Steve & Crystal Carr

A Few of My Favorite Things...

2012-01-06T22:44:00.003-06:00

Each of my children love to look at books...

It's so exciting to hear Steven read. He especially likes to read to his grandparents.

Steven's track building began on his table...

But soon his engineering skills required more space...

He built this track all by himself. He enjoys building new and different layouts each day.

Best buds...

Steven and Hannah are best buds and play together real well (most of the time). Their latest play has been where Steven pretends he's the Daddy and Hannah's the Baby and he reads to her while she sits in his lap.

Christmas - Part III

2012-01-06T22:24:00.005-06:00

Getting ready for worship...

Time for presents...

Enjoying the outdoors...

Steve went for a walk and shot a grouse.

[Almost] all the cousins (missing 2)

Racing

Tanner & Steven

"Pig Pile!"

Christmas - Part II

2012-01-06T21:40:00.004-06:00

Reading about the wise men

All the cousins

A little bit of wrestling to burn off some excess energy before calling it a day

Christmas - Part I

2012-01-06T21:07:00.004-06:00

Hannah whispered in awe: "Thank you."

"Thomas!"

Steven's camera smile

Posing by his train table

Potty Pics

2012-01-06T21:02:00.003-06:00

Race Car

2011-12-09T08:49:00.002-06:00

With Steven starting to read and write words, the kids will often ask me throughout the day, "How do you spell ______?" I'll often sound out the various phonics sounds, but sometimes (after spelling who knows how many words) I'll just spell them out.

Hannah: "How do you spell 'Hannah'?"

Me: "H-A-N-N-A-H"

Steven: "How do you spell 'Hannah Grace Carr'?"

Me: "Yes, that's right, her full name is 'Hannah Grace Carr'. It's spelled 'H-A-N-N-A-H G-R-A-C-E C-A-R-R'."

Hannah: "No, I'm just a sister, I'm not a race car."

Steven Reading

2011-11-30T18:08:00.002-06:00

Steven learned his alphabet before he could speak the letters. He's always enjoyed books. Last week, he started reading. This is him reading from "Dick and Jane".

Family Pictures!

2011-11-25T12:18:00.004-06:00

Thanks, Matt, for the great pictures!

Fibromyalsia

2011-11-22T09:29:00.006-06:00

For those of you unfamiliar with the term, fibromyalgia, here's an insiteful link: http://fibroself-help.com/fibromyalgia.

When I was 21 years old, I came down with what felt like a flu bug, within 3 weeks it spiraled into a nightmare which I was convinced would end any day in death. To say I was tired feels like such an understatement. I would sleep for 10-12 hours at night, nap for 2 during the day and never wake feeling rested. I was nauseous whenever I ate. I hurt all the time. My mind was a foggy blur. I felt an emotional wreck. I had one constant headache that occasionally morphed into a migraine and back again. I had difficulty breathing and had to sleep sitting up so I could breathe. This is just a quick glimpse into my life then, I'll spare you all the details. I would describe myself as a dead man walking. I had no energy, no ambition. The only reason I got up in the morning was because I was alive. I knew if God hadn't taken me home yet then there was a reason I was still here, and as long as I was still here, I needed to do the best with what God had given me.

I sought medical advice, was ran through a myriad of doctors and tests. Various illnesses and diseases were ruled out. Often more questions were raised than answers. Eventually, a diagnosis: fibromyalgia. No known cause, no known cure.

For three years I was this dead man walking, expecting any time to join my Father in heaven, looking forward to it. I all but asked God to take me home, as I feared Him and knew He answered prayers and there was a part of me that wanted to live. I did often pray, however, that if it be His will, that He would take me home. I was more than ready to go when it was His will. I determined to not complain; afterall, if this was God's will for me, who was I to complain. Also, complaining took energy and thought; I had neither to spare. As the diagnosis took time, and even after it was achieved it didn't clarify much, I felt very much alone, unable to understand what was happening to me and why. I spoke nothing to anyone of what I thought was imminent: my coming death. I gave little explanation to my boss when I had to quit work, little explanation to others as I withdrew from various commitments: I couldn't explain to myself, how could I explain to anyone else? I clung to the only One who did understand.

Alas, God's ways are mysterious and He had other plans for me. At the end of almost exactly three years, my ambition and energy returned and life carried on. Since then I've never been completely "cured" or "healthy". I still deal with "flare-ups" and constant body pain. But I've never been back to that dark pit, that deep abyss, so near death, so foggy with maimed mind and ailing body. I have a much better understanding of my body, a better idea of my limitations.

During my last pregnancy, my health took a definite dive, and since then it's been my goal to reach a level of health so that we may be blessed with more children and I may be healthy enough to not only life through it, not only survive, but thrive and be the wife and mother I desire to be. As of late, I've been struggling with a cold-type bug, some flu-like symptoms. During which, a few of the symptoms of my "dead man" days have reared their head, albeit not in the same intensity. Since that is how my three year nightmare began, with flu-like symptoms, this has but just enough to remind of those days and honestly it scares me immensely. I do, however, have much advantage, as I better understand cause and effect at least for my own body. I know what I must do, although it's much work, takes time, effort and money. I have hope. I don't feel alone. I trust God in His Sovereignty.

I wanted to share this with you, as I know my fellow believers in Christ will pray for me. Thank you. Also, I know I'm not the only one suffering in this mortal body. May my walk be a blessing to others looking for answers, relief, hope.

Here's a little something I'd like to share from my "dead man" days:

*************************

A Walk and a Talk With God

That morning was so typical of numerous others, too numerous to count. I awoke stiff and sore and tired. I wanted nothing more but to roll over and go back to sleep - for a few days maybe. Instead, I forced myself to move, to get out of bed, get dressed and go for a walk. I was moving as quickly as my body allowed, which wasn't much - I felt as though I was going in slow motion. "No hurry", I told myself, "just put one foot in front of the other, you'll make it - eventually", I thought, trying to keep positive. I was trying to walk 1 1/2 miles on as many days as I could. It felt grueling as I slowly moved along.

"This is amazing", I thought, "I'm 22 years old, yet I feel like an old woman - have for years now..." I tried to push the thought out of my mind. It was hard not to think about it. My body hurt and I wished

I were dead. But I'm a Christian, a believer in Jesus Christ. And I trust him with every detail of my life, including this ever eluding health (or lack thereof) dilemma. I tried to think happy thoughts as I walked slowly along. Often I felt as though I could relate to Job's dilemma in the bible. And so, I tried to pray for my family, my friends, anyone, anything, just not me. I tried to stay positive, to not be selfish. I tried not to throw any "pity parties". But of course my efforts were in vain. Soon I couldn't hold back the tears. Soon I couldn't hold back my desperate plea. And so, toward the end of my walk, I had a talk with God.

