It's so hard for me to believe that my itty bitty baby who was just born last week will be three years old in a few weeks! It honestly goes so fast. Since Aubrey is getting older, David and I have been thinking a lot about school for her recently. Our children's schooling is actually something that we've talked about since before we even had kids.
David went to private schools and had a really good experience. I went to a private school through 6th grade and then homeschooled (that might be something you didn't know about me?). I had a really good experience, too. Neither one of us is at all opposed to public school. So, we have plenty of options and lots to discuss.
Even though I had a great experience homeschooling, it's not something I ever felt like I would do with my own kids. The reasons might not be what you would assume. I actually had plenty of friends throughout highschool while I homeschooled. I never felt like I didn't have a social life, and I think I turned out pretty normal? At least, I like to think I did! ;) My family was never that stereotypical homeschool family, and I can tell you that there are a LOT of homeschoolers who don't fit that stereotype. I also was (and am) really close to my family, and I think homeschooling contributed a lot to that for me. BUT I still never thought I would homeschool. I just didn't feel like I'm disciplined enough to do it well, and if I did it, I would definitely want to do it well. I was worried that I would have no accountability, and that I would totally be doing my children a disservice. I'm NOT a Type A personality at all, and I was worried that that would negatively impact my children's education.
But, I also haven't felt a peace when we've talked about other options. For some reason, I just don't feel good about the schools we've talked about. Granted, we haven't researched any school extensively at this point, but I guess I just didn't feel at peace about the idea of school in general. We were actually never planning on sending Aubrey to preschool. While I think preschool is great and I know some kids thrive in preschool, I don't think it's necessary. I think really what it boils down to is that I just want my child with me as much as possible! :)
So that lead me to start thinking about homeschooling again. The idea was more appealing the more I thought about it, but I was still worried about the discipline part of it for me. Then we heard about a school for homeschool families that's only 2 days a week but offers classes and enrichment programs. They help you pick curriculum, hold you accountable on your homeschooling, and teach your child stuff that you might not feel comfortable teaching them at home (like Latin and music). David and I went to a meeting to get more information, and we were both impressed. I think it might be the best of both worlds for us. Our children would be able to go to "school" and get the experience of having teachers and peers, but they would still spend the great majority of their time at home with their parents. Also, I would have a lot of structure to the way we would do school. I wouldn't feel like my child's education and preparation for college rested solely on my shoulders, which I think would be a good thing for me!
The big question would be when to send Aubrey. They do have a 3 year old program, but David and I have mixed feeling about sending her so soon. I think there are some really good pros and cons to going ahead and getting her started. It's something we're praying and talking about. And of course, nothing has been decided at this point. The Lord may have another plan for our children's schooling and totally change our hearts. We are excited to have this option, though.
Picking a school for your child is such a huge responsibility. It can be overwhelming. That's one reason I wanted to blog about this. I want our kids to know that we take every aspect of raising them (including their education) very seriously. I can't believe that I'm actually considering becoming a homeschooling Mama!
Showing posts with label Transitions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Transitions. Show all posts
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Bed Transition and a Big Girl Room
I've mentioned a time or two that we bought a big girl bed for Aubrey recently and moved her from her crib into the new bed. I'm so happy and relieved to report that the transition has been basically perfect. For the record, I was pretty petrified to make this change. Aubrey slept great in her crib, and she was contained for naptime, which was so important to me. Even if she chooses not to sleep, she still has to stay in her room for a certain amount of time, and I was so worried that would become a major ordeal when we moved her into a bed that she could get out of.
After I bought her big girl bed, we explained to her that she was going to be sleeping in a new bed. She was actually SO EXCITED about this! She literally could not wait for us to get her bed set up. It didn't hurt that I got her some "pink covers" (sheets) for her new bed. Anything involving pink is just awesome as far as Aubrey is concerned! :) Her bed is a full size bed, and we decided not to do any bed rails. One of my favorite baby/toddler books written by a pediatrician actually doesn't recommend bed rails, and I think a bed looks better without rails (obviously), so we decided to just see how it went without any. If we felt like we needed them, we would have just gotten some after we realized they were going to be a necessity. I'm happy to report that Aubrey has only fallen out of the bed once, and she was totally fine. It did scare her, but she wasn't hurt. It was in the middle of the night, and it about scared the daylights out of David and me when we heard a crash and a scream over the monitor. Like I said though, she was fine, and she wanted to get right back in her bed and go back to sleep. It hasn't happened again since. We just make sure there isn't anything hard that would hurt her around the bed if she did happen to fall out. She has carpet in her room, so that helps too.
We also decided that we weren't going to make a rule that she had to stay in her bed. Because she was older when we moved her, we felt like she was old enough to make the decision about whether or not she should get out of bed. If she chooses to play and skip her nap, that's fine, but she will be tired later, and maybe she will know not to skip it the next day. Also, since we don't have a video monitor, it would have been hard to enforce this rule because we wouldn't really have any way of knowing if she was out of her bed unless we went into her room. This was what we decided would work for Aubrey, but I know every family and child is different, and for some kids, I think it probably would work best to have a "no getting out of bed" rule. Anyway, so far this hasn't been an issue, because Aubrey NEVER gets out of bed unless we go into her room and tell her she can get out. I was shocked by this. I thought she would be out of her bed the moment we shut her door. Even when she wakes up in the morning or after nap, she just calls for me to come get her, and as soon as I open her door, she jumps out of bed. It's so funny! I wouldn't mind if she got up in the mornings and just played quietly in her room for a while, but I'm not going to put that idea into her head! The way it is now is working out fine, so I'm going to leave well enough alone!
I am so relieved that this transition went so well. I really had prepared myself for no sleep for days, and I half expected her to drop her nap completely. She does skip her nap probably once or twice a week, but she did that while she was still in her crib. As long as she is having quiet rest time in her room, it doesn't really matter to me whether she sleeps or not. She isn't all that dependant on her nap anymore now that she's older, and she can skip it and still be in a good mood that evening.
It's been fun to be able to start thinking about finishing Aubrey's room now that we have her big girl bed. I got a white matelasse coverlet for her bed, and now I just need to have some Euro shams made. I would like to do some kind of canopy over her bed, but I don't know how that will work with the way her ceiling is sloped.
