22 Weeks - House Stuff

Ridley’s getting big! We hadn't been to church in a few weeks, so when we went today, several people noticed and seemed surprised that I’m not due until December! I’m definitely bigger than I was with Norah at this stage. Here’s a comparison picture:

I’m still failing at getting a blog post done every week, and at getting pictures and videos uploaded...I also misplaced my Bloggie. :-( I last saw it when we were in Delaware last week, so I hope it didn't get left there!

But I would like to use this post to talk about something I’m actually not failing at anymore. :-)

I am finally becoming a decent housekeeper. Maybe even a really good one. And I can’t believe it.

When I was pregnant with Norah, I remember doing several blog posts talking about trying to get organized and get rid of some clutter. It didn't happen. I could organize one area, but it wouldn't stay that way. We had piles of stuff everywhere, especially in our bedroom. No, in the bedroom it was mountains.

Finally a few months ago I decided I couldn't live with it anymore. I can’t function in clutter. I was constantly spinning my wheels and getting overwhelmed. I could not let myself do anything fun, because I could see all the work I should be doing. I could not enjoy spending time with Norah. And because I spent all morning treading water and then the afternoon and evening teaching piano lessons, dinner was always last minute. After dinner, when I should have been enjoying my time with my little family, I would usually sit and mess around on the computer, putting off taking care of the mess from dinner. Then around the time I should have been going to bed, I’d finally get around to doing the dishes (or decide to leave them for the next day). Then I’d want to have some time to myself, so I’d mess around on the computer some more or watch TV before going to bed way too late. Not a fun way to spend every day.

Back in February or March, I started to make changes. I mentioned to one of my sisters that I was trying to declutter, and she told me to look up flylady.net. I definitely found it to be a helpful resource, but I couldn’t stay motivated. It felt impossible to make any real progress with Travis working full time, and me working whenever he wasn’t. So I put it off and waited for summer. Decluttering became my focus, and my reason for looking forward to summer vacation. Getting rid of the clutter in my house meant that I would then be free to spend my time doing things I enjoy.

So, as soon as lessons were done and school was out, we got serious. I started reading my Fly Lady emails again, and though they tend to take over my inbox, I like them because they keep me focused and encouraged. If you are like me and don’t know where to start, flylady.net will be your best friend. I can’t say enough good things about it. It isn’t a strict program you have to follow to the T. On the contrary, it is flexible and focuses on the idea that things don’t need to be done perfectly!

I couldn’t keep my house clean without first getting the clutter out.

“You can’t organize clutter. You can only get rid of it!”  - Fly Lady

After reading the decluttering tips, I decided that everything we don’t use or love needs to go. Everything else is clutter!

My other sister told me about a consignment store near her house that takes all kinds of stuff. They tag it for you, and then you get paid 30% (wish it was higher, but oh well) after it sells. That was my perfect solution. We had some stuff in really good shape that I didn’t want to just give away, but I didn’t want to mess with having a yard sale either.

So far, I have taken four full loads (20 kids clothing items and 15 adult clothing items, plus a few household things). So, at least 100 items gone from my house (they didn’t accept all that I brought).

I have also taken several loads to Goodwill -- things that weren’t worth enough to consign. That’s at least 100 more items gone.

We have listed and sold a few more expensive items on Ebay...maybe 15 things so far.

I have a number of things I plan to list on Craigslist as well.

I have also reorganized every single closet in our house to make maximum use of space. Our upstairs linen closet is almost entirely full of things we are getting rid of. As I find things around the house that need to go, I put them there until consignment day or a trip to Goodwill, etc. When that’s empty, we’ll have all that space free!

Along the way, I have also been able to implement some good habits that were also inspired by Fly Lady.

“Swish and Swipe”: I spend about one minute every day cleaning our bathroom. That’s all it takes!

Making the bed: Seems ridiculous, but I was never in the habit of making my bed until I realized how much better I feel when I do.

Laundry: Put a load in every night, dry it in the morning, fold it, and put it away. Doesn’t take long if you keep up with it! I even get to skip some days because it’s all done!

Shining the kitchen sink: An easy way to keep the kitchen clean. If the sink has to be shined, the dishes have to be clean first! And then if you’re going to shine the sink, you might as well wipe of the counters while you’re at it...

“Do it now!”: If I see a mess or something that needs to be put away, I don’t put it off. This habit might be the best one, because it doesn’t allow for things to get out of hand. I never get overwhelmed.

I am working on planning my meals/shopping trips. Otherwise we eat dinner very late or spend too much money going out to eat. I also like having leftovers in the fridge all the time. Makes for easy lunches!

We are not done yet, but already I am SO much calmer and happier.

On a very exciting note, we have decided that our house looks decent enough now that we can put it back on the market! We are so eager to move. This family needs more space. Wish us luck!

Now, some photos from the past few weeks:

Travis painted and put this together for Norah!

This is what happened when Norah was left to her own devices for a few minutes one morning...

Note that she is standing on her rocking chair to reach her beauty accessories...

