Hopeful Thoughts

If you’ve seen any of my Facebook status updates in the last three months, you are well aware that sleep has been a big issue in our home recently. Things got so bad that I was literally being woken up by the baby more that once per hour during the night, which made it impossible to get enough sleep. I was cranky, my husband was cranky, and really, the baby was too. Neither of us is a fan of letting our baby cry alone in his crib, but I was so exhausted that I didn’t think there was another way out. I felt helpless.

As my husband and I have worked to remedy the situation, we learned that we’ve been doing a lot of things wrong from the beginning. Our lives would have been a lot different if we’d made some different choices about sleep from the start. I’d like to share a few things I’ve learned in the last six months in hopes of saving new moms and moms to be form the same frustration.

First of all, EVERYONE has their opinions about babies and sleep. You’re going to get advice from every extreme and in between possible. The best thing to do is listen to what people have to say, do some research on your own, and then make choices that are right for your family.

Tip #1: Read up on sleep ahead of time

There are some great books out there, and knowledge is the best tool. If we had read more before G was born, then we would have been able to prevent a lot of the problems we’ve had.

Tip #2: Swaddle your baby

We started out doing this with great success and then I stopped for no good reason. G sleeps so much better when he’s cozy and swaddled. Now, I swaddle him every time he sleeps, even at 6 months old.

Tip #3: Decide where your baby is going to sleep and stick to it.

We decided that Grayson was going to sleep in his play yard and then transition to his crib. In a perfect world, he would sleep in the bed with us, but my husband is a very hard sleeper that moves a lot. That said, we felt it would be safest for the baby if he didn’t sleep with us. Take a look at these photos and see if you can identify a problem.

We allowed G to sleep in a zillion other places during the day as opposed to encouraging the behavior we wanted. I think what hurt his sleep patterns the most was allowing him to sleep with me for three weeks while at my parents’. Please let me make it clear that I am not opposed to co-sleeping. However, you can’t expect your baby to sleep in his own bed if he gets used to sleeping with you.

Tip #4: Don’t trust your baby to sleep when he needs to.

I was convinced that my baby was a cat-napper who wouldn’t nap more than 30 minutes at a time. Then I read in Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child that this simply isn’t true. Babies will give you clues to when they are tired, but parents have to take the initiative to put them down for naps.

Once I started paying attention to G’s cues, I realized a pattern in his sleepy times. He takes at least three naps a day, and every one is at least an hour. I am sure to swaddle him and put him in his crib if at all possible. He never sleeps as long if he’s out if his crib.

Tip #5: You are not helpless!

“Crying it out” was as highly recommended to me as it was opposed. Fact is, it works. Problem is, it’s traumatic for both the baby and the parents and we just weren’t OK with that. (No offense to those who’ve used it. As I said before, every family has to do what’s right for them.) What we wound up doing was gradually working up to getting G to fall asleep in his bed on his own, and limiting the times I would feed him if he woke up.

We don’t have a perfectly sleeping baby yet, but we are well on our way. I can now lay my swaddled son down in his crib, stroke his hair, and, quite often, he’ll fall asleep on his own.

Updated 3/26/2011 when I learned about shaking your pocket diapers and Econobum covers

As soon as people find out that you are using cloth diapers, they have one of two reactions. Either they think you’re nuts, or they think it’s amazing and they start asking you more questions about what kinds to use. If you are one of those who thinks I’m crazy, you can go back and read my post from earlier in the year on why I chose to use them. If you are one of those with questions, read on, my friend!

There are three basic types of cloth diapers on the market. I’m going to try to address all three and give my experience with each and tell what I think are the pros and cons. I’ll also try to recommend brands that I like, but keep in mind that there are a LOT of cloth diapers on the market. The best way to find out what you like is to try a few and see what works best for you and your family. I recommend visiting the following sites as you research options: Green Mountain Diapers, Cotton Babies, Jillian’s Drawers, and GroVia. The sites are full of great information, but are also great places to do your shopping.

