the beauty of spring :)

we got spoiled by some beautiful weather about a week ago... (forget about the snow they're calling for tonight...or the snow that covered our ground on Sunday morning :)) my sweet K loves her time outside...there's NOTHING that makes her happier (well, maybe M&Ms do :))... K is super curious about anything outside... and one of the things i LOVE about her is her willingness to play and get dirty... :) this spring, i have enjoyed watching her look at and love flowers...and smelling them... :) she smells every flower she can find... :) flowers are pretty to look at, but they're perfect for picking, too :)

K smelling her yellow crocus :) pickin' another one :)

playin' with rocks :)

shubble in one hand, water in another :) a little gardner in training :)

pickin' another flower :)

"friends"

in the last several months, Katherine has been very aware of friendship. she identifies Thomas as her friend in so many situations...but she will only call him a friend when something affectionate happens - like a hug or a kiss on the cheek... she also sees characters on TV shows or in books as friends... two shows that she catches from time to time, Little Bear and Franklin, are great at promoting friendship...there are always activities with "friends" going on... "friends" transferred into regular old life, too... we have a bag of bath toys...and some of her favorites to play with are little green frogs from the dollar area at Target. we always have two frogs in the bath each night... back in January, K would be adament about her frogs being with her at various times in the bath routine... (like when she stands to have her booooooty washed :)) if she does not have the frogs, there is a price to be paid (whine central).... one night, i noticed that this is what she would do with her frogs when booty washing time surfaced... she'd sit them on the soap ledge, facing each other, kissing, and proudly announce, "friends..." and then go back to playing in the tub... :) i just wanted to remember her innocence and wonderful perspective forever... :)

happy 1 month, Hannah :)

*a little late in posting this...*

it's hard to believe that it's been 6 weeks since my sweet Hannah came into the world to greet us! :) we had her 1 month check up two Fridays ago...and i'm just now getting to posting a picture and info! :)

Hannah weighed in at 8 lbs. 14 ounces and was 21.5 inches long. :) her head was 37.5cm in diameter... :)

she did beautifully at the appointment and only cried for her one hep B shot... it will be the 2 month check up that will be rough... 4 shots and one oral immunization... i'm already NOT looking forward to that... :-\

Hannah is a good sleeper at night...she will go for 5-7 hours, usually... :) she wakes once during the night to eat and will go off to sleep again pretty easily. :) (as does Momma!)

She's starting to smile and "talk" to you when you talk with her. :) she does the cutest little thing - when she's trying to talk, she'll point out her top lip a bit... i call it her beak... :) it makes me giggle every time... :)

H is a good nurser, most of the time...she seems to be doing well in that department... :) She loves the swing and the bouncie chair for a time...

She does NOT like to be left alone in a room for more than a few minutes...and this is true, also, during her naps in the daytime... it can make for some very short naps! she's still not oblivious to her loud sister when she wants to sleep, though...but i'm not sure many could ignore the racket! :)

Hannah is a joy...and i cherish every moment... :)

what i'm learning...

