Week 32

Week: Thirty-two
Size: Large Jicama
Feeling: Worn out, overwhelmed, anxious, and super excited. The usual.
Symptoms: This body is wearing down, y'all. Lots of couch-lying in the plans.
Maternity Clothes: Yup.
Sleep: When it's comfortable, it's oh, so good.
Gender: Still my sweet girl.
Movement: Always.
What I Miss: Walking quickly?
What I Want: Owen to feel better. A toddler with strep throat and a giant lymph node makes for one worried mama.
Best Moment this Week: Love and hugs on Mother's Day. :)

Slow Growing

We got a little backyard work/play in this evening. You can guess which activity lasted longer.

I happened to have my phone in my pocket so I snapped a quick update. As you can see, we've been doing a little picking. Photos of strawberries are rare (even rarer are strawberries that make it inside). Next time I'll try for shots of them still on the plant, but the oldest Bauer boy is quick to pick.

Long story short: Strawberries are doing well and the berries are sweeter, larger, and much more abundant in their second year. Yay!

The main goal of today's work was to cage up the tomatoes. Oh, those tomatoes. I am proud of them and their slow, slow growing. After planting at our usual date of late April, things got a little weird. It frosted twice since the tender beauties have been in the ground. I have never in my life covered tomatoes, but both these and the even more delicate pepper plants had to be tucked in with sheets in the month of May. So rude, but they survived.

Now that overnight lows are hovering around 60, they've taken off and are looking great. We are experimenting with a new cage this year - the Ultomato Cage, to be exact. "The only tomato cage you'll ever need!!"


After watching the full-grown tom plants tear the basic cages from the ground last year, I knew I wanted something different. I thought about just staking them, but that most likely involves pruning. I don't think giving plants haircuts will be high on my priority list this July. This way we can still tie the plants to stakes, but they're also caged enough to grow wild and free. Fingers crossed.

I guess the test will come tonight. As Nathan snapped the last cage together, God decided to take care of the watering for us. And while Nathan was busy performing free child labor, Owen was doing this:


Oh well, at least he managed to stay out of the ants this time.

I didn't take any more pictures, but you aren't missing much. Like I said, peppers need even warmer temperatures than tomatoes, so they honestly don't look much different than they did when we put them in the ground. I may rethink my planting time for those guys next year.

The corn and cucumbers have all popped their heads through the soil (I'll post proof soon), and the beans are slowly but surely following suit. Bean seeds need warmer temperatures than we've been having so I may need to replant. Live and learn!

This turned out to be more than a "quick update" but you got to see an adorable baby swinging on his tummy and a handful of strawberries next to the face of your favorite kindergartner. Worth it or totally worth it?

I thought so.

Happy Wednesday, gang!

For Mothers

It's been pretty quiet around here lately, but don't worry, I have a really good reason.

(The reason is "too tired" and I'm okay with that.)

After dragging my pregnant self to Little Rock with our youth group this weekend to praise Jesus with hundreds of crazy Catholic teenagers, we landed smack dab on Mother's Day. The guys who call me mama welcomed me home with big hugs and toothy grins. The daddies cooked and cleaned as we watched the boys play in the Arkansas sunshine. We opened cards filled with love and support and we thanked one another for the thoughtfulness.

We mothers are pretty important, after all. Your life depended on one.

---

Fast Forward: After Mother's Day, it was Monday. A physically exhausted, sleep-deprived kind of Monday. I went through the motions best I could and then packed it in to collect my favorite two-year-old. When he came to the door, something was off. His Nannie said he didn't eat lunch (which is when I knew something was off).

After a quiet commute to pick up the big brother, we took the highway home. I instantly laid my baby on his changing table and took his temperature. It beeped at 102.1. Uh oh. I gave the pediatrician's office a call and booked him the first slot of the day. Thankfully his daddy was off work and able to take him. The verdict is one ear infection, one swollen lymph node, one bad case of strep throat, and one super sad baby.

Monday was a far cry from the Hallmark-recognized day of roses, jewelry, and breakfast in bed. But, y'all, Monday was motherhood.

Motherhood is not something that I do. It's who I am.

It's not easy and it frustrates me more often than I care to admit. However, I don't consider it a "job" for which I deserve praise, because it cannot be separated from who I am.

On this (belated) Mother's Day, I salute all who understand that. Those who are mamas in the traditional sense, those who care deeply for kids who aren't biologically their own, those whose babies never made it to earth or just stopped by for a little while, and those who still struggle with the desperate need to be able to receive a flowery card on the second Sunday in May.

Each of you know a very special kind of love. It's the unconditional, irrevocable, to-the-moon-and-back kind. And this Mother's Day, I pray for you. I pray that you keep peace during your struggles, that you give praise during your successes, and that you count every one of the blessings in your life.