Type 1: Covers and Pre-folds

Newborn Prorap cover with Unbleached Indian cotton prefold in infant size.

These are the new and improved version of the traditional cloth diapers that our parents used and the first type I was exposed to. My sister started off cloth diapering her second child using Cloth-eez prefold diapers and Bummi’s super snap covers she ordered from Green Mountain Diapers. I started Grayson off in tiny newborn Indian cotton prefolds and ProRap covers with velcro that were purchased from the Little Lions web site. Back in the old days, you had a giant piece of cotton that you folded up to fit your baby, pinned with those GIANT safety pins, and then covered with plastic pants. These days, it’s so much easier. The cotton comes pre-folded and stitched into various sizes to fit your baby. Also, pins aren’t needed. You can use Snappi fasteners or simply fasten a water proof cover over the prefold. The Snappis are a great option because they give a better fit to your baby which helps to contain messes.

I liked the ProRap covers for a couple of reasons. They fit the tiny baby and held in the messes really well. The newborn size scoops down in the front to allow the belly button to stay dry. I also like the ease of the velcro closures, though snaps are an option in some sizes. In addition, they seem to be one of the cheapest covers out there! Bummis also come with velcro, but my sister chose the snaps. Lots of people prefer the snaps because it’s harder for the baby to remove his own diaper than with velcro. However, I don’t think you get as good of a fit, and the solution to diaper removal is to put a onesie or pants on your baby. Simple!

A tiny Grayson in a ProRap diaper cover.

When Grayson got a little bigger, I switched to Thirsties Duo Wrap covers and larger prefolds. The Duo Wraps come in two sizes, both are adjustable. I like that the two sizes give a better fit as your baby grows. (Thirsties also sells sized diapers that don’t adjust.) There are lots of “One size” cover options out there, but some complain that they tend to be too big on a little baby and too small on a big one. It’s a matter of preference and budget as you decided whether to replace your covers for each size or choose “One Size” diapers.

This is a Size One in the Thisties Duo Wrap. This size fit Grayson until he was about 5 months old. At almost 6 months, the Size Two is a better fit..

Recently, I became aware of Econobum diapers, made by Cotton Babies (they also make Bum Genius). These diapers are amazingly affordable. They are one-size covers that run less than $10 a piece. Depending on which package you choose, you can stock your diaper collection with 2 dozen prefolds and 6-8 covers for right around $100! These diapers have a great fit and come in 4 color options. The covers aren’t designed to last through multiple children, but the prefolds are some of the nicest I’ve seen.

There is also the option of wool “soakers” to use over the prefolds. Wool naturally deodorizes and is very absorbent. It also allows the skin to breathe, and doesn’t make a baby hot like you might expect. I haven’t personally used wool covers, but I made a few for my my sister who loved them on her baby in the summer time when she dressed him in nothing but a diaper and a t-shirt. (See the post on this knitting project.) She moved away from the in the winter because his pants were getting damp. Wool covers are very expensive to buy, but REALLY cheap to make if you are a knitter.

Covers and prefolds are a good choice for many because this is by far the cheapest option (even if you get new sizes when your baby grows) and one that provides a good fit for babies because prefolds are chosen to fit to the size of your child. There are also several “hybrid” options that allow you to use reusable covers with disposable inserts. A friend of mine has had a great experience with GroVia diapers. I think I would like to try these myself, but I’ve already invested in other types!

For the time being, I have moved away from covers and prefolds because babies tend to feel wetness more, and this didn’t work for us. Grayson hated being wet and I was changing his diaper every 30 minutes! We may return to it when Grayson is ready for potty training, but, for now we’ve chosen to go another route.

Type 2: Pocket Diapers

Pocket diapers provide a barrier between the baby and the absorbent layer. This has been a GREAT solution for my baby who hates being wet. The absorbent later fits inside a pocket created by the waterproof shell and a liner of a breathable layer like fleece. Usually the absorbent layer has to be removed before washing, which can be pretty yucky. However, I recently learned from another blog that you can grab the diaper by the closed end and simply shake out the lining into the diaper pail!