And lastly, some photos from Delaware! (I have more on my Bloggie...these were all taken on our final day...the only chilly one we had!)

 She loves her "Uncle Rachel"!!

Dino Putt-Putt

 "I hit my green ball in the hole all by myself! I sit on the bench and wait my turn."

 All of us out for yummy seafood dinner!

20 Weeks -- Halfway!!

Hooray! This pregnancy is going by so fast! I’ve been nothing but excited this time around, so I’m happy that it isn’t dragging, even though I am having fun being pregnant. :-) Baby Ridley should now be about 10 inches long from head to heel and weigh about 9 oz.!

I was feeling Ridley move a little bit starting at 12 weeks, but it wasn’t very frequent, and most of the time I wasn’t completely sure it was him! Maybe it was just stomach gurgles!

Suddenly, at 17 ½ weeks along while we were staying at my mom’s in PA, I started feeling much more obvious kicks, and lying down I could feel them with my hand! It was exactly the same with Norah...around 17 weeks I became sure it was baby movement that I was feeling.

Travis has now been able to feel Ridley moving around a number of times, although he often seems to get elusive as soon as Travis puts his hand on my belly! It’s so much fun, though. I couldn’t wait to be able to feel him.

When people ask if I’m excited, this is my response. With Norah, I was really happy to be pregnant, and looking forward to having my own little baby to hold. This time around, I know what’s coming. For one thing, I know that baby-hood doesn’t last forever. (Just today, in my overly-emotional pregnant state, I was looking at Norah as she woke up from her nap and I could hardly stop the tears as it hit me out of nowhere that she is going to grow up.) I also know what it’s like to watch the seemingly slow, but somehow also ridiculously fast transformation from babyhood through toddlerhood, and to have the privilege of getting to know the person this child is. It has been truly amazing and life changing. In the just over two years of Norah’s life, we have already learned that she is:

Very smart

Clever

Funny

Imaginative

Loving

Energetic

Happy

Musically and artistically inclined

Independent

Determined

Friendly

Confident

Nurturing

Helpful

Clean (doesn’t like to get her hands dirty!)

I’m sure I could make this list much longer if I spent a few more minutes! She is incredible. Before we had her, I could never have imagined that a two year old could have such a personality.

So, this time, I am at least as excited as I was the first time around, but not for the same reasons.

I’m excited to have a little baby again since Norah is getting so big!

I can’t wait for Norah to have a sibling. I think she’s going to be a GREAT big sister.

I’m excited that this time we’re having a boy. We feel so lucky to have one of each!

And above all, I am SO excited to get to know the person that Ridley will become. We will again have the privilege of bringing a brand new, unique human being into the world. I can’t imagine anything I’d rather be doing with my life right now! :-)

And now, Summer Fun With Norah:

Our Backyard:

Carnival!

She cried when she had to get out of the caterpillar train!

A bunch of us at my mom's in PA

Norah clinging to Jasper while he's trying to play Pokemon with Anna. She LOVES her cousins!

I had some videos too, but they wouldn't upload and we're leaving for Delaware in about 3 hours, so I'm posting this as-is. I'll try again next week!

19 Weeks -- Baby Has A Name!

I keep thinking of more things I want to talk about on my blog, but I'm saving those for later, because this post is dedicated to the announcing of our little boy's name!

Travis first mentioned this name to me while we were driving up to PA, and it stood out to me right away. But, unlike Norah's name, which seemed perfect as soon as it came to us, I still felt like I needed to see every possible choice before we could decide on one. (Why are girls' names so much easier?!)

So we pored over web pages and name books, and still hadn't found the "perfect" name. Our final effort was a LONG, comprehensive list of names I found online. There were some good names, but none of them were "it," and I found myself comparing every name to that first one I had liked. None of them could beat it, and every time I looked at the baby's face on the ultrasound photos, that name just seemed to fit. Once we got through the "R's," we finally just decided to stop looking. We already knew what his name was.

Names are such a personal choice. Everyone loved Norah's name. Norah Claire. Who wouldn't like that name?

This one is a little more off the beaten path. We hope people will like it, but more than that, we just want it to be the right name for our child. For us, it just fits. So, without further ado, I hereby proclaim throughout the land that our little boy's name shall be:

(Scroll down...)

Ridley Graham Galloway

If you like it, please tell us. We could use some positive comments. :-)

Thanks!

16 (1/2) Weeks...Gender Reveal!

Hi Everyone!

I'm just doing a quick update because we've had a long day and I don't have the energy to do much more!

The big news is that we had our ultrasound today...it was amazing! I still can barely feel the baby moving, and not very often, so it was amazing to see it moving around! Very active little bugger, just like Norah was (and is)!

I'll insert the photos here so you can see for yourselves what we're having this time! :-)

IT'S A BOY!!!

We are so excited! We really had no preference at all, and of course all children are different, but a boy is going to be an entirely new experience for us! Watching Norah grow and change, and learning new things about her every day has been amazing so far, and now we can't wait to get to know this little boy too! YAY!!!

