This week and baby watch

I'm starting to realize that describing our week as really busy is normal. So... It's been a normal week for us.

Here are this week's highlights!

We' re still working on unpacking and organizing. The good news is that we have some mostly finished rooms. On Friday morning Frank and I assembled our dresser and were able to unpack a lot of his clothes. I'm still wearing all my maternity things, so I've left mine in the boxes. After storing all our clothes for 4 months, they stink, so our washer and dryer has been running non-stop. After today I should be all caught up! :) Now to put everything away....

Friday night we went to see the Nuggets/Suns play. Kay loves Basketball and was squealing, I luv it! We had such a great time and it was nice to relax for a few hours. If I'm at home I'm constantly doing something.

On Saturday we took Kay to see the Easter Bunny. She loved him this year and we got a very sweet looking picture, although we all know how wild she is...

Sunday morning Kay got us up super early! We read about the Resurrection then marched downstairs to see what the Easter Bunny brought Kaylee. I made breakfast, applesauce pancakes & we used the apple syrup I made last week, they were soooooo good! Frank and Kay dyed eggs, then we all decorated cut-out cookies. Kay had a great time eating the sugar! And she made a huge mess! But it was a LOT of fun! Then we hurried out the door for church. Kay spent about an hour in the 2 year-old class then she got tired, and I spent the rest of the service holding my sleeping girl and listening to Pastor Ed. After church Frank fixed lunch while I got the ham in the oven. This was our first ever holiday, just us 3, and the last since we are expecting Baby J this month :) We spent the afternoon outside, Frank sanding down an old dresser my parents gave us (which is going to get painted for Kay's room), I painted Kay's bed, and Kaylee drew with some chalk Grumpy and Lolli sent her in her Easter box. 4 hours or so later we had dinner, and by the time everything got cleaned up it was bed time!

Yesterday was epic. I started the morning doing something I had always said I wouldn't. In fact, it was one of my major reasons for not wanting to get married or have children. I would make my sweeping declaration at Thanksgiving, as my mom had her hand down the turkey's butt to clean out the gizzards. I AM NEVER DOING THAT! Well. Yesterday my hopes and dreams of never having to clean out a bird came crashing down. Twice. To the 2 chickens I bought last week for Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas. My whole day seemed to revolve around those chickens, cleaning, cooking, picking then shredding all the meat. It took hours. By the time I was finished Frank was home from work. We worked in Kay's room, hanging up clothes and putting things away, then carried her bed up!

Then life got really, really interesting. I had my weekly baby check up and we found out that I went from no dilation to 4 cm dilated, in a week. Dr. Tate says if I don't go into labor naturally this week, and have progressed at all towards labor by next Monday (i.e., further dilation, or thinning cervix) then she wants to induce me on Tuesday. My grandparents are coming from Indiana for the birth and to stay with Kaylee. They will leave tomorrow morning, so until they get closer than 17 hours, I'm taking it very, very easy. Considering I am still having contractions I think I will be having a baby, one way or another in the next week. Please pray peace over us. I want to have the baby naturally, suggestions/encouragement please! We have a lot to do to prepare for birth... Like pack for the hospital, and the nursery is a disaster. Frank's chief is letting him off work early today so he can help me pack and continue to prepare for Baby's arrival. My to-do list is as long as ever, but now getting shuffled around.

I promise to keep ya'll updated. <3

Recipe for One Exhausted Mama

Hello friends! What's it been? A month? 2?
Only 10 days you say? Well bless my soul it feels like forever since I've been able to catch up. Here are the highlights from the past week and a half...

We've officially moved into our new home. The movers were here a week ago today, unloading, unpacking, and assembling furniture. Boxes are/were every.where.

Thursday was Frank's first official day at work. Kay and I took him the 3.5 miles across base then went and checked out of temporary lodging. By the time we got everything packed up and loaded and squared away it was lunch time, so we picked Frank up for lunch and had a Chick-fil-a picnic in our box filled house. When Kay went down for a nap, I surveyed the damage. Bad, and very bad.

It was hard to know where to start. Of course, I began in the kitchen. Since I spend about 95% of my time in there, I figured that was my best bet. I did not know, however, that we had more kitchen boxes than anything else. I had attempted to put things away as quickly as the movers were unpacking but I noticed several dirty/cloudy looking dishes and concluded I would have to wash everything before it was used, so I gave up on putting away and organizing on Wednesday. (I was still feeling sick from the bug I had on Tuesday, so I napped with Kay on the floor in the baby's room and let Frank deal with the movers :)) I started unpacking the kitchen on Thursday. Almost a week later it's functional... There are still some things that haven't found a home but I was able to cook yesterday (more on that later). While unpacking I realized what massive amounts of junk we have and immediately started a garage sale box.

The majority of the past week has been unpacking, organizing, furniture assembly, errand running and appointment hopping.

