The last few months have been rough for me. I knew that we were supposed to have another baby and it took me a while after Landen to feel ready to take on that experience again. I was excited when we got pregnant and wasn't totally prepared for how sick I would feel for the first trimester. I made it through that as I told myself that I could do this cause it was my last time. I felt like I was only a few inches underground in life and could come out from this. THEN... Bryce got a new position at T-Mobile that required almost weekly traveling to somewhere in the USA and generally longer office hours. This tested me a bit more and I felt like I had sunk down another bit underground. I think that this is when I started to panic a bit but didn't totally realize it. To make sure that I could top off a complete panic attack... I received my calling for relief society, a realization through specific feelings that this ISN'T our last child and then we found out that this baby appears to be a VERY active boy (as I am struggling with trying to get the two boys we have to stay entertained with something other than fighting with each other.) NOW I am feeling 6 feet under and don't know how to dig myself out of it. I can't change ONE thing on my stress list. I have to have a plan and for these things I didn't have a plan to help my feelings. I am not good with this stuff. I don't like to struggle... but who does?
I can't totally explain exactly what changed. I still have all of the same responsibilities on my plate but I think my perspective changed a bit. I was able to take a step back and notice how much Abbey and Braxton can do for themselves and to help me. Landen was sick this weekend and we didn't make his bed once or twice... and guess what?!... it was OKAY! Life still went on and Landen didn't care one bit that he didn't have to make his bed (believe it or not). :) There are a bunch of other things that I realized too:
*My life will slow down when I have a baby... but it isn't going to end like I have felt like it would.
*I think that my kids will be okay to watch a bit more tv or such to give me a minute to myself.
*Bryce is happier with his job and doesn't need to motorbike quite so much to get a stress relief.
*Bryce can now take the older 3 kids motorbiking all at the same time!!! :)
I still know that I don't do well without good sleep. It isn't easy for me to have a newborn baby but I can finally say that I am excited for him to come! I wonder if it is possible to have "prepartum" blues... cause looking back at it all... I think that I did.
I can now breathe a sigh of emotional relief and I am excited for when the baby comes and I can phycically breathe again too (without heartburn!) 5 weeks and counting!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Something to be proud of...
I am in the nesting stage which means I am stressed to get things checked off my list. One thing I was given as a gift for Landen was a homemade hooded towel. I have absolutely loved it and wanted one for this baby. I finally sat down a few weeks ago, examined Landen's towel over and over and then tried to recreate it. I am not good w/ sewing directions so I just like to do it my way! Here is the result:
I wished that I had the skill to stitch something cute on the hood of the towel but I don't and have come to terms that it will stay plain. That's ok. I am a plain person anyway. I guess that if for some totally crazy switch this baby comes out a girl... I am still safe to use the towel.
One other thing I finished was adding a few decorations to the boys' room. It has sat with bare walls for a few years and here it is now:
Braxton picked out the skateboarding stickers and of course we had to add a few motorbikes into the mix. They boys seem to like it and I am happy with it. I would LOVE to buy Landen a matching quilt like Braxton's but the cheapskate in me is having a hard time justifying the money for that when it technically isn't needed. I just keep telling myself that it doesn't really matter. I mean Landen has a pink unicorn on his bed with his favorite animal, the yellow CareBear, Tenderheart. He loves them so I remind myself that he loves what he has and that needs to be ok.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
On a more positve note...
I didn't mean for my last entry to sound so negative or depressing. I just want to remember a bit about what my daily life is like this very second. I always think that I will remember everything and I don't!
Anyway- a few exciting things from this week! We finally found a new car! On Friday we bought a white 2006 Toyota Sequoia. It has only taken us a few months of looking but we are picky! I am excited that it came with a grey interior and it seems nice so far! I would take a picture of it but we drove it to Idaho this weekend and it is dirty. I need to get it washed and take a picture. We have had some sort of stomach bug around our house this week and some of these little extras just dropped off the important "to do" list.
Braxton had his kindergarten check-up and shots today. He did really well and was very brave. He weighed in just over 43 lbs and a hair shy of 46". This puts his height at the 88th percentile for his age and his weight around the 60th percentile range. He is growing up so much!
I also had a check-up for the baby as well. I am measuring well and the baby still has a good heartbeat. The doctor thinks he will be about 8 lbs so delivery should be cake! I have one more 2-week appointment and then it is every week from there! AHHHHH! I feel so unprepared! I had to go to walmart and pick up a package of binkis and some nursing pads to help me feel a big better. I need to sit down and make my list of stuff I still need and just go shopping so I won't panic anymore. I try to remind myself that I will have an extra week or two since I am sure this baby will be late but that doesn't help the OCD side in me that wants everything organized and in place well before it is needed.
