Back to School...wow!

Let me start by saying that I'm tired. I think I've been tired for pretty much two straight weeks. So far the start of school, trying to start a new service project (more on that later), taking care of Lily, and growing this new little one are sort of kicking my butt. Honestly, it's mostly school. I feel like every year we teachers are being asked to do more and more with less and less. I have a team of a hundred and twenty students who each need special attention to be successful. Add to that the fact that I am team leader (which isn't a huge deal, but some added responsibility), now have lunch duty twice a week (which we didn't have before) and have another class in my room during one of my planning times, and I am really struggling to get everything done.

Hence the lack of blogging.

I do have things I want to say, including...
...Triangle Community Birth Stories - my new outreach project to expecting mom
...Serving others makes me happy (TCBS, Athens Moms, RRM, and Youth Group)
...Lily is growing and changing fast (I know...I say this a lot, but there are new things to tell!)
...Baby #2 - I have lots of comments and questions about that one!
...Keeping a clean house, and why today's women need help
...Planning a 1st Birthday Party
...I Need Community, and so do you
...Thank God for Helpful Friends!

I pray that someday soon, the dust will settle and I'll have time to write again...until then, don't worry about me, but do check on me!

Make Way for DucklingS

Did anyone notice that I changed the blog title a while back. Did anyone notice the "S"? Yep...it's true, we are expecting another little Duckling! We found out on June 30th. I had been a few days late, and told Josh I thought I might be pregnant again. I think we were both a little surprised. Don't get me wrong, we know how this happens, and we knew there was a possibility, but we just didn't expect it to happen so easily and so quickly.

In our past experience, we had to really work at getting pregnant. I think in some ways we thought you really had to have perfect timing and be very intentional. Turns out...that isn't always true. Not to be too graphic, but, honestly, there were very few opportunities for us to get pregnant, if you get my drift.

At first I think we both were in shock. I'll admit that I was a little upset. I think that most of my fears related to loosing Lily as my baby. I was afraid that I would start to change how I feel about her. I hear this is common among second time moms and have been assured that it is totally possibly to love two as much as I love one!

Now we are starting to get excited. I know it won't be easy to have two little ones, but I also think it will be great for Lily to have a close in age sibling!

P.S. you may have notice that the blog was rather sparse in the last three months. Turns out I've been writing some posts, but just couldn't share them without giving away baby #2. I've published them now if you care to go back and read them.

Back to Work

Tuesday was my first teacher workday of the new school year. Returning to work has actually been surprisingly easy. I honestly think I was ready. Sometimes I feel like a bad mom, but I think I get tired of being home with Lily all day and appreciate her more when I can work during the day and then be home with her in the evenings and on the weekends. I know she is safe and happy at home with her Nanny Annie. Plus, I really like my job. I like the people I work with, and I love teaching. I always get a little giddy about the start of a new school year!

Lily's Dedication

Today was a very special day for my little duckling! Today she, along with six of her friends (our church is taking the "be fruitful and multiply" verse seriously :)) were dedicated. It was a touching service as Pastor CJ challenged us as parents to do our best to lead her down the right path while at the same time challenging the congregation to step along side of us in the journey.

As I looked around, I was blown away by how seriously my church family takes the "it takes a village" mentality. These are people who really have been our family, since family is far away. They brought dinner for two months when Lily was born (One even brought breakfast too!). Some stayed to hold and soothe her while we ate (which may have saved my sanity). There are times on Sunday I don't know who is holding Lily, but I know she is safe and there are ten mom's with eyes on her! In the last ten months, I have shared more lunches, dinners, coffees, and mothering discussions than I can count with many other moms. I know that I have a real fleet of people I can call at any time and with any need and they won't make me feel inadequate or ashamed. They will just be there. They love me, and they love Josh, and they love Lily.

I honestly don't know how people do it (by it I mean, parenthood, motherhood, marriage, life, everything) without community. I know that Josh and I are so blessed. So, to all of my community, Ekklesia and otherwise (because there are also quite a few of you out there that aren't Ekklesia, but still part of my "village"), Thank you and I love you, and I'm glad I have your help as I struggle to raise Lily the best way we know how!

**Case in point - Thanks to Nick Tripp for taking this picture when we didn't have enough hands to hold baby and camera!

The Beginning of the End, of Nursing That Is!

I just pulled the last of my frozen milk out of the freezer to thaw and feed Lily, and I can't help but be a little sad. I'm not totally giving up on nursing yet, but I'm past the pumping phase, which I know is the beginning of the end. When I start back to work next week, I'm not going to try to pump. I still plan to nurse morning and at bed time, but the rest of the day she will have formula until she is a year, then we'll transition to cow's milk.