"God", I cried, "I love you more than anything. My whole life, my whole existence, my whole point of being here is to live for you, to draw others to you, to do your work here. My backpack is full, God. I make the bulletins at church for you, I play the hymns at church for you, I head-up and teach Kid's Club at church for you, I teach Sunday School at church for you, I'm the director of a teenage drama group for you... God, the list goes on. I love these things; I thrive on these things; these things are for you, God; but my backpack is full. This health thing that I'm dealing with - I can't handle it - it's too much - it just won't fit into my backpack."

God replied in his still, small voice, "This is the load I have for you to carry." He was referring to "this health thing".

"But God, it won't fit into my backpack", I pleaded with tears running down my cheeks.

Lovingly, he replied, "Then empty your backpack, because this is the load that I have for you to carry."

Caught by surprise, his response was not something I had at all expected. He hadn't said it, but it was implied that this was his will for now, not necessarily forever, although I wasn't allowed to know for sure. Afterall, it is faith that is to drive us, not sight. Slowly I started to nod. Recognizing that if something is God's will, then he provides the means to do it, I knew that he'd provide the strength both to empty my backpack and then to allow "this health thing" to fill it. I wasn't sure which one would require more strength, but I knew he'd provide. His peace swept over me as I accepted his will.

I stopped right there, near the end of my walk, slowly heaved my heavy overflowing backpack off my shoulders, and dropped it to the ground. Slowly and carefully, I knelt down and opened it up. I pulled out my commitments, one by one, and handed them back to God, who's hands were open wide. And then, once my backpack was empty, I looked up and let my heavenly Father fill my backpack with the load he willed for me to carry. I smiled as I realized the load fit just perfectly. Up until then, I had been equating my self-worth with how much I was doing for God. With my health getting in the way of doing these things well, thus overflowing my backpack, I felt worthless. Now I was beginning to see that it wasn't what I was doing for God that mattered, all that mattered was that I was in his will. For if we are in the will of God, there is no more better place to be.

With new determination and strength, I lifted my backpack and put it on my shoulders once more. "Thank you, God. I love you."

"I love you too, child", was his sweet reply.

I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I knew I was to press on. With tears running down my cheeks, I did just that.

Charles & a Mommy-Moment

2011-11-13T19:56:00.004-06:00

Charles is our little quiet man. Very content child. He loves to snuggle. He says more words than we catch, most of his talking sounds like indiscernible baby talk.

Our nursing times are becoming more special, as I'm working on day-weaning Charles (haven't nursed during the day for the past two days). This evening, as I was nursing him before bed, he stopped, looked up at me, smiled and said very clearly, "ha-ppy". I couldn't help but smile. I repeated "happy" back to him (as if to ask, "are you happy?"), he repeated it back to me (as if to answer, "yes, mom, I'm happy"), big smile on his face.

Steve & Crystal Update

2011-11-04T08:20:00.003-05:00

STEVE:

Steve's been working for Metro Mobility in Minneapolis, driving bus for handicapped and elderly. He enjoys driving and working with people, although the hours are long. He's been putting in over 60 hours/week since we've moved into our new place in Crystal.

Recently our car when ka-poot, so Steve's road his bicycle to work on days I've needed the car.

He's enjoyed teaching part of the series in our adult Sunday School class. He also enjoys his time with the kids, trying to keep up with friends and continuing reading and studying.

CRYSTAL:

Besides enjoying and teaching the kids, feeding them, keeping the house in order, etc., I keep pretty busy with Norwex parties, doing some accounting work from home, attempting to find time to sew, teach the 3-year old Sunday School Class, and am helping to organize Women's Small Groups in our church. I'm enjoying deepening my friendships with the women of our church.

Life is full and busy right now. (When is it not?)

Kid's Update

2011-11-04T07:44:00.003-05:00

On Pottying...

For those of you who recall (or care), I did infant pottying with Steven, starting when he was 5 weeks old; Hannah was started at 5 days old. Charles wasn't started. :) Infant pottying can be a lot of fun and brings you to another level of communication with your child; however, it can be very time consuming. With Steven, I tried to catch every potty; with Hannah, I put her on the potty basically just during diaper changes.; with Charles, there was no time. :) Due to our crazy, busy lives, full of kids and moving around and job changes, etc., Steven's full potty training was delayed numerous times. He is now, however, fully day-trained, which has been wonderful. Hannah is currently being trained. She seems ready enough, hopefully I can just stay ready. :) Last week, I acquired another potty seat (I really like the Baby Bjorn brand of potty seats). I thought, since I now have three potties and three kids, why not potty Charles while I'm pottying the others anyways. Charles has actually gone on the potty now about 6 or so times, half of which have been #2. I don't know if it'll amount to anything, but here's to trying! And, as Charles is back into cloth, a saved diaper is great! So, Steven was 5 weeks old when he first went on the potty, Hannah was 5 days old and Charles was 14 months old - what a late-comer! ;)

On Growing and Doing...

STEVEN:

Steven is 3 1/2 years old now. He's always liked books and letters. He can now legibly write almost all his letters and a few of his numbers. He's enjoys having words spelled or sounded out to him so he can write them down. His favorite letter is "S", for "Steven"; his next favorite is "T" for "Train". He loves Thomas the train, and any train for that matter. His favorite thing to draw is Thomas. He loves to hang any of his writings or drawings on the fridge, holding them in place with our letter magnets.

I joke that Steven is our little teenager, as he likes to sleep in. He'd stay up real late, if I let him and then sleep til noon. If I turn on his light in the morning before he'd like, even if he's laying there awake, he says, "I'm still sleeping" and rolls over.

Steven likes playing board games, doing puzzles and playing with Hannah.

He can be mischievousness and likes to coax Hannah to disobey.

HANNAH:

Hannah is now 2 1/4. She's a talkative one. She has quite the vocabulary, not much less than Steven, I don't think. She can count past 10. She knows her letters. The other day she surprised me, as I was doing some phonics work with Steven. I held up an "A" and Hannah says "a, A, ah". Turns out she knows most of her single phonics sounds, too.

Hannah loves playing with Steven and they will often jibber jabber back in forth in some unknown tongue. They love playing with their animals or babies, pretend to make food, play going to the store. They are adorable to watch.

Hannah is my little girl. She can be so tender and sweet.

CHARLES:

Charles is now 14 months old. He's been walking for four months now and is an old pro. He loves to climb. If a chair is pulled away from the kitchen table he sees it as an open invitation to climb onto the table. He can climb up and down stairs just fine. He amazingly enough hasn't attempted another crib escape since that one time months and months back.

Charles loves books and often when the kids have been playing out of view and the house seems just a wee too quiet, I'll find Hannah and Steven playing nicely with their toys and Charles sitting on the floor perusing a children's book. I definitely relish those moments.

Charles says more words than we often take time to realize. Recently Hannah was crying over something and Charles walked up to her and gave her a hug and kiss. He's a very sweet, quiet little guy.

Recently I noticed he's been a bit more cantankerous than normal and realized he must be teething. I checked his mouth, sure enough he's cutting SIX teeth - poor thing.

Our Kids...