One other good appointment I had today was the orthodontist! I don't have to wear the obnoxious rubber bands during the day time anymore! My midline (the line between my two front teeth) has finally lined up on top and bottom!!! It was nice to eat dinner tonight and be able to open my mouth as far as I wanted without getting snapped in the lips with my rubber band breaking on me! What will my family do for mid-dinner entertainment now?
It was nice to have a good day. They boys both behaved very well at all of our appointments and we were lucky enough to have Bryce's dad down here from Idaho for a visit. The kids absolutely love him to death! (And so do Bryce and I.) Braxton went to bed all teary-eyed that he didn't get to have a "guys night" with Grandpa cause Bryce hogged him all day. Tim was sweet enough to promise him one-on-one time tomorrow right after preschool. Braxton can hardly wait!
Oh- one more thing that I always want to remember. Abbey loves to leave secret notes or treats for people. Today there was a little snack sized back stuck on the front door w/ a magnet for me. Inside were two tiny pieces of air heads with a note from a secret person. She thinks that she is so tricky and sneaky. Not even two seconds after that she tells me about buying airheads at Macey's grocery store today while she was with Bryce. I teased her that the treats must have been from her then and she jumped right up to deny any such allegations. Braxton then tried to tell me that it was her and she flipped out at the very thought that she might be discovered. I just had to laugh. She is sweet of her to think of others and it is funny to watch how sneaky she THINKS she is being!
Anyway- a few exciting things from this week! We finally found a new car! On Friday we bought a white 2006 Toyota Sequoia. It has only taken us a few months of looking but we are picky! I am excited that it came with a grey interior and it seems nice so far! I would take a picture of it but we drove it to Idaho this weekend and it is dirty. I need to get it washed and take a picture. We have had some sort of stomach bug around our house this week and some of these little extras just dropped off the important "to do" list.
Braxton had his kindergarten check-up and shots today. He did really well and was very brave. He weighed in just over 43 lbs and a hair shy of 46". This puts his height at the 88th percentile for his age and his weight around the 60th percentile range. He is growing up so much!
I also had a check-up for the baby as well. I am measuring well and the baby still has a good heartbeat. The doctor thinks he will be about 8 lbs so delivery should be cake! I have one more 2-week appointment and then it is every week from there! AHHHHH! I feel so unprepared! I had to go to walmart and pick up a package of binkis and some nursing pads to help me feel a big better. I need to sit down and make my list of stuff I still need and just go shopping so I won't panic anymore. I try to remind myself that I will have an extra week or two since I am sure this baby will be late but that doesn't help the OCD side in me that wants everything organized and in place well before it is needed.
One other good appointment I had today was the orthodontist! I don't have to wear the obnoxious rubber bands during the day time anymore! My midline (the line between my two front teeth) has finally lined up on top and bottom!!! It was nice to eat dinner tonight and be able to open my mouth as far as I wanted without getting snapped in the lips with my rubber band breaking on me! What will my family do for mid-dinner entertainment now?
It was nice to have a good day. They boys both behaved very well at all of our appointments and we were lucky enough to have Bryce's dad down here from Idaho for a visit. The kids absolutely love him to death! (And so do Bryce and I.) Braxton went to bed all teary-eyed that he didn't get to have a "guys night" with Grandpa cause Bryce hogged him all day. Tim was sweet enough to promise him one-on-one time tomorrow right after preschool. Braxton can hardly wait!
Oh- one more thing that I always want to remember. Abbey loves to leave secret notes or treats for people. Today there was a little snack sized back stuck on the front door w/ a magnet for me. Inside were two tiny pieces of air heads with a note from a secret person. She thinks that she is so tricky and sneaky. Not even two seconds after that she tells me about buying airheads at Macey's grocery store today while she was with Bryce. I teased her that the treats must have been from her then and she jumped right up to deny any such allegations. Braxton then tried to tell me that it was her and she flipped out at the very thought that she might be discovered. I just had to laugh. She is sweet of her to think of others and it is funny to watch how sneaky she THINKS she is being!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Life As I Know It...
I never could have imagined how hard it would be to be a mother. It is the most emotional, physical and mentally challenging thing I have ever done. One of the hardest things so far is watching the kids get frustrated at challenges they face and to know that they have to learn to do it themselves cause me doing it for them isn't going to help them in their life.
Abbey is learning to play the piano. She likes to do it her way... need I say more? She is doing well and it is fun to see her get excited when she masters a song. It has been hard to keep my patience as she makes a million mistakes and I just have to sit at the keys myself to remind me that it is easier to sit and criticize than to play. Another few months and she will probably pass up my level!
