Day 158

The kids were eating lunch and I was making mine, AJ got up for something and right when he did the baby did a really strong movement on my left side. I grabbed his hand and pushed it where the baby did, the baby moved right on his hand! Then he pushed in the center of my belly and the baby pushed right back. They went back and forth four times each. It was soo awesome! He'd gasp with excitement every time he felt Baby!

It definitely made it real for him.

 

Along with the day's excitement came some not so happy news. We received the saddest "Thank You" card ever given.

 

 

The lady next door has lived there since before Steven and his family moved in, he was three years old when they did. He doesn't have a ton of memories of her growing up, but since we moved in (a few days away from being 5 years ago) she's been the sweetest. Especially to the kids. They love(d) talking to Ms. Jenny every time we saw her outside. And since Steven spends so much time outside, they had lots of conversations. As she got less mobile, he started cleaning her driveway and doing things like that for her.

 

A few weeks ago she fell and broke her hip. She was in the hospital and then was going to be put in a nursing home. Aiden kept saying he wanted to make a card for her and I feel so bad that I kept putting it off. I wish she knew that we were thinking of her. Explaining it to the kids was hard. Definitely on the list of one of the most difficult things to do as a parent. They know what Heaven is, but it's still difficult for them to understand that she won't come back. I told Steven while he was at work. When he got home he read the card and ate his dinner so quietly, then went in the backyard and sat for awhile. I could tell that he was sad. :(

 

It won't be the same without her next door. We'll miss you, Ms. Jenny!

Day 157

The kids woke up in such great moods this morning! Usually the fighting starts as soon as they're both up. It was a nice change! I made fresh strawberry muffins for breakfast.

Muffin cheers!

 

 

I was expecting to babysit tomorrow but he's not coming afterall. Also another day I was expecting him, he's going to his Aunt's house, so I only have about 8ish days left. I'm super ready to be done. The last few weeks have been very difficult. He's only happy if I'm sitting in the living room with him. Even if I take him in a room where I'm doing stuff, if I'm not sitting, he just cries. It makes the days feel extra, extra long.

 

And we'll have all next month to actually do stuff and get out of the house! I've already started planning our days. Can't wait!

Day 156 (27 weeks pregnant)

One of the apps I read says that I'm officially in the third trimester- omg! The other one doesn't count it til next week, but either way, I can't believe it. In the final leg, already. I keep waiting for this pregnancy to slow down, but so far it hasn't at all. Flying right by. There will be a baby in my arms before I know it.

27 weeks!

 

Somebody asked me how much I've gained so far on Instagram. I don't mind telling people, even if it was a lot more. I weighed myself on Sunday at my Mom's (I don't own a scale) and hadn't gained any weight since my last appointment, so I'm still at an 8-pound gain, I was surprised. I also looked at my old OB cards to see how much I gained with Aiden and Rian. I couldn't believe my eyes! I was a week ahead with both, so 28 weeks at the appointment closest to where I'm at right now, I'd already gained 30lbs with Aiden! 3-0. That is crazy. Rian was right around 20lbs, I don't remember the exact amount.

 

I keep wondering if that will have any effect on the baby's size. This whole time I've been worrying about delivering an extra big baby, maybe I can relax a little. And believe me, I'm not trying to not gain weight. I eat! A lot. :)

Day 155 (DIY behavior chart)

The last few days since AJ's started summer vacation have been nuts around here. I didn't realize how much those three hours with him at preschool did for all of us. I feel bad for them being cooped up inside all day, we can't even go to the store just to get out of the house with me babysitting. So I completely understand their craziness, but it's already wearing me down and we're only in beginning of the second week! Their fighting has been horrible.

So today I went on Pinterest and found an easy DIY behavior chart. It seemed a little complicated at first, but it's days later as I'm backdating this (of course) and we all have it down, even Rian!

 

Awesome

Super

Good Job

Oops

Warning

5 minutes

10 minutes

Lose Privilege

 

I made mine with card stock I have for scrapbooking (or you can use poster board, etc.) You will also need clothespins with names written, pom poms, or something similar to that, and jars. Or cups. Whatever! 

 

How it works:

 

- Every morning both clips start out on Good Job.

