PATIENCE AND MINI VANS.

This pregnancy is swimming along smoothly. I feel very at peace with this one. I was so anxious with my other two, wanting them to arrive sooner than I knew was healthy for them. I couldn't wait to become a mom, watch my family grow, and finally see who they were!

I feel all those same things with this baby, I just don't feel the urge to have it right now. My days are a little chaotic at times, and I know it's not going to slow down once baby arrives. I also know that once baby is here, I will look back at this day and think it was calm.

If anything, I am trying to practice patience and drink in these days as slowly as I can. Trying to relish in the days that Dude is my baby. He is such a happy kid and its so easy to love him up. I hope that doesn't change when another one is demanding most of my attention. I think he'll take it the same way he takes life in general, very laid back and happy.

I hope my girl loves the baby a whole bunch, whether it comes out boy or girl. (She's really hoping for a girl.) Maybe a new baby will help her solidify her role in our family...big girl and Mommy's helper. Lord knows I'm going to need one.

The nesting urges are nudging at me, and I like it. I like cleaning and organizing and purging. I like staring longingly at itty bitty baby clothes and tucking them away in drawers. I love late nights of searching Etsy and Pinterest for baby hats and newborn photo shoot ideas.

It's hard to believe that in four short months my heart will grow even bigger than I knew it could.

Also, I think we're getting a mini van, and i'm really excited about it. Nick and I were both very anti-minivan and pro-Suburban, until about, oh, this past Sunday. We spent the better part of an hour in our driveway shimmying three carseats around my SUV trying to make it work before concluding that it just wasn't going to. At least not without being a pain in the a**. So we went and test drove a mini van last night and both agreed we hadn't given it enough credit. Sure, it's a bit like sticking your tail between your legs and swallowing a bit of pride, but when it makes sense for your growing family, it just makes sense. No arguing that.

That's all. Just a little Tuesday ramblings. Happy day.

* Photos taken in North Captiva Island, FL by my wonderful husband. xo

FLORIDA AND FIVE SENSES.

Traveling with kids pretty much promises to be anything but relaxing. Sure, it's slower paced, but kids are never quite the same when they are away from home. They sleep wonky, protest naps, fall asleep at odd times and in weird places, and are just generally off kilter.

At least that's true for my kids. Nugget slept with us every single night, didn't go down for a rest once, and by the end of the day her eyes were red and you could tell she was just plain done. Either that or we got sunscreen in her eyes. And Doodey. It still makes me sad to think of his whimpers every time I went to lay him in the pack-n-play. He wasn't at home and he knew it.

So it's times like these that I try to sneak in some extra one on one time with my littles, love them up a little more, teach them to appreciate these moments we get to experience.

On one of these particularly cranky days, I laid Doodey down for a nap, and Nugget and I snuck out for an island date while Daddy stayed back and fished off the dock.

Now, when you're on an island you are quite limited on date day choices. Like swim in the pool, swim in the ocean, or go to the pool bar and get a treat. So we did the later. Nugget ordered a "pink drink" aka Shirley Temple, and I got a virgin Pina Colada. Yum. While we sipped our tropical drinks, we worked on a little project together.  Nugget's Florida book.

Upon returning home, we made a little scrapbook, adding pictures and trinkets from our trip. She hasn't put it down. It goes a little something like this (all answers recorded verbatim Nugget's words):

Florida looks like:
Blowing wind, palm trees, the ocean, sea shells, and butterfly wings.

Florida sounds like:
Waves in the ocean, airplanes

Florida tastes like:
Salt, pink drinks

Florida feels like:
Sand in the desert, warm, sweaty

Florida smells like:
Fish

My favorite things about North Captiva Island:
Collecting seashells, finding houses that are the best, swimming, getting pink drinks, playing in the bunk beds.

I love her little Nugget answers. Seeing things through her eyes. And although she was off kilter and tuckered out, she was able to find the good in our vacation. And with this sweet little book she will always be able to remember it.

BABY TRES.

We softened the blow of our vacation coming to an end by having our 20 week ultrasound this week. Baby cooperated well and is growing great. I want to know though how something that is only measuring in at 13 ounces can cause me to feel ginormous and not be able to wear anything that isn't stretchy? I thought it'd be at least a pound or two by now. Ha.

And I know I surprised many of you by not finding out the baby's gender. It's good to know that my friends know me so well that they are blown away by this act of patience. It really is just that since we already have one of each, I don't have much to prepare. And mostly, it's a fun challenge to see if I can really hold out. I guess there's no turning back now.

Neither Nick nor I have strong feelings either way on the baby's gender. Sometimes in my dreams it's a girl, and other times it's a boy. I really have no clue. I can no longer use the height of my nausea as a gender indicator, as is has been proven that I get sick with both girl and boy babies. But just for fun, we made the same bet as we did with Dude. Loser has to plan a date for the winner, all activities that the other will enjoy. This time I picked boy and Nick picked girl. Last time I picked girl and lost, which meant I had to take Nick on a date that included a Summit Brewery tour and lunch at Broder's, a super yummy Italian deli downtown.

In time we will know. For now, I'm enjoying the suspense. And these sweet little pictures.

Profile

 

Foot

 

Spine

 

 What do you think the gender of Baby Tres is?

 



FEELING GRATEFUL.

I always write these stellar blog posts in my head, when I am away from my computer. I weave my words together so perfectly and capture the true essence of my feelings at that given moment. But when I sit down to actually write it out, my mind goes blank and I can't remember how I strung it all together the first time.

