Goings - Ons

The second half of the summer has certainly gotten away from me when it comes to blogging. We have been having so much fun traveling, swimming, playing, and enjoying life that I have neglected to blog about it (yet again!). I don't write FB status' often, or at least not as often as some people I know who update what seems like every couple hours sometimes. No problems with that, I just don't have a "smart" phone, my phone is pretty dumb actually, and when I think about posting something, usually the moment is fleeting and on to the next thing. However, there have been some things here lately that I definitely wanted to jot down and "journal" or at least take note of. So here we go...

Brian is doing awesome, working a lot as usual, but so thankful for him and all he does for our family and we definitely cherish the time we get to spend with him. Most people that know him know that he is so quiet and humble and really just rolls with life. Even so, we are so proud of him, so proud of how he protects and takes care of not only his family, his precious girls, but our community as well. He risks his life every time he walks out the door and we certainly do not take that for granted. Praying God's protection and peace over him every day!!! He just celebrated his 1 year mark with the department and we are ever so thankful for a small raise in pay and more seniority. He would never admit it, but I know that he is one of the best they have and I am sure that those that need to see it, do. :)

Sierra - Our spunky little 4 year old is as precocious as they come, I am sure. She sure does give me a run for my money most days. She (at four) has everything figured out and you better not get in her way. Certainly this does not fair well when obedience and self-control are needed and not given, but it is hard not to just love her and all her spunk. My mother says she is just like me when I was little, although, I was not the first born child, so I do not remember being so bossy and expressive. She is however very aggressive and argumentative and those qualities can (sadly) claim from when I was young. We are working (continuously) on self-control and talking a lot about how our words speak either life or death into others; to build up or to tear down. Sierra is oh so smart and you might think it is a little crazy to talk about "speaking life or death into the lives or others" with a 4 year old. The fact of the matter is, she totally gets it and fully understands what that stuff means and often will even say to me, "Mama, I want to speak life into that person." However, she lacks the maturity and responsibility that comes with age and therefore, even though knowing full and well what is correct, her 4 year old tendencies do not follow through. :) Her imagination is amazing. Just today as we were driving home, we spent the whole car ride looking at the clouds and talking about what we saw. Some of the things she saw included a panda bear, a worm on a tree, a baby with praying hands, a flying horse, a hot dog, and a plate of spaghetti. Amazing imagination this girl has. She LOVES her dolls right now, and can honestly be having a conversation with me and in 30 seconds flat, can turn on her imagination and start narrating her dolls. I LOVE listening to her narrations and the stories she tells...not too long ago, I over heard her say to one doll, "No! Don't do that! He is my cousin!" LOL! She is very protective over those cousins! :) We have had some regression here lately with her pottying. It makes me sad because I don't know the cause or trigger, but she has been having a lot of daily accidents and it is frustrating for both of us. I think most of the time it is just stubbornness and the fact that she is "too busy" doing something else to get up and go. Been praying about it and hoping that she turns a corner soon.

Chyler - Our cutie little 2 year old with "flair", as I like to call her. I always tell her she's got flair, more like a firecracker sometimes (haha), but fun none-the-less. She is getting so big it just doesn't seem fair. I honestly can't believe she is 2 years old and 5 months already. Where did the time go with that one? She is a little chatter-box these days, it is truly unreal. Some of the things that come out of her mouth, I honestly have to look at her and say, "you are just two, you can't talk like that already!" Don't get me wrong, it is nothing bad, just sentences, phrases, and words that sound like she is 5 instead of 2. Someone once told me not to worry if Chyler didn't talk like Sierra did (because Sierra was SO verbal at a young age), saying that most of the time the bigger siblings do the talking for the little ones. Well, that could not have been more wrong for this kid. She honestly can carry on a full conversation with you and you will walk away understanding at least 80% of it. Just the other day, when Sierra was rejoicing in the wrongdoing of her sister, something we are learning a lot about around here lately, Chyler (out of the blue) said, "Sierra, you worry about Sierra!" In the midst of my correction efforts, I couldn't help but chuckle. She just says that funniest things and the cutest things, she is so darn cute it is hard not to just want to love on her all day! But, as I mentioned, she certainly has A LOT of flair too. My little firecracker! We have been working on her screaming tendencies a lot lately. It seems the 2nd child gets so easily frustrated that they only way they know how to respond is to scream. This is very frustrating for both of us and certainly a work in progress! Again, self-control is such a hard thing to learn, even for me and I am in my 30's. We pray for one another around here - OFTEN! :) Just like Sierra though at this same exact age, Chyler is showing signs of potty training readiness. Isn't it ironic how they were both the same exact age? Chyler has been going pee-pee and poo-poo on the potty about a dozen times in the past two weeks and I am at a point now where I just need to break down and train her. We did a modified version of "The Three Day Potty Training Method" with Sierra, and I am probably going to do that again. I just need to break down and put her in some panties and get rid of the diapers and let her train; it took Sierra about 1 week to fully get it and 2 weeks to have no accidents, so here's hoping Chyler does just as well. She has been telling me quite often now when she has to go and she gets so excited about 1 m&m for going pee and 2 m&m's for going poop (our little chocolate lover). :) I think having her in cloth diapers the past few months have really helped too. I am not sure why, she just seems to "feel" it more in the cloth. She gets so excited after going in the potty too and has to tell everyone, saying, "I put my pee-pee in the potty!!!!" in the most high-pitched, excited voice! :) We are so excited for this newest milestone for her and it is hard to believe that just one year ago she had just started walking. :( Again I ask, where does the time go? :)

