This moment in time

Today if you stopped by my house you would find

• a naked potty training boy
• his dressed cousin hanging out with him
• a crying, then happy, then crying baby girl
• the naked boy run outside as i open the door
• a big brown puppy dog following behind him
•  the dog sniffing and pooping in the neighbors front yard
• a house that was cleaned and picked up this morning-promise
• me trying to cut out a hat pattern for the baby girl
• a whole chicken thawing for tonight's dinner
• half eaten peanut butter sandwich
• much laughing and fun

Blessed that I have a husband who works hard so I am able to stay at home, house full of babes, a house to call home, food to eat, a sewing machine, and many more things.

Life right now

I have so many pictures and so many posts in "edit" mode...one day I might get to them. I had planned on posting a Mother's Day post about things I wish I could tell my mother, then our whole house got sick. Not easy on this pregnant Mama. And 2 days ago I received a call from my uncle about my grandmother.

My mom was her only daughter out of 7 and I am my moms only daughter.Grandma, my mom, and I had a connection and I get my stubbornness from both of them :) When my mom passed away 12 yrs ago, my grandma looked to me as "her daughter". I spent many, many summers with my grandparents in Florida. When my grandpa died a couple years ago and I went down, I was the one who could tell grandma what to do. "Sit down grandma , your doing too much" - "grandma, you need to eat breakfast, I made this for you and you are going to eat it". Her sons stayed at a hotel to spend time together and I (and my aunt) stayed with her to make sure she was ok. I enjoyed it!!!

Grandma was diagnosed with cancer (several places) over a year ago. She chose to have some treatments and was taken off of them when it was discovered that they were only making her sick, not helping. Last week she was in the hospital and when my uncle called, I was told that she is home on hospice care. She is at the very end of her life. I am sad, sad that I didn't call her more over the last year, sad that I didn't try harder to get down to see her. Life for us has been busy but that's not why. Money was a factor in flying down $500-$900 for a plane ticket (are you kidding me?). I didn't call because I didn't want to face loosing another "mom". It's hard and after dealing with both my parents and a set of grandparents dieing within year of each other, I have a hard time dealing with any death.  I could barely hold it together enough to talk with her for 5 minutes last night.

She will be brought back to Virginia (I think) for the funeral and I assume laid to rest next to my mother. We are hoping to travel down but who knows if we can work it out. It would be nice to see my brothers and the rest of the family. Right now I am just trying to process it all, to keep up with my responsibilities here at home and pray that she goes in peace!

Thanksgiving

We are already starting to think about Thanksgiving around here. 

Our next little blessing is due November 24th!!! 

Thankful•Excited•Happy

(now that I'm not tired•sick•emotional)

I had a great first couple of weeks but around 6 weeks all day nausea set in. From mid morning until night time I was perched on the chair curled up like a baby. My poor son would cry every time I sat down. Sometimes he would cuddle with me and others I would lay on the floor in an attempt to play with him. For about a week now, I have felt great. A bout of nausea here and there but nothing that puts me down and out. It has been so long since my first pregnancy (13 yrs) but I didn't much with my son. They say that every pregnancy is different and they are right :) 

Now that I am feeling better, I've been nesting I would say. It happened last pregnancy too. I start hitting my to do list like the baby will be here tomorrow! I can't help it-I'm a planner wanting everything done before I don't feel like doing a thing (which is what I intend to do from November 1st on - lol). 

I have lots and lots of pictures of projects I have done over the past year and will hopefully get them into posts soon. I might even get some pictures of the nursery up before we add the extra crib ;)  

My growing belly and I will be back soon! 

 

This moment in time

• Thankful for the beautiful weather here in WNY
• Happy to have an organized sun room to enjoy the said weather
• Haven't slept in many nights due to a molar teething little boy
• Missing church because of the teething little boy
• Hoping to make it to Sunday School
• Thinking it's time to get the grill out this afternoon

Life

Last night I sat in the chair-my husband on the couch with a computer in his lap and he said to me "you might as well give up on {Joy Comes from Within}. I check it everyday and you never post anything". OUCH! I simply told him "the dishes are done and the family is fed". That's about how I feel these days.