I know the lives of my three would not have been possible without a little work on my part, but they make me who I am. They make me a mama.



And I love them without trying - even in tears and goofy faces.

Week 31

Week: Thirty-one
Size: Four Navel Oranges (the most perplexing of all comparisons)
Feeling: Tired, but still good.
Symptoms: No new symptoms other than a constantly moving belly.
Maternity Clothes: Oh, yeah.
Sleep: I totally spoke too soon last week. (Don't look back, it'll jinx me!)
Gender: Still a baby girl.
Movement: She. Is. Crazy.
What I Miss: Sleeping all night!
What I Want: My house to be magically clean. Owen's not much help today. :)
Best Moment this Week: Right now, actually. Although I'm cleaning and preparing for the State Convention with the youth this weekend, I'm at home. I'm snuggled under my big blanket, watching Owen watch Dora, and listening to the light rain fall on this lazy day. I think the bathrooms and vacuuming can wait a few more minutes, don't you?

Week 30

Week: Thirty
Size: Cabbage
Feeling: Awesome!
Symptoms: Being down to 10 weeks freaks me out, but physically I'm fine.
Maternity Clothes: Absolutely. Still wanting to wear more summery stuff.
Sleep: With my first pregnancy, I dreaded the night because sleep was hard. This is not the current case. Bedtime is my favorite!
Gender: Got even more proof of team pink at our 4D ultrasound.
Movement: Always. I think she goes from head up to head down every day.
What I Miss: It's time to say margaritas again. Ready for a poolside cocktail.
What I Want: The marshmallows in my Lucky Charms! I have a sneaky breakfast partner.
Best Moment this Week: Seeing my daughter's face! And, more importantly, knowing she is happy, healthy, and whole. I can't help but remember last Thanksgiving, when I was certain this pregnancy had ended. Now I'm preparing to meet my baby girl in a couple of months. I am incredibly blessed.

Nora June

Now, isn't my sweet baby daughter the sweetest baby daughter you ever did see?

(I know those of you with daughters may not agree, but work with me here!)

We took a sneak peek at Nora June Bauer in four dimensions this week (don't ask, I still don't get it). With her being our third and having 4D ultrasounds with the first two, we planned on skipping it. However, when a certain grandma caught wind of this plan, it quickly changed.

On a gorgeous Tuesday afternoon, all four grandparents, both big brothers, and a proud mom and dad piled into the dimly lit Baby Views room. We collectively held our breath as the wand hit my belly.

Right away, a secret world unfolded. We saw two feet wrap around a perfectly shaped head. We watched tiny fists, each with five fingers, open and close and wave around. We were assured that Nora is still 100% girl and we exhaled as the technician ticked through a list of healthy markers.

Nora wasn't exactly the best baby model, as she preferred to bury her face into the placenta and cover her features with a stray hand or foot. We did get a couple of good shots, though, and you know I'm going to share them with you. Heck, I even stuck her first pink bow on there!


There you have it, folks. My perfectly healthy, growing daughter. My DAUGHTER. Weird, isn't it? And speaking of growing, Nora is the first Bauer baby to actual measure a few days small! Our ultrasound tech said she would guess 7.5-8 pounds at birth and be really surprised if she made it to 9. That, my friends, is music to my ears. I know that can all change in about 10 weeks, but I'm going to stick with that prediction until my OB tells me otherwise.

I no longer fear the 10-pound baby. :)

Also, if your mind is as curious as mine, you'll want to see the comparison. Lucky for you, I made one right away. Here's the original post for Owen's 4D experience. I didn't know about the blogging six years ago.


As always, click to enlarge. View the cuteness full force.
Hope you guys are having an awesome Thursday. I can't wait until the day I post pictures of her actual sweet face. (Except I should probably start you know... preparing for her arrival. That realization of "in about 10 weeks" just hit me. Yikes!)

Oh, Deer

This is not the rude, directionally challenged animal that I plowed into Monday morning. She was much more vicious. And did I mention rude? Image found here.
Okay, so you remember that post I made a few weeks ago? About that brand new vehicle that I was so proud of?

Well... bad news.

As I was heading to work yesterday morning, right on time with a Cheerio-munching sidekick, I had a bit of an experience. Not a half mile from my driveway, there was a BOOM. A big, deer-sized boom.

I didn't see it until its body was crunched into my shiny new grill, and I didn't stop yelling until my car came to a stop and the dumb animal fell off my bumper. I pulled to the side of the road, took a deep breath, and looked behind me.

"Deer! Deer! Right there! A deer!"

Oh, gee thanks, Owen. Now you tell me!

My first accident was between me and an animal in a car I owned for 13 days. Thank goodness for State Farm being a good neighbor and all. The dent in our bank account is not nearly as big as the dent in my car:


And State Farm wasn't the only neighbor looking out for me. I can't help but bring up the fact that I am so thankful to have been raised in, and be raising my children in, a small town where chivalry still counts.

