38 Weeks

This is not a good picture, but here it is:)  As I post this I'm closer to 39 weeks.  

On Tuesday is our scheduled c-section for this little girl.  Hakan was an emergeny c-section and practices around here don't do VBACs (vaginal birth after c-section).  It's sad because Dr.'s are controlled by their insurance...comforting huh.  

We don't really have anything "baby" up around the house yet, swing, bouncy seat, or put the car seat in the car...we hope two will fit fine in my car:)  

With Hakan the last three weeks were a waiting game.  It could've been any day.  With this one, we've just had it scheduled and have no thoughts about her coming early, so we've just had this set deadline for things, she won't be here until the 28th.  Obviously, she could still come early, but we're not counting on it as Hakan was a week and a half over due.

So we have a few days left to get some stuff done.  I know we're cutting it close, but really you don't need to do a lot with a newborn except feed it and change it:)

I've been pretty sore this last week and really slow moving.  I wonder if your ribs can get stretched out, because she's really pushing on them.  My Dr. thinks she's long, so was Hakan, so it's probably a good guess.  There's no more room in there, I'm excited to have her out and in this world.

We can't wait to meet her and introduce her to Hakan.  He'll be a great big brother!

Craft Binge Continued...

So I've made 2 hoodie towels since my last craft blog and attempted to make Hakan a "big brother" shirt for when his sister is born...first time trying something like this, but I think it turned out alright:)  Hakan picked out the baseball fabric.  I think it might be hard to see in pictures, but he would not let me pick anything else, he loves balls!

Nesting?

Sure:)  You could say that at 38 weeks...probably should have been doing that earlier though.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve had this urgent need to get stuff done.  It could be that I don’t think I’ll have time to do anything once this little one is born and I only have one week left to get done with a whole lot more.  A big one planning Hakan’s 2 year birthday…crazy.

I’ve vacuumed and dusted, organized, reorganized, cleaned the oven, put up a new shower curtain rod (8 extra holes in the wall later), went through books, on top of everything I still have a ton to do for work before I’m on maternity leave.  I’ve been on a big crafting binge as well, I think I’ll rarely have time for that in the next 6 months, so I thought I better get some stuff made.

I knitted the baby a hat, which I’ve tried to do in the past and ended up with too big, too small, so short, etc.  I think this time I got, but we’ll see if it fits.

I also made 9 new taggie blankets, one of which I’m using for our baby, and the rest as gifts and or if people are interested in buying.  I was told by a cousin of this awesome fabric store that I was finally able to go to, so many adorable fabrics.  I had good self control because I can’t actually sew too many things.  I would LOVE to take some sewing classes sometime.  So by no means are any of these completely flawless, but not bad:)

My favorite!

This week I need to make a couple hoodie towels, shirts for Hakan, one that has a fabric appliqué that says “Big Brother” and one that says “Birthday Boy,”  and a baby book for our baby girl (very simple).

We also have a few things around the house we need to get done.  It’s going to be a very busy week.

I’m battling a cold as well, bad tickle in the throat, which leads to constant coughing, keeping me up at night, prayers would be very much appreciated.

My Three Dad's

Father’s Day has meant so many different things to me over the years. 

I was blessed with not just one, but three dads.  It might seem a little strange and I don’t want to go into too much detail, there’s a lot of details, maybe some day. Long story short, my mom and dad, Lynn, were separated when I was 4, she got remarried to Roger, he was in a fatal trucking accident when I was in 8^th grade, then she married Darold, and my dad passed away from a heart attack just 2 ½ years ago.

They were and are very uniquely different and wonderful.  As painful as it was losing two of them, they each brought blessings to my life.

My sister, Alyssa, my dad and me.

I didn’t always have the best relationship with my “real” dad, Lynn.  After the divorce, he remarried as well and moved a lot for work.  He was high risk OBGYN, it would be so nice to have his advice during this time in my life when we’re having babiesJ  It was hard to keep in touch and it was never ok between him and my mom, which made it difficult for my sister and I always being in the middle.  He took me to my first concert, Amy Grant.  He took me to watch the Houston Rockets practice and meet the players.  But there were so many missed birthdays, unanswered or unreturned phone calls, just a lack of his presence in my life, that Father’s Day came to not mean as much anymore.  I know God has a reason and plan for everything.  I truly wish we could have mended our relationship, as his life was taken so young and suddenly, now we do not have that chance.  I am still working on forgiving him and myself.  God is helping me with this daily.  I pray that he is sitting in heaven, with his dad, their relationship healed, laughing and having a great time:)  I know he would be so proud to be Hakan’s grandpa and he’s looking down watching over him.  I love you dad.

Me with the chicken pox and Roger at his farm.

Roger.  He taught me so many things, how to ski, how to mow the lawn, how to drive a combine, how to farm, how to do cookies in a car, how to pick your friends and pick your nose, but not your friend’s nose:) most importantly, what it means to be a dad.  He was always laughing, always making jokes.  He would come home from a long day of farming and still have time to talk and listen to me before bed.  He took us on adventures, to Yellowstone, mountains, museums.  He was so smart.  He loved me like his own daughter and I loved him like my own father.  There are times when I long for one of our conversations, or his stories about how things were invented (which were also invented)  I miss him so much.  He passed away over 13 years ago.  I also know that he is looking down and watching over me and my family.  Love you Roger.

Darold holding Hakan at 2 weeks old.

Darold is a wonderful man.  He’s so great with Hakan and has a great sense of humor.  His eyes sparkle when he smiles.  He’s a crazy boat driver when a tube is attached!  He’s always willing to help out, to help fix something.  He’s so kind and I’ve barely ever heard him raise his voice.  Thank you for being a good husband to my mom and step dad to my little sister at home and for being an awesome grandpa to Hakan!

I have learned a lot about fathers throughout my life.  What they should and shouldn’t do. Who they should be.  What it means to be a father.  Not just having a baby makes you a father, there’s so much more.

My boys:)

I see everything a father should be in my husband, Derek.  He not only provides for our family, he’s there for Hakan when he needs him.  Bats and catches with him, throws him in the air, rolls around the floor with him, goes on bike rides, plays at the park, I love watching all of that.  I love hearing Hakan’s giggle when they’re playing.  I can’t wait to see him with our daughter in one week. 

Happy Father’s Day to all the daddy’s!

Air Dry

I purchased a clothes line rope and hung it between the fences that divide our little townhouse patios.  I'm not hanging clothes out to dry, but Hakan's diapers.

It takes over an hour to dry the inserts to his diapers, every other day, and I hate wasting that electricity.

I'm excited to be able to hang them outside to dry as often as possible this summer (which is probably against our association rules, but I take the rope down right away).

One of the reasons we use cloth is to save money, so this way we're not spending any extra on electricity as well.

I'm sure our neighbors love seeing this out their window:)

 We love using cloth!

Homemade Popsicles

I made Hakan some strawberry vanilla bean yogurt popsicles and they are a hit.

Even sharing with Daddy:)

I just pureed the strawberries together and depending on how sweet they are, I added a tiny bit of sugar, poured it in my popsicle molds I got from IKEA a couple years ago and added some vanilla bean yogurt.

I can't wait to try some more fruits and yogurts for popsicles, yum:)