This shot is just to give an idea of how pocket diapers function.

We started with small sizeFuzziBuns, which are great. I know several people who have loved these diapers and they come in sizes as well as “one size” options. Ours were used previously and tended to leak because liquid beaded up on the liner. This is a common problem if you use diaper creams on your baby and most diaper companies advise against this. In fact, it voids the warranty if you use diaper creams. A product like RLR can help with this problem in most cases, but these particular diapers were just too old, so I had to order new ones. However, the design of the Fuzzi Buns diapers makes them function well as covers over prefolds, and I used them that way for awhile.

Grayson in small Fuzzi Bunz at two months old. He weighed about 14 pounds. Snaps are on almost the tightest setting, so he still had room to grow into these.

After lots of online research and praises from friends, I decided to go with Bum Genius one size pocket diapers with velcro closures. Most of my stash is version 3.0, but I added a dozen of version 4.0 when they went on sale. The new version is a bit more roomy, but essentially the same. We also wound up with a few Thirsties Duo pocket diapers and one lone Happy Heinys pocket diaper (the result of a doting grandma who found one with cute little bears on it!). The BumGenius have become my favorites, but Thirsties are easier to wash because the pockets are designed to allow the liners to agitate out in the wash so you don’t have to remove them before washing.

Grayson in a BumGenius 3.0 pocket diaper, one size.

Positives for pockets diapers are the barrier to wetness, middle price range , quick to wash and dry, and easy to put on (no pins or Snappis needed).

Negatives are expense, tendency to leak over time requiring “stripping”, and the need to stuff the liners in after each wash.

Type 3: All in Ones

These diapers are ready to go with a moisture barrier without stuffing, but there is no liner to remove. They are the easiest to use. They work pretty much like disposables except you have to wash them. The only con is the price, but it’s big enough that if savings is your reason for choosing cloth, this is probably not your diaper type. It’s also difficult to find a one size option in this type, so you have to restock your diapers every time you need a new size.

How many diapers do you need?

This really depends on how often you want to wash diapers and what kind you choose. I think 2 dozen is ideal to wash no more than every other day. If you choose covers and prefolds, this means you need 2 dozen prefolds, but probably only 6 covers since you can reuse a cover several times. If you choose pockets or AIOs, you need a full 24 diapers in the current size.

I’m still confused. How do I decide?

Several companies offer a diaper trial package for amazing prices. You can try all different kinds and send back what you don’t like for almost a full refund. A great one that I know of isJillian’s Drawers. Green Mountain diapers offers a great outline of what to start with.

Also, all the websites that I have referenced are LOADED with great information about how to choose, use, and care for your cloth diapers. Spend time reading as much as you can before you make your decision and you won’t be disappointed.

I do recommend that you use a newborn sized diaper option to begin with, no matter what type of diaper you choose. One size diapers tend to be too big for tiny newborns. Many avid cloth diapering folks will even use disposables until their babies are big enough to wear their one size diapers.

Also, invest in a diaper sprayer for cleaning solids out of the diapers before you wash. I don’t care what your budget is, these will make your life SOOOOO much easier when you start your baby on solids!!

Happy cloth diapering!

Which is why it’s been another 6 weeks since I last posted! Grayson is 12 weeks old today! As I write this, he is hanging out in his baby gym, swatting at the hanging rattles, wriggling around enough to rotate his position relative to the square he’s resting on, and “talking” up a storm! So many changes in such a short amount of time. I can’t believe how quickly it’s flying by!