I'm using this blue floral fabric in her room, and I got this pink fabric to go with it.
I LOVE the pink fabric. I was originally going to use it to make window seat cushions, but then I thought I might want to use it in a way that would be seen more. So, I can't decide.
I also got this mirror for her room recently, and I think it looks perfect over her dresser.
I still need to get a nightstand for her, and I'm planning on painting it blue to match her fabric and distressing it. We also still have to do the moulding boxes on the walls below the chair rail, and THEN I think we should be about finished with Aubrey's big girl room! I can't wait for it to all come together! :)
After I bought her big girl bed, we explained to her that she was going to be sleeping in a new bed. She was actually SO EXCITED about this! She literally could not wait for us to get her bed set up. It didn't hurt that I got her some "pink covers" (sheets) for her new bed. Anything involving pink is just awesome as far as Aubrey is concerned! :) Her bed is a full size bed, and we decided not to do any bed rails. One of my favorite baby/toddler books written by a pediatrician actually doesn't recommend bed rails, and I think a bed looks better without rails (obviously), so we decided to just see how it went without any. If we felt like we needed them, we would have just gotten some after we realized they were going to be a necessity. I'm happy to report that Aubrey has only fallen out of the bed once, and she was totally fine. It did scare her, but she wasn't hurt. It was in the middle of the night, and it about scared the daylights out of David and me when we heard a crash and a scream over the monitor. Like I said though, she was fine, and she wanted to get right back in her bed and go back to sleep. It hasn't happened again since. We just make sure there isn't anything hard that would hurt her around the bed if she did happen to fall out. She has carpet in her room, so that helps too.
We also decided that we weren't going to make a rule that she had to stay in her bed. Because she was older when we moved her, we felt like she was old enough to make the decision about whether or not she should get out of bed. If she chooses to play and skip her nap, that's fine, but she will be tired later, and maybe she will know not to skip it the next day. Also, since we don't have a video monitor, it would have been hard to enforce this rule because we wouldn't really have any way of knowing if she was out of her bed unless we went into her room. This was what we decided would work for Aubrey, but I know every family and child is different, and for some kids, I think it probably would work best to have a "no getting out of bed" rule. Anyway, so far this hasn't been an issue, because Aubrey NEVER gets out of bed unless we go into her room and tell her she can get out. I was shocked by this. I thought she would be out of her bed the moment we shut her door. Even when she wakes up in the morning or after nap, she just calls for me to come get her, and as soon as I open her door, she jumps out of bed. It's so funny! I wouldn't mind if she got up in the mornings and just played quietly in her room for a while, but I'm not going to put that idea into her head! The way it is now is working out fine, so I'm going to leave well enough alone!
I am so relieved that this transition went so well. I really had prepared myself for no sleep for days, and I half expected her to drop her nap completely. She does skip her nap probably once or twice a week, but she did that while she was still in her crib. As long as she is having quiet rest time in her room, it doesn't really matter to me whether she sleeps or not. She isn't all that dependant on her nap anymore now that she's older, and she can skip it and still be in a good mood that evening.It's been fun to be able to start thinking about finishing Aubrey's room now that we have her big girl bed. I got a white matelasse coverlet for her bed, and now I just need to have some Euro shams made. I would like to do some kind of canopy over her bed, but I don't know how that will work with the way her ceiling is sloped.
I'm using this blue floral fabric in her room, and I got this pink fabric to go with it.
I LOVE the pink fabric. I was originally going to use it to make window seat cushions, but then I thought I might want to use it in a way that would be seen more. So, I can't decide.I also got this mirror for her room recently, and I think it looks perfect over her dresser.
I still need to get a nightstand for her, and I'm planning on painting it blue to match her fabric and distressing it. We also still have to do the moulding boxes on the walls below the chair rail, and THEN I think we should be about finished with Aubrey's big girl room! I can't wait for it to all come together! :)Monday, July 25, 2011
Weaning
**This is a post about my experience weaning Jude. It's long, and probably more information than 99% of people really care to know. I just wanted to document this experience for myself, though! So, if you're not interested in a post about breastfeeding, you should probably just skip this one :)**
So, Jude is now officially weaned. I'm SO happy that I was able to breastfeed him for a year. He never had any formula, and I'm really proud of that. (NOT because I think formula is terrible. I'm just proud of setting a goal for myself and reaching it.) Aubrey self weaned at 10 months old. I really wanted to nurse her for a year too, and I tried everything to try to get her to keep nursing (pumping, trying to get her to eat all the time, fenugreek, etc.), but it just wasn't happening. So, I was even more happy that I was able to successfully breastfeed Jude for a year.
I did end up giving him some cow's milk about 10 days before his birthday. I was going to Memphis for my girls' trip, and I was going to be gone overnight. I knew I wouldn't be able to pump enough to last him 2 days, so I mixed some cow's milk with breastmilk a few days before I went just to get him used to it. He then had a little breastmilk and some cow's milk while I was gone. Here's the drawback though: he would only take the cow's milk from a bottle. I was REALLY hoping to go straight from nursing to a cup. Jude just would not take the milk from a cup, though, and at that point, I just had to get him taking the milk before I just left him. So, I gave him a bottle of cow's milk, and he took it fine.
When I got home from my trip, my plan was to keep nursing him a couple of times a day until his birthday, at which point I would wean him. I never had any plans or desire to nurse past a year. I know breastmilk still would have been good for him and a lot of people do it, but it just wasn't something I felt like would be best for our family. Until his birthday, I was planning to keep giving Jude cow's milk along with nursing him a couple of times a day just to keep him used to it until I weaned him entirely. I didn't want to quit giving him the cow's milk, and then have to "re-introduce" it in a week when I weaned him. So, this is what we did for several days. I usually nursed him in the mornings and then sometimes at night. He would get cow's milk the rest of the day.
