Fall Festivities

Having a ball on the hay bales at the pumpkin patch. She kept running back and forth saying "Happy... Hay.... Happy... Hay"
This is what she does when I tell her to smile. Charming.
She loved these rabbits!

Finishing off my hot chocolate on a chilly day visiting the pumpkin patch.


Just wanted to write about a few things we are enjoying and struggling with this fall. First- all the fun things:
1. The leaves changing this year are gorgeous and the yellow in our front yard was stunning. We just had a storm blow through, and most of the leaves are on the ground, but I still LOVE all the fall colors.
2. Baking- I love baking in the fall. I'm making an apple spice cake today for some good friends who just had a baby. Soon to follow- banana and pumpkin bread.
3. Talking- Yes, I talk during all seasons of the year. But, Coranelle just really took it on this fall. In the car, we play a game, where I say a word and she mimics it. If I pause too long between words, she'll shout "Mo... Mo"- which means, "More... More". It's so fun to hear her communicating more.
4. Quiet mornings- Coranelle has switched to one nap a day and that has somehow extended her bedtime sleeping. The dark mornings help, but she tends to sleep in more, which means I get a little more time with Ryan before he leaves for work and then a few minutes to myself before getting Coranelle up and ready.
5. New experiences and people- Today, I am going to try a MOPS meeting for the first time. I was interested before, but it took place during Coranelle's morning nap. Now, that she's awake during that time, we thought we'd give it a shot. I've never left her with someone that is not family for more than an hour, so the 2 1/2 hours that this morning brings is making me a bit anxious. We'll see how she does and if we both like it.
6. Blankets, slippers, hoodies and hot drinks- all fun things when the seasons change
7. Lots of time sitting in Coranelle's glider or on the floor reading books. I think she could listen to books for hours if we'd read that long. It is great fun to see her interacting with the books. Pointing to the animals and objects I ask her to find and tell me what the different colors are.
8. Halloween stuff- We're not super into Halloween, but I am excited to put Coranelle into her duck costume and go visit some of the neighbors we are friends with. Our church also has a great fall party that we'll dress her up and take her to. Her grandparents are running the cakewalk, so we'll have to go get a cake too! This weekend, we'll carve our pumpkins and I'll bake the seeds.

That's all the fun stuff that fall has brought. Here is our struggle:
1. Night terrors- twice now, Coranelle has woken up with a night terror. These are scary for all of us, as she doesn't fully wake up. She seems to be in a dream state, but her eyes are wide open and she is screaming, her heart pounding, and inconsolable. She won't make eye contact and nothing calms her down. We try books, water, a bath, looking at pictures, rocking.... etc. We've since learned that we're not supposed to pick her up or turn the lights on, but let her get through that stage of sleep on her own. Hopefully she doesn't have many more because it freaks me out to see that blank look on her terrified face. They supposedly come after a day where the child feels stressed, anxious or scared. Ah, the mysteries of being a parent. I guess only 5% of kids have night terrors, but if anyone has had experience with them, I'd love to hear your wisdom.

That's all for now. Please feel free to share what you are enjoying or doing this fall.

So hungry

My little doll! I cannot believe I captured this instant. I told her to smile and she usually is too busy to stop and smile, so I didn't expect such a good shot!
Showing me around! Hopefully we can make it back and visit the petting zoo and jumpy castles when the whole world isn't there.
My two favorite people!
Her little cluster of favorites. She loves pumpkins!

I am obviously aware that this is a really silly thing to be blogging about, but it's the honest truth- I am so hungry all the time. I went from never wanting to smell food, talk about food, hear people discuss food to wanting to eat all the time. I don't remember being this hungry when I was pregnant with Coranelle. I am trying to eat healthy snacks and take care of myself, but I'm not perfect.

I also somehow gained about 7 pounds in just over 2 weeks. That seems a bit fast! But, I know it was because I was sick and then didn't really eat or drink for about 9 weeks. My body is making up for it- I guess. I just hope the weight gain slows a bit, or I'll get too big to chase my kid around!

Since I have my appetite back, I have started doing some meal planning. I am enjoying browsing through cook books and cooking again. The grocery shopping with a mini toddler- well, that's not so fun, but we get through it. Here's what I've made thus far:
Famous Mork burritos (2 batches)
Loaded baked potatoes
Huevos rancheros
Chicken fried rice
Pasta bean and sausage ziti
Spinach and cheese omelets
Warm fajita salad
Potato and bean chowder
Grilled egg sandwiches
Beer cheese bread
Mexican gumbo
Ham and cheese calzones

Whew! That's a lot of cooking! And a lot of eggs and potatoes- not sure why, but my body seemed to want them. If you have fun recipe suggestions, feel free to let me know! Or, if you have good ideas for snacks to keep me going, I'd appreciate those too!

In news unrelated to food, Ryan was a busy guy this weekend replacing the shocks and struts on our 4-runner. He's quite the handy man and also put a 3 inch lift on our car, and thus we officially have an off road vehicle! And, a pretty cool mom car, I might add. We also took a trip to the pumpkin patch (along with the rest of the world) and got some fun pictures. (Posted above). This coming weekend, my dad, Christina and Kyle arrive for a visit and we're looking forward to spending some time with them.

