tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50541854005470811342024-03-13T05:42:54.678-06:00 love always Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.comBlogger391125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-85416166189161837762024-01-16T06:21:00.000-07:002024-01-16T06:21:09.488-07:00Avery's Birth Story<p> I know I haven't blogged in years, but I've blogged about the birth of all my other children and I feel like I definitely want to have this one written down as well. My 5th and final birthing experience. I've kind of been in awe all week that there are 5 kids living in my house that are mine. </p><p>A little back story; at 20 weeks I got my in depth ultrasound where the doctors measured my baby and discovered that- SHOCKER- she was very tiny. They measured her to be in the 2nd percentile. So immediately my doctor referred me to a fetal medicine specialist. This tiny little baby was monitored so closely for the rest of the pregnancy; and she never managed to get higher than the 2nd percentile. So my doctor, along with a few other doctors, highly encouraged me to get induced at 37 weeks. This was very scary to me because I've never been induced that early. (I was induced with jane, but it was 39.5 weeks) I was initially really not excited about that. I had been gearing myself up for another fast + furious birth at around 39 weeks like my past 3 births have been. My body has always recovered very well and all of my birthing experiences have been without any problems. I've always been so grateful for that, and so I was worried being induced so early would ruin that streak of amazing birthing experiences. </p><p>But 37 weeks it was; and I went into the hospital on March 21st. Unfortunately they didn't let me come until around 3:30pm. I remember packing my hospital bag, the one I had mentally packed for months but felt silly <i>actually</i> packing until it was really go time, and then driving to the hospital with my mom while jeff picked up the kids from school and dropped them off at a friend's house. I just couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that my baby was about to be born. Can anyone <i>ever</i> wrap their mind around that? I've done this many times and it is still SO incredibly surreal every time. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYjHslFXahWJhq3b6m1wP_QfqVuSKY0TmGfDIzsqDRPha2aIUudlY2TAhNMr4hs4I3cNlbVj8La6B_vmagPd_vVf7n63xVlhGKvBGIXPvTDx3AxWga_YqtniznQHD7E6yHDQDNxEQGug3UN0wqYZq59NYIP40AD099vmTnVmioulRHhCnYr_NVg9JxQ/s1024/9f84f509-c097-4adf-bc7c-5e655a4b772e.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="405" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYjHslFXahWJhq3b6m1wP_QfqVuSKY0TmGfDIzsqDRPha2aIUudlY2TAhNMr4hs4I3cNlbVj8La6B_vmagPd_vVf7n63xVlhGKvBGIXPvTDx3AxWga_YqtniznQHD7E6yHDQDNxEQGug3UN0wqYZq59NYIP40AD099vmTnVmioulRHhCnYr_NVg9JxQ/w304-h405/9f84f509-c097-4adf-bc7c-5e655a4b772e.jpeg" width="304" /></a></div><p>We got to the hospital where I took my last <i>ever</i> pregnant picture that I will ever take. Got checked in fairly quickly, and the nurse wasted no time shoving an IV into my vein, ever so aggressively, and swiftly after muttering the words "ah it blew." Not the words you want to hear after your vein was just stabbed. So then she switched to the other side where I got to get stabbed again. I've said it before and I'll say it again, IV's are my least favorite part of the entire experience. I stick to that sentiment. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxYYGBpfGP1G5WKkggN3XHf8hKVZQBaWkk3HwNZ21Sr7_mGBELMaJWVFbVztvYkcXLAzwb2n3L7djbYX9o0XxJz1vhN6PEF3jRQTJ5fgLZqdML2t8zgtBFEggGmrmeHw6_4XdexhUJCNuylDhkHUs8j4oOSdBY8PSbsWb7YiQrW5SBfVPdPNP4qQCNw/s3664/4149FF6B-6CDB-40B1-845B-5C8DF534BB9B.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3664" data-original-width="2062" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxYYGBpfGP1G5WKkggN3XHf8hKVZQBaWkk3HwNZ21Sr7_mGBELMaJWVFbVztvYkcXLAzwb2n3L7djbYX9o0XxJz1vhN6PEF3jRQTJ5fgLZqdML2t8zgtBFEggGmrmeHw6_4XdexhUJCNuylDhkHUs8j4oOSdBY8PSbsWb7YiQrW5SBfVPdPNP4qQCNw/w225-h400/4149FF6B-6CDB-40B1-845B-5C8DF534BB9B.jpeg" width="225" /></a></div><p>I decided for being induced this time, I would try pitocin as a last resort. I have given birth naturally <i>with</i> pitocin and without, and I can definitely say that <i>with</i> pitocin is much more painful and intense. So I asked if we could start by trying a cervical balloon as well as cytotec- it's a dissolvable pill you put into your mouth that is supposed to start labor. It took a good while for them to get either thing going; and once they did it was about 5. By then, Jeff and my friend Elizabeth who is also a doula had arrived. I felt super supported during this labor and I'm so grateful. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmRXUBMN9kiURe1_fSQUDKdTEtGFjGYgVNnxqNMq_LIfSaK00tKT1NLUjTxqJThB5s_ikeqgmXZ803RsUKAX-9z0CsIrIhx8Zev4HlXVrw3cdjaq2otbgNInHD1ymPEPNAPpS5i059cKzx5Uz4LMjb14ChIiFmDunTAxZZexrmfTp0nKLBTXkr03qCA/s4032/IMG_1541.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmRXUBMN9kiURe1_fSQUDKdTEtGFjGYgVNnxqNMq_LIfSaK00tKT1NLUjTxqJThB5s_ikeqgmXZ803RsUKAX-9z0CsIrIhx8Zev4HlXVrw3cdjaq2otbgNInHD1ymPEPNAPpS5i059cKzx5Uz4LMjb14ChIiFmDunTAxZZexrmfTp0nKLBTXkr03qCA/w400-h300/IMG_1541.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>My body wasted no time and within a few minutes I was having contractions. They were abrupt and consistent and growing in intensity. For the first time in my life I tried this thing called: not sitting in a hospital bed on my back for the entirety of my labor. Game-Changer-- Thanks to my friend Elizabeth who encouraged me to sit on a birthing ball, and try standing in different positions while having contractions. It was amazing to discover that the pain can be lessened depending on the position you are in, and the counter pressure being applied. Well these contractions, along with my cervix, were just delighted to stay where they were. I had contractions every 2 minutes for about 4 hours. I bounced a lot on a ball, listened to Kina Grannis, walked many laps around the hospital floor, and spent a lot of time saying "wow, this is so slow!" which Im sure was annoying to everyone else in the room. My body just has never been a slow and steady labor device so it was very strange. I was also starting to get really exhausted and sleepy. I wanted to take a nap but that isn't going to happen while in active labor. My mom and Elizabeth were starting to warm me up to the idea of getting an epidural- just so I can get a good rest before it got really intense. I was pretty determined to do it naturally so I really resisted and was flip flopping like a caught fish. But in the end I decided: yes to sleep. I told the nurse and she started pumping me with fluids to prepare me for the epidural. </p><p>Elizabeth, after diligently helping me through all my contractions, also left around 11 pm after they checked me and said I was only at a 4. And since it was going so slow, I told her to go get some sleep. Well, right as she left the hospital and the fluids entered my veins, my body had decided to kick it up a notch. Or maybe 4 or 5 notches. 30 minutes later the anesthesiologist came in, and at that point I had progressed to a 6, almost 7. She asked me if I still wanted one, and since I knew at that point that sleep would not be a thing I was getting, I sent her on her way. I figured it would only be like 20 more minutes since once I get to a 7 usually- my transition goes very quickly. So as all hope of pain relief <i>literally </i>walked out the door, I geared myself up to get this sweet baby here. There were people filing into the room preparing the warming bed for the baby and doing all the other things to prepare for a baby being born. The hustle and bustle of baby preparation was actually so motivating and exciting for me. She really was almost here! She would be on my chest- and soon! And even though the contractions at this point were sending me to a whole new dimension, the excitement was my prevailing feeling. </p><p>Cytotec, by the way, felt exactly like a pitocin labor. My contractions were SO long, and SO ridiculously close together. I really felt like I didn't even get any breaks towards the end. With every contraction, I envisioned my baby moving down, and closer to being in my arms. I also remember envisioning how excited addie's little face would be meeting her baby sister and saying "cutie cutie baby!" as she giggles with delight. I also remembering saying "i hate ed sheeran so much, turn that song off." The song Shivers was on during a particularly gnarly contraction and the words were "oh, i love it when you do it like that" -- and it felt like the most unfit song for labor I could ever imagine. </p><p>The nurse checked me around every 15 minutes once the contractions intensified. And while I thought it would only take me 15 minutes to go from a 7 to a 10, cytotec decided to give me the gift of a prolonged transition. I know I really can't complain because some women have labors that last SO. MUCH. LONGER. Slow clap for you all! It was probably an hour and half after I sent the anesthesiologist away that I was finally at a 10 and the doctor looked at me and said "whenever you are ready." in the most calm way possible. I remember him looking at me like he had complete faith in me- that this was MY birth and not his. His calming presence and trusting gaze was really empowering. With my mom and Jeff both by my side, I started pushing and I felt such a rush of joy when I could finally do that! It was really happening, and pushing pain is so much more preferable than contraction pain. I liked to use the word intensity instead of pain, and if you use it/say it enough, you can start to trick your brain into thinking it's not really pain. It's your body producing a miracle!</p><p>This tiny little angel made pushing a very quick job. I think I pushed through 3 contractions, and out she came. She waited for a little longer than I would've liked to breathe, and then when she did they whisked her away to the warming table. They had to be a little extra cautious since she was early and so small. I remember after they took her away the doctor asked me how much I think she weighed. My guess was 5 lbs 2 oz, and a few minutes later they announced she was 5 lbs. 3 oz! So close. After maybe 10 minutes, they finally brought her to me and we got to have our *moment*. The one I can clearly remember with all 5 of my babies births; the moment that makes every pain and discomfort of pregnancy and childbirth pale in comparison to the joy and bliss. It was 2 am but I felt more alive and grateful and full of joy than I ever have. Little Avery was in my arms and all was right in the universe.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNrOHyDyp5YfUmdo-uGWV-VPjfrz4T29diSsA7G_bsrxObAIR-ZNTDck2IMmARahB6JxADtVzM1mRP5OZ49HJpgmfqxlcne_eYIzzJmZNq2MW5l2-GJpYBx5yjvinCfitGJj1fgulrgRy_XUlGtffcOerJ8uQaGTQ9VSWHo8fQwrINOX1TNU7oiiO1pw/s2016/4e13cc50-4f6a-4a3a-9ce2-ed194d0fa7ac.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNrOHyDyp5YfUmdo-uGWV-VPjfrz4T29diSsA7G_bsrxObAIR-ZNTDck2IMmARahB6JxADtVzM1mRP5OZ49HJpgmfqxlcne_eYIzzJmZNq2MW5l2-GJpYBx5yjvinCfitGJj1fgulrgRy_XUlGtffcOerJ8uQaGTQ9VSWHo8fQwrINOX1TNU7oiiO1pw/w480-h640/4e13cc50-4f6a-4a3a-9ce2-ed194d0fa7ac.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifR9NzYt0ZITHAKZ35AO-MXHeWvn57VkbxuyUUSXOo9xC05cEheEx6tE8fTNAeCQpKr5dY30zYmCdnry8j4wJvRKrZ2-CENjAG2DvMHutcrwCIXkiBNjT6YKYSOKtcY3wmcqPpus5sNEJTeZ9gWbrkMsHP2Vmd-_yaXvzR4zKIEfDze4hla6bXlpc_sw/s4032/IMG_1371.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifR9NzYt0ZITHAKZ35AO-MXHeWvn57VkbxuyUUSXOo9xC05cEheEx6tE8fTNAeCQpKr5dY30zYmCdnry8j4wJvRKrZ2-CENjAG2DvMHutcrwCIXkiBNjT6YKYSOKtcY3wmcqPpus5sNEJTeZ9gWbrkMsHP2Vmd-_yaXvzR4zKIEfDze4hla6bXlpc_sw/w480-h640/IMG_1371.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0OPE9198U2mSocVKnU8Q9Dki47ZJlcsCzkzShBS6zUGTi9yOheNyMoZpLlkQW7DbKhNbBnqss-Rj-mfWk28CLA3l3CK2-juLjtWqLPYFO6Wou_WzaoQZcko1Y4NtDk9uCgiSyCY90KR7qIj6KoWu-_6VAYW6dMF9uJfOLOD9dKUC6Ye-t_7dXPu5xQ/s4032/IMG_1369.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0OPE9198U2mSocVKnU8Q9Dki47ZJlcsCzkzShBS6zUGTi9yOheNyMoZpLlkQW7DbKhNbBnqss-Rj-mfWk28CLA3l3CK2-juLjtWqLPYFO6Wou_WzaoQZcko1Y4NtDk9uCgiSyCY90KR7qIj6KoWu-_6VAYW6dMF9uJfOLOD9dKUC6Ye-t_7dXPu5xQ/w480-h640/IMG_1369.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyt_MtAr7M5Iw9BHu06A2ENKDKsahNbckwfrHtCXxx3y91em6DPaC2XUGK-NgmBM5xx6PZ_nTirAWPI3CB0-5kMWCE6Ukcg_btwHYZAKfg_-Ms8IEsiFoE10NvKKx4cteT6jTjpgXmGqjp-gqsNXQkSlMheAs0UHjPoIR9iF1pFrxGFoC3XER2YkCcfA/s1024/c59ee399-4dbd-4b3b-86b2-6be682e03540.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyt_MtAr7M5Iw9BHu06A2ENKDKsahNbckwfrHtCXxx3y91em6DPaC2XUGK-NgmBM5xx6PZ_nTirAWPI3CB0-5kMWCE6Ukcg_btwHYZAKfg_-Ms8IEsiFoE10NvKKx4cteT6jTjpgXmGqjp-gqsNXQkSlMheAs0UHjPoIR9iF1pFrxGFoC3XER2YkCcfA/w480-h640/c59ee399-4dbd-4b3b-86b2-6be682e03540.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4QN6NuFZI4CQDoG_wbcnENg2ZTzjye8cqmzv0Spdar_tM-yz7y2NEenvS1pH-QA6_0XhS9FT4PQKchBRNuXbiMjSYDOW4rj6gv6znGkZtLXNjBZi_NnvVRMaUmse6HkQGJhxKT2IkqepUgkRNZ11-APDyc43x1SDIER75cvjMK2TnsJmwRGkCnFgFg/s4032/IMG_1378.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4QN6NuFZI4CQDoG_wbcnENg2ZTzjye8cqmzv0Spdar_tM-yz7y2NEenvS1pH-QA6_0XhS9FT4PQKchBRNuXbiMjSYDOW4rj6gv6znGkZtLXNjBZi_NnvVRMaUmse6HkQGJhxKT2IkqepUgkRNZ11-APDyc43x1SDIER75cvjMK2TnsJmwRGkCnFgFg/w480-h640/IMG_1378.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">By the time I got to the postpartum room, it was 3 am and I was SO, so tired. Jeff and my mom went home because the other kids needed to be taken care of the next day, preferably by an adult who got more than 30 minutes of sleep. The nurse told me I needed to nurse in 45 minutes, so I set a 40 minute timer and that was about the extent of my sleep that night. Because after I nursed her, I just couldn't bring myself to go back to sleep. I just wanted to stare at her face. Also, the nurses just wanted to come in every 30 minutes to push down very hard on my belly, or to poke my tiny baby in the finger, or to ask me to rate my experience and provide feedback. (Sorry but 4 am is not the time for that conversation.) It took me a few days to bounce back from a middle-of-the-night birth (all my other ones were in the morning or afternoon!) </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZGD9dEdbmGOw5BlWxc2EDR10yHKo7tjR_4Nz6ysLX9wZQUgYbsblZmJqDX6H0hFonVpQc3o4LP3ZkyzA5hXOy7wroUURToiS-3MklGTycghMiCxSm0ItnZlKsIAcDokNAP532arXP3eXyMrnaiwY0z0bKyx2XI6pCZCUBGqk4KqkACJRgbzgQZftPg/s3088/IMG_1548.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZGD9dEdbmGOw5BlWxc2EDR10yHKo7tjR_4Nz6ysLX9wZQUgYbsblZmJqDX6H0hFonVpQc3o4LP3ZkyzA5hXOy7wroUURToiS-3MklGTycghMiCxSm0ItnZlKsIAcDokNAP532arXP3eXyMrnaiwY0z0bKyx2XI6pCZCUBGqk4KqkACJRgbzgQZftPg/w480-h640/IMG_1548.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbYPpRlKbpNVAOjxxt2v9aHCZBQ0Xz1gjNrVGHqpjCNj443QF9q8lS1yNEygCfTshzJlNj7Q7bcHXE4a1kTb_Xt2U6wy9nf4-6hviq0znCTnR4jF8Ot-2OZUOgjWhBVG2Gup--t-H_C03MNJabHwEVx1BuoRItCZY-7TnH1b9bCvSy_JrNJf8AlFjsg/s4032/IMG_1555.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbYPpRlKbpNVAOjxxt2v9aHCZBQ0Xz1gjNrVGHqpjCNj443QF9q8lS1yNEygCfTshzJlNj7Q7bcHXE4a1kTb_Xt2U6wy9nf4-6hviq0znCTnR4jF8Ot-2OZUOgjWhBVG2Gup--t-H_C03MNJabHwEVx1BuoRItCZY-7TnH1b9bCvSy_JrNJf8AlFjsg/w480-h640/IMG_1555.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnj3CqHc_-mCw8zdKsY6n0ejv6d6QZiOOQfOxugHxm8ayfoIGq-YGY6Z_pD9tiuL64rrx1MO1R2mTEz04qmQkgyS7zNQNKGZ5SYhR96lJXl0yidsmveCZbG1NdePUNamaw1jEy22tns_jEfA9Zdh7rMKA43Y0d9I8_QF6D_FW2gF_VPK6v6jFVldo1oQ/s3088/IMG_1556.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2262" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnj3CqHc_-mCw8zdKsY6n0ejv6d6QZiOOQfOxugHxm8ayfoIGq-YGY6Z_pD9tiuL64rrx1MO1R2mTEz04qmQkgyS7zNQNKGZ5SYhR96lJXl0yidsmveCZbG1NdePUNamaw1jEy22tns_jEfA9Zdh7rMKA43Y0d9I8_QF6D_FW2gF_VPK6v6jFVldo1oQ/w468-h640/IMG_1556.jpeg" width="468" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27P22XivHk0k4kEVR5kfxx3kCfoKmipyJbBBeBW-pPdEuCyHGdv6KbKXVzkoRuz_xeLyPZuyf6S1wz_P1ilJaL8WEhpli7LFriK4-pTFYnuEdd-BL-h696SFrwMMIaVCEXkU0SJUURjLRlUfEpm4ERaGeIwRSFYZjS-92SAXQptV6cRVeYMryunr5wg/s4032/IMG_1559.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27P22XivHk0k4kEVR5kfxx3kCfoKmipyJbBBeBW-pPdEuCyHGdv6KbKXVzkoRuz_xeLyPZuyf6S1wz_P1ilJaL8WEhpli7LFriK4-pTFYnuEdd-BL-h696SFrwMMIaVCEXkU0SJUURjLRlUfEpm4ERaGeIwRSFYZjS-92SAXQptV6cRVeYMryunr5wg/w480-h640/IMG_1559.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqtNhxgC_QYjLmTMffKVkbKb9m6T7qg1KvHuqPh8J4O1nX_bCKoTaQ_fF3H5JKr9K9-_Ib2w97JHbGNJ1xeAc-zivJus6QsWq2DwiesGRPMYFgnpuf0UwzjtsBT-PETW2qFdf-axoxhcjgDwg0tHjbxlfCsThjfAEDrsfEku-u9X5scAtpBIP6LPDog/s4032/IMG_1570.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqtNhxgC_QYjLmTMffKVkbKb9m6T7qg1KvHuqPh8J4O1nX_bCKoTaQ_fF3H5JKr9K9-_Ib2w97JHbGNJ1xeAc-zivJus6QsWq2DwiesGRPMYFgnpuf0UwzjtsBT-PETW2qFdf-axoxhcjgDwg0tHjbxlfCsThjfAEDrsfEku-u9X5scAtpBIP6LPDog/w480-h640/IMG_1570.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQ6WhSaaxTTyNAnq7Lil0c1j8HRcg0TWmA0hST07HOY-sQxngVTkYENRWchMD24_RGcFnPOmBZRoeF5AvEIv1y4knBg0Macn5PLYQ4yL4UwByFCQDYaCfD_obmbP8b86Q8MdWt88ECuqhRm4poJnRSk560LFj8fZfjl0GIowwePLbTyrBaH986ShMlg/s4032/IMG_1578.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQ6WhSaaxTTyNAnq7Lil0c1j8HRcg0TWmA0hST07HOY-sQxngVTkYENRWchMD24_RGcFnPOmBZRoeF5AvEIv1y4knBg0Macn5PLYQ4yL4UwByFCQDYaCfD_obmbP8b86Q8MdWt88ECuqhRm4poJnRSk560LFj8fZfjl0GIowwePLbTyrBaH986ShMlg/w480-h640/IMG_1578.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-82967636040725404962021-04-06T22:28:00.002-06:002021-04-06T22:40:00.269-06:00light at the end of the tunnel<p> 2020 was a long, dark tunnel and I think we are slowly emerging. Victoriously? Eh, I wouldn't go that far. Hopefully and happily? Resoundingly. 2020 was the hardest year of my life. Maybe? Definitely the hardest year of my life since becoming a mom. (high school was no joke) Addie's sleep struggles really dominated the year, with a hard emphasis on complete and total isolation. Bad sleep and social isolation is not a great combo for me. Days, weeks without seeing any other humans besides my family. We would sometimes escape to visit family for a few weeks, and guess who cared, or even knew about it? Nobody. I felt so unimportant in the world, but crucially important (every single second) in my own home. And although I knew everyone else probably felt similar, it was still quite lonely!</p><p><br /></p><p>Anyways, yes lets just skip that year of blogging please and thanks and pretend it never happened. (Although there were so many positively wonderful things that did happen that I haven't documented super well!)</p><p><br /></p><p>Since I couldn't possibly catch up on everything, here are some snippets of our life lately that give quite an accurate depiction of how things go around here:</p><p>We've got a good system that really works for everyone. We get breakfast, get dressed, the kids do their jobs. Then we move on to homeschool. Knock that out. Eat lunch. Straight to the park until it's time to come home and eat dinner. Notice how that leaves zero time for errands or anything of the sort. Park time is sacred time, not to be trampled on by a trip to UPS to return a package or the grocery store. Heaven forbid! We are so grateful for the many parks in our area. The kids take turns everyday picking a park to go to, and we usually invite lots of friends. This is recess: extended edition, if you will. Vitamin D is as vital as food and water for my kids. I also have loved that, despite the disheartening lack of nature (plants, flowers, trees, etc), my kids often spend most of their time examining the nature that surrounds the park. No tree goes unclimbed. No pinecone uncollected. No blade of grass overlooked. No pigeon unchased. Addie lives for the slide and the swings, which are both referred to as "Weeeee!" for obvious reasons. She is my most fearless child BY FAR and it is kind of terrifying. In fact, she has already broken a bone, which we will not spend time ruminating on, thanks.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8rEwlmJxWNc/YG0sxzm1JmI/AAAAAAAASFg/bu7KGRgebqEVH7B2Bumv9C0FP-E8eG7TwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_4795.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8rEwlmJxWNc/YG0sxzm1JmI/AAAAAAAASFg/bu7KGRgebqEVH7B2Bumv9C0FP-E8eG7TwCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/IMG_4795.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XgS1UUgos1w/YG0sx6tM9nI/AAAAAAAASFk/QIqjbqPkHqYgvh87uFLnIHFQvlK8SlYjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_4831.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XgS1UUgos1w/YG0sx6tM9nI/AAAAAAAASFk/QIqjbqPkHqYgvh87uFLnIHFQvlK8SlYjQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/IMG_4831.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Park picnics. Where I pack my children lunch and the only thing they eat are the snacks that they scavenge from their friends. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cVWYXRADJNE/YG0tTSjt2GI/AAAAAAAASGQ/x7DPOC3BETwBaNgiMMLJTnqj4iwy8ZfLgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_5045.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cVWYXRADJNE/YG0tTSjt2GI/AAAAAAAASGQ/x7DPOC3BETwBaNgiMMLJTnqj4iwy8ZfLgCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/IMG_5045.