2011 June | I Should Be Folding Laundry

Archive for June 2011 – Page 3

pretty places

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

By Beth

Yesterday, I cleaned out Eli’s room. I went through his drawers and his closet and bags of clothes and figured out what he can wear in the future and pulled out what’s just too small and separated the winter clothes from the summer clothes. I folded up the clothing that was too small and placed them in the container. Holding those clothes in my hands for the last time, knowing that now we have a girl to plan for and that she is our last child felt … good.

I had always heard that when you’re done having children, you just know. And it’s funny how I just know about this now.

So now we have a lot to do in our home to get ready. As I mentioned, we are working to simplify our home by getting rid of a lot of our belongings and also working to properly store everything so it’s easy to maintain.

We have our plans for what we’re going to do with the bedrooms once the baby comes, so now it’s planning who gets what and what goes where and what do we have to buy and please don’t buy a lot.

source

This weekend I ordered clothes for the baby, this was a huge leap of faith for me but I did it and Anna helped me pick them out and that added to our excitement.

We’re planning and excited but we’re not wishing away any time.

source

From Eli’s room I packed up nursing pads, changing pads and burping pads. I found lanolin and tiny baby toys and bassinet sheets and folded them neatly and placed them into a container marked with her name knowing the next time I opened that container would probably be to unpack it into a little girl’s room.

source

So, I find these beautiful ideas that inspire me for her room and I fold the burp clothes that are bound to wipe her little chin and I smell the little sheets that go on the bassinet even though she’ll probably never leave our arms and yet, I ask, and beg for her…

to just move.

move for mama. just a nudge. I need to know you’re okay.

And this goes on all day and all night, everyday, no matter how busy I am. In the back of my mind I need that reassurance. That kick, that bounce, that hiccup.

Because I have felt the silence before and that silence is the most distracting, most deafening noise I have ever heard and felt.

That’s where I’m at. Trying to be faithful. Waiting so very patiently to hold her in our arms, to smell her head and to photograph her feet. We plan and talk as if her arrival is as sure as a plane landing in a few hours with her on board but nothing is that definite.

So, while I’m begging her to dance for me, I look at pretty things and show them to you.

I hope that’s okay with you.

Categories: Baby Fletcher 2011, Being a Mama

A giveaway from Vicks!

Monday, June 6th, 2011

By Beth

Hi friends,

Once again, I’m back talking about Vicks. Vicks approached me a few months ago about writing about VapoRub and how we use it in our day to day lives. Typically I turn these types of offers down, however, this products fits into our lives so perfectly and so often that it seemed silly to not only turn it down but to not share with you more info about Vicks.

First, I have to tell you that I have heard from so many of you about my recommendation to use Vicks on your kids’ legs when their little legs hurt in the middle of the night. I’m telling you, it works! (and did you know it’s now also available in lemon scent?) (although, it’s still very much smells like Vicks, there is a nice subtle lemon scent to it.)

I’m excited to be able to do a giveaway today courtesy of Vicks, it’s an easy one!

One lucky winner will receive DayQuil, NyQuil and VapoRub and your choice of one of the following products:

(a germ-free humidifer, a comfort-flex thermometer or VapoDrops (Vicks cough drop line)

What do you have to do? Head on over to the Vicks Facebook page and like em’. That’s it! Come back here and tell me you’re a fan! Already a fan? Tell me how you use VapoRub or what your favorite Vicks product is.

This giveaway is open to US and Canada and will remain open until Wednesday, June 8th at 9pm CST. Winner will be chosen randomly so please do not say “pick me” in the comments!

Thank you for entering and thanks to Vicks! GOOD LUCK!

Categories: Giveaways, Vicks

Friday Morning Coffee

Friday, June 3rd, 2011

By Beth

I’m sitting on my couch, drinking coffee, listening to Eli NOT sleep through the monitor, which is really strange because he’s been such a great sleeper lately.

But today? I really need him to sleep.

I have about a trillion things on my mind right now, like a really cool session I have tonight or the six mini-sessions I have tomorrow, or family in town to visit, or my insanely messy and I’ll be honest, DIRTY house. Or the fact that I’m frustrated that I feel like my kids aren’t loving enough. And I don’t mean they don’t snuggle enough, I just think they aren’t LOVING enough. Things. People. Ideas, etc.

I try to remind myself that it’s probably just a phase. Kids are selfish! Right? But, still, the things I’m seeing and hearing hurt my heart and are affecting me a great deal.

So, they’ve inspired me to simplify my life with less things. Less Barbies and Cars and even less books and less Legos and more walks and swinging and picnics with bologna sandwiches and watermelon and Oreos.

For Christmas I asked for this book and I finally just cracked it open last week and it’s speaking to me LOUDLY.

(I was going to take a photo of this book on my white nightstand against my blue wall and the green accents of my quilt, it would have looked so cool but I decided to simplify and skip that part. But trust me, it would have been a pretty photo.)

It’s written by a blogger, whose name is Tsh. Even her name is simple.

So, Tsh is speaking to me with her words (without her even realizing it) and it’s helping me mentally so now I just have to physically simplify which is hard with 9 sessions in one week (don’t fret, six of those are minis) and three kids and a baby girl dancing in my belly and a husband who works and goes to grad school and eating lots of ice cream and and and and and…

but I’m going to do it. RIGHT NOW.

It’s funny because my big huge projects, like reorganizing my master bathroom, which, I assure you, is a BIG BIG project and probably wasn’t done properly when we moved here three years ago, well, after my shower yesterday, I just reorganized one little shelf in my linen closet and guess what? I love it. I took a piece of the GIANT PROJECT LOOMING OVER MY HEAD and took a slice and completed it and it helped me.

(and motivated me)

So, that’s where I’m at today. I’m extremely happy. Crazy overwhelming. But definitely inspired.

I love being inspired.

And now? Eli is sleeping so I have lots of work to do starting right now.

Happy Friday, friends!

Categories: Friday Morning Coffee, Friendly

You Capture | Games

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011

By Beth

I hope you all had a game-filled week. We most certainly did, of course, we had some pretty nasty weather but then suddenly, the sun broke through on Monday morning and she’s made her appearance known every day since. Thanks, Sun!

We took Anna and Noah to their first Cubs game on Saturday. It was a great game to see because we didn’t mind standing in line for nachos and bathrooms seeing as how they lost 10-0. Poor Cubs.

game-day

On Monday morning, I made pancakes while my boys played cars. It was definitely one of my favorite moments. Also my favorite? The way depth of field hides the messy background.

morning-play

Brian introduced the slide to Eli. This is where we figure out that Eli is much like his sister in that he loves adventure. Brian would let go of him at the top and catch him at the bottom and while he was sliding down, he’d laugh hysterically. It was awesome.

slide-ride

We’d move on to something else but eventually he went back to the slide to wait for his favorite game to begin.

waiting-for-more

Here’s Eli’s big sister playing a game with him. He would swing and she’d pretend as if he was hitting her. They both had so much. (but not as much fun as Mom watching.)

crazy-child

And lastly, this is something we see nightly, Noah playing games with his best neighbor friend. They’ll put baseball mitts on and play catch for an hour with not one of them catching the ball one time. I love that they’re just having fun.

catch

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