The ultrasound was so much fun. It was ten minutes of mostly a normal 2D ultrasound, but we had several peeks in 3D as well, which was pretty cool! We have a DVD of the whole thing. I'd like to post it on here, but I don't know if we have the equipment to upload it. We'll see! We also have a CD with more photos on it, but our computer's CD drive is broken!!! :-/ We scanned these.

Anyway, it was just incredible to see how absolutely complete and perfectly formed our baby is at just 16 weeks in the womb! It definitely makes this whole thing more real to me. I can't wait to meet him! Now to come up with a name! :-) 

More soon! 

14 Weeks

This week, the baby is approximately 3.5 inches long from crown to rump, and its feet are about 1/2 inch long! Growing fast!

At just over 12 weeks, I'm sure I felt the baby move two or three times, but I haven't felt it much since. I like the reassurance of feeling movement, but I know that the baby is still small, and the only movements I can feel are the big flips and jumps. Hopefully I will soon be able to feel it every day.

I have some really exciting news! I called Greenville Tech to schedule our ultrasound. We had it done there when I was 23 weeks with Norah, to find out the gender. It's free there, and it takes at least an hour, which I liked. It was fun because we got to watch her for a long time, and listen as the student and her instructor described what they saw. When I called to make the appointment this time, they said the earliest they could fit me in would be August 22nd. I was a little disappointed, because I'll be 25 weeks then. I was hoping to have it done closer to 20 weeks. It just seems like such a long time to be calling the baby an "it"!

Sooo...we decided to look into having it done sooner somewhere else, if we could find an affordable option. One of my friends recommended a place in Greenville, which had several different "packages." The basic gender determination ultrasound was very affordable compared to anywhere else we looked into, so we decided to go ahead with it! Our appointment is scheduled for JUNE 26th!!! I can't wait! Their claim is that they can determine the gender starting at 14 weeks, so I could have scheduled it even sooner, but I wanted to wait a little longer to make sure it would be accurate. They will do a basic 10 minute ultrasound, with a quick peek in 3D, which should be really neat! We also will get a DVD of the entire session, so I'll upload it to the blog if I can! I am SO excited after thinking I'd have to wait until the end of August! It's only 2 1/2 weeks away!

We will also still do the Greenville Tech one, because why not? :-) We'll get to see the baby again after he or she grows some more!

That's about it for baby news! Now for some pictures and videos of Norah being cute. :-)

Here is her new playhouse from Grammy and Grandpa!!

I will have to take a picture of it now, because we added some cool stuff!

Some random photos:

Her first trip to the bowling alley! She keeps asking to go back. :-)

The fish and fish tank she got for her birthday.

Norah's version of basketball...and The Wheels On The Bus:

Feeding her babies. :-) (On the front porch while it's raining and the power is out!)

12 Weeks Pregnant...The Sequel!

Well...here we go again! :-) We are obviously very excited to be expecting our second child (!!!), but I don't want this first blog in a LONG time to be overwhelming to read. So, what follows will be mostly pictures and videos of the past several weeks. I'm sorry they're not great quality! :-/

These first two videos are from the moment we found out that we had a new baby on the way.

This next video was taken at our first midwife appointment, at 10 1/2 weeks. We heard the heartbeat for the first time, and Norah was quite concerned about me, so we let her sit up on the table with me so she could see what was going on.

At the beginning of the video, she is talking about the "blue soap" (the gel the midwife is squirting onto my belly while using the fetal doppler). Everything at the appointment went just as expected! :-)

This video is from when we announced our pregnancy at Norah's 2nd birthday party last Saturday. I was 11 weeks pregnant. We wrapped a "Big Sister" t-shirt for Norah to open, along with a book that had the same theme. We saved them until she had opened all her other gifts.

It's hard to hear the individual reactions, but as I suspected, there were several family members who weren't a bit surprised. My belly started growing MUCH earlier this time around, even though the baby is still only a couple of inches long, crown to rump. (Even the mother of one of my piano students asked me last week if I was expecting!) I don't mind it. With Norah, I was impatient to start showing. I remember going to my ultrasound at 23 weeks, still not looking obviously pregnant!

A few quick notes:

 I've been feeling really good! Only a tiny bit of nausea here and there, just like with Norah. Probably even less than I had with her. With Norah I had a period when I couldn't eat meat or cheese. And my first clue that I was pregnant (besides that this was planned) was multiple potty breaks between piano lessons! Oh, and, bonus: I've been wanting to eat tons of fresh veggies, and not many sweets. This is wonderful because I am hoping to not let this baby get too excessively chubby before birth, like Norah was. Hopefully this will make the birth easier. More on that later.

Here is my 10 week photo:

Some photos from Norah's birthday party. My mom and I made this Fox Terrier cake

that my grandmother had made for me and I think each of my older siblings at some point.

She made mine when I turned three.

Our Facebook announcement photo:

A failed attempt (she was IMPOSSIBLE!):

Some fun stuff we did today: 

Homemade popsicles and an awesome bubble kit I found. 

She's not so good with a bubble wand yet, but did great with a bubble pipe!