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The face of pure joy. I never get sick of helping her up and down the slide. Actually, that is false. But I really do love seeing her happy face peeking down from the top of the slide at me.</div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GEC3aebKaxQ/YG0sx9DShFI/AAAAAAAASFc/qE1bWyMSWx4t4jgdP4OGTUEJtN6S789EwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_4861.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GEC3aebKaxQ/YG0sx9DShFI/AAAAAAAASFc/qE1bWyMSWx4t4jgdP4OGTUEJtN6S789EwCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/IMG_4861.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Another face of pure joy. Giving Lyla any piece of exciting news, big or small, results in this type of reaction. She is soooo fun to surprise. And it takes very little to make her this happy. (on the flip side, it takes very little to get a reaction of the opposite emotion...)</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fziGhaxR2MM/YG0tTiDD2aI/AAAAAAAASGU/1W8AMPaCyLwuNbkobyXQPUi11i2QCWK2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_5080.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fziGhaxR2MM/YG0tTiDD2aI/AAAAAAAASGU/1W8AMPaCyLwuNbkobyXQPUi11i2QCWK2gCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_5080.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Adeline and her Blanky + Binky. She adores going down for naps and bedtime thanks to those BFF's. Can we just please have a moment of gratitude that she almost always sleeps through the night now? Hallelujah.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rtj-fNmAB-Q/YG0tTpOkt4I/AAAAAAAASGY/HEIz1pRK_mktoUqcWMQa3RV6DsPL8v7xwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_5134.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rtj-fNmAB-Q/YG0tTpOkt4I/AAAAAAAASGY/HEIz1pRK_mktoUqcWMQa3RV6DsPL8v7xwCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_5134.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Speaking of Halleuljah. Hallelujah! Easter time. My favorite thing we did this year was memorize The Living Christ. Well, me, Jane, and Lyla! Some amazing lady put that entire document to music and so we learned 8 songs containing all the words. It brought the spirit so many separate times as we sang about Christ and deepened our testimony of him and his life. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-syjwfJub0uQ/YG0tTgxoNpI/AAAAAAAASGc/S_Uzh73ARIQgCEXRpG8GsVDoBHfc3QxaACLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_5155.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-syjwfJub0uQ/YG0tTgxoNpI/AAAAAAAASGc/S_Uzh73ARIQgCEXRpG8GsVDoBHfc3QxaACLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_5155.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lyla is officially a reader, and I feel like its as much of an accomplishment for me as it is for her. WOW it's hard to teach a kid to read. So much time and practice and patience. But it is so worth it. She is loving it!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4YpKuKIj5ns/YG0tT23cI1I/AAAAAAAASGg/jt7g3QSiTGs1FmRDn2lMU4xHEEaim4sPQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_5178.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4YpKuKIj5ns/YG0tT23cI1I/AAAAAAAASGg/jt7g3QSiTGs1FmRDn2lMU4xHEEaim4sPQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/IMG_5178.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I decided to really try to take a little bit of time a few times a week to focus on Cooper and age appropriate activities for him. We have his friend Niah come join us and they both love it. Whenever Cooper recognizes a letter on a sign or anywhere, he says "That's a part of my letters!" He is quite possessive of his letters. ;)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gack5n1Q-ho/YG0tT0HTtVI/AAAAAAAASGk/ulm8XJXTRNEW_6O4fM6JzzP-zKRYAgkngCLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_5190.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gack5n1Q-ho/YG0tT0HTtVI/AAAAAAAASGk/ulm8XJXTRNEW_6O4fM6JzzP-zKRYAgkngCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_5190.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lyla is finally getting into puzzles. They used to frustrate her too much but now she LOVES them. She finished her first 100 piece by herself the other night for her "special time" (My kids each have one day a week where they get to stay up 30 minutes or so later than the rest of the kids and choose an activity to do with me.)</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xGG5igRO7Ms/YG0tT9_wtRI/AAAAAAAASGo/TH_RJXCOJzcMluHrEIqzWHLeYH_YsI71ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_5206.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xGG5igRO7Ms/YG0tT9_wtRI/AAAAAAAASGo/TH_RJXCOJzcMluHrEIqzWHLeYH_YsI71ACLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_5206.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The girls helped me to pick out new comforters for their beds and they are all of a sudden super excited to make their beds each morning. Please bless that lasts.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WpfywhJGhNQ/YG0tUC8JqwI/AAAAAAAASGs/JEL7QAJmqNI8PMms8kiYPyAsdI8KQBB9QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_5228.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WpfywhJGhNQ/YG0tUC8JqwI/AAAAAAAASGs/JEL7QAJmqNI8PMms8kiYPyAsdI8KQBB9QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/IMG_5228.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_iv1m6amiFU/YG0te1-M_LI/AAAAAAAASGw/XdOnGbCio8wWhW2IirC5C6u9g7-tmrhJQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/57c5ed82-000a-41f2-9c9b-e5831fbd93b1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_iv1m6amiFU/YG0te1-M_LI/AAAAAAAASGw/XdOnGbCio8wWhW2IirC5C6u9g7-tmrhJQCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/57c5ed82-000a-41f2-9c9b-e5831fbd93b1.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AdrsuXAu5ac/YG0te0_rkLI/AAAAAAAASG0/1WJK7t5Ql1kRiRkTqPNb2m8dpf0LVCD8ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/72224c4a-08f1-41dc-aaf5-17f19a359ae6.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AdrsuXAu5ac/YG0te0_rkLI/AAAAAAAASG0/1WJK7t5Ql1kRiRkTqPNb2m8dpf0LVCD8ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/72224c4a-08f1-41dc-aaf5-17f19a359ae6.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6I26q7kCscY/YG0yld0R-FI/AAAAAAAASHo/zyg54oba5XMqDqQLqGwbblB_g1pTOGeiACLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_5275.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6I26q7kCscY/YG0yld0R-FI/AAAAAAAASHo/zyg54oba5XMqDqQLqGwbblB_g1pTOGeiACLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_5275.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This past weekend, we had Will, Kaycee, Rachel, and my dad come visit for Easter/General Conference weekend. Consequently, my children got showered with attention and jelly beans. They had quite the crash today after coming down from that family time/candy high. Yikes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But it was worth it, and so fun! We whipped out the back yard swimming pool that the girls "earned" with conference cash. Jane painted her heart out after Papa bought her a new set of paints and canvases. Cooper got to go golfing with the boys and was on cloud nine. Nobody ever expects a 3 year old to be able to handle doing 18 holes, but he is a champ. Of course he doesn't actually play all the entire holes, but he just has serious respect for the game and knows how to behave on a golf course. Lyla clung to Kaycee Lynn like a fly on poop, and Addie wrapped each and every person around her tiny little finger. We ate so much food, had perfect weather, and some seriously awesome games of Spike Ball. I think we are all a little sunburned and bloated from that weekend. ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To close this hodge podge of a post: a few pictures that I felt very much encapsulates my children.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f4xyjMeb4P0/YG0y3oPi9sI/AAAAAAAASII/AQLE68QJCionPGs2no80rmbO2crF83h-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_5285.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f4xyjMeb4P0/YG0y3oPi9sI/AAAAAAAASII/AQLE68QJCionPGs2no80rmbO2crF83h-ACLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_5285.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jane, in her harry potter robe, sitting outside, on top of the play house, reading a book. (Not Harry Potter; I'm forcing her to take a break and read other books after reading the whole series 3 times through, haha!)</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jphZbivBP2E/YG0y3Z0XE4I/AAAAAAAASIM/-BEwFwj0_98L0odgvzzWiX4HEkzmsj8MQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_5281.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jphZbivBP2E/YG0y3Z0XE4I/AAAAAAAASIM/-BEwFwj0_98L0odgvzzWiX4HEkzmsj8MQCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_5281.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cooper, with his wrinkly nose smiles, feeling so proud of himself for spelling his name using all his favorite sports balls.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jmOyNfm4Bkw/YG0y2_KdXRI/AAAAAAAASIA/MriDuTc-AEkwCTV7SG7wsOHsCAAzv3sagCLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_5196.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jmOyNfm4Bkw/YG0y2_KdXRI/AAAAAAAASIA/MriDuTc-AEkwCTV7SG7wsOHsCAAzv3sagCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/IMG_5196.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Addie, ruling the roost. Letting us all know that she plays by her own rules. </div><br /></div><br />Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-64625746559914874172020-04-08T16:04:00.003-06:002020-04-08T17:30:02.012-06:00Quarantine My emotions have ebbed and flowed, spiked and calmed, flipped and flopped in the past 3 weeks. I'm sure many people are in the same tumultuous boat. For many of us, the pendulum is swinging from frantic & terrified to peaceful & grateful. I feel very grateful that we aren't affected too much by the world essentially shutting down, but my worries and fears have been for those who have been deeply affected. I feel helpless but so wanting to be a part of the goodness being spread. The kids and I have been doing little things here and there to try to lift others, but it feels like a tiny drop in the bucket.<br />
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Homeschooling hasn't been the worst. In fact, part of me really wants to just keep homeschooling. I love seeing my kids being able to <i>be kids</i>. Way more time for playing, leisurely reading, riding bikes, etc. The saddest part to me personally is that we just barely moved to a new place, we were starting to sort of make a few friends and get to know some people. But essentially, we are not allowed to make any friends right now. A little depressing. But again, a measly complaint when contrasted with the stories of people whose lives are being upturned. Some of the saddest stories I've heard: one couple's IVF transfer got canceled. Having a child you've been sacrificing so much for getting canceled is about the worst thing I can imagine. I have some friends and cousins whose weddings got canceled! Such a bummer! Missionaries getting sent home from their missions, from amazing places like New Zealand in the case of one of my cousins! So many family trips being canceled. So many jobs being canceled. It is so eerie, and every day living in this shut down world feels so similar to the way a nightmare feels. Kinda weird and discombobulated and unbelievable.<br />
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So there are sad things, for sure. Awful things, for sure. But, I'm putting my John Krasinski hat on and focusing on the good things. There are so many of them. So many people with huge platforms are using them for good, to raise money for those in need. Bill Gates coming in clutch as usual. I so admire the people who have more than they need and are willing to figure out ways to give their excess to people who need it more than they do. Just like Mr. Rogers said: "Look for the helpers!" This world is full of them and I want to hug each of them.<br />
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The biggest tender mercy in this whole situation for me personally is the weather here in El Paso. I've raved about it every single day we've lived here. So far, I have yet to go outside and feel cold. I have yet to go outside and feel hot. It is perfect weather and we take full advantage. Lots of long runs for me, and SOOO many walks & bike rides & hikes with the kids. Lyla learned how to ride a bike with no training wheels. Picked it up in a hot second and is now cruising along like she's been doing it for years.<br />
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So far since there has been no school, we've done a unit on clouds, rocks & gemstones, and this week we are learning about Russia. I love learning right along with them. We only do a few hours of focused learning a day, but Jane's activity of choice during free time is usually learning oriented. i.e. reading, audiobooks, word searches (her newest obsession), playing board games (she is currently learning to play chess), and lots of baking. Yesterday, she made banana bread 100% on her own. The only thing I did was take it out of the oven because she isn't real interested in burning her arm off. There has also been ample time for jane to learn her first tiktok dance, inspired by Uncle Will and Aunt Kaycee.<br />
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There have also been SO many opportunities to be problem solvers and peace makers. Oh the sibling rivalry is real and nearly constant. But sometimes the giggles of the three older kids are echoing throughout my house and I just savor those moments. Lyla usually stops when that happens and asks "Mom, is that your favorite sound in the world?" because she knows that it is.<br />
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Honestly this is such a boring blog post but it's better than documenting NOTHING. So here you go, a mediocre, quarantine cliche blog post.<br />
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Multi-tasker extraordinaire: listening to a book and digging for gold.<br />
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Jane's "uplifting" chalk art.</div>
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This is me saying YES TO THE MESS if it means my kids are playing happily together. They made a very intricate living space for themselves.<br />
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Cooper's language is exploding finally. He loves everything. Literally everything he gets excited about. Moving vehicles, animals, anything in nature, letters, colors, people. He says "Hiiii!" to every person we ever walk by.<br />
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Cloud in a Jar. The easiest and coolest experiment!</div>
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Sedimentary//Igenous//Metamorphic Rock experiment. It was a fun one. </div>
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Making prayer rocks for rock week. How fitting!</div>
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Cooper stretching with me after my run. I love that little boy so much. And how he is my little shadow. And how he says "Hop-a-doo-doo" when you ask him what a rooster says.<br />
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One blissful afternoon when Lyla got Addie to sleep and then fell asleep herself. Pinch me. These girls both protest sleep for a living, so it needed to be captured. Addie likes having a blanket by her face when she falls asleep. Have no fear that I'm a hovering little bee making sure she can breathe.<br />
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So we got a little crazy for April Fools day this year. I gave them water mixed with powdered cheese and told them it was orange juice. I also put cups upside down on the table with water in them. If you ever want to get a completely dramatic overreaction from a prank, or from anything at all, Lyla is your ideal target. We also did a "silly dinner" they had to roll dice to decide on their food. Jane ate chicken nuggets out of a mug and Lyla ate ramen noodles with a spatula. A really easy way to transform a lame dinner into a "mom, you're the best ever! let's do this every year!"<br />
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Let's not forget Conference Weekend! What a perfect time for reassurance and peace to be infused into our souls. We had lots of activities to keep the kids engaged and they loved it.<br />
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Not even a huge cinnamon roll fan but these are absolutely heaven! It was good that we gave some away. </div>
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We took the kids on a rocky hike which was the perfect field trip to wrap up both cloud and rock week. The girls proudly proclaimed that they were mountain goats and really loved the hike. I love the skies in El Paso. They are so BLUE and the clouds are always different everyday.<br />
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This little baby completely rules the roost over here. She is starting to scoot and have cooing conversations with me and is the rolliest little baby around. We are all so obsessed. There is just no other way to put it.<br />
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The garage has been Jeff's project the past few weeks. He built shelves coming down from the ceilings to hold all of our bins, and he built a table to work on for all future wood projects. He is so awesome.Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-46751646854929992572020-03-02T11:55:00.000-07:002020-03-02T11:55:10.028-07:00El PasoSurprise! We have moved again. We counted with jane the other day, and she has moved 7 times in her 6 years! It’s something we are all getting used to. My girls are already much more resilient and confident than I was even in high school. Moving is SO hard for me, but I also recognize the amazing growth that has come from each big move. In Germany, I learned how to be a strong, independent woman. I learned what it felt like to be buoyed up by the Savior and strengthened by the others of others. I had friends there that shaped me in the way that I mother and in the way that I am a wife and friend. Fort Leonard Wood brought me the best support group I’ve ever had. I learned how to embrace chaos in the name of friendship from watching my good friends do the same. I learned even better how to create a community of friends and neighbors rather than just hoping it will happen without any effort. I gained lifelong friends that feel like family.<br />
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I can’t wait to see how this place shapes me and helps me and Jeff to grow together and to help our kids do the same.<br />
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We left fort Leonard Wood with sad hearts and started a really long, drawn out road trip to El Paso, Texas. We made the best pit stop to visit some of our best friends and that was so good for my soul! Just an extra boost to send us off into an unknown place.<br />
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We then got to El Paso and had to live in a hotel for 10 days. There were some nice things to it- but it was also tricky living with 6 people in one room. I know there are so many women around the world who live that as their reality and they are stronger than me! Our stuff came after being in a hotel for a week and we had exactly one week to unpack and try to get our house together before Jeff already had to leave for his job. So now our house is about 90% complete and I need to just be content with that until he is home for long enough that we can get everything done.<br />
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It only gets crazier with every move because our family is bigger each time, and also the amount of stuff we have is greater. I like to think of myself as a minimalist- but every time we move, I am dissuaded of that. One day I was trying to unpack as much as possible and I declared it a movie marathon day. AKA the day of Lyla's dreams. She literally watched 3 movies back to back and I'm not sure she even blinked the whole time.<br />
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So far in El Paso we have eaten the BEST mexican food I've ever tasted, went to other yummy restaurants that we've been deprived of for years, had a move-in-to-our-new-house chip party on the kitchen floor. (the smallest things make little kids SO excited!) and eaten snacks and played games using cardboard boxes as tables. Jane also started at a new school and gets to wear a uniform now. Pretty cute! I've also been able to run again and boy was it fun going on my first long run in a place that is 3,000 feet higher than missouri. It really does make such a difference!<br />
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Come visit us if only to eat this food!!</div>
