Family Living: Abbott Style

It appears there is a definite end in sight for this pregnancy.  Next Wednesday marks 40 weeks of pregnancy, and for me-the bus stops there.  The circumstances surrounding the "need" for an induction is pretty lame if you ask me--we politely protested and stated our concerns with a 40 week induction and we were met with a valid response. I am disappointed.  I want to know what it is like to have my body work like it was designed.  Of course an induction is convenient--especially with planning around our toddler and Ian's schedule--but I feel like I am missing out on something.  BUT.  BUT.  My perspective is this.  In the past year, I had a miscarriage.  Bleeding that made me think I was having a second miscarriage which was actually a growth that had to be removed.  To placenta previa.  It was stressful.  Extremely stressful.  It most certainly could have been worse--and the outcome was ideal.  No more placenta pre...

Walking into the church classroom to pick up my little one, I watched her "surf" across the room on a carpet sample that made the perfect sized magic carpet.  This was most certainly not the activity the group leader had in mind while trying to sing "Jesus Loves Me" to a room full of 2-year-olds. Quickly, I realized my child had hit a new level of hyperactivity that I had yet to witness.  I immediately felt my energy drain out through my toes.  I eventually broke down and had to bust out my "mom voice" right there in front of everyone.  Haley came to me running with her imaginary tale between her legs.  "Mom Voice" 1, Haley 0. It was home for a bath and bedtime.  After tucking Haley into her bed, I realized I was so drained I didn't want to get up off her bed.  So I laid there with her for what ended up being the better part of an hour.  I got so lost in our "conversations" that I hadn't realized how much time had elapsed. ...

2 weeks, 6 days.....That is the official--baby Owen arrival countdown. Spoiler alert.  I think we settled on Owen as his name.  Owen Something Abbott.  Big shock.  It was the original name we had wanted.  We tried on a few others but ultimately came back to Owen. So there is that. I can't believe we are over half way through the month and I haven't got a chance to blog again!  Where does the time go?  It is my favorite month of the year after all. Looking over my to-do list, I am feeling pretty accomplished.  I need to deal with my master closet and our drawers but it is so hard to organize clothing when you can't fit into most of them.  The transition to and from pregnancy is a tough one on the wardrobe.  The body changes for 10 months in one directions, and then it is the months of change into the other direction.  Such is life. Other than that, I scheduled my to-do list such that the last things were somewhat.....*ahem*...

Haley has been seeing a lot of productivity go down in our household.  I have been spending a lot of energy cleaning, organizing,and maintaining the house with the assistance of my dearly beloved.  And over the past few days, I can't help but notice and adore Haley's "can do" attitude.  Because toys and playing are so overrated.... I was cleaning house, so she got a baby wipe out and started wiping down her grocery cart saying "I clean too, momma." Don't mind the white blanket fort.  Ian was helping my out by running the vacuum.  Look who found a vacuum her size and followed Dad around the entire house "helping". This one is hard to see, but she is helping push the lawn mower. PS LOVE our new swing set.  Got for under $200 off Craigslist. --It could probably use some stain, but I haven't decided if we are that motivated or now. And this is just what I caught on camera.  She ALWAYS helps unload and load the dishwasher, t...

We had our regular check-up today.  We got a sneak peak at the babe via ultrasound and confirmed that he is now head down.  I could have guess that, as he has been moving around like a mad man recently--so I figured he was moving from the transverse to the optimal head down.  Everything looked good.  He even had a full bladder--which is...interesting to think about.  We still have about a month and a half or so to go--so I am starting to get that,so close yet so far away feeling.  I've been able to get a fair amount of 'exercise' in.  I end up walking or something for about 45 minutes, on average 5 days a week.  The change in the weather has been nice.  I much prefer taking walks outdoors.  Last night I took a cycle class, which is fine.  I gave up on push-ups for now, just because I am already uncomfortable, I don't want to risk injuring my back or something.  So mostly, just trying to stay moving for my sanity.   ...

Waking up to the sound of little bare feet on hardwood floors... Then the quiet whisper " Daddddyyy.  Daddddyyyy.  Wake up ." Sleepily we all sit around the breakfast table eating pancakes, fueling ourselves for the day.  I had checked the weather the day before and decided it would be a perfect day to hit the trails with my family for a little walk.  By 8 a.m. we were on the road ready to roll. Recently, Ian bought me a Garmin for my "push present" (a bit early--but I couldn't wait to use it) so I was eager to see how the GPS worked on the trails. The answer is, awesome!  We got a nice 2.5 mile walk in and then let Haley play on the playground.  There are so many awesome features on the watch that I can't wait to use when I am in the full swing of training again--more on that later. The weather was beautiful!  I couldn't have asked for a more comfortable temperature. Plus it was so nice to share the trails with my family. After we got our ex...

My mom and dad vowed to each other, the rest of their lives. Talk about pressure.  This was not just a marriage of two people.  This was an instant family.  A wife, two kids, and his and her cats.  Shit got real serious when they said 'I Do'.  Lesser people, would have failed. But my parents accomplished the almost unaccomplishable.   I was four at the time. My memories are vague.  But I could probably imagine that our little trio (my mom, brother, and myself) was a bit bruised and broken. Twenty years ago, not only did two people commit their lives together--they committed to rebuild something that was broken.  And they succeeded. So while this is my parents wedding anniversary, I do find some sentimental value in it for myself (goodness how narcissistic is that?)  But what I mean is, not only was their marriage significant for them--it was extremely significant for me as well. I learned about love.  Not the puppy dog stuff. ...