We've managed to put our bed together, although our dresser is still scattered between our closet and bathroom. Our damaged chaise was also replaced last Wednesday, so that has been assembled and our living room (although messy is mostly put together, once we purchase and assemble a bookshelf it will be complete). Our coming weekend list is getting longer by the second. As far as furniture goes, we still have to put together Kay's bed, and paint it again, sand and paint Kay's dresser, sand and paint a rocking chair for the baby's room. There are also a few other things I would like to sand down and paint, but the other projects are the most essential.

I had an ultrasound on Monday, followed by an appointment with my OB. The baby is doing great! Still a boy and very active. They think about 7 pounds. And still due the 27th. No signs of labor yet, and I honestly am not ready, so that is good. Kay got to see her baby brother and she was blowing him kisses, and said he's cute and she wuvs him... Let's just hope she still thinks so when we bring him home. I developed some sort of rash last week, which is not the pregnancy one, so I saw my general doc yesterday and was prescribed some lovely antihistamine that makes me drowsy :)

The weather is absolutely insane here. On Sunday it was 81! Yesterday it snowed. Yes. Snowed! I have proof... See below! Tomorrow's high is 72. This morning we got our first glimpse of the snow covered mountains though. There is nothing like it! The snow makes the mountains look so close you could touch them! It's so amazing! Unfortunately I have been banned from the mountains until after I deliver the baby. Apparently 5,000+ a lil bit is the limit for altitude when you're still baking a baby. However, in about 3 weeks, when everything is ready and I'm really, really sick of being pregnant, we might have to venture out... Just a thought...

Yesterday after my rash appointment I spent some time in the kitchen. Apples are so cheap here, about $.99 a pound, but I got some Gala and Fuji for .89 and Red Delicious for .69. Then while at Sam's Club I found Pink Ladies for .96. So all together, I'm hoarding about 20 pounds of apples in my fridge, not including the Granny Smith I got for pie. I peeled and cored about half yesterday after lunch to make applesauce. I don't have a sieve or grinder, hence all the extra work of peeling and coring because I had to use my blender. I then used the peels and cores and made homemade apple syrup (said apple rejects, water, cup o' sugar (I mixed white and brown), and a healthy amount of ground cinnamon). I was feeling uber ambitious and here's the laundry list of everything I whipped up...
6 meatloaves. (Yes. 6. I had thought 5 1/2 pounds of meat would make 4, but after adding everything I got 6.)
Bread. (Love that bread machine!! This was Day 2 of using my machine. 2 Days, 2 loaves. Kay and Frank LOVE it!)
Mashed potatoes and creamy peas (for dinner)
Aforementioned applesauce and syrup
and 6 mini blackberry pies after being inspired by my friend Heather :)

Needless to say after clean-up, I was exhausted. If you are wondering why on earth I would make so much food, I'm trying a modified version of freezer cooking, I know it makes me look and sound insane. But I'm praying it will alleviate the 'what's for dinner question' after Baby 2 is born.



Potty training is progressing. Kay wears big girl panties all day, and on most outings! I can only think of 1 accident this past week, at Target. Frank has been on potty detail since we've been reunited, so it's a nice break for me, not having to lift her on and off. She is getting better about telling us when she needs to go, but usually we are the ones saying it's potty time. Said accident happened on the way to the potty in Target.

I've been reading "My So-Called-Life as a Proverbs 31 Wife". It's really good. Compared to the author, Sara Horn, I'm wayyyy more domesticated ;) I mean come on, I made my own bread and syrup in one day. But compared to the Proverbs 31 wife I've got aways to go. That particular Proverb always leaves me feeling discouraged about my role as a wife and mother and I'm always quick to purposely forget the characteristics of a noble and virtuous wife. This book has encouraged me to continually make strides to become more like the Proverbs 31 wife (it's not an overnight process!) and even has me looking forward to it. Weird, I know...

So I think that brings you up-to-date on all the happenings... We just got the Internet last night, that's why it's been so long, but I promise it won't be another 10 days before I post again. Praying I have some completed projects and rooms by next time! <3

 Frank Nesting :)

 Kay playing on and round all the boxes

 Kitchen. Ugh.

 Um. Toy Room.

 Coloring with her new markers that Grumpy and Lolli sent

 Frank hooking up the dryer

 This was Saturday - playing T-ball... Although I don't know who enjoyed it more... Kay or Frank? See how close the play ground is?

 Saturday

 Last night of take out

 Opening the box Uncle Nick and Aunt Lisa sent Kaylee

 She LOVED the Bunny card!

 Enjoying a peep. This was a one time picture, as the entire thing was in her mouth as soon as she realized how delicious peeps are!

 Egg in the Nest in my homemade bread!

 Apple Syrup

 Tuesday evening. She's ready to go, Daddy!

 Frank as the horse. Poor Frank.

 Exhausted Frank trying to catch his breath, Kay is saying more, daddy, more please!

 Last night's dessert - Mini Blackberry Pies. Thanks Heather! They were soooooo good!

Applesauce. I'm freezing in silicone muffin cups, for easy portioning and super easy release. Only problem is I only have 9 cups and a giant vat of sauce. This might take another day or so.