Marathon

The kids did a 'mile-by-mile marathon' this month. They did 25 miles at home (my kids did most of them by walking home from school) and then did the last 1.2 miles with a huge group of kids. Aaron and I were near the back of the group and the view up ahead was impressive. They pretty much filled the trail! And Zeke ran nearly the whole way. 

At marathon's end, they got a medal and a tshirt that they immediately wore (Zeke wore his backwards, silly kiddo). Then they got to hang out at the safe kids fair. There was so much to see and freebies to get. We toured an air ambulance helicopter and then watched it take off. It sounded like they were a little worried about the weather getting worse and wanted to get back to the hospital in case lightning started. 

Very tall fire truck ladder. 

The Sherrif's office did a car crash simulator. The kids loved 'crashing' at about 5 mph. It made my neck hurt just to watch them. 

It was lots of fun and the weather held out. Everyone enjoyed all the extra walks this spring.

Asleep on the Pillow

Zeke is getting so grown up. It's even more apparent when I see him next to Nora because it's obvious how baby-like he isn't. But every now and then there is a moment that melts my heart just because he's still so darn cute, like this one yesterday.

Ahh, Naptime

Thank goodness for naptime! Necessary for both kids and parents.

Family of Four

Hi, we're the Loertscher family and we are now a family of four.

Nora is the little sister, just a few days old. She is adorable and loves to be held, particularly by Daddy. She is a great eater (as long as she stays awake) and prefers mom to the bottle. She doesn't like wet diapers, having her diaper changed, and being laid down before she is ready to sleep. Fortunately for all of us, Nora is starting to figure out that nights, not days, are when you sleep for long stretches.

Zeke is the big brother and is such a great helper. So far since we've all been home together, he has retreived diapers and burp cloths and blankets, emptied the dryer for Mommy, and put up with a lot of 'not right now, I'm taking care of Nora.' He loves to hold his sister, give her kisses, and just look at and talk to her. We're working on keeping him off of the play yard that is Nora's downstairs bed.

Manndi is the mommy and Aaron is the daddy, now of two kids. Between the hospital stay, Nora being ready to play at 3 am, late night feedings, and slightly different eating habits, we have been missing sleep all week. However, the regular routine is starting to come back and Nora is sleeping better at night, so we are encouraged. We are grateful for a relatively easy delivery that was better than we hoped for, a short hospital stay, two healthy kids, and the generosity of family and ward members in keeping us fed and Nora clothed.

A Nora Story

Nora was born Monday, 8 lb 5 oz and 21.5 inches long, and perfect. Here's how she got here:

I was induced at one week past my due date. We got started at night, taking the slow and patient route because of my previous cesarean. It was a long night (hospital beds are so uncomfortable, and I'm sure the couch Aaron was on wasn't much better) but we had made progress by morning. My dr broke my water around 9 am the next morning, and we added pitocin by 11 or 12. By 2ish the contractions were hurting a lot and we were reminded a lot of our experience with Zeke, starting to wonder if maybe we were destined for a repeat surgery. By 3:30 I was in an amazing amount of pain with each contraction, and beginning to wonder how much longer I could take it, even with Aaron's perfect coaching. I was given some oxygen to help Nora's heart rate stay stable during the contractions, and then my body started to push on its own. Weird experience that scared both of us when it first happened! We pushed for 15 minutes, and Nora was born at 4 pm. We still almost can't believe we had the successful unmedicated VBAC we hoped for!

August, Baby

According to traditional textbook definitions, our 'could have a baby anytime' started a week ago. Now we can say with certainty that she has an August birthday. It's not a huge consolation, but it is one thing in the world of unknowns that is expecting a new arrival. We keep telling her that anytime is fine with us and soon would be great!

That's not to say there has been no progress. I've been nesting, which I think Aaron finds amusing. I am attacking projects that I have been noticing for the past 4 months but not had the energy or motivation to do. I'm pretty sure the 'extra' energy I've got is all in my head; however, the accomplishments are making me feel good. Now visitors who dare traverse the jungle of cars, trucks, airplanes, train tracks, and couch pillows that is our living room floor can be rewarded with adequate seating. That's a big achievement.