The week of his birthday, I decided to go ahead and wean him. Originally, I thought a slow, gradual weaning would be best for both of us, but it turned out to be harder on Jude that way. I felt like when I didn't nurse him, he didn't think about it or want to nurse. He was perfectly happy with the cow's milk. But then after I nursed him, it's like it reminded him of what he was "missing" and he wanted to nurse more often. By this point, my supply had gone down so much that I really couldn't have nursed him more often even if I had wanted to. So, I felt like it would be easier on him just to quit cold turkey. (It wasn't really cold turkey though, since he was only nursing one or two times a day.) And it was. One day, spur of the moment, I just didn't nurse him, and he has never seemed to think about it since. It's like he's already completely forgotten about it. Which is as it should be, in my opinion. The weaning process was actually very easy for him, and I'm SO happy about that. It would have broken my heart if he had been really upset about it. I think this was a really good time to wean him, because he seemed to get more and more attached to nursing as he got older, so I think it would have been harder the longer we had waited. Weaning somewhat suddenly was actually harder on me than it was for Jude! I had a few uncomfortable days, but that passed pretty quickly, and everything is back to normal now :)
I'm happy that with both Aubrey and Jude, weaning just sort of happened, and I didn't have a "last" nursing session that I was aware of. Of course there was a last feeding with both of them, but I didn't know at the time that it would be the last, and that's good for me. I think it would be too sad and emotional any other way!
So, that's where we are now. Unfortunately, Jude is still REFUSING to drink cow's milk out of a cup, so he is getting three bottles a day. I have tried several different kinds of cups, but he's just not interested (he will drink water out of a cup if he's really thirsty, but NOT milk). I have no idea what to do about this. I know we need to ditch the bottle, but I'm worried that he'll get dehydrated or not get enough calories without it. I'm planning on talking to his pediatrician about this at his one year checkup, but I couldn't get him in until August 19th! Any tips on getting a baby to take milk from a cup?
This post is getting too long, but one more thing: Ever since I weaned Jude, I feel like he's starting to like other people more and more. He's always been a sweet, social baby, but he's definitely been a mama's boy. He still loves me, but he's really decided he loves his daddy lately. Sometimes he prefers David over me these days, and that's kind of bittersweet for me. I LOVE that our children love their daddy. David is an amazing dad, and he deserves for our children to think he's awesome. I also think it's very healthy for children to be comfortable with people other than their mother who love them and take good care of them. But I don't want to be replaced! Haha. I know that Jude still loves me, though. I think breastfeeding was such a wonderful thing, and it definitely contributed to the bond that I have with both of my children, but it didn't create the bond and the bond doesn't depend on that. I am bonded with my children because I'm their mother, and I love them. And that definitely doesn't change with weaning :) I'm so thankful that I was able to provide my child with the absolute BEST thing for him his first year of life. Breastfeeding does require a few sacrifices, but it is so fulfilling knowing I'm giving my children such a good thing!
So, Jude is now officially weaned. I'm SO happy that I was able to breastfeed him for a year. He never had any formula, and I'm really proud of that. (NOT because I think formula is terrible. I'm just proud of setting a goal for myself and reaching it.) Aubrey self weaned at 10 months old. I really wanted to nurse her for a year too, and I tried everything to try to get her to keep nursing (pumping, trying to get her to eat all the time, fenugreek, etc.), but it just wasn't happening. So, I was even more happy that I was able to successfully breastfeed Jude for a year.
I did end up giving him some cow's milk about 10 days before his birthday. I was going to Memphis for my girls' trip, and I was going to be gone overnight. I knew I wouldn't be able to pump enough to last him 2 days, so I mixed some cow's milk with breastmilk a few days before I went just to get him used to it. He then had a little breastmilk and some cow's milk while I was gone. Here's the drawback though: he would only take the cow's milk from a bottle. I was REALLY hoping to go straight from nursing to a cup. Jude just would not take the milk from a cup, though, and at that point, I just had to get him taking the milk before I just left him. So, I gave him a bottle of cow's milk, and he took it fine.
When I got home from my trip, my plan was to keep nursing him a couple of times a day until his birthday, at which point I would wean him. I never had any plans or desire to nurse past a year. I know breastmilk still would have been good for him and a lot of people do it, but it just wasn't something I felt like would be best for our family. Until his birthday, I was planning to keep giving Jude cow's milk along with nursing him a couple of times a day just to keep him used to it until I weaned him entirely. I didn't want to quit giving him the cow's milk, and then have to "re-introduce" it in a week when I weaned him. So, this is what we did for several days. I usually nursed him in the mornings and then sometimes at night. He would get cow's milk the rest of the day.
The week of his birthday, I decided to go ahead and wean him. Originally, I thought a slow, gradual weaning would be best for both of us, but it turned out to be harder on Jude that way. I felt like when I didn't nurse him, he didn't think about it or want to nurse. He was perfectly happy with the cow's milk. But then after I nursed him, it's like it reminded him of what he was "missing" and he wanted to nurse more often. By this point, my supply had gone down so much that I really couldn't have nursed him more often even if I had wanted to. So, I felt like it would be easier on him just to quit cold turkey. (It wasn't really cold turkey though, since he was only nursing one or two times a day.) And it was. One day, spur of the moment, I just didn't nurse him, and he has never seemed to think about it since. It's like he's already completely forgotten about it. Which is as it should be, in my opinion. The weaning process was actually very easy for him, and I'm SO happy about that. It would have broken my heart if he had been really upset about it. I think this was a really good time to wean him, because he seemed to get more and more attached to nursing as he got older, so I think it would have been harder the longer we had waited. Weaning somewhat suddenly was actually harder on me than it was for Jude! I had a few uncomfortable days, but that passed pretty quickly, and everything is back to normal now :)
I'm happy that with both Aubrey and Jude, weaning just sort of happened, and I didn't have a "last" nursing session that I was aware of. Of course there was a last feeding with both of them, but I didn't know at the time that it would be the last, and that's good for me. I think it would be too sad and emotional any other way!
So, that's where we are now. Unfortunately, Jude is still REFUSING to drink cow's milk out of a cup, so he is getting three bottles a day. I have tried several different kinds of cups, but he's just not interested (he will drink water out of a cup if he's really thirsty, but NOT milk). I have no idea what to do about this. I know we need to ditch the bottle, but I'm worried that he'll get dehydrated or not get enough calories without it. I'm planning on talking to his pediatrician about this at his one year checkup, but I couldn't get him in until August 19th! Any tips on getting a baby to take milk from a cup?
