1 lb 12 oz

I have been going to OB appointments every week or two for the last couple of months to check on Baby's growth and to make sure pre-term labor isn't imminent.  Today was the last in this series of visits, which means good news!  Baby's growth is right on track for 25 weeks, 4 days.  She looks healthy and strong, with a heart rate of 150 and a current estimated weight of 1 pound, 12 ounces.  I have lots and lots of ultrasound photos of our little sweetie, but I especially like today's profile shot.  *Sigh*  Love her.  

Everyone, including my doctor, asks how I am feeling as I approach the third trimester.  This is becoming a bit of a game for me.  When I answer honestly (I feel lousy!), people act like they don't really want to know.  They think I should feel great by now, and of course I definitely agree.  So I'm debating the merits of lying (to make small talk simpler) versus being honest (and making people uncomfortable).  I try not to dwell on my issues, but it's hard for me to pretend that I feel fantastic.  Is that wrong?  I'm wondering if this is a case where realism isn't really practical.


The other thing people seem curious about is the baby's name.  We have made absolutely no progress on this score.  I suppose we will eventually, but at the moment all discussions lead to the same conclusion: an impasse.  We just might have a Random Citizen in the family.

Three of my heroes

This afternoon Garry and I met with three fantastic teachers at our boys' elementary school.  These women have created an incredible school year for Zach and Tyler, and, by extension, for us.  Of course these teachers were just three players in an army of teachers and administrators who made the year great, but we especially appreciated and valued these fine ladies' contributions over the last nine months.

Tyler's first grade teacher has made heroic efforts this year to teach and challenge him.  Early in the school year she recognized special potential in him and made it her mission to nurture his growth and development.  She has gone above and beyond the normal scope of her job in providing personalized learning experiences that have been so perfect for Tyler.  In addition, she loves our boy and he loves her.  That is so apparent in watching them interact.  We are grateful for her service to Tyler and for the special bond that they share.

The Talented and Gifted (TAG) coordinator has been another fantastic champion for both Zachary and Tyler.  She has spent hours evaluating, teaching, and coaching Tyler one-on-one.  She has provided enriching learning opportunities for Zach through the TAG program, and also volunteered her time to coach Zach's chess club.  She has also championed important changes for Zach's accelerated math program next year.  We truly appreciate the time and effort she regularly spends on our boys' unique needs and feel privileged to have such a wonderful advocate in our corner.


This year Zachary's classroom teacher was also Tyler's reading teacher.  It has been great for us to have not one, but two teachers who are able to give us insights on both of our children at once!  She is such an energetic and FUN teacher with a wealth of knowledge and experience.  We look forward to a continued relationship with her.

These three amazing women have been a big part of our lives this year as we have been making the decision to have Tyler attend third grade next year.  When Tyler's first grade teacher approached us with this idea at October conferences, we were stunned and overwhelmed, but through the intervening months, we have come to realize that this is the best choice for Tyler.  Tyler has done lots of testing that indicates the merit of this decision, but ultimately the peace that came after prayerful consideration sealed the deal.  With Tyler's first grade teacher and the TAG coordinator preparing him all year and Zach's third grade teacher waiting to welcome Tyler next year, we are confident that Tyler is set up for success.  We are so proud of Zach and Tyler for their amazing accomplishments this year and feel humbled at the responsibility of raising them.

Tonight we went out to dinner to celebrate the conclusion of a successful, happy school year.  (School doesn't officially end until next week, and I might have been feeling exceptionally nauseated and lazy when the boys suggested dinner out, so it wasn't hard to find a fun excuse.)  

Afterward, we ran from the restaurant in pouring rain and giggled about soaking clothes and wet balloons all the way home.  What a lovely afternoon.

Grin and bear it

Last night Zachary earned the Bear rank in the Cub Scout program.  This is a big accomplishment for our oldest boy, especially because he completed the work required a full five months before he is old enough to advance to the Webelos den.  We're proud of Zach!


Pack meeting was held down the hill from our church building, where another ward has cleared some brush, built some benches, and constructed a fire pit.  What the scouts neglected to provide was decent weather in May.  Between the cool temperatures and blustery wind, pack meeting wasn't the most exciting experience!  As you can see in the photos below, coats and blankets were required...and we still shivered for more than an hour.

The three Bears who earned rank advancements last night had little ceremonies with their mothers.  Zach wasn't eager to fasten the Bear pin on my shirt, so I took care of that.  Then I painted his face to signify his advancement.  Later the scouts all tried to throw marshmallows into each other's mouths.

There were also three Webelos who earned Arrow of Light awards, and part of that ceremony was watching an archer shoot targets as the Cubmaster described the seven virtues of scouting.  That was definitely the most exciting part of the evening (if you don't count eating dessert and getting back to our warm house).