well, i haven't posted on this topic for almost 2 weeks (or maybe over 2 weeks)....but that doesn't mean that i'm not still taking notes... :) hehe :) ~i learned that it's OK to use paper plates on nights when you know that it's a double bath night...having minimal dishes to do is divine :) ~i've learned there is nothing more beautiful that seeing my Katherine smile as she's swinging, hair blowing, with a huge smile on her face... ~i learned that it's never safe to put away winter items when it's in the 70s and 80s...snow in a forecast and below normal temperatures never fail to show their face once you have things packed away and the drawers mostly filled with t-shirts and warmer weather clothes! ~i've learned that, sadly, Cardinals don't respond to shouts of "HEY, RED BIRD" from a 2 year old at lunchtime when they're at the birdfeeder ~i'm learning that simple dinners on busy nights can be the yummiest thing to fill your belly! :) ~i'm learning that the timing of explosive poops is never perfect... 4 AM is my favorite time to have to completely change a very messy newborn, while trying not to wake my husband, who has to be up for work in 2 hours... ~i'm learning that there is something magical about a big sister playing "tickle tickle" with her little sister, who is staring bright eyed at her loving big sister... ~i'm learning that there are really no holds barred for an almost 2 1/2 year old who is in dire need of attention.... ~i'm learning that i really wish my parents lived closer ~i'm learning that it's pretty wrong for me to want "me" time when the kids are up... "noo puter...noo puter," spoken in a tiny voice, speaks louder than any voice i've heard in a long time.... *guilt* ~i've learned that a 5 minute shower is better than none! :) ~i've learned that it's OK to stay in bed a little longer on the weekends while my husband tends to his sweet firstborn... he can make french toast, too... :) ~i learned that we can all get up early on a Sunday and make it to church almost on time (had to do a little wrestling with a sleepy toddler who did not want tights or a dress on today!) ~i learned that i love a certain little girl's sleepy voice when she woke up to see snow on the ground on Sunday... "ohhh, yuuuk....snow... *sniffffff* it 'mell good....yuuk, it's nice and fuzzy..." ~i learned that looking out the window to see the beautiful flowering trees against a blue sky can really fill a soul... i'm blessed... :)

perfection

one of the many things i struggle with is getting things done... i've mentioned it before, though, so that's not anything new... what's interesting is that i've really never been a good "get it done" sort of person... it's probably because i put too much on my plate, and i set myself up for failure without really meaning to do so... likewise, when i make "to do" lists, i never put everything that i need to do on the list... for example, you'll never see things like vacuum, laundry, dishes, mopping, walk the dogs, or pay the bills on my to-do list... and, of course, all of those things get done without me writing it on a slip of paper. :) well, sweet Hannah's arrival has really made me feel like a failure when it comes to getting things done... it takes me forever to do something that shouldn't take 10 minutes, it seems... writing a thank you note, for example, has been a challenge... :) filling out a sympathy card for a friend took me 2 days... really?! 2 days... vacuuming the floor...my brain and eyes (and the bottom of Katherine's socks! :( ) realize it needs to be done, but it takes me a few days to actually GET to do it... sweeping the kitchen floor, which is littered with who knows what...it's been on the list for more than a week...and swiffering it (it really needs to be mopped, but i settled for swiffering it this time! :)) took me a few days, too... i'm not a peticular housekeeper, trust me...my house is lived in, without a doubt. it's not at all neat and tidy. but when me, my 2 dogs, husband, and 2 1/2 year old could probably invite a few cows in from the pasture behind our house, and they'd feel at home, i know i have things i NEED to do... :) while i don't EVER claim to desire perfection, i guess, deep down, completing the things on a "to-do" list would mean i did what i was supposed to do... i don't know if i'd call it perfection, but...if we stretched the term perfection a bit, perhaps it would fit? most people tell me to not worry about things like this... i understand the message, but it doesn't always go into the depths of my brain for true realization. the best advice i got was from another very special teacher i know, Cora... she's the momma to 3 children, the youngest who just turned 18, i believe... and she's one of those people who you could just sit in a room with and soak her in...her quiet, peaceful nature is so soothing, and she's so incredible...a genius, without a doubt...and so wise... her message really hit home... it had the words and message that i needed to hear...and it also helped me realize that i was expecting a little too much of myself... when i was questioning and shouting accolades up about how moms and dads to multiple children do it, her response soothed this soul... :) maybe it will hit home for you, too... Part of the secret is to let perfectionism go. I used to be kind of a perfectionist, if anyone who knows me now can believe that. After two [children], I released many of my perfectionist tendencies. After three, I shredded whatever perfectionist tendencies remained, burned 'em in a bonfire and danced around it maniacally . . . then drank a toast to (in)sanity (either way, it's all good) and survival. Here's to your sanity and survival. Here's to embracing the insanity when it happens b/c sometimes fond memories are actually forged in insanity. . . and here's to no more worrying about pj's past noon! ♥ Hug your girls. Some day they will understand how lucky they are that God made you their momma. In the mean time, don't forget to save a hug or two for yourself every now and then. :-) ♥

what i'm learning and what i love...