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Bahama Bucks is my absolute FAVORITE!! </div>
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Chip Party. </div>
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We are loving our new house and the area we live. We have already met a lot of great people. And I can also say that after about 3 weeks my kids are all starting to even out emotionally and mentally. It kinda rocked our worlds to leave our happy little street in Missouri. But they are back to their (mostly) happy selves and we are starting to get into a groove. I signed Jane up for tumbling and piano, and Lyla for gymnastics. I put their responsibility charts up and life is feeling a lot more structured now. But man, I've definitely descended into some deep valleys since being here. When Jeff was gone and Im left with my 4 adorable, yet demanding, children and a house that isn't quite in order; there are moments of complete and utter MADNESS. In a real moment of weakness, I texted my mom and asked if she could come and stay here for a few days. She tried pulling all of the strings but couldn't get work off, so she sent Rachel here instead. Hence why I have the time and the mental clarity to blog right now!<br />
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Motherhood is SUCH A rollercoaster. But I'm here for it.<br />
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<br />Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-58734732513254977752019-12-10T17:21:00.001-07:002019-12-10T17:29:58.197-07:00Blissful Chaos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
There really is no better way to describe my life right now than blissful chaos. It's the chaos I've always dreamed of having my whole life and the chaos that I will ache to relive years from now. And I love it all. I love my baby with her cute little pig squeals and grunts, my cooper and his LOUD destructiveness, Lyla and her sneaky little smile, and jane coming home from school with wide animated eyes, telling me all the amazing things she is learning at school and about how she played with the new kid at recess because she looked lonely. Here are a few snippets from life lately:</div>
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Lyla has been hard for me lately. She needs SO MUCH human interaction. More than I can sometimes give her. If she had it her way we would play games and watch shows all day together without my attention being averted in any way, shape, or form. So I took the afternoon the other day to try to fill her bucket. We went to eat lunch with jane at school, went to get an ice cream cone, and then went to wal-mart to help her pick out a christmas present for jane. The girls earned 100 peace-maker points (self explanatory) which was what they needed to earn a shopping date with me where they could pick out a present for the other. I think this smile speaks for itself.<br />
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Jeff bought me a treadmill. (and no, that does not make him a fat-shaming anti-feminist like some people might assume) We got it used for only $80, and it's safe to say it will get A LOT of use! I thought I would be the one to use it the most but so far my girls are really loving running on it too! Jane says "I love these sort of things! Fun, but hard!" Hahaha if you know jane, that shouldn't surprise you. But, it does HAVE to be her idea if she is to do something "fun, but hard" if you know what I mean ;) I really hope she loves to run her whole life. Lyla has been taking turns too, and cooper just watches, mesmerized, as he plops his bum down and eats a fruit snack. I've run a few times for the first time in a long time and it felt great.<br />
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I love waking up to this every morning! She usually gets a little whiny around 5am and i'll bring her in the bed to cuddle with me until we are woken up by cooper's loud "MOMMA!!!"<br />
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Little Adeline is still a dream baby. I sound like a broken record because I've said this with every baby. I keep thinking I'll get a really hard baby and I keep getting super lucky. She sleeps like a normal baby (waking every 2-3 hours) and loves to be snuggled but will also allow me to lay her in the swing to nap sometimes. She also SMILED AT ME for the first time this week. I was not expecting it and my heart just about burst. It was the cutest smile ever.<br />
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Jeff (I love that awesome man!!) graduated as the honor graduate in the Captain's Career Course, which honestly makes me kinda sad. It has been so nice to have him home so much the past year. And this chapter is just not a chapter I am eager to be done with. We have loved living here so much.<br />
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My absolute favorite past-time. This was right before we signed our names about 38173947 times to CLOSE on our very first home! We are moving to El Paso and are super excited to have our own house. We have lots of ideas, we will see how many of them are executed.<br />
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We went to see Frozen 2 and I loved it so much! We went with a big group of our good friends and had lots of little princesses with us ;)<br />
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We had a smashing successful friends giving, and, as customary, the only picture I got on thanksgiving was of the food. I always underestimate how much time it'll take to make the food on thanksgiving. I only made a few batches of rolls, sweet potato casserole, and my first homemade pie (banana cream) We ate so much yummy food that day. It was deeply satisfying. The most un-dry turkey I've ever had and a homemade raspberry cheesecake stole the show for me. My banana cream pie was not the prettiest but it was also one of my favorites. The transporting of our food to the church was a very stressful situation.<br />
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My favorite thing that happened in november was sweet baby Brooklyn being born! My brother had his first baby- and it's my kids first cousin on my side. I love her so much and, even though I have steep competition, am so determined to be the favorite aunt. I hope Brooklyn and Adeline are BFFs<br />
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Babies and matching blankets. I was hoping they would kinda look alike since me and brendon look so much a like. NOPE. No resemblance whatsoever. Haha but they are both so cute!<br />
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Holding each other's babies. We made a day trip to bentonville just to be able to meet Brooklyn. 6.5 hours of driving in one day was worth it though! Loved seeing my brother as a dad- and kacee as a mom. Brooklyn is so lucky to have them. She will learn how to have the purest, kindest heart just like her parents.<br />
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Cooper is so much better with Adeline than I thought he would be! He is only ever so soft and gentle, stopping his antics every so often to kiss her little head. Man I love those 2 babies of mine.<br />
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And Lyla's obsession with Adeline is showing no signs of waning whatsoever. The only issue is that she thinks she can handle her the way she sees me handling her. She always wants to lift her up and hold her on her chest. We are working on it, and in the mean time I will be watching her like a hawk any time she is holding baby Addie.<br />
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Some days at the end of the day, Jeff and I just look at each other incredulously because of how insanely draining it can be to keep up with all the kids. But then we also look at each other with beaming smiles wondering how we got so lucky.<br />
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I love these children, and I am humbled every day by how much they love me, too, despite the fact that my very best efforts fall painfully short some days. I wouldn't trade the blissful chaos for ANYTHING.Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-34077784767199418522019-11-18T18:21:00.001-07:002019-11-18T18:21:02.986-07:00Mom Life: 4 Kids EditionAdeline is 18 days old today and I think my official opinion is that newborn-ness lasts for approximately 14 days and then POOF it's gone. So I'm mourning right now. I've had more emotions this time than with any other baby because, HELLO, this is my 4th kid. It's not like I'm at the beginning of my mothering journey anymore. I don't KNOW if I will have another coming along in a few years like I've always known before. Knowing there were more little Andersens coming made it a LITTLE easier to handle my babies growing so quick. <div>
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I've always thought of 4 kids as not a lot of kids. There are 4 kids in my family, and whenever anyone asks me how many siblings I have, I've always said "oh, <i>just</i> 3!" </div>
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Well I was dead wrong. 4 kids is a lot of kids. Especially when you've only been married for 7 years, and graduated from high school for 9. It's been a crazy, lovely whirlwind. I have, again, become extremely emotional when I think about this life Jeff and I have created together. It's so crazy for me to remember back to the time I vividly remember seeing (and "closely observing" aka staring at) Jeff for the first time and how I had NO CLUE that in 7 years I'd be staring at my 4th newborn who makes the same facial expressions when they are sleeping as he does. Or that I'd be trying to contain the LOUDNESS and ENERGY of my son who is his spitting image and who also comes by those qualities very naturally thanks to his father. Speaking of his father, he is Superman in my eyes. He just swoops in and saves the day in every way whenever he is home. I've been so grateful for the way he has been taking care of every member of his family. Like the other night at 2 am he came back in our room after being up with Cooper and I was nursing Addie, he stops and asks: "Kerri when is the last time you drank water?!" I said "I don't know" and he ran and got my huge water bottle and filled it up for me. He is a gem and I love him.</div>
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For the first 2 weeks, my mother in law and my mom took turns coming to our home and lightening the load in a big way. I've had a few days on my own now and I can't lie and say this transition has been easy. I remember staring at the wall like a deer in the headlights after I'd been home from the hospital for 3 hours and I was trying to feed the baby while Cooper was constantly trying to poke the baby in the eyes, and the girls were fighting over something ridiculous and making a huge mess doing it. Like, whoa what have we gotten ourselves into? But then there are the moments when they are all gently circled around baby adeline taking turns softly stroking her hair and singing her songs. Its a good mixture of those two types of scenarios. </div>
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I think it's mostly because Cooper alone probably takes up 80% of my energy. He is the busiest child I've ever birthed by FAR. Also the loudest. Also the most mischievous. Also the one who really truly cannot stop himself from whacking people with his beloved plastic golf clubs. But also, dare I say, the cutest?! He makes me laugh so hard and melts my heart into multiple puddles a day. His body is always in motion, fast motion. Usually running around kicking or throwing a ball, pulling things out of drawers and cupboards, chasing and tackling his sisters. Taking small breaks every 20 minutes or so to come give the baby a kiss and a fist bump. (just have to make sure he doesn't try to fist bump her without extremely paranoid supervision.) </div>
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signing the ward "candy" which was what I bribed them with to smile for pictures. obviously.</div>
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Jane has been so helpful. I'm feeling grateful to her especially today when Jeff was gone all day. Cooper is SOOOO much happier when she is around and she has the magic touch with him. She is also my "fetcher" of all things while I am nursing. Jeff and I have tried to give her at least some one on one time everyday. She only needs a little bit of REAL quality time to fill her bucket, but she needs it like she needs food. So as long as that happens, we have a happy, helpful oldest sibling in the house. </div>
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Lyla's obsession for Adeline is like nothing else. She gets mad when anyone else is holding her. She desperately wants to be able to cradle and rock and cuddle her like I do, but her body isn't quite as big and cushion-y as mine. So that has been a learning process. We've had to enforce a few rules like "ONLY kisses on the baby's head" and "no moving her head or her body into different positions when you are holding her." It is pretty nice that I can say "finish your chores and then you can hold baby Addie!" and off she will happily bound to do her chores. She also loves to sing to Adeline- real songs and made up songs- and it is adorable. Lyla has her own unique way of dealing with huge change, and utter defiance is her favorite way of doing that. So we've also tried to incorporate as many mommy/daddy dates as possible for her. Lyla cares so much about her baby sister though and her love for her is as intense as it is precious. </div>
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sisters :)</div>
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And as for Sweet Adeline, well she is just pure perfection! She really likes to eat which is great because that little squirt was in need of a few rolls on those little chicken legs. I believe Jeff's exact words were "I've literally eaten chicken wings bigger than her legs!" When she came home, she was only 5 pounds 8 ounces but at her 2 week check up she had bounced back up to 6 pounds 10 ounces! Whoever said motherhood is a thankless job forgot about those appointments when the doctor tells you your baby gained a pound and a half in 10 days, all thanks to your countless hours spent nursing. A victory for sure! Addie loves sleeping with her arm snuggled up to her face, she likes being swaddled but also can sleep without being swaddled. Music totally calms her, and as much as she adores her handsy siblings, she definitely prefers her momma and daddy. </div>
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She is just perfect and I am in complete awe that I've had 4 healthy and happy babies. My favorite way to hold her is to have her little face squished right next to mine so I can just inhale her sweet scent and kiss her soft cheeks incessantly. She is also my best smelling baby because she rarely spits up (knock on wood) so she doesn't get that nasty neck cheese. She is already a super curious and super AWAKE baby. Ever since we brought her home, she would have long stretches of being awake. Usually newborns can last about 20 minutes before passing out! This girl has a few solid 3 hour stretches during the day of being wide awake. It is seriously impressive. </div>
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Adeline has reminded me once again that newborns are pure magic. I've enjoyed every single second with her. I love her with my whole heart! I can't wait to see who she becomes. </div>
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She is too good to be true. So grateful she joined our family.</div>
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Oh and in case you were wondering what she looks like today...ill give you a hint. She doesn't look like a newborn anymore. I want to cry....</div>
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Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-36633544560704666622019-11-09T17:58:00.001-07:002019-11-09T17:58:40.285-07:00Adeline's Birth Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
It's pretty sad that only a few blog posts ago was Cooper's birth story, and now I present to you: another one. </div>
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I have now had 4 amazing, nearly perfect (in my mind) birth stories. And I think this one might me my very favorite one, despite me being completely caught off guard by nearly every aspect of it!</div>
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I had been having contractions since about 36 weeks, but never painful or strong. I knew that this was something my body would do. Around 38 weeks though they were a little more strong and quite consistent so I actually went in to the hospital to get checked (which I'd never done before) and was sent home since I was only dilated to a 3. So, after becoming a #hospitalreject, I didn't want to have any doubts whether or not it was the real deal....</div>
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Also it is worthy to note that my body has never gone into full-on labor without a little help from the doctors. With Jane I was induced, and I was dilated to a 6 with Lyla and Cooper, but after that my body would stop progressing unless they broke my water or gave me some pitocin. So I assumed that's how it would go this time too.</div>
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I went in for my 39 week check up feeling kinda crampy that morning. I was still fairly confident that I hadn't actually progressed though. And I was right. Still at a 3. I could almost hear an audible <i>Womp, wompppp</i>. The doctor swept my membranes and warned it could cause some more cramping, and sometimes it would help to start labor, but other times it wouldn't. So I was feeling bummed after the appointment. Luckily, my best friends here had planned a spa night that night and we did at-home pedicures and my friend Rachel painted my toes. It was just what I needed to keep myself from wallowing. I was starting to feel even more crampy that night as we were chatting and painting nails, but I was sure they were the cramps the doctor had warned me about. I had never experienced these type of cramps before either so I wasn't really sure what to think. So I came home and went to bed. I had a little bit of a hard time falling asleep because of the cramps but eventually fell asleep. </div>
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I woke up at 6:30 to even stronger cramps, and I realized now they were contractions. (You'd think I'm a total rookie!) I still remember my neighbor telling me how she had cramps and contractions after she got her membranes stripped so I figured they could just be that. I timed them for like 20 minutes and mentioned to jeff I was having pretty strong contractions. Stronger contractions that I'd ever had at home and not in a hospital. I was trying to decide if I should take them seriously or not...but by 7 am they got intense quickly and I had no doubts anymore. Instead of thinking "should I go in?" my thoughts shifted to "holy cow I might not make it in time, we have to GO!" From past experience I know that when the strong contractions start, my babies come FAST. I told jeff to get ready, texted my friends, and woke up my kids. I'll never forget waking up jane and lyla and telling them to get dressed and go to their friend's house because I was going to the hospital-- Lyla started happy crying and was clapping and jumping up and down! It was sweet but in the moment I was all aboard the crazy train so I didn't quite appreciate it. I ran out to the car with my hospital bag- no time to do my hair or make up or even try to look presentable! At least my toes were painted ;) I was waiting by the car for jeff to come out and I'll always remember seeing two of my best friends-- one of them running up the street (16 weeks pregnant) and the other running up the hill from behind our house. Both of them have 5 kids but they dropped everything to come to my rescue and to grab my kids. I was so grateful, even with the pain! </div>
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Luckily, the hospital was only a 5 minutes drive. I was crying on the way to the hospital because I was so caught off guard! I'd never felt so NOT in control with any of my labors and it was scary. But I was also so happy that my baby was coming! OH, and did I mention it was halloween?? </div>
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We got to the hospital around 7:20 and I told them immediately I wanted an epidural because I knew I needed to say it quick since I knew I'd progress so fast. The contractions were getting more painful each time! The nurse told me I could get one, but they needed to get my blood first and send it to the lab before the anesthesiologist could come give it to me. She said it would take 45 minutes. My only thought was "I'll probably have the baby by then!" </div>
