You know, I think it is some kind of law that you cannot ever be fully unpacked from a move.
Still, I would like my living room to be less than half full of boxes some day.
We're enjoying being in our new house. We've got a big back yard with lots of space for gardening. Jeff has his own office. Sorta. He has to share space with my craft stuff, but still, he doesn't have to share space with the toys anymore!!
It's an older home, built in 1928, and it needs work. The structure is sound, but the plumbing and electrical need a complete overhaul. It suits our needs for now. Nothing is falling down on us, or leaking, or broken, so I'm pretty happy with it! The lot has lots of potential, we have 90 feet to the back fence so we are talking about putting in an addition someday. When we can afford it.
We have a cat now as well. She is black and white, still has claws, and is THOROUGHLY spoiled! She is a very affectionate lap cat, so while I am sitting here typing this, she is nudging me for pats.
Esther and Tae-Tae just continue to get bigger. The living room is a constant mess, but at least Esther is getting better at cleaning it up!
We are getting ready for Christmas. Which basically entails frantically getting out Christmas gifts and cards and trying to unbury a spot in the living room for the tree. Taea has no regard for the word "no", so I am not looking forward to cleaning up all the torn up decorations. Maybe I'll put it in the playpen...
I have been working hard to start a craft business. I have a booth at the Quilted Bear in Provo. So far, not much luck, but with this economy, it's to be expected. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know!
Well, I don't have too much time for typing now, I WILL try to be more diligent about posting in the future.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Life changes--duh!
Whee, it's been a while, hasn't it? It's been really busy around here. Trying to get a business going with our family website, www.krazycraft.com, selling stuff at the farmer's market and...drumroll please....
Buying a house!
Yes, we are taking the plunge. We found a home that is older, the decor is very Grandma Chic, and the wiring needs some serious help, but it's a great price. We'll spend about a week before moving in getting everything cleaned up, painted, and the wiring fixed. Then Jeff will be closer to school and work, which will seriously reduce his commute time. That's something he is VERY happy about.
This will mean a lot higher housing payment, but with the reduction in gas costs, we should be able to handle it. We'll have a big back yard for the girls, garden space, room for fruit trees...everything we want.
I'm going to be selling some stuff at a festival at the grade school on Monday. I'm hoping to make a decent amount to pay down my materials costs.
Lessee...the girls are getting so big! Esther is actually two now! My baby girl is now a big girl! Taemarin is crawling all over the place, getting into everything within reach. She is so cute, with her big smile! She's been teething lately. Several at once. It's made her kinda cranky. Still, she is mostly smiley and happy.
Jeff is doing well in computer classes, though he is buried in homework. Two more years, we hope, and he should be done.
As we go into fall, we've got major changes in store for us. That seems to be the way it is, sometimes. Things seem to drag for a while, then shake up in a major way. Like the techtonic plates of the earth. They slide along for a while, quietly, then something gets hung up, breaks loose, and the area around gets shaken apart. We're going into changes somewhere around an 8.5, I think. Wish us luck!
Buying a house!
Yes, we are taking the plunge. We found a home that is older, the decor is very Grandma Chic, and the wiring needs some serious help, but it's a great price. We'll spend about a week before moving in getting everything cleaned up, painted, and the wiring fixed. Then Jeff will be closer to school and work, which will seriously reduce his commute time. That's something he is VERY happy about.
This will mean a lot higher housing payment, but with the reduction in gas costs, we should be able to handle it. We'll have a big back yard for the girls, garden space, room for fruit trees...everything we want.
I'm going to be selling some stuff at a festival at the grade school on Monday. I'm hoping to make a decent amount to pay down my materials costs.
Lessee...the girls are getting so big! Esther is actually two now! My baby girl is now a big girl! Taemarin is crawling all over the place, getting into everything within reach. She is so cute, with her big smile! She's been teething lately. Several at once. It's made her kinda cranky. Still, she is mostly smiley and happy.
Jeff is doing well in computer classes, though he is buried in homework. Two more years, we hope, and he should be done.
As we go into fall, we've got major changes in store for us. That seems to be the way it is, sometimes. Things seem to drag for a while, then shake up in a major way. Like the techtonic plates of the earth. They slide along for a while, quietly, then something gets hung up, breaks loose, and the area around gets shaken apart. We're going into changes somewhere around an 8.5, I think. Wish us luck!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Summertime Blahs
Good grief! Has it really been that long?
All I have to do is look at Taemarin busting out of her clothes to answer that question. My sweet little newborn is now a sweet little interested-in-everything-that-Esther-does. She follows Esther's movements like a hawk. They'll either be the best of friends, or WWIII incarnate.