i love being a momma...
and having 2 kids is a tremendous blessing... i look at the girls a lot and think, "Gosh, Robin...you really are a blessed woman with these girls...they're beautiful, funny, and they've been entrusted to you..."

i'm not going to lie...going from 1 to 2 children has been a little bit of an adjustment... i'm not completely sure how to verbalize all of the changes and challenges just yet...but each day, i'm learning a lot of new things... some of them are realizations...some of them make me laugh out loud...and some of them make me want to cry...

a teacher i used to teach with, who had 4 boys, told me that adding a second child was the most challenging for him and his wife (he stayed home with his boys - Mr. Mom :))... i honestly thought, since i baby sit, i would not have as much of an adjustment, but i was pretty off the mark there. don't get me wrong...things are not TERRIBLE...it's just different...and it takes me a little while to adjust...

so, this week, i've written down some of the things that my mind has loved or what i've learned... :) i hope to do this for a few weeks...and i also will work on putting words with my thoughts and feelings... :)

so this week, what i've loved and learned... :)

*i have a very wonderful husband who jumps in with both feet every single day after working all day... after around 5 hours of sleep every day... he's a gem, without a doubt...

*there are not enough hours in the day to get everything i want to do finished (which is why i guess there's "tomorrow," huh? :))

*that whiny child that can grate on your last nerve that i sometimes scoffed at while shopping or in public before - yep, i have one now... heaven help me...

*it's ok if you set out to make cookies on Sunday and only get 15 made in 2 days... it's good that cookie dough keeps in the fridge... (this is also good for someone's craving for eating some cookie dough :))

*i love when K hears a noise and says, "hear dat??" as she gets really quiet to listen. we hear things like the ice maker, a trash truck, and dogs barking... but my favorite: when the wind chimes sound, she says..."hear dat??? hear jingle bells....." :)

*i need to find some quick "go to" foods for breakfast and lunch for me...

*burp clothes are like gold around here

*i do a lot of laundry...and it takes me forever!

*teaching my sweet K about the birds that come to the feeders as we eat our breakfast and lunch is really a blessing these days... i love her grin and giggles as she watches them "eat their din--nnnnner" and fly "high in the kye" when they're finished

*it takes me 8 minutes to serve me my food, warm up my dinner plate (at 8:40 because of someone needing to eat first, then a diaper change, then...), put leftover spaghetti in a bowl, put leftover blueberries in a bowl, tear cling wrap to cover the bowls, oops, forgot to put leftover corn in a bowl (more cling wrap) with one arm while holding Hannah in my other arm, slightly bouncing because she's in need of some good sleep (without her big sister banging on the bongos, playing her harmonica or tambourine, or yep, whining so loudly she can't sleep)...

*it's so sweet to hear K sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" - her version goes something like this... "Tinkle, tinkle, staaaarrrrr....high in the kye...." with her little arms moving up above her head like she's mopping the ceiling... it makes me smile every time... (especially b/c she doesn't whine when she sings this)

*it's never predictable to be at home with a 3 week old and an almost 2 1/2 year old... case and points: flying "meatballs" at your head when you're nursing ("meatballs" = balls from the ballpopper toy), throwing fits about puzzles and throwing pieces, pooping all the way up to your armpits, refusing to eat "fruit snacks" that she's always loved...things are always changing around here! :)

*the dogs, for being as old as they are, are real troopers about waiting till 2 or 3 to go outside to do their business...and i am more patient about letting them sniff every blade of greening grass because they're so neglected these days...

*i should be going to bed earlier but i can't seem to get there...

*it's ok that i sometimes don't get to shower until 3:30 or 4 in the afternoon... as one of my high school helpers (when i taught) wrote to me on facebook (she's the momma to twins!), "i don't get to shower until later in the day either...and my girls don't seem to mind at all!" :)

*i'm beyond thankful for a 3 week old who sleeps the bulk of the night - minus a feeding around 5 or 6 or 7... she's a super sleeper...

*it will be nice to give the girls a bath TOGETHER in about a year... 2 separate bathtimes makes for a very long night on nights when Hannah is up for a screamfest bath, too...