2011-10-06T22:34:00.004-05:00

Taken at the end of March, at our home in Hinckley

Taken in April, at our home in Hinckley

Taken at the end of May in our yard in Hinckley. Hannah & Charles often get mistaken for twins.

Taken at the beginning of June, Charles sitting by the driveway at our home in Hinckley

Charles and Smokey. Smokey is a very calm, nice kitty. He stayed at the farm in Hinckley, although I was tempted to take him with me when we moved.

Playing at my (Crystal's) Uncle Russ & Aunt Mary's home (we were blessed to stay with them for the month of July while we lined up housing).

Playing at Uncle Russ & Aunt Mary's

State Fair

2011-10-06T22:08:00.005-05:00

We brought the kids to the State Fair to celebrate Charles' birthday. When you walk around with three kids so close in age you often generate sympathy. On the way in, someone handed us some ride tickets, saying they were done. Hannah and Steven each went on a ride of their choosing.

Here's Hannah on the Cars.

Below is Steven. He Absolutely LOVES trains, so naturally he chose the train ride. He also likes to smile ferociously for cameras (when he's in the mood). Put those two things together, and these pics just crack me up!

So thrilled to be riding "Thomas" (most trains are called Thomas, unless of course they're Percy or Henry or James...)

"Smile!"

Here's a clip of Steven on the train ride. See if you can pick him out. That boy makes me laugh!

Hannah's Stroller

2011-09-27T10:36:00.003-05:00

Grandmas recently gave Hannah a pink doll stroller. She absolutely LOVED it. Yes, "LOVED" is past tense. Steven also liked it a lot. Mostly, he liked to take it and push it around while Hannah screamed for him to bring it back. A couple days ago this is what he did. Only he tripped and fell onto the stroller, breaking one of its legs. Into the trash it went. Hannah was devestated.

However, I quickly remedied it by hooking her up with my Baby Bjorn Carrier.

Steven then wanted one, so he got a backpack carrier.

Maybe a Hannah/Steven sized doll carrier will be my next sewing projects?

(Charles thought it was still operational without one leg)

Charles turned ONE in September

2011-09-26T23:35:00.005-05:00

Charles, just like Steven and Hannah, likes books

To celebrate Charles' first birthday, we went to the State Fair

Charles loves animals

My double stroller has had much use hauling my three kiddos. Charles has recently started to protest, as the backseat is becoming a little too snug for both him and Steven (normally Hannah rides behind Charles).

Charles loves playing in the water, just like Steven and Hannah.

* * * * *

Charles has been such a sweet, contented baby. He can be so quiet, you almost forget he's there. Just like my Steven and Hannah, Charles was moving early. He took his first step at 10 months old and I sometimes have to run to catch him now. He can go up and down steps, although he's just recently seemed to get a hold on the "down" part. He loves to snuggle, enjoys books and loves soft things. He's just about as big as Hannah and I'm often asked if they're twins. I'm pretty sure he says more words than I realize. He loves to smile.

Hannah turned TWO in June

2011-09-26T23:26:00.004-05:00

Cake made by Grandma (yeah! no sugary frosting!!)

She's so sweet, even with a messy face!

* * * * *

Hannah is a bundle full of energy. She loves animals. She must be doing everything Steven is, and most of the time keeps up just fine. She seems to be able to say as much (or more) as he can. She loves to sing. She loves to point out airplanes. She gets very snuggly around naptime. She loves to be read to, play with toy animals, play with Steven, be outside and play at the park. She can be quite the drama-queen and throw fits when she doesn't get her way (we're working on that.) She's doing very well with her potty training, often staying dry all day, even if we're out and about.

Steven Turned THREE in March

2011-09-26T22:55:00.008-05:00

Playing "pin-the-smoke-stack-on-Thomas"

Steven absolutely LOVES trains, especially Thomas

Opening presents

I'm not one of those moms who make amazing creations out of their cakes (hats off to those who are), but I did draw him a Thomas.

* * * * *

Steven is almost 3 1/2 years old now. He can be a very energetic boy, and he loves to look at books, be read to, learn new things & play at the computer. He loves trains and playing with blocks. He's potty-trained (day trained) and can be very helpful. He loves to wrestle and snuggle. He loves playing outside, going to the park or going for a drive. Whenever in the car, he wants to know which way we're going (right or left). He loves pointing out trains, train crossings and train bridges.

Almost a Year...

2011-09-26T22:52:00.002-05:00

It's been almost a full year since I've posted last. That would be because, well, a lot of reasons. One being that we haven't had internet for about a year. One being that life is just plain busy with three little blessings to tend to.

It's been a full, busy year.

We've made another move - to the twin city area - about 2 months ago. We're enjoying being so close to Steve's work and our church.

Birthday Costume Party

2010-10-18T13:47:00.004-05:00

The kids' cousin Ayden turned 7 this month - and had a costume birthday party.

Hannah - Cowgirl Sheriff (gun in right hand, blankie in left)

Cousins:
Hannah (cowgirl sheriff), Steven (construction worker), Charles (tigger), Jordan (spiderwoman), Brooke (princess), Marcus (hunter) & Tanner (spiderman).
Ayden didn't make it in this picture.

Siblings:
Steven, Hannah & Charles

Nap Time

2010-10-18T13:43:00.003-05:00

Caleb & Hannah

I babysat a friend of ours, Caleb, one day. Caleb was ready for nap before I got him into his bed, and Hannah, seeing he thought the rug was adequate enough to get comfy, decided she'd make her place there, too. They were too cute.

Charles - One Month Old

2010-10-15T13:52:00.002-05:00

He's been my most content baby.

Fun at the park

2010-10-15T13:46:00.003-05:00

We went to the park with my cousin Jennifer and her kids. All the kids at the playground were taking turns burying each other in the rocks. Steven decided he'd like a turn. When he was just about completely buried, he got scared and started to cry, trying to get up. I told him to wait just a minute so I could take another picture - and smile! He was so adorable, he tried to smile amidst his frowning face and I couldn't help but laugh, so I ended up with a blurry picture. (The above picture was taken just before the blurry one.)

Newborn Diaper Cover

2010-10-15T13:44:00.002-05:00

Charles, sporting one of my Newborn Diaper Covers from www.carrbaby.com.

Bathtime!

2010-10-15T13:43:00.002-05:00

Smile!

2010-10-15T13:42:00.000-05:00

Welcome Charles Gilbert Carr

2010-10-15T13:34:00.002-05:00

Charles Gilbert Carr, named after his grandfathers (Kevin Charles and Gilbert Dale), born September 2, 2010 at 12:02am at home.

My aunt, the tax accountant, gave us this onsie.

That makes THREE!

Steven & Charles

Hannah grew up overnight.

9 Months Pregnant

2010-10-15T13:31:00.001-05:00

Any day now... Charles arrived 1 week late.

Brotherly/Sisterly Love

2010-10-15T13:25:00.002-05:00

Boxes make great toys.

"Boat, Mama!"

They love to look at books (and make messes with all their toys!)