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The took me into another room and got me all poked with needles. I've always said the IV was my least favorite part of giving birth, but this was the first time I had gotten one while truly in the painful part of labor and I barely even noticed it happening! So I stand corrected: labor pain is worse than getting an IV. </div>
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At about 8:45 the anesthesiologist finally came in and said he could give me the epidural. I remember thinking "Ok I'll only have to feel one more contraction!" I was so relieved, because I could tell the baby was really trying to come out. I could feel my bag of water bursting out and that the baby was super close to coming. I remember feeling like I was holding it in, like I would if I had to hold back pee! I knew if I pushed at all, I wouldn't get any epidural relief. </div>
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He came in and started getting ready to poke me, and I felt 4 more contractions while he was doing that! Each one was so brutal because 1. I thought i wouldn't feel another one. 2. I was transitioning- AKA the most painful part of labor, and 3. I had to hold completely still and stay sitting up! I do have to say one thing about this labor- as painful as it was, it was probably the least intense pain of all my births because I was laboring without any pitocin and without having my water broken. I've felt one natural childbirth with pitocin, one natural with my water being broken early on, and this one without any intervention- and it was definitely the least intense. The contractions didn't last as long or come as often, and they were just a tiny bit less painful. I was able to stay extremely calm and in control. BOO YA.</div>
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He got the epidural in, but it was almost a joke because my little baby was born about 5 minutes after that. Right after he got it in, I laid back and started pushing! It only took pushing through 3 contractions until she was out. I am grateful I had the epidural for this part though, even though I still had to feel what I think is the <i>most</i> painful part of labor (transition). I was able to relax my body and really be in the moment and feel the joyous anticipation of my baby coming! I was so happy and grateful in those moments right before she was born, and even more so when she was in my arms! I noticed right away that she was tiny, WAY smaller than cooper! I was so curious to see if she would be small like my girls or huge like my boy. She followed suit with her sisters and weighed in at a whopping 6 pounds, 2 ounces. My tiny little nugget.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">They let me hold her for at least an hour before they took her to weigh her and poke her and prod her. It was heavenly. She nursed and was absolutely wide awake looking at everything. When Jeff and I were both looking at her, her little eyes were darting back and forth between our two faces. She has Jane's eyes and Lyla's lips. And then she made a pouty face that was identical to Cooper's pouty face. She is definitely an Andersen baby! </span></div>
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The stay in the hospital was great. Especially since I could order an enormous cheeseburger for breakfast AND lunch and eat the HECK out of them. With no heartburn afterwards. Hallelujah! My favorite moments were when the other 3 kids came to see their little baby sister for the first time. I was teary on and off that whole visit. Seeing cooper kiss his little sister, watching Lyla singing "I am A Child of God", and then watching my biggest baby hold my littlest baby. Just so much JOY! </div>
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That joy I felt was incorporated into this little baby's name. We had SUCH a hard time choosing a name. I had never in my whole pregnancy decided on a name I loved. I went back and forth a bunch of times and was driving myself a little bit CRAZY.</div>
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Jeff was getting so frustrated that I wasn't picking a name so he took it upon himself to pick her name and just write it down because he was sick of not having an answer when people asked "whats the baby's name?". We decided on Leah, but I was hesitant because it sounds so much like Lyla. I called her Leah a few times and then had a mini freak out because THAT WAS CLEARLY NOT HER NAME. I texted Jeff and said "Her name is Adeline, NOT leah!! And I am completely set on that." We had to do a few name un-announcements but I took a big deep sigh of relief when I finally committed to Adeline Joy Andersen. Our little Addie Joy really has brought us SO much joy! I can't wait to see who she becomes and how she will spread her joy in this world. </div>
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FOUR CHILDREN.....WHAT.</div>
Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-56318106171260784892019-10-09T18:19:00.000-06:002019-10-09T18:19:00.735-06:00My Relationship With My LifeI listened to a podcast by one of my very favorite podcasters recently. (Better Than Happy by Jody Moore) and she talked about how we should have a relationship with our life in a similar way that we would have a relationship with another person. And while developing this relationship with your life, you should be intentional and deliberate about the stories you are telling yourself in your head about your life.<br />
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Think about answering the questions like "How are you?", "How are your kids?", "How do you like it where you live?" and how you want to be able to answer those. You don't have to lie, by any means, but you can tell the story the way you want to. You don't have to include the parts about tantrums, and pregnancy struggles, and the unforgiving humidity; even if they may be equally part of your life. It's not about making your life <i>sound</i> perfect. I've learned that being in the army, YOU are the person who gets to decide how each duty station goes for you. The place we are living right now... Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, has one of the worst reputations out of all the army bases in the country. I go onto Facebook and see the endless complaints people have about the place. So I wanted to take a minute to write down how my relationship with my current life is right now.<br />
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We live on a street with SO many kids and so many amazing families. All three of my kids live a 1 minute walk away from all of their very best friends, and their parents are Jeff and I's best friends too. We swap with each other when anyone has a doctor appointment, and our kids almost always play happily together. We bring each other pick me ups and meals when someone needs it, and know that they'd do the same for us if the roles were reversed. We plan fun outings together but also have lots of game nights and casual play dates. We all walk to school together most mornings and it is quite the brigade. We always stop at the park on the way home from school drop off to let the littler ones play at the park together, as us moms discuss our most recent parenting successes and failures. Lyla and Jane both start crying at the thought of not living right next to all their best friends. The neighborhood we live in is a complete dream. If the weather isn't stormy, I can guarantee you will hear the loud laughter of children outside.<br />
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I have 3 amazing kids, and one sweet baby growing healthy and strong in my belly. They love each other SO MUCH and they are all perfectly healthy. They all bring different, beautiful, and unique things to our family and each one has taught me so many lessons. My favorite parts of of the day are dinner time when we all sit down and eat and laugh together; and also after scriptures and prayers we all put our hands together and do our family cheer "We are the Andersens and we can do hard things!" Even Cooper gets excited and puts his hand on the ottoman. Amidst the chaos, there really is so much love and encouragement in our house.<br />
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My busy, busy baby boy lets me sing and rock him to sleep every night.<br />
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My girls love to cook with me, sing with me, exercise with me, and their very favorite thing to do is to just talk with me. I hope that never changes.<br />
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My husband comes home and plays with the kids until he breaks a sweat just about every night. He calls me every day on the way home to ask if I need anything from the store. He often does dishes and takes out the trash. He always gives me a big hug when he gets home, and laughs and talks with me every night after the kids are asleep. He is always supportive in letting me do anything that will help me to get a mental break. He rubs my feet and massages my legs when I get charlie horses and then makes sure I take vitamins the next morning.<br />
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As we get ready to move away from this place; a place I never expected to love so much, I just hope and pray that I can have a similarly positive relationship with the next place that I live and the next phase of my life. (read: mom of FOUR!)Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-57589979138657502862019-09-09T12:50:00.002-06:002019-09-09T12:55:32.962-06:00The Exciting and MundaneI often think about how few childhood memories I have, specifically of my mom. And I remember reading short journal entries from my grandma when she was a young mom, and they were too short for my liking. I wanted to know more! What did you cook your family? Were you super burnt out? What were some cute things your kids did that you never want to forget? What did your day to day life look like? What was the worst, and best, part of motherhood? Some questions that will never be answered for me.<br />
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This is why I'm determined to start blogging again and keep at it. Not only is it a great outlet for me that I miss, it's such a cool way to document and I feel like my girls will really love reading this back one day. Jane is already SO obsessed with any stories about my childhood, so I can imagine she'll have a keen interest in her own childhood.<br />
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There is no point in trying to "catch up" on important events that have happened in the past...year or so. So I'm just going to pick up where we are right now, and then try not to get too behind again :)<br />
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So without further ado, here are some exciting and mundane things going on in our life as of late:<br />
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* I have been teaching preschool to Lyla + 4 of her "besties" as she VERY frequently refers to them. We just meet twice a week. I didn't want to pay for preschool because $$ and also because I love being able to teach my children-- I also knew Lyla needs a lot of social interaction so I felt like this was the best of both worlds. It has been SO fun for me and for Lyla. It REALLY helps that all of the kids are total gems and they get along so well. They completely soak up anything I teach them and are tickled pink with just about any activity I offer to them. I have been working on a preschool curriculum with one of my best friends for over a year now, so I've loved being able to implement the lesson plans we have come up with. So far we've learned about oceans, farms, the forest, and the savannas. I love being able to give the kids a sense of wonder for the world around them.<br />
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* While we are on the subject of my dear Lyla, she ALSO just started soccer. The whole week leading up to her first practice/game, she wore all of her soccer attire everyday, and asked jeff to play with her in the back yard. All week she would make sure we knew that she REALLY wanted us to "cheer her" while she was playing soccer. Cheer, we did! We talked about being tough, and getting up if you fall, so she was so proud of herself for falling and getting right back up. Anyone who knows Lyla, knows that her passionate enthusiasm about....EVERYTHING...is a true joy and pleasure to witness. She brings so much happiness and sunshine into our home. Please enjoy these pictures of the cutest soccer player I've ever seen with her signature head tilt pose :)<br />
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* Now on to Janie girl! She just started first grade and if I'm being completely honest, which, let's face it, when am I not??....the first week was an ENORMOUS adjustment and not in a good way. I had braced myself for it, but not quite enough to handle the storm that swept our household for the first few weeks of school. She just needed to get used to the extra stimulation, and the holding in of feelings, that inevitably happens at school. Her brain goes a million miles a minute, thanks to her big heart that cares so much about the people around her + a very active, curious brain that literally NEVER relents on coming up with questions and inquisitions about the world around her. All those different racing thoughts needed some taming, and a good strong outlet, and I think she is finally figuring out how to handle them a little better. Journal writing, audiobooks, reading books alone in a quiet room, talking time with mom, yoga, and listening to music are some of the things that help her, and I really am so proud at how she has turned it around recently.<br />
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She has been much more willing to do her jobs before and after school, and practice the piano. I had a little chat with her piano teacher about only giving her one or two new songs a week instead of 4 or 5, and it made a world of difference. She has been loving the piano and also gymnastics. She just moved up a level and is in a class with much older and MUCHHHH taller girls, but is keeping right up with them. She also loves singing so much, which makes my heart so happy! I love having my girls sing their little heart out as I play the piano. Oh! And ART! She is a girl of many passions. The art table Jeff made for the girls has gotten SO much use!<br />
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Jane loves having family discussions at dinner time or during family scriptures. She thrives on them. I've even recently given her some hot button political topics and asked her opinion on them, giving her both sides of the coin without any bias. It's helped me to realize that we cannot possibly think we have THE right answer to everything because some of these things are much too complex for a simple answer. Jane was extremely frustrated trying to make a decision on some of them.<br />
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She continues to be THE sweetest sister to Cooper, almost always. Cooper absolutely LOVES Jane. And she is also a good best frenemy to her sister Lyla ;)<br />
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"Mom, take a picture of me so I can make a scrap book page of myself. I look so cute right now."<br />
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The walking to school brigade. Well...a fraction of it ;)<br />
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First day of first grade!</div>
* Little Coops! Oh man we love him, and we spoil him. And he gets everything he wants because he is just too cute and he will do "please" in sign language with a big grin and you just can't turn it down. CANNOT. I am so interested to see how he will react when there is a new baby in the house. I really have no idea what to expect. My girls are both so nurturing and I know they will absolutely ADORE their new baby sister. (ESPECIALLY LYLA!!!!!) We will see about Cooper. Knowing him, my best bet is that he will assume she is a special type of ball that he can chuck across the living room. But seriously, on the subject of balls, none of my kids have EVER had such a STRONG and early obsession with something. He is ALWAYS PLAYING WITH BALLS, since he was about 7 months old. Either playing catch with anyone who breathes and is within throwing distance, shooting a ball into his little tikes hoop, kicking the ball across the living room, or hitting his plastic golf balls with his beloved and treasured plastic golf clubs. He also begs jeff to watch "ball" on his phone. I am so anti-screens for babies but he is literally INTO the game. He loses interest whenever the ball isn't being thrown or kicked around, and he legitimately learns from those basketball/football/golf videos he watches with daddy.<br />
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He also LOVES going on walks and completely loses it (in a freakishly excited way) every time he sees a dog. He also knows almost all of the animal sounds. He says a good amount of words but definitely isn't as talkative as my girls were at this age. He uses a lot of sign language though and it is freaking adorable. Some signs he uses are: please, thank you, more, sleep, sing (for when he wants me to sing him a song), orange, candy, cookie, pancake, grapes, chicken, book, again, shoes, all gone, and love you. He has also gotten SO cuddly lately and it basically is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Oh and did I mention how much his cheeks jiggle when he runs? It is my favorite thing.<br />
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He eats a meal, and then will eat an entire other meal on jeff's lap. Jeff always serves himself about double what he actually wants to eat because he knows that Cooper will 100% of the time want a good portion of the food on his plate. These two are the BEST buddies. Cooper greets Jeff by growling like a lion and it makes us laugh every time.<br />
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^^ he is always so messy, as little boys should be. </div>
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* Mr. Jeffrey....well, his life has mostly consisted of...a whole lot of THIS.<br />
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Plus a whole lot of running and swimming. He is training for A FULL IRONMAN. This was right before an 80 mile bike ride. And is anyone surprised by his neon orange biking shirt?? ;) He is such a good, fun dad when he is home. Always working with Cooper on his form (throwing, golf swing, basketball shot) and wrestling and starting dance parties with the girls.<br />
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And me? I'm just waddling around popping' rolaids like it's my job. And absolutely dreading getting dressed each morning, at 32 weeks...it just is NOT a fun thing to do.<br />
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<br />Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-49314310904632470002019-02-08T20:26:00.000-07:002019-02-08T20:26:37.939-07:00Hiatus Over, Friday Night at the Andersens.I honestly have always been so annoyed when I had a blog that I loved to read and then all of a sudden they would just drop off the earth and stop writing. I prided myself in being consistent, but, alas, I am one of <i>them</i> now. There is too much to catch up on so I won't even try. My baby is almost one, and I've got one or two blog posts to show for <i>that. </i><br />
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Tonight we had Friday movie night, the girls' most beloved weekly tradition. We made homemade pizza rolls together tonight and Jane helped to make them. I usually do pizza of some sort on Friday nights. I also make homemade popcorn and put it in one of those little small cardboard popcorn boxes like at the movie theater. Tonight they watched <i>Enchanted</i> for the first time and I think I enjoyed it more than they did. In fact, I'm sure that's the case because Lyla loudly declared "I hate that mean witch and the movie!" And Jane said "I only liked the beginning and the end." Those girls are super sensitive about "scary" movies. Their list of approved movies is short. The live action <i>Cinderella, </i><i>Leap, Tinker Bell, Sound of Music, </i>and<i> Toy Story. </i><br />
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Cooper crawled around the house eating the crumbs of popcorns dropped by the girls. (I only let them eat in the living room on Friday nights with their popcorn, and it is such a treat for them!) He was also chasing balls, throwing them, and meticulously pulling each book off of any shelf he can reach. That boy has a wild obsession with Balls. <i>Ball</i> is his official first word, and his second he just recently learned: Uh Oh. He says either word any time he has a chance, and there are MANY chances. He will purposely drop his pacifier just so he can say "uh oh". We are all so smitten with that happy, calm baby boy. His sleep has been a bit wonky lately, but I think that's just because we went on a trip and he was thrown off. I will try to be more patient tomorrow if he wakes up at 4:45am again.<br />