LIfe with a baby is amazing, but challenging. I wouldn’t change it for the world, but there are times when I feel torn between loving on my little man, the house work that needs to get done, and the things that I would like to do. SInce I run a tutoring business out of my home, I really do HAVE to keep things picked up since it would be unprofessional not to. The laundry must get done so we have clean diapers and clothes that don’t reek of spit up. I’d love to just sit and snuggle with my little man all day long, but I find myself looking for every opportunity to put him down so I can get the housework done.

Thank God that we are blessed with a pretty happy baby. Of course he has his cranky times of day when he needs a nap, but, for the most part, he’s easy going. As he gets older, he is able to entertain himself for a bit longer and I am able to get things done in less time, giving me more time to hang out with him! I’m also finding time to do some of the things I want to do…like getting back into crochet and knitting just in time to get the Christmas presents made!

I have a long list of blog topics that I hope to get around to in the next few weeks. In the meantime, here are some pictures of my little man from the weeks since I last posted.

Grandma got lots of smiles when she came to visit at 7 weeks.

A 7 week old Grayson enjoying his bath.

This is how an 8 week old hangs out at the coffee shop.

A shot taken on the day he turned 2 months old.

This is how Grayson listens to the sermon. It's OK for a 9 week old, but we'll expect better in a year or so!

This is one sleepy 9 week old boy!

We LOVE our ducky towel! Thanks Miss Lynette!

I think this is my favorite photo so far. He is SOOO cute! He's 10 weeks here.

I was amazed at how long he let these stay on his face. I actually took them off before he ever complained because they are just too big!

The "Magic" stroller that Grandma gave us. It's magic because he'll almost always go to sleep!

Just before the eyes close for a nap. So sweet!

Grayson's first time in the high chair. Almost 12 weeks. This is now one of his favorite places to be!

This is how Grayson watched volleyball. I can't believe he fell asleep with all that noise!

First time in the Bumbo seat. I think this will be a new favorite!

My hands have been really full for the last 6 weeks, but things are finally settling into a bit of a routine. Looks like there will only be one load of laundry today instead of the typical three, and I’m figuring out when I can lay the little guy down to get a few things done for myself.

This week, it’s been especially important that I find time to pick up the house and make myself presentable. My tutoring business, Hope4Math, is officially up and running. I have a total of 14 students, 10 of which were inherited from my friend when she was relocated. This load takes 12 hours over the course of 4 days each week. I have sitters coming to the house to watch Grayson while I attempt to guide young minds down the road to improved math comprehension.

But, what you’re really interested in is the “little” guy, right? He’s already TWELVE pounds! I think my body is making pure butter! Here are a few pictures taken since his arrival.

A BRAND NEW Grayson

On the way home from the birth center. So tiny in the car seat!

One Day Old

Three days old, hanging out in a sunny window. Look how big his diapers seem to be!

Five Days Old

21 inches and only 7 pounds at five days, my sister dubbed him a "string bean".

Almost three weeks old

Silly Grayson! At three weeks, he loves to bury his face in Daddy's arm.

Meeting his oldest cousin, Jocelyn, who just turned 5 at then end of August. I can't believe I've been an aunt for 5 years!

Four Weeks Old

Almost 4 weeks here. I love this face! It's his polite way of telling mommy that he is hungry. It was taken right after a bath.

One month old, on our way to church. He's just beginning to appreciate toys.

He's almost 6 weeks in this photo. It's amazing how much bigger he is!

At 3:30 in the morning on July 28, 2010, I got up to go to the bathroom, as is normal for most pregnant women. The difference this time? When I got back in the bed, I felt the spill of a gush of water. “Crap!” I thought, “he’s not due for another week and my sister won’t be here for two more days!!”

I knew the process had begun, though, and there was no changing the course of events. My life was about to change forever!

I leaned over and woke up my husband, told him what happened, and then called the midwife on call for my birthing center. She told me to go back to bed and come in to the center at 9 AM when it opened. “Great! I get to go back to bed!” I called my mom to let her know what happened, and then crawled back into the bed. But, there was no more sleep. I laid there for a couple of hours before giving up on sleep and going to do some laundry.

