Counting at 23 Weeks

I remember the feeling of incredible relief that I felt when Kimberly was born, full-term (38 weeks) and despite having elevated white blood count, was healthy and not headed for a NICU visit. Amazing how quickly the sharpness of those memories fade into the canvas of life...until you begin the journey again.

Once again, I'm back to counting. Counting the days that we make it further, counting the days that we really need to have left, counting the days without contractions, counting the days until I can deliver in Kalispell... this morning I woke to 23 weeks 4 days. That means 6 weeks 3 days until I can deliver in Kalispell. Ideally at least 12 weeks 3 days until baby arrives.

Basically, we are on the same course that we had with our previous pregnancy... I am effacing way too quickly and that increases the risk of pre-term labor. Thankfully, since we are very aware of this, the doctors, both at home & on the road, are keeping a close eye on the progression. 

Medication, rest, lavender oil, relaxation, positive thinking, please *please* don't say bedrest, lots & lots of water, oh the list goes on. And guess what? The very active little girl who keeps our lives in constant disarray, reminds me everyday that this time of counting is so worth it. 

I'm also reminded of how often life's experiences don't play out exactly the way we would want or expect, but through it all, God is teaching us and leading us on a journey that while unknown to us, is completely planned by Him.

Some pictures of our week:

An Overdue Update

What happened since my last post? 17 weeks of pregnancy! Right around the last post, the usual first trimester yuckies hit me full force and I cleared any unnecessary tasks from my schedule...including but not limited to dishes, cleaning, writing, etc.
Now that I am over half-way to our November 22nd due date, I'm ready to dive back into the blogging world. I have missed writing! I have missed sharing some of our funny adventures! I have missed sharing the cuteness of Miss Kimberly as she is rapidly growing.
A quick summary of the past 4 months... the 6 month project Jason worked on in Las Vegas completed the beginning of May and we were able to go home for a wonderful month of enjoying home & catching up on trailer repairs, house repairs, vehicle repairs, lawn mowing, doctor appointments, taxes, etc. Yes, a month goes by pretty quickly without the "vacation" feeling when your schedule is packed with "catch up" details! However, the weather was lovely, cool, RAINY, and it felt good to be back in small town.
June brought us back to work and we are now in & out depending on doctor appointments for precious baby on the way.

Some photo highlights:

Snuggles with Daddy when he gets home from work. 

Walking baby doll on Easter Sunday while wearing a new hat.

Loving mom's heels.

Transition to a toddler bed in May.

Chocolate pudding... what else is there to say? :)

While attempting to weed the overgrown front flower bed, I looked over & guess what I found!

She reminded me of all of the "houses" we made in my dad's hayfields & wheat fields. I'm sure he was THRILLED having everything knocked down prior to harvest! 

To come? I would like to do a series on "Life in a Travel Trailer" as well as resume sharing our daily adventures of life on the road & at home. Be sure to email me any questions you have about life in a trailer so I can include them in the series!
Have a joyful week!

Springtime Fun

Days seem to go smoother if I keep Kimberly busy with appropriate activities...instead of the ones she likes to tackle, such as taking pens to the furniture, finger painting with yogurt in the living room, or climbing to new heights.

This week we cleaned out a cabinet in the kitchen and I discovered just how many paper bags I had shoved in there! (Yes, I did take my insulated totes to the store today... although insulation against the heat was admittedly my main motivation.) Ripping the paper bags open and coloring on the inside makes for great fun. Kimberly loves stepping on our pictures too... something about the crinkly noise paper bags make.

We often go for walks; Kimberly pushing her stroller & dolly while I push the "back-up" stroller.

Checking out leaves in the grass.

A little grossed out by the leaves in the grass :)

Note the hats on both babies as well as Kimberly's purse hanging on the stroller...just like mommy.