This post is getting too long, but one more thing: Ever since I weaned Jude, I feel like he's starting to like other people more and more. He's always been a sweet, social baby, but he's definitely been a mama's boy. He still loves me, but he's really decided he loves his daddy lately. Sometimes he prefers David over me these days, and that's kind of bittersweet for me. I LOVE that our children love their daddy. David is an amazing dad, and he deserves for our children to think he's awesome. I also think it's very healthy for children to be comfortable with people other than their mother who love them and take good care of them. But I don't want to be replaced! Haha. I know that Jude still loves me, though. I think breastfeeding was such a wonderful thing, and it definitely contributed to the bond that I have with both of my children, but it didn't create the bond and the bond doesn't depend on that. I am bonded with my children because I'm their mother, and I love them. And that definitely doesn't change with weaning :) I'm so thankful that I was able to provide my child with the absolute BEST thing for him his first year of life. Breastfeeding does require a few sacrifices, but it is so fulfilling knowing I'm giving my children such a good thing!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Mobile!
This little guy....
.... is officially CRAWLING!
And life just got a whole lot more interesting!
.... is officially CRAWLING!
And life just got a whole lot more interesting!Jude has been thinking about and wanting to crawl for a while now, but he became really and truly mobile while we were at the beach. One day he just crawled right across the floor, and he hasn't slowed down since. I knew life with two mobile children would be a little more complicated than life with just one mobile child, and I honestly wasn't in a big hurry for Jude to become mobile ;) However, he looks so happy and proud of himself when he crawls across the room and gets from Point A to Point B that of course I'm excited for him and SO proud!
The one thing that I can already tell is going to be an issue is making sure that there are no choking hazards on the floor. This wasn't so complicated when Aubrey was first learning to crawl and then walk. I just baby-proofed the house once, and we were good to go. It's so much different with a toddler as well as a newly mobile baby, though, as I'm learning. It's not like Aubrey has a lot of toys with tiny parts that are potential choking hazards, but she does have some things with relatively small parts. Also, sometimes she puts stuff on the floor that I wouldn't even think twice about if not for Jude. Recently, she was playing with some pine cones that I have in a bowl on the coffee table. She dropped some on the floor -- no biggie. A little later, Jude found a little piece of pine cone and picked it up and put it in his mouth before I even realized what was happening. He then started to choke on it (not serious choking like his face was turning purple -- he was just coughing and gagging), and I had to fish it out of his mouth. It scared me SO BAD! Ever since then, I have been so paranoid about stuff on the floor. I don't know what we are going to do about that! I'm thinking I might just need to put ALL toys except for the huge ones away until Jude is old enough to understand not to put stuff in his mouth. I don't think Aubrey would appreciate that, though!
Thankfully, Jude is still ok with being held a lot. When he starts walking and gets to the stage where he wants to walk everywhere himself, I don't know what I'll do. I can't even imagine having two children running in opposite directions (as I'm pretty positive mine will end up doing). Once we hit that stage, I'll be the lady with her kids on leashes. And we'll definitely be getting our money's worth out of our double stroller. Haha! ;)
The one thing that I can already tell is going to be an issue is making sure that there are no choking hazards on the floor. This wasn't so complicated when Aubrey was first learning to crawl and then walk. I just baby-proofed the house once, and we were good to go. It's so much different with a toddler as well as a newly mobile baby, though, as I'm learning. It's not like Aubrey has a lot of toys with tiny parts that are potential choking hazards, but she does have some things with relatively small parts. Also, sometimes she puts stuff on the floor that I wouldn't even think twice about if not for Jude. Recently, she was playing with some pine cones that I have in a bowl on the coffee table. She dropped some on the floor -- no biggie. A little later, Jude found a little piece of pine cone and picked it up and put it in his mouth before I even realized what was happening. He then started to choke on it (not serious choking like his face was turning purple -- he was just coughing and gagging), and I had to fish it out of his mouth. It scared me SO BAD! Ever since then, I have been so paranoid about stuff on the floor. I don't know what we are going to do about that! I'm thinking I might just need to put ALL toys except for the huge ones away until Jude is old enough to understand not to put stuff in his mouth. I don't think Aubrey would appreciate that, though! 
Thankfully, Jude is still ok with being held a lot. When he starts walking and gets to the stage where he wants to walk everywhere himself, I don't know what I'll do. I can't even imagine having two children running in opposite directions (as I'm pretty positive mine will end up doing). Once we hit that stage, I'll be the lady with her kids on leashes. And we'll definitely be getting our money's worth out of our double stroller. Haha! ;) Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Life With Two: 6 Months In
Now that we are almost 6 months in (WHERE has the time gone??), I thought it was time for me to give a little update on how life with two kids is going. The short answer is that it's wonderful, and I wouldn't trade my two babies for anything in the entire world! Now for the long answer ;)
Life with two children is definitely not without it's challenges, but the transition really has been easier than I expected it to be. I still think, for me, going from no kids to one was a much more difficult transition than going from one to two. I know this is different for everyone, though, and I think a lot depends on your children's personalities. I also realize that having two kids isn't anything unusual or unique to me. Someone from church who has four kids was teasing me the other day and saying that two kids would feel like a vacation! I'm sure that's true, but two kids is the most I have ever had, so it seems like a lot and a big accomplishment to me. Ha! :)
So far, the hardest parts of having two children are:
-Trying to figure out a schedule that works for all of us!
I am still trying to get Jude on a good nap schedule. He ends up taking 2 naps a day (sometimes 3 if we are out and about in the evenings - he will usually sleep in the car for a while). It's just been hard trying to figure out the best time to get anything done between all the naps I'm trying to work around. There just doesn't seem to be any good time to get out of the house and go to the grocery store, run errands, etc. By the time we wake up, eat breakfast, and all get ready, it's time for Jude's first nap. Then it's lunchtime. Then it's time for Aubrey's nap, and, shortly after that, Jude's afternoon nap. By the time they both wake up, it's late afternoon, and the day is over. Thankfully, this hasn't been a huge problem yet, because Jude is still young enough to nap well in his carseat. A lot of times, he ends up taking his morning nap in his carseat. I think this is a large part of the reason why he has had a hard time napping in his bed. We can't stay home all day everyday, though, so we just kind of have to do the best we can. It's also really difficult to get Jude down for a nap while Aubrey is awake. Still trying to figure that one out.