Esther's vocabulary continues to improve. She knows many words. Or half words, depending on your point of view. The problem is that she doesn't seem to want to use them. She'll cry for something instead of using the word for it, even though she knows the word. We'll keep working with it, she can ask for one or two things. Especially "bah", which is bath. We've got a little fish on our hands.
Taea is the same way. I sometimes take her in the tub with me, and she will sit on my lap and kick and splash, with a huge grin on her face. Hopefully, I'll be able to get both of them swimming lessons when they're old enough.
Life around here is hectic. With my brother's help, we're launching a website. www.krazycraft.com. It's not entirely ready yet, so in order to raise some capital, I'm going to sell at the Provo City farmer's Market. It's a fairly small market, so I don't expect to make a fortune, but the more vendors there the better the turnout will be. We hope.
Jeff is back in school, which means that on weekdays he is gone from 7 or 8 in the morning until after ten at night. It's depressing, but the sooner he gets through school, the better.
Well, gotta make this short. My messy kitchen needs to be dealt with. Hopefully, I'll get better at posting more often.
All I have to do is look at Taemarin busting out of her clothes to answer that question. My sweet little newborn is now a sweet little interested-in-everything-that-Esther-does. She follows Esther's movements like a hawk. They'll either be the best of friends, or WWIII incarnate.
Esther's vocabulary continues to improve. She knows many words. Or half words, depending on your point of view. The problem is that she doesn't seem to want to use them. She'll cry for something instead of using the word for it, even though she knows the word. We'll keep working with it, she can ask for one or two things. Especially "bah", which is bath. We've got a little fish on our hands.
Taea is the same way. I sometimes take her in the tub with me, and she will sit on my lap and kick and splash, with a huge grin on her face. Hopefully, I'll be able to get both of them swimming lessons when they're old enough.
Life around here is hectic. With my brother's help, we're launching a website. www.krazycraft.com. It's not entirely ready yet, so in order to raise some capital, I'm going to sell at the Provo City farmer's Market. It's a fairly small market, so I don't expect to make a fortune, but the more vendors there the better the turnout will be. We hope.
Jeff is back in school, which means that on weekdays he is gone from 7 or 8 in the morning until after ten at night. It's depressing, but the sooner he gets through school, the better.
Well, gotta make this short. My messy kitchen needs to be dealt with. Hopefully, I'll get better at posting more often.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
After Christmas Blahs
Well, Christmas has come and gone. It was a good one for us, better than I thought, thanks to our family. We were a little worried about having the money to get anything for the girls, their aunties made up for it in spades! Esther is presently having a blast with all the toys, which, combined with everything else they've spoiled her with, are overflowing her toy bin.
Little Taemarin is getting more alert by the day. It would be so fun to take her outside to see the trees and birds and sunshine...but it's freezing outside. Esther hates being cooped up all the time. We have boots and snow clothing for her, but she has a cold right now. If she's better by the next snowstorm, then she and Daddy can go out and make a snowman. Daddy got some new boots and gloves for Christmas, so he can have fun with the girls.
We had family over for Christmas and New Years. Mark's kids went sledding off the hill into the park. They had a lot of fun despite the cold.
And now, the holidays are over, we're totting up the cost, and dreading the cold darkness still to come. Depression comes all too easily these days, with the sun in hiding. I usually love snow, but right now all it means is that I'm trapped inside.
Spring will come soon enough, I hope. Until then, I guess we'll just have to make the best of it. It is giving me opportunity to finish some projects, like crocheting and sewing.
Eventually, I'll post some pictures. Till then, if you want to see what the girls are up to, email me and I'll send you some directly!
The girls are calling. Back to the trenches.
Little Taemarin is getting more alert by the day. It would be so fun to take her outside to see the trees and birds and sunshine...but it's freezing outside. Esther hates being cooped up all the time. We have boots and snow clothing for her, but she has a cold right now. If she's better by the next snowstorm, then she and Daddy can go out and make a snowman. Daddy got some new boots and gloves for Christmas, so he can have fun with the girls.
We had family over for Christmas and New Years. Mark's kids went sledding off the hill into the park. They had a lot of fun despite the cold.
And now, the holidays are over, we're totting up the cost, and dreading the cold darkness still to come. Depression comes all too easily these days, with the sun in hiding. I usually love snow, but right now all it means is that I'm trapped inside.
Spring will come soon enough, I hope. Until then, I guess we'll just have to make the best of it. It is giving me opportunity to finish some projects, like crocheting and sewing.
