Wordless Wednesday: Initiation

When they are two they get to play with sparklers... Fun Mom!

Wordless Wednesday: Books

Indoctrination starts early... 

A new book found at a garage sale and purchased with his own money... he was anxious to show it to brother!

Pray for Baby AJ

A long time ago I worked at a summer camp and met a guy named Brett and his mom Yvonne.  A couple weeks ago I sold some of my cloth diapers to a mom through a facebook group.  I didn't know at the time that she was Brett's wife and the baby was AJ.

Then one week ago Yvonne posted on facebook that her grandson, AJ, had a horrible fall and was being airlifted to Seattle with a brain bleed.

AJ is 6 months old and was born prematurely in December.  Currently he's in the hospital in Seattle under sedation while they try to allow his brain to heal.  He had surgery to reduce the pressure and they left a piece of his skull out.  Then on Sunday he had a grand mal seizure and now they aren't sure if he's been having seizures since the injury or this is new.

Today he got a PICC line installed and will need a transfusion.

This little guy needs all the prayers he can get.

Brett and Sarah are now in Seattle with AJ full time so Yvonne has set up a YouCaring site to help them with their expenses.  Every little bit helps.  You can also read updates about AJ there or on CaringBridge.

Every time I look at my girls and they smile back at me I think of AJ and how his parents are missing this smile right now.  I just pray that he makes a full recovery and they see those smiles again soon.

Produce for Kids (with Giveaway)

We all know that eating more fresh fruits and veggies would help us be healthier, right?  Now we can eat healthier and help kids get healthy too.

Now through the end of July, Produce for Kids is partnering with grocery stores across the country in a Get Healthy, Give Hope campaign.  At participating Fred Meyer and Kroger locations you can make any produce purchase and the store will make a donation to the local children's hospital.  (see below for exact schedule)

And while you're shopping for your produce, keep an eye out for this display with Ideal Meal recipe cards for you to try.  Quick and easy healthy meal ideas centered around fresh fruits and veggies.  Perfect for our busy summer schedules!

Where we live there's a fruit stand on every corner and we love the farmer's markets in the summer!  So it's nice to know that our local Fred Meyer stores also source their produce locally - from the Northwest that means only Washington, Oregon, or Idaho when in season.

We've been the beneficiary of our local Seattle Children's Hospital so I'm happy to support this campaign and hope they will help many more children for years to come.


Campaign stores and dates
Northwest Fred Meyer Stores: through July 26th
Kroger Southwest: through July 24th
Price Chopper: through July 28th
King Soopers: through July 31st
Kroger Central: through July 18th

The following hospitals in our area will benefit: Mary Bridge Children's Foundation (Tacoma, Wash.), Seattle Children's Hospital Foundation (Seattle, Wash.), Providence Sacred Heart Children's Hospital (Spokane, Wash.), St. Luke's Children's Hospital (Boise, Idaho), The Children's Hospital at Providence (Anchorage, Alaska), Randall Children's Hospital at Legacy Emanuel (Portland, Ore.).

WIN IT!

I have a $25 Fred Meyer gift card for one of you lucky readers!
To enter: please visit the Produce for Kids website and check out their Ideal Meals recipes (in the red box on the right hand side of the page).
Come back and leave a comment telling me which one you'd like to try. Please make sure I have a way to contact you!

For extra entries you may:

• Follow PFK on Pinterest
• Follow PFK on Twitter
• Like PFK on Facebook

Leave a separate comment for each entry.

Giveaway closes on July 9th at midnight and winners have 48 hours to claim their prize. Open to US residents only.

I have been compensated for my time to write this post, but all opinions are my own.

Wordless Wednesday: How Babies Do Garage Sales

They definitely got the lazy end of the deal last weekend...

Wild and Wooly Wednesdays

It started with a bang this morning... we were running late because I over slept and then Noah came to get help with his last few bites of oatmeal and instead upended his bowl.  On the carpet of course.

The baby wouldn't nurse right and I didn't have time to help her patiently because her sister needed to be at the chiropractor.  And I was supposed to be there a few minutes early to trade another mom some clothes.

I ate my oatmeal out of the pot with the wooden spoon every time I went through the kitchen (yes, my mouth is that big), but finally we got out the door and I chilled out in the car.

Then, after meeting another mom near the mall I was leaving a message and got pulled over for talking on the cell phone while driving.  Why yes, officer, I have an extra $124 laying around for your city to have...
I do have a blue tooth system in my car, but unfortunately that doesn't work real well when you also have children with you.  Children who are either screaming (babies) or want to talk too (Noah).  I guess my headset is going to have to start living in the car.

