La Jolla

Chad and I were wanting to plan a little getaway before kiddo #3 comes along and due to earning flight vouchers as a result of this incident last May, we decided to take advantage of them before they expire and flew to California.  [yes, even though the flight was cancelled b/c of me, Chad's dad complained to United about having to sit in the airplane for 3 hours while it was being fixed and that's why the vouchers were earned]

We picked La Jolla (actually stayed in La Jolla shores) b/c I had never been to that area, we wanted somewhere that would be warmer than IN, and no one ever says anything bad about going to San Diego!  And it definitely didn't disappoint... the weather is so moderate, the sun shines, the food was delicious, the ocean is beautiful, and I loved being part of the little La Jolla Shores surf community for a long weekend.

We stayed in a little one bedroom room Chad found on Airbnb that was attached to someone's house.  It had it's own private little patio which was perfect for afternoon reading and was a block from the beach and some fun restaurants and shops.  Definitely a good find and I'm so glad we stayed in La Jolla Shores rather than La Jolla or San Diego.  It had a very non-tourist, family friendly feel - kids playing on the beach, moms changing diapers at the park, teenagers having bonfires on the beach on the weekend, surfers young and old were everywhere.  We did go into San Diego and walk around along the coast and downtown for a couple hours, but it felt a little too tourist-y for us so we didn't do much there.

There were activities I would've loved to take advantage of had I not been pregnant, like kayaking on the ocean, being more adventurous on our bikes, drinking wine on our patio in the evening, or maybe even surfing?  However, it was nice to get in lots of walking, a little bike riding, delicious food eating, and reading at the beach.  A little get-away is always a good idea.

                Some pictures of the street right by where we stayed with fun shops and restaurants:

Shore Rider - first meal upon arrival.  Had a yummy portabello  sandwich but I was so hungry I think anything would've tasted good!

Loved this display of succulents on the wall at Shore Rider.

our favorite breakfast place - loved being able to sit outside at all the restaurants

our walk to the beach - so nice to be so close!

beach reading... a very interesting book!

A hike that we did one morning at Torrey Pines:

really it was just a hike down!  we went down this hill and walked along the beach for 3-4 miles until it leveled out and we never had to hike back up... which was quite ok with the pregnant girl :) 

it was quite the deserted walk along the beach, just saw a few people here and there ... so peaceful

La Jolla:

Puesto - a taco place that was so good we ate there twice.  Amazing salsa and virgin mojitos too - could've drank them all day! 

the BEST gelato place!  If we would've stayed closer, I definitely would've eaten this everyday!! 

an amazing curry noodle bowl I had one night - maybe my favorite thing I ate on the trip?!

one afternoon we biked the 1.5 miles from La Jolla Shores to La Jolla and another night we walked it 

you know you are a mom of boys...

...when...



+ your pocket's often full of little lego pieces that need returned to their rightful place
+ you get excited to see construction sites along the road and call mini excavators "cute"
+ wrestling is a common after dinner activity
+ "poop," "stink," and "butt" are used as often as possible and are hilarious terms
+ you try to believe kicking footballs and throwing baseballs can be safe indoor activities... always quickly realizing they aren't
+ everything is a competition... who is faster, gets the toy first, has more milk in their glass, picks the first book
+ there are 100% zero dolls in your house
+ your garden box has plants for part of the year and the rest of the year it is a dirt digging haven full of trucks
+ going to Lowes and "riding the lawn mowers" is a fun family activity
+ you think about making dinner and what the kids will eat well, you think of meat
+ you ask how their school day was and they say "good" (and mean it, no other details necessary!)
+ you get told "I love you so much," "big or small, I'll always be your boy," and "you're the best mom" because little boys are just the sweetest! (or can be :))

pregnancy facts

I've been asked many times during this pregnancy how I feel and if it is different than my other pregnancies.  My response is usually "good" and "I don't really remember, but I think about the same!"  Since Creigh is 4 I really don't remember much about his pregnancy, but I do know that both his and Beck's went smooth and were fairly uneventful, thankfully.  I never have anything really to complain about with pregnancy, but I would still always prefer to not be pregnant. :)


I thought it would be fun (mostly for my own sake) to document some random pregnancy info this time around:


Favorite foods?  Grapefruit!  Cottage cheese.  French fries.  Salt & vinegar chips.  Pizza.  Asian food.  Anything tomato.  Vanilla ice cream.  Give me all the savory, salty, cheesy food when I'm pregnant.  Maybe it's not really that different than when I'm not pregnant, just a little more carbs and cheese. :) 


Aversions?  Strong smells.  Mostly in the fragrance dept., like soaps or cologne.  I know that whatever soap is in my bathroom, if it's slightly strong, I'll hate by the end of pregnancy.  The balm I put on my stomach has a very light smell and I'm still sooo sick of it!  There are still some smells from prior pregnancies that I just can't take.