Tonight's blog post was written while we were driving our golf cart to the other end of the island to take some photos at sunset. Of course I can't remember it now, but it was something about this: I was feeling a little homesick earlier today. Our times on North Captiva are some of our best memories, so it leaves me a little torn. I am so grateful to be here, and I don't want anyone to think i'm not. But i'm a huge homebody, and even though I have my most favorite peeps right here with me, I am still missing home. Despite the fact that it's going to be freaking cold when we get there. I'm digging this whole sundress, bare feet, no makeup thing I have going this week. But I also miss my bed, my kids' beds, their toys, and most of all just knowing the ins and outs of our home and not having to worry about where my kids are, or climb 72 freaking steps to get to them.

But see? I am complaining, about something so ridiculous. Riding on that golf cart, I took a look around me, breathed in all this island's beauty, and reminded my self just how lucky I am to be here. People dream about vacations like this. They save their pennies for years and it still may not become feasible for them. I thought about all the seashells Nugget has been collecting this week to bring back for her teacher and friends at preschool. And I wondered how many of those kids have got to experience something like this. Have they felt sand between their toes? Ran their little fingers along the smooth edges of a seashell? Have they collected starfish or seen dolphins jumping in the ocean? We're all pretty darn lucky to be here.

I decided to stop missing home. We have one day left here. I'm channelling my inner Kelle Hampton and I'm gonna suck the marrow out of tomorrow. I'm going to be grateful to be here. I'm going to get up early and watch the sunrise. I'm going to swim in the ocean with my babies and dig for the most perfect shells to add to our already overflowing collection. I'm going to take in the sounds of the waves, feel the sand between my toes. I will go to bed happy and satisfied, with no regrets.

It's gonna be good.

xo.

OUR ISLAND.

It's always a little hard to leave home this time of year. Just as we're slipping into fall and settling into the comforts of a new routine, it's time for our annual vacation to North Captiva Island, Florida, which means dusting off our swimsuits and flip flops for one last hurrah.

With each year that passes, this place feels more like home. We know the island, we know its secret treasures, and we begin to see a few familiar faces too.

We were thrown a little curve ball just days before we came...we received a phone call informing us that our rented beach house had undergone renovations, and wasn't going to be ready in time for our arrival. We were devastated. We know its just a house, but it's our house. We have sweet memories there, and on an island full of very grand and pompous homes, that was our little safe haven. We're staying in two different homes this week, both much grander than we prefer, but are enjoying the experiences nonetheless. However, with 36 stairs from the top floor to the ground (one way), I will welcome my tiny two story home with open arms upon returning home.

Any who, here's a little glimpse of what we have seen and experienced in our first days here:

It's quite the process to get here, because it truly is an island. Only accessible by boat or plane. Our journey involved a plane, rental vehicle, bus, and water taxi.

This is the first year that we have arrived before sunset (like I said, it's quite the process to get here), so we wasted no time in sinking our toes into the sand and slipping a few seashells into our pockets.

19 weeks pregnant with #3

 

The next morning, we set out for one of our favorite adventures, hiking to the end of the island and back. We wanted to do it while the kids were fresh and not overtired and worn out . It's several miles each way,  but completely worth it.

 

 
The end is where Hurricane Charlie split Captiva Island in two many years ago, thus creating Captiva and North Captiva Islands. We had a picnic and swam in the ocean at the very edge of NCI, that is Captiva in the background.

The kids were pretty wiped out upon our return, but were also troopers for most of the hike. We were all rewarded with a cool, refreshing drink and a dip in the club pool.

 

Day three brought the thrill of watching a plane take off, switching houses (now we're oceanfront, yay!), finding awesome creatures, and catching a beautiful sunset.

 

 

Tomorrow holds promises of more beach exploring and seashell picking. So happy we're here.



APPLES. AND BABY SIGN.

I've taught both of my babies sign language, and it's pretty awesome. Let me clarify that we're not having full out conversations by signing, but they have been able to communicate their basic needs and wants with the signs that I have taught them. Some are correct and true to American Sign Language, others they have adapted themselves, and some I just plain make up on the spot and they pick up. It's pretty awesome when they can tell me all done, more, eat, drink, please, thank you, book, kitty, bunny, blankie, phone...and so on, rather than scream and point while I play a mad guessing game to try to figure out it is what they are telling me.

It's especially fun when you casually sign apple to your baby boy, not really trying to teach it to him, and three days later he sees an apple at the grocery store and touches his little fist to his cheek and shreaks "app app!". And you're all like "Really? You remember that? I showed it to you ONE time!" It's just major proof that babies are sponges and have so much to share with us. It's freaking awesome.

With Doodey's new proclaimed loved for apples, and the seasonal shift to fall here in Minnesota, I wasted no time in hauling my family to the local apple orchard. I knew Doodey would love it, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on all those fresh apples and make apple sauce, apple butter, and apple pies. Okay, okay, so i'm not really the pie maker around here, Nick is, but I still enjoy them :)

We like the quiet, just down the road style of apple orchards, and we are lucky to have access to just that. The kids were in apple Heaven, but also a little confused why there were hundreds of apples lying all over the ground, and we were screaming "No, don't eat that one!" to them. They quickly figured it out and learned to look up, not down.

We weaved in and out of apple tree rows, tasting and approving of various apple varieties, conferring on what kind would be just right to bring home.

I don't know what varieties we ended up with, we just went for sweet (not tart) and crisp.

We came home with an insane amount of apples, yet I still want to go back and get more. They are so good, I never want to buy apples from the store again.

And really, they're just like cheap insurance, because we've definitely been having an apple (or two. or three.) a day, and keeping the doctors away. Except my ob/gyn, we need that one.

So moral of this story is that we went apple picking. And Doodey learned a new sign. And we enjoyed a beautiful fall day and made some sweet memories. Love.

And I can just hear Doodey's little voice saying "app app!", can you?

xo.