Congratulations, Zach!

Father and son fun

For various reasons, Garry and the boys did not attend our church's annual Fathers & Sons camp-out this year.  Instead, they stayed home for some indoor fun...and even included Lexi!  I spent a quiet evening in bed, listening to Mormon Channel Conversations and plugging away at Tyler's memory book on the computer.  Occasionally I drifted downstairs to see what was prompting all the laughter (and also to take pictures).


Daddy cooked frozen pizzas for dinner, which everyone ate picnic-style in the basement.  That by itself was quite a treat! 





Garry produced ice cream sandwiches for dessert, and then everyone watched the movie "Ramona and Beezus."  It's one of Gavin's favorite shows, although since being introduced to Ramona, he struggles to say Moroni (the Book of Mormon prophet) properly during scripture study.  He calls him "Ramoni" instead.


At bed time, which happened around 10:00 (even for the Littles), Garry and the boys constructed the sleeping arrangement below.  Lexi came up to cuddle with me and was asleep in about two minutes.  Garry slept on the couch.  And fun was had by all!





The one component of the Fathers & Sons camp-out that the boys were loathe to miss was roasting marshmallows and making S'mores.  On Sunday we enjoyed this activity as a family.  Because the weather was so cold and blustery, we roasted the [giant] mallows over the stove.  Are we city slickers or what?  The boys had a blast, and, of course, made an ooey-gooey mess.









What would Fathers & Sons weekend be without a few messy kids?  At least this version of a camp-out involved a lot less laundry!

Lexi Lou turns two

Miss Lexi, today is your second birthday.  When we woke up to fog and drizzling rain, I immediately remembered the day you were born.  It was also a "Portland day."  But unlike two years ago, today the clouds burned off, the air warmed up, and a spring day as bright as your personality bloomed.

The family gathered early to watch you open your presents.  You were so excited; you had seen the stash of brightly-wrapped packages in my closet and had a hard time waiting for your birthday to come!  You ripped open the boxes with gusto.  When an item could be worn, you put it on.  You had quite a few accessories by the time the last piece of wrapping paper fell.  You received several fun toys from immediate and extended family members, including a scooter, a little play kitchen, a hopper ball, a watering can, and a baby doll.  Surprisingly, the breakout hit of the day was a little bell that we fastened to your scooter.  You rang it all day long.

I attempted to take some pictures of you to commemorate your big day.  Capitalizing on clean clothes and freshly fixed hair didn't ensure your ability to hold still or smile on cue.  Gavin was one of many distractions.  I suppose not getting the perfect picture is just part of life!  You are still a darling little pixie.

At two, you definitely have some favorite things.  They include:

• Washing your hands
• Taking off your clothes
• Drinking milk
• Doing everything yourself (and re-doing things that are done for you)
• Climbing out of your crib
• Singing the ABC song, "I am a Child of God," "Leo the Lion," and your name song
• Playing outside with Gavin and the neighbor kids
• Playing with water in the bathroom sink
• Swinging, sliding, and climbing
• Cuddling in Mommy's bed
• Going to the store (but not riding in the cart)

Here's a short video of you singing the ABC song, which Daddy took the other day while I was driving.  The car is your favorite place to sing.

I think you did everything on your favorites list today.  Today you and Gavin also spilled two pounds of blueberries and set a kitchen towel on fire, but a day in our house always includes something like that.  Like most days, you hardly ate a bite of your dinner.  You were far too busy climbing in and out of your booster seat, buckling and unbuckling the safety strap, running laps around the table, searching for something you wanted, and in general being crazy.  That was your pattern.  You did peel your own Clementine and eat it, which was required before you could feast on your butterfly "tuptake" for dessert.  We sang a few rounds of "Happy Birthday" and you sang along before blowing out your candles.

After you were in your crib for the night, I heard you singing the birthday song to yourself: "Happy birfday to Lexi...happy birfday to Lexi...."  You are so adorable.

Happy birthday, my dear little girl.  I love you!

climber

Lexi might be our fourth child, but she has achieved a Bartle family first: climbing out of the crib.  Are you shocked to know that Zachary, Tyler, and Gavin never did this?  It's true!

Zach did naughty things like pee onto the carpet from between the crib rails and smear poop on the walls when confined, so we moved him to a twin bed when he was about 21 months in preparation for potty-training.  For all the crazy mischief he created, he never climbed out of the crib.

Tyler followed the same pattern.  Then, just before he turned two, Garry's parents bought the boys bunk beds.  That prompted the transition for him, and with no baby on the horizon, we actually put the crib away for a season.

I fully intended to keep Gavin in a crib until he was five, but at 19 months he declared himself done and demanded a big-boy bed.  We had an extra twin in his bedroom, so that was that.  Good-bye, crib.