At Costco I made the wrong cart choice so Noah had to walk, with harness.  He decided to climb under the cart, which was fine until I noticed he was dragging his hands along the floor as we went.  Gross!

We did make it home in one piece, Daddy arrived, and naps were had.  Then after naptime Noah and Daddy were playing and all was well until he decided to walk around with his blankie on his head.  He tripped over one of the boxes I have out (garage sale this weekend, finally!) and smashed chin first into our cedar chest.  A trip to the walk-in clinic and 7 stitches later the doctor pronounced him one of the very few 2 year olds he'd ever had sit still enough for stitches!  Poor Noah!

But Daddy took him out for ice cream afterwards and he doesn't seem too much the worse for wear!

I'm not sure what it is, but many weeks it does seem like Wednesday is out to get me.  I even wrote another post about it awhile back, but of course I can't find it right now.  It's Wednesday!

Wordless Wednesday: Big Brother

Cory talking to the sisters!

Actually both of the boys are quite helpful and solicitous when it comes to the girls.  They are so cute with them!

Three Month Stats

Taking pictures with the bunny is a bit more complicated now...

It was hard to get them both to sit up and look at me at the same time... (these are the best of the 60 pictures I took!)

And then to also see their smiles!  This was Hope while I was setting the lighting.  Much more interactive when they can actually see my face.

What's over there, Mom?

One smile, one not so sure!

What big eyes we have!

On June 1st (when we were in Seattle) they weighed 11 lbs 4 oz (Hope) and 11 lbs 2 oz (Joy).

On Friday at their 3 months checkup they both weighed in at 12 lbs 2 oz and right around 23 inches.  Yes, that's a pound in two weeks...  Joy might also be slightly shorter, but it's also hard to get an accurate length on a wiggling baby!  Not a weight problem with these girls - 50th percentiles and look at those double chins!

Just prior to a sneeze!

So, even with all the nursing issues it seems they are doing just fine.  The doctor said he isn't worried that Joy isn't getting enough to eat and apparently it can be perfectly normal for a baby to go 3 or 4 days or even more without pooping.  It's just a big difference from the boys who pooped every time they ate!

Now if I could just convince her to suck right and it didn't hurt we'd be just fine!  I have a few more options of people to see and it does seem to be slightly better...

Still wearing 3 month clothes, but not for much longer.  I'm glad I found these adorable matching outfits last week from my friend Edna, or they would have outgrown them before they got to wear them.  And I probably have twice as many 3-6 month clothes... I guess that's one advantage to spit up queens... they get to wear more cute clothes!

Oh, and sleeping for longer stretches at night, last night 8 hours each, but starting at 8pm... and sometimes they like to offset each other for 2 hours... so no, I'm still not getting much sleep, but it is better than before!

Book: Short-Straw Bride

Short-Straw Bride

No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a lethal plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a twelve-year-old debt compels her to take the risk.

Fourteen years of constant vigilance hardens a man. Yet when Travis Archer confronts a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can't bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt send him riding to her rescue once again.

***

I'm sure you'll understand if I tell you I haven't had a chance to read this book yet...  However, I requested it on the strength of a previous book by this author, A Tailor-Made Bride, that I did finally have a chance to read after that review.  Old West, quirky, quick paced, and funny.  A fairly light read and I'm expecting the same of this one.  A fun summer read!

***

If you would like to read the first chapter of Short-Straw Bride, go HERE.

Karen Witemeyer is a deacon's wife and mother of three who believes the world needs more happily-ever-afters. To that end, she combines her love of bygone eras with her passion for helping women mature in Christ to craft historical romance novels that lift the spirit and nurture the soul.

After growing up in California, Karen moved to Texas to attend Abilene Christian University where she earned bachelor and master's degrees in Psychology. It was also there that she met and married her own Texas hero. He roped her in good, for she has lived in Texas ever since. In fact, she fell so in love with this rugged land of sweeping sunsets and enduring pioneer spirit, that she incorporates it into the pages of her novels, setting her stories in the small towns of a state that burgeoned into greatness in the mid- to late1800s.

Karen is living her dream by writing Christian historical romance novels for Bethany House.

Highs and Lows

A week ago Saturday we picked up my dear penpal friend Amy at the airport.  True story: when she came to visit for the first time 6 years ago I was pregnant with Cory and so needed to use the restroom as soon as we got there.  I walked in as she was coming out of a stall and we recognized each other.  What a way to first meet your penpal since the second grade... in an airport bathroom!  This time it was regular baggage claim meeting!

The day before we'd spent 4 hours at a specialist's office in north Seattle where we eventually got the girls' tongues clipped.  There was no way to tell 100% if they were tongue tied until we did it, but the doctor said they were since they popped up when clipped.  However... nursing for the past week has actually been worse than it was before.

