Just haven't been in a writing mood!

I can't say that things haven't been happening over the past couple weeks, I just haven't really felt like writing.  I honestly haven't updated the blog as much as I have wanted to over the summer.  It has felt like a crazy summer to me even though except for stitches, things have not been that bad!  The hot weather has not kept Celia and I from adventuring out in the BOB primarily because she gets up so very, very early.  I haven't done the special trips I planned on doing with Celia this summer but we have had a lot of fun just hanging out with each other.  I guess that is the most important thing, just spending time together.  Celia has enjoyed her 2 days a week at school, she looks forward to those days but honestly seems to like the extra days at home.  At least I know that she still likes to hang out with me!  I will miss her when I go back to work in a few weeks.
The baby bump seems to be progressing at the same rate as with Celia, maybe a little bit more pronounced but not all that much!  I am lucky as of yet, but honestly I know that with your second you tend to pop out a bit more.  So I am preparing myself for a more uncomfortable 3rd trimester then with Celia.  I am 6 months now and I can't believe it!  Our little peanut is very active, much more active then Celia ever was in my stomach- I don't know if that is a good thing!!  Celia is coming to my next midwife appointment in a couple weeks and we will take her annual parking lot birth picture.  Sadly this might be the last midwife appointment she can make.  Once I go back to school, it will make it more challenging to schedule appointments and I might have to do a rushed appointment in the morning or right after work. 
Celia is doing well but we are struggling a bit with sleep issues.  She is sleeping well but with the summer we have had days in which bedtime is a bit late or naptime is a bit late and she just can't handle it.  We find ourselves dealing with a very cranky Celia the next day.  This is a recent development, well in the past few months.  When Celia was much younger a missed nap would mean a restless night and frequent waking up at night.  She was over that for a long time and then lately it has transferred to having trouble falling asleep when she is overtired and then "Miss Tude" the next day!!  She has continued to do well at night with big girl undies, so I am going with it for now!  She is so very grown up lately and has been more of a helper around the house.  That will come in handy around November!!

News to Share

We have forgotten to share

that Celia is only sleeping

in underwear!!

We are going on our second week and she is doing amazing.  She is such a big girl.  Last summer she perfected daytraining this summer it is night training.  Thank goodness we have another one on the way, so I can continue with my love of cloth diapering! 

Knitting

I like being crafty but I haven't really inherited the natural sewing talent that my sister and Mom have- that includes cross stich, knitting, crocheting.  I was really proud of myself this winter when I learned to knit scarves.  This week, after months of off and on practice, I finally learned how to do purl (knitting).  So I was able to tackle a simple hat pattern that my Mom gave me.  I finished it Sunday and although there are some errors, it functions as a hat!! 

Check it out.  Oh and don't mind the crumbs on the couch.  Yes, I did let my overly grumpy 3 year old have pretzels and water on our new leather sofa.  It was my intention to not have anyone eat in the living room, it isn't going to happen!

Mom, you see the holes on the seem, what did I do wrong there??

Another Year

You can read what I wrote at this time last year here.

My father died 21 years ago today.  It has been a long time and I do still think about him everyday and there is still that deep sadness that comes with losing a parent.  But for me there is also a profound happiness because he really was a wonderful father.  He was talented, humorous and really fun.  He valued family a great deal.

So Daddy, since last July things have been a roller coast ride.  We lost two pregnancies, Mom's house was greatly damaged by roof/chimney cap leak, it was honestly the most stressful teaching years of my career, Vickie has had some health changes, and recently Mom broke her jaw (thankfully we learned today that the treatment is going to just be soft foods for a long while and no further intervention).  There have been other things, I just wouldn't count it as being our most stable of years.  I think that everyone has those years.  

But of course, wonderful things have gone on too.  You have your fourth grandchild on the way, another little girl.  I know with 100% certainty that Celia would have adored her Pop Pop Tate.  I think about that a lot.  She doesn't understand who you are yet, she is getting there though.  She will point you out in pictures as being my Daddy but I don't think that the comprehension is there.  Celia is absolutely amazing, she is as smart as can be and if you can be too verbal at this age I believe she fits that criteria.  She has a great sense of humor and I can only imagine how much she would crack up around you. 