Example: I decided to hop on today and surprise my husband by posting something. I went to edit posts and the following was sitting in my drafts from 10/17/11. The last actual post was from May. I like to blog but I like my family more. If anything needs to be put on hold, it's the first to stop. Maybe I'll post regular, maybe I won't. In fact, I only started this blog to keep in touch with friends and family not here in NY but I don't think any of them ever read it :)

So dearest husband...this post is for you. xoxo

It's been a bit busy in the last...well let's say 7 months. Adjusting to being at home from a 40hr week 'out of the home' job, having a child in middle school, a newborn who is growing so fast. AH! I wish life would slow down-I feel like I am always trying to "catch up".


This morning I woke up {groggy} as usual and with my little man on my hip stumbled down stairs. Scooch 'the big brown dog' greeted us as always and I set the baby down hoping he would be entertained by the said dog and made a bee line to the kitchen to (can't remember where I was going with this...too long ago)

Haily and Gunnar {Birth Stories} Part 1

Let's start off 12 yrs ago...

I was expecting a precious baby right after Christmas 1998. We celebrated Christmas and then New Years- I was overdue!!! On January 5th, I waddled into the doctors office and they sent me to the hospital to be induced. I was relieved, scared, and excited to meet my baby finally. The medicine they gave me to soften my cervix put me into labor. My back hurt so bad and the nurses referred to it as back labor. I am not sure why but the Dr. had ordered that I stay in bed.They wouldn't let me get up even to go to the bathroom. When they started the pitocin to get things moving faster, the contractions really kicked in. The pain was so bad that I asked for something to help. Again, I was disappointed as the Dr. said and epidural or nothing. No walking around, changing positions, etc. After receiving it, I couldn't feel anything, couldn't turn over without help - this was not going as planned.


At 6:45am on January 6th I was only 4cm but when they checked me at 7:45am I had progressed to 10cm! It was time to do the hard work. The nurses hurried around the room to get everything ready, called the Dr. and told my Mom it was almost time. As the Dr. checked me one last time things took a turn. His words were shattering to me - this baby isn't gong to fit - the baby is just too big - You need a c-section.  I was devastated, scared and worried but Dr. knows best so I listened. My mother assured me it would be ok as two of her deliveries (mine included) were c-sections. I was never allowed to even try to deliver vaginally - not one push to just to see how I would do. By 8:03am my baby was born - I heard the first cries - they announced it was a girl and we named her Haily Marie! Then I got sick, started shaking badly, and watched as they wheeled my new daughter out of the room. I wouldn't see her again until that evening. My recovery from surgery was terrible and I don't remember much at all the day she was born. I couldn't hold her because I was too weak. I planned on nursing so she was very hungry when they finally brought her to me. I was still in shock of how things happened so quickly and I really didn't understand why they had to be that way.

We went home after a long week in the hospital. My mother had taken off so that she could be home to help me recover. I will treasure those times. This was her first grandchild and the only one she would ever meet. 

Lot's has happened since then: my mother passed away, we moved to NY, my father passed away, I learned about God and what Jesus did for all of mankind, I met my wonderful husband, and that brings you up to speed :)


To be continued...

Welcome {Gunnar}

This sweet little boy arrived on March 8th weighing in at 9lbs 2oz and 22in long.

In the waiting...

It's all in Gods timing-I am 40 weeks 4 days and no sign of my little baby boy! The midwife sent me for a biophysical ultrasound Tuesday which he passed with an 8 out of 8 and we are very thankful. They are estimating his weight at 8lbs 15oz (give or take 21 oz). That is a BIG window but it forces us to make a difficult decision. With my prior c-section we didn't want to induce since there would be a higher risk of a repeat BUT if we wait too long he will just keep getting bigger which could very well result in a repeat as well. I go back to see the midwife tomorrow morning where we will discuss our options. Patty (the midwife) has told me to just pray for guidance! She has been a blessing to me during the whole pregnancy. My health has been fantastic other than early BH's in which she told me to stay off my feet as much as possible. It has been emotional though. My mother passed away in 2000 and not having her to call is very hard for me. She was there for the birth of my daughter and was the first one to hold her just because I didn't want to "break" her. HA! I have also been replaying my difficult delivery the last time and worried that this one will turn out the same way. Patty was wonderful in talking to me and calming my fears! So, we are in the waiting...praying that I will be heading to the hospital tonight instead of the office tomorrow. Either way, he will be here soon :)