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Jeff spent the night in his wood room making me a shelf and a picture ledge. He is becoming quite the handy man. It is totally a win win situation. He recently finished making the girls a much needed art table! It has been quite the hit.<br />
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My goal for this weekend is to have meaningful learning experiences with each child, to have a good hard workout, and to be present, calm, and happy. Also to do lots of post-vacation laundry and scrub the walls.<br />
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<br />Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-30916122426040562592018-04-11T06:02:00.001-06:002018-04-11T06:02:47.020-06:00Cooper ManMy last post was written during a particularly turbulent day in our house. HA. So dramatic. It's funny how a little sleep + perspective can make you feel like you are living a totally different life. Life has been very busy and very fulfilling with my three kiddos. I've had MANY more happy moments than infuriating moments. I'm really soaking up this phase because Jane will be leaving us for kindergarten soon. (unless I decide to homeschool her for kindergarten- this will be a decision that requires a lot of thought and prayer!)<br />
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Cooper man is 5 weeks old today! He is becoming a lot more high maintenance. Right on track with my girls. I swear all of my babies have been identical in their behavior for the first 6-8 months. Although I think Lyla had a few patches that were EXTRA rough. But what is really crazy is that I don't remember it all that well. So when Cooper is crying, I'm able to usually keep that perspective-- just get through this crying fit and it will all be alright. In two years I will have to go back to read in his baby book or this blog to remember whether or not he was a fussy baby. HA! Luckily, he still sleeps pretty well at night without too much crying. I might go off dairy again like I did with Lyla to see if it helps his fussiness lessen. It seemed to help with Lyla.<br />
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Cooper is so content in the baby wrap. I have a moby wrap, but I tried my friend's solly wrap the other day and ever since, the Moby wrap totally annoys me! It is still a total lifesaver but when we move back to the states I will definitely be getting a solly. As is customary with babies, and basically all humans in general, this little guy loves being outside. Perfect, because, we all do!<br />
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The girls still aren't sick of him. They will love on him all day if I let them. Lyla is FINALLY calling HIM a "him" a good 50% of the time. Every time she says "him" she gets proud of herself and sayd "Mommy! I said HIM!" They are so good at sticking his pacifier in, and their daily question is "can I hold him, on my chest?!" They love it when he will cuddle up on their chest, but he doesn't share their enthusiasm about it :) He prefers mine.<br />
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One funny thing about him is that he HATES to be tickled! Every time we tickle his little tummy (very lightly) he makes this very distinct grunting noise. Without fail. It is hilarious. Jeff and I seem to finally be getting back into a groove, with this family of 5. It feels soooo nice to not be out of sorts.<br />
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We are both SO so in love with our boy.<br />
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<br />Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-11930097521920964012018-04-06T04:36:00.000-06:002018-04-11T03:07:15.670-06:00one month with three kidsThe first 2 weeks with 3 kids was a dream. Of COURSE it was, my mom was here and she kept my house sparkling, our bellies fed, and my girls happy. And she didn't even hog my baby even though I KNOW she wanted to ;) Thats real love.<br />
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I remember the first morning I got all 3 kids ready by myself by 9 am. I am pretty sure I told myself I was a rockstar, out loud. Because I felt like it! I remember having the same feeling when I first did that with 2 kids. Cooper literally didn't cry for the first 3 weeks. Now he has learned that he loves to be held, about as much as I love to hold him. And so, inevitably, the crying has emerged. I've got all the gratitude in the world for my baby wrap. I didn't have one with either of my girls, but it is a lifesaver, a game changer, a peace giver. I can cook meals, do school lessons, play on the ground with my girls, go on walks, do laundry, clean, etc and ALSO hold my baby!<br />
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So at the beginning if you'd ask me how the girls are adjusting, I would've beamed and exclaimed "they are doing great!" DUH, because they had a whole other adult around to love on them. And Jeff was around a whole lot too. Jeff and I were having special time with each girl or taking them on a date almost daily. Well now my mom is gone, and paternity leave is over, and daily dates are NOT possible. I still carve out time each day for each girl to have one on one time with me, but according to their behavior, the time I am giving them is NOT enough.<br />
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In all my spare seconds I've been listening to mom podcasts (power of moms, 3 in 30, about progress, and extraordinary moms are a few of my faves.) that help me to keep a good perspective and remain calm (on the outside). Despite my best efforts, my girls have spent a lot of time yelling at each other, having tantrums, regressing in potty training, and Jane has taken it upon herself to be the "mommy button pusher"....via questions like "Mom, why don't you love me?" (*serious eye roll) And can someone just explain to me WHY my 2 year old spends an entire 3 hours begging for apple sauce and I say no because she never EVER eats it. Then I give it to her finally and she doesn't eat it, but she DOES smear it all over herself and the table, and the freshly mopped floor. (this just happened as I was typing. I should've done this during nap time. I know better.) DEEP BREATHS.<br />
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Having a sweet baby to snuggle is a great solace for when those buttons are so forcefully pushed.<br />
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I know the biggest problem is I haven't been filling my cup, at all, whatsoever. I will forever and ever be the greatest advocate of mommas filling their cups because i've experienced motherhood with a full cup, and I've experienced it with a completely drained out and dried up cup. The difference is cleaning up a mess through gritted teeth vs. cleaning up a mess with my child with a smile and a teaching moment. So this blog post is my first official attempt at filling my cup back up.<br />
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SO here is to more running by myself, exercising, dates with jeff (+baby), quiet scripture study ALONE, and all the other things that fill my cup. I want to be my best self.<br />
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OK so its obvious it hasn't been smooth sailing, but there has been a whole lot of joy around these parts. You can't help being happy with a fresh from heaven little boy. The girls resent the time I give to him, but they certainly don't resent him. They both beg to hold him multiple times a day and have been wonderful helpers. Eager to pop in his pacifier when they can tell he is getting fussy, eager to run a burp rag to me when Im burping him and once again forgot to get one before I sat down. Eager to come and stare intently as I change Cooper's diaper, when Lyla has asks things like "Mom, you cleanin' his balloon?!" We've read a lot of books and had a lot of dance parties. We've even been able to venture outside more the past week since spring time is happily emerging! And going on walks is Lyla's love language. Bless the sunshine. And bless my husband. Another difficulty has been trying to be the wife he needs and make time to connect with each other. He has been a champion at helping with the kids and with chores, and has really stepped up to the plate.<br />
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My prayers will remain fervent that I can know how to best help the girls through this transition. I've felt physical and emotional strength come to me when I've prayed, and I've felt so grateful. I love my 3 kids, and this is the phase of life that I know I will miss so much one day. Also the phase of life I dreamed about all growing up. These are the days, and I am so determined to LOVE them. I really do love it most of the time, but my goodness, I can't expect to have zero struggles as a parent, especially as I transition from 2 kids to 3. More often than feeling frustration, I feel absolutely humbled flat that I have the privilege and responsibility to teach these sweet children how to live happily and productively in this world, and just complete joy. Because more than anything, thats what they give me. JOY. Joy doesn't come without sorrow, struggle, and a whole lotta learning ;)<br />
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^^ picked out their own outfits</div>
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<br />Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-10256189767718379882018-03-11T13:39:00.001-06:002018-03-11T13:39:26.742-06:00Cooper's Birth Story<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Cooper’s birth story is so special to me. My second natural birth, and my favorite birth experience thus far. It really was one of the most amazing, powerful, and sacred experiences of my life. It brought me closer to heaven and helped me to appreciate my body and recognize how, when combined with a determined <i>mind, </i>it can do amazing things. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">I spent the days and weeks leading up to his birth visualizing how it would go. It would be day time, and I would remain calm and focus on gratitude. I thought about experiencing an intense pain, and welcoming it. Working with, and being grateful for the pain, instead of tensing up and wishing it away. I <i>wanted that pain</i> because it was bringing me that much closer to my son. I visualized my body opening up and having plenty of room for my baby to make his entrance into this world, regardless of his size. I read books and positive birth stories about women who trusted their bodies, trusted Heavenly Father’s perfect design; and went into birth with confidence and excitement. That’s what I was building for myself. Confidence in my body, confidence in God that he would be with me if I just asked, and that He would give me the strength and clarity of mind to push through the pain.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>— March 2nd —</i>I started having a few hours a day where I would have contractions- and sometimes they were coming every 5 minutes. Every day, the contractions would be for longer periods and more frequent. I was absolutely driving myself crazy wondering if it was “for real” this time or if my body was just playing a cruel joke on me. I know by now what a braxton hicks contraction feels like, these were not them. They were painful and fairly strong. Every time I got a contraction I would get a glimmer of hope, which would quickly turn into a feeling of anger because it was probably just another fake one. It was incredibly mentally draining. I’m always anxious at the end of pregnancies but the anxiety with this one was by far the worse because I couldn’t keep my mind off of it since I had constant physical reminders of what MAY or MAY NOT be happening in the near future for me. I was just aching to hold my baby in my arms. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">After days of this, on monday I had them all day AND all through the night. All the other days they would stop at night. Jeff and I stayed up until past midnight deliberating on whether we should go to the hospital. But they weren’t getting stronger and we decided to try to get some sleep; which I’m grateful for now! </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>— March 6, 2018 — </i>That next morning I woke up, trying my best to hide my frustration, and failing. My angel friend Ashley offered to watch my kids while we went to the hospital, so we dropped them off and drove. Even though I knew I wasn't in active labor, I needed to see if I had made any progression. That drive to the hospital was the longest drive OF MY LIFE. (the hospital is 30 minutes away) Poor jeff was starving and I wouldn’t even let him stop at McDonalds to get food because I was just SO anxious. We got to the hospital and I told the nurses I needed checked. They weren’t taking me seriously since I wasn't doubled over in pain. Once I told the doctor this was my third baby, their attitude changed and they got me hooked up to the monitor immediately.. After 30 minutes of that, the doctor checked me! I was at a 6!</span></div>
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<span class="s1">RUSH of joy. The grumpiness and frustration that had built up the past few weeks was instantly flushed out and replaced with utter giddiness and joy and ENERGY. Three things that had been hard for me to come by for the past 3ish weeks… They brought us to a hospital room and told me to let them know if the contractions got stronger. Funny how I thought that being in a hospital would magically make these contractions get stronger after a week of having them. We waited around in the room, then went down to the cafe to get some food, got massages in the massage chairs, and just relaxed and hung out together. A deep breath as a couple before a life change that would leave a little less opportunity for such deep breaths ;)</span></div>
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<span class="s1">After 3 hours, I hadn’t progressed much. (surprise, surprise) The doctor said he needed to break my water or give me pitocin. Breaking my water scared me because, knowing my body, I knew it would get intense SUPER fast. I almost opted for pitocin but the doctor told me that breaking my water would be the better option. I knew he was right. I swallowed my fear, and told him to do it. </span></div>
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^^ Last bump pic. Literally taken about an hour before he was born. How crazy is that?! He went from being all the way inside my body to laying on those blue towels behind me in such a short amount of time. It will just never NOT be mind boggling.<br />
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^^ check out the time on that clock 15:2-- , he was born about 10-15 minutes after this. (15:38.) During a contraction break at the most intense part of labor. <br />
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Sure enough, the contractions went from about a 3 on the pain scale to a 7 almost immediately. I was so much more calm during this labor because of how incredibly excited I was to meet my baby. I breathed through the contractions, after requesting (as kindly as I could muster) for jeff to “please not talk to me while I’m having contractions.” I had a handful of contractions like that before they stepped up a notch (or 3). I soared up to the 10 on the pain scale and knew my baby was so close to being here. I started sweating and shaking, and it was so painful. But the breaks in between my contractions were blissful and I had time to gear up for another one and remind myself that he was soooo close! About 25 minutes after they broke my water (honestly it might’ve been even shorter), I started pushing. I pushed for maybe 5 minutes and he was out. At 3:38 pm, Cooper Hans Andersen took his first breath at the same time that I was taking the deepest breath of relief and joy. The greatest feeling of joy and empowerment came over me and I cried and cried as they handed my sweet boy to me. Pure ecstasy. A little bit of heaven was now in my arms, and there to stay. I had envisioned this moment SO much with this pregnancy, and it was sweeter than I could’ve ever anticipated. One of the doctors made a comment “big baby!” and I was like “whaaaaat?! I have tiny babies!” I thought he was a little crazy but that scale proved me wrong. 8 lbs 10 oz of perfection. (Jane was 5 lbs 13 oz, Lyla was 6 lbs 2 oz)<br />
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<span class="s1">I was so happy with my boy, so proud of my body, and so grateful to my Heavenly Father for allowing me to experience something so powerful and sacred. For giving me this body that really was MADE to do this. </span></div>
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I held my baby, and felt that familiar, mutual recognition that I’ve experienced with each child as they look up at you with their calm, wide eyes. We’ve known each other before, and our spirits are forever connected and intertwined. I spent an hour basking in that joyful knowledge and admiring every little feature. His daddy’s lips, his mommy’s ears. His ten perfect, tiny fingers and toes. His squishy (!!) kissable cheeks. Hours later I got to watch as my two ecstatic little girls admired the very same things on their new baby brother. The baby they have sang songs to for months, and the one they’ve been praying for just as long. They played ‘this little piggy’ with his toes and Lyla exclaimed “AH! He loves me!” We all felt a palpable love for, and from, each other. Our family is that much more complete and it has never felt so right.<br />
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<span class="s1">There’s nothing quite like the responsibility of another precious spirit that inspires me to work even harder to reach my divine potential, with a fervent hope that by doing so I can help him reach his, too. I’ve got some work to do.</span></div>
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<br />Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-38415273606818278272018-03-02T08:53:00.006-07:002018-03-11T13:50:34.391-06:00END OF PREGNANCY.<span style="font-size: large;">38.5 weeks</span><br />
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Wow, those women who are like "yeah my third pregnancy just flew by because I was so busy and distracted with my other two kids".... yeah CANNOT RELATE. My girls keep me plenty busy, wiping bums, teaching letters, cleaning up messes, singing songs, reading books, cooking meals and more meals and more meals. Nesting/deep cleaning like a maniac. I keep busy, I promise. But that in no way affects how SLOWLY this last month of pregnancy has gone. I am in a mental state that I've never quite reached before. I've told myself that I just "forgot" how anxious and consumed you get towards the end, but Jeff and I both agree that this time is somehow MUCH worse than the other two pregnancies. It has been SO hard. I think it's because I finally can truly grasp the concept that a real live baby is about to come out of me. (I feel like it was still too surreal for me the first two times.) I am soooo anxious to meet that baby.<br />
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The hardest part is I have been having SO MANY CONTRACTIONS. Oh my gosh, I promise you I know what a Braxton Hicks contraction is, and these are not them. For the past few weeks I have them daily, sometimes sporadically. But the past few days they have gotten much more intense and regular. If you look up on google "when should I go to the hospital?", I should've gone about 4 times by now. Wow, can I just tell you, this is not only physically challenging- but incredibly mentally challenging as well. Every time those darn contractions start I wonder "could this be it?" and its just not. It's just a whole lot of pain for nothing. I was hardly dilated today when I went in for my appointment. (I think, there is a little bit of a language barrier-- they don't use terms like effacement and dilation, so I'm just super confused.) All I know is that I'm having contractions that feel like labor, yet they are doing nothing. This is not fun. Doesn't help when Jeff says "you are just thinking about it too much, they are probably just Braxton Hicks..." So I'm feeling mid-range labor contractions and then look like a crazy person when I have nothing to show for it.<br />
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I'm also MUCH bigger than I've been with the other two pregnancies too, and more hormonal, emotional....it's just not fun. Not sleeping well, which is probably a main contributor to the emotional-ness. We are all SO ready for this pregnancy to be over. Jane has started crying a few times this past week because she is "sick of waiting for baby brother"....or maybe she just wants her happy, energetic mom back ;) Haha. I've taught Jane all about contractions and cervixes and all that good stuff, because homegirl leaves no question un-asked.<br />
