Thanksgiving 2014

Thanksgiving this year started with me meeting Luke's sister, Hannah, to run the YMCA 5K Turkey Trot.  Unfortunately we weren't super on top of things and didn't plan on where to meet, so I never found her before the race started.  But we did see each other on the course and then we met up at the end.  It was a fun being able to get out and run with all the other crazy people who like to get up early to pay someone else so they can run.  I've done this 5K two times before, but haven't done it since I was pregnant with Noelle, and I'm so glad Luke's sister agreed to do it with me!

the whole Wiedeman family

We did Thanksgiving with the Wiedeman side this year since all four of Luke's siblings were in town and the whole family hadn't been together since the summer of 2013.  Luke's mom is still recovering from the car accident his parents were in, so all of us "kids" were responsible for various food items. We somehow ended up with the turkey, but my sister has a connection and was able to get it fried for us. Luke made the marinade, and then we passed it off to my sister on Wednesday and she took it Thursday morning to get fried!

Once it was done, Luke picked it up and we headed over to the Wiedeman house, where his siblings were finishing up all the sides and desserts that they were making.  Noelle had a blast being spoiled by her aunts and uncles, and Jonah was a good little babe and napped while we were eating.  All the food was delicious and I ate way too much, but it was so good to be with family.

Jonah's first Thanksgiving

We decided to head out a little bit early and stop by my parents' house so that we could see everyone there.  My brother had just arrived home from studying abroad in New Zealand that morning, and we hadn't seen him since June so we really wanted to be able to at least say a quick hello.  I think they were happy to see us, or at least see Noelle.  That girl is so loved!  She better soak it up before Jonah gets old enough to share some of that attention.

Noelle watching tv while sitting on Uncle Jason's shoulders

Definitely a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I'm so thankful for our little family and for all of God's provision for us.  I'm thankful for everyone's health, and I'm thankful that I get to be a stay at home mom with our two littlest blessings!

Our First Baby

Three years ago on the day before Thanksgiving I found out that I was pregnant with Noelle.  We had been sticking with our plan of not preventing for about 9 months and I was eagerly waiting for that positive pregnancy test.  I had already wasted quite a few and had told myself I had to go two full months without getting my period before I would use another test.

At the beginning of September I had quit my high-stress job and was on the lookout for a new one. The economy wasn't great, but we had agreed it was time for me to leave a job that I was losing sleep over, and we were trusting God that He would provide for us financially with only one of us working. It was nice being able to catch up on sleep, take care of the house, and I watched my friend's baby girl while she worked a half day on Fridays.  Of course, watching her sweet girl made me want a baby of my own all the more!

Well, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving I went with my dad to pick up my sisters from the airport. My youngest sister had been studying abroad in Australia, and when her semester ended, my other sister flew out so the two of them could travel around.  It was a later flight, and as we were driving back home chatting and catching up, I noticed that my stomach felt off.  It wasn't quite the end of November, but I thought maybe I would go ahead and take a pregnancy test the next day.

Luke and I slept in the next morning with plans for a leisurely day.  As he was hopping into the shower, I pulled out another test preparing myself for the disappointment I always felt with each negative one.  This time though, I instantly got a positive!  There was no waiting the 2 or 3 minutes the test said to wait.  I was so excited and freaking out inside, and flipping through my head trying to figure out how to tell Luke.

I'd had some grandiose plans I had thought of before, but I just couldn't hold my news in!  I whipped back the shower curtain and told him I had a positive pregnancy test.  

His response? "Oh really?"  

I told him I'd had that particular test sitting in the closet for a few months so maybe we should go buy a newer one just to double check.  After I went for a run and got myself ready, we headed to the grocery store to pick up a few things, including more pregnancy tests.  I took one as soon as we got back home, and it was instantly positive again.  I was so beyond full of joy and thankful that God had answered a long awaited prayer.

And now our baby girl is almost two and half years old.  So crazy to think back on that day and see where we are now.  Definitely super blessed!

Jonah: 7 Month Update

I've been telling people Jonah is 7 months old for the past week, so when he actually turned 7 months old yesterday I almost forgot!  Little man is certainly growing, and we love his smiles and spunkiness!

Height and Weight: By my rough estimates he is about 14 1/2 pounds and 26ish inches.

