On the other side

(This is a super long post….I suppose that’s what happens when you’re busy living life and then you decide you want to start blogging again….just fair warning:)

We’re five weeks out since Lucy was born.  So much and so little has happened all at the same time.  My days have consisted mainly of caring for the basic needs of my kids, helping them not kill each other, keeping my family fed (a shout out to any of you who helped me out in this arena!), keeping the clothes clean, and…well…you get the idea.  Pretty much the stuff I was doing before, except those are the only things I’ve been allowing to be expected of myself.

On the other hand though, we’ve been doing a lot of fun things together as a family and have really been enjoying the rest of our summer and that beautiful black-headed babe.  If I had to label the summer into halves it’d be First Half: Running Around Like Beheaded Chickens, (you know..like in preparation for that little peanut [read: Get that basement done!]), and Second Half: Embracing the Chaos That Newborns Bring Whilst Doing All of the Things We Should Have Done in the First Half.

Here’s a few highlights folks.

- I turned 30.  How’d that happen?  Some friends suprised me and all met up for supper together to celebrate - it was a special night for me just to relish in the friendships God has blessed me with.  I’m honestly so glad to be 30 and not 20 right now.  These are the best days by far!

-Tava turned 2 - Okay, how did THAT happen?  That girl.  Bring on the personality, please.  She pretty much loves anything puppies, kittens, pink and sweet. What?  You could have guessed that? 

Truman helped me bake her cake while she was clearly oblivious.

Officially knowing how to cheese it up for the camera

-The kids and I are getting out more and more.  I’m learning the best way to get used to adding another child to the mix is to just dive in and get out.  So far we’ve ventured out to camp, the library, the park, the pine line walking trail, hardware store, thrift store, and yes, folks, even a garage sale (though it took me longer to load everyone into the stroller and carrier than I was at the sale).  Ask me again in 9mos when the littlest squirt isn’t quite as content to chill in the baby carrier (which by the way has enabled my entire social existence this past month).

-We’ve been harvesting from the garden all month and thankfully that man of mine is just as garden crazy (probably more) than I am or we probably wouldn’t have much produce this time around.  He took on a new challenge this year: Sauerkraut.  Yep.  Here he is chopping up fresh picked cabbage, which he then combined with some simple concoction, let it ferment (I can’t not shudder at that word even when it’s used positively) in our basement for a couple weeks, and now is sealed up in jars.  But I feel like I can still smell it.  Have I mentioned I have a good smeller?

And this past week we shucked corn.  And it felt great.  But then it didn’t feel great to stay up til midnight blanching and throwing it into freezer bags.  However, we are grateful and the craziness will all be worthwhile come winter.

-Mondeux Dam.  It’s this great little lake and camping area just 15 minutes away that we enjoy going to. We like to pack up an easy supper and go for some swimming.




Yes they’re eating on newspaper.  No, I did not remember to bring plates.  Yes, I am post-partum.  How long can I ride that wave?

-Woodchucks Game. Sam took Truman to a Woodchucks baseball game in Wausau.  They’re a minor league team with a similar feel to the good ole’ Omaha Royals we grew up with, so it was a special night for the boys.  Sam’s been dreaming of doing this for years and this was one dream come true.  These two had a blast together and Truman couldn’t stop talking about it.  Memories are the best things to build. 

-Swimming Snobs.  So…in our heart of hearts, Sam and I will admit it.  We’d prefer a pool to lake swimming any day. Though we’ve embraced the northwoods way, we certainly still have a longing to swim in heavily chemical-laden water.  Truman caught the longing too when we drove past a pool last Sunday.  So on Sam’s day off the other day we headed into Medford to go swimming with the kids.  I’m not sure who was more excited.  However all was deflated when we turned the corner and pulled into the lot to see…..no water.  Like, none in the pool at all.  The day before it had been busting at the seems with people.  Pretty sure they got a memo we did not.  We were not going to acquiesce to this crazy early pool closing (before Labor Day people?!), so we headed to a local hotel and paid their fee to swim indoors.  It was not the same, but it was not lake water either. 

He doesn’t mind!

And she didn’t either, but here she was more interested in the graham cracker

- Lucy’s first month.  That little ball of dark hair is sweet as can be.  However, I can relate to a sentiment I read on Pinterest the other day saying of a baby “Let her sleep, for when she wakes she will move mountains”.  Man they are sweet, but when they’re ticked they will let you have it.  Thankfully, she’s actually a pretty content little lady and we’re adjusting pretty well.  She does the normal newborn stuff and needs help settling into sleep at times, but all of that will come and play itself out naturally. I marvel at what a difference I feel as a mom now, compared to my first go around.  I wish I could sit down with that mom.  I’d give her a big hug, and cry with her, and let her know that I know it’s the hardest thing in the world you will do and that sometimes it just downright stinks and doesn’t feel all warm and fuzzy.  But I’d also say that it’s so worth it, and it does get better - that the first 6 weeks do not dictate how your new life will go.  But that new mom didn’t know - and it was really, really hard.  Hard in my head, hard in my heart, but by God’s grace He brought me out of that.  I’m thankful today that I can know these things, that I can love and snuggle and appreciate my little Lucy, and know that while there’s a little bit of newborn chaos going on in our house, it will not always be that way, and it will not be wished away. 

Here’s the mountain mover herself:

If you made it through all of that without falling asleep - congrats!  And thanks for reading:)