Thankfuls 2020

 I have been pondering the last few weeks if I can be thankful for seemingly opposite things.  During this season of life, I am thankful when I can take a long hot uninterrupted shower.  It is glorious! The most common reason that I typical do not take long uninterrupted showers is my kids.  But I am so thankful for my kids. I would pick my kiddos over taking a long hot uninterrupted shower ever again.

All of that to say, some of the things that make the list this year may seem like opposites, but I think you can be thankful for both - long hot uninterrupted showers and short interrupted showers. 

*I feel like the longer I am a mom, the more sappy I get, so bear with me - ha!*

1. God - He saved us from a life of slavery into a family of freedom
2. Ian Michael - He listens, encourages, and continues to befriend me.  He is patient with my shortcomings and all my crazy parenting ideas.

3. Samuel Cary - you bring a smile to my heart everyday. I love playing with you and seeing your imagination and new ideas.

4. Henry Joseph - your smile is infectious, your laugh is contagious, and your snuggles are endearing (and your appetite is astounding)

5. Our Girl - next year (Lord willing) we will know you

     5.1 Baby Kicks and Squirms

     5.2 the sweet way the boys already love our little lady

6. Monroe - I didn't know I could love another like my own until there was you

   I am trying to crank this whole list out during naptime so I need to just start listing people / things or I will never finish

7. Brody

8. Jared and Hallie

9. Cary and Brandy

10. Dad and Mom /  Papa and Gaga B

11. Daddio and Mommabomma / Papa and Gaga G

12. The rest of our family - how they encourage us with facebook posts, cards in the mail, and fun group text messages

13. Our church family - what a honor and privilege to have them love us (especially our kids) and allow Ian to lead them

14. BSF

       14.1 BSF children's ministry

       14.2 my BSF leader this year - she has done the whole thing over zoom - bless her

15. Chocolate bourbon pecan pie

16. Michigan Cherry Decaf coffee from Meijer 

17. kid books that don't make me lose my mind after reading them 1000 times

18. toys with no batteries or lights or sound

19. long hot uninterrupted showers

       19.1 short interrupted showers

20. our double stroller

21. Ryan - our minivan

22. Redneck Disney

23. large water bottles

24. the magic of going outside

       24.1 having great outdoor space

25. modern appliances - washer, dryer, dishwasher, hot water heater, air conditioner, furnace, microwave, coffee maker, stove / oven, refrigerator, freezer

26. snow plows, snow plow drivers, and salt

27. dual control queen size electric blanket

28. electronic books (is that the right description?) and real books

29. age appropriate kid shows 

30. when I try a new recipe and it tastes good

31. restaurants and take out

32. disposable diapers

33. the Word - how it is living and active

34. our neighbors

35. parks, nature centers, and reservoirs

36. coffee shops and bakeries

37. Costco

38. when both kids take coordinating, longer than usual naps

39. people that I can be 100% myself around 

40. the ability to change

41. marriage experts, parenting toddler experts, baby sleep experts, feeding toddler experts, activities for toddler experts... people who are smarter or more experienced than me and share their knowledge

       41.1 Focus on the Family

42. sunshine-y days

43. how excited the kids are when Dad comes home from work every day

44. when the kids dance

45. when the kids play well together

46. Christmas music

47. healthcare professionals, health insurance, urgent care, and hospitals

48. friends from college, Korea, and Colorado that stay in touch

49. simple things that bring my kids joy - bubbles, outdoor Christmas decorations, chocolate covered pretzels

50. when you find a good deal on something you have wanted

51. Samuel seems to like preschool

52. board games that both Ian and I like

53. how accurately they can predict the weather

54. vacation and times of rest

55. Daniel Tiger and his bajillion little jingles that resonate with my kids

56. Seeds Family Worship

57. space heaters

58. when you think one kid is going to be mean to his sibling and then he does something surprisingly sweet

59. date nights

60. going on walks

      60.1 the hope of running again

61. HOPE

62. peg doll nativities and resurrection sets

63. soaps and candles that smell good

64. crockpots

65. when you get something fun in the mail

66. online grocery order and pickup

67. indoor plumbing

68. the knowledge that I am not the only one who has ever faced __________ (don't believe me?  google it - it is on a parenting forum or blog post somewhere on the internet)

69. Peanut Butter M&Ms

70. instagram

71. comfy maternity clothes

72. good pictures of my kids (shoot even decent pictures of my kids ha!)