Ariella - Our precious little 9 month old cutie! Oh how I dearly love this baby! She certainly has a special place in my heart, just like her sisters. Just speaking her name makes my heart burst with love and joy. What a precious gift God gave to us! She definitely was our "surprise" baby and I will never forget the night I took that pregnancy test. I was in shock and pacing the floors up and down our hallway trying to catch my breath and figure out HOW I was going to tell Brian. Then through 8 weeks of continuous bleeding, I wasn't sure God was going to even let us keep her. What a tumultuous time for Brain and I. After that, we went through 2 months of just about every one we know speaking "little boy" over my womb and then boom, girl #3!!!! Only God would really know the true joy that this precious babe would bring to our lives. It is crazy to think that in just 3 months time we will be celebrating 1 year of precious life. How is she 9 months old already? Time she does fly when they are little. Her 9 month chubby little self is so adorable though. She is "talking" constantly and learning how to wave & clap and she says, "ba-ba" for "bye-bye", "Ma-Ma", "Da-Da", and babbling gibberish all the time. She is learning some signs right now and I am hoping she will pick up on them soon. Chyler & Sierra are great little teachers and are constantly signing with her around the house. I love that! She also loves playing peek-a-boo and being sung too. Her greatest joy comes from watching her big sisters play and rocking at night before bed with Mama (that never gets old). She is sleeping like a champ, goes to bed around 7:30pm and sleeps until about 8am, wakes to nurse, and then goes right back down until about 11am. She then takes a nap some time around 2pm (depending on our daily activities) and is up around 4:30pm or 5pm. She is eating like a champ, nursing about 4 times per day and eating food at lunch time and dinner time. She LOVES avocado and yogurt; but doesn't really like bananas. Bananas are the only things that she doesn't really have a taste for so far. She is a pro at eating "puffs" and puts whole fist-fulls into her mouth now, from her snack trap. About a month ago, she didn't have her pincer-grip down yet and was struggling, but when food is involved, clearly it didn't take her long to learn. :) She has two teeth on the bottom and is currently working on two top teeth to add to the mix. They are almost both through the gums. Her amber teething necklace is AMAZING and she has NO drool and shows very minimal signs of discomfort. I honestly would never believe it if I wasn't witnessing it for myself. Even at the grocery store the other day, the cashier commented on her teeth breaking through the gums and then said, "And she is so happy and not fussy with those teeth breaking through." I just smiled and said, "I know." But I firmly believe it is the natural oils in the amber stone of that necklace that are helping, same with Chyler, and also the little girl I used to baby sit for, Ella. It's awesome. In perfect "Miller girl" fashion, Ariella is not yet crawling. She has plenty of ways to get herself around whether it be scooting, pulling, rolling, etc. but no crawling or pulling up yet. Sierra was 10 months old, Chyler was 12 months old, and honestly, I am in NO hurry. I am already constantly telling Sierra to be careful of all her little doll pieces and toys, I can't imagine having a crawling baby around here right now too. In due time.

