Won't these be so cute on a little baby boy and girl twins?!
Can't wait!
xo,
Rachel
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Coordinating Diaper Bums
Won't these be so cute on a little baby boy and girl twins?!
Can't wait!
xo,
Rachel
Twins & Diapers & Super-Pregnant
You would not believe how many things are rolling around in my head (okay maybe you would) as I think about how on earth we will get prepared for these twins.
Thoughts about childbirth for twins (want to try to attempt a natural delivery), wondering if I should re-take birth classes at our local hospital, thinking about all of the things to organize and clean, paint, etc... and diapers!
This is one thing I think I've finally made a decision about. Right now my two kids are currently in disposable diapers. Hopefully Melody will potty train sometime soon and there will be no more diapers for her (she is approaching three years old in March) and with my foster son, he has so many doctor's appointments and family visits, etc, I have just never found the motivation to switch him over to cloth. I am also buying clothes for him as I go along and we all know (if you have done cloth) that clothes need to be bigger to fit cloth diapers and I haven't been able to coordinate buying bigger clothes with a time I can also do the necessary laundry to switch him over to cloth.
When I think about what is coming down the pipe with twins (3 kids for sure in diapers, possibly 4!) I just can't imagine cloth diapering all of them.
But the idea of PAYING for HUNDREDS of diapers per week has me shaking in my boots a little too.
So we are headed right down the middle.
I just got done ordering a dozen more prefolds, 2 cute coordinating Thirstie duo covers (they are my favorite!), and some snappies for the twins.
Yep, I am going to cloth diaper twins right from the beginning and let my other two kiddos continue on in disposables as we have been doing. This way I am not overwhelmed by dirty diaper laundry (or the idea of changing 3-4 cloth diapers in a single outing) OR by the amounts of money we would be spending on disposable diapers for 4 kids.
Maybe I am overly optimistic, but I also hope to feel MUCH better after these twins are born, so that I am not intimidated by the laundry situation for four children and two in cloth diapers.
I am chalking up my lack of laundry skills at the moment to being pregnant, having been VERY busy the last six months and still busy even now and being super-pregnant.
In fact, that is what I think I'm going to refer to being pregnant with twins as from now on. When you are pregnant with multiples, you aren't just pregnant.... you are SUPER pregnant. :) It's akin to having a super hero power. In fact, I think handling pregnancy is a super power no matter who you are or how many babies you are having!
Okay, off to be a super hero momma of the twin baking variety. Donning my cape to handle some laundry for a family of four while Baby Peanut naps. Here's hoping he stays asleep long enough for me to accomplish sorting and starting a load!
:)
Love,
Rachel
Thoughts about childbirth for twins (want to try to attempt a natural delivery), wondering if I should re-take birth classes at our local hospital, thinking about all of the things to organize and clean, paint, etc... and diapers!
This is one thing I think I've finally made a decision about. Right now my two kids are currently in disposable diapers. Hopefully Melody will potty train sometime soon and there will be no more diapers for her (she is approaching three years old in March) and with my foster son, he has so many doctor's appointments and family visits, etc, I have just never found the motivation to switch him over to cloth. I am also buying clothes for him as I go along and we all know (if you have done cloth) that clothes need to be bigger to fit cloth diapers and I haven't been able to coordinate buying bigger clothes with a time I can also do the necessary laundry to switch him over to cloth.
When I think about what is coming down the pipe with twins (3 kids for sure in diapers, possibly 4!) I just can't imagine cloth diapering all of them.
But the idea of PAYING for HUNDREDS of diapers per week has me shaking in my boots a little too.
So we are headed right down the middle.
I just got done ordering a dozen more prefolds, 2 cute coordinating Thirstie duo covers (they are my favorite!), and some snappies for the twins.