{40 Weeks} & This moment in time

Well, I made it to 40 weeks...Everyone (besides me of course) said I wouldn't make it past 38 weeks! HA-I guess mother knows best. I have been enjoying my time at home resting A LOT! The car seat has been installed in the car, bags are packed and in the car complete with a change of clothes for my husband and daughter. Speaking of my dearest daughter...As soon as I found out I was pregnant she has insisted that she wants to be in the delivery room. She is 12 which some think is too young for her to be present but we feel that she is mature enough to handle the situation. My midwife, childbirth instructor, and the head nurse at the hospital are all for her being present and excited to have her there. My mother-in-law will need to be there for the duration as well just in case something comes up where my daughter would have to leave the room (i.e. just can't handle it, emergency c-section, etc). We were planning on staying at home as long a possible but with my previous c-section and after seeing the "homelike" birthing rooms we feel that being at the hospital is the best option. I have to have a pic line put in for precaution but will be allowed to have hydration by mouth unless we head to surgery. I will also need to have continuous external fetal monitoring but it's battery powered so I can move freely around the room and even soak in the jacuzzi tub. I really, really like that my midwife as well as the hospital are for natural births and vbacs. I am praying that we don't have a repeat from 12 years ago and will be able to enjoy the first hours with our new little one :) Hopefully we will meet him very soon!!! ~Jac

{How I became a SAHM}

I have been a mother and keeper of my home for 12 years. Of those 12 years, I have worked a full time job and when needed a side job or two. Tasks that needed to get done around the home were squeezed into being a wife, mothering my daughter, helping with homework, making dinner, etc. I knew that when I walked through my back door that I had X amount of time to get everything done. Most of the time I got my list crossed off. 


I noticed that while I was able to get things done, my family and my mental health suffered. I was constantly thinking about what needed to get done next. When life threw a curve ball, I blew up!!! I didn't go outside and scream into the sky, I didn't take a walk to blow off steam, unfortunately my husband and daughter {the very people that God gave me as a gift} received the brunt of it. After a melt down from yours truly, I would have to go apologize and ask for their forgiveness. 


Over 2 years ago I started praying that I could get things under control. I feel that God put a desire in my heart to stay at home. I never wanted this before and  it didn't seem possible then but I kept praying, then my husband joined in.

We knew that when we added another child to the family it would be hard to carry on as it had always been. For several years we worked to pay any debt off and fix things around the house. As I type, the last project that "needed to be done" is being completed. We had a goal and as of January 28th the goal has been met. I resigned from a job that I LOVED so that I could be all that God intended for me to be. It wasn't and won't be easy but with God-all things are possible. In the next month we will welcome our son into our family and I pray that he will not have to see where I was several years ago!!!

This moment in time...

WOW- Yesterday was my last day of working full time! I am not sure it has hit me yet since it's the weekend but come Monday we'll see how I'm doing. My co-workers gave me a wonderful going away party and I packed up and headed out before flooding the place with tears. I am looking very forward to this next season in my life.

Last night I was able to get together with a bunch of Ladies. This isn't just friends getting together - We are all part of a group called Good Morning Girls. This is our 3rd session and includes 24 ladies broken into several small groups.  I love the friendships that have developed between us all. Every other month we try to have a large gathering so we can all mingle. Here are some photos that my Aunt Amy took last night {complements of her facebook}.

The below picture is of Julia and I. We met while working at the VA & quickly hit it off. {A forever friendship was formed} 

The next couple of weeks, our family will be preparing for the arrival of our little boy. This includes finishing up the flooring, making freezer meals, streamlining our cleaning/laundry routine, and spending some time enjoying the quietness of the house.

BTW as you can see in the above photos I have bloomed just a bit in the mid section. I am now 36 weeks!!!

This moment in time...

We just celebrated Christmas-the birth of our savior Jesus!!! This is always a busy time of year but it's only as busy as we make it!!! Heading into the new year will bring many changes for our family. We are expecting the arrival of our baby boy Gunnar in late February and I am leaving my full time job to stay at home at the end of January. I am feverishly trying to get organized knowing how important it is for not only the new baby but also being out of a 8-5 routine. I know how to manage everything that has to be done at work and even handle what needs to be done at home in the short amount of time I have here. Being home will be like starting a new job-figuring out what needs to get done, when it needs to get done, and reminding myself of how important this job is even though I won't be bringing home a steady paycheck. I hope to find a couple of cleaning jobs or the like to supplement our income but my family needs to be my main focus. I still can't believe I will have a 12 year old and a newborn. CRAZY! That's where I am at and where we are headed will be an adventure for sure...