Well, that just about sums up how things are going on around here and how our precious 3 babes are growing and changing. Time seems to be flying by and we are soaking up these last few days/weeks of summer; pool and beach play dates and time with friends before school starts back and the leaves start to fall. Thanks for keeping up with us, praying for us, and reading all our goings - ons! :) We are certainly blessed beyond measure and we pray that each of you reading this will be as well!

Monkey See, Monkey Do!

It never ceases to amaze me how much kids imitate their parents/peers. I remember people used to say that about their own kids before I, myself was a mother and I always kind of thought it was just an exaggeration. I have quickly learned that there is a lot of truth behind the statement "Monkey See, Monkey Do!" Chyler certainly is our little monkey and I call her that quite often. I think she has been climbing things (something Sierra did not do until over 2 years old) around the same time that she learned to walk and she loves to jump, swing, twirl, always moving! The kid even had a perfected somersault at 1.5 years old, and that is no exaggeration! She is certainly a little monkey.

So anyway, back to the point of the saying...our girls are definite imitators and everything is fair game for them to do so. This is one of the reasons why I am thankful we live in a home where dirty words or unwholesome words are very rarely said. It isn't just words though, it is actions too. And just the other day, Chyler decided she was going to act out something that she has seen her mama do over 100 times now. :) I personally think it is totally adorable and also I am grateful that they are learning at an early age that babies are fed with Mama's milk. I am certainly not a crazy anti-formula lady, but I do feel strongly about what I give to MY babies and I want my 3 little princesses to learn the true value of why God gave women breasts and what they are used for. I do believe we are giving them a great foundation in that.

Here's our little Sierra "nursing" her baby at this same age! :)

More Bathtime Fun

Thanks to Pinterest, I can come off as seeming to be a really cool mom sometimes. LOL! Here is another great idea I learned about through Pinterest....Bath time with the lights off and glow sticks - you gotta try it!!!! :) It gets dark so late these days, that it really isn't super dark in our bathroom (because there is a window in there) but it still has a fun effect! The girls LOVED it. It is super cool with bubbles too, because the glow sticks go down under the bubbles and make the bubbles glow. :) So fun! I was especially excited when I found a 15 pack of glow sticks in Target's $1.00 section. I bought 4 packs...that should provide us with some fun for a while!!! :) I also have to add that this is great when you have multiple children that you are needing to bathe, dress, etc. Ariella still isn't sitting up steadily enough, so she is washed quick and then whisked out of the bath to be dried, dressed, etc. This (and the paint idea you can see HERE) are so entertaining to our big girls while I am busy with their baby sister. :) Thanks Pinterest!!!! :)

Sorry the pictures are blurry, it is so hard to get good pictures of the "glowing" effect in the dark. :)

"The Tunnel of Parenthood"

Oh my! I couldn't read this and NOT share it! If you are a mother of multiple children age 5 and under, you MUST read this. I seriously "cried out loud" after reading this. These are the exact words I have been needing to hear. 

As a mother to 3 girls, (age 4, 2, and 6 months) & a wife to a hubby that works so very hard and who worked 46 hours in just 3 days alone last week, I. AM. EXHAUSTED. To hear these encouraging words about motherhood is so precious to my heart right now. Aside from crying at the realization that someone else really does "GET IT", I literally laughed out loud when she mentioned the physical activity of buckling 3 kiddos into their car seats. :) I have totally been there, almost every day in fact. I kid you not, it actually feels like a "vacation" sometimes when my husband is home and can do the "car seat" ritual for me. :)

I recently even mentioned to my own mother about all the looks I get when out by myself with 3 kids sometimes. I told her that when I am older, I am making it my mission, to go up to the young mothers I see and encourage them. An encouraging word would be so much nicer than, "Oh my! You sure do have your hands full, don't you?!" Yeah, thanks for pointing out the obvious!!! (& yes, people really do say that to me. Or they see one child walking next to me, one in the shopping cart front, and then the car seat in the back of the cart and say, "Is that another one in there!!!???" with a shocked look on their face as they peer into Ariella's car seat).