Hope has slowly gotten better, but Joy is about as bad as she ever was on the worst days.  I'm really not sure what to do now as I'm back to pumping since it seems like she's not getting enough to eat.  I would really appreciate any and all prayers.

Other than that it was very fun to have my penpal here all week.  The boys adored her and I'm pretty sure the girls liked all the extra attention too!  It's a good thing we did all the "touristy" things last time she was here because we just did normal mom things this week!  However, I think we actually had a better time talking and we watched a couple of old movies that we each picked out that the other hadn't seen.  I introduced her to The Princess Bride (yay!) and she introduced me to Strictly Ballroom (I like it). 

Hopefully it won't be another 6 years before we see each other again!

Wordless Wednesday: Boy Entertainer

My penpal, Amy, is back for another visit.  This time's not quite so exciting as last time since we aren't visiting tourist attractions.  Instead she's helping me entertain my children for a week!  She does a very good job!

Book: Harvest of Rubies

Harvest of Rubies

Remarkable Talent Threatens to Cloud a Life

The prophet Nehemiah’s cousin can speak several languages, keep complex accounts, write on tablets of clay, and solve mysteries. Her accomplishments catapult her into the center of the Persian court – working long hours, rubbing elbows with royalty, and becoming the queen’s favorite scribe.

Not bad for a woman living in a man’s world: so why does Sarah feel like a failure?

A devastating past has left Sarah with two conclusions: that God does not love her, and that her achievements are the measure of her worth – a measure she can never quite live up to.

Darius Pasargadae is accustomed to having his way. A wealthy and admired aristocrat, the last thing he expects is a wife who scorns him.

Can two such different people help one another overcome the idols that bind them?

***

I read Tessa's first novel, Pearl in the Sand (my review), and absolutely loved it so I was quick to jump on this one.  The setting is some years after the story of Esther in the kingdom of Persia.  It's fascinating and fast paced.  I read it in less than 24 hours... yes, even with twins!  And along the way it really spoke to me as well.  It definitely has "Christian-ese" in it, but I didn't find it over the top like in some books.  This is another one that will stay in my personal collection!  

***

If you would like to read the first chapter of Harvest of Rubies, go HERE.

Tessa Afshar was voted "New Author of the Year" by the Family Fiction sponsored Reader's Choice Award 2011 for her novel Pearl in the Sand. She was born in Iran, and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life. She moved to England where she survived boarding school for girls and fell in love with Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, before moving to the United States permanently. Her conversion to Christianity in her twenties changed the course of her life forever. Tessa holds an MDiv from Yale University where she served as co-chair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the Divinity School. She has spent the last thirteen years in full-time Christian work.

PROBAR Fruition Review and Giveaway

Most of you are aware by now that my boys have to be gluten free and I have been for the past few weeks as well to see if it would help the girls.  The jury's still out on that one, but I haven't tested it yet since we've also been dealing with so many nursing issues.

However... going gluten free myself it really hit home how much gluten is in literally everything.  So it was very fortuitous that I had just received some samples in the mail of a new gluten free fruit bar.  Created by PROBAR, this line is called Fruition and is certified gluten free*.  Hooray!

 I am super impressed by these bars.  Of course I love that they are gluten free so the boys can have them.  Second, the base is a date paste which is naturally sweet so they're actually not very high in sugar, but plenty sweet to the taste.  Third, they are non-GMO and don't have any soy products in them.  And finally, they are soft without large chunks so even my toddler can eat them easily (as compared to some other granola type bars that have large nuts in them).

PROBAR comes in seven flavors and I got to try them all.  Of course my favorite really was the chocolate orange, but blueberry definitely came in a strong second!  The other flavors are cherry, lemon, cran-raspberry, peach, and strawberry.  I tend not to like peach anyway so my family ate those and the only one I didn't care for was the lemon.  I think because lemon is a tart flavor to me and the bar was still relatively sweet I didn't like it as much.

Each bar contains a full serving of fruit and was chosen as Prevention Magazine's "Best Bar" for 2012's Healthy Food Awards.  They actually have really strict guidelines for their food awards including less than 400 calories (these bars only have 170), less than 500mg of salt (they have 10mg), and no more than 10g of added sugar per serving as well as no genetically modified ingredients.

If you're interested in trying Fruition for yourself there's two ways you can.  First, enter the giveaway below for a mixed box of flavors.  Second, get 40% off your first order from the PROBAR shop by entering code "blogger" at checkout.  I know I'll be ordering a few boxes here soon!

WIN IT!

To win your own mixed box of Fruition please leave me a comment stating which flavor you think you'd like best!  You are also encouraged to "like" PROBAR on facebook to keep up with all the latest they have to offer. (and it looks like they run giveaways over there too!)