Playing outside at our new home

2010-10-15T13:23:00.001-05:00

Another Fair

2010-10-15T13:02:00.003-05:00

Hannah contentedly watched her older cousins and brother enjoy the rides.

Brooke, Steven, Tanner, Jordan & Ayden

Grandma & Grandpa Carr's

2010-10-15T12:58:00.004-05:00

Steven, their Grandpa Carr & Hannah

Hannah loves to play with her Grandma's doll and cradle.

Her Grandma got them with her in mind when Hannah was just a little baby.

(Hannah is their only granddaughter alongside 6 grandsons.)

Steven's favorite toys at his grandparent's house can be seen in the upper left of the photo - cars. He particulary likes all of his Grandpa's cars from the movie Cars.

Fun with Cousins

2010-10-15T12:55:00.003-05:00

Steven rode on rides at two different fairs with his cousins this summer.

Cousin Jacob and Steven

Ball with Daddy

2010-10-15T12:52:00.003-05:00

Steve joined my parents' church team one game during their softball league this summer.

Steven had fun watching Daddy play and playing with him after the game.

Steven likes to read

2010-10-15T12:51:00.001-05:00

He climbed onto the table to look at this book. I snuck up and took his picture.

Water Fun at Grandma & Grandpa's

2010-10-15T12:48:00.001-05:00

New Hair Cut

2010-10-15T12:46:00.003-05:00

I gave myself a haircut. (With the help of my sister-in-law.)

We cut off about 10 inches.

I'm One!

2010-10-15T12:44:00.001-05:00

It's my birthday and I can cry if I want to!

I'm one and I won't sit still!

Hannah's 1st Birthday (June 21)

2010-10-15T12:37:00.002-05:00

Banana Cake

Yum! More, please!

Second piece, here we go!

Mmmm, better than the first!

All done!

Where Have I Been?

2010-08-28T09:48:00.003-05:00

Hello to all our friends and family! It's been TOO long since I've posted last (nearly FOUR months!!). Let me fill you in on what we've been up to...

After searching for work in Colorado and having a few leads fall through, we came up to our deadline for deciding and so we chose to stay in Minnesota at least until after the birth of our third child. God's providence worked out such that we made a quick move to Hinckley, MN - much closer to family (we moved in the beginning of July). We're enjoying living on a berry farm, complete with a pet dog (he is an outside dog, so I can bear it :) ), 6 chickens (got our first egg yesterday!) & until recently, 3 cows. Soon, we'll have some barn cats, too. We're loving being in the country and having a yard for the kids to play in!

Through much prayer and searching, Steve decided to pursue a long-time desire of his, that of driving truck. He's done with trucking school, has his license, and is currently training with Werner, driving all over the US. We are thankful for God's provision.

Our third child, Charles Gilbert Carr (named after his grandpas) was born on September 2nd to us in our home. It was my most difficult pregnancy and labor and I'm thankful to have a beautiful and healthy child - and get on with recovery! He does seem to be my most content baby, which is a blessing! I am working on writing his birth story, for those of you interested.

Steven and Hannah are playing more and more nicely together. It's such a joy to see them play! They adore their little brother and often ask, "Hold? Hold?"

Hannah says lots of words. She's walking very well now, even running some. She's starting to really enjoy looking at books. She loves to mimic Steven and have him mimic her. She's 15 1/2 months old now. She's eating more and more with her spoon (instead of her hands), and has a mouth full of teeth (still waiting for a couple to come through). She's getting more hair (finally) and it has a cute curl to it.

Steven knows his numbers (0-10), letters, colors and some shapes. He can count to 10 with a little help. He's 2 1/2 years old. He's very helpful, fetching things for me when I ask him to, emptying the dryer into a laundry basket and bringing it to the couch for folding.

We're looking forward to this new season in our lives, as we plan to stay close to family for a year or so, working to get out of debt, and then see what's next as Steve hopes to continue on toward seminary.

I'll be doing a picture-posting marathon soon - once I get to my inlaws to use their highspeed internet connection (dialup just isn't working for my picture posting tonight).

Happy Birthday, Hannah!!

2010-06-21T20:38:00.001-05:00

Hannah turned 1 today! Pictures to come later!

Developing an interest in books...

2010-06-17T16:02:00.002-05:00

Steven's new napping position

2010-06-17T15:26:00.001-05:00

Yes, he is asleep!

(After taking the picture, I put my cute little guy onto his bed.

Thankfully, he didn't wake up.)

Am I Just Asking For Trouble?

2010-06-10T19:08:00.005-05:00

Am I just asking for trouble? Am I bored and need something else to do with my time? Do I think that raising a 2 year old and a 1 year old, not to mention being due with another one in 2 1/2 months isn't enough to do? Or how about not knowing if we'll be living in MN much longer and moving to CO? Do I need more chaos to my life? Oh yes, and what about already having two online businesses (www.scarletstitch.com and www.carrbaby.com)? I guess if I'm listing all my responsibilities, I better not leave out the accounting and website work I do on the side.

So what am I rambling on about? I joined the Norwex company.

So am I bored? Or crazy? Or any of the above? Why join a company NOW? Well, truth be told... I fell in love.

Yes, and Steve is perfectly fine with it. :) I fell in love with Norwex's products. And so, no, I'm not asking to be overloaded, I'm not bored, I'm not crazy (although some people might contest that one...), I just love their products.

What's so great about Norwex? To put it simply, their line has cleaning rags that clean BETTER than regular rags AND santize as you clean, using NO chemicals, ONLY WATER! They save you TIME, MONEY and the ENVIRONMENT, which helps save your HEALTH!

Our mainstay rag is made of super-fine microfiber (1/100 of a human hair) which means it picks the dirt and germs up instead of pushing them around. Due to this, cleaning any given area is QUICKER and EASIER. (Remember, all you're using is water.) Then, you rinse the rag out, wring it out and hang it to dry. There's silver that's intertwined in the fibers of the cloth and while the rag hangs there the silver does it's work - kills all the germs that are trapped in the rag. When you come back a few hours later to use your rag again, you're got a clean, "new" rag. Due to this silver-cleaning action, you can wait and wash your rag every week or even every other week, depending upon how much you use it - and you won't get that dirty rag smell!!

You can imagine how much laundry this would save you! I normally use at least 3 rags a day in the kitchen and 2 hand towels (especially if I'm baking or cooking a lot and washing/drying my hands often). So now, instead of having to wash around 21 rags/week and 14 hand towels/week, I can just wash TWO! Yes, because I can use the same rag on the table as I use on the kids faces - because the silver is killing the germs, I don't have to worry about cross-contaminating!!

Can you understand why I'm in love?

We have many other products, using the same concept, including a mop (amazing!!), hand towels, wash cloths, bath towels - to name a few. Oh, and we have a dry rag that works wonders on mirrors, windows and anything shiny - cleaning BETTER, using only WATER!! No more chemicals!