Wow! This message was so timely. Thank you Lord for putting it in my path today and a big shout out to the author Emily Sederstrand for making it known that we are not alone in this journey of motherhood. And as a side note, please know that I am not trying to complain, I would never trade motherhood for anything; but I also won't deny that it is tough work, not just physically, buy mentally and emotionally pouring into these kiddos and teaching them truth every single moment of every single day. I love it and I desire it and so therefore I wouldn't trade it; don't get me wrong. But sometimes motherhood can be lonely and very challenging too; to hear that others have been there and survived is so very encouraging to me, that is all I am trying to say. :)

*If you are reading this today and you know someone that is in the "tunnel", please pass it on...they probably need to read it. :)

The Tunnel of Parenthood 

By Emily Sederstrand

In 2005, my husband, Tom, and I relocated from Ohio to upstate NY with three young children in tow. God provided for us, and we quickly made wonderful and faith-filled friends. Soon after settling in, I was invited to a “mom’s dinner,” an evening out to get refreshed. There, I was introduced to Joan, who was at the time the mother of nine and newly expecting her tenth. I looked at her in awe, unsure how anyone could have nine children!

“Oh,” she exclaimed, “you’re in the darkest part of motherhood! It’s going to get better!”

Joan was elegant and well-spoken. She turned to me and cheerfully asked, “So, what are the ages of your children?” I answered a bit sheepishly, “4 ½, 2 ½, and 1 ½,” unsure of where the conversation was heading. “Oh,” she exclaimed, “you’re in the darkest part of motherhood! It’s going to get better!” Say what? I was totally surprised, and frankly, relieved.

Instead, I had braced myself for some sort of motherhood fish story, the kind of rivalry that a soon-to-be-mother-of-ten could handily win every time… like, “Oh that’s nothing! You should walk a day in my shoes,” or “Just wait till you have six more and see how many loads of laundry you’ll have to do then!” or “Let me tell you about the time that eight kids, plus the husband and the dog, were all vomiting in our 12-passenger van during a 36-hour pilgrimage to EWTN!” Yikes! What could top that??

But that’s not the treatment Joan gave me. It was just…sympathy. Real, heartfelt sympathy from a more experienced mom to a newer one. Wow. It was as if a huge weight was lifted from me, and I was filled with hope. “It’s going to get better? Really?” I didn’t know it at the time, but Tom and I were in the “Tunnel of Parenthood: The First Five Years.” Now that we have emerged from the Tunnel, I have grown more and more convinced that those were indeed the hardest years.

It’s not the mere fact of having children under the age of five in the home that makes it the Tunnel; it’s going through the parenting of children under five for the first time. The very young child’s stages of development are rapid-fire and, when you’ve never experienced them before, are at times baffling. It all slows down after age five. Meaning, the differences between a 1-year-old and a 2-year-old are vast compared to the differences between a 5-year-old and a 6-year-old. It is a literal whirlwind from zero to five.

More than that, in the first few years, parents are “on duty” all the time in a very physical way. It can be plain exhausting when the little ones are getting all of their needs met by Mom and Dad, and those needs are immediate and primal. Feed me! Change my diaper! Hold me! Play with me! Make my dollie talk! Push me on the swing! And on and on. I remember when the mere act of strapping three young kids into their car seats was like an athletic event. Parenting in the Tunnel requires a very bodily sacrifice from Mom and Dad.

While new parenthood is certainly joyful and miraculous, the years in the Tunnel can also be frightening, overwhelming and anxiety-producing. I have known many parents with two young children who say with conviction, “We couldn’t possibly have a third!” They often are working under the assumption that adding another baby would exponentially increase their current burdens, and they predict (incorrectly) that those burdens are permanent and unchanging.

How many decisions for sterilization are made during this stage of parenting, only to be later regretted?

Now that Tom and I are out of the Tunnel, we have found that each new child brings a paradigm shift to the family, and we all adjust together to that new reality. Welcoming another child after the first one is over the age of five is nothing like having a baby when you’re in the Tunnel. Our number four, Anthony Jack, came into our lives when the older three were 6, 4, and 3, and it was a revelation to see how much easier it was, repeat c-section and all. We had a better handle on what we were doing as parents, but most of all, little AJ had an older brother and two sisters to talk to him and play with him and love him. I know it’s been said by others, but how true: adding another child doesn’t divide your love, it multiplies love in the family.