The changes of the baby dropping lower are in full force. Zeke dropped for maybe half a day then came back up to stay for the rest of the pregnancy and all 16 hours of induced labor (after which he was born cesarean, perfect yet stubborn). This little one, though, has her head where it belongs and has introduced a whole new world of aches, pains, strange sensations, and a growing hope that I will in fact go into labor in the near future.

I am also loving the fact that a second child means we already have the baby gear. I don't think we have bought anything for this little one yet, which our budget appreciates, and I have appreciated not having to research, compare, and decide on carseats, strollers, and the like (to say nothing of the 'Do you think we'll need this?' items). Nearly all of our 0-6 month clothes are gender-neutral, and thank you to her grandmas for giving us dresses for church.

I think we're ready. As ready as we're going to get, anyway. But, as we wait and anticipate, I'm enjoying feeling (and watching) her move and knowing that, for a few more days, I can keep her safe and sheltered in ways that will never be possible again.

Sleep Dreams

One parenting e-newsletter I recently received advised that if your 28-month-old is still sleeping with you it might be time to get a toddler bed. The funny thing about that advice is that our family didn't have to worry about co-sleeping until Zeke was 28 months old.

We traded his crib for a twin bed a couple of weeks ago, which he was really excited about. (And so were we because the crib was coming apart due to a 2 year old running laps around the mattress.) We knew Zeke would be fine making the transition and for about 4 days he was. Then one night he figured out he wasn't caged in and he could get out of bed if he woke up in the middle of the night. He came into our room, crawled into bed with us, and slept very happily.

The next night he didn't stay in bed long enough to fall asleep, and we had a few (late) nights of taking him back to bed over and over until he was too tired to get out anymore. Fortunately for our own bedtime, now it seems that somehow we have talked him into falling asleep in his own bed.

However, as much as we'd rather not have him sleeping with us, Zeke coming into our room carrying his blanket and wanting to snuggle is one of the most adorable things in the world.

'Tis the Season to Be ... Stressed?

Does the holiday season stress you out?

Stop stress before it gets out of control!

**Share your work with your friends and family -- get those 'must do' tasks done faster, and spend more time with the people you care most about
-Make cleaning and decorating the house a family affair
-Go Christmas shopping with friends
-Throw a joint party with friends instead of each of you planning your own

**Stick to your routine -- this applies to all ages!
-Eat regular meals (not just snacks)
-Get enough sleep (and make sure the kids get their naps)
-Exercise - even just a few minutes makes a difference
-Make time for yourself

**Make a plan -- and schedule in some flexibility
-Make shopping lists
-Plan times to shop, cook, clean, and wrap and deliver gifts
-Decide what your top priorities are and schedule them first; fit in others as time permits
-Expect delays when you (or others) travel

**Don't overschedule yourself or your family

**Take a break when you're feeling overwhelemed, irritable, tense, stressed out, or unhappy

Who knows, you just might enjoy the holidays more this year!

You can find these and other great tips just by searching the web. My sources include Mayo Clinic, Navy safety center, and fun.familyeducation.com.

Go Take a Good Walk

I took Zeke for a walk today. Pretty amazing that it's December and still warm enough to go out walking with a little one. We put on our sweatshirts and Zeke wore his hood and we were really quite comfortable, although our cheeks became a little rosier than normal. The afternoon sun felt wonderful. There's just something about getting outside and breathing fresh air and doing something good for my body that makes me feel better about life and relieves some of my stresses. Today I let myself get lost in my own thoughts, resolving and letting go of the problems at work, although sometimes I choose to think of nothing but my breathing and the rhythm of my feet. My own natural therapy, I suppose - somehow as my heart rate returns to normal, I'm calmer than when I started.

Up In the Night

Well I'm up in the middle of the night AGAIN. What a pain in the butt! Seems like a full night of sleep will keep eluding me because of heartburn. This has been keeping me up for 3 out of 4 nights (probably not quite that bad but it seems that way) for about the last month. Need to figure this out before I need to go back to school.