Braxton is relearning how to tie his shoes. He had it down well at the beginning of the school year and wasn't forced to practice so he forgot. We are working on that again and boy is this a tough one! For some reason he likes to wrap the laces "backwards" from the way that I do it and it is hard to get on the same page. He gets frustrated very quickly with anything he doesn't master right away. (Sounds a lot like his mother!)
Landen is anything but interested in potty training. He has found a hobby that he likes that has been a mental life saver for me! Landen loves Braxton's "super hero" guys and the castle that goes with them. He also loves to play with little dinosaurs and will play by himself for over 2 hours without losing interest. The ONLY catch though is that he likes to play by HIMSELF. If Braxton even walks close to him a screaming fit ensues like his arm was chopped off. I tried to sit down with them yesterday to teach them how to play together. It went well till I got up and left and then it was back to fits and fighting.
Some days I wonder if I am going to survive the zoo around here and especially as we add a baby to it all. I mostly post this though cause I am assuming that parenting is only going to get more complicated as the kids get older and I will look back at these little frustrations and wish I could have them back!
I am totally aware that I have 3 fantastic kids who really try hard to choose the right and are full of love and smiles. Hopefully this 4th one will come as healthy as the other three have. Just 7 weeks left till my due date!
Abbey is learning to play the piano. She likes to do it her way... need I say more? She is doing well and it is fun to see her get excited when she masters a song. It has been hard to keep my patience as she makes a million mistakes and I just have to sit at the keys myself to remind me that it is easier to sit and criticize than to play. Another few months and she will probably pass up my level!
Braxton is relearning how to tie his shoes. He had it down well at the beginning of the school year and wasn't forced to practice so he forgot. We are working on that again and boy is this a tough one! For some reason he likes to wrap the laces "backwards" from the way that I do it and it is hard to get on the same page. He gets frustrated very quickly with anything he doesn't master right away. (Sounds a lot like his mother!)
Landen is anything but interested in potty training. He has found a hobby that he likes that has been a mental life saver for me! Landen loves Braxton's "super hero" guys and the castle that goes with them. He also loves to play with little dinosaurs and will play by himself for over 2 hours without losing interest. The ONLY catch though is that he likes to play by HIMSELF. If Braxton even walks close to him a screaming fit ensues like his arm was chopped off. I tried to sit down with them yesterday to teach them how to play together. It went well till I got up and left and then it was back to fits and fighting.
Some days I wonder if I am going to survive the zoo around here and especially as we add a baby to it all. I mostly post this though cause I am assuming that parenting is only going to get more complicated as the kids get older and I will look back at these little frustrations and wish I could have them back!
I am totally aware that I have 3 fantastic kids who really try hard to choose the right and are full of love and smiles. Hopefully this 4th one will come as healthy as the other three have. Just 7 weeks left till my due date!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Miracles DO Happen!
3 1/2 years ago Abbey was just learning how to ride the Yamaha PW50 motorcycle. She had gained enough confidence to zoom around Bryce's parent's yard on her own. At the peak of her confidence she hit a tree root, panicked and gassed the motorcyle straight into a cedar tree. We were dumb and had let her get on the bike w/ shorts on to show grandma and grandpa her skills and she burned her leg on the pipe. Never again would she get on a motorcyle by herself, until a few days ago! Abbey has been watching Braxton go up and down our road to learn how to ride the newer KTM 50. She came out and asked to "sit on the bike." Bryce was patient to have her sit on it, push her around without it on and then start it up for her to gently ride up the street. She had a BLAST!!! We couldn't get her off of it and she couldn't wait till she could have another turn. Bryce will have his hands full with 3 little kids all wanting to go dirt biking this summer! Not too bad of a deal for me!!!
Here are a few videos of their warm up laps on our road:
Abbey:
Braxton:
Here are a few videos of their warm up laps on our road:
Abbey:
Braxton:
I finally have a date!!!
After 2 years of brace face, I finally have a date to get my braces off!!! I am SOOOO incredibly excited that I can't hardly stand it! I have to go in every 2 1/2 weeks for minor adjustments for the next little bit but on MARCH 22nd I will get them off!!!! This is also the due date of our little baby boy. They were a bit concerned about that date but I can't get them off any sooner. I told them not to worry cause every pregnancy has gone a bit longer than the last one. Landen was a week late so I am not planning on having this baby on time. I will at least have one for sure thing to look forward to on the 22nd! It will help me stay positive as it is getting more frustrating, tiring, and harder being pregnant. I am doing fine but my body doesn't want to cooperate as well as it has in the past to spring out of bed, bend over to get stuff off the floor and it knows to get heartburn the MOMENT I lay down (or if I eat my favorite sugar cookies!) I have been a bad girl this time with my diet and I am and will pay for it. That doesn't seem to stop me stealing one more treat throughout the day though.