Yep, I am going to cloth diaper twins right from the beginning and let my other two kiddos continue on in disposables as we have been doing. This way I am not overwhelmed by dirty diaper laundry (or the idea of changing 3-4 cloth diapers in a single outing) OR by the amounts of money we would be spending on disposable diapers for 4 kids.
Maybe I am overly optimistic, but I also hope to feel MUCH better after these twins are born, so that I am not intimidated by the laundry situation for four children and two in cloth diapers.
I am chalking up my lack of laundry skills at the moment to being pregnant, having been VERY busy the last six months and still busy even now and being super-pregnant.
In fact, that is what I think I'm going to refer to being pregnant with twins as from now on. When you are pregnant with multiples, you aren't just pregnant.... you are SUPER pregnant. :) It's akin to having a super hero power. In fact, I think handling pregnancy is a super power no matter who you are or how many babies you are having!
Okay, off to be a super hero momma of the twin baking variety. Donning my cape to handle some laundry for a family of four while Baby Peanut naps. Here's hoping he stays asleep long enough for me to accomplish sorting and starting a load!
:)
Love,
Rachel
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Verse of the day...
"Then He said to them, 'Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions."
Luke 12:15, NASB
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Thoughts about twins...
I'm just going to say at the outset of this post that I have no idea where it is going...
There have been so many thoughts rolling around in my head lately about how our life is going to change though that I really feel the need to get SOMETHING out on "paper".
I just finished directing part of a Christmas show at the local dance studio where I teach and now that the hustle and bustle of Christmas is over, my mind is practically exploding trying to take in all the ways our lives are about to change. Going from two kids to four all of a sudden- and having those two additional be twins- is just something I am having a hard time grappling with.
I keep desparately searching the internet for someone who has been in our situation. A family that has a special needs child and twins. A family with four kids and the twins came last. I wish there was someone who could say they've been exactly where I am and this is how you get through it.
I told my sister today that I am superwoman. That I have to think of myself as a superwoman, otherwise I might crumble in this stage. For a few weeks I will have FOUR KIDS AGE TWO AND UNDER. Then when Melody turns three at the end of march I will have four kids age three and under and THREE KIDS AGE ONE AND UNDER.
I often ask myself "Am I insane?" and then I remember... I didn't chose this! Yet even still, I don't mind being chosen for this challenge because each of these children is already the GREATEST GIFT I could ever have in my life. They give me so much joy... I can't imagine life without them.
So I guess what worries me is the HOW of it all. HOW am I going to manage a one year old's schedule (who will still be functioning like an 8 or 9 month old) and also manage two newborn's schedules? HOW will I keep my daughter feeling loved, nurtured and special when I have SO MUCH else going on?
And I guess now that I have felt so tired and so not like myself (from being pregnant) for SO long I wonder, will I ever TRULY feel back to normal? Will I ever actually get my energy back? Will breastfeeding twins completely deplete my energy? Or will I bounce back and feel like everything is easier once I am no longer pregnant? Will I have enough help?
The unknowns are getting to me. Not knowing what life will be like is killing me. It's like having "senior-itis" when you are pregnant. It's not time for these babies to be here yet (and they can definitely stay cooking in there until 38 weeks if they like!) , but I am still anxious to meet them and begin meeting this challenge and making it happen.
*Insert Big Sigh Here*
Now I've gotten some worries off my chest, here are the things I can actually do something about...
1. Plan an overnight for Christian and me away from the kids and chaos of life.
2. Clean out the clutter from our house and make room for two more babies.
3. Tie up as many loose ends as possible before babies get here.
4. Pack a hospital bag and solidify plans for our kids in case of early delivery.
5. Pre-register for birth at the hospital and sign up for birthing classes, making sure I know the hospitals policies about twin birth since I want to do it naturally.
Wow. I guess I have a lot to do before these twinsies get here! Surely it's enough to keep me occupied for the next nine weeks!
Just praying that I have the focus and energy (in spite of being exhausted because of being pregnant with twins) to get prepared for all of this.