I called my sister about 6:00 AM to let her know what was going on. She was waiting for her ride to the airport so she and her kids could go to my parents’ house. The original plan was for her to spend two nights with my folks, and then come here on Friday. Over the course of the next 2 hours, between my mom and I, we were able to find her a flight into DFW for that night, landing at 9 PM. I was so relieved that she was coming, even though I didn’t know if she would arrive before or after the baby.

I tried to sleep again at 7, but mom called again almost immediately after my head hit the pillow. I couldn’t get off the phone again before I walked out the door to head to the birthing center.

We arrived at the birthing center just after 9:00 AM, where I was examined. The exam revealed that there were essentially no other signs of labor and I’d only experienced a partial rupture of the waters. I felt crampy, but I wasn’t having “waves” of individual contractions like I expected. I was told to walk and pump in 30 minute intervals to try to get contractions to start.

By 3:30 in the afternoon, 12 hours after my water broke, I wasn’t even dilated to a 2, though I was slightly effaced. My midwife began mentioning the “H” word (hospital). She was concerned that I was going to need pitocin to get contractions going stronger since I didn’t seem to be progressing. They were also concerned about the possibility of infection.

At 5:30, I wasn’t any further along. The midwife decided to break the rest of my water in hopes of jump starting labor, but she was really talking hospital at this point. We set back to walking and pumping, only I was instructed to do squats every time I had a contraction.

As the evening progressed, I could tell my contractions were getting stronger, but not fast enough for my midwife. She was still really concerned about the length of time that had passed. I told her my sister was on her way and asked that I be allowed to wait until she arrived before transferring. She consented, and agreed to stick it out with me as long as I wanted.

The sun set, and things were still moving slow. The midwife realized how tired I was, and mentioned that I would be able to rest at the hospital. I was exhausted, and the idea of rest was so appealing. My husband and I both really wanted to avoid the hospital, but there came a point that we felt we were just postponing the inevitable. We began to ask questions about what we could expect to happen at the hospital. Even so, something told me it was all going to be OK once my sister arrived.

It must have been around 9 PM when it was suggested that my sister meet us at the hospital. I knew how many people were praying for us. I’d been posting updates on Facebook and seen all the responses that were coming in from church friends and family. Regardless of what happened, I wasn’t ready to give up yet, so I told the midwife that I didn’t want to go anywhere until my sister arrived at the birthing center.

My sister’s flight was delayed an hour and then they were stuck in traffic, but I stuck to my plan and waited for her to get there. She finally arrived after 11:00 PM. A check by the midwife revealed that I was dilated to a 4. Still a long way from 10, but certainly progress in the right direction. She was still talking hospital and even mentioned that a c-section was a possibility. The baby was face up when he should have been face down. After chatting it over with my sister and husband, we all decided that we wanted to stay. The midwife consented, but only if I agreed to an IV for antibiotics. Of course I would agree to that! I was going to be allowed to stay!

We weren’t out of the weeds yet. A deadline was set. If I wasn’t to a point where it was apparent that a baby was coming soon by 3:30, I was going to the hospital, no more negotiations.

The details of the next 4 hours are fuzzy. I was so tired that I slept between most contractions, and even through some of them (the mild ones). I fell asleep sitting up on several occasions! The contractions continued to get more painful. Because of the baby’s position, they radiated around my middle and down through my thighs. Not fun! My midwife patiently observed and waited. I could tell she was convinced that I was going to be headed to the hospital.

My 3:30 deadline arrived and I was checked. My midwife’s analysis? “Hope, you’ve made a liar out of me! You’re dilated to a 9!!” I knew she was thrilled to be able to tell me this, and I was thrilled to hear it! We discussed the tub, but I was told that wasn’t going to be an option because of the face up position of the baby. However, I was allowed to take a hot shower. The water felt so good on my aching body! It was so relaxing that I felt my contractions seem to wane and become less intense. This concerned me, but I didn’t mention it. About 10 minutes later, I leaned over on the seat to cope with one of the contractions that did come and I felt a strange sensation that I could only identify as a need to push.