Anyway- 8 weeks and 5 more days (yes, I am counting down) till I am flossing like a normal person!!! WAHOO!!!
Anyway- 8 weeks and 5 more days (yes, I am counting down) till I am flossing like a normal person!!! WAHOO!!!
December 2009 Highlights
The whole Christensen Clan! Not too bad for a picture taken w/ a camera on a tripod and a timer!
The adults are definitely outnumbered with 2 more little ones on the way.
The kids showing off their muscles in their new motorbike clothes.
The only thing Braxton kept asking for was a motorscooter and he was SURE Santa would bring him one. Santa pulled through and he was very excited!
Abbey's request was an "American Girl Doll" and she had to have freckles. Fortunately Santa knew that it wasn't the brand she cared about but the looks and Abbey was also very excited.
Landen was after Abbey in line to visit Santa so he also asked for an "American Girl Doll." Santa thought he might like something with wheels instead. Finally a bike of his own! He loves it and will now not have to ride something that is pink!
As close to the North Pole as we could get! We had a fun morning at Gardner Village with our little family checking out the elves and have a little treat!
Abbey showing off her homemade bird feeder that we made for our dear friend, Hannah Ormond. She loves to watch the birds from her window at the rest home.
Landen was busted eating the peanut butter off his fingers AND the birdseed!!! It happened more than once so it must have tasted pretty good! (or he has lost his sense of taste from going without sugar and fruit for the last 6 months!)
What can I say for Braxton? He kept closing his eyes when I took the picture so I told him to open his eyes really wide. I guess it was a lot of work cause I can see his veins in his neck poking out too with all the effort. He was a fabulous bird feeder maker!
It only took me 3 1/2 months to finally get Abbey's room finished! The weekend before Christmas I finally hung up her pictures and put up the vinyl on the wall. It turned out cute and we all love it! Bryce wants to move downstairs cause her room is so chilly... I think that he just likes the pink walls and polka dots!
Our family picture as we were about to head up to temple square to see the lights with all of my family!
To pass the time while Bryce was out of town, we decorated the Christmas tree. No ornaments were broken in the process and I didn't even get upset! It was a bit hectic trying to get ornaments out of the boxes fast enough for so many little fingers but we all had a good time. Landen had his favorite few branches that he loaded up with ornaments and also figured out that you can hang one ornament on the hook or string of another one. It was definitely a unique tree that is full of love, creativity and originality!
I love taking the pictures of the kids before we head to church at Christmas time. I might have already posted this pic but here it is again if I have. They are growing up so fast!!!
We had such a great holiday season!
The adults are definitely outnumbered with 2 more little ones on the way.
The kids showing off their muscles in their new motorbike clothes.
The only thing Braxton kept asking for was a motorscooter and he was SURE Santa would bring him one. Santa pulled through and he was very excited!
Abbey's request was an "American Girl Doll" and she had to have freckles. Fortunately Santa knew that it wasn't the brand she cared about but the looks and Abbey was also very excited.
Landen was after Abbey in line to visit Santa so he also asked for an "American Girl Doll." Santa thought he might like something with wheels instead. Finally a bike of his own! He loves it and will now not have to ride something that is pink!
As close to the North Pole as we could get! We had a fun morning at Gardner Village with our little family checking out the elves and have a little treat!
Abbey showing off her homemade bird feeder that we made for our dear friend, Hannah Ormond. She loves to watch the birds from her window at the rest home.
Landen was busted eating the peanut butter off his fingers AND the birdseed!!! It happened more than once so it must have tasted pretty good! (or he has lost his sense of taste from going without sugar and fruit for the last 6 months!)What can I say for Braxton? He kept closing his eyes when I took the picture so I told him to open his eyes really wide. I guess it was a lot of work cause I can see his veins in his neck poking out too with all the effort. He was a fabulous bird feeder maker!
It only took me 3 1/2 months to finally get Abbey's room finished! The weekend before Christmas I finally hung up her pictures and put up the vinyl on the wall. It turned out cute and we all love it! Bryce wants to move downstairs cause her room is so chilly... I think that he just likes the pink walls and polka dots!
Our family picture as we were about to head up to temple square to see the lights with all of my family!
To pass the time while Bryce was out of town, we decorated the Christmas tree. No ornaments were broken in the process and I didn't even get upset! It was a bit hectic trying to get ornaments out of the boxes fast enough for so many little fingers but we all had a good time. Landen had his favorite few branches that he loaded up with ornaments and also figured out that you can hang one ornament on the hook or string of another one. It was definitely a unique tree that is full of love, creativity and originality!
I love taking the pictures of the kids before we head to church at Christmas time. I might have already posted this pic but here it is again if I have. They are growing up so fast!!!
We had such a great holiday season!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