*Insert another deep breath here*
I guess I will just need to change my thinking to match the little engine that could... "I think I can. I think I can!" and pray for grace... lots and lots of grace.
Thanks for listening.
Love,
Rachel
There have been so many thoughts rolling around in my head lately about how our life is going to change though that I really feel the need to get SOMETHING out on "paper".
I just finished directing part of a Christmas show at the local dance studio where I teach and now that the hustle and bustle of Christmas is over, my mind is practically exploding trying to take in all the ways our lives are about to change. Going from two kids to four all of a sudden- and having those two additional be twins- is just something I am having a hard time grappling with.
I keep desparately searching the internet for someone who has been in our situation. A family that has a special needs child and twins. A family with four kids and the twins came last. I wish there was someone who could say they've been exactly where I am and this is how you get through it.
I told my sister today that I am superwoman. That I have to think of myself as a superwoman, otherwise I might crumble in this stage. For a few weeks I will have FOUR KIDS AGE TWO AND UNDER. Then when Melody turns three at the end of march I will have four kids age three and under and THREE KIDS AGE ONE AND UNDER.
I often ask myself "Am I insane?" and then I remember... I didn't chose this! Yet even still, I don't mind being chosen for this challenge because each of these children is already the GREATEST GIFT I could ever have in my life. They give me so much joy... I can't imagine life without them.
So I guess what worries me is the HOW of it all. HOW am I going to manage a one year old's schedule (who will still be functioning like an 8 or 9 month old) and also manage two newborn's schedules? HOW will I keep my daughter feeling loved, nurtured and special when I have SO MUCH else going on?
And I guess now that I have felt so tired and so not like myself (from being pregnant) for SO long I wonder, will I ever TRULY feel back to normal? Will I ever actually get my energy back? Will breastfeeding twins completely deplete my energy? Or will I bounce back and feel like everything is easier once I am no longer pregnant? Will I have enough help?
The unknowns are getting to me. Not knowing what life will be like is killing me. It's like having "senior-itis" when you are pregnant. It's not time for these babies to be here yet (and they can definitely stay cooking in there until 38 weeks if they like!) , but I am still anxious to meet them and begin meeting this challenge and making it happen.
*Insert Big Sigh Here*
Now I've gotten some worries off my chest, here are the things I can actually do something about...
1. Plan an overnight for Christian and me away from the kids and chaos of life.
2. Clean out the clutter from our house and make room for two more babies.
3. Tie up as many loose ends as possible before babies get here.
4. Pack a hospital bag and solidify plans for our kids in case of early delivery.
5. Pre-register for birth at the hospital and sign up for birthing classes, making sure I know the hospitals policies about twin birth since I want to do it naturally.
Wow. I guess I have a lot to do before these twinsies get here! Surely it's enough to keep me occupied for the next nine weeks!
Just praying that I have the focus and energy (in spite of being exhausted because of being pregnant with twins) to get prepared for all of this.
*Insert another deep breath here*
I guess I will just need to change my thinking to match the little engine that could... "I think I can. I think I can!" and pray for grace... lots and lots of grace.
Thanks for listening.
Love,
Rachel
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
My Personal Political Pep Talk
Last night, I got really sad about the election.
Really, really sad.
Not because I hate all the candidates for presidency, or because the world is going to h*ll in a handbasket... not any of those things at all.
I was saddened by knowing that no matter which candidate I voted for, I felt I was sacrificing. Sacrificing really important values. I repeat... no matter which candidate I voted for I felt I would be violating some of my most valued principals that I wanted represented in Washington.
I feel this way less because of the actual candidates this time around and more because of where the party lines in our nation fall on certain issues.
I know a lot of Christians feel that one side represents their values very well (one way or the other), but I am not one of those Christians.
As I was researching about the candidates yesterday- still a little undecided- I found this article.
And it reminded me of this...
So this is my personal pep talk to myself after voting the best I could before God today.