“I think I need to push!” I called to those outside. I was whisked out of the shower and back into the birth room. After nearly 2 hours of pushing and an episiotomy, Grayson Parker was born at 5:50 in the morning on July 29, 2010. 7 pounds and 2 ounces, 21 inches long, with a dimple!!!

Praise God! We did it! No hospital, no pitocin, no pain meds, no c-section.

I’m not going to look down on anyone that has those things as part of their delivery. They are not bad. For me, however, it was important that I have my baby naturally. I’m only 5 feet tall, and I’ve heard negative comments all my life about things I wouldn’t be able to do because of my small build. I have to short friends and both of them had complications with delivery. I think I felt deep down that I had something to prove for the short people! 🙂

It was an experience that I will cherish and I am so thankful that everything fell into place. I give God the glory that it did, because, without His divine intervention, I would have been just another medicated hospital delivery.

Excerpt from our contract with the home warranty company:

“Pre-existing conditions are not covered by this contract. However, for Buyer’s and Seller’s coverage only and for systems that become inoperative due to normal wear and tear, there is no denial of coverage (“No Fault” coverage) for: (a) malfunctions that existed on the effective date of the contract if, at that time, the malfunction was unknown and would not have been detectable by visual inspection or a simple mechanical test, (b) malfunctions caused by a lack of maintenance, rust or corrosion © malfunctions caused by improperly installed equipment and (d) malfunctions caused by mismatched system sizes. Undersized or poorly designed systems relative to the square footage are not covered by the “No Fault” coverage.”

Excerpt from our home inspection report which is being cited as the reason behind our denied coverage when the current issue is a fan motor that won’t function:

“The ambient air test was performed using thermometers on the air handler of both Air conditioners to determine if the difference in temperatures of the supply and return air are between 14 degrees and 22 degrees which indicates that the unit is cooling as intended. The supply air temperature at main home read 61 degrees, and the return air temperature was 70 degrees….This indicates that the main home unit is not cooling properly and a licensed Heat/Air contractor should inspect for cause of problem.”

It never ceases to amaze me how our God answers prayers and provides for our needs. He does things in ways we would never expect and could never imagine on our own. Often, just when we can’t see any options, He provides in unexpected ways.

Recently, I’ve been very frustrated with my “job options”. When I quit teaching a year ago, the plan was to begin tutoring out of my home in order to bring in a little extra income to support what Ryan was making working full time. This seemed like an easy goal, so I built a web site, made flyers, printed up business cards, and even paid for an ad in the local homeschool association parent newsletter. Over the first summer, I had one student, and didn’t get another until November when two kids came twice each. I finally landed a consistent student in January who stuck with me through the end of the school year, but my one kid for this summer fell through.

When things seemed bleak back in November, I took advantage of another opportunity and began selling Premier Designs jewelry at home shows. I’ve done direct sales before, and this seemed like a great way to make a little extra cash and maybe even meet parents who needed a tutor for their kids. I enjoy the jewelry parties, but my heart is in education. I want to work with kids, and it was really bumming me out that Hope4Math couldn’t seem to get off the ground.

Rewind to the spring of 2008. I was teaching Geometry for the first time ever (something I was a bit apprehensive about doing, but wound up loving!) There was a young lady in one of my classes who REALLY struggled. She struggled so much that her mom hired a tutor. When she continued to struggle, the tutor called me directly to touch base and see if we could work together on a plan to help her succeed.

I’m not sure how the conversation lead to this point, but the tutor, we’ll call her “Kay”, and I hit it off over the phone and I let her know of my future goal of quitting full time teaching and pursuing a tutoring business of my own. We ended up meeting for lunch and she shared her knowledge. We kept up communication during the rest of the year, and the following fall, I received a phone call from her. She and her husband were expecting another baby, and she was hoping I would be able to sub for some of her tutoring sessions after the baby came.