Sleep: Ever since his 6 month appointment, we've started letting him cry it out if he wakes up more than once in the night, and it has made such a difference!  We've even had a few nights where he slept all the way through the night! As of this past week we think he's teething again, so I have been getting up twice in the night to comfort him because it's no fun when you're mouth hurts.  But hopefully this will be short-lived and we can get back to once or less a night.

I'm really thankful for the doctor's opinion on crying-it-out and giving me the confidence to just go ahead and do it.  It was hard, especially at first when he would cry for 40+ minutes at a time, but now it doesn't take long for him to quiet down.  I've even left him with my mom and with Luke and they have been able to put him down for naps without too much fuss, which is so nice for me!

We usually get two naps a day- a longer one (2-3 hours) in the morning and a shorter one in the afternoon.  Bedtime is usually between 7 and 8, and if his second nap was on the earlier side, then he is usually more than ready for bed.

Eating: I feel like I've been feeding him like that's my only job, but at least we had a good weight gain.  I nurse in the morning, before a nap, after nap, before and after the second nap, before bed, and then usually just once at night.  I also try to give him about two 4 once bottles of formula throughout the day, and have 2-3 feedings of solid food.

I have also given him yogurt melts broken into tinier pieces, and just this past week gave him cheerios for the first time.  He definitely enjoys both!  His favorite solids are probably sweet potato and banana, and he pretty much refuses to eat green beans.

Diapers/Clothing: He is in size 2 diapers, but has had quite a few blowouts (like up the back into the hair) recently so I don't know if we need to go up a size?  We'll see how things go over the next month with that one.  For clothing he's mostly in 6 month, with some 6-9 month and even some 3-6 month sized outfits in the mix.  I went to a tot swap at the beginning of the month and picked up some more adorable holiday outfits (I think the boy has 3 sweater vests now), and I am so looking forward to seeing him all dressed up!

Social/Milestones: In the last two weeks I've really been encouraging him to sit up, and he's pretty much a pro at it now.  He still falls over occasionally, but he handles it really well and seems happy to be able to sit up to play with toys and watch what is going on around him.  He is most definitely a mama's boy, but we're going to have to work on that as we have holiday parties coming up when he will be left with a sitter.

Likes: He loves to be held and be around people, but he has gotten better about being left to play with toys by himself for a few minutes as long as he's well-fed.  He also had his first two baths in the big bathtub and really seemed to enjoy being able to splash and play with toys.  We haven't put both littles in together yet, but I think he'll like having big sister in there since he likes to watch her all the time anyhow.

Dislikes: He does not like being put into his carseat.  He almost always arches his back and we have to struggle to get him buckled in.  Usually once he's in he is fine though.  He does not like being hungry, but now that we're supplementing I can at least give him a bottle to help with that.

Fun things we did: We went to Gaver Farm with our MOPS group, dressed up for his first Halloween, had some fun play dates, and got together with our church small groups.

Some pictures from the last month:

me and my halloween puppies

looking dapper before church

play date with Becker

funny faces while celebrating grandpa's birthday

gained some weight

Weekend Stuff

Right when we're about to start a new weekend, I wanted to make sure to capture what we did last weekend.  It wasn't a particularly busy weekend (which is always nice to have), but we did do a few fun things that I want to remember.

Saturday morning Noelle and I went with our MOPS group to Pizza Hut to take a tour of their kitchen and Noelle got to make her own pizza.  It was so adorable watching all the little children explore the kitchen and add toppings to their pizza. And Noelle is certainly a girl after my own heart and LOVES pizza!

putting toppings on her pizza

The Pizza Hut employees had all the kids wash their hands and then showed them what the dough looks like before and after it is set aside to rise.  We went inside their giant refrigerator and saw where they keep all of the toppings for the pizzas.  Each child added the toppings they wanted to their own personal pan pizza, and then, of course, we got to watch all the pizzas go through the giant oven.

 waiting for her pizza to come out of the oven

On Saturday evening we got to visit with our friend Emily from England who was here on business. She and her husband lived in the USA for three years and had a baby girl while they were here.  They moved back to England a little over a year ago and we miss them a lot, but it's nice for them to be closer to their families.  They were a part of our small group so everyone was there, including Noelle's bestie, Lillian.

being goobers together

We also celebrated my dads birthday on Sunday.  It's always fun getting to see family and everyone was there except for Nathan (who gets in Thanksgiving morning-yay), which meant Noelle and Jonah got lots of attention.