I voted for a president today (and some other people), but when all is said and done tomorrow (or whenever we find out the results of the election)... this world will still not be my ultimate Home. Our nation, the world and every person in it will still be in need of Christ's incredible sacrifice to cover the stain of our sin and sinful natures. Tomorrow, I will still live my life in light of God's priorities the same way I did yesterday, irregardless of who our next leader is or what policies are voted into being. I will always serve Christ my King above any other and be a citizen of the one Kingdom that "cannot be shaken." (Hebrews 12:26-29)
My identity will never be found in a nation, a political party or even in a stance on a moral issue.
And I can rejoice in that.
This is my identity... A citizen of heaven. A life that is bought (and saved!) with a price. God's adopted child. A "co-heir with Christ". A friend of God.
No matter if a nation rises or falls, if a democrat or a republican is president, You are my God, and I am your Child. You love us and will continue to rescue us from our own selfish, prideful selves. May we never forget who we really serve... and that we can serve you in any environment... be it in freedom or in slavery, in abundance or in want, in joy or in sorrow, in any language, in any place and in spite of any government. I am Yours.
In His Grace,
Rachel
Really, really sad.
Not because I hate all the candidates for presidency, or because the world is going to h*ll in a handbasket... not any of those things at all.
I was saddened by knowing that no matter which candidate I voted for, I felt I was sacrificing. Sacrificing really important values. I repeat... no matter which candidate I voted for I felt I would be violating some of my most valued principals that I wanted represented in Washington.
I feel this way less because of the actual candidates this time around and more because of where the party lines in our nation fall on certain issues.
I know a lot of Christians feel that one side represents their values very well (one way or the other), but I am not one of those Christians.
As I was researching about the candidates yesterday- still a little undecided- I found this article.
And it reminded me of this...
"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ..."
Philipians 3:20
I love that the article I mentioned above points out that "the only Christian nation in this world is the church, the holy nation that transcends all human-made walls, boundaries and borders."
So this is my personal pep talk to myself after voting the best I could before God today.
I voted for a president today (and some other people), but when all is said and done tomorrow (or whenever we find out the results of the election)... this world will still not be my ultimate Home. Our nation, the world and every person in it will still be in need of Christ's incredible sacrifice to cover the stain of our sin and sinful natures. Tomorrow, I will still live my life in light of God's priorities the same way I did yesterday, irregardless of who our next leader is or what policies are voted into being. I will always serve Christ my King above any other and be a citizen of the one Kingdom that "cannot be shaken." (Hebrews 12:26-29)
My identity will never be found in a nation, a political party or even in a stance on a moral issue.
And I can rejoice in that.
This is my identity... A citizen of heaven. A life that is bought (and saved!) with a price. God's adopted child. A "co-heir with Christ". A friend of God.
No matter if a nation rises or falls, if a democrat or a republican is president, You are my God, and I am your Child. You love us and will continue to rescue us from our own selfish, prideful selves. May we never forget who we really serve... and that we can serve you in any environment... be it in freedom or in slavery, in abundance or in want, in joy or in sorrow, in any language, in any place and in spite of any government. I am Yours.
In His Grace,
Rachel
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Inspire Me! Monday... Doing What You Dream of!
Personally, I have a several different dreams for my life. The first one is really simple. I have always wanted to be a mom. It's what I was made for. Even among my friends, they always called me the "mom" of the group. Constantly worried for others safety, convinced we would get caught if we ever did anything slightly different than what our parents wanted (this lasted till college) and compassionate toward others' problems, I definitely earned my reputation as extremely mom-like. In elementary school, I dressed up as a "professional babysitter" for career day. (I wore a long skirt, a cardigan sweater and carried a baby doll.) I have always known that I LOVE children- even when I was one.Today's "Inspire Me!" Monday post is dedicated to doing what you love.
Are you currently doing what you love?