There are several factors impacting the decision. One is that my pump is not working well. It fell in the back seat of my car and one of the prongs is bent which won't create good suction. Thus, when I'm pumping I'm not getting much. Another factor is just that she is getting older and eating a lot of food, so I know she is not as reliant on my milk. In fact, I'm not even sure about my supply and her satisfaction these days. I feel like when she does nurse (except at bed time) she only nurses for about five minutes on each side and then is done, then she still acts hungry. I've tried to get her to nurse longer, but she's just not super interested. :(

While knowing that this is the start of the end of nursing makes me sad, I also know it's a fact of her growing older. I'm sure this is the first of many leaps toward her independence, and a little piece of me is relieved not to have to worry as much about pumping, milk supply, and all that goes with that. Plus, it tempers the sadness to know that, come March, I'll have a new little one to nurse!

Little Sponge Brain!

Lily is definitely entering the "brain is a sponge" phase. She is constantly watching everything going on around her with they eye of a careful observer. And she's not just watching, she is learning! In just the last few weeks, I am finding myself constantly shocked by the things she can do that I didn't realize she could do.

Just to name a few, she can:
Stick out her tongue if asked (no demonstration needed)
Play patty cake
Brush her hair
Grab daddy's nose (and hold hers out to be "beeped")
Find and kiss her baby doll when asked
Kiss mommy or daddy when asked (if she wants to :)
Stand if holding onto any little thing (even a wall)
Climb the stairs (when daddy lets her)
Remove all the toys from her basket and climb in
Shake toys when asked
Say "bye" and "hey" like she knows what they mean
Regularly ask for "more" using sign language and saying "mo"
Say "nanana" for banana
Do sign language for milk and say "mi"
Say "dada" and "mama" regularly and with meaning
Eat almost anything cut into small pieces
Identify several toys by name

I still think I underestimate her sometimes and look at her as a little baby, but she is learning so much every day. I love all the learning, it is totally awesome! I have a feeling the next few months (and years) are going to be a blast!

Starting to Show & Telling People

So, we haven't totally gone public with Baby Hall #2 yet, but I think I'm starting to show! I know it's super early (I'm only almost 11 weeks), but if you knew me really well, you would notice. Most people, though, would probably just assume it's left over tummy from Lily. Perhaps in one way it is, but I still find that my roll of flab is turning into more of a round firm tummy. It's sort of exciting. It starts to make this pregnancy seem more real.

Since I'm starting to show some, it's going to be pretty much impossible to not tell people soon. Already most of our family and close friends know. Josh has told his work friends. I start back to work in a week and I'll tell my work friends then. I have to be honest. I'm a little nervous. I feel bad taking maternity leave twice in two years. I just pray the sub they find for me is better than the one from last year! I think that after next weeks twelve week check up we'll go "facebook" public!

Beach Baby (it's been a long time)

I know it has been a long time since I was on here. I had intentions of blogging about every adventure while we were at the beach last week, but ended up just not wanting to spend my time on the computer. This week, I've been busy with all the post-vacation stuff and enjoying my last few days before I go back to work.

We had a great week, despite Lily and I both having a cold. We didn't let it slow us down too much. We went to the beach every day and even took Lily Kayaking! She did great. She wasn't a huge fan of the big waves or of the sand, but she liked being on the beach with us. Luckily, because she didn't like the feel of the sand, she would stay on her blanket or in the pool. The inflatable pool which we filled with a bucket of sea water, was a huge hit. She would spend hours splashing in it. We ended up not even taking a pack n play to the beach for her.

The cabana we purchased got a bit of mixed reviews. It was really good to have the added shade, but it wasn't easy to put up, especially if it was windy. It took at least two people and at least five minutes. It was mostly too hot to actually be inside of it, but it was nice to put her pool and blanket in the shade of it for her to play. We used it several days, but also opted to leave it behind a few, especially since we mostly went to the beach late in the afternoon.

Other than the beach (where Josh caught lots of fish), a few trips around the village, and laying around the house, Kayaking was our only adventure. It was quite fun. We got a double Kayak and Josh did most of the paddling from the back seat. I sat in the front with Lily in the floor in front of me. She started out excited and talking, and ended up falling asleep. Adorable!

Overall it was a very fun and relaxing trip. I can't wait to do it again, but something tells me that, like most things, it will be very different as she gets older!