Are We There Yet?

The House and a Heartbeat

I finally feel like our household is getting back to normal (kind of). It has been a complete gong show as we get ready for our house to go on the market this weekend. I am constantly working off of a "to-do" list and always trying to determine our best course of action to complete everything that needs to be done. 

Yesterday, dad and Judy spent the day with us helping with every job imaginable.  They washed windows, planted flowers, cleaned vents, and washed doors. Mollie was kind enough to take Ives for the whole day which was truly the biggest help.  Trying to accomplish things with a very busy two year old around is a very difficult task.  We are slowly but surely getting to the end and are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

On a lighter note, I got to hear my little babe's heartbeat for the first time last week- I love that sound!! All of a sudden things become very real. I am going to be 17 weeks tomorrow and cannot believe that I am approaching the halfway mark already.  I am feeling so much better than I was in the first trimester (other than the odd day where I feel like a really good cry would do me a world of good) and am crossing my fingers that I don't get hit by the tired bug again. 

This week is all house and then next week we are moving into Dad and Judy's for the week so we don't have to panic about keeping it clean for showings. I can't wait until we officially move into the new house!!

**I'm looking for furniture for Ivy's new room, any suggestions?  We already hit up Dufresne and don't really want to spend a bomb at e-Children- anywhere else for cute little girls furniture?

Terrible Blogger!!

We've had a couple of crazy weeks which have led me to be a terrible blogger- I'm sure you've noticed. 

First things first, my sister-in-law and her two youngest were in from Calgary for 5 days for a visit. She also was here to run the Police half with Jared and my sister.  I am vowing now, I will be running it with them next year after my baby makes his/her big entrance this fall!  We love having them in, but it is always a gong show with family at our house.

We have also been busy house hunting and had our hearts broken yet again.  This time 45k over asking and we still ended up 13 shy of the people who beat us. There is a happy ending to this story.  Yesterday we put an offer in on a house that has been on the market for just over a month (overpriced) and we were able to make them a great offer.  After mulling it over for the evening, they finally accepted close to midnight.  The offer is still pending as we are waiting on a few things from them, but if all goes well, we should be able to wrap by tomorrow.

With the excitement of buying a new house comes the stress of selling your old one.  While others may not notice, we look around and see to-do's and touch-ups everywhere. Tonight we will start the big de-clutter (while watching The Bachelorette of course) and try to get our house looking like a two year old toddler and a tired pregnant woman don't live there.

As this is the first house we're selling, I'm anxious to hear if anyone has any suggestions for getting our house into tip top shape?

 

 

 

Housing Heartache

We experienced our first real estate heartache last night. We have excitedly been looking at houses over the past few months to make some much needed room for baby. It's not that the kiddies can't share a room, it's that I am ready for both a change and a bigger space.

Finally, we fell head over heels in love with a house in Bird's Hill, close to both my dad and Mollie. It was ideal. The perfect size and even a more perfect property. We saw it with our realtor on the first day of showings and then went back to the gong show of an open house on Sunday for a second take. We knew we were going to put in an offer regardless of how many people had the same idea.

We went in with our top price, almost $40k over asking, and nervously awaited the phone call about our "new" house. The phone call did come, but just not with what we wanted to hear. The listing agent said we were very close, but not quite good enough. I would say we were pretty crushed, but slowly getting over the loss today.

We've learned many a lessons through this whole process, but I think the biggest one is to not get emotionally attached to a house. Wherever we end up we will make our house into a home and will love it just as much.

The Time Has Come

Okay moms, I knew this time was coming, I just wasn't sure when. We got home from daycare today and I had to put Ivy in timeout for writing on the kitchen wall with a pen. I put her in her crib as per usual, closed the door and went back to the kitchen to carry on with dinner. Within seconds the bedroom door opened and I was greeted by a little voice saying, "hi mommy". My little turkey made her way out of her crib after deciding she was done with her punishment.

I actually expected this from her months ago, but have been pleasantly surprised it hasn't happened. I have to admit, I was curious how she managed this task so I put her back in her crib and watched her maneuver herself over the top and land on the ground without blinking an eye. I shouldn't admit this, but inside I was thinking it was pretty funny, not to mention adorable (as a side note, it wasn't that adorable when bedtime rolled round).

Here's the question, now what? Does this mean she's ready for a big girl bed? In the meantime, how do I keep her in her crib at bedtime? She came out 4 times tonight and I know she'll be out her door and through ours bright and early. Do tell moms, this is one I have no idea how to handle.

Pregnancy Woes

So I'm trying my hardest to get myself out of my first trimester funk. I just can't seem to shake the way I've been feeling. Tired, tired, and oh, did I mention that I'm tired? I'm not sure if it's having an almost two year old running around keeping me busy or just this pregnancy, but it definitely has me wondering. I will be 12 weeks on Wednesday and every night when I go to bed I cross my fingers that the next day will be the turning point I have anxiously been awaiting.

I had my first pre-natal appointment last week where I was hoping to get some answers to my overwhelming fatigue, but she told me the same thing everybody else does, that unfortunately this is what some women experience during pregnancy. Though she is testing my thyroid and iron levels just to be sure everything is okay.