How much weight do I gain?  I gained 20 lbs. with B and 25 with C, so I'm not heading in the right direction!  ...although I was pregnant 2 weeks longer with C.  That's something right?  And speaking of being pregnant two weeks longer with C... I had Beck 4 weeks early, Creigh 2 weeks early... this one will likely be overdue!  haha


Aches and pains?  In some ways I actually feel better when I'm pregnant.  My low back gets achy and my left hip/glute get tight fairly regularly, but when I'm pregnant they don't really... not sure if it's a posture thing, or just the fact that I'm not beating up my body with intense work-outs?  Either way, it's a nice positive.


Workout routine?  It's fairly non-existent when I'm pregnant... which is kind of nice in a way to get a break from the norm and have an excuse to sleep in, rather than be disciplined and work out.  There's so much modifying and discomfort that goes along with working out when pregnant, that I probably do less of it with each kid.  These days I usually do an arm workout 1 day/week, cardio with light weights one day/week and maybe a day of running, if it's decent in the morning.  And by running, I should say jogging with small walk breaks if my legs or stomach are tight.  Me and running really don't get along that well when I'm pregnant, but it's still refreshing enough that I try to it here and there.
* running update:  I tried this morning b/c it was sooo nice out and made it like 1/4 of a mile and decided that it's time to be done.  No more running during pregnancy.  There was just nothing slightly enjoyable about it and my legs were screaming for me to "please just walk!"


Labor & delivery?  Both B & C's L&D were very similar.  Water broke.  No contractions.  Not dilated.  Walked for 2-3 hrs at hospital to get labor going.  Pushed for 1.5-2 hrs.  Baby born 14 hours after water broke.  The main difference was that I needed Pitocin with C b/c contractions stopped and I also needed oxygen while pushing due to his heart rate fluxuating.  Curious to see if this baby follows suit with my water breaking first and feeling like I'm not in labor yet.


Favorite baby app?  Don't use one.  I download very few aps and tend to be a little old school in the technology dept.  I have no idea how big my baby is or how it is developing... which I kind of thought I would follow a little more this time... I'm probably missing out on all the fun stuff.


Favorite maternity clothes?  Gap.  They are the only jeans I have found that fit good and you can always get Gap clothes on sale.  I did discover Pink Blush maternity clothes this time around and got a couple dresses and shirts from there.  Overall, their stuff looks super cute online, but I was disappointed in the actual fit... it was a little too flowy for me.  I returned several dresses that felt like they had way too much material, so maybe order a size down on the flowy stuff.


Least favorite thing about pregnancy?  Everything!  haha.. not really.  I don't like the restrictions on the activities I can do and the food I can eat.  I don't like feeling like your stomach is always in the way and so, so tight.  And the light cramps/general discomfort in the stomach area isn't so fun... I carry my babies low, so there's just lots of extra pressure down there.  Oh!  and I almost forgot the annoying fact that my left ear pops all the time during pregnancy... more later in my pregnancy.  Not the right, just the left.  It's delightful.


Favorite thing about pregnancy?  Some days... nothing!  But if I have to pick Something, I would say that it's kind of nice to have a break in some of my normal routines (like I was saying before about exercise) and have an excuse to sleep more or just eat what sounds good.  There's always the typical answer of "feeling the baby move," which is true too.  And I kind of like the challenge of losing my baby weight... gives me motivation for getting back in shape.  I love running after I've been pregnant - I feel so light and free!  And going back to regular clothes and feeling like you have a new wardrobe again!

# 3

For a long time I wondered if I would ever write this post... really ever since Creighton was born.  I pictured writing it as times, but often thought I never would.  There has never been a decision in my life, in Chad and I's married life, that has been so debated, so mulled over, prayed over, surrounded by so much indecision.  Why was it so complicated and so hard?  Maybe because we're both analytical, or we both like things calm and simple.  Because we had gotten in the groove of having just two boys and it was starting to feel "easy?"  Because I like to work and it seems hard to have three kids and keep working part-time?  Because we have two healthy boys and what if the third isn't so healthy?  Whatever the reasons, at the end of the day, I kept being convicted that they were selfish and driven by fear.  Yes, it's ok to only have two kids, many families do.  But for some reason we kept praying and discussing and could never really say,  "Ok, we're done, done.  Two boys is all that's in it for us."