Daddy, you would have a fit about what is going on in the Education, primarily the Special Education world lately.  I still hold a phrase that someone told me you used to say often deep in my heart while I am working- "Nothing in education is an emergency".  If you think about it, it is totally the truth.  Of course, I questioned that a bit when I was being punched and spit at by a student. 

I hope somehow you are aware of what's going on with us.  You did make your mark certainly with Vickie and I.  We carry a piece of you everyday.   Talk to you again, this time next year.

Recycling and being Creative

Celia is at the age now where I can do crafts with her and she will sit for more then a few seconds at a time.  I love that we can start to do these kinds of things.  I have been meaning to read "The Creative Family" by Amanda Soule for awhile.  So I got it from the library this week and have been skimming through it and becoming somewhat inspired.  She has a cool website

So yesterday I filled a container with beans and we crafted for quite awhile.  She made a cute face and we spelled out her name.  It wasn't one of her better days and she was cranky so we had some issues at some points, but overall it was fun.  I love doing the crafts with household items.  I even noticed a recipe for homemade glue which I think is great.  I am always losing track or running out of glue and it is nice to have a simple way to make some!  She also encourages limited toys.  I agree and I often wonder if Celia has too much already as it has always been my goal to have her use imagination more then needing material items.  She does this now but I worry about the build up of things (from christmas, birthdays, etc. as the years go by).  I guess I will just have to keep on top of sorting through things frequently.  She certainly does not need anymore Doll house items!  We are set with kitchen and dollhouse items!

I was also inspired to finish repairing to cute thrift store decorative pillows that I got for $2 a few weeks ago.  I also finished one big pillow out of some nice fabric that I had in my fabric collection.  It is upholstery fabric that I got at a deep discount.  I used the stuffing out of a pillow that had seen it's day and used that and some polyester fill to stuff it.  I will make a matching one when I get the chance.  I like those easy sewing projects.  I think that I will definately make some pillows for the baby's room (we will have a twin bed in there so they will go on there).  

I love finding second uses for different things.  Now if I could just get more inspired for organization that would be so helpful.  I just can't get ahead of our mail and just papers, it frustrates me to no end.  Granted it isn't all my stuff, but I can't even get my stuff the way I want it.  I never feel organized and never seem to have the time to do it!!  Right now my priority is getting the nursery in somewhat of an order.  I don't want to have to worry about that when I go back to work. 

It is a

I don't have to get rid of any of the girly diapers (or lie to Pete that I am not putting girly ones on a boy)

Celia was right!!

Stitches Gone

This is a horrible picture of Celia but it was taken after the accident, you can't see her stitches, you can see one thread hanging out below her lip.  But what you can see is how very swollen she was!!  Well today my brave girl is stitch free!  She didn't cry when they took her stitches out and afterwards we celebrated by going to Toys R Us to spend her gift card from her Great Aunt Arsie.  We got this card at Christmas but hadn't had the right time to spend it.  I thought that getting stitches and being super brave was the perfect reason!!

She really wanted Polly Pockets like her cousin Katie but we couldn't find one that had the car with it.  That is what she really wanted- the car!  So on the opposite shelf from Polly Pockets was strawberry shortcake.  If you knew me as a little girl, I loved strawberry shortcake.  I had my Mom custom make a dress with Strawberry Shortcake all over it and I had matching wallpaper.  I loved her.  So I was excited when Celia saw the strawberry shortcake car with a little Strawberry Shortcake figure to go with it.  I thought she needed a passenger in the car so I picked up a mini lemon meringue who she is now calling DW.  You see what she really absolutely loves right now si Arthur but Arthur is not "in" right now so their are not many things out there with Arthur.  It is ashame, because I really love Arthur and all that Marc Brown has created!

Something is going on with the internet and I am not able to load more pictures.  But I will be back on later to share our ultrasound results.  Unfortunately the little one is taking now to be very active, so I am not sure how cooperative he/she will be!!