Eventually, I'll post some pictures. Till then, if you want to see what the girls are up to, email me and I'll send you some directly!
The girls are calling. Back to the trenches.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Life after Thanksgiving
Whew! The turkey has been stripped, the pies have been eaten, the stuffing is gone...
And, of course, we don't want to think about how much weight has been gained!
We had a good Thanksgiving. We gathered at Uncle Doug's house with some of Aunt Joan's family. It was a great dinner, and everyone got to see our new baby. She's doing somewhat better now, sleeping about 3-4 hours at a stretch.
Sadly, that is partly due to the fact that she's on straight formula now. My body simply refuses to produce enough milk for her, so I've stopped breastfeeding. I may have better luck next time, I don't know, but I have all the indicators for a genetic condition called "hypoplastic", which means that I don't have enough milk glands. That being the likely cause, I may never be able to nurse properly.
Well, I tried. For a week and a half, I tried so hard, and my supply just dwindled. I'll just have to leave it in the Lord's hands from here. Esther was more or less the same situation, and she's healthy.
On a brighter note, Christmas is coming. Time to pull out the tree! Esther loves lights, it's going to be fun to see her watching them glitter. We have lights that race around, some that play music, and some with bi-colored bulbs. Gift shopping will be a bit sparse this year, due to financial concerns, but we'll do our best to make sure no one is forgotten.
Esther is getting into mischief again. She's getting a bit bolder about her sister, a few days ago she bit her on the toe. I'm not sure why, she probably thought it was a game since we pretend to nibble toes and stuff. It's so hard to tell her "no" when she's just trying to play. I don't want to turn her off completely from playing with her sister, but I can't just give her free rein, either. It's all a balancing act, and I definitely have more respect for moms with lots of kids. I am not the most patient person in the world, I guess this is supposed to teach me otherwise, eh?
I think that's all for now, sleep deprivation is making my brain fuzzy.
And, of course, we don't want to think about how much weight has been gained!
We had a good Thanksgiving. We gathered at Uncle Doug's house with some of Aunt Joan's family. It was a great dinner, and everyone got to see our new baby. She's doing somewhat better now, sleeping about 3-4 hours at a stretch.
Sadly, that is partly due to the fact that she's on straight formula now. My body simply refuses to produce enough milk for her, so I've stopped breastfeeding. I may have better luck next time, I don't know, but I have all the indicators for a genetic condition called "hypoplastic", which means that I don't have enough milk glands. That being the likely cause, I may never be able to nurse properly.
Well, I tried. For a week and a half, I tried so hard, and my supply just dwindled. I'll just have to leave it in the Lord's hands from here. Esther was more or less the same situation, and she's healthy.
On a brighter note, Christmas is coming. Time to pull out the tree! Esther loves lights, it's going to be fun to see her watching them glitter. We have lights that race around, some that play music, and some with bi-colored bulbs. Gift shopping will be a bit sparse this year, due to financial concerns, but we'll do our best to make sure no one is forgotten.
Esther is getting into mischief again. She's getting a bit bolder about her sister, a few days ago she bit her on the toe. I'm not sure why, she probably thought it was a game since we pretend to nibble toes and stuff. It's so hard to tell her "no" when she's just trying to play. I don't want to turn her off completely from playing with her sister, but I can't just give her free rein, either. It's all a balancing act, and I definitely have more respect for moms with lots of kids. I am not the most patient person in the world, I guess this is supposed to teach me otherwise, eh?
I think that's all for now, sleep deprivation is making my brain fuzzy.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Welcome Home Taemarin!
Gotta make this post quick, baby just woke up!
My newest bundle of joy, Taemarin Lily Calkin, was born on November 8, at 10:30 am, after a mere 2 1/2 hours of induced labor. (She has since made up for the short labor by keeping me awake most of the night!) It turns out I was already 5 cm/80% effaced when I went in, so it likely would have happened soon anyway!
She was 7 lbs 13 oz, 20 inches long, and looks a lot like her sister, except for a fine layer of dark hair. What color it will turn later, we have no idea! Could be red, like Jeff's family, or it could go blond and then dark when she's older, like my family.
Mom and baby are doing well, aside from some exhaustion. Esther is...well, mildly curious and occasionally jealous, but she's handling it well, and so far hasn't tried to hurt the baby or even touch her beyond a few light pats on the head.
I'll post more later as/if time permits.