I started working for her in January of 2009 two afternoons a week. Kay eventually took back most of her students, but I remained on one day a week from that point on. During that time, I’ve learned about her business and met most of her students. We’ve become friends as we’ve shared her new baby, both of our husbands being laid off, and my own coming bundle.

What does this have to do with God and His provision?

Kay’s husband lost his job before Christmas this year, and just this month received a job offer in another state. To make a long story short, I’ve been asked to essentially take over the business that she has spent the last several years building.

I’ll be going from one student to a full load almost overnight.

God is awesome!

I knew being pregnant in the summer wasn’t going to exactly be “fun”. I expected to be hot and uncomfortable. I didn’t expect to be unable to be cool in my own home.

At 35 weeks pregnant, I’ve gained 28 pounds and am finding it much harder to assume comfortable positions around the watermelon that now resides where my stomach once was. Add to that the fact that our air conditioner hasn’t been functioning for nearly 2 weeks, and it’s pretty hard to take.

We knew the AC unit was old when we bought the place. However, it WAS cooling the house. At least it was until we woke up on June 21, the morning after the big party, to a house nearing 85 degrees at 8:30 in the morning and we heard a grinding noise coming from the unit. NOT cool! We shut it off, since it wasn’t working.

So, we called our Warranty company to send out an AC repair guy. Due to busy schedules, no one could come out until Tuesday. On Tuesday, the brilliant man who came out told us that there was absolutely nothing wrong, that it was just old. He claimed we needed a new unit. We turned the unit back on and left it running and grinding, however, so we could at least cool the air a bit.

Unhappy with this diagnosis, we called the AC company and asked that they send us another guy. This guy came on Wednesday. This time, the unit was cleaned, inspected, and we were told we needed a new fan motor, which couldn’t be replaced because the unit was so old they didn’t make the bracket needed to install it. He also tried to sell us a new unit, naming a price that he obviously pulled out of thin air. He claimed the warranty would cover part of the cost, but he didn’t tell us which part. These guys left, we still had no cool air, and later that night, the unit completely quit running altogether. Ryan even resorted to going to Wal-mart at midnight to purchase a small window unit which he finished installing in our bedroom at 3AM.

We again contacted the warranty company and asked that they send us a different AC company, because we felt the prior company wasn’t being honest with us about prices. We were finally assigned another company last Friday afternoon, but were unable to contact them until Monday. When I called this guy, I was told that he no longer worked with our Warranty company. He listed several other companies that he would be happy to do work for, but not ours. Needless to say, our confidence in the resolution of the situation was wearing thin.

The call was re-dispatched at least twice more, but it wasn’t until Tuesday afternoon that we finally got another AC guy out to the house to look at the problem. This guy didn’t really tell us anything different, but it’s what he didn’t tell us that made us a bit more confident. He didn’t give us any estimates until he could talk to the Warranty company to see what they were willing to do. At last! Someone who seemed trustworthy!

However, our problems were still a long way from being solved. As I write this, it is Friday, a full 11 days since we first called the Warranty company with our complaint. We are waiting on them to decided what to do. They asked for a copy of our inspection report, which we’ve sent. However, no feedback has been given. Since this weekend is July 4th and many people will be off work on Monday, we can’t expect anything to be done until Tuesday at the earliest.

In the meantime, we’re spending lots of time in the bedroom and not even able to enjoy the rest of our house. I tried to cook once, which only resulted in my nearly having heat stroke with the additional heat from the over.

I’m trying to enjoy the cooler weather God has provided though the rains over the last week. I’m grateful for the break from the 100 degree days. However, I will be much happier when this whole situation is resolved.

He asked for tools for his birthday, so what else could I do??