 

- Each good action moves the clip up, bad actions/behavior move it down. Obviously you as the parent are the only one that can decide on how/why you move your clips up or down. Every kid and their issues are different.

 

- If you're on Good Job, Super or Awesome and you're naughty you go straight to Oops. If you're on Super and you do something wrong, it's not a Good Job, so you can't go there!

 

- If you purposely hurt somebody, your clip goes directly to 10 minutes, and spend quiet time in your room for 10 minutes.

 

- If you get up to Awesome, you get a pom pom for your jar.

 

- The Lose Privilege space, again, is obviously something the parent chooses depending on the child. Lose tv time, outside time, puzzles, etc. If you hit that box before 3pm you lose it for that day, if you hit it after, you lose it the next day.

 

- If the child is on either green or blue at bedtime, they get to put 5 pom poms in their jar. (I got a bag of different sizes, so I based how many they can get on which size they chose.)

 

- When their jar is full of pom poms, they get a special treat (picked prior to starting.) I was thinking something special, but they both chose getting a lollipop. Fine with me! Starting out with small hopes. :)

 

Current update, since I'm writing this a few days after starting:

 

For now, Steven and I are the ones moving the clips. I feel like it shows them that we're the ones in charge and we have the power to decide when/why it gets moved. But once they get really used to it, they're going to have to move them on their own. (In the blog I got it from, she has a consequence for refusing to move your clip, that'll be added into our rules when we start that part.) It's already horrible for them to just get on Oops, so I know it'll be extra painful when they have to move it down themselves. Rian hasn't gone any further than Oops and Aiden's gotten down to Warning once. I'm shocked at how well they're doing! I love that it's working! Wish I would've done something like this sooner.

 

 

 

Source: DIY behavior chart

 

Day 154

Kitchen floor day 2!

Today's work was much easier and quicker. They didn't have much grout to chip, mostly just filling in the gaps. It's so strange walking on the carpet without it being all bumpy underneath! I've been vacuuming it on my hands and knees and was so excited to finally be able to vacuum it normally, but of course, the belt broke. Figures!

Progress

No work will be done for the next two weeks, since we'll be gone. The next time they work, they'll put in the leveling concrete and hopefully the week after that, my flooring will be put in. Light at the end of this dark tunnel.

Day 153

This morning we all slept in, then I made biscuits, sausage gravy and eggs for breakfast- yum! Our favorite. The kids played outside while Steven did stuff out there and I went to Target by myself: Heaven!

My mom asked if she could pick up the kids, then Steven talked me into going to see Fast and Furious 6. He likes those movies (except the 4th and 5th ones were beyond horrible) besides the cheesy, over exaggerated parts, and somehow he always suckers me into seeing them too. We've seen four of them in the theater. Starting with the very first one, way back when!

Afterwards we went to my parents' for dinner then rented a movie, the Sunday night usual.

Tomorrow starts my last full week of babysitting, hallelujah!

Day 152

June already! Didn't this year just begin?! And now it's already nearly halfway over. Wow.

Yesterday I started soaking almonds for homemade almond milk. We drink it like crazy around here, but it's so expensive! It was super easy to make. It has a different flavor from the store bought kind, which Steven loves, so he wasn't a fan of the homemade version.

My mom also told me that they add the calcium in, so the homemade kind has barely any. The whole purpose of milk! I was pretty bummed to hear that. I also don't know if it's cost effective, awhile ago Steven brought home a ton of raw almonds from work and they've been in the freezer ever since, so I already had the almonds. It was fun making it though!


After breakfast and some cleaning, we headed over to my parents' house to swim. The pool was still a little cold for me but I got in anyway, of course it didn't bother the kids! They had fun swimming and running around picking fruit from my Mom's trees. She has a bunch of fruit trees/plants but right now the apples and nectarines are what's ready, so yummy!

 

Steven ended up getting off really early, 11:30! He said he told me but I don't remember, he probably didn't. So we went home, had lunch then grocery shopped. I was so happy to have him with me, the kids have been awful the last few weeks I've gone by myself.

 

The rest of the day was spent hanging out inside. It's soo hot already. :( Once the heat hits, I always feel like we weren't outside enough when it was nice!

 

Happy Saturday!