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I really feel mentally prepared to give birth. I'm not even a little bit scared this time around, I've done a lot of mental prep. Reading books, tips on natural birth, and listening to positive natural birth experiences. I have nothing but excitement towards my impending labor. I'm trying really hard to be spiritually prepared as well, and to strengthen my connection with heaven. For some reason pregnancy hormones (especially the ones in the beginning and at the end of pregnancy) always make this aspect of my life more of a challenge. I mean I don't want to just blame everything on hormones, maybe it's some sort of mental block I have. Whatever the reason, I could definitely stand to improve. I just hope this baby can come home to a loving, safe atmosphere, one that won't contrast heaven, his most recent atmosphere, so much.<br />
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me and my hospital bag, NOT heading to the hospital. </div>
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we spend HOURS a day reading lately. So grateful my girls never get sick of being read to. </div>
Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-85093523299110272942018-01-29T01:52:00.000-07:002018-01-29T01:52:16.004-07:00Days in the LifeI've been bound and determined to avoid the winter blues this year, and so I've tried to be really intentional about keeping the girls and myself productive and happy. I'll be real, 34 weeks pregnant is not always conducive to physical productivity. But if I'm not feeling super energetic, reading books to the girls on the couch is always a good option ;) I kinda just wanted to record what our days have been looking like lately. Literally for posterity, and for me later on. I just finished reading my grandma's journal from when she was raising my mom and her siblings, and it made me want to write more about our day-to-day happenings. I'm SO grateful I have so many pictures and videos of my girls thus far, but they won't remember what went on behind the scenes...and I might not either! So I'm writing it down.<br />
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I started a preschool co-op with jane and got her out of german school. I've been wanting to do this since I moved here but was never able to find more than one mom nearby who wanted to do it with me. Then the stars magically aligned when 2 of my good friends decided to get their kids out of their current pre-school and voila-- joy school. Holy cow it has been SO much better for jane. Her behavior has improved drastically, she has way more energy (when she was going to german school, she HAD to have a nap daily), and she doesn't come home complaining about other kids hitting and pinching her every day. It's only 2 days a week, which is perfect for me.<br />
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She is still loving ballet/tap dancing class. She also wants to do gymnastics and soccer. She has spent many afternoons lately practicing "hand stands" ;)<br />
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On the days she doesn't have joy school, we try to have very structured mornings. We start with breakfast, the big 5, (brushing teeth, getting dressed, saying prayers, cleaning room, and getting hair done!), then we practice a poem or scripture that the girls are trying to memorize. After we are all ready, I play some fun music while we do a chore, and then it's school time. I only spend about 30 minutes with each girl. With Jane we've been working a lot on reading, and Lyla has shapes/colors/letters etc sticker books that we work on. I try to teach them about all sorts of things and have been using the Usborne Children's Encyclopedia as a good guide.<br />
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After school time, it's snack time then creative time. Some variation of painting, coloring, crafting, etc. I have gotten quite a few fun creative activities for the girls recently. For any other moms of toddlers reading, the biggest hits have been <a href="https://www.amazon.com/WikkiStix-Primary-Nature-Molding-Sculpting/dp/B013QAX052/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1516648346&sr=8-9&keywords=wikki+stix">this</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Washable-Toddlers-Preschool-Children-Coloring/dp/B01ADUE85O/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1516648419&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=dauber+dawgs&psc=1">this</a> (with activity books to go with them), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Reusable-Water-Reveal-Activity/dp/B00CPHX9JK/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1516648456&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=water+wow&psc=1">this</a>, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006WCN750/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1">this</a>. Perfect activities to pull out to bust some boredom and get their minds stimulated. My girls are happiest when they are creating! After all that, lunch and naps for lyla. Jane and I love to play games while Lyla naps. Lyla is just starting to be able to grasp a few games, or at least have enough self control to "be on my team" ;) Candyland is about the only one she can play for real.<br />
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Anyways, lest any of you think this goes smoothly and flawlessly every morning, think again. But it has helped my sanity, and the girls' to have a schedule. In the afternoons we either have activities or play dates, or just a lot of the girls running around playing hide and seek, reading books, playing baby dolls, or playing with toys, and lately- a lot of playing outside in the snow! I have absolutely LOVED all the snow we've been getting in Germany. 10 times more than we've gotten the past 2 winters combined! I love how beautiful it is, and that the girls get so excited to play in it. SO much better than just being cold and brown everywhere :) And we will throw in an episode of Planet Earth once in awhile too. Jane loves to get a piece of paper out and draw pictures of the animals she is leaning about.<br />
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Jeff and I have been trying to take the girls out on saturdays to do something really fun since those sorts of things might be more limited for awhile after I have another baby. Swimming, and Megafun, and shopping. Etc. One saturday our "fun" plans fell through and we convinced the girls that we could go to a candy store. (just a big grocery store in the big town near us) We let them pick out their own candy and ride the mechanical horse, and they thought it was about the best thing to ever happen to them.Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-1193223215946564672017-12-19T10:27:00.001-07:002017-12-19T10:27:50.785-07:00December Happiness!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love decking the halls. I don't think there is ever a time I wish I was rich more than when I am decorating my house for christmas. I just wish I could buy ALL the christmas decorations that my heart desires. My house would be the most lovely winter wonderland, I will tell you that. But I still get so happy to put up the decorations we do have ;)</div>
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Our christmas season was kicked off at the tail end of my family's end, we went to our beloved Guteneck Christmas market which never ceases to amaze us. That's the only christmas market we have been to this year, because jeff hasn't been in the best physical condition to be hauling kids around christmas markets ;) He got surgery the first day of december. After he got out of surgery I brought him a big mac from mcdonalds, and it made him cry of happiness. He hadn't eaten in almost 24 hours and the anesthesia was still wearing off. More tears than I've ever seen my husband shed! He was crying about how his nurses didn't speak english, how happy he was to eat big macs, and how grateful he was for his glasses- to name just a few. It was hilarious. So because of his surgery, he got 2 weeks off of work. Well, it ended up being just a week and a half but it was so strange, and so wonderful to have him just HOME with us. </div>
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A lot of laying down on the carpet, because that was the most comfortable position. Jane curled up next to him every afternoon on the floor and usually ended up falling asleep next to him. Even though Jeff couldn't lift the kids or move like he usually does, it was still so nice to have him as back up. He was there to calm tantrums and give extra cuddles when needed and it made being a mom a breeze. The kids were just so much happier having him home, too.<br />
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Our little kid friendly nativity, I love how Jane arranged it :) </div>
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So we had a BIG surprise in our family! I went to a doctor's appointment where it was revealed that we were actually having a baby BOY!! I was shocked, although I don't know if I should've been so surprised because EVERY single ultrasound that we had, the baby's legs were completely closed, and the doctor just thought one time that it looked like a girl, but that was with closed legs. Well the moment of cooperation finally arrived, and with it, a VERY different view where it seemed (even to me) to be an obvious boy. Part of me is hesitant to believe the doctor either way now, but I DID see it with my own eyes. And it explains why this baby has been SO much more active than my girlies :) Jeff has been so SO excited about a boy!!<br />
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We went to visit Santa, and just like last year, Jane had the idea to make cookies to bring to Santa since he gives so many presents, she decided he deserved one too! Heart of gold. I could tell as we were waiting in line that she was feeling nervous about talking to him and sitting on his lap, but she was brave! Lyla, was waving enthusiastically the whole time in line, and had a FREAK OUT when it came time to sit on his lap. He wouldn't even let jeff hand her over. But she did summon the courage to ask him to bring her "candy for christmas". Jane asked for a baby doll. Easy enough. ha!<br />
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Checking him out together...<br />
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We made a giant batch of sugar cookies to deliver to friends. And spent an incredible amount of time cooking them, frosting them, and then decorating them. I LOVE doing these things with my girls. I just know one day my heart will ache when I don't have little eager, happy helpers in the kitchen with me. </div>
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We have been christmas crafting a ton. While jamming out to christmas playlists. Seriously heaven to me. And to the girls. </div>
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The other day during dinner time prayer, the girls were so sweetly folding their arms so I had to whip out my phone to capture it. Right as I snapped it, Lyla sneakily looked up and reached out for a little mid-prayer snack ;) I laughed so hard when I saw this picture, classic Lyla. She can often be found stuffing her face during the prayer. </div>
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We also made a giant batch of gingerbread play doh to deliver and to play with ourselves. It was a total hit. We got some cute sequins and christmas buttons to decorate the gingerbread men with. Jane chose this over our friday night movie, which is really saying something! </div>
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Lots of baking going around here and I couldn't love my helper anymore. I love my girls soooo much. I'm also really happy with myself this year because I havent stressed myself out too much like I tend to do around december. I've focused a lot more on just having meaningful moments with my girls, and teaching them about Baby Jesus and Lighting the World. Every morning Jane asks me what the Light the World challenge is for the day. Some ideas are more feasible than others, but we've been doing our best to light the world. And it has also led to some beautiful conversations with Jane where I am once again BLOWN AWAY by her maturity and her incredible empathy. I learn a lot from her, </div>
<br />Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-48274746122532873782017-11-28T07:45:00.000-07:002017-11-28T10:22:10.196-07:00WHEN IN ROME...rogers edition.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So it's pretty much a dream to be reunited with all of your siblings, and dad, in EUROPE. We just aren't one of those rich families who travel around the world together. My brothers had never been to Europe, so I was excited to give them a good little taste. Starting with Rome!! It was a giddy reunion when my siblings started flooding out of Jeff's car, after having been smashed in there like sardines, and almost getting knocked over when my big, little brothers hugged me. </div>
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We wasted no time, and left for Rome the very next morning. We all flew together which was totally fun. We scored $30 round trip tickets to Rome, I mean how can you say no to that? After a little bit of drama with our hotel room, we arrived at our really nice 3 bedroom airbnb and tested out the super comfy beds...but had to cut the bed testing short because I knew my jet lagged family would ruin their trip if they kept sleeping. So we ventured out to St. Peter's square, only after getting a first taste of italian pizza. It didn't disappoint, but we were also starving so it's hard to be a critic in that type of situation. I went home early with the girls that evening (I was feeling sick) while everyone else explored until dark. They came home and we all went out to dinner. After weaving around a few neighborhoods in the darkness, we found ourselves in front of a literal hole in the wall. But not in a good way. The waitress looked at us as if she had never seen an american. And as much as we all tried to have positive attitudes while we were there, it was GROSS, and Jeff & the boys deemed it necessary to hit up a McDonalds on the way home because their man stomaches were not satisfied. But I mean, you can't appreciate the fabulous eats without experiencing some of the not so fabulous...</div>
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^^ true americans, eating mcdonalds for breakfast every morning. It was right next door and just too convenient.<br />
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^^ jeff trying to "teach jane a lesson" about how if she walks into the road she will get smashed and killed by those crazy italian cars. He is not one to beat around the bush.<br />
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St. Peters Square with the original FOUR. I seriously love those people. And long cardigans are cute and everything, but paired with a regular short jacket...looks like I am wearing a cape.<br />
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CLASSIC LYLA, begging for anyone, ANYONE, to hold her.<br />
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CLASSIC JANE, sucking on her fingers, tag in the other hand, and cuddling.<br />
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^^ Maybe my favorite picture of the whole trip. True joy captured.<br />
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Our first gelato stop, I almost didn't get any. Gelato has never really blown me away. I've tried it a ton, even in other places in Italy, so my expectations weren't too high. Holy cow, Rome turned me into a true believer. This gelato shop had us all gushing and sharing flavors and in pure heaven. We stopped here twice in one day. And once the next day. It wasn't enough.<br />
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The girls were so adorable, wanting to share with each other the flavors they got. Just like me and my siblings were eager to share our favorite flavors with each other. Its true family love.<br />
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Will was spectacular with my girls. On their own accord, they started calling him WILLY. "hey willy!!" "Where are you Willy??" It was so ridiculously adorable. He spent most of his energy playing with them, throwing them in the air, and making a large space for himself in their little hearts.<br />
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^ my love, and my new second love ;) This combo was a winner, chocolate with mint. holy cow....so good.<br />
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okay, okay...enough about the gelato.</div>
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Our next stop was the Colliseum. We all loved it, and were so mesmerized. It's so crazy to think about how old this thing is. I handed my camera to Jane for awhile at this point and let her snap away on my camera. She was in heaven, and it was just about the cutest thing I've ever seen.<br />
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Here is Lyla trying for the 100th time to escape past this gate. Couldn't turn my back for a second.<br />
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What a classic...Brendon photobombing.</div>
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This picture is a good summary of our entire week. Lyla entertaining the masses. She brought everyone a lot of joy and a lot of laughs. Also notice the gum in her mouth. She probably ate about 3 packs worth this week....always knowing exactly who to ask. Aunt Kacee or Aunt Rachel. Smart girl ;) It's realllllly hard to say no to that girl. "Rachel, I want gum, OKAY??"<br />
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Will took a turn carrying Lyla in the hiking backpack. That thing with her in it is SO heavy. Here is Jeff relishing in his pack-free back. Sweet relief.<br />
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We made a quick stop at the Trevi fountain, and I have to say it was more beautiful than I thought it would be. Truly spectacular.<br />
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^^ love him. He was an amazing tour guide, completely taking the reigns on all the public transportation and daily itinerary. I joked that if it weren't for him, we would all be walking around like a bag of question marks.</div>
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Sooooo many in people in Italy will come up to you and try to sell you things. Well Rachel fell for it, and she ended up paying this guy $15 for 2 string bracelets. Haha so obviously they had to be documented. When we first arrived, this one guy was trying to sell something to Will, and Will kept trying to politely decline, but to nobody's surprise, the guy would NOT stop. Finally Will and the guy got to where Jeff was. Jeff saw what was happening, put his hand out, and said as if he were talking to a 3 year old. "Pleas stop. Stop. Please turn around and walk away. Walk away right now." We were all laughing pretty hard. I mean, i have to give those guys credit for their persistance but you literally have to be THAT blunt for them to leave you alone. </div>
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One of the good eating out experiences. Lots of pizza. Lots of Bruschetta. Doesn't get old.<br />
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The next day was thanksgiving! We spent the day cooking. By we, I mean me, my dad, and Kacee. Everyone else entertained the kids though so everyone did their part. It was a perfect Thanksgiving spent with people I love most in this world. Kacee went on a run, and took Jane for part of it. I snapped this absolutely adorable picture!! I love kacee! Also hated that I couldn't run with her....this pelvis just cant handle it atm.<br />
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We managed to get everyone looking semi-decent to go out behind our house and snap some family pictures, with help from my neighbor. I recognize I come from a pretty good looking family but I can't help but feel that I kinda steal away from some of the beauty. That oversized shirt hiding a big belly and <i>the </i>pregnancy face is just not really up to the standards that the rest of my family is setting. Haha.<br />
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On friday, I stayed home with the kids (and Rachel) while Jeff took everyone to Prague. Then on saturday, we all went to a Christmas market and to Ikea. Both of which were much more exciting for the women involved, but the guys were good sports ;) I seriously loved wandering and driving around what has become our stomping ground with all my siblings. We had a blast.</div>
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Lyla was not selfish with her cuddles. It took her a little bit longer to warm up to Brendon, but I'd say they ended on a good note.</div>
