must be required.  Since baby boy #2 could come any day now I am not looking for activities that I have to plan way ahead of time and then potentially leave unfinished.
4. The activity should, ideally allow me to stay sitting.  9 months pregnant = a significant loss of energy.  I have to save up this energy for the times Eli needs to wear off some energy of his own playing in the grass or at the playground.
5. The activity should require a minimal amount of clean-up.  Once again energy conservation in paramount.

So with all of these things in mind, here are a few of the things that have been keeping us busy lately:

Playing with dried beans.  All you need is a few different sized containers and various utensils to move them from container to another.  So simple and Eli loves it!

Homemade playdough.   With a simple recipe like the first one on this list you can mix this up in no time with simple ingredients you already have at home.  Plus it's softer than store bought playdough, which is definitely a plus for kids as young as Eli.  And random head wear helps keep any activity entertaining. :)

Add a matchbox car partway through the playtime for an additional 20 minutes of fun!

Melted crayon drawings.  Thanks to the magic of Pinterest I found this activity on the blog Play Create Explore.  All you have to do is warm up a plate in the microwave, grab a few of those broken, unwrapped crayons you have lying around, and you can create all sorts of fun art.  You do need to make sure you do not get the plate too hot, so as to burn little hands, and you keep the activity well supervised so you do not end up with wax on the table or other surfaces.  Also, although the original blogger assured that the plate would easily clean up I was a little skeptical so I used a glass plate I bought at the dollar store back in college.  However, to my surprise, with a little hot water, dish soap and a scrubby sponge the crayon came off without any problem.

So there you have it - three simple toddler activities that have let Eli and I have some fun together without requiring me to try to be super mom at 9 months pregnant or break the bank buying new toys and supplies to keep him entertained.

Do you have other ideas that fit all of my criteria? 

 Please share!

He's coming.

Our second child could be here any day now.  I long to see him, to feel his soft skin, and meet his sweet face.  I long to no longer be pregnant - to no longer feel like there is weighted beach ball between me and the rest of the world.  I long to be able to hold Dave and Eli closer.  This is where things are different from the first time I was pregnant.  This time I already have a precious little boy in my life.  Last time it was all new.  Life was full of first experiences.  This time I've been there, done that.  It doesn't make it any less special.  And yes, this little boy will have personality and life experiences all his own.  It's just different.

This time around a big part of my mind is focused on soaking up the last few days with just me and Eli.  Soon there will be two little boys to keep up with every day.  Soon I won't be able to give that one precious little face all of my attention.  In the midst of excitement and anticipation something in me grieves over this and wants to soak up every one-on-one moment I can with him - the sticky fingers, food covered face, sloppy kisses, and yes, even the moments of complete obstinence (the terrible twos are well on their way, people).

Suddenly I'm cherishing these moments more than ever, because soon he won't just be my baby boy, he'll be my first born.  Soon all that energy, effort, and love will be spread between two kids.

In the meantime I'm just trying to soak it all in and give him as much as this exhausted pregnant body can offer.

After a wonderful summer of time together as a family Dave is back at work today.

Our summer is officially over and I have to say that I am a little sad to see it go.

I know we are lucky that Dave working as a teacher means we get to spend the summers together.  I know that many families do not get to spend as much time together as we do.  I am counting the blessing, but I am also already missing him just a bit.  It has been nice to have more time to experience life inside and outside Mexico together.  It has been a joy to watch Eli have extra time to play and learn with Daddy.  And yes, at 38 weeks pregnant those extra hands and feet to help chase a toddler around have been absolutely wonderful!

Thanks, babe, for all you have done for our family this summer.  You have certainly taken on more than your share.

Now we begin the final countdown to the next stage in our lives.  Sometime in the next couple of weeks we will officially become a family of four.  I am excitedly anticipating seeing the face of our next sweet little boy.  I am intrigued to see how Eli, at just 21 months, adapts to life as a big brother.  And I am more than a little anxious to see how I manage as a stay at home mom to two little boys.

Changes are coming our way.  It's time to start adapting to all that is ahead of us.

To my second son,

Sorry, we have not decided on your name yet, so I cannot address this to you more specifically.   You are expected to arrive 3 months from today (however, your big brother had no desire to arrive in a timely fashion, so I will not hold it against you if you follow in his footsteps).  Time has flown by since we first found out that you were joining us.  We are very excited to meet you, to see your sweet face, to know the touch of your skin, the color of your eyes, the warmth of your smile, and to gradually discover your precious personality.