Jonah with the birthday grandpa

Jonah was pretty good and nursed while we all ate dinner- delicious steaks cooked by my mom. Jonah had taken a pretty good nap and thankfully was in a good mood, and willing to hang out with other people.  We sang "Happy Birthday" and had cake and ice cream, which I'm pretty sure Noelle always thinks is for her.

the sisters and Noelle with our brown boots

Chaotic and Messy Mornings

Our "typical" morning is kind of all over the place, but in the last two months or so I've been watching my neighbors two kids (ages 7 and 9) for about an hour before we take them to the bus stop for school.  They come to our house around 7:30 an it's always hit or miss whether or not my kids are awake.  Sometimes one or both are up and dressed for the day, other days, they may both be sound asleep.

Lately I've been getting up at 5 so that I can get a run and shower in before either of my kids wake up.  Once I'm out of the shower, I'm usually either rushing to get myself dressed so I can get whoever is awake ready, or I'm able to sit and actually have some quiet time with the Lord before little feet come pitter-pattering to find me.

Noelle loves the attention- for the most part

Once my neighbor's kids come, we just kind of hang out, eating breakfast, drinking coffee (me), and playing with Noelle and Jonah.   Noelle generally loves having them here, unless she has just woken up, then I think she gets a little overwhelmed by their excitement.  Once 8:30 rolls around we head out the door to the bus stop across the street.  Now that the weather has turned cold, it takes me close to 10 minutes to get my kids bundled up to go out.

Well, this morning I was finishing getting myself ready when the 7 year old told me she smelled something funny over near Jonah.  She thought it smelled like oatmeal, and when I picked him up I realized he had had a poop explosion.  It was so not pretty- all the way up his back and there was no safe way to remove his onsie.  I ended up throwing him into the bathtub with his onsie and diaper still on.  And of course it was 8:20, and there was no way he was going to be cleaned and bundled up in time for us to get the kids out to the bus stop.

Thankfully the bus stop is close enough that they ended up watching for the bus to stop at the stop sign down the street and then were able to run over to the bus stop in time to catch it.  I felt bad, but it took me a good while to get Jonah bathed and all the poop removed.  (One of the super fun activities as a parent!)

Jonah being adorable

Once he was bathed and dressed, I brought him downstairs and set him in the bumbo on the kitchen floor to get myself a banana before we needed to head out the door for my doctor's appointment. Well, silly me set him down too close to the cat's water bowl, which he promptly picked up and poured all down the front of himself.  On to outfit number three of the day before 9:15 in the morning.

I got them loaded into the car to head to the doctors (yay for my yearly exam), which thankfully Luke had agreed to meet me there and hang out with them while I saw the doctor.  A few miles down the road and I realized I was driving on empty (probably in more ways than one), but prayed that we would at least make it to the doctor's office and then to a gas station.  Thankfully we made it in time, and made it to a gas station afterwards.

And praise the Lord that He is with me in all the mess and craziness that happens in my life.  All I could think as I was driving to the doctor's office was that He already knew everything that was going to happen, and was already giving me the grace I needed to get through, and to live life abundantly despite it all.  Praise Him for that!

Some Firsts

This past week we had  a few firsts.  The first one is not anything exciting, but Noelle fell asleep while playing for the first time ever!  Any other nap she has ever had has been in a bed, laying on someone, or in the car.

I was busy making dinner and feeding Jonah food in the kitchen and she was playing in the living room, when after awhile I noticed that it had gotten awfully quiet.  I thought maybe she had gone upstairs on her own so I quickly went up the stairs, calling her name and looked in the three rooms but didn't see any sign of her or hear anything.

I was starting to get worried and quickly came back downstairs to see if maybe she had gone down the basement steps.  But as I came down, I saw that she was sound asleep on the couch.  Silly girl! Thinks she doesn't need naps anymore, but she just couldn't fight it that day.