-Not being able to "sleep when the baby sleeps."
I love sleep. I think I require more sleep than the average person. Haha. When Aubrey was a baby, if we had a rough night, I would just put her in the bed with me the the next morning and we would both sleep LATE. Or I could take a nice nap when she napped. That's just really not always an option when you have more than one child. It seems like Aubrey always wakes up the earliest when Jude has had the worst night. And if the thought even crosses my mind that it might be a good day for me to take a nap, I can pretty much bank on Aubrey or Jude or both not napping well. It's just almost guaranteed. There have really been days when I get up feeling like there is no way I'm going to be able to function and take care of two children as sleepy as I am. I do, though, and I've never fallen asleep and had anything crazy happen. Yet. Haha. (Jude actually sleeps worse now than he did when he was 8 weeks old!)
-Having to divide my time between the two children.
This hasn't been as hard as I was worried it would be, simply because Aubrey really adjusted to having Jude around SO easily. Some days she just is a little more clingy than usual or she's just in a funk, and I can't sit and hold her whenever she wants me to anymore. That's because she usually wants me to hold her while I'm feeding Jude. She has just had to learn that the world doesn't revolve around her, and that sometimes we can't have everything we want immediately. This is a lesson that Jude will learn probably earlier than Aubrey, because this does go both ways. Sometimes I am tending to Aubrey and Jude just has to cry for a little while. Of course, it's hard to hear either one of my babies crying, and I wish that I could do more things at once.
-Leaving the house on time.
This one is pretty much impossible for me. No matter how early I start getting us ready to be somewhere, it's always always a mad dash to get out the door, and I have to just take some deep breaths when I finally do get us all in the car. I think this may have more to do with having a nursing baby than with having two kids. Everything just kind of needs to happen at the last minute. I need to feed Jude right before we walk out the door, but I can't get him dressed until after I feed him (he spits up a lot). Because he spits up, I can't get myself dressed until after I feed him either. Then I have to load him into his seat and make sure Aubrey hasn't undressed herself or taken her shoes and socks off, and gather up all of our stuff... whew! This is why my diaper bag usually has no diapers, wipes, or spare clothes in it. Haha! Sometimes it's all I can do to get us out the door ;)
-Making comparisons.
I actually don't have a hard time not comparing Aubrey and Jude to each other. Of course I do like looking back on the blog and seeing what Aubrey was doing at Jude's age, and things like that, but I don't expect Jude to be just like Aubrey or do things at exactly the same age that she did. I do, however, compare what I did for Aubrey to what I do for Jude and how much time I spent holding her and how many pictures I take of him... stuff like that. Sometimes I feel like I have to make everything completely "fair." I have to hold him just as much as I held her, and I can't do a baby book for Jude because I didn't do one for Aubrey, and I have to do the same amount of blog posts about both of them... you get the idea. I've had to realize that I could drive myself crazy if I tried to make everything exactly the same. Aubrey and Jude are individuals, and they might have different needs at different times. They have different personalities and will probably have different interests. I just have to be the best mother that I can be to both of them and love and encourage their uniqueness. While I would NEVER want to show any favoritism (which I honestly can't imagine - how could you have a favorite child??), I won't always treat them exactly the same, and that's ok. Not only is it ok, but it's necessary, in my opinion.
Now for some of the BEST things about having two children:
-Having this much love for two children.
It really is amazing, and I didn't see how it was possible before Jude was born, but I really do love both of these children with my whole heart. I wondered before Jude was born how I would ever love another child as much as I love Aubrey, but I do. It's just that simple. I think it's such a beautiful thing that I love Aubrey more than I can express and I think she is the cutest, sweetest, most precious child on this earth. Period. AND I also love Jude more than I can express, and I think he's the cutest, sweetest, most precious child on this earth. And the fact that I love them both completely takes nothing away from my love for the other. I don't really understand how that's possible, but I know it's true :)
-Watching them interact with each other.
I know Aubrey and Jude are both still really young, but it's cute to see a sweet little relationship developing between them already. They really love each other. They just look at each other and laugh and laugh sometimes. It's the cutest thing ever. Aubrey is so sweet to Jude. The other day, he was crying, and she looked at me and said, "It makes me sad when him cries, Mommy." Melted. my. heart. It would just thrill me to pieces if they are each others best friends. There is just something so special about sibling relationships. Your siblings should just GET you.
-Feeling like a REAL FAMILY.
I know that we were already a "real family" before Jude was born. David and I were our own family from the day we got married, and we were certainly a family when it was just the three of us, too. But for me, there was just something about having multiple kids that cemented that feeling. It was like I woke up one day and realized that David and I have KIDS. Not a child, but CHILDREN. We aren't just playing house or babysitting, these are our children to raise. They have been entrusted to us. It's an amazing, wonderful thing.
-Knowing that I'm doing what I have been called to do.
This isn't necessarily something that came with having two kids, but just with having children in general. I have always wanted to be a mother, and I really feel like this is what God has called me to do. Being at home with these two kids everyday is not always easy, but I know I am fulfilling my calling, and I also realize what a privileged it is. These two little souls are my mission field right now, and I hope and pray that I point them to Christ daily.
Having children is simultaneously the hardest thing and the most amazing thing that I have ever done. Even on the hard days, there is nowhere I would rather be than right here with Aubrey and Jude! :)
Life with two children is definitely not without it's challenges, but the transition really has been easier than I expected it to be. I still think, for me, going from no kids to one was a much more difficult transition than going from one to two. I know this is different for everyone, though, and I think a lot depends on your children's personalities. I also realize that having two kids isn't anything unusual or unique to me. Someone from church who has four kids was teasing me the other day and saying that two kids would feel like a vacation! I'm sure that's true, but two kids is the most I have ever had, so it seems like a lot and a big accomplishment to me. Ha! :)
So far, the hardest parts of having two children are:
-Trying to figure out a schedule that works for all of us!