*when the dog throws up in Katherine's room, i should laugh when she is obsessed about seeing "Shorshe's yuckies" every 3 minutes and then tries to "mell" it (thankfully, from afar)


*it's ok to make your 2 1/2 year old lay with you in bed for 20 or 30 minutes in the morning because you're tired when she wakes up earlier than you anticipate...even when she doesn't want to lay with you... :) there's something special about your face being tickled by her wispy hair and seeing her incredible blue eyes stare at you... :)

*March Madness takes away some really great afternoon TV downtime for me...

*seeing K give her little sister kisses melts my heart... i'm so glad that she loves her sister...

*having daddy home a little early because of a flood day early dismissal is like a gift from above... :)

what will next week be like? i can't wait to find out (sorta)................. :)

meals for the week (back in the saddle...)

well, i knew family wouldn't stay here forever, making food for us to feed ourselves with... :) this is the second week without family here, so we're back to thinking about what to eat ahead of time, grocery shopping, and making meals... :) (last week, we had enough leftovers to eat up...)yes, i will admit that, it is a feat to get a meal on the table before 7:30... one night, we ate dinner at 8:20... ugh! but, i hope that things will get better on the "planning" front... :)

here are our meals, loosely, for the week... the plan has already been altered - we have enough leftovers to eat up (and not enough room in the fridge) before other things are made for meals... it doesn't really matter, though...you don't care... :)

Sunday: mini-meatloaves and mashed potatoes
Monday: chicken noodle soup casserole
Tuesday: leftovers
Wednesday: leftovers
Thursday: french toast casserole
Friday: pizza
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: crock pot meal (not sure what we'll make yet)

hope you have a great week of good eats and are surrounded by those you love! :)

something to think about...

i will admit i'm not that great at putting my spiritual life in the forefront these days... and i'm not sure i was ever good at it, honestly...

i know that i need to be better, especially since i have two kids to set an example for now... i know that you're supposed to start your day in God's word...but this is so hard for me...especially that "morning" part... see, i'm NOT a morning person...while i'd like to say i'm not a grump in the dawn hours (i am sure my husband may beg to differ), i do well to get up and get myself either dressed (to shower later) to tackle the morning with kids with a smile...or head to the shower to get myself ready before tackling the morning with the kids with a smile... :)

and, i don't have lots of time to read blogs these days, either... i miss the wisdom and entertainment, but i have plenty going on here to keep me on my toes... :)

anyhow, today, i had a few extra minutes and saw this quote on another blog i read. i don't know the person who wrote the blog...but she has some neat insight on various things that sometimes speak to my soul... (and she has FOUR kids and still manages time with God in the morning...)
today was one of those days...
i saw her quote and loved it... so true...and perhaps what i need to read to get a fire lit under this lacking and slacking Christian...

hope you enjoy it, too...

it comes from a devotional she has titled "Streams in the Desert"

"The morning is a critically important time of day.

You must never face the day until you have faced God,

nor look into the face of others until you have looked into His.

You cannot expect to be victorious, if you begin

your day in your own strength alone."

hannah elyse

we're thrilled to introduce the newest little lady to the Rakow clan...

Hannah was born on Sunday, February 13th at 5:50 AM

she weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz. and was about 20 inches long...

she came quickly...and has left a huge print on our souls and heart... :)

she looks like her daddy... :)

she sleeps like a champ...

when she cries, she sounds like a squeaky hinge... :)

Katherine loves her new baby sister... K is fabulous with her. :) she showers her with kisses and hugs... :) we are sooo thankful for this... :)

we are blessed... :)

at home hangin' out :)
sleepin' sweetness :)

gettin' loves from Big Sister :)

at the hospital meeting Grandma for the first time :)

Daddy hangin' with his mini-me :) so sweet :)

hiatus... :)

well, as the time winds down for this family of 3, i felt the need to make a post just saying that i will be on a hiatus for a bit... not that i was ever the most incredible blogger in the world, but... for my few or single (haha) fan(s) out there...well, i felt like i had to just say..."i'll be back...soon!"