Between tears on the phone with my sister the other day, I told her that the part of this whole thing that is most upsetting to me is that I just don't feel like I'm being the best mom to my little girl right now. I would rather cuddle up on the couch with her and watch a show than go outside and play in the backyard.

I am probably painting a picture that I'm barely functioning, and I absolutely am. My days at work are busy and totally fine, it's really the after work and evenings that are kicking my ass. I also know that things could be a lot worse. I think my hormones just having me feeling sorry for myself these days. I would love to hear that I'm not alone in these second pregnancy woes, but even if I am, I appreciate having the opportunity to complain for a minute!!

And just to clarify, I am absolutely over the moon about welcoming another babe into our lives!!!

Bedtime Blip

I have always prided myself on the fact that Ivy is a good little sleeper. Yes, of course there have been a few blips along the way, but nothing that has made my head spin (or maybe I care not to remember). For quite a long time she has been a 7:30 bedtime kid. Over the past few months, 7:30 has been pushed back to 8 which I think is plenty late for a not even two year old. Let's face it, whether or not she is ready for bed at 8, her momma is anxiously awaiting child-free time.

The last few weeks have thrown me for a complete loop. This once exhausted child of mine has more energy than I can fathom. She wants nothing to do with bedtime and will jump in her crib yelling "mommy" for an hour if we let her with no hope of shut eye. Last night she was up past 9:30 with no end in site. I feel like she is way too little to drop her afternoon nap, but is that effecting her nights? I am at a loss for what else could be going on with her and this new found energy. Being that the sun is shining again, we can go outside to play after work and take Olly for a walk to burn off some steam. Tonight I am playing hardball whether she likes it or not.

Has anyone else been through this? Any ideas, suggestions, or advice?

Big News!!

I have some very exciting news to share, although I know I am jumping the gun by a couple of weeks. I am officially ten weeks pregnant and expecting our new little one to make his/her grand entrance sometime around Oct. 31st. Although the morning sickness hasn't attacked me, the tired bug has been wreaking havoc in my life. I struggle to keep my eyes open past 9pm every single day. I don't remember being this tired with Ivy, but Jared assures me that I was. I am anxiously awaiting that 2nd trimester turnaround where things tend to pick up a bit. I already have a little belly which I know for sure I didn't have until much later with Ives- oh the joys of number 2! The other thing I can't wrap my head around are the outrageous cravings I'm having. I get fixated on what I want to eat and then can't stop thinking about it all day long. I made Jared stop to get me smokies the other night because I thought I was going to die without one. Scrambled eggs, perogies, and raisin toast are the other big ones these past few days.

We are busy house-hunting now that the pressure is on to add a third bedroom and mostly we just can't believe how fast this all happened. I now realize how blessed I am to get preggo so quickly when I know other people struggle so much- it must be that Menno blood we both have. Boy, girl, we are excited about either and have firmly decided that we will not find out the sex again. Hearing "it's a girl", was the biggest surprise in my whole life so I'm hoping we can replicate that "not knowing" excitement.

I haven't been blogging a lot lately mostly because I've been keeping this little secret and because I've been sleeping. I am very excited to share with you my experience and to pick your brains about having two. It seems like just yesterday we had none, and now a second- where has this past few years gone!! Thanks for coming along with me on my new journeyxoxo

My Favorite Little Guy

My little Ty (Mollie's oldest) and I have always had a very special relationship. When Ty was born, I was still living in Calgary, but I knew my love for him would eventually bring me home. When my mom got sick, he was months shy of his first birthday and we all gripped him tightly for the otherwise non existent smiles in our lives. He became even more important to us after mom died because he was the only grandchild in our family that she would ever know. From day one I have been "Auntie" to him. I float in and out of his life on an almost daily basis like a second mom and he knows he can get away with almost anything. He anxiously awaits telling me every detail of his life and I anxiously await hearing it. He is the only boy on our side of the family, and for that he holds a very special place in our hearts.

A few weeks ago our communication was taken to a whole different level when he finally got his new iPod that he had been saving for. Within moments he had added me as a contact and figured out how to both text and Facetime me. Almost every morning, my first message on my iPhone is, "Hi Auntie, do you want to Facetime?" If I'm home I do, if not, we text. I'm embracing this now as I know it won't be long until he's too cool to text me.

Since the Kaatz's are in Mexico, my little Ty has been keeping me up to speed with what's going on. He sends me pictures of the rocks he's found on the beach, tells me what's going on around the pool, and what his little sisters are up to. When he Facetimes me he makes sure to show me the view of the grounds and gives me a tour of the condo. Technology is pretty amazing!

Ty has grown up to be such a nice little boy. Since he was small he has been extremley caring and empathetic towards other people. He is so sweet and sensitive and passionate about the interests in his life. He is surrounded by girls (two sisters and Ivy) and he loves them all so much. Ty was the perfect start to our once small family and for that he will always be my favorite little guy!