I am still trying to get Jude on a good nap schedule. He ends up taking 2 naps a day (sometimes 3 if we are out and about in the evenings - he will usually sleep in the car for a while). It's just been hard trying to figure out the best time to get anything done between all the naps I'm trying to work around. There just doesn't seem to be any good time to get out of the house and go to the grocery store, run errands, etc. By the time we wake up, eat breakfast, and all get ready, it's time for Jude's first nap. Then it's lunchtime. Then it's time for Aubrey's nap, and, shortly after that, Jude's afternoon nap. By the time they both wake up, it's late afternoon, and the day is over. Thankfully, this hasn't been a huge problem yet, because Jude is still young enough to nap well in his carseat. A lot of times, he ends up taking his morning nap in his carseat. I think this is a large part of the reason why he has had a hard time napping in his bed. We can't stay home all day everyday, though, so we just kind of have to do the best we can. It's also really difficult to get Jude down for a nap while Aubrey is awake. Still trying to figure that one out.
-Not being able to "sleep when the baby sleeps."
I love sleep. I think I require more sleep than the average person. Haha. When Aubrey was a baby, if we had a rough night, I would just put her in the bed with me the the next morning and we would both sleep LATE. Or I could take a nice nap when she napped. That's just really not always an option when you have more than one child. It seems like Aubrey always wakes up the earliest when Jude has had the worst night. And if the thought even crosses my mind that it might be a good day for me to take a nap, I can pretty much bank on Aubrey or Jude or both not napping well. It's just almost guaranteed. There have really been days when I get up feeling like there is no way I'm going to be able to function and take care of two children as sleepy as I am. I do, though, and I've never fallen asleep and had anything crazy happen. Yet. Haha. (Jude actually sleeps worse now than he did when he was 8 weeks old!)
-Having to divide my time between the two children.
This hasn't been as hard as I was worried it would be, simply because Aubrey really adjusted to having Jude around SO easily. Some days she just is a little more clingy than usual or she's just in a funk, and I can't sit and hold her whenever she wants me to anymore. That's because she usually wants me to hold her while I'm feeding Jude. She has just had to learn that the world doesn't revolve around her, and that sometimes we can't have everything we want immediately. This is a lesson that Jude will learn probably earlier than Aubrey, because this does go both ways. Sometimes I am tending to Aubrey and Jude just has to cry for a little while. Of course, it's hard to hear either one of my babies crying, and I wish that I could do more things at once.
-Leaving the house on time.
This one is pretty much impossible for me. No matter how early I start getting us ready to be somewhere, it's always always a mad dash to get out the door, and I have to just take some deep breaths when I finally do get us all in the car. I think this may have more to do with having a nursing baby than with having two kids. Everything just kind of needs to happen at the last minute. I need to feed Jude right before we walk out the door, but I can't get him dressed until after I feed him (he spits up a lot). Because he spits up, I can't get myself dressed until after I feed him either. Then I have to load him into his seat and make sure Aubrey hasn't undressed herself or taken her shoes and socks off, and gather up all of our stuff... whew! This is why my diaper bag usually has no diapers, wipes, or spare clothes in it. Haha! Sometimes it's all I can do to get us out the door ;)
-Making comparisons.
I actually don't have a hard time not comparing Aubrey and Jude to each other. Of course I do like looking back on the blog and seeing what Aubrey was doing at Jude's age, and things like that, but I don't expect Jude to be just like Aubrey or do things at exactly the same age that she did. I do, however, compare what I did for Aubrey to what I do for Jude and how much time I spent holding her and how many pictures I take of him... stuff like that. Sometimes I feel like I have to make everything completely "fair." I have to hold him just as much as I held her, and I can't do a baby book for Jude because I didn't do one for Aubrey, and I have to do the same amount of blog posts about both of them... you get the idea. I've had to realize that I could drive myself crazy if I tried to make everything exactly the same. Aubrey and Jude are individuals, and they might have different needs at different times. They have different personalities and will probably have different interests. I just have to be the best mother that I can be to both of them and love and encourage their uniqueness. While I would NEVER want to show any favoritism (which I honestly can't imagine - how could you have a favorite child??), I won't always treat them exactly the same, and that's ok. Not only is it ok, but it's necessary, in my opinion.
Now for some of the BEST things about having two children:
-Having this much love for two children.
It really is amazing, and I didn't see how it was possible before Jude was born, but I really do love both of these children with my whole heart. I wondered before Jude was born how I would ever love another child as much as I love Aubrey, but I do. It's just that simple. I think it's such a beautiful thing that I love Aubrey more than I can express and I think she is the cutest, sweetest, most precious child on this earth. Period. AND I also love Jude more than I can express, and I think he's the cutest, sweetest, most precious child on this earth. And the fact that I love them both completely takes nothing away from my love for the other. I don't really understand how that's possible, but I know it's true :)
-Watching them interact with each other.
I know Aubrey and Jude are both still really young, but it's cute to see a sweet little relationship developing between them already. They really love each other. They just look at each other and laugh and laugh sometimes. It's the cutest thing ever. Aubrey is so sweet to Jude. The other day, he was crying, and she looked at me and said, "It makes me sad when him cries, Mommy." Melted. my. heart. It would just thrill me to pieces if they are each others best friends. There is just something so special about sibling relationships. Your siblings should just GET you.
-Feeling like a REAL FAMILY.
I know that we were already a "real family" before Jude was born. David and I were our own family from the day we got married, and we were certainly a family when it was just the three of us, too. But for me, there was just something about having multiple kids that cemented that feeling. It was like I woke up one day and realized that David and I have KIDS. Not a child, but CHILDREN. We aren't just playing house or babysitting, these are our children to raise. They have been entrusted to us. It's an amazing, wonderful thing.
-Knowing that I'm doing what I have been called to do.
This isn't necessarily something that came with having two kids, but just with having children in general. I have always wanted to be a mother, and I really feel like this is what God has called me to do. Being at home with these two kids everyday is not always easy, but I know I am fulfilling my calling, and I also realize what a privileged it is. These two little souls are my mission field right now, and I hope and pray that I point them to Christ daily.
Having children is simultaneously the hardest thing and the most amazing thing that I have ever done. Even on the hard days, there is nowhere I would rather be than right here with Aubrey and Jude! :)
Friday, December 31, 2010
Year in Review: 2010
I wanted to recap 2010 like I did last year for 2009. We really have had a great year. God has been so good to our little family. Of course the biggest blessing we received this year was an addition to our family. Growing our family is the most wonderful, joyful thing I can imagine. We also got settled into a new house, went on a trip or two, and hosted several family gatherings in our home. I'm getting ahead of myself, though :) So, without further ado, here is a summary of 2010.