If you'd like to hear more about the products we offer, book a show at your home (we offer an AMAZING hostess package!!), or place an order - let me know!

Steven's Pottying

2010-06-07T20:18:00.002-05:00

Remember ECing?

I had been ECing (Elimination Communication ie. infant pottying) with Steven since he was 5 weeks old (and Hannah since she was 5 days old). We moved to Minnesota in August 2009, and about 1 month after we moved Steven was getting 4 teeth - 2 eye teeth and 2 molars. He'd always lost some interest in pottying during teething (this is normal), but had still gone a number of times during the day during teething times. This time was different, he lost all interest in pottying and stopped going altogether. I knew it was because of the teething and didn't push it. Unfortunately, I got caught up in the many things I needed to do (after just moving and all) and when he was ready to get back on, I wasn't. So, months later, when I decided to pick up again, he was no longer interested. My bad.

I decided not to push him, as I had other priorities too. I'd ask him often if he needed to go. I started to put him on before bed time and nap time. He started to sit there long enough to be able to go, as he'd rather postpone bed time and nap time, but wasn't going very often at all - maybe once a week at best.

Lately, he's been requesting "potty" a little more often and for the past 4 or so nights has gone each evening just before bed. (For quite awhile he's sat on the potty at these times, "reading" and really putting off going to bed, but wouldn't go on the potty.)

This is very exciting for me. We're encouraging him and look forward to him starting to go more during the day.

On a side note: Hannah goes on the potty still. I just take her when I'm changing her diaper anyways. Hopefully I won't let the ball drop with her - but if I do, oh well - life happens :)

Scarlet Stitch Sale

2010-06-07T14:50:00.004-05:00

Visit my site: www.scarletstitch.com

50% off almost everything,

through Friday, June 11th!!

(20% off suspenders, Tuffet Hats are not on sale).

Enjoy!!

Possibly Moving

2010-06-05T10:28:00.004-05:00

It's been busy here at the Carr household, as I mentioned in a previous post. Here's what's going on...

As you know, due to the poor economy in Michigan, we moved back to Minnesota last August for work. Steve's been blessed with a job at the tax office, and we've been blessed with affordable housing through my aunt. We've enjoyed our unexpected season back in Minnesota, closer to family.

Through much prayer, consideration, seeking counsel, etc., Steve would like to start seminary this fall. He's hoping to attend New Geneva Seminary in Colorado Springs, CO. He was laid off from work after tax season here in MN. We took a trip to Colorado to check out work, housing and the seminary at the end of April. We set June 15th as our deadline - if he finds work in CO by then, we'll move before the baby is born (due August 26th), if not, we'll look at moving later in the year or even next summer.

Steve will be heading out to Colorado on Monday to job search there. If by the 15th he doesn't find work, he'll head back home and we'll plan on staying in MN until after the baby is born. If he does find work, he may come back to get us or start work and come back within the month to get us - just depends upon when they want him to start and such.

In the meanwhile, I'll be home with the kids, ready to pull together a packing party if I hear word from Steve that he has landed a job. (If you're in the area and want to be included, let me know!)

We appreciate your prayers as we seek and wait upon the Lord!

First Step

2010-06-05T09:40:00.001-05:00

Hannah's been on the verge of walking for a month or so now. She just took her first step by herself - 11 1/2 months old. She looked so proud (she even had a toy in each hand!)

Quick Update

2010-06-03T22:42:00.002-05:00

Life has been BUSY, hence my non-existent blogging in awhile.

Steven ~

2 years old. Loves to line his toys up; loves to read; loves to copy Hannah; loves to play with Hannah. He's playing more and more with older kids - very fun for me to watch!

Hannah ~

Turns one in 2 1/2 weeks! She's got 6 teeth; loves to eat; loves to copy Steven; loves to play with Steven. She's zooming up and down stairs, cruising furniture, standing on her own - hasn't taken her first independent step yet.

We're enjoying them immensely. :)

Camping

2010-06-03T22:29:00.003-05:00

Daddy & Hannah, living the good life.

Hannah, Grandpa & Steven

Grandpa & Hannah

Steven, waiting for Daddy

Ready for a hike

Crystal, Hannah & a baby bump

"I know I'm cute."

Happy Birthday, Ethan!

(Crystal, Hannah & baby bump are 2nd in from the right)

Mowing Grandma & Grandpa's Lawn

2010-06-03T22:27:00.000-05:00

More Backyard Fun

2010-06-03T22:26:00.001-05:00

Steven Playing

2010-06-03T22:24:00.001-05:00

Notice his cars all in a line. Steven's reading a book; notice his kitty is reading, too.

A Visit to the Park

2010-06-03T22:21:00.001-05:00

Hannah Loves to Eat!

2010-06-03T22:17:00.001-05:00

Banana in one hand; banana muffin in the other.

Backyard Water Fun

2010-06-03T22:16:00.000-05:00

Steven loves to help in the kitchen!

2010-06-03T22:14:00.001-05:00

Steven had fun measuring away while I made muffins.

Who Made You?

2010-04-09T18:12:00.001-05:00

I haven't asked Steven questions from the children's catechism for awhile now. Steve just asked him at dinner, "Who made you?" His reply? "Momma!"

20 Weeks

2010-04-09T08:44:00.000-05:00

Half way there!

Growing

2010-03-20T13:02:00.003-05:00

Hannah climbed our first flight of stairs this morning - all by herself. I was upstairs tending to Steven. Thankfully she was determined on going up and didn't attempt to go back down. She hasn't fallen yet, although she's only climbed stairs about 1/2 dozen or so times now - up until now it was only 2 steps at a time.

Steven turns two on Wednesday, Hannah is 9 months old as of tomorrow. They are so much fun (most of the time!)

2010-03-20T12:53:00.005-05:00

Steven: "Am I in trouble?"

After one of Hannah's naps, I was on the phone and Steven was anxious to see her, so I opened the door and let him in. A few minutes later, after I finished my phone call, I came in the room. Hannah was quietly sitting there, near buried under a mountain of stuff that Steven had happily piled in her crib.

Steven was thrilled to play in his new playground creation. He climbed on the bin and flipped himself in.

Hannah had fun being in there with Steven.

2010-03-20T12:50:00.000-05:00

New Toy Box

2010-03-20T12:48:00.002-05:00

Grandma C. got Steven a new toy box for his upcoming birthday (he turns two on Wednesday!) The kids love to sit/stand/kneel in front of it, taking toys out and laughing.

Steven's Numbers

2010-03-20T12:45:00.002-05:00

Steven "Reading"

2010-03-20T12:42:00.001-05:00

Sew Much?

2010-03-10T12:42:00.002-06:00

I'm grateful for all the sewing I'm able to do.

Here's a few of my projects of late:

Medium/Small Cover & Pocket Diaper (Gifts)

Medium/Small Pocket Diapers (Order)

Medium/Small Diaper Covers (Order)

Medium/Small & Small Pocket Diapers - photo is missing one of each size
(made for Hannah & Steven)

Feeding Herself Bananas... Yum!