I admit I am a little intimidated at the thought of raising two boys, two kids in general really.  I grew up as an only child, so sibling interactions are not exactly my specialty.  However, you are a precious gift to this family and I know that, somehow, God will prepare me for all that is ahead of me.  Please be patient with me, as I am sure there will be a bit of a learning curve.

Your big brother is just starting to get the idea that something is happening in Mommy’s tummy.  He saw you at my last ultrasound and was not quite sure what to make of the whole thing.  He’s probably going to be a little jealous of all the time and attention you get for a while, but it is my prayer that the two of you will come to be good friends.  He’ll have lots of lessons to help teach you and he’s very good at giving hugs and kisses.  We will continue to work on making sure they are gentle enough for you.

Most importantly you need to know that your Mommy and Daddy love you so much already and are looking forward to your arrival. 

Love,

Mommy

"Like newborn infants long for pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation - if indeed you have tested that the Lord is good."
1 Peter 2:2-3

I keep wanting to say that I'm all grown up. I have a bachelors degree and a masters degree. I've been married for going on 7 years. We own a home. I have a son and another baby on the way. But none of these things make me grown.

I cringe when older individuals still talk to me like I'm a child (I look younger than I am, so it happens more than I would like). But the truth is many of these people have many years of knowledge and spiritual growth ahead of me. Despite all of this, as Christians, we're all still growing into our salvation. I believe that's a big part of why everyone who is living on this earth is still here. We're still growing, still learning, and still in need of spiritual milk.

When I was breastfeeding Eli I saw his longing and need for milk (and the kid still has a little bit of milk obsession). It's an amazing feeling to know that you are the only one who can provide that kind of nourishment for your child. As much as I was ready for Eli to be weaned after a year, there is a growing longing in me to have those same precious moments with my next child.

Teach me, God. Teach me to long for you in the same way a newborn child longs for milk. Teach me to understand that I need you and your Fatherly guidance just as much now as I did as a child. I need to keep growing. I need to keep maturing. It's a lifelong process. Thank you for your willingness, Lord, to patiently walk with me every step of the way. Thank you for loving me even when I act as a stubborn, ungrateful child.

Per our usual Tuesday morning routine, this morning I got myself up and ready for the day, got  Eli up at 7:30am, got him breakfast and dressed, prepared his lunch, and then walked the block and half to drop him off at preschool.  This morning I even got to say hello to my niece who was being dropped off at school by her nanny at the same time.

I followed this with a three block walk in the opposite direction to the local medical lab to get some standard pregnancy lab work done.  Who doesn’t love getting lab work done early in the morning?

As a side note: Of all the Spanish words I have learned so far, for an English speaker, molestar (to disturb or irritate) is definitely the most disturbing, especially when used by a lab technician.

From there I walked to the local fruit stand to pick up some mangoes and bananas.  Then I headed off to the bakery to pick up a fresh loaf of bread to go with dinner this evening and a danish for me, because it is my opinion that anyone who allows themselves to be poked and prodded in a lab by a stranger before 8:30am deserves a treat. 

Anyway, I completed all these tasks and was back in my apartment by 9am.   I don’t think I will ever again live in a place where it is possible to so easily get all of these tasks done on foot.  Mexico treated me well this morning.

Unfortunately, this is where things went downhill and I can no way blame it on Mexico, instead I’m going to go with the pregnancy brain excuse.  When I got home from my morning errands I took our dog out and managed to leave my keys on the kitchen counter.   The front door to our apartment automatically locks behind you. 

Nonetheless, all was not lost.  We gave my brother-in-law a copy of our keys for just such a time.   I called him up, found out where the keys were stored (this included a list of 3 places they “might” possibly be) and walked the two blocks to their house praying that their nanny was still there to let me in to search for them.  Success!  I was still back in my apartment by 9:30am ready to start the day.

We’ll see what the rest of the day has in store for me…

“Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

                   

Ah, patience.  Patience is a virtue and it has never been one of my strengths.  In fact that’s where this blog began, as I not-so-patiently awaited the birth of our first child, Eli.  Now our precious little boy is 16 months old and no longer a baby but a head-strong toddler.  Now the waiting game has begun for our second child.  At 18 weeks along I still have a long ways to go.  Nonetheless, my impatient soul longs to meet this little boy or girl, to know our sweet baby’s gender, the color of his or her eyes and hair, and the touch and scent of sweet newborn baby skin.

Yesterday we took Eli for his first trip to the zoo.  It was such a joy to see him marvel at the animals.  He turned and stared at me with a look of amazement as the hulking frame of a rhinoceros ambled by just ten feet in front of us.  As he marveled at the sheer size and uniqueness of each animal my pregnant body could not help but contemplate the logistics of giving birth to such monstrosities.  Did you know that African Elephants have a gestational period of somewhere around 660 days?  Talk about patience!  Forty weeks (280 days) is about all the time my mind can fathom carrying this precious little baby inside of me.  I guess God must have given African Elephants an extra dose of patience in order to endure such a long waiting period.