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I am so sad that my family is gone now. I definitely teared up a few times the day they left. As I was cleaning the house that was messy in the best way, carrying our kid sized basketball hoop back down to the basement. My brothers spent hours shooting on that thing, just like when we were growing up. Lyla and Jane were bored and didn't quite know what to do with themselves without a flock of aunts and uncles heeding to their every whim. Im grateful to have a family that makes it so hard to say goodbye. Im also grateful that there are 3 people I don't have to say goodbye to. Jeff, Jane, and Lyla. I love spending my life with them.<br />
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<br />Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-41528533766232616652017-09-26T01:53:00.003-06:002017-09-26T02:00:08.095-06:00BABY #3The news is finally out, and I am finally feeling a few steps up from a sloth. Every single pregnancy during the first trimester, blogging seems like an unthinkable, daunting task. It gets put to the back burner, along with a lot of other things. Survival mode at its finest. When I try to describe to people how I feel during my first trimester(s), the best thing I've come up with is that my soul is sucked right out of me. I don't have a fraction of my usual energy, I don't have the same cravings, the same desires, the same moods. The greatest proof I've been able to find of this is this picture that was taken by Jane. I think it pretty much sums up the first trimester.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">But I've realized two times over now that any misery that may accompany a pregnancy is completely irrelevant when compared with the joy and fulfillment that comes with bringing a brand new human into this world and watching them grow into a real, unique and beautiful person. </span></div>
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So let's rewind a bit because I want to document the beginning of this pregnancy. It was a complete roller coaster. I wanted so badly to be pregnant and there was <i>one</i> small chance that I was that month. Jeff wasn't really on the baby train, but I guess the smallest fraction of him was because, well, it happened. I took a pregnancy test a day before my period was supposed to start. One of those dollar store ones. (NEVER AGAIN!) The positive line was so faint that I was even too embarrassed to take a picture to send to my mom because I was sure she would say I was crazy. But it was more than a completely negative test so I was SO conflicted. I texted jeff and told him I wasn't pregnant, and that if I was, I would be having a miscarriage because in my experience, faint lines equate to miscarriages. I even called the Dr. to see if I could come in and get on Progesterone ASAP. The nurse hotline just said "if you are having a miscarriage you need to go to the hospital." to which I replied "well, I'm not...I just <i>think</i> I will." Oh, I'm sure I sounded (and felt) like a mad woman!<br />
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Well I took a few more of those dollar store tests and they were extremely faint 2 more times, until I finally caved and picked up some better tests that provided me with a beautiful, very much EXISTING, second line! That's the first time I felt even a GLIMMER of hope. I still couldn't even get excited. Having 2 miscarriages seriously messes with your pregnancy mentality. But I decided to relish in the fact that in this very moment, I WAS pregnant, and to give that baby all the love and connection that I possibly could, even if that meant being hurt more later on if I did have a miscarriage.<br />
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2 days later I took another test, and the line was darker. That glimmer of hope started shining a <i>little </i>brighter. And I started being so intentional about setting aside time to mentally, and spiritually connect with this baby. Something I've never been as intentional about with other pregnancies. I can't say that it willed that baby to stick, but it sure has created an already special bond between me and this little bean.<br />
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I got into the doctor at 6 weeks, which still wasn't soon enough for me! Every single day I felt a roller coaster of emotions. More fear than excitement. But I got to see my baby at 6 weeks, the Dr. put me on progesterone, and told me to come back every 2 weeks. Thank goodness for that. I NEEDED the bi-weekly reassurance that my baby was growing. I would've even loved it weekly but I'm just grateful he must've sensed my fierce worry, and allowed me to come so often. Every appointment I prepared myself for the worse, but every appointment, that deep breath of relief that I was so hoping for came, and I was so grateful. </div>
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During this pregnancy, I've been kind to myself. Which I'm proud of. I realized I had to maintain my focus on merely keeping my 2 girls happy, and healthy, and taking care of myself. I granted myself a lot of grace, which is unusual for me! I realized my home would not be perfectly clean, that I couldn't use my small amount of energy on working out and be depleted for the rest of the day, that I wouldn't be able to rush in and bring everyone who needs one a meal or a pick-me-up. I realized I'd have to say no to some things. And I also realized that in a few months I could get back to normal. And I have!</div>
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My baby is now in the popcorn stage. Which means, growing perfectly and healthily and giving me little happy popcorn popping inside my tummy. Just kinda trudging through this awkward stage where to the average onlooker, I just look chubby. The bump will pop soon enough but my body is definitely changing, as it should! I'm gaining back some energy and kind of feel like superwoman, not gonna lie. I know I'm officially departing first trimester yucky-ness when I can go to the grocery store without wanting to drop dead and give up on everything for the rest of time. </div>
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Jane and Lyla have been rooting me on this whole time! Jane will often tell me to go lay on the couch and then bring me "some water for the baby!" or "an apple for the baby!" She is also quick to remind me "Mom, that candy is probably REALLY bad for your baby." I've actually been good about not eating sugar, but anything else is fair game. Every week the girls are SO excited to look at a picture on babycenter of what my baby looks like, and what fruit it is the size of. And last week was exciting when they learned that the baby is starting to hear what we are saying! Jane has been coming up to my tummy and reciting random facts "hey baby? did you know what colors are in a rainbow....did you know I can count to 10 in german?" etc, and singing songs to the baby. They are so completely thrilled that we will have a baby in our family soon-ish. Although the concept of time is a little rough for them, as expected. </div>
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Now, as for what we have been up to this past 4 months? Jeff was gone for almost the entire first trimester so that meant....a lot of play dates and a lot of playing in the backyard. (My saving grace the past few months!) I'm soooo grateful for all of our good friends here. They made the summer bearable. Traveling has been at a minimum but we still made it to Belgium for a blissful few days with cousins, and Jeff and I even got to sneak away to London. (!!!) (more on that later) My mom and her fiancee came to visit too, and we got to do some fun little trips with them. Also more on that in another post :) I'm grateful for my 2 babies on the outside, and my one baby on the inside. And as ironic as it is, I think the inside baby has sucked more of my energy than the other 2 combined, so it's probably the perfect preparation for having THREE kids. I still stand by my declaration that being pregnant is harder (for me) than having the actual baby to take care of. </div>
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We should find out the gender in a few weeks. I want a boy, because Jeff wants a boy. Oh that poor boy has to put up with sooooo much estrogen already. So we will see, grateful he will have 20+ weeks to mentally prepare for a boy or a girl. </div>
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Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-24809478402228942542017-09-18T13:15:00.003-06:002017-09-18T13:15:49.693-06:00My Baby is Growing UP!I was not planning on putting Jane in preschool because I absolutely love teaching her at home, and she loves it too! She soaks it alllll up, and so I was content to keep her home with me as long as possible. Then I started to think of the benefits of putting her into german school, and thought that it might be good for her. I hadn't uttered the words allowed more than twice before a spot in a german school nearby literally fell into my lap with zero effort of my own. (thanks to one of my friends here.) It's usually quite hard to get american kids into german pre-school but since it happened so seemlessly, I had to take that as a sign that it was what was best for her. And we both felt really good about it after visiting. Jane was so thrilled, telling me that <i>she </i>would teach <i>me</i> german! Ha...sad but true.<br />
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Her first day came and went. I teared up a bit and felt super uneasy and nervous. I couldn't sleep the night before. Similar anxiety and worry that I had as a child before embarking on something new and scary. Part of me wanted to just wake up that morning and say "jane, nevermind about this school thing. Don't you just want to stay home with mommy?" I truly did, but I also don't want to hold her back the way I sometimes let fear hold <i>me </i>back when I was younger. I think it will be great for her to learn how to thrive in a new, completely unfamiliar environment. And although she will likely forget german after we move, I think learning a language early on does something special to a person's brain that will help them throughout their education.<br />
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Dropping her off and driving away, I had the same feeling I get right after I have a baby and the nurses take my baby away to give them shots, bath, etc. It's like a limb is missing, and it feels completely unnatural and wrong and sad. But this is part of motherhood, letting them go to spread their wings. She was beaming when I picked her up and talked a million miles a minute on the way home, and it's been like that everyday since :) Her first words to me the first day were "Mom! I ACTUALLY didn't learn ANY German!" Haha, I think she was expecting to become fluent in a day. It will also be a good lesson in patience ;)<br />
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^^ Can't leave out these pictures because they are her go-to camera faces. maybe one day she will learn....haha</div>
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I've been so proud of her bravery and resilience. For her, these types of things aren't easy. She isn't naturally outgoing, but she pushes herself. She would come home and tell me the ways she figured out to be kind and friendly to her classmates, even though she can't talk to them. Talking to them, sharing her snacks, and giving the sad boy "the good scissors" because he had "the bad scissors". Haha! I really am proud of my girl, and also soooo glad that she will still let me cuddle her like a baby.<br />
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^^ And she lets my mom too ;)</div>
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<br />Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-23279065933797064912017-07-11T05:45:00.003-06:002017-07-11T05:45:38.459-06:00Army Mom Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
When Jeff told me he would be gone in July (after he was told he could stay) I burst into tears and let myself have a good cry. This is so unlike me since I usually don't even <i>think </i>about him leaving until maybe the day before. I just knew that it would be a long, hard 5-ish months coming ahead and I was scared. I have so many wonderful people in my life who decided to help me carry this burden by praying for me, and I just want to write it down so I never forget- I am feeling those prayers! (Mothers prayers are particularly powerful, I've felt.) Jeff also gave Jane a blessing before he left because she always has a HARD time when he is gone. I just can't come up with any explanation for how happy things have been around here other than prayers, priesthood blessings, and ministering angels lifting burdens, carrying me, and bringing light and love into our home. There has been a special spirit and love that makes me teary to think about. I just can't go another day without writing it down because what an incredible tender mercy. My girls haven't been perfect, but they have been gleaming stars of goodness. True examples. They've offered soft answers and service to me and to each other. I've been tearing up and crying a lot lately over sweet things they say and do. </div>
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Today Jane came over to cuddle me and she said "I love you mommy. SOOOO Much!" and she just smiled and we basked in our loving bond. She said "Mom. you should be crying right now!" I asked why? And she said "Because this is such a beautiful moment!"</div>
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I can't make this stuff up. She is a spiritual giant. </div>
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We have been having SO much fun together. I've somehow been able to go of some of the pressures of other outside responsibilities, which I sometimes allow those things to dictate my life and schedule-- but now my focus is to just enjoy my girls. And I have been doing that, immensely. We have had so much fun learning together, playing games, creating things, playing together, singing together, and serving together. </div>
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A few scriptures we've learned lately that have helped us all to remember to speak more kindly to each other:</div>
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"pleasant words are as an honeycomb; sweet to the soul and health to the bones" proverbs 16:24</div>
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"a soft answer turneth away wrath, but a grievous words stir up anger" proverbs 15:1</div>
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Their love is so sweet. </div>
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Water pouring station. Lyla's face in the picture below is SUCH a jeff face :)<br />
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Bean and cheese burritos & guacamole. Literally on repeat because I made a huge batch of burritos right after jeff left so we would have them for easy dinners. None of us are sick of them yet!<br />
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SAVAGES</div>
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Jane is really doing great with reading. She loves to read to Lyla the ones she has memorized. She has a good amount of books memorized and she memorizes them quick so when we actually read books, it has to be a book she has never read or else she won't be sounding anything out, and just reciting.</div>
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Sunday naps are so heavenly!<br />
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While I mowed the lawn, I set up a dirt + soapy water station for the girls so they could give their toys baths. It kept them busy for awhile, still trying to decide if the mess afterwards was worth it ;)</div>
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^^ whenever lyla does something wrong or I try to discipline her, she bursts into tears and runs into Jane's arms. Jane just hugs her tears away.<br />
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Lyla has been waking up at 6 am every morning so I get an hour of alone time with her every morning. I wish it started at 6:30 instead of 6, but I'll take it :)<br />
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Both girls conked out after an afternoon of rock climbing. Mine and their newest favorite hobby. I found some awesome ladies in the area to rock climb with and it's my FAVORITE thing. The girls have a blast climbing on the smaller wall, and cheering me on as I climb. We all love it.<br />
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Jane wrote this card that, according to her, says "People are happy when they obey"<br />
She doesn't quite understand the placement of words when she is writing a sentence. She will just write the words wherever they fit. But I'm always impressed when she whips out something like this all on her own.<br />
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The 4th of July is just NOT as cool when you have no family to celebrate with. But we made the most of it with a bunch of 4th of July crafts, a lesson on the real independence day, some youtube videos to go along with it, and Jane and I made a book of American symbols. (statue of liberty, flag, bald eagle, washington monument, white house, lincoln memorial, liberty bell, etc.) She has been happily pointing out these things lately when she has seen them. We also had our neighbors over for a BBQ and then went to the party they were having on base with a bounce house, balloon animals, food booths, and a 3 hour line to get your face painted that we were only smart enough to avoid after waiting for a whole hour.... haha. Jane had a blast though and kept thanking me the <i>next</i> day for taking her! </div>
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Another one of Jane's letters. This one is for uncle brendon and aunt kacee :)<br />
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^^ Jane dressed up for her very first princess birthday party. </div>
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We've been having a lot of play dates too. It's always a fun challenge to try to entertain a bunch of kids with different ages and interests at the same time.<br />
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<br />Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-54357555477883089342017-06-22T02:24:00.000-06:002017-06-22T02:40:20.049-06:00CAMPING IN SWITZERLAND<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My girls have recently been known to burst out into tears because they "remembered that daddy is leaving for a long time." We knew jeff was leaving in August for 3-5 months, but it was just sprung on us that he would be leaving before that too for another month, even though he was told multiple times he could stay back. Kinda a tough blow for us. This past weekend was our last long one until maybe november or december; so we decided to go big, not home, and went camping in Switzerland!<br />
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The drive there was probably our worst roadtrip ever, and I have a very short explanation for that: Lyla's first road trip sans pacifier. It made for a very loud, exhausting, and patience-testing drive. We about cried with relief when we finally arrived at our first stop: the Bern, Switzerland temple. We about cried again, for different reasons, when we realized it was closed for maintenance. We made the best of it, and still were able to soak up the sweet spirit of the temple grounds. My girls were giddily running and squealing and pointing to angel Moroni. Smiling widely as if they had already figured out that this place is heaven on earth.<br />
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It was a battle getting them to leave and finish our drive to our campsite near Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. We drove past turquoise lakes shimmering at the feet of mountains. Small villages with sheep, and cows, and flowers spilling out of every window. Blurs of blue and green rushing past. Valleys with spilling waterfalls down the sides of cliffs.<br />
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We arrived to our tent we rented from airbnb that we were going to camp in for the next 3 days. Borderline glamping, since we had cots and a table with chairs and a deck where we spent every evening eating treats and soaking in the beauty surrounding us. It'd be extremely hard to convince me that there is a more scenic and beautiful campsite in this universe than the one we stayed at. The girls were so happy to be out of the car, they ran around, and had a celebratory dance party on the deck.<br />
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All I had to do to take this picture was step behind our tent and snap my camera. Unbelievable!</div>
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There was a rushing stream, waterfall run-off, a few hundred yards away from our tent. Each evening we spent at least an hour here. The girls threw rocks into the stream as if it was the very most important task they've ever been given.<br />