Also, on Mondays Luke's sister, Lydia, comes over to hang out with me and the littles while Luke goes to swim practice.  Well, we always end up staying up later than we normally do so that we can watch our show (Once Upon A Time) and catch up on Lydia's life.  And since Noelle always goes to sleep with me, she stays up late as well.  This past week, Lyd was getting ready to leave around 10 and Noelle wanted "uppie" so I picked her up, but she got back down, walked up the stairs, and fell fast asleep in my bed.  Just maybe she's starting to learn how amazing sleep is.

 snow!

The next first was this past Thursday when the weather turned really cold.  It was kind of a dreary day, and when Luke went outside in the evening to take out the recycling he came in with snowflakes on him.  Jonah's first snow!  I, of course, insisted on running outside to snap a few pictures, even if it was the tiniest little bit of snow.  Jonah was unimpressed, but Noelle seemed to have fun looking at the snow.

smiles for the snow

Weight Check

Jonah had his weight check today, and it was a success!  Both Luke and I thought that he felt heavier and looked bigger, but I also thought the same thing before his six month appointment so I wasn't sure if he really had gained weight.

As usual, I was a bit of a dumbo and scheduled his appointment during his morning nap time. Thankfully he stayed awake before we left, and was in a good mood while we were there.  Once the nurse took us back and I had him undressed, I laid him on the scale and he was up to 14 pounds 2 ounces.  Exactly a pound heavier!  I was a happy mommy.

all bundled up for his appointment

And then the nurse brought the little growth chart, and his weight was still in the less than third percentile.  I was a little bit less excited and texted Luke that Jonah had gained weight, but was still in the same percentile as he was at six months.  Luke of course was encouraging and said it was great that he had gained weight, but I was still nervous about what the doctor was going to tell us.

We waited for a little while reading books, singing songs, and wiping noses, thanks to the fun cold that both kids have currently.  The doctor came in, looked at the growth chart, and told me he was VERY happy with Jonah's weight gain!  During the appointment he told me at least five times that I had done a great job.  He told me he wanted to encourage me, and also told me I should encourage my husband.  Another affirmation that God lead us to the right pediatrician!

fun game of open and close the door while we wait for the doctor

Jonah had lost two ounces between his four month and six month appointments, so the doctor felt that Jonah gaining a pound in three weeks was fantastic, even if the percentile hadn't changed.  He told me I could stop taking the medication (which is good since it makes me sleepy), and that he would see us back for Jonah's nine month appointment.

I'm one thankful mommy for the Lord's answer to my prayers.  We have a growing, healthy, happy baby boy, that's for sure!

love him!

Lately // 3

Last week was an incredibly quiet week- which is always nice to have on occasion.  I just can't handle too much quiet, or I go a little stir-crazy! The only thing we had on the agenda was speech therapy on Thursday, which takes only 45 minutes of our time.

Of course, before the work week even got started, there was a lot of love to go around.  Jonah has to always be on his stomach, and Noelle's affection is usually displayed by indifference or being on top of him.  We snapped a few pictures of the littles before church on Sunday dressed in their finery.

 someday he'll learn how to defend himself

We had some beautiful weather last week and I took the kids out for a nice leisurely walk around the neighborhood.  I pushed Noelle in her little push-car while Jonah was in the Ergo. With the time change and winter coming, I know our outdoor time is limited so I'm trying to enjoy as much time outside as we can! Today is supposed to be nice, but then some colder weather is supposed to come through.  I am sure there will be days this coming winter where I will force us outside, even if we're outside for less time than it takes to get ready to go out.

all the pretty leaves

On Friday last week we decided to meet Luke for lunch and then go visit him at work to see the office he moved in to. We met at the Amish market in Laurel and ate the delicious pretzel rolls that the Amish make, and I couldn't resist getting a chocolate chip cookie whoopie pie. So good! The Amish market is only open a few days a week and it was packed, but it was fun to be able to see Luke and then see his very first office!

we ate lunch in the car because the market was so packed!

In the last week I've also had to stop running again because of runner's knee (or at least I'm pretty sure that's what it is). This really hasn't been my year for running- ankle pain while pregnant/recovery from giving birth, breaking my toes, and now this runner's knee. I can tell that my quad and IT band are tight, so I've been doing some walking and lots and lots of stretching.  And I should really do some more foam rolling.  I'd love to be able to do a turkey trot on Thanksgiving, but I don't know if that will be happening.