so...meal plans... while i'm still planning in my head, i'm not doing a lot of "organized" planning...esp not this week... :) my mom's here now...and my in-laws will arrive after my parents leave...so i think most of the cooking will be on someone else's shoulders for a time while we get used to being a family of 4 (read: while i try to adjust to being a sleep deprived mother of a newborn and a very sweet but a very 2 year old little girl :))... but, until the baby comes, i'm still pretty much planning meals... easy things like spaghetti, meatball sandwiches, lasagna, rotisserie chicken with the good trimmings... :) we'll see what the rest of the week holds! :) (and if Ry has his way, it will be take out! :))
and, well, who am i kidding? i know that making a meal and planning what we're eating for the week will be something i don't even care about... survival of the fittest will be the goal for the next few weeks after this baby comes...

my dear sweet daughter has stepped into the "terrible twos" just in time for me to consider staying an extra week at the hospital after the birth of her little sister :D i don't really like the term "terrible twos" - but she's been a bit of a challenge for the last few weeks...Lordy day... her main way of communicating is now whining... oh wait, if things are not working out for her? that's ok, a fit is a nice way to show our frustration... i especially like her kicking and hitting random things about the room out of frustration. and when she's hurt or wants to be "soothed" from an angry outburst, i wish for a name change since she just wants me to hold her or pick her up and she will not be soothed any other way... it seems that, as long as she's doing what she likes and enjoys, all is right with the world and she's pleasant and joyful... but when she is asked to do something she doesn't want to do - watch out for the wrath... i actually removed her from the dinner table the other night because she was being soooo ugly and acting out...we went to time out and tears were shed... the good news - tonight, we didn't have a repeat performance, so maybe, just maybe, the consistent behavior reminders/consequences are working... please don't get me wrong... i am thankful for her more than anything in this world....and i love her so sooo soooooo much... but at this late point in my pregnancy, lack of sleep, discomfort...well, to say my patience is at its frayed end is probably a good description... and those ingredients are probably not the best for a sweet little girl who is trying to be more independent, a little challenging in her thoughts, pushing the envelope a bit, and is probably frustrated because she doesn't have the words to express her feelings...and well, i'm convinced she's aware that life is going to be a bit different (and a good different) in a short while... she's little, yes....but she's a smart cookie and aware of things that i am not sure us adults are always clued into... :)

my mom has been here for 4 days...and in that amount of time, she's run around here to make things better, cleaner, and more organized... i know our washing machine has been worked endlessly, i think... :) but, we have lots of clean clothes, clean towels, all clean bedding (all the way down to the mattress cover and mattress skirt on the bed)... she asked about the curtains today but i told her i washed them in the fall... i think that's when i washed them... it may have been the spring....but it won't stop her from washing them later... :) instead, she decided the windows were dirty and needed to be cleaned at that point! :) our finished basement is clean and tidy...she hung pictures, cleaned up piles of stuff...moved a table that used to sit in there back (we had to move it when we had a water leak 2 or 3 years ago)... it looks so nice down there... :) i was thinking today, as i was loading the wood burning stove, that it would be nice to take K and the new baby down there to hang out for a change of scenery in a few weeks... nice and warm... :) if my mom hadn't made it homey and happy, i wouldn't want to go down there... :) i guess there's something to say about a mother's touch, huh? :) i love having her here....she's a JOY and has been so helpful and wonderful... :)

i have an appointment tomorrow afternoon to see how things are going with the "progress" of dilating, effacement, etc. of this new baby girl....i am eager to hear how things are going... i'm thinking things may be happening a little, but i'm not sure...

it's time to try and wind down and head to bed... but i just wanted to be real...
i'm resigned to the fact that my "time" online will probably take a bit of a back seat for awhile... but i will try my hardest to write each week - at least... it's therapeutic for me... and, again, for my fan or few fans, i know that being introduced to the newest member of our little family, as well as the challenges, joys and wonderment of life for us will be a good thing to read and post about... :)

until the next time, hope you have a great day... :) and thanks for being part of the exciting events for us... :) we will be in touch! :)