Being a mom and a wife is my #1 purpose (and on most days I really love that). But since I was seven or eight, I have also always loved ballet. I'm not sure what it is about dancing (and particularly ballet), but it has always "hit the spot" in a way that no other activity could. The French language and experiencing Francophone cultures is another one of my passions. Above everything though, is my desire to know God's plan for my life. Following that has always come completely first- irregardless of what other things I enjoy.In my life, I have gotten married when part of me was longing to live overseas; I have worked when I would rather have been caring for my family and my home; I have lived in a small town when I longed to live in a city; and I spent many years without any connection to dance while I longed to return to something that made me so happy to do. I have always tried to choose God's plan over my own, and for a long time that did not include doing certain things that I really wanted to.
Now, I'm not complaining at all. I am just saying that for everything there is a time and a place and a season.
Like now- I am loving teaching dance part time and choreographing part of our Christmas show this year. Working with students and putting on a production fills me in a way that nothing else can, and I am thankful for the green light I have gotten from God and my family to dedicate a limited portion of my life to a local dance studio.
Writing on this blog is even like that too (but of course it always come second to my family, which is why I am a bit on again off again around here). Another creative outlet that allows me to work on another passion (writing and staying connected with others).
I think that it is amazing that for a time, I lived in a situation where a lot of my personal dreams were put on hold and now, years later, I have an outlet for several of them.
What dreams are on hold for you today? What dreams are you getting to live out?
Now, in the midst of me being really thankful that I get to live some of my dreams out, I could totally try to tell you that if you are in a season where you are waiting on fulfilling those dreams, then you should just be patient. I could probably get away with telling you that God will honor your season of waiting with a season of fulfillment. But I don't believe that is a guarantee. God is good, though. And I can guarantee you that trusting God with your head and your heart completely is always the best choice for your life one way or another. When I trusted God with my dreams, it didn't have anything to do with thinking that one day I would get to fulfill them. Instead it had to do with trusting a bigger God. A higher being. Someone better than me at planning my own life. God does create people with a purpose and (ultimately good) plans for their lives. So living that out can be more exhilarating than anything we could possibly plan on our own.
So those are my thoughts on living out our dreams, God's plans and finding fulfillment in your role in life. Here are some more thoughts on living your dreams in true Inspire Me! Monday fashion...
Being a Mom- AND following your God Given Dreams
The Right Fit (and a little pixie dust)
And here's a post that goes along with what I was talking about yesterday...
Reader Raid: A Happy Homeschool
And here's one that is just plain funny...
I was Snape.
Please pray for those of us toward the East coast waiting as hurricane/tropical storm Sandy hits.
I hope you found Inpsire Me! Monday refreshing to return to today!
Prayers for all of us!
Rachel
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Finally...a playroom
Our family has some exciting news for the blog world that I haven't shared yet here on Common to Moms... we are expecting!
Furthermore... we are expecting TWINS.
Our 20 week ultrasound tells us that we are expecting ONE BOY and ONE GIRL. :)
We are beyond thrilled!
That being said... there are some major changes that will take place in our home over the next few months.