So I'm not really sure what to do with Miss Lexi, who showed up in the kitchen after I put her in bed tonight.  She didn't want to sleep, so she climbed out, opened the door, and found me so she could register her opinion in person.  I nearly died.  I put her back in bed, where she screamed at me but wouldn't show off her fancy trick again.  Ten minutes later, when the screaming reached a fever-pitch, Garry checked on Lexi and found her hanging off the outside of the crib rails by her elbows.  She was more content to lie down after that, but my bets are on a repeat performance tomorrow night.

All I can say is:

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Summer buzz

Yesterday after school I cornered the boys for kitchen hair cuts.  I've been wanting to get my hands on their shaggy heads for weeks.  I just knew that 20 minutes of clipping could help that twitch in my eye go away.  Sadly, the boys weren't interested in a trim.  They had "buzz or nothing" attitudes, and frankly, I can live with the compromise.  Zach wanted a razor shave, which spawned some interesting discussion while I employed the clippers in a less extreme manner.


Zach and Tyler have just two weeks of school left before the summer break.  I have long been dreading this summer, which conveniently coincides with my third trimester.  I want the summer to be fun and memorable for the kids, but I am physically limited and emotionally spent.  I don't have unlimited financial resources, either.  I'm hoping some of you might be able to offer your ideas for structure, education, and entertainment as we face 11 weeks of 24/7 family togetherness.


What works for you?

the fence post

Our house turns 25 this year.  As an anniversary gift, we bought the house a new fence.

Besides the heater, we think everything else has been replaced since the house was built.

Hopefully the new fence will make it another 25 years!

On Sunday, the day before demolition began, this is what the old, tragic fence looked like,

complete with rotted posts, leaning sections, and sagging gates:

We live on a large, pie-shaped lot that backs to green space and walking paths.

The replacement project included about 340 linear feet of fence,

50 posts, and three gates.

Demolition started Monday morning at 7:15.  The project foreman (is that the correct construction term?) caught us in our pajamas and interrupted breakfast/scriptures.  We were all glued to the windows as we watched the fence come down.  The crew made short work of the demolition, turning our yard into a skeleton in just a few hours.

They also brought in tons of supplies.  It was weird to see our yard from all angles, totally exposed.  We are glad to live in such a safe area; none of our bikes or toys were stolen from the back yard this week!

Tuesday was a day of slow progress.   The crew pulled/dug out the remaining fence posts and began placing new ones.  The rocky ground here made placement difficult.  At the end of the day, about half of the posts were in place, but there were several holes in the ground marked with cones.  Caution tape circled the entire yard.

Wednesday brought winter weather back to the Springs.  The fence crew took the day off.

The wind and rain blew down all of the caution tape.

On Thursday, even though it was still pretty chilly outside, the crew came back.  They finished setting all of the fence posts and began tacking on the slats.  We chose 6-inch cedar slats that are 6 feet high.  They look awesome!  They are a huge improvement over the 4-inch-by-5-foot slats we had before.

Today the rest of the fence came together.  Gavin and Lexi were eager spectators, especially because the weather was awesome!  They wanted to be outside all afternoon.

We watched holes like this...

...turn into fences and gates like this.  I think having fully functional,

non-sagging gates is my favorite part of the whole shebang.

The higher fence gives extra privacy, plus the absence of a middle rail

means Gavin cannot scale the fence!  Gate hardware is also higher,

and Gavin isn't tall enough to work it.  Wahoo!  

So there it is: our new fence.  We are thrilled with the final product.

In a couple of weeks, after the wood has had time to cure, Garry will stain it (lucky dog).

Next up: getting the blasted sprinklers fixed so we can start watering our lawn!

The ceiling is raining!

This morning I hadn't been awake five minutes when I wanted to get back in bed. I knew it was going to be one of those days. Once the boys launched and Garry went to work ("Be a good girl, OK?") I forced myself to shower and get ready for the day, just in case I got summoned to the school or the hospital or federal court on a moment's notice.

That's as far as I got before giving up.

While I was in the shower, Lexi found Garry's Vicodin prescription and was distributing pills to her stuffed animals. While I dried my hair the kids stripped my bed of sheets, blankets, and pillows. Lexi absconded with the spatula I used for measuring some peanut butter and smeared it all over herself and the office wall.

Later, while I was mulling over the swimming lesson schedule and my ability to participate in a summertime "mom camp" that meets only during nap time, my pint-sized partners in crime got into the graham crackers and applesauce and, presumably because Sesame Street was on in my bedroom, ground both into my bedroom carpet, the walls, my bed sheets, their hair, the little potty, and their clothes. When Gavin started using applesauce like lotion for his legs and feet, I declared myself fed up and threw both of the little miscreants in the bath tub.