When in public, I enjoy searching out parents who are in the Tunnel. It turns out they’re very easy to spot, and not just for the obvious reason that there are babies and toddlers crawling on them. There’s a subtle look of shock on their faces, maybe a combination of sleep deprivation, battle fatigue and confusion. It is always fun to approach them and tell them, “Congratulations!” Then, I tell them that they are in the Tunnel of Parenthood and that it’s the hardest part. They may look bewildered at first, then relieved like I was.

I tell them that the next baby will be easier, and they’ll often reply that they’re “done.” “Never say never!” I assure them. It’s impossible to decide today how you will feel next year or the year after that. The decision to get sterilized is often made based on feelings, albeit very vivid feelings. After number four, I could easily imagine being “done” myself with childbearing. Thanks to NFP, we revisit that question each cycle, and somehow, slowly and imperceptibly, that openness to number five has crept in.

Joan always says, “God sends each baby with a loaf of bread under its arm!” She should know, after ten children. Now that we’re out of the Tunnel, it’s easier for us to see as well. If you know a couple in the Tunnel of Parenthood, give them some encouragement and see if you can lighten their burden just a little. That may be all they need to open their hearts to one more soul in their family (and then another!). Their future children will thank you for it!

 

Emily Sederstrand
Freelance Speaker / Fertility Educator

Tub Paint

I just have to preface this post by saying this was definitely NOT something I came up with on my own; although I would like to take credit for it, I actually saw it on Pinterest. You can find the direct link HERE. The only difference is that we used washable paint to make the colors instead of food coloring...I was worried about the food coloring staining the tub and the girls. :) The girls absolutely LOVED this though and I did too. The girls love to paint, so what better than in the tub where we can just wash up and wash it down the drain? Love that idea! A little seems to go a long way too, I bought Target brand shaving cream for $.97 per can and because shaving cream "puffs" up, I only used a little bit for one bath time. :) I love fun and cheap little projects! The water was certainly multicolored by the time we were done though, so I learned it's best to only put a small amount in the tub for them, then wash it down the drain and use clean water to wash their hair and bodies. :) So fun! I love being Mama to these precious girls!!

Arts & Crafts

Our girls love to do crafts. You might even remember THIS little kiddo back in the day too. Painting is probably the thing these girls like to do the most, that and play with play-doh, or draw on their chalk board. Mama needs to invest in Play-doh and anything related to painting. The one good thing about painting is that it is a rainy day or a sunny day project. This mama definitely loves those kinds of projects and ones that wash out of clothes easily!! :) Thank God for washable paints! I love that my girls like to get crafty, because it is something I enjoy too. Sierra is almost constantly with some kind of pad or pen or scissors in her hands! Cutting, gluing, pasting, painting, etc. - all are common pastimes around here.

Here are the girls in all their "Arts & Crafts" glory recently...

Chyler - our little lefty :)

Sierra likes to tell me stories and have me draw them, or vice versa...draw as we tell stories. Here is one we drew recently, Sierra was telling a story about Mimi & Papa's house - Starring Mimi & Papa, their kitty Tyler, and their neighbor, Sierra's favorite friend, Ms. Ellen. :)

 Play-doh is so fun and the girls especially love this new play-doh ice cream making set that Chyler got for her birthday from Uncle Mike & Aunt Blakely! :) You can make sprinkles and all! Fun!

 

Poor Ariella, she gets to be the play-doh ice cream "taste-tester" :)

 (Don't worry, I made sure she didn't eat any!)

Brian bought these really cool Easter Egg holder plate thingys :) at the store for the girls. I can see their use for Easter eggs, but definitely find them very handy for painting with a 4 year old and a 2 year old. They work perfectly!!!

Just the right amount of paint for little girls that LOVE to paint! :)

It is going to be very interesting having a "lefty" in the house...especially with schooling. Teaching her how to write and cut are going to be tricky.

 We started out on the deck, but then I read the back of the paint box and realized that even though it is "washable paint" - it isn't good to use on or near unfinished wood...so we moved to the patio instead. :)

Sierra decided she wanted to "sponge paint" - So we tracked down an old sponge, cut it up and went to work. :)

Chyler's mess...I mean, Masterpiece. :)

Sierra continued on painting, even long after Chyler had moved on to other things.

Like washing up at the water table; because she is literally the messiest kid you will EVER meet!

 And again I say, Thank you Lord for washable paints!!!