leaf piles

Playing with GPS this weekend!



17 weeks along.


I'm not actually going to write about leaf piles, I just drew a blank when thinking of a title and wrote the first thing I saw when I glanced outside into the rain/snow mix we have coming down on this chilly afternoon. I shouldn't be surprised that it is cold, it just seems as if we have had a gorgeous fall settle in this past month and I was getting used to spending hours outside everyday.
I don't really mind the change in weather- it is fun to get out some old sweaters and fleeces and feel like it could be an afternoon for hot chocolate. It seems about time to have a fire in our stove and hang out as a family reading.

Soon, we will be facing a stark (and welcome) contrast to snow, fires and hot chocolate, as we leave for Florida with mom and Steve. I am so excited to play in the sand, beach and pools with my little fish. She loves scooping sand and playing in the water and I cannot wait to do it in warm weather. Ryan has also been swamped with work and responsibility, so it will be wonderful to spend time together as a family! On that note, if anyone has suggestions for keeping my monkey of a child entertained for 3 1/2 hours on my lap during a flight, I'd LOVE to hear them! I am nervous about that part of the trip, but thrilled and anxiously awaiting everything else. I already have summer clothes packed in the suitcase and am currently looking at a stack of sand shovels and sunscreen that need to be tucked into bags too.

Here are a few updates on the last post: We have not had any more night terrors! I am not counting on them being over, but it has been a blessing to have a break from them. Now, every night before bed, we say a prayer and ask Jesus to keep Coranelle sleeping soundly and feeling safe. If I forget to say a prayer before bed, she'll say "A-mee"- which is her way of saying "amen" to remind that we still have something to do. She sits her little body quietly on my lap, with her hands folded, head against my chest, and listens until I say "amen" and she chimes in. No guarantee that the prayers stop the night terrors, but it was a fun habit to start and she is SO adorable when we pray that I had to paint you a little picture. Speaking of adorable, she just gets cuter all the time. I know I am biased, but it's allowed, so humor me. When we go to the rec center or church now, she happily runs in to play with the new toys... but always remembers to turn back and say, "Bye Mommy". When I return, she always runs to greet me and says good bye to everyone in the room and blows kisses. When I picked her up from her second successful trip to MOPs this morning (for a 2 1/2 hour period of time!), she was as happy as could be. (I know, because I picked her up and asked her how she was, and she said "happy.. happy") The ladies taking care of her said that she was a lot of fun and did really well. All the ladies at church know her by name now and get excited when she comes in and always make a point to tell me how much fun she is. (They probably say this to all the parents, but... it's true- she's getting to be SO fun!). I just love her so much!

Now, for all you moms out there growling at me because your kid is not sleeping, not eating, throwing tantrums, or whatever- don't hate me. I'm just focusing on the positives. We have tantrums- daily. We do. She gets frustrated that she cannot walk by herself in the grocery store or push the cart the whole time. She screams and howls at times when I try to put her in her car seat. She gets mad at me when I tell her she cannot stand on furniture and we have to put her in her crib for a time out. We deal with all that on a daily basis. But, what I love is that her little personality is coming out and she's learning how to express herself and it's so fun to see her becoming a little kid. She is such a blessing and I am so happy that I get to see every day. I missed her TONS this morning during MOPs and when my parents took her overnight on Friday for our date. I know it is great for her to spend time with other people, and great for us, but she is addicting!

On that note, we did get to go on a lovely date this past weekend and Coranelle had a sleepover with Grandmadele and GPS. We got to get coffee at Ozo, have a delicious dinner at the Med and enjoy Glacier ice cream and a movie. It was a much needed treat and wonderful to have some time to catch up with Ryan without a kid yelling, or wanting down or needing something. We need to do it more often! Coranelle did really well at her grandparents' house- except for not falling asleep until after 9pm, but she does that at home, so no complaints.
Here are a few pictures of our date.
Waiting for an hour at the Med. I didn't mind the wait at all because we could sit and chat and people watch!
We shared a latte at Ozo before dinner. My mom dropped me off to wait for Ryan to finish work on her way to take Coranelle to Longmont and I even had a few minutes to myself to journal! What a novelty!