Humiliation and a Barf Bag

My sister told me that I have to share this story despite the tremendous amount of embarrassment it brings me. Here it goes....

So I felt totally fine when we boarded the plane in Mexico to come back to Winnipeg. I had a wee stomach ache, but nothing crazy. My stress level was a little high as we had been fortunate to have a row to ourselves on the way there, but we were now sharing with a rather large gentleman. I was in the window seat, Jared in the middle, and Ives sprawled across the two of us. Our flight left about 7pm so I was confident that Ivy would fall asleep at some point on the way home. Mid flight she drifted off and I couldn't wait to join her. As I tried to get comfy, this overwhelming chill came over my body. I got Jared to help me put on my hoody so not to wake Ivy and soon after I zonked out. About an hour later, I awoke in a sweat. I was so hot I could barely contain myself. I literally felt like I was going to pass out. Less than a minute later I told Jared that I thought I was going to throw up and to get me a barf bag. He did, and just like that I was barfing like a crazy person. I tried my hardest to bring as little attention to myself as I could and I think I did a pretty good job of it. It would be nice if this was the end of the story, but unfortunately, it is just the beginning. Ives was still fast asleep with her head on my lap when all of a sudden I realized that my barf bag was leaking everywhere. All over Ivy's head, myself, and the seat. I grabbed her blanket to catch it and I had a little pillow with us that got mixed up in the mess. Jared quickly had to tell the guy beside him that he had to move as we struggled to get ourselves together. Jared got plastic bags from the flight attendant and we used Ivy's wipes to try to get as much stuff out of her hair as possible. As you can imagine, she was screaming uncontrollably at this point. I was humiliated!!

I have to say that Westjet was phenomenal. Multiple flight attendants helped us and every one of them made sure to check back with us to make sure we were okay. They assured me that these types of things happen and that there was no reason for me to be embarrassed (yeah right!) I'm positive everybody on the plane was wondering what the hell was going on in row 15. Westjet insisted that I give them my contact info so that customer service could be in touch with me. Apparently this wasn't the first accident with a barf bag since they switched suppliers. They told us the bags are supposed to be able to hold water up to the top without leaking, so I guess it was their fault, not mine

When we finally arrived home at 1:30am, we threw Ivy in the bath to wash her from head to toe- I could still smell barf on her three baths and two days later. I on the other hand never felt sick again. I don't know what it was, but it was not good. I haven't heard from Westjet yet, so if I don't soon, I'm going to call and see what they say. I'll keep you posted.....

Back From Mexico

Well we arrived home safely from our Mexican getaway. It was a FABULOUS vacation to say the least! We left last Saturday for Puerto Vallarta where after an hour wait to get through customs we were finally greeted by Grandpa and Grandma Judy. We made our way to the beautiful condo they are staying at and were quickly made to feel like we were at home. I'm sure little Ivy was wondering where we were and what was happening at this point. Needless to say, we were fully ready for a week of fun in the sun and some much anticipated family time. Our days were routine almost down to the minute. Get up early, make breakfast, dad and Judy clean up while we get ready for the pool, go down to the pool, eat lunch around 11:30, nap time by one. Judy was a saint and insisted that everyday she sit upstairs with Ivy while she napped. During that time, me and Jar laid around the pool, went for massages, and explored the coast by jet ski. We went out for dinner every night and ate wonderful food from Italian to Mexican. My hubby and I were fortunate enough to get two nights out by ourselves to have dinner and walk around the town. The nights we got out by ourselves, dad and Judy took Ives to McDonald’s for dinner at the gorgeous mall and then to the fantastic kids area for hours of fun.

The more I reflect on our trip, the more I am so incredibly grateful for the time I got to spend with my family. Ivy is at a phenomenal  age- almost two.  While she does challenge me frequently, she is a little girl who is full of spunk, energy, and love.  If I could freeze her right now for the rest of time, I would in a heartbeat. Simply put, I adore her more than anything in my life. 

My hubby and I still have so much fun together. We goofed around in the pool all week having races and creating routines (my idea), and thoroughly enjoyed our time together. After 4 years of marriage and 10 years together, he is still my favorite boy in the world.  More than anything, I love how great of a dad he is. Not one day goes by where he doesn’t tell me how much he loves Ivy and how happy he is with his family. 

It was dad and Judy’s idea for us to come down and spend the week with them.  I haven’t “lived” with my dad since I left home at 21 so I wasn’t sure how it was going to be.  It was fabulous! Dad and Judy got an up close and personal glimpse at what our every day lives are like. They were welcoming, patient, and extremely generous. They woke when we did and helped us tremendously as there is always preparation to go out when you have a little one. Grandma Judy spent so much quality time with Ives from the pool, finding birds, and exploring the property.  Most people who lose their mom’s don’t get another woman in their dad’s life that loves the grand kids unconditionally, but Judy is by far the exception.  She would do anything for our kids and us and we are more than fortunate for that.  This was a trip that will stay close to my heart for many years to come.  We are looking forward to the next one (hopefully sooner rather than later)!!

I will post pictures tonight at home!!