So here we are today.  #3 is on the way.  Due to the practical nature of the decision and the fact that we didn't "always know that we wanted three kids and we're just so thankful for another one," I started off pretty neutral about the news and still struggle with being excited.  Just the other day I had another bought of "what are we doing?  I can't even handle two kids, how am I going to be able to mother three?  Why are we adding this stress to our lives?  Aren't we into the groove of two kids and it fits us so well?"

But that's just the thing.. it can be so easy to think of the negatives... how my life is going to change and be so much harder and how what little independence I had is going to be gone forever (or so it seems).   I know I can be irrational and that there are going to be so many blessings and joys that will come from this child that I can't feel or picture yet, because they aren't here.  I only know what life is like now, but it's impossible to fully understand the future until it's here and reality.

And I say that we wavered on the decision and make it sound like we were unsure, but at the end of the day, we really did have peace and confidence in our decision... that it was where God was leading us even if we didn't fully understand or it seemed hard, or we weren't even sure we wanted to go there.  There has never been anything in my life that I've chosen to do (by God's leading) that felt so hard and unknown.  It has felt so backwards for me to choose something that (in my mind) is going to be much harder than my current stage.

But Ephesians 4:20 kept coming back to me:
"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us"

...And I wanted to be able to say that we gave God the opportunity to do far more abundantly with our lives than we could ask or think.  So we chose to surrender.  We chose to say yes.  And God chose to bless us with a pregnancy (very quickly) that will hopefully end with a healthy baby.  I know that God has plans for us that will be far greater than I can hope or imagine, I just have to trust in the process and not let my limited knowledge lead to doubt.  To not let the fear of the unknown overrule the peace of Christ in my heart.  Obedience requires faith and I can find joy in knowing that God has a plan and will equip me for life with three littles.

we'll miss you

we'll miss your charming smile
and your pockets full of love
we'll miss how you tease Sheli
your steadfastness in your Father above

we'll miss your confident demeanor
your endless stories and advice
we'll miss your generous spirit
your relationships went beyond just being nice

we'll miss the future memories
with the boys you'll fail to make
we're sad you won't meet the baby
their little hand you'll never shake

I'll miss you asking about my day
when I come to pick up the boys
how you cared about those little guys
were even patient enough to fix their toys

we'll do our best to carry on your legacy
so our memory of you never dies
to share love abundantly as you did to others
as our time on earth here flies

you were patient, humble, kind and joyful
too many positive characteristics to name
that's why we chose to name our son after you
our precious Creighton James

we love you Jim.

Both of these pictures were taken at the Traders Point Loft restaurant, one of our favorite places to eat out with Jim and Sheli, and was actually the last place we ate out with them to celebrate Beckham's 6th birthday.  Lots of good memories made there...

this and that

So this is what happens when you don't take time to blog for a long time... lots of randomness.  Here's some tidbits about our summer and what the boys are up to lately...

meeting friends at Mulberry Fields park - they love the stream there

All Comers family track meets in Zionsville... despite Beck's face, mom got into it way more than the kids did :)

the zoo brings out the crazies

lots of dune buggy riding 

and lots of bug bites this summer!  both of the boys (and myself) get bites so easy and C swells up to spider bites and Beck swells up to some mosquito bites

summer is for smores!

and donuts!  sharing a nutella filled one from the Zionsville farmers market

family hike at Eagle Creek park.. Beckham was our guide. :) definitely need to go there more with how close it is to our house - great spot!

pool time and mismatching flip flops (C's thing for a while this summer)

love these moments.

just like daddy... and Scott (who mows aunt Sheli's yard and wears headphones)

first time at the dentist for C and he was awesome!  Beck was terrified and cried his first time and C was the opposite... which is kind of what I expected.  He tends to embrace new things head on and Beck is much more tentative.

a bowl full of summer!  mom's tomato/cucumber salad made with garden fresh veggies is a must in the summer.  never get sick of it.

first day of school!  big stuff! (literally... Beck's outfit is a size 7 :))

walk before dinner in downtown Zville

loves helping water the flowers

enjoying one-on-one time with C now that Beck's in school.  the Lego exhibit at the zoo was their favorite this summer

flag football this fall for Beck!  not sure it will be a repeat activity (due to skill level :)), but he seems to be having fun and loves making new friends and being part of the team.  All he really wants to do is tackle, so wrestling with dad is the preferred kind of football!