73. fun memories

      73.1 good travel adventures

74. friendly dogs and patient cats

75. pretty fall foliage

76. spellcheck

77. traveling

78. when I have control of the thermostat (submitted about me by my amazing husband)

79. things that boost or strengthen our immune systems

80. when your kid wakes up too early from a nap but then goes back to sleep

81. when Ian feels good about his sermon for the week

82. Hobs and Little Bunny (our kids' stuffed animals that are basically family members)

83. our coffee mug collection

84. Chickfila

       84.1 Chickfila ice

85. things that make you belly laugh (or make your kids belly laugh)

86. indestructible toys

87. electricity, natural gas, and gas for cars

88. hand me downs

89. the unchanging attributes of God

90. lists

91. when you successfully kill the fly or insect inside your house or vehicle

92. facial tissue with the lotion in it

93. when a light burns out and you have the right size replacement bulb

94. garbage trucks

95. music (submitted by Ian)

96. cheese (submitted by Ian)

97. pickles (submitted by Henry - just kidding - if he could, he would submit it)

98. the smell of a campfire

99. being done with a project

100. Grandpa Schaudt - I bet he read this list all the way to the end

20 Weeks with Baby #3

17 weeks 2 days

We are over halfway there with pregnancy #3!  This pregnancy has been unique.  With Samuel and Henry it was first trimester = death, second trimester  = forgot I was pregnant because I felt so good, and third trimester = big, a little achy, a little heartburn, not much to complain about.

The five of us on vacation!

This go around my first trimester was okay.  It was not fun.  It was not easy.  But I didn't feel like death all day every day can barely get off the couch, can't function.  I was able to make supper!  Some nights it was peanut butter oatmeal or eggs.  Some nights I didn't eat.  But at least I was functional enough to cook (that was not the case with Samuel or Henry's pregnancies).  This was the first first trimester that I did not throw up.  It was the second second trimester that I have thrown up (I think it was food poisoning.)

18 weeks 4 days

I did take unisom and vitamin B6 during the first trimester this go around.  I felt like I had to be functional enough to get off the couch.  When I was pregnant with Henry, Samuel was so good about just reading books on the couch with me (for hours every day).  Sweet Henry was not that way and Samuel was equally good about understanding that I didn't feel good and equally a three year old about finding ways to occupy himself that were not the best ideas (and Henry would follow right along).  The unisom helped with the nausea and vomiting but it messed with my sleep and gave me weird dreams.  I finally stopped taking it because I would rather be nauseated than feel dependent on medicine to be able to sleep (within 2 weeks of stopping unisom, I was back to normal).

17 weeks

So far this second trimester has been harder than the others as I am still getting bouts of nausea and already have heartburn.  I think some of the nausea is diet induced, so I am trying to be a bit more thoughtful about what I eat.  I have just started to workout in the last week.  I have been horrible about napping when the boys nap.  It messes with my night sleep and throws everything off track. But I also like to relax while the boys nap so I have enough energy to make it through the rest of the day.  If I relax too much, I fall asleep.  And then I am not tired at night, so I don't sleep well, so I take a nap the next day, so then I don't get great night sleep (I know my life is sounding really hard right now ha!) I recenlty listened to a focus on the family podcast about marriage and they brought up two questions: What gives you life?  What gives you rest?  I thought these were insightful questions as I have usually lumped the two into the same category.  I would guess reading fiction gives me rest, but I usually end up falling asleep so I don't read that much.  My pre mom self would say that running brings life to me but I keep getting injured when I try to get back into running shape so I am not sure what that looks like right now.  

19 weeks 3 days (feeling nausated, haven't showered in a few days, but still livin' the dream)

I feel pretty confident that I have an anterior placenta this time.  I had one with Samuel and I rarely felt him move.  I have felt a few wiggles and kicks here and there but not too much.  We will find out next week for sure, but I am sad as feeling the baby move is one of my favorite parts of pregnancy.  

12 weeks 5 days

I also feel pretty confident that we are having a girl since this pregnancy is so different.  Samuel wants a girl.  Ian and I want a boy.  Ian said he would guess that we are having a boy since I am team girl, but we shall see.  Just a few more days!  