January was a fun month because the cat was finally out of the bag that we were expecting another baby! We started taking weekly belly pictures of our sweet little baby. Unfortunately, we didn't do this nearly as diligently as we did with Aubrey. It really is true what they say about taking less pictures of your second child. At least it has been for us. Here is Jude's belly debut. I think I was about 12 or 13 weeks along.
We also were very busy unpacking and getting settled into our new home. We did lots of work around the house right after we moved in like replacing the carpet, painting, and having the backyard fenced. 
I definitely did NOT enjoy living in chaos and was just so ready to feel settled. Our dining room (and most of the rest of our house) looked like this for a while:
Aubrey was a cute as ever and never seemed bothered by the move or our crazy, unorganized house. She was constantly doing cute things to keep us laughing (and that definitely has not changed!). 
In February, our crazy dog, Knightly, started getting out of our backyard. Apparently he didn't like our new house, and he would just jump right over the fence. This went on for quite some time and caused us some stress and frustration. (We finally had to put an electric fence around the gate, and he hasn't escaped since.) 
We also got a big snow (for us) that month. Everything looked like a winter wonderland, and it was so beautiful!
Aubrey absolutely loved playing in the snow even though we don't really have snow appropriate apparel and she was freezing. We had to make her go inside after a while to warm up, and she was not happy! 
This month was especially exciting because we found out our sweet baby was a boy! We hosted a gender reveal party at our house to tell our families the exciting news! Everyone was thrilled to find out a baby brother was on the way!
It was nice that we had the gender reveal party because it gave us a deadline to get a lot of stuff done around the house. It was finally starting to feel like home! 
March was a big month for "halfs." I reached the half-way point in my pregnancy with Jude, and Aubrey turned one and a half years old! :)
We took our first trip to the zoo that month, and Aubrey was good but unimpressed. 
Jude (who's name we still hadn't announced) was really starting to make an appearance!
In April, we went to my uncle's house for a cookout, and Aubrey saw a horse for the first time. She thought the big "puppies" were pretty cool!
We hosted both of our families for Easter lunch after church. That went well, and we loved being with both of our families for Easter. 
Here is Jude in my Easter dress ;) 
After much consideration, we finally decided to tell everyone what we had named our sweet little boy.
Sadly, David's grandmother passed away in April, and we traveled to Tennessee for her funeral towards the end of the month. Aubrey loved riding the elevator while at the hotel and playing in the crib. Not sleeping in the crib, just PLAYING.
At the beginning of May, David and I took a trip to Seaside, Florida. This was our babymoon, and so we left Aubrey at home with my parents. We missed her, but we had SUCH a wonderful trip! It was so restful and fun, and it was great for David and me to have some one on one time. 
Of course, we were so excited to get home to see Aubrey, and we had a joyful reunion! Well, we were glad to see Aubrey at least. She had had a super fun time with her grandparents and didn't seem to care that we were home.Haha! 
We got to work painting Aubrey's "big girl room" that she would move into before Jude was born. 
And I had one last girls' night with Ashley and Sarah Denley before Ashley moved.
In June, David's best friend from highschool got married, and David was the best man.
David spent a TON of time painting Aubrey's new crib, and my grandmother made Jude's beautiful crib bedding. We were really starting to feel the pressure to get things done before Jude was born!
We finally moved Aubrey to her new room and bed, and it was a painless transition, much to my surprise and delight. We started painting Jude's room after we moved Aubrey out, and she "helped" us paint her baby brother's room. 
Aubrey modeled one of my old dresses in July and looked adorable doing it. 
Our great friends, the Arants, came over for the Fourth of July and Aubrey loved having her boyfriend Carver over ;) 
I looked like I was about to POP on July 15th...
... and then Jude was born on the 16th after a relatively short but painful labor.
Aubrey fell in love with her baby brother the first time she laid eyes on him and cried to hold him whenever we would take him away. I was SO happy and relieved that she loved him! 
A couple of weeks later, David's sisters came to meet Jude and my grandparents had a 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration! That was a BUSY weekend! 
Jude was finally able to have his first real bath after his cord fell off in August. He was not a fan. 
He WAS a big fan of the Moby wrap, though :)
Aubrey was one adorablely sweet big sister...
And Jude turned one month old and started really smiling!
Aubrey also got sick that month, and David took her to the doctor in a rather interesting ensemble. Haha. 
Jude was growing like a weed and quite a laid back little fellow.
David celebrated his birthday in October, and Aubrey seemed to really enjoy the cake I cooked for him. Haha. 
David and I, along with two of my brothers, took Aubrey and Jude to the fair for the first time that month, and it was a fun family outing!
Aubrey watched several football games with her daddy and really got into saying "War Eagle!" David said football season was even more fun and exciting with a little buddy to watch/cheer with :)
We attended the fall festival at our church, and I think Aubrey and Jude were the cutest little cowgirl and cow I've ever seen! 
We finally got our dining room furniture in November after painting, and painting, and painting some MORE! We got it just in the nick of time since we had said from the first day we moved into our house that we wanted to host Thanksgiving and have our dining room done by then.
I had a little impromptu photo shoot with Aubrey and Jude one day and realized that getting a picture with two kids and having them both looking at the camera AND smiling is pretty much beyond my skill set. Ha!
And then we hosted my family for Thanksgiving. It was a great, laid-back, fun day. Aubrey was quite the little helper ;) 
I was so excited when December finally rolled around! It's by far my favorite month! I was thrilled to get to decorate our house for Christmas for the first time. Last year, I didn't get to decorate since our house was still in chaos from the move (see picture above. ha!). I had fun deciding where I wanted to put all of our Christmas decorations. 
Aubrey looked precious posing in front of the tree.
We went to a festival of lights at a nearby town with the Arants one weekend. 
I helped my Bible Study group throw a Christmas party for my dad's ministry, Son's of the King.
Finally, we celebrated a wonderful Christmas with our families (post still to come). It was a sweet time to remember our Savior's birth and be thankful that He humbled Himself and dwelt among us so many years ago.