My newest bundle of joy, Taemarin Lily Calkin, was born on November 8, at 10:30 am, after a mere 2 1/2 hours of induced labor. (She has since made up for the short labor by keeping me awake most of the night!) It turns out I was already 5 cm/80% effaced when I went in, so it likely would have happened soon anyway!
She was 7 lbs 13 oz, 20 inches long, and looks a lot like her sister, except for a fine layer of dark hair. What color it will turn later, we have no idea! Could be red, like Jeff's family, or it could go blond and then dark when she's older, like my family.
Mom and baby are doing well, aside from some exhaustion. Esther is...well, mildly curious and occasionally jealous, but she's handling it well, and so far hasn't tried to hurt the baby or even touch her beyond a few light pats on the head.
I'll post more later as/if time permits.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Almost there!
I look at the calendar, I look again, and I can't believe it's November. As of tomorrow, it will be one week till my due date.
It's not like we're not ready. We're just not quite "ready". We have her clothes arranged in the drawers and hung up on the rack, we have a bassinet in our room, we still have to dig the car seat out of its box and get the base strapped into the van, but it's at least accessible. The "ready" part, however, doesn't account for emotional readiness. I already have one baby to care for, and she's quite a handful! Jeff is busy with school and work...still, we knew it was right at the time, and it's still right. This little girl is coming to our family, ready or not!
At the moment, however, we're not sure when the blessed event will arrive. Yeah, I know, nobody ever is. Except when you're induced, of course. That's the confusing part, here. My doctor gave me a list of dates. The 5th, 8th, and 15th of November. Initially I took the 5th, (hey, five days early ain't gonna hurt!), but doing it on a Monday would interfere too much with Jeff's work and school schedule. So I set it for the 15th, a Thursday, which means he would probably miss class but not miss work since I'd be in the hospital all day Friday anyway.
However, for the last week I've been noticing more and more contractions, not to mention the fact that the baby's head has been dropped into position for almost a month. She is clearly ready, it's just my body that's not doing its job.
So, I called the office again to see if there were any openings for the 8th instead. Just my luck, the doctor wasn't in today, and the nurses can't find her schedule book.
Drat.
So now I'm waiting until Monday to see if the date can be moved. If not, well,, what's an extra week?
And there's nothing that says she won't kick hard enough to break my water before then. In which case I'll be in the hospital muy pronto! We keep joking about the most embarrassing place for it to happen. At the store? Yes, that's embarrassing. But I think the worst would be right in the middle of sacrament meeting. Sitting in church, and suddenly my water breaks all over the pew.
THAT would be embarrassment!
Well, I think that's all for the moment. Short, I know, but Numb3rs will be on shortly and I don't wanna miss it.
Yes, I'll post again as soon as I know more about the date, and of course I'll post full details when Taemarin makes her debut in the world.
It's not like we're not ready. We're just not quite "ready". We have her clothes arranged in the drawers and hung up on the rack, we have a bassinet in our room, we still have to dig the car seat out of its box and get the base strapped into the van, but it's at least accessible. The "ready" part, however, doesn't account for emotional readiness. I already have one baby to care for, and she's quite a handful! Jeff is busy with school and work...still, we knew it was right at the time, and it's still right. This little girl is coming to our family, ready or not!
At the moment, however, we're not sure when the blessed event will arrive. Yeah, I know, nobody ever is. Except when you're induced, of course. That's the confusing part, here. My doctor gave me a list of dates. The 5th, 8th, and 15th of November. Initially I took the 5th, (hey, five days early ain't gonna hurt!), but doing it on a Monday would interfere too much with Jeff's work and school schedule. So I set it for the 15th, a Thursday, which means he would probably miss class but not miss work since I'd be in the hospital all day Friday anyway.
However, for the last week I've been noticing more and more contractions, not to mention the fact that the baby's head has been dropped into position for almost a month. She is clearly ready, it's just my body that's not doing its job.
So, I called the office again to see if there were any openings for the 8th instead. Just my luck, the doctor wasn't in today, and the nurses can't find her schedule book.
Drat.
So now I'm waiting until Monday to see if the date can be moved. If not, well,
And there's nothing that says she won't kick hard enough to break my water before then. In which case I'll be in the hospital muy pronto! We keep joking about the most embarrassing place for it to happen. At the store? Yes, that's embarrassing. But I think the worst would be right in the middle of sacrament meeting. Sitting in church, and suddenly my water breaks all over the pew.
THAT would be embarrassment!
Well, I think that's all for the moment. Short, I know, but Numb3rs will be on shortly and I don't wanna miss it.
Yes, I'll post again as soon as I know more about the date, and of course I'll post full details when Taemarin makes her debut in the world.
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