I decided to keep a safe distance so I wouldn't ring their necks. While they splashed and laughed and played, I sat in a room across the hall. I checked on them every other minute. I know it's bad mothering to behave in such a way. It is also bad mothering to string children up by their toenails from the curtain rod, so I picked the lesser of two evils.

When two streaking toddlers bounded out of the bathroom, I set about collecting items to cover Lexi's nakedness. I sent Gavin downstairs to collect his own clothing. A minute later he ran up to me and yelled, "The ceiling is raining! The ceiling is raining!" Oh, that is just a sentence I did not want to hear. I trudged down the stairs to investigate.

The ceiling above the dryer was, indeed, raining. I grabbed an empty laundry basket to collect the drips and drops. Then, naturally, I called Garry, who jumped in the car and came home (we love his five-minute commute). I couldn't quite determine the source of the water. The washer was running but didn't seem to be the culprit. The kids had just bathed upstairs, but not directly above the laundry closet. The ceiling and walls were not wet, and yet water steadily dripped from the molding around the laundry closet doors. I was stumped.

Then the phone rang. It was the school. Glad that I had showered but still filled with trepidation, I answered. It was Mrs. Reynolds, the TAG (Talented and Gifted) coordinator, calling to talk about a detour in Zach's accelerated math program. While she informed me of a significant snag in the school's ability to meet Zach's needs, Garry got home and inspected the water situation. He discovered a tripped breaker. I learned about math scheduling. He tested the washing machine drain. I got bad news about middle school. It was all so very fun.

Eventually I took my phone conversation upstairs and found four sopping wet towels and two sopping wet bath mats on the bathroom floor. My dear children had pulled them all into the bathtub and then plopped them back on the floor. In the end, we decided that this little mess was the source of the basement rain. Running another load of wash didn't bring back the dripping ceiling. We hope this is the end of the water crisis.

This week we had to have the clutch on our Honda Accord replaced. In 13 years this is our only significant car repair, so we feel blessed, but that didn't make the repair bill any cheaper. We also hired a construction crew to rip out and replace our backyard fence. While we are excited about this major improvement to our property, we have been without a back fence for four days and progress has been slowed down by bad weather. It seems that many expensive and difficult things are all crashing at once.

While Garry was home, I had a serious wave of nausea. I took advantage of parental back-up (along with some Zofran) and laid down on the couch for a while. As I reviewed the events of the day, I suddenly started laughing hysterically. It was one of those laugh-hard-or-cry-hard moments, and honestly I'm not sure which one was really happening. Garry patted my head and said, "When it rains, it really pours, doesn't it?"

So true.

Adventures in sewing

My forays into the world of sewing have become fewer and farther between, but whenever I dust off my sewing machine, I remember how much I enjoy creating and fixing things. This week I pulled out the machine to sew a few girly sheets for the very masculine pack-n-play that will sleep our baby girl. This is the collection, including one sheet on the "mattress":

...and the five finished, folded sheets on top of the ugly boy pattern they will be covering.  It turns out I'm too cheap to buy the cutest fabric, because then the homemade sheets would be more expensive than the store-bought sheets, and that's just ridiculous.  But what I made is cuter than I what I could buy, for half the price.  I am satisfied.  One night while I was serging around the edges of the sheets, Zach sat down beside me and asked question after question about what I was doing.  That was fun conversation, even if he was mostly interested in sewing mechanics.

The pink flannel with stars and moons is fabric I've had since I was learning to sew in 2000.  This week, when I pulled it out to finally use, I didn't have enough material for two sheets, or for one sheet and a blanket top, or even for two sides of a blanket (not really sure why I bought the amount I did), so I made a sheet and four burp cloths with the coordinating yellow flannel I also had on hand.  They will be cuter when washed, since the edges will curl and fray.  I have more burp cloths than I will ever need, so these will be baby shower gifts.

With my rotary cutter and mat already out, I decided to tackle a project I've had in the works since August: making Lexi a tutu.  Voila!  The vast bolt of gifted purple tulle has been returned to its rightful owner, and another project is off my list...just in time for Lexi's birthday!

Then I made...um...these band thingies...to pull in the middles of Lexi's curtains, which give them a more interesting shape and let a lot more light into her bedroom.  I was glad to find the curtain fabric remnants in my stash so I could create this quick and easy fix for something that's been bugging me for a while.

Lexi took it upon her self to create this lovely and colorful mess while I was sewing:

With the sewing machine out, I also mended several things, including two pairs of Gavin's footie jammies (I replaced the feet bottoms in his favorite pair; he is thrilled); Zach's and Tyler's watch bands; Lexi's tights, and three bibs.  Now I am gearing up for Lexi's birthday, which is next Monday, and another creative project involving these borrowed items:

Stay tuned!