2010 was not without hard times, but we know that everyday of the past year, the Lord was with us. Through the good and the bad. We are so thankful that He will continue to be with us as we embark on a new year. He is so good, and we pray that we will bring glory to Him throughout 2011 and our whole lives!
January was a fun month because the cat was finally out of the bag that we were expecting another baby! We started taking weekly belly pictures of our sweet little baby. Unfortunately, we didn't do this nearly as diligently as we did with Aubrey. It really is true what they say about taking less pictures of your second child. At least it has been for us. Here is Jude's belly debut. I think I was about 12 or 13 weeks along.
We also were very busy unpacking and getting settled into our new home. We did lots of work around the house right after we moved in like replacing the carpet, painting, and having the backyard fenced. 
I definitely did NOT enjoy living in chaos and was just so ready to feel settled. Our dining room (and most of the rest of our house) looked like this for a while:
Aubrey was a cute as ever and never seemed bothered by the move or our crazy, unorganized house. She was constantly doing cute things to keep us laughing (and that definitely has not changed!). 
In February, our crazy dog, Knightly, started getting out of our backyard. Apparently he didn't like our new house, and he would just jump right over the fence. This went on for quite some time and caused us some stress and frustration. (We finally had to put an electric fence around the gate, and he hasn't escaped since.) 
We also got a big snow (for us) that month. Everything looked like a winter wonderland, and it was so beautiful!
Aubrey absolutely loved playing in the snow even though we don't really have snow appropriate apparel and she was freezing. We had to make her go inside after a while to warm up, and she was not happy! 
This month was especially exciting because we found out our sweet baby was a boy! We hosted a gender reveal party at our house to tell our families the exciting news! Everyone was thrilled to find out a baby brother was on the way!
It was nice that we had the gender reveal party because it gave us a deadline to get a lot of stuff done around the house. It was finally starting to feel like home! 
March was a big month for "halfs." I reached the half-way point in my pregnancy with Jude, and Aubrey turned one and a half years old! :)
We took our first trip to the zoo that month, and Aubrey was good but unimpressed. 
Jude (who's name we still hadn't announced) was really starting to make an appearance!
In April, we went to my uncle's house for a cookout, and Aubrey saw a horse for the first time. She thought the big "puppies" were pretty cool!
We hosted both of our families for Easter lunch after church. That went well, and we loved being with both of our families for Easter. 
Here is Jude in my Easter dress ;) 
After much consideration, we finally decided to tell everyone what we had named our sweet little boy.Sadly, David's grandmother passed away in April, and we traveled to Tennessee for her funeral towards the end of the month. Aubrey loved riding the elevator while at the hotel and playing in the crib. Not sleeping in the crib, just PLAYING.
At the beginning of May, David and I took a trip to Seaside, Florida. This was our babymoon, and so we left Aubrey at home with my parents. We missed her, but we had SUCH a wonderful trip! It was so restful and fun, and it was great for David and me to have some one on one time. 
Of course, we were so excited to get home to see Aubrey, and we had a joyful reunion! Well, we were glad to see Aubrey at least. She had had a super fun time with her grandparents and didn't seem to care that we were home.Haha! 
We got to work painting Aubrey's "big girl room" that she would move into before Jude was born. 
And I had one last girls' night with Ashley and Sarah Denley before Ashley moved.
In June, David's best friend from highschool got married, and David was the best man.
David spent a TON of time painting Aubrey's new crib, and my grandmother made Jude's beautiful crib bedding. We were really starting to feel the pressure to get things done before Jude was born!
We finally moved Aubrey to her new room and bed, and it was a painless transition, much to my surprise and delight. We started painting Jude's room after we moved Aubrey out, and she "helped" us paint her baby brother's room. 
Aubrey modeled one of my old dresses in July and looked adorable doing it. 
Our great friends, the Arants, came over for the Fourth of July and Aubrey loved having her boyfriend Carver over ;) 
I looked like I was about to POP on July 15th...
... and then Jude was born on the 16th after a relatively short but painful labor.
Aubrey fell in love with her baby brother the first time she laid eyes on him and cried to hold him whenever we would take him away. I was SO happy and relieved that she loved him! 
A couple of weeks later, David's sisters came to meet Jude and my grandparents had a 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration! That was a BUSY weekend! 
Aubrey was one adorablely sweet big sister...
And Jude turned one month old and started really smiling!
In September, we continued to adjust to life with 2 babies.
And our first born baby turned TWO! We had a fun little party for her, and she got tons of new loot!
Aubrey also got sick that month, and David took her to the doctor in a rather interesting ensemble. Haha. 
Jude was growing like a weed and quite a laid back little fellow.
David and I, along with two of my brothers, took Aubrey and Jude to the fair for the first time that month, and it was a fun family outing!
Aubrey watched several football games with her daddy and really got into saying "War Eagle!" David said football season was even more fun and exciting with a little buddy to watch/cheer with :)
We finally got our dining room furniture in November after painting, and painting, and painting some MORE! We got it just in the nick of time since we had said from the first day we moved into our house that we wanted to host Thanksgiving and have our dining room done by then.
I had a little impromptu photo shoot with Aubrey and Jude one day and realized that getting a picture with two kids and having them both looking at the camera AND smiling is pretty much beyond my skill set. Ha!
And then we hosted my family for Thanksgiving. It was a great, laid-back, fun day. Aubrey was quite the little helper ;) 
I was so excited when December finally rolled around! It's by far my favorite month! I was thrilled to get to decorate our house for Christmas for the first time. Last year, I didn't get to decorate since our house was still in chaos from the move (see picture above. ha!). I had fun deciding where I wanted to put all of our Christmas decorations. 
Aubrey looked precious posing in front of the tree.
We went to a festival of lights at a nearby town with the Arants one weekend. 
I helped my Bible Study group throw a Christmas party for my dad's ministry, Son's of the King.
Finally, we celebrated a wonderful Christmas with our families (post still to come). It was a sweet time to remember our Savior's birth and be thankful that He humbled Himself and dwelt among us so many years ago.
2010 was not without hard times, but we know that everyday of the past year, the Lord was with us. Through the good and the bad. We are so thankful that He will continue to be with us as we embark on a new year. He is so good, and we pray that we will bring glory to Him throughout 2011 and our whole lives!
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