My amazing husband turned 30 last week. It’s been a crazy year for us both, what with moving, quitting my job, my mission trip, his new job, getting pregnant, buying a house…

With all of these changes, I felt like he had earned an AWESOME party this year. Since we just closed on our house June 4th, it seemed appropriate to combine it with our housewarming and plan for a slew of people. I got busy pruning the weeds out of the yard and making plans to feed 30 plus people.

I also planned for some great entertainment. I enlisted the “Lightening Crispies” to perform their classic rock tunes. I can’t say I hired them, because they agreed to do it out of love for Ryan and free food. We are so blessed by the friends God has provided for us. I told my friend Taylor, the drummer, that it’s probably not unusual to have a friend’s band play your birthday party for free. The unusual part is that our friend’s band is actually REALLY GOOD!

The Lightening Crispies set up on our back patio. There is a drummer hiding behind the lead singer! I promise!

The cake was also a splurge. I actually ordered it from what most consider to be the best bakery in town, Candy Haven. YUM!!! It didn’t turn out to be as expensive as I thought for the half sheet cake, but it was worth every penny I paid. I will use them again in the future.

This was a lesson in planning, that’s for sure. I originally figured 6 pounds of hamburger to feed the crowd, but I went ahead and bought 9. We ended up using 11!! I think there were over 40 people in attendance by the time all was said and done.

A view of the band as they warm up. Only a few people now, but this yard was full by the end!

Our grill. We purchased it Super Bowl weekend, but it really served it's purpose this passed Sunday. Over 40 burgers and 30 hotdogs!

This party was also a huge confirmation of the decision we made to buy this house. Even with the band set up and the rows of chairs for people to watch, there was still plenty of room for the kids to throw a football. When it got too hot, there was plenty of room inside the house for people to sit down and visit without feeling crowded. The kitchen is plenty big to prepare and serve the food, even with separate stations for drinks and cake!

Sunday was AMAZING! We’re so grateful to all who have loved us over the years and have assisted us in the process of buying this house and planning our awesome party. Thanks for sharing it with us!

I just had my 32 week appointment at Inanna today. I can’t believe I only have 8 weeks to go! Our graduation from birthing class is next Tuesday, so I guess we should be ready after that. We’re physically prepared in that we have a house, diapers, a car seat, a few clothes, and a way to feed him.

Here are answers to the most common questions I hear for this point in my pregnancy.

1) Weight gain? My goal to stay under a gain of 25 pounds is pretty much shot. I weighed in at a gain of 24 yesterday. My midwife told me to cut out more bread products. That’s going to be hard. Most of what sounds good right now is carbs. 🙁

2) Cravings or aversions? Not so much. I do have to watch my protein intake, though. I get really light headed if I don’t get enough.

3) Boy or Girl? Name? We had another sonogram on May 28th, and actually got to see the proof that this child is most definitely a boy! We have decided on the spelling of “Grayson.”

4) Is he kicking? YES! Often. For awhile he was content to jam his head up under my right rib. He was actually in a breech position at the sonogram, but was head down at my appointment today. As I write this, he must be flexing his back muscles.

5) Belly button? It’s pretty much gone. There’s still a small indention that I would call an “innie.”

7) How am I feeling? I’m very tired and finding it more and more difficult to do physical activity. Since we bought the house, I really want to be out in the yard clearing up the weeds, but I just can’t bend over to do the work. It’s too uncomfortable.

8 ) What are you doing with the baby’s room? Now that we own the house, we will be doing something with the second bedroom that includes a place for baby. We are still working on a plan. Grayson will sleep in our room for a few months, but we are getting a crib and some storage furniture for baby stuff to go in the second room. However, Grayson will still have to share with Daddy’s office space. There is plenty of room in there for both of them. We’ve registered for some nice long baby gates to divide the room. We’ve even discussed painting a shade of blue.

9) How are you sleeping? I sleep good while I sleep, but I’m waking up a LOT to go to the bathroom. I also wake up several times and have to turn over because my legs ache. I had a good system with my pillows up until last night when I had to add another one.