The lifted 4 runner!
The two Mork off roading vehicles. I think ours might be a little more "family friendly" than "Clifford"- or Josh's. I think this was taken before the lift... but I am not sure- which is sad and funny at the same time. You see, I didn't really want the lift, so you'd think I'd be able to tell the difference on the car I drive every day.

That's all for now. I hope you are all enjoying your fall!

celebrations!

Checking out the lights at the zoo. She LOVED them!
Really enthralled with the Lorikeets. Coranelle liked them too! :-)
Enjoying the morning at the zoo with mom/ Grandmadele.


Just wanted to share a little bit of good news. The test that I studied for for months and took with the stomach flu and nausea- well, I passed it! I am so relieved. Now, I am one step closer to my ESL endorsement. My next step is waiting to see if all of my classes count.

Second little celebration is that I am almost through the first trimester (14 weeks on Thursday) and am feeling much better! I finally have an appetite back and am gaining back the weight I have lost over the last few months. I am actually grocery shopping and cooking again! I can open my vegetable drawer without gagging and cook chicken (with garlic and onion!), without having to dry heave! It is so much easier to be excited about being pregnant when I feel better! I am still tired, but it's 100 times better than feeling sick all day. And, I don't think the being tired feeling is going to go away anytime soon- considering the wee one that I chase around, carry and entertain all day. Now that I am cooking again, she LOVES seeing everything I am doing and wants to be held so she can see everything I chop, grate, boil or bake. Making a meal and holding a toddler is a workout in itself! I get frustrated that things that I used to be able to do seem immensely harder now. I'm not THAT far along and am just starting to show, but when I take classes at the rec center, my face is purple and I am just dying. Anything that requires core strength seems impossible. How is it that I already have lost any abs I had gained back after Coranelle? Oh well, it's all for a great outcome, sometimes I just feel frustrated that things I used to do all the time leave me completely winded and exhausted.

Coranelle has a little baby doll of her own that she is learning to care for. She is not gentle at all, but she loves the baby. She points to my belly all the time and says "Bay- beeee" in the cutest way. We have some books for her about being a big sister that I hope help a bit.

Coranelle seems to be talking up a storm right now, getting very proficient at mimicking our words and it is fun to see her vocabulary expand. I think that this age is really fun and I enjoy seeing her turn into a kid and explore the world around her.

That's all for now. Just a few little bits of good news.

loneliness leads to appreciation

I've been feeling a bit lonely recently. Nothing to cry over, just kind of a deep feeling inside my gut. You see, I used to be surrounded by people during all hours of the day. At any given moment, I had twenty 9 year olds that needed something or wanted to share something with me. I had lots of co-workers coming in and out of my classroom to chat and to plan lessons. Our social lives were pretty busy on weekends with other singles or newlyweds.
I suppose a lot has changed since I had a child. There are days where I go from 10am until 6pm without talking to another adult, except maybe the grocery clerk. It's okay, I really appreciate this time of my life and the chance to know Coranelle. But, sometimes it gets lonely. I believe it has been over a year since I saw one of my girlfriends that I knew and was close to before having a kid. And even then, I had Coranelle with me, so it was hard to be fully focused. That's not super alarming, really. In high school, most of my closest friends were guys. It wasn't until Capernwray that I had a girlfriend that I had always hoped and prayed for, the one you spend tons of times with and can talk to for hours on end. I had a few more in college, and I miss them dearly. Girlfriends that I could run with, bike with, train for triathlons with, pray with, cook with, have sleepovers with, pour my heart and soul to. Life has taken us to different corners of the nation and different pages of our stories. But I miss that closeness.
Don't get me wrong. I feel so thankful for the moms that I have made friends with in the past year or so. I have really enjoyed my time with them and they have been extremely supportive and helpful and kind. But, it is a different relationship. They don't KNOW me in the same way as my girlfriends from the past did. I am somehow now 90% Coranelle's mom, and 10% Kari. Or, it feels that way. And different parenting styles, work schedules, family planning, etc. often makes it so that Coranelle and I spend a grand portion of the day alone together. Some mornings when I wake up, I feel a little overwhelmed by the fact that I need to entertain Coranelle on my own for about 10 hours.
The two of us went to the zoo together Wednesday and I was hoping to have someone else come, but a few options fell through. We ended up having a total blast and she was an angel. I could really focus on her and what she wanted to see and explore and it was a really wonderful mother daughter day that I will treasure for a long time. I started reflecting on my loneliness and realized that I have something that not many women have.





My husband is truly my best friend. He is someone that I can share my soul with. We are that couple that likes to do almost everything together. He will bike, hike, run, swim, cook, relax, and explore with me. We think alike on just about everything. We agree on faith, politics, our individual roles, how to spend money, where to shop for our clothes, what kind of car to buy, how to save money, how to raise Coranelle, and on and on. Okay, so we disagree on how often the lawn should be mowed, but that's pretty minor. I am so thankful that I have my best friend by my side through all the transitions, drama, chaos, and blessings that life brings. I get to see him every morning and evening and find fun things to do with him and Coranelle all weekend long. Even when we're doing mundane projects like building a patio, we have a good time together. It's so refreshing to have a conversation with him in the evenings and feel like someone really knows me, gets me.
Although I do hope that as time goes on, I deepen some present relationships and create new ones, I truly appreciate my family and the people I have in my life right now.