Thankfuls April 2020

I am currently an expert at starting blog posts and not finishing them.  I am publishing this one today, even if I don't get it "finished".

We are currently experiencing the 2020 Covid Pandemic.  I thought it would be fun to make a thankful list now.  Maybe it will become an Easter tradition?

Things I am Thankful:

1. Jesus paid our debt in full!
2. Ian has been taking Saturdays off
3. long hot uninterrupted showers
4. Ian's insight and bringing something new to the Easter story (for me)
5. My kiddos matching Easter outfits!
6. how well Samuel has adjusted to staying home 24/7
7. family walks
8. the Black Swamp Nature Center
9. our baby backpack / hike pack
10. Zoom
11. kindle books
12. at home date nights and our Eight Dates book
13. board games
14. grocery stores
15. essential workers
16. text messaging
17. BSF
18. our Easter Nativity set
19. Emmanuel - God with Us
20. Up from the Grave He Arose
21. all of our fun outdoor toys - bubbles, chalk, strollers, toy tractors
22. daffodils
23. a self-imposed "clean out the freezer" challenge
24. grills
25. Amazon packages
26. cards and packages from friends and family
27. rebel ice cream and red wine
28. and gum
29. decaf coffee
30. growing healthy boys
31. how Henry says, "mmmmwah" at the end of prayers
32. how Samuel likes to hold his hands up in the air while we pray
33. the Superman prayer
34. Samuel's imagination
35. Henry's smile
36. finding what I want at the grocery store
37. soap
38. hot water
39. towels
40. towels fresh from the dryer
41. sunshine
42. regardless of what life brings, we have HOPE (Living Hope)
43. people that follow the stay at home guidelines and social distancing rules
44. when Ian makes pancakes on Saturday mornings and I drink a cup of coffee while it is still hot without microwaving it 5 times
45. how necessity can be the mother of invention (and creativity)
46. how well our community checks on each other and cares for each other
47. green grass
48. not having to bundle everyone up in 13 layers to go outside and trying to keep mittens on the one year old
49. not having to take the kids' coats off to buckle them into their carseats
50. when Ian explains things I don't understand again and again
51. timers
52. RightNow Media
53. a working refrigerator
54. videos to help remember this stage of life
55. how much of life can be accomplished via technology
56. but it isn't the same and people miss people

And I am out of time.  56 it is.  If I am really motivated, I will try to finish it out to 100 after the kids are in bed, but I am never motivated to do anything besides read after the kids are in bed.

Interview with Samuel {January 2020}

Some friends and acquaintances on Facebook have been posting interviews with their kiddos. For awhile I was hesistant to ask Samuel questions as I thought he would just say, "Yeah!" (his favorite answer) or not answer at all.  But I decided to go for it today and he did amazing! So proud of our boy and how far he has come!

I copied the questions.  We drank coffee and chatted.  Towards the end, Henry woke up and I think Samuel got tired of me asking him questions. Of course, I have commentary on all of my thoughts.

What is your name? 2

How old are you? 2

How old is Mom? 32 (He did not say 32, he held up three fingers on one hand and two on the other)

What's your favorite color? he paused and then said, "Dada"  (I seriously thought he was going to say Blue or Green.  Now that I am typing this out, I bet he thought I was going to ask about Dad's age next.)

What's your favorite food? mop (milk)

Who's your best friend? GagaB  BB (Ian's cousin's little one that we saw a few days ago)

What's your favorite song? A B Ggggg (that is, the alphabet song, and it is his favorite song right now.  We play it on Alexa or sing it 20 times a day)

What do you like to watch? BB (sometimes he calls the TV "Blippi" and he says, "blippi" as BB so I don't know - his real answer is Stinky and Dirty on Amazon Prime)

What is your favorite animal? clicked his tongue (which is how he says horse, but I think he was tempted to mooo)

What makes you happy? Blippi

Where's your favorite place to go? Sssss (Susie's Bakery)

Who loves you the most?  Gaga  Papa   GagaPapaG

What are you scared of? Spiderman mask at Papa and Gaga's church (which is an incident from months ago that the kid hasn't forgotten)

Where does money come from? nodded his head (weird question in my opinion)

Where do you live? Ooohhiiiooo

What's your favorite number? Pointed to the S in Susie's (I think he does not know the difference between numbers and letters OR maybe his favorite number is 5)

Where did you come from? Yeah