Helping Mommy

Have you read the children's book, We Help Mommy, illustrated by, Eloise Wilkin? The stories she illustrated have stayed in my memory as favorites. (Thankfully, there is a new hardcover collection out that is MUCH cheaper than buying the collectible Golden Book on Amazon)
Anyway, in the book, the two little children sweetly get up in the morning and assist their mother all day long with a short little pause to go play with their friends. As a mother, I do believe this may continue to be a favorite story of mine! :)
As one way to combat some of Kimberly's tantrums, I have started giving her "jobs" to help me with. It is proving to be a great distraction & useful in keeping her occupied since she is at the stage where it is a lot of fun (don't worry, I have no delusions that it will always be this way).
Drying dishes:

First she dried the back.

Then the front.

What a funny expression on her face!!

Time to put it away!

One day last week she finished wiping something off & took the towel to the garbage...such a normal stage for kids, but so funny to watch how serious they are while doing it!

Next lesson... teaching her to fold the towels she is so good at pulling out of the drawer? :)

When the Tantrums Hit

The eyebrows smash together as her eyes begin throwing sparks. Next comes the shrieking and if she is looking for extra impact, she throws her head back as she begins stamping her feet. Somehow she knows that the best tantrums also include throwing yourself on the floor,kicking arms and feet, and much to my horror, she seems to think that she gets bonus points if she crashes her little body into things.

Parents are warned about the "Terrible Twos," but as a new mother, will I survive my daughter at 15 months?

In my mind, I go through the list.... She's been eating all morning, some toast is laying discarded near her... she can't still be hungry. She slept well last night. She has a clean diaper. Her clothes don't look like they are an issue. I'm paying attention to her (or was until now when I am not sure what to do!). She has lots of toy options. I gave her teething oil a little bit ago in case those molars are bugging her again today. She has her favorite snuggly blanket nearby. We are in normal surroundings and we were having a calm, peaceful morning.

It's super easy to be second-guessing what could be causing this behavior, but bottom line is my job is to teach her how to handle anger in healthy ways and I am at a loss!

How do you parent with grace through the long, tantrum speckled toddler days? What has worked for you in dealing with tantrums?

Raspberry Jam for Kimby

It's sometimes the little things from home that make living on the road "homey"... like raspberry jam made from our raspberry bushes.

Great and Special Visitors

It was with great excitement that we welcomed Grandpa & Grandma Jeske into our home away from home the beginning of January.
Thank you for visiting us despite the colds we had!!

Big smiles across the room

Grandpa, you make funny noises!!

Grandma, I can put socks on my hands? This is fun!

Socks or mittens...hmmm.

I like this new game!!

We sure love you Grandpa & Grandma!

Tea in the Fort

When you live in a small space, you often run out of space. To combat that, Kimberly & I create lots of forts and play in the even smaller spaces until it is time to pick up our toys and then it feels like we have a GIANT living area!
The other day, I was a guest in Kimberly's fort. She is a very gracious & entertaining hostess! If ever you receive an invitation to have tea at Kimberly's, I highly recommend leaving the dishes, laundry, dinner, work, etc for this special moment.

Welcome to my fort!

Don't mind the static as you crawl through the door! 

This was the response when I asked if I could have a cup of tea. I had tears in my eyes, my little hostess was so sweet!

Notice that in our tiny forts, we maintain an emergency exit... just in case ! :)

Such hospitality, she shared the last drop of her tea!

This was funny, she randomly fell over backwards laughing the entire time. Silly girl!

"Would you like any more tea?"

"My turn!"

Snack Time

Sea Life Park

We enjoyed a few hours at Sea Life Park last week. It took Kimberly a little while to realize that there was more going on than to watch Dad with the camera!

The dolphins were pretty entertaining.

In spite of the entertainment, exhaustion caught up to this active little girl.

Snoozing away....

Have you ever watched a painting sea lion?

Dada, Kimby, & her penguin

"Oh Penguin, you're my favorite!!"

She saw this little penguin in the gift shop (maybe with some help) but once she had it in her arms, it was instant love. Even now, if we make an 'eee eee' squeeky noise, she reaches to look for him. Yesterday I saw her trying to get the poor bird to take her pacifier!

How to Sneak Cookies at 8 months

Early in the month of August, Miss Kimberly figured out how to get into the drawer that holds all of her snacks. Here is her picture tutorial on how to sneak cookies in such a cute way that even Mom will allow cookies before dinner. :)