1. Melody and our foster baby, "Peanut," will move from separate rooms to sharing a room.
2. We will create a new nursery for our twins.
3. Our home office is going bye-bye to make room for a kids-only playroom and learning space.
4. We plan to reclaim our living room as an adult-friendly space (no longer half and half). :)
Getting our house ready for this transition is going to be intense. We are about to have four children under the age of 3 in our little, humble abode. A friend of mine put this link on my facebook to give me some ideas for catering to kids in a small space. This post is FULL of awesome ideas to help you create a kid-friendly play/learning space, so consider this an "Inspire Me! Monday" link on Saturday night. ;-)
- A 9 block cubby holder/book case for toys,books, etc
- A play kitchen
- Probably a glider/rocker for nursing & possibly a baby gate contraption around it to keep kids away from poking newborn babies while I nurse
- Baby swings
- A pack-n-play to give Peanut a safe place to play while I nurse
- Lots of pillows for a reading space on the floor
- An arts and crafts type storage area with learning boxes and activities
- A table for drawing/coloring, etc
- Cozy kid chairs or bean bags, maybe like these but without the names on them
- Artwork displayed across the window with a line and clothespins
- Pictures of my kids on at least one wall
I am so looking forward to finally having the motivation to turn a room in our house into a complete kid-friendly space. The only non-kid stuff that will have to remain in that room is our washer and dryer... The room we have been using as our home office is actually our laundry/bonus room. So I will also be looking for ways to kid-proof the area in front of our washer and dryer, so kids can't mess with knobs, etc. I am sensing the need for a closet to be built around them... but we will see.
And of course, there is LOTS of work to be done in that room before we can even begin to really make it into a kid space... clearing out the adult junk, fixing a problem window and priming and painting it. Luckily, I've had one or two people volunteer to help me with this project and I am definitely itching to get started on it. It might take a little more time to start on it though, since I am still backed up from the first trimester blues... which honestly lasted until the last week or two. The morning sickness, tiredness, etc are still not gone, but they are definitely not holding me hostage anymore and I can eat now, so things are definitely on the upswing.
It feels so good to be back on the blog, telling you what's going on in my head. Hope to see you again soon! :)
Love,
Rachel
-
Furthermore... we are expecting TWINS.
Our 20 week ultrasound tells us that we are expecting ONE BOY and ONE GIRL. :)
We are beyond thrilled!
That being said... there are some major changes that will take place in our home over the next few months.
1. Melody and our foster baby, "Peanut," will move from separate rooms to sharing a room.
2. We will create a new nursery for our twins.
3. Our home office is going bye-bye to make room for a kids-only playroom and learning space.
4. We plan to reclaim our living room as an adult-friendly space (no longer half and half). :)
Getting our house ready for this transition is going to be intense. We are about to have four children under the age of 3 in our little, humble abode. A friend of mine put this link on my facebook to give me some ideas for catering to kids in a small space. This post is FULL of awesome ideas to help you create a kid-friendly play/learning space, so consider this an "Inspire Me! Monday" link on Saturday night. ;-)
In honor of reading this post, here is a list of things that will be put in our play space after we clear out all remnants of adulthood.
- A 9 block cubby holder/book case for toys,books, etc
- A play kitchen
- Probably a glider/rocker for nursing & possibly a baby gate contraption around it to keep kids away from poking newborn babies while I nurse
- Baby swings
- A pack-n-play to give Peanut a safe place to play while I nurse
Other things I don't have, but might like to make/get for the play space
- Lots of pillows for a reading space on the floor
- An arts and crafts type storage area with learning boxes and activities
- A table for drawing/coloring, etc
- Cozy kid chairs or bean bags, maybe like these but without the names on them
- Artwork displayed across the window with a line and clothespins
- Pictures of my kids on at least one wall
I am so looking forward to finally having the motivation to turn a room in our house into a complete kid-friendly space. The only non-kid stuff that will have to remain in that room is our washer and dryer... The room we have been using as our home office is actually our laundry/bonus room. So I will also be looking for ways to kid-proof the area in front of our washer and dryer, so kids can't mess with knobs, etc. I am sensing the need for a closet to be built around them... but we will see.
And of course, there is LOTS of work to be done in that room before we can even begin to really make it into a kid space... clearing out the adult junk, fixing a problem window and priming and painting it. Luckily, I've had one or two people volunteer to help me with this project and I am definitely itching to get started on it. It might take a little more time to start on it though, since I am still backed up from the first trimester blues... which honestly lasted until the last week or two. The morning sickness, tiredness, etc are still not gone, but they are definitely not holding me hostage anymore and I can eat now, so things are definitely on the upswing.
It feels so good to be back on the blog, telling you what's going on in my head. Hope to see you again soon! :)
Love,
Rachel
-
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)