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Right up the road from us ^^^ there were lots of awesome hiking trails. I went up and explored them one morning on a run, but never tried doing the whole hike with the girls. There were a lot of things we wanted to do here that we couldn't because of our girls. There is a reason you hardly EVER see families in Europe out and about with small children. </div>
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These sheep on the hillside across the street were Lyla's favorite part of the whole trip I think. "Sheep!!! BAAAAA!" she repeated, excitedly, each and every time she got a glimpse. </div>
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The first night here, some farmers were herding their cows down the street. They had giant bells around their necks so it was the most harmonious cow walk<i> I've</i> ever witnessed. It felt like a very authentic swiss experience. Jane then pleaded with us daily to buy her a bell to go around her neck so that if she ever gets lost we will hear her ringing the bell ;)<br />
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A little park on our campsite! The girls could've stayed here all day, everyday.</div>
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The first morning, we went on a hike up to a waterfall. It wasn't the entire way up to the top but it was still cool to get sprayed as we walked by waterfall mist and to see amazing views of the village down below. Jane was a champ, intent on beating us all up and down.<br />
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^^ just some snapshots of the main street in Lauterbrunnen. Absolutely beautiful. It doesn't feel touristy at all either!<br />
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We took a (very expensive) tram ride up the mountains to another village called Murren. We later realized we could've driven up here! I guess that's what happens when you're flying by the seat of your pants and nobody is answering your questions, and kids are screaming, and we were ready to fly to the moon if it meant sitting down and finally handing out snacks... But it was a beautiful town with views that looked like fake paintings but were actually real, and right before your very eyes. It was so cool to see so many paragliders in the sky. We were so wishing we could do it....one day!</div>
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A picnic in Murren. </div>
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We came back down the mountain and found another fun park for the girls. Parks are their love language.<br />
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We came home that night and after eating our delectable dinner of tuna pouches with crackers (not even mayo to go with it, and jeff just will never let me live it down), I gave the girls a ring pop that I brought for them. 90% of the food on this trip was food we brought because the food in Switzerland is so expensive!<br />
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The ring pops served their purpose as a bribe to get these girls to let me take some pictures of them. It was worth it because I got some real gems!<br />
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The next day we drove about 45 minutes away to Thun, a town that was right at the tip of the most beautiful and colorful lake I've ever seen.<br />
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We walked up to the castle and got to see some birds eye views of the city. Jeff taught the girls about cannons, and we treated the girls to ice cream since it was so hot!<br />
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So many layers of beauty.</div>
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The picture that revealed my newest bald spot. (I have alopecia, which is a fancy and kind of scary word for unexplained bald spots. I get them every time after I have a baby (or miscarriage.) So this is my 4th one. No more high buns for me....)</div>
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After walking around Thun, we came back to Lauterbrunnen and took the girls swimming. We both worked with Jane on learning to swim without floaties and she was being so brave. Lyla was, for some reason, too afraid to get in the water the entire time, but she had a fun time climbing up and down the stairs to the slide over and over again.<br />
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I was thoroughly enjoying the backdrop....</div>
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After swimming, we were starving and decided to finally splurge on an actual swiss meal, where we paid $11 for 4 fishsticks & french fries for the girls to share....Expensive, but Jeff and I loved what we got, and it was delicious. I was a little bit crushed to find out their famous cheese fondue had alcohol in it so we couldn't try it. We weren't about to get drunk off of cheese....<br />
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That night we went home to our campsite around 6. But I decided to run home instead of ride home in the car. 8 kilometers of breathing in, then breathing out the freshest alpine air. Feeling like the smallest speck amongst the snormous cliffs and mountains all around, but also feeling empowered, strong, and grateful. Absolutely the most amazing run of my life, I told Jeff that one of the reasons I was born was to complete that run. Sounds dramatic but it seemed so climactic in the moment.<br />
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We slept one more night in our tent. (our girls absolutely loved camping and it went pretty smoothly!) Then made the trek back home. It was awful, again, for Lyla. She cannot stand her carseat all of a sudden. But Jeff and I were able to keep our cool, and our sanity, because of all these amazing views. This was a random lookout point on our way back that we had to get out and capture! So unbelievable. </div>
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Sometimes, in the middle of a new and unfamiliar place while we are trying to orient ourselves + decide whether or not we want to spend $60 on cable-car tickets, and my kids are both having tantrums and jeff's veins are starting to pop out the sides of his head, I wonder....why do we do this to ourselves? HAHA LIKE SERIOUSLY WHAT ARE WE THINKING? But the moments when we are all enjoying nature together and Jane says "I want to be camping FOREVER" and we are relaxing on chairs outside with the triumphant feeling of navigating a new place with a small family, it becomes clear again. Creating memories. Capturing them to hopefully preserve them. Seeing and appreciating beauty in different people and in nature. It helps them, and me, to realize that the world goes on outside of their little bubble. There are so many good teaching opportunities while traveling, and my girls are flooded with opportunities to appreciate beauty in so many different forms. I've been trying to teach them to use their ears to hear goodness, and to use their eyes to see goodness. Because it IS everywhere. There were a few times this trip when jane pointed to something and said "Mom, I'm using my eyes to see that goodness" I guess that's what makes it all worth it.</div>
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I have to mention too that when we finally rolled into our driveway after another long drive, we were all SO ready to get out and unpack and relax. But before we could get out, Jane pipes in requesting that we "say a prayer to tell Heavenly Father that we are SO grateful that we could get home safely!" That sweet soul. </div>
<br />Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-10475725196567022442017-05-26T04:04:00.000-06:002017-05-26T04:04:35.981-06:00COUNTRY HOPPINGLast week was a serious dream. I look through my blog and instagram and holy cow I have to pinch myself when I realize how many cool experiences we've had. In fact, our life might come across as a little <i>too</i> glamorous with all the traveling and adventures we have. There are as many mundane and monotonous days as there are adventure days. (see previous post! haha)<br />
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I didn't bring my good camera on this trip. There were moments when I was sad about that but I felt almost as if I had one less child to worry about ;) And there were scattered rain showers in the forecast and I didn't want to have to worry about my camera getting wet. Turns out, the places I went to, and the people I went <i>with,</i> are so darn photogenic that I still got some awesome pictures with my iPhone.<br />
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We left thursday afternoon and I drove by myself with the girls to Frankfurt to meet up with Jeff's parents and cousin Tyler who flew in from Texas. Then we all hopped in a rental car together and drove to Paris. A LOT of driving in one day- but I felt worse for them coming out of a 28 hour plane journey and then driving for another 6 hours. We arrived at our hotel at midnight.<br />
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The next morning we woke up, got ready, and went to DISNEYLAND, PARIS! A total dream. The cold and cloudy weather couldn't hold a candle to the blissful happiness that instantly greets you as you step into the park.<br />
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The lines weren't too bad, and the kids got to go on mostly all the rides they wanted to go on. The tea cups, carousel, flying dumbo, it's a small world, etc. It's A Small World sometimes gets a bad rap but that ride was absolutely mesmerizing! The girls slept on the floor as we waited in line to meet Ariel for half an hour.<br />
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We were dancing to the happy disney music and this is a total candid believe it or not...grateful that Kim captured this moment. I don't get many pictures with my girls!<br />
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COUSINS :)<br />
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Got a picture with Jane + Donald Duck without waiting in a crazy long line. SCORE.<br />
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Had to show off her Minnie Mouse shirt.<br />
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We also went to the Paris Temple open house in Versailles. Judging from their behavior, I doubt my girls got much out of it, but I hope their little memories can at least hold the special feeling they felt inside.<br />
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After France we headed back to Belgium to Kim's house. We went to church there, and also were introduced to the HANDS DOWN best bakery of my entire life. They sold huge strawberry raspberry tarts, quiches, pies, and the best baguette sandwiches I've ever had. They also had a machine where you could make your own freshly squeezed (right before your eyes) orange juice! Holy cow that place was heavenly. They had WARM pan au choclat (croissant with chocolate in the middle). I've had so many of those chocolate filled things here in Europe; but these ones....fresh and warm straight from the oven were probably in the top 5 things I've EVER put into my mouth. That bakery will forever live in my fondest memories.<br />
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On monday we went to the tulip festival in Holland with Kim, her family, and Jeff's parents. None of them had been before and<a href="http://kerrirogers.blogspot.de/2016/05/adventures-in-holland.html"> even though I went last year,</a> I was just as excited to go this year. The lack of dark clouds and cold rain made this year's experience much more enjoyable :) Jane sniffed every single flower and her excitement never waned. It was as if each new flower she saw was the first flower she had ever seen! I love that she can appreciate beauty so deeply!<br />
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I can't believe all the fun things we were able to squeeze in to one week! It was incredible.<br />
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<br />Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-83845422999893169952017-05-08T13:54:00.001-06:002017-05-08T14:00:51.598-06:00Today Was HardToday was a hard one. We are just getting off of <i>yet another</i> vacation HIGH. But today, it rained all day. Jane had 3 pee accidents. Jeff's mom left. And Lyla climbed onto the table 100 times, refused to eat her dinner again, and took a plunge out of her crib a few minutes after I put her to bed (thank goodness she seemed to be ok after some tears). Jeff is still gone, and I can't talk to him so my blog is serving as my outlet today. For some reason I miss him FIERCELY this time. More than usual. Probably the worst thing that happened today was that after my mother in law left to Kim's house in Belgium (my sister in law about to have a baby) I realized that I forgot to send her the amazon packages Kim sent to my house. Probably $100 worth of baby stuff that she now will not have for her baby thanks to ME. Moments of failure like that tend to pull me down to some pretty deep pits of despair and then I end up getting more worked up over little mistakes my kids make. In the eternal scheme of things, all these things are very, <i>very</i> trivial; but the gloominess outside made its way into my soul somehow. I tried to fight it, and there were moments where I did. But also, not. I give Jane hot sauce on her tongue when she yells (after a few warnings) or says mean things. Well I gave her some today, but I also gave myself some after I yelled at her for full on peeing her pants for the third time today after I had <i>just</i> asked her to go potty and she refused... I rarely yell, I'll give myself that, but today it happened and I instantly felt terrible. And all I could do was show Jane that it wasn't ok for me to yell either.<br />
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I went rock climbing today for the first time, and I'm totally hooked. I want it to be something we can do as a family one day because it's such a fun challenge and there are literally 1000 life metaphors I could come up with that are rock climbing related.<br />
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I sat down at this computer just now because there was something specific I needed to do and I seriously forgot what it was. And then in the morning I'll wake up and be annoyed at myself for not getting that done while the girls were sleeping.<br />
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I want another baby so bad. I want to be pregnant but also there were moments today when I felt like 2 kids was <i>enough</i>. Jeff always wonders why I always want to have more kids, even though I'm well aware of the challenges that come with a child. The answer is: it's what I'm meant to do. It's what I feel like is my greatest purpose in this life. Shaping human beings, teaching them how to make a positive mark on the world. I push through the hard times and even hope for more because in the end, it's just completely worth it.<br />
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Finishing off the night listening to <a href="https://www.lds.org/callings/relief-society/messages-from-leaders?lang=eng&_r=1&cid=HP_FR_5-5-2017_dOCS/CN_fCNWS_xLIDyL2-1_">these absolutely amazing talks</a> given at a recent BYU devotional. Filling my cup back up.<br />
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"I'm a girl Nephite, momma! Because Nephites can be girls!"</div>
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<br />Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-40991942748182463422017-05-08T12:57:00.000-06:002017-05-08T12:57:28.370-06:00EASTER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Easter was so fun with the girls this year. I tried to start some new traditions and focus more on Christ. We watched bible videos, (even more than usual), read in the new testament, and talked a lot about miracles Christ performed. I got my ideas from <a href="http://www.mercyrivermusic.com/2015/03/how-to-celebrate-easter-holy-week/">here</a>. I tried my best to explain the passover to Jane- but that meant I had to learn about it myself. #embarrassing We had a faux passover dinner that I hope will be more appreciated in later years because all members of the family were pretty oblivious and unphased. ;)<br />
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The easter bunny put together baskets for the girls and set up a little egg hunt. Lyla followed that trail of jelly beans with great diligence, as I expected. We had some friends come to church with us too, and the chapel was PACKED. Therefore, excess noise ensued and it was a little harder than usual to hear the speakers.<br />
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After we went to church, the girls helped me make rice krispie treat "nests" and we went to some of our friends' house for dinner. It was a wonderful easter. </blockquote>
Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5054185400547081134.post-40846334873014330492017-04-17T01:49:00.000-06:002017-04-17T01:49:44.667-06:00REMEMBER THIS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I told Jeff last night that I am having some serious anxiety over forgetting precious moments, despite the fact that I document probably more than most people. I have a blog, chatbooks, and individual journals for both girls. But there are so many times when Jane or Lyla say or do something hilarious or sweet and I think "I need to write that down" and then within minutes I've forgotten. It is heart-wrenching! But here are a few things I want to remember from this stage of life.<br />
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- FIRST OF ALL, THE CURLS! Both of my girls have the prettiest natural curls, this day in particular, and I had to capture it before a wrestling match, deep sleep nap, or a game of blanket peek-a-boo could ruin it.<br />
- The sweet moments when Lyla will allow Jane to hug her. It happened the first time about a week ago when Jane wrapped her arms around her sister and instead of a screaming protest, Lyla laid her head down on jane's chest and <i>let it happen, </i>and then said in her sweet, small little high pitched voicce "yuv you"<i>(!!)</i> Jane looked up at me, bewildered, and said "What the heck mom, she usually HATES this!" It was a major milestone for this sister relationship.<br />
- Every morning I ask the girls what they want for breakfast. I'm not sure why I continue doing this since the answers I get are: Jane- "a hot dog!" or "quesadilla!" And Lyla: "uhhhhhhm, NACK!" (UHHHHM, SNACK!)<br />
- One of their mutual obsessions is picking flowers, in <i>hoards</i>. Specifically dandelions, since they are the only flower that is really available in hoards around these parts. I have bouquets of dandelions on my table most often.<br />
- Lyla will come up to me multiple times a day and request "Fiiii" for high five and then "NUCKO" for knuckles, as she balls her tiny little hand into a fist.<br />
- Jane has hit some major milestones. I feel like I can officially say she is READING. We just got through the first set of BOB books, and she is starting to sound out random words that she sees in books and posters. She learned how to read before she learned how to poop in the toilet but I am so HAPPY, and every fiber of my being is filled with relief, to announce that she finally learned to poop on the potty. I wish I could say I knew what finally clicked- but I honestly have no idea. I'm just grateful!<br />
- Lyla is learning her colors, and I have dubbed Jane as my "teaching assistant." I honestly think she has played a part in Lyla learning a few things. She takes her role very seriously :)<br />
- Just now (like 2 seconds ago) Jane came up to me and asked if I hid her easter candy on top of the microphone. (aka microwave)<br />
- Jane and I are total gamers. Every day during lyla's nap time, she picks out a board game for us to play, and I honestly enjoy it unless it's candyland :) (our favorites are Guess Who, Matching, Spot it, and Enchanted Forest- and I'm excite to grow the game collection for her birthday.)<br />
- - They both love to run (which is what they are doing in these pictures)! Just running back and forth, for fun, as Jane repeatedly shouts "look how fast I am!" They will run back and forth inside our house, and any stretch of grass they find. They both like to run for awhile and then sit down and feel their heart beating fast, as they breathe <i>quite </i>dramatically.<br />
- We love, love, love dance parties in this house. The other day I picked a song, and took turns holding each girl while I twirled them around. It was one of those moments that I was sorely nostalgic for as it was happening. I could already see myself in the future remembering these sweet moments when they were little and their entire world revolved around me. And by the end tears were streaming. Goodness I love them!<br />
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^^ feeling her heart beat :)</div>
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<br />Kerri Andersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01963483534445357562noreply@blogger.com0