Noelle modeling my broken Garmin

What Motherhood Looks Like For Me Now

I know that my role as a mom will change over the years, and a part of me is scared that this current time with them being little will be my favorite.  But everyone keeps assuring me that they love each of the stages that their children go through.  It's just hard for me to picture loving a time more than this!

Right now, motherhood for me is staying at home full time with my littles. I love it and it is something I have always wanted to do, but it's certainly not easy.  I struggle between feeling like I have too much to get done that is not getting done, and feeling stuck because there is only so much stimulation a two year old and six month old can give me.

Heather Boockholdt photography

Motherhood right now is taking walks around the block with one baby in the Ergo and pushing one in her play car.  It is collecting leaves and rocks and sticks.  It's sitting and coloring and tracing hand prints that will only stay small for a little while.

Motherhood is pushing two babies in a stroller and making baby food in the baby bullet.  It is making multiple Target runs to pick up two different sized diapers, and changing diapers at least 10 times a day.  Motherhood is driving my toddler around until she falls asleep and praying that I can transfer her to her bed for a nap without waking her up.

It is spending all day feeding my six month old to fatten him up by nursing him, spooning him solids, and giving him bottles with formula.  It is singing the same song over and over again at the request of my two year old.  Motherhood is celebrating the little milestones- first words, complete (yet simple) sentences, first teeth, sleeping through the night, and so much more.

It is folding tiny laundry, and organizing different sized clothes that they grow through so very quickly.  Motherhood is spending extra money on Gerber fruit and veggie pouches so that my toddler is getting some form of vegetables in her diet.  It's waking up extra early to workout so that I can spend the rest of the day focused on my babies and on meeting their needs.  It's spending the evenings laughing, playing, and praying through our bathtime and bedtime routines, and then going to bed with my toddler so I can wake up and do it all again the next day.

Motherhood for me now is learning that God's grace is new everyday when I lose patience with my kids.  It is learning to trust Him when I worry about the growth and development of my babies.  And it is catching a glimpse of just how much He loves me because of how much I love my littles.

Noelle: 28 Months

Noelle turned 28 months old yesterday!  I know, I'm not supposed to count by months after she turns two, but each time the 3rd of the month comes around, I can't help but think that my baby is that much older.  Stop growing so fast!

some pre-church pictures

She is at such a fun age, and I think Luke and I would say we're enjoying it even though it is also becoming more challenging.  Noelle can be very particular about things, and will notice when something is "out of place".  She has also started pushing her limits, and will either completely ignore us when we ask her to do something, or just outright say "no!"  Which results in her being put in her room where she cries until we've deemed her to be in there long enough to have learned the lesson of obedience.

her favorite- eating

When she says "I love you", it sounds like "I lah you".  And she also likes to dance around singing "I lah care bear."  Care Bear is definitely her favorite.  Her top phrases are "help please" and "food please".

She likes to pick out her own outfit for the day, and most of the time I don't care as long as it is presentable.  For instance, yesterday, she wore her sleeveless Easter dress because she really wanted to wear it, even though the high was not even 60*.  I just made her wear boots and a cardigan with it whenever we left the house.

being a goof

She loves holding hands with other little people.  She did it with Lillian when we went to the zoo in September, and with Vivian when we went with her to Larriland last month.  Yesterday I took her with me to drop off a meal for a friend in our MOPS group who just had a baby.  My friend also has two other little girls (ages 2 and 4), and even though Noelle hasn't really interacted with them before, she jumped right in running around their house with them and holding both of their hands.

Noelle loves Jonah most of the time.  She also really likes to watch t.v., and as soon as Jonah starts to get fussy at all, she says "nap" and "watch".  Meaning Jonah needs a nap, and she needs to watch t.v. while I put him down for a nap.  Sometimes she loves Jonah a little too much and the poor kid will need to learn quickly how to push her off.

putting the love on Jonah

We are still in the horrible habit of letting her fall asleep with me at night, but I not so secretly enjoy it because I know she'll only be this little for so long, and one day, she's not going to want to have anything to do with me.  And oh how I dread that day!

being goofy with Aunt Hannah

Young Life 5K

Last Saturday before we went to the pumpkin patch, I ran a 5K put on to raise money for our local Young Life group.  Young Life is a group involved with middle school, high school, and college aged students to build relationships and share Christ.  I was never involved with the group when I was in high school, but I love what they do and wish that I had been.  This was the third year I've run this race, and this year they switched it up from a trail race to running on a paved path in Columbia.