My mind is drawing a blank for what else to report. But, before I forget, I have exhausted my list of books and I need some more ideas, hopefully before Florida. So, if you've read a great book lately, please share.

I hope you are all having a wonderful November!

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.

Yuk!

Ryan and Coranelle out to lunch while I was sick. Yup, Super dad!


Whew! I feel like the last few weeks have just been rough... like we cannot really catch a break. Last week, we discovered that Coranelle really likes Edamame beans. We certainly overfed her, but she is so picky and eats so little that we just let her eat until she was done. Apparently, her body didn't process the soybeans super well, or so we thought. The next morning, she seemed to have thrown up in her crib a little and I proceeded to wash all her sheets, stuffed animals, PJ's, etc. I gave her a bath and she seemed totally fine, so I assumed she had just eaten too much. Later that day, I left her at the Rec center child care, only to be called 10 minutes into my workout. Coranelle had diarrhea and had had a huge blowout. Yikes. They didn't want to pick her up because she was covered, so she was totally upset, and I was totally embarrassed. They had to call in the cleaning crew and I couldn't stop apologizing. Of course, once I picked her up, I was covered, so we had to come home and do more laundry and take showers.

Thursday night, I came down with some nasty stomach flu and have never felt sicker in my life. Truly. I was in the bathroom every 30 minutes from 11pm- morning. I was so exhausted from dry heaving and so nauseous that Ryan had to stay home from work Fri. I could hardly move, let alone eat and there was no way I was going to be able to take care of Coranelle. Meanwhile, Ryan took Coranelle to a lunch with co-workers Friday only to bring her home screaming with another huge blow-out. So, there I am, barely able to stand up, holding a gross, screaming child while Ryan got a bath going. Ryan was fantastic. Super dad really. He took perfect care of both of us, brought me flowers, bought soup and sprite and made sure I was drinking.

My test was on Saturday and really difficult to re-schedule. I fortunately slept Friday night and pulled myself together enough to sit through the 3 hour, 80 page test. I think I passed too, which is great. I came home to Ryan not feeling well either and we both just tried to survive the day. We were so anxious to put Coranelle down for her nap so we could rest. We made it through and we seemed to get better really quickly, which I am so thankful for! Unfortunately, I didn't get to fully recover, because now I am back to regular pregnancy nausea. But, I can certainly handle that a lot better than whatever we had this weekend. Hopefully, we are done with that for a long time! Thanks to everyone for their kind words, prayers, and dropping off delicious food! Hopefully, we can get back to normal this week and Coranelle and I can have some fun outings and I can relax and get some things done, instead of studying during naps.

Yesterday, we had Coranelle's child dedication at our church, and below are a few pictures.
Lots of kiddos being dedicated. Coranelle was upset that she had to be held. There were stairs behind us that she'd rather play on.
Coranelle being good and fully entertained with her Auntie Claire's coke bottle during the dedication. She is really hard to take pictures of now because she never sits still, so this is the best we have.

second excuse

For dinner tonight, I ate a bowl of Malt-O-Meal. Ryan wanted enchiladas for dinner and I had to go buy them already-made. I couldn't stomach chopping garlic and onion and I cannot even think about chicken. I just now had half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. This morning at 6:15 am, I was sitting on our bathroom floor dry heaving. There are many days where I FEEL as if I could throw up at any second, but don't. For about the past 5 weeks, I cannot open our vegetable drawer without gagging. Keeping up with Coranelle has suddenly become exponentially harder as she runs circles around me and I can't help but wish she'd share some energy with me- as I don't have any. Are you getting what I am hinting at? My second excuse for not blogging very often.... What if I added that, despite the weird eating habits, feeling sick and uncomfortable and tired, that it is all worth it and I am excited and blessed. Get it now?