2010-03-10T12:39:00.000-06:00

Daddy Time

2010-03-10T12:38:00.001-06:00

Muscle Man

2010-03-10T12:36:00.000-06:00

Trying out the leggings Mommy made...

2010-03-10T12:33:00.000-06:00

Steven Pics

2010-03-10T12:31:00.001-06:00

Sledding with Grandma

Buddies: Steven & his cousin, Tanner

Kiddo Pics

2010-03-10T12:25:00.001-06:00

Hannah (looking for food?)

Teaching Hannah to do stairs

Steven in his Scarlet Stitch Trousers and Suspenders

Playing

I love books!

Haven't Blogged Lately...

2010-02-14T21:37:00.002-06:00

Things have been busy in the Carr household, hence my lack of blogging in such a long time (and hence my past "catch-up" blog posts).

STEVE ~

In the heat of tax season now. Enjoying keeping busy, working Monday - Friday and every other Saturday. He's also enjoying teaching Sunday School at our church in Farmington.

STEVEN ~

He's talking more and more. Tonight her came out of the room carrying one of his number books - full of the number 8. He was pointing to all the eights and saying "eight, eight". He says Hannah often, but rarely Daddy or Mommy. He can answer the first three questions of the Children's Catechism - the first answer is "God" (Q: Who made you?). The second he answers with his hands "All things" (Q: What else did God make?). The third he answers with his hands and trying to repeat what I say "For his own glory" (Q: Why did God make you and all things?).

He's walking up and down stairs more and more on his feet instead of on his knees.

He loves Hannah; loves to hold her, talk to her, climb on her, push her face into the floor, make her cry by screaming piercing screams at bedtime, tickle her, help hold her bottle when she's eating, pat her head, point out her ears and eyes and nose and mouth, play with her, share his sippy cup with her, try to share his food with her.

HANNAH ~

She's a week shy of turning 8 months old. She's standing up more and more. She's crawling like crazy. She climbed up one stair today all by herself (look out!). She's eating some solids. She loves to sit and play in the tub during bath time. She loves watching Steven and loves his attentions... most of the time. She's very smiley and laughs to laugh and be tickled.

CRYSTAL ~

I'm 12 1/2 weeks pregnant. So far I've only suffered about 2 weeks of nausea which is now long gone. I'm getting a little baby bump.

I'm enjoying my little ones, loving to see them play together.

I'm sewing more and more. Recently I've sewn 8 diapers for Hannah and 4 for Steven, with 4 more to finish. I'll have to take pictures when those ones are done. I've got a couple diaper orders to work on, as well as some outfits for Scarlet Stitch. I've got about a month's worth of sewing lined up and am loving it.

Some of what I've been doing the past couple months...

2010-02-14T21:29:00.005-06:00

Back side of a dress for Hannah

Matching shirts for Steven and his boy cousins on Steve's side

(I forgot to photograph the hats)

Pot holders - gift

Boy's outfit - gift.

Small pocket diaper - gift.

Medium/Small Pocket Diaper (on small setting) - order

Another boy's outfit - gift

Medium/Small Diaper Cover (on small setting) - order

Same as the previous picture, set to the large setting

4 Medium/Small Pocket Diapers - order

1 Medium/Small Pocket Diaper and 1 Medium/Small Diaper Cover (same as above) - order

2 Dresses (made a third one for Hannah) - gifts

Small Diaper Cover - order

Dress - gift

Catching up on pictures...

2010-02-14T21:11:00.006-06:00

Quality Daddy Time

She liked the wrapping...

I made all the boys (on Steve's side of the family) matching shirts and hats.

Here, they're piling onto Grandpa.

Sweet Hannah, asleep in Mommy's sling.

Steven with Grandpa.

Mommy & her kiddos.

Hannah's first solids (while visiting in Grand Rapids, MI)

Steven hugging his friend Hadassah with her daddy watching.

(During our visit to GR, MI)

First time Hannah gets a bottle from Grandma.

Getting bundled to go outside.

Made his first snowman with Grandma C. while visiting friends in MI.

Steven & Adam & his pet bird.

Grace and the kids.

Grace's sister, Theresa, and the kids.

He loves to "help" Hannah eat.

"I can stand!"

He loves to share his sippy.

She loves her daddy!

"Yes, I'm cute!"

Reading together.

He loves to play with Hannah, especially climbing all over her

(she doesn't seem to mind - most of the time).

Sibling Love

2010-01-23T20:43:00.002-06:00

Hannah Grace

2010-01-23T20:38:00.004-06:00

While in Michigan for 2 weeks, Hannah started to ...

... pull herself up to standing,

... sit,

... and turned 7 months old!
(all in that order)

Michigan!!

2010-01-08T10:44:00.002-06:00

I'm so very excited to be leaving TOMORROW to go to Michigan to visit friends! I pray I'll travel well (have been dealing with some queeziness).

Also, last night, Steven decided to master the art of getting out of the pack 'n' play when he should be asleep. Should be a *fun* time away! Oh well! The joys of parenting! :)

Another Blessing!

2010-01-07T09:48:00.003-06:00

I'm pregnant! Due August 26, 2010. I've been feeling queezy this time around, something new for me. I also caught the 12 hour flu a couple days back - so thankful it was the flu and not my pregnancy - it was awful!

Official First Crawling - TODAY!

2009-12-17T21:29:00.002-06:00

Hannah's been scooting around on her tummy, slowly getting to where she wants to go (the army crawl). She's been getting up on her hands and knees more and more. Tonight, she officially crawled (moving forward on the hands and knees, as opposed to just scooting with hands and feet and on tummy).

I've noticed a few times today that her legs keep wanting to turn under her as if she's going to sit down. Sitting will be soon I suppose. :)

Alphabet Book

2009-12-01T22:40:00.002-06:00

Busy! Updates on the Kids...

2009-11-18T22:09:00.006-06:00

It feels so busy around here! It feels like it's been awhile since I've written. We've been enjoying deer season at my folk's place - one more weekend to get our deer! Steve's been doing the hunting, I'm having fun visiting and tending to the kiddos. It's so fun to see Steven interact with his cousins!

HANNAH ~
On Night Sleeping:
I had hoped the sleeping-through-the-night was the new trend, unfortunately, it was the exception. She's back to waking often. I did find out the most likely culprit, however - teething. I'll have to look back at Steven's baby calendar, but if I recall correctly, I think he was closer to 6 months old when he popped his first teeth, not 4 months old! Hannah's a petite gal, too, smaller than he was, so I've contented myself with accepting the night nursing for awhile yet before trying again to back off. I'm just making sure to not nurse her more frequently than I do during the day.