The animal kingdom is not the only part of nature who reflects a need for patience.  A few years back Dave and I took a road trip through the Pacific Northwest.  We backpacked out to the furthest west point in the continental U.S. in Washington State, took a ferry across the Tswassen-Swartz Bay between Vancouver and Victoria, BC, and drove along the Pacific Highway marveling at the beautiful rocky coast of Oregon. We saw so many of God’s amazing creations and were left with many beautiful photos and memories.  Our final stop was at Redwood National Forest in California.  If you have been to see the redwoods, you know that you can do nothing but stand and stare in amazement at the sheer width and height of these trees – trees that have been growing for hundreds of years and continue to grow and expand.  As humans we start out somewhere around 20 inches long and, on average, grow to somewhere between 5’5” and 5’10” (although at 5’3” and 6’2” my husband and I don’t quite fit into this expectation).  Our expected growth is limited and generally occurs over a period of 21 years or less.  These numbers are, more or less, finite.  The redwoods, however, must have patience.  Their expected growth is exponentially greater than ours and takes much longer.

Imagine if we, as humans, were able to truly take the perspective of the elephant or the redwood.  How much more patient would we become!?

Afterall, the God who created every animal and every tree created and cares for you even more.  He will carry you through whatever it is that you are struggling to be patient about. 

“Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  

Matthew 6:34

**Note: This post is part of the Gathered Thoughts Link Up Party at www.lovefeasttable.com.  You can check out more bloggers posts based on inspirational quotes by clicking on the button below.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m excited to announce that in August our little family of three will become a family of four!  That’s right, we’re expecting another child and currently I’m feeling:

                                               A)    Thrilled about the news.

                                               B)     Incredibly blessed that we were able to get pregnant so easily this time.

                                               C)    A little nauseous.

                                               D)    Slightly terrified at the prospect of keeping up with two kids under two.

                                               E)     All of the above

Please send your guesses (and prayers) my way!

One year ago today I was frantically trying to prepare thanksgiving dinner on my own for the first time.  My mom had her second major neck surgery just a few weeks prior and the duty to prepare the meal fell on me.  Needless to say I was a bit stressed about getting everything just right.

Two years ago tomorrow Dave and I made the decision that we were ready to start a family.

One year ago yesterday I spent the afternoon in the hospital to get a procedure done that would hopefully determine why Dave and I had been unable to get pregnant over the previous year.  The procedure was unsuccessful and therefore inconclusive.  We had no answers.

One year ago today I spent part of my morning sitting on the floor of our laundry room crying, wishing for answers, and struggling to be thankful.

Today I am incredibly thankful.  I am thankful for my beautiful, healthy son who was born just 18 days ago.  I am thankful for the family and friends I am surrounded with on this holiday and so many other days.  I am thankful for the prayers and support of so many over the last two years.

Today I have no reason to be anything, but thankful.

In January of this year I happened to be listening to a Christian radio station when they challenged their listeners to each pick one word to commit to learning about for the year.  Although, their presentation was pretty cheesy, and I had never before committed to a New Year’s resolution, immediately I knew the word I needed to commit to was patience.  I have never been a patient person.  My parents knew this early on.  At 5 I informed them that I would never learn to read, at 7 that I would never learn to ride a bike without training wheels, and at 21 that Dave was never going to ask me to marry him.  I am proud to say that I am now fully literate, able to ride on two wheels without assistance, and have been happily married for 5 years.  I just needed a little patience.

When this year began my patience was already worn.  Dave and I had been trying to get pregnant for almost a year.   We had begun to wonder if it was possible.  But in January I made a commitment to God: with His help, I would work on learning to be more patient this year.  It’s amazing what a great provider we have!  Within two months we found out we were pregnant.   And so began the great waiting game for our little boy to arrive.  There have been many smaller trials of my patience over the last 10 months, and in the meantime Dave’s patience with me has certainly been tried as well (thanks for sticking with me babe!), but the greatest trial has been the 9 months of waiting and growing rounder by the week.  We are now 2 weeks to the due date and I am once again getting impatient.  When exactly will I get to meet this precious little boy?  What will he be like?  How long until I can put on my shoes without bending into contortions? 

I know that learning patience is going to be a lifelong process for me.   I also know that this little boy is going to try my patience on many occasions.  I only hope that as I commit to learning about patience I can set a good example for my son and will continue to give thanks to God, who has been so patient with me.