Yup, I am pregnant! With baby Mork #2. The expected due date is April 14th. Coranelle and her little sibling will be about 23 months apart. This time, I knew a week before the pregnancy test came back positive that I was pregnant. I remembered the "off" feeling I had felt with Coranelle. So, by my birthday, I was sure there was another one on the way. We knew before Stefan and Rachael's wedding and tried (horribly unsuccessfully) to keep things quiet so that we didn't steal any of their "thunder". But, they found out immediately and were wonderfully excited and supportive.

We are thrilled and thankful that it has been a healthy pregnancy thus far. I am almost 11 weeks along and we got to hear a strong, healthy heartbeat at 8 weeks. It was reassuring to have everything checked out and I am thankful and relieved that so far, all is well. I have to be honest, when we found out I was pregnant, I was equally as nervous as I was excited (even though it was planned). You see, having an infant with a two year old (and not just ANY two year old), seems a bit daunting. When I have rough days with Coranelle and I just feel like she consumes all my time and energy, I cannot help but wonder how I will handle nursing, being sleep deprived, soothing a fussy baby and keeping up with Coranelle. But, what good is worrying going to do? I am sure that God will give us the grace and strength to get through it.

Coranelle clearly doesn't fully understand what is coming, but we talk about it here and there. Now, when I say the word, "baby", she comes and points to my tummy. I am going to try to find some books on little siblings and possibly get her a doll to help her get used to the idea. I am totally up for other suggestions to help a sensitive child adjust to a new baby. I think she will be a good helper and an incredibly sweet sister (once she adjusts). She is always helping me at home now. When I sing her clean up song, she always happily helps put all of her blocks and legos away. If I need her to bring me something, she does it cheerfully. Another way she has helped me out hugely in the past few months is her willingness to be watched by others. Two days a week, I take her to the rec center day care for an hour (you cannot beat good $2/hour childcare). She has done pretty well and only cries until I walk out the door. I always return to a smiling child, thrilled with all the new toys and kids to play with. She has also finally adjusted the child care at church and every weekend, Ryan and I get a one hour chance to sit together quietly and really listen and be recharged, challenged, encouraged, etc. Coranelle loves the volunteers and they love her and I always pick up a kid who has been running around and playing so hard that her little cheeks are flushed and her sweet head is sweaty. These periodic breaks will be great for a little extra time with baby two. And it ensures that Coranelle will do okay spending time with other people who love her when I cannot focus all my time on her.

Before you make your judgments about the space between my two kids (or lack thereof), let me explain. Stefan and I are just 21 months apart, and although the first year was really tough on mom, things worked out. Of course, Stefan and I fought as kids. But, we were also friends and a good support team as we grew up. Now, I feel like we are very close for siblings and I like the age difference. I don't think waiting another year or two would make the first year that much easier or make kids fight less. Secondly, had I waited a bit longer to get pregnant, baby two might have been born just a day or two before Coranelle's birthday and I thought that might be nice to avoid so each kid could have their special day. (Petty, I know, but somehow important in the planning). I also did not want to be 8 months pregnant in the hot summer. So, April it is and that seems perfect. Plus, after April 15th, my mom is done with tax season and more available to help. And, after the beginning of June, Grams (Heidi) is done with school and she can help out over the summer. Finally, I'd like to get back to teaching before I completely forget what I am doing and so having kids closer together just worked for us.
This is Stefan adjusting to having a little sister (me).

I am thrilled to meet the new little one and see what their personality is like. I think the grandparents are really happy to be looking forward to another grandchild. I am excited to see Ryan with another baby, as he has proven to be a better father than I ever could have imagined possible. He's currently taking great care of all of us. When I don't feel well, he eats ramen with me. I get a back rub every night! He's always making sure I'm getting snacks and drinking and taking my prenatals. He rearranges his schedule so he can watch Coranelle and I can take a nap or rest. He's truly been awesome. But, that's no surprise to those of you who know him.

That's all for now, as my lack of energy has affected my ability to string coherent thoughts together at this very late hour of ... 9:39pm. Any suggestions for Coranelle or me or us are always welcome!

PS The addition to the family is why we upgraded to a bigger vehicle with more cargo space. :-)
Stefan and me- a mere 21 months apart.