{Here is a picture of my dear husband and I at our church Christmas Party}

This moment in time...

...Or the last 3 months

I've been 

tired, 

cranky, 

moody, 

lot's of headaches 

&

this is why.

I am about 3 months along 

and 

our little family is very excited! 

More coming soon but for now I must sleep.

This moment in time...

• Getting ready for Presence on the Patio (Medina, New York) this Saturday. Many things still left to do. Stirring, cutting, stitching, baking, folding, packing - You get the idea.
• Helping my Sister-in-law pull things together for her wedding in 3 WEEKS! 
• Looking forward to several little girls coming over for a sleep over this Friday. Haily has been looking forward to this and is planning lots of things for them to do. It's times like these that I am glad we have the basement to "contain" most of the fun.
• Wondering why I said "Yeah sure" to Haily having several girls over the night before one of my craft shows?!?!?
• Tired thinking of everything that still has to happen this week and trying to remember that life goes on even if I don't get it all done :)
  
  
  
  Night Y'all! 
  ( I'm loud to use y'all 'cus I really say that, being from Virginia 'n all)
  HaHa I crack myself up
  
  
  

a little bit of back in time...

Happy wife=milk in a glass jug

 

 

My husband brought this home to me... He knows how to make me smile. This is New Yorks very own Byrne Dairy milk in a glass jug. We don't have any Byrne Dairy stores near by so when he heads to Rochester, he brings me one back. 

 

Thanks Babe! 

This moment in time...

Maybe I should say "This month in time"...


Life has been busy~birthdays, birthdays, and...well birthday parties. Life happens and sometimes you have to give up something.

{For me that something was blogging}

I really missed blogging and found myself daydreaming about different posts but with a full time job outside the home along with everything else I just could fit it in. I prefer to keep my family my priority so that is what I have been up to lately. I will work on a post tomorrow that highlights the last month and then it's back on track for me! I have a lot of happenings around here; I just need to get them on paper, or sew through them,or get them on the walls, or just plain hammer them out. 

Stay tuned :)

This moment in time...

Today we didn't have any plans to do anything and with no practices for praise team or evening service I decided to get some baking for the upcoming week done. Haily has started taking her lunch to school so I have been making healthy snacks for her to pack. Today I am going to try Honey Pumpkin Muffins and whip up some granola. These will take the place of a snack cake and chips. 


Watch for my series on the 30 Day Shred and Budgeting for the New Year. -I have been wanting to do a series on budgeting for a while but with my life being so busy for the last couple of months I haven't had time to put it together. -As far as the 30 Day Shred, that's another story. Normally when I have more time to garden and really work around the house I don't need to put much effort into exercising. Doing a days worth of housework and yard/garden work is plenty of movement. Now with my daytime desk job and trying to get the business underway I haven't been getting much exercise at all. This has added to my waistline and just being overall uncomfortable. So dear friends, I will be taking you on my journey to get back into shape. Keep in mind I want to be healthy {not just lose weight}. To me pounds don't matter as much as being able to rake my lawn without getting winded or carrying laundry baskets up and down the stairs without my legs feeling like jello. I will be updating you on all the details including my starting weight and measurements. I might even be real brave by posting before pics :)


That's all for now- gotta get baking!

Today:

• I had a very productive day at work.
• I spent a few minutes with my Hubby when he stopped by work.
  
• I went to dinner "Authentic Mexican Style" with dear sisters in Christ. 13 to be exact!!
• I saw Avalon & Selah in concert with the same gals. Wonderful!!
• I got home just time time to tuck my little Haily in bed.
• Now I will do some tidying up and watch the Yankees snuggled up with my Hubby.

I must mention that Aaron helped Haily with her homework, cleaned up the house and is now folding the laundry. He did all of this gladly so that I could enjoy a night out. Thank you Lord for my husband you have given me!


Sweet Dreams, Jac

This moment in time...

I...

• Finished my meal planning
• Went grocery shopping 
• DH put up hooks for my aprons and robes
• Tucked my silly girl in bed
• Got back on the treadmill for the first time in a long time
  Now it time for some BBB with DH. Night folks.