On Naps:
Hannah takes her naps like clockwork and goes down fairly easy when we're at home and there's a fan nearby. She tends to fight her last nap of the day, sometimes not taking it altogether. When we're out, she'll go to sleep contendedly in my sling or carrier, but my back can only handle carrying her for a short while before I'm in pain, so I use this only when it's most convenient to do so. Either putting her in the sling, or snuggling her in my arms is our favorite way to get her nap in while at church. Once she's asleep, I'll often lay her down next to me, in order to spare my arms and back. Last Sunday, I did indulge in the church nursery and let the gals in there hold her and put her to sleep. They enjoyed that and Hannah slept beautifully.

STEVEN ~
On Obedience:
There's a few things that I can think of that Steven will do almost everytime I ask him to: throw something in the garbage (he particularly likes to throw away kleenex, as well as wipe his nose with it), empty the dryer, get into his high chair & go upstairs for a bath (although he has been slacking in his enthusiasm for this the past couple nights). He does fairly well with cleaning up his toys, with a major factor being how tired he is. He will play nicely with Hannah when he knows I'm watching; when I'm not watching, sometimes he likes to experiment with hitting or sitting on her. He went through this head-butting/hitting stage that lasted a few weeks. He's at the tail-end of it, it seems. He's rarely head-butting, although there's still some issues with pushing and hitting. The head-butting was the most frusterating, as he got us good a few times.

On Going to Bed:
He's doing fairly well with bedtime. He will cry if he's wet or poopy or just not tired. He loves to snuggle and give hugs and kisses.

On Naps:
He's taking shorter naps now, or sometimes none at all. He typically takes one nap a day, if that, after lunch time. Even if he doesn't sleep, he stays in his crib until naptime is over. As my kids get older, I hope to maintain a quiet time in the middle of the day.

On Talking:
Steven still doesn't say very many audible words on a consistent basis; however, lately I have noticed him talking more. One new word that comes to mind is "eat".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm so very much enjoying our kids, seeing their smiles and hearing their laughs are such blessings. I enjoy seeing them both learning and growing. The thought of them makes me want so much to be a good and Godly mother to them. Children are such wonderful blessings from the Lord; I'm so grateful for his goodness to us!

Hannah

2009-11-18T22:06:00.003-06:00

Hannah managed to wiggle herself right under the bassinet.

Two bottom front teeth! Already at 4 months you could see and feel them!
(it's harder to see in the picture, versus real life)

Diaper Covers - with velcro

2009-11-18T22:05:00.001-06:00

These get mailed out tomorrow to a customer.

(2 Medium & 2 Small Diaper Covers, with Velcro)

Emptying the Dryer...

2009-11-16T20:16:00.002-06:00

Today, I asked Steven to empty the dryer, as I had to tend to Hannah. I left him in the laundry room with the dryer door open and a laundry basket. When I was done tending to Hannah, I was very pleased to find Steven emptying the last contents of the dryer into the laundry basket. Here's a recording of the next load - it was a large load and at the end, Steven got a little surprise - enjoy!

A Favorite Game...

2009-11-16T19:38:00.002-06:00

Steven loves piling the stuffed animals up and then moving the pile, one animal at a time, to another spot. Today he wanted to be put in his chair, with the tray on. I piled him high with animals. He loved it.

At a friend's this weekend...

2009-11-16T19:34:00.003-06:00

Tall Rocking Horse - Steven figured out how to climb up and down by himself.

He enjoyed playing the keyboard.

Rocking on the rocking horse.

Just Playing...

2009-11-16T19:32:00.000-06:00

Big Helper

2009-11-12T13:55:00.002-06:00

Steve didn't get there in time to record Steven empty the dryer all by himself; I'll have to get that recorded one of these days, very cute.

Canning

2009-11-10T22:09:00.005-06:00

I got a bunch of produce for basically free and needed to process it. I had mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots & some apples.

I froze some homemade cream of mushroom soup (left too much headroom, but better than not enough!) I found out in the nick of time that I couldn't put these in the pressure canner since they contained dairy - if I had, I would've had a big mess on my hands!

Cooking down the tomatoes; carrots in the pressure canner.

3 quarts of carrots, 4 pints & 1 smaller jar of mushroom soup (these ones were NOT CREAM of mushroom), 3 pints of applesauce & almost 1 quart - which made it to the fridge, 8 pints of tomato sauce, 9 pints of carrots.

The applesauce and tomato sauce were canned in a hot water bath, the rest were canned in a pressure canner. This was the first time I used my pressure canner. I was slightly intimidated by it, but now I look forward to using it more. I have a bunch of potatoes I plan on canning, one of these days.

By the way, a word to the wise, don't start working on canning at 7:30pm, it takes a lot longer than one may think!

So what did Steven do while I was canning during the day?

Rearrange my cupboards

Play with anything he could reach on the counter

Spread his things around the livingroom randomly... sippy cup, flash cards, books, toys, etc.

Help sort my canning jars & lids while sitting in the box with them

And Hannah? Why, she was happy watching Steven.

More From Visiting for Deer Hunting

2009-11-10T21:55:00.002-06:00

Great Uncle Mike from Alaska & Hannah

Auntie Corrie (due with baby #3 in mid-January) & Steven

Cousin Jordan, playing dress-up

Cousin Tanner

Visiting My Parents Place for Deer Hunting

2009-11-10T21:47:00.003-06:00

Grandpa Engel & Hannah

Cousin Tanner (4 months older than Steven)

Grandpa Engel & Hannah

Steven & Cousin Tanner, buds

Grandpa Engel & Hannah

Cousin Jordan (mama hen) & Steven

Cutie Pie

2009-11-10T21:44:00.001-06:00

Pics while waiting to go out...

2009-11-10T21:39:00.002-06:00

Is THIS a smile?

Um, does she have to lean on me?

Kissing Hannah

Steven & Hannah

2009-11-10T21:33:00.003-06:00

Steven: Uh, I was just...

Steven: ...giving her a hug, see?

(Steven's real motive, he likes to sit on Hannah.
Hannah never seems to mind, although I do.)

Steven helping me cook

2009-11-10T21:28:00.001-06:00

Another Night...

2009-11-05T21:18:00.000-06:00

So, for those of you interested, last night Hannah went 8 hours between feedings without waking, then nursed and slept for another 4 hours before waking. I hope this is the new trend.
(Now if only I can discipline myself to go to bed in a timely manner, I'll get some decent sleep. Speaking of which, good night!)

Hannah - More on Sleeping...

2009-11-04T08:01:00.001-06:00

After writing about Hannah last night, it got me thinking about her sleeping at night. At her age she physically doesn't need to eat as often as she does throughout the night, so therefore she's doing it out of habit and comfort.

Last night, when she awoke 4 hours after her last feeding, instead of doing what is easiest (potty her, nurse her, lay her back down), I instead listened to her cry and realized she was making the tired cry, not the hungry cry (confirming my suspicions that she wasn't waking due to physical hunger, but more out of habit and comfort).

So, I changed her diaper and then laid her back down. As expected, she wasn't very thrilled about this change in schedule, and cried some as I patted and rubbed her back. It definitely took some patience as no one likes a crying baby in the middle of the night, especially when you know how to "fix" it.