The guy driving behind me, a perfect stranger, saw the deer lose her race. He jumped out of his truck and immediately checked to make sure we were okay. He proceeded to pick up the pieces of my broken car as I sobbed equal tears of embarrassment and anger, and then dragged the dead animal out of the road.

I listened as he called a boss/co-worker to let him know he would be late.

Once Jonathan got there, I calmed down as we waited on the wrecker. During that time, five passersby pulled over to make sure we were okay. This included both the mayor of our fair city and a local paramedic.

I can't help but imagine this scenario in places where people would be more concerned about this making them late for work or ruining their breakfast with the sight of deer blood.

I may not always rely on the kindness of strangers, but I sure am thankful it exists. Good Samaritans are easy to find around these parts.

I won't get into the "what ifs" of this situation, but there is not a scratch nor bruise on anyone. I honestly didn't feel anything. Owen, Nora, and I are all perfectly fine and we thank our most important neighbor for that.

It wasn't a giant, life-before-my-eyes accident, but I know my passenger seat wasn't empty. I saw Him when I realized my children and I were unharmed and I saw Him in every person who stopped to help.

Hope your Monday was better than mine! :) Have a great Tuesday, y'all.

Planting Day

More hands make lighter work? Not when your extra hands are attached to a two-year-old.

Only a small joke, ya'll. The opposite was true, to be honest. Pictured above, Big Boy Owen properly planted seeds as we prepared our 2013 garden to fill our counter tops with produce this summer. He seeded an entire row of corn and was thrilled to plunk a kernel into each hole and carefully spread the earth over it.

That is, once we explained to him not to eat the seeds.

He learned fast, though, and shouts of "I pant torns!" filled the backyard. Big brother Nathan supervised, proud that his little brother shares his green thumb and excitement for the garden.

Nathan is getting so good at these chores that I talked to him about plant spacing and then let him loose with seed packets. He pretty much planted all the cucumbers and green beans (and half of the corn) by himself.

That's not to say he was serious the entire time, though:


Okay, now that the cute boys are out of the way, let's look at some piles of dirt and green, shall we?


Let me break it down for you (and also for me when I've completely forgotten what went where next spring). On the top row, we have the two 4x8 beds that are closest to the house. On the left is a bed full of peppers. For the first time, we are going for the heat. We have two jalapenos, two milder jalapeno types, and four bell pepper plants - perfect for crunching right out of the harvest basket. There is also a row of cucumbers planted at the back. We will add the trellis once the babies pop out of the dirt.

In the top right, there's a bed that we didn't really touch this week - the strawberries. These All-Star types were planted in March 2012 and have overwintered nicely. Each plant is getting new, bright green leaves and many white flowers have turned into tiny green berries. Our first harvest will hopefully come from here. That is, if Nathan doesn't eat them in the garden. This is the only bed he will eat from, so I let him get first pick (as long as he shares).

On the bottom left is a bed dedicated solely to my favorite garden treat. I only planted six tomato plants in this 4x12 space to allow more room to grow and less work for me. It seems this pregnancy will result in a third baby right in the peak of season. All new varieties this year, though. We have three Super Fantastic plants, two Parks' Whopper Improved, and one Sweet 100 (our first cherry type). There's also a bush type called Celebrity potted up nearby. We have yet to figure out an awesome way to support these bad boys, as we've abandoned the cheap spirals that are always torn from the earth by our growing plants. Please share any and all ideas!

Finally, on the bottom right is the very back bed. It looks empty now, but in about a week several seedlings will show their faces to the sun. This bed is made up of three rows of Bi-Licious sweet corn (our first attempt) and at the right end are Kentucky Blue pole beans, which will eventually climb a trellis. This will be Owen's favorite garden bed. He had a hand or two in planting it and it's two of his favorite veggies!

Once all of our plants and seeds were snuggled deep into the compost-rich soil, they needed one more ingredient. Although Jonathan wasn't ready to turn the two silly boys loose with a water hose, Nathan still found a way to get wet. Don't worry, though, it looks like he enjoyed it:


Owen, on the other hand, steered clear of the water and keep this dirty mug as we moved to the front yard to pot up some flowers, toss some rocks into the creek, and take a few dozen turns on the swing:


Bath time, anyone?

Now that spring has finally made it to southwest Arkansas, it's time to get off the couch and enjoy it. I hope you celebrated the start to this amazing season with dirty hands and dirty faces. Be sure to check back often as the Bauer boys' hard work grows into food. I am so blessed to have two little guys who are now old enough to really understand how the whole veggie garden process works.

I can't wait until Owen crunches into his first homegrown bean or enjoys a piece of "torn" that started with a seed he pushed into the ground. Pretty cool stuff, right?

Have an awesome weekend, y'all!