4 month old Noelle the first year I ran this race

It's a smaller race, and the first year I ran it, three of my friends were the top three women.  Thanks to them placing top three overall, I was able to get first in our age group.  It was also my second race post having Noelle. Last year I ran it while in the beginning of my second trimester with Jonah. Without my friends running it who ran it the year before, I was able to place first female and won two tickets to the movies.  Which Luke and I still have not used.

There were quite a few people from our church running the race this year, including my friends Sarah and Megan (and Megan's husband, Joe).  Sarah and I placed second and third for the women, and Megan was first in our age group. The course was a fun path behind some neighborhoods through the woods and around a lake.  The temperature was cool and the sun was shining making it comfortable to run in shorts and a long sleeve.  The run was pretty easy for the first two and a half miles, and the last half mile or so was a slight uphill, definitely making the end the most difficult.
 

Megan and I rocking our medals (thanks for the pic, Megan!)

I don't even know what my time was because I've started using Luke's Garmin and could not for the life of me figure out how to reset it, and I can't find if our official times were posted online anywhere. I know it wasn't fast, but I went into the race knowing that I wouldn't be fast and knowing that I would take it easy anyhow since I haven't been running as much thanks to my toe.  I just knew I wanted to support such a great organization, and run a relaxed race.

Luke stayed home with the littles, after I made sure to try and tank Jonah up before I left.  Since we're supplementing with formula now anyhow, we figured Luke would push the bottle if need be.  It ended up working out great because Jonah napped for most of the time that I was gone. What a good babe.  It was great to be out without the kids for a little while, and it made me extra happy to see them when I got home!

Larriland Farm

One of the great things about super local Larriland Farm is that it's free!  You of course have to pay for any produce that you pick or get from their little market.  But during the fall especially, it's a great place to wander around with little kids to look at the various fall gourds, watch the goats, and stick your faces in the face hole pictures scattered throughout.

Our first trip to Larriland during the fall season was actually at the end of September.  We'd been at home all day, and once Jonah woke up from his afternoon nap, I decided it was time for us to get out of the house and enjoy the beautiful day.

Noelle and a Halloween kitty

We randomly ran into some friends from church who have a little boy just about two weeks older than Noelle, and another little guy about two months younger than Jonah.  We checked out the llamas (alpacas?) and goats with them, and played in the fun face hole pictures.  And then I got some fun pictures of Noelle standing by the hay bale maze that were similar to the year before.

Noelle 15 months // Noelle 2 years old

The next trip was in mid-October with my friend Natalie, and her two littles, Vivian and Becker. Vivian is about seven months older than Noelle, and Becker is two months younger than Jonah.  The girls had a great time together, and it was so fun watching Noelle chase after and copy everything that Vivian did.  And they were super adorable sticking their heads in the face holes and holding hands!

measuring stick // looking for the goats

Both boys did pretty well, and we ended our visit sitting in some chairs nursing them before we left. We had asked a lady to take a picture of all of us and she asked if the boys were twins.  Nope- just future best friends!

group shot // the Halloween cat again

The third time we went to Larriland was the next week with my mom to do some apple picking!  The weather had turned chilly and it was cloudy and windy that day.  They had a van system set up to drive people out to the apple trees, and we jumped in ready to pick some yummy apples.  Of course the type of apple we wanted to pick, Braeburn apples, were in almost the last orchard.  But Noelle was a trooper and somewhat willingly walked all the way to the orchard from where the van dropped us off.

picking apples with Nana // mama and littles

We decided to each pick half a bag of apples, figuring that combined it would come to about 20 pounds, which dropped the price per pound a little bit.  We'd been told that a full bag would carry between 15 and 20 pounds.  Yeah, we didn't end up even collecting quite 10 pounds.  It was pretty funny and my mom is now convinced that their scales are rigged!

my little snuggle buddy

I love that the farm is just a beautiful place to go with littles, and that you can make the trip be what you want it to be- just wander around or actually go out and pick produce.  We will definitely be going back next fall!