However, my patience quickly paid off, as she was asleep within ten minutes. Typically, if I had nursed her, she would've been back asleep in about that time as well. Also, if I had nursed her, she would've woke again in about 3 hours. This time, she didn't wake for another 4 hours, giving us a total of 8 hours between feedings.

At first, it may seem backwards that feeding a baby less often will result in more sleep. However, a closer look reveals why. When a baby is eating out of habit and/or comfort instead of for physical nourishment, they become reliant upon eating in order to go back to sleep. Hence, they wake easily and expect to eat. When you teach your baby how to put themselves back to sleep without eating, they learn this and are able to sleep longer.

On a side note: I share this because I know I enjoy hearing other mother's stories and methods; we can learn so much from each other if we can listen with open ears. However, I am in no way saying that every mom should treat night sleep/nursing how I have, nor that all babies are the same. Many moms I know acknowledge that their baby's night nursing is for habit/comfort, and they prefer it that way. Parenting is made up of a whole lot of conscience decisions, based upon what we value. I'm thankful that God has placed babies in many different families and we can, by His grace, raise them how we deem best.

Carr Updates

2009-11-03T21:51:00.000-06:00

HANNAH ~
On Moving About:
As of last week, Hannah is officially mobile! She can easily roll over multiple times to reach a destination, as well as twist and turn herself about, as well as inch herself along on her belly.

On Being a Sister:
She LOVES to watch Steven (even if he's trying to sit on her).

On ECing:
I'm very pleased with her pottying, as she's going 3-4 times/day in the potty. If I'm able to get to her right away when she awakes from a nap or sleeping, then she is often dry and goes in the potty (sometimes she is wet, but still goes in the potty when she wakes up). This should be enough to continue to develop her pottying muscles, as well as keep her awareness of these functions awake. Having two kiddos, I don't have time to be over-zealous. :)

On Sleep:
Hannah now typically has about a 4 or 4 1/2 hour stretch sometime in the night, otherwise she is waking about every 3 hours to eat (and go potty). As long as I have that 4 - 4 1/2 hour stretch, I'm doing good :). For awhile she was slipping a night in there every few days where she would wake more often than every three hours, which was difficult, as I knew she didn't need to eat, but I think we've pulled through that now - hopefully.

It seems to me that babies need to suck (or really want to) in order to fall asleep. There's a number of methods by which this can be met: breast, bottle, pacifier, thumb. I do not think it is necessary for babies to eat in order to fall asleep, however it's definitely the mom's perogative as to which method she chooses for her child. Steven had a "plug" (pacifier), Hannah has her thumb. As of right now, I much prefer the thumb. She always has it with her, it never gets lost or falls out, she can control it, etc. We'll see if I still prefer the thumb in 3 years :).

On Her Routine:
Hannah's general routine, for those of you interested, is as follows.
WAKE. She wakes up for the day between 7:30am and 9:00am. She goes potty/diaper change if needed.
EAT. Nurses.
ACTIVITY. Gets dressed for the day. She'll stay awake until it's nap time (normally 1 hour after nursing). During this time she'll often play on the floor with toys and watch Steven play.
SLEEP. Before her nap, I take her potty/change her diaper if needed, pat her back gently to make sure she doesn't have any burps, then lay her down on the Bonner Bed (co-sleeper next to my bed) and she gets her thumb and blanky and goes to sleep. I highly enjoy the satisfaction that comes when she goes to sleep quietly and contentedly on her own (which, by the way, does not happen every nap time.)
She'll repeat this basic routine, WAKE, EAT, ACTIVITY, SLEEP throughout the day, starting over roughly every 3 hours. She'll go to sleep for the night around 8 or 9pm. Throughout the night, she'll WAKE and be pottied, then EAT and go back to SLEEP. As I said above, she's been having a 4 - 4 1/2 hour stretch in there, otherwise she's waking about every 3 hours at night to potty/eat.

STEVEN ~
On Moving About:
He's enjoying going up the stairs in various ways: standing up while holding onto the railing, crawling up them, as well as going up sideways and almost lying on each step as he goes. He's still not a proficient climber (yes!) and often needs help getting onto furniture.

On Being a Brother:
He typically enjoys Hannah. He likes to give her kisses and hugs when he knows I'm looking. When he doesn't think I'm looking, he would like to experiment with slapping her on the head, sitting on her back or stomach, pushing her around on the floor, trying to roll her over multiple times, sitting and jumping on her, to name a few. These actions require my patience and loving discipline. For the most part, I don't think he's trying to hurt her, just trying out cause and effect.

On ECing:
This is the worst stretch so far on the ECing journey, as well as the longest lasting setback. Shortly after we moved, Steven started working on four new teeth and started doing poorly with ECing. He's still working on the last bit of those teeth, as well as fighting a cold and is still doing very poorly. He's dropped down to getting maybe two catches a week in the potty. During previous setbacks we seemed to still catch at least a couple a day. However, Steven is still very aware of the potty and when he needs to go. I do think he will get back on track once his teeth are in... time will tell.

On Sleep:
Steven still sleeps in his crib, however I've been thinking more of transitioning him to his toddler bed. Tonight he motioned that he wanted to sleep in the toddler bed (I've let him sleep there for naps at times), so I told him he could sleep there, but if he got out of bed he would have to sleep in his crib. If he stayed in the bed he could sleep there. I shut off his light, left the room and closed the door. Of course I was slightly nervous about him getting out of bed and moving around in the dark room, so I kept my ears peeled. A little while later, I thought I'd better check on him, doubting he was still in his bed. I opened the door and realized I should've done it more cautiously, as he was right where I left him. He lifted his head up, squinting eyes. I went in and told him he was doing good - reinterated what I said earlier about getting up, etc. Left the room. He did fine until a little while later, I think he was asleep and then awoke to go potty. After getting a new diaper and being laid back down. He decided to get up. So, into the crib he went. I think I'll keep doing this every night now. (I'd like to move Hannah to the crib soon, as she's moving all over the place.)

He'll typically take one nap a day - just after lunch time - and will sleep between 2-4 hours. His bedtime is between 7-8pm, depending upon how long nap time was (or if he took one).

STEVE ~
Keeping busy with a couple classes at Puritan via long-distance and work. He recently took a trip with his brother to the BWCA and had a nice time camping in the cold.

CRYSTAL ~
I'm doing a diaper drive for New Hope Uganda. If you'd like to help, please check out my website: http://www.carrbaby.com/ for details (click on the Diaper Drive page).

Have enjoyed an online diaper hunt. Check it out if you like cloth diapering.

Projects

2009-10-26T23:07:00.000-05:00

One Medium/Small Pocket Diaper for Hannah and Steven

3 Medium/Small Pocket Diapers for gifts

Portable Cloth High Chair

1. Place Pocket over back of chair, with cloth draping down onto the seat.

2. Place child onto cloth. Pull straps up between the legs.

3. Pull straps around child and tie behind back of chair.

2 Portable Cloth High Chairs in their carrying cases.