Beckham:
- says he likes everything about school and doesn't complain about any of it (except being woke up in the morning for it :)), but usually says "I don't know" when asked what he's learning
- told me the other day that "big or small, I'll always be your boy"... still my little sweetie!
- doesn't want to ride his bike without training wheels
- wants to have friends over and play with the neighbor boys the minute he gets home from school
- keeps me in check and tells me not to drive too fast, or say bad words (like "shoot!" or "stupid"),  or reminds me of things I said I would do
- wants to have another baby so we can "get a car where the doors slide back"
- likes to tell jokes... most of which do not make sense



Creighton:
- likes to say "of course I do/will, why do you ask?" about everything... when if he wants to go somewhere, or eat something or play something.
- was begging the other night to ride his bike without training wheels, but decided it was overrated when he couldn't do it right away and wants the training wheels back on
- still wants me to cuddle with him in bed almost every night as he falls asleep
- is known to be found naked in the morning, after going to the bathroom in the middle of the night and not putting his pants back on... but I'm just glad he didn't wake me up to put them back on, b/c that's usually what happens
- wants to be "dropped off" at Sheli's house ever since Beck started school.  he'll say "mom, when we get to Sheli's house, just drop me off and Don't Go Inside!"... he even tries to close the front door on me so I won't come in.
- is a complete goof ball that talks a bunch of nonsense, and is either completely grumpy or completely fun and sweet... not too much middle ground with him

the time I cancelled a flight

So I just posted about our last month of traveling.  Turns out the trip to France didn't quite start out as expected...

We were scheduled to fly from Chicago to London on Friday, May 20th.  Let's just do a little timeline:

6:15p - departure time
7:15p - delayed departure time.  board the plane but after we left the gate we were informed that there was an indicator light on that needed to be resolved before we could leave, so we returned to our gate.  it sounded like it would be a quick fix.
11p - after the flight attendants saying we should be leaving in around 30 minutes about 5 times, our plane was good to go and we started to taxi to the runway again.  my stomach starts to feel a little weird.
[thoughts]  Am I getting sick?  My stomach is feeling off.  I knew we shouldn't have eaten airport Chinese!  Man, sure hope I'm not b/c this is a seven hour flight and I really do not want to be sick!  Maybe some digize will help... used that.  Still feeling weird, I think.  Just don't think about it and it will go away.  Should I tell Chad?  Oh it will probably go away.  Ok, starting to get hot and sweaty.  This is weird.  Kind of light headed and I think I really might throw up.  Time to tell Chad (who had been talking to Seth and hadn't noticed).  
Chad takes one look at me and tells me to go to the bathroom!  I go towards the back of the plane while the flight attendant is furiously shooing me back to my seat, as we were about to take off.

I fumble for the bathroom door and tell the flight attendant I feel sick while I'm starting to feel really light-headed.  I feel super weak and sit down.  The attendants rush towards me, help me up and ask if I'm ok... I fall down again and pass out for a little bit (I think... it's a bit fuzzy but Chad said I did).  I just remember feeling really weak and really wanting to lay down.

By this time they're calling for the paramedic and asking me all sorts of questions and giving me oxygen.  Chad realizes that it's me with the problem and comes to the back of the plane.  During all of this I remember just thinking it was all so weird.  Was it really happening?  This kind of stuff never happens to me!

They turned the plan around and went back to the gate.  On the way back a nurse on board kept taking my vitals and asking me questions.  By this time I was feeling pretty ok again, just really cold and shaking.

They took me off the plane in a wheel chair while Chad endured the glares of the annoyed passengers, due to the fact that the plane STILL was not on the way to London at 11:30pm.  I was taken to an ambulance to do another round of vitals and an EKG.  Everything checked out fine.

The guess was that I got dehydrated from sitting in the airplane so long while it was being fixed and needed some food.  Still seemed a little odd that I would have such a strong reaction to that.  The paramedics asked if I wanted to go to the hospital, but we decided not to, since I seemed ok.

So, the part about the flight being cancelled.... since we had waited so long to take off, the crew had to change (something about a 4 hour limit) before we could take off again.  Since it was so late at night they had to cancel the flight.  Yea, felt really bad about that.  Everyone had to make new travels plans to London.  We all blamed United. :)  I had to trust that there was some reason it all happened and I was just thankful that the plane hadn't taken off before I got sick.

We had to stay in Chicago overnight and lost a day of vacation... but it all worked out.  I did end up throwing up in the trash can in the airport while waiting for new travel plans to be made.  The next day I just felt achy and had chills.

A few days later when we were in France, I got an email from work stating that a bunch of people got sick on Fri/Sat after a lunch meeting that we had and the Marriott on Thursday ... and I had my answer as to why I got sick.  Although after having gone back to work now and talking to others about it, it's kind of a mystery why 50+ people got sick b/c they inspected the food and it checkout fine??  I also learned that I had it "easy" as some people were throwing up all night and sick for days. Mine just turned out to be really bad (or was it good?) timing.