Winner will be chosen next Monday June 11th at midnight.  Please make sure I have a way to contact you!

This post was written as part of the Family Review Network.  I was not compensated in any way other than the product I received to facilitate my review.  All opinions are my own!

*For my gluten free friends.  The label is misleading as it does state that it was produced on equipment that processes wheat, however they are certified and it was checked with the quality assurance manager that all equipment is 3rd party certified as gluten free before production of these bars begins.

Sleep Like A Baby

People complain about the phrase because babies really don't sleep very long at any one stretch.  But the funny thing is, when they do sleep it doesn't really matter where they are or how they're positioned...

And I couldn't get my camera out fast enough this morning to catch one like the above, but with both arms above her head...

I have a lot more pictures of Joy... because she sleeps more, generally, and isn't as fussy.  So I can take pictures of her when she's down and I don't have to hold her.  Here's Hope, wide awake and probably going to scream in a few minutes!

A Little Treat for Father's Day (Giveaway)

Papa.  That's what my boys have christened my dad.  I still call him Daddy most of the time.

And sometimes he still calls me Widget...

He's not a big talker, but he loves to fish.  One of these days I'll get around to posting a few really old pictures on here out of my scrapbook.  You know, in my spare time?  I have so many memories of fishing with my Dad and hopefully the boys will enjoy it just as much.  Oh, and maybe even the girls too!  Fishing rules!

While I can't really go fishing with him this year for Father's Day, I have hopes that in a couple more years I may be able to go again!  In the mean time I'll probably get him a card with a fish on it.  And we might have fish for dinner if he's caught any lately!

And where will I get my fishy card?  From Tiny Prints new card site called Treat.

If you've been around here for any length of time I'm sure you've noticed I kind of have a love affair going with Tiny Prints.  See, I'm one of those people who really likes stationary and cards and especially getting things in the mail.  And Tiny Prints just has such cool stuff!

Now they've gone and created a site that's entirely dedicated to greeting cards and it's called Treat.   It functions just the same as it always has, with cool customizable cards that you can have sent to you or directly to your recipient.

Treat is giving away 10 tokens good for one card each.  So if you'd like to make some special Father's Day cards, birthday cards, or just Thinking of You cards please enter by leaving me a comment below.  What do you call your dad?

Also: You can get your first card free by signing up and using the code: FREETREAT at checkout.

Giveaway will end next Monday the 4th at midnight.  Please be sure I have a way to contact you!
 
I have been compensated by Treat for this post, but all memories and opinions are my own!
Find Treat on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+.

10 Week Old Smiles

Hope

I want to make photo books for the girls like I have for the boys and I realized I just don't have as many photos of them... so here's to remedying that every few days!

I'm sure you all will mind seeing more cute baby photos, no?

Joy

 

The State of Nursing

So... I feel like I haven't written on here much lately because I'm not even sure what's going on.  For at least the past month nursing has been extremely painful.  To the point of crying (and sometimes screaming) at 3am and being ready to give it all up.

We've been to the chiropractor.  I've given up eating anything with gluten in it.  We've been to an ear nose and throat specialist.  The La Leche League leader has been to my house.  Next week we are going to visit a specialist in Seattle.  Right now the only thing helping me keep on is the hope that something will change next week.  If it doesn't?  I may very well give up.

We think that Joy may be tongue tied, a very particular kind called posterior tongue tie.  And perhaps to a lesser extent Hope as well.  Which means that they can't get a good latch unless they are in the exact perfect position and even then it doesn't last long.

It's so bad that Joy hasn't been getting enough to eat (which I didn't realize until last week) and so weighs significantly less than Hope.  I'm not sure how much, but you can tell by looking at them and picking them up.  When you're only dealing with 10 or 11 pounds to begin with a significant weight difference means a lot.

It's not a fun place to be in and I really hope we can resolve it next week.


On a slightly happier note... I have been enjoying working in my yard a lot.  And we have a wild rose in the back corner of our yard (that the renter before we bought it tried to kill so this is the first year it's actually bloomed).

As well as this gorgeous white blooming bush on the fence in our neighbors yard!

And I planted some wildflower seeds which I hope will come up... I don't seem to have much luck with planting anything, all we've got is what was here before we moved in!

Perspective...

9 weeks... of little sleep and screaming babies.  Of boys staying too long with loving grandparents and a house full of crazy.  Of short tempers and giant piles of laundry.

It's all a blur.  9 weeks feels like 9 months, but all too soon it will really be 9 months and I will wonder where it's gone.

Perspective is seeing my 5 year old reach 4 feet tall and teaching him to read.  Seeing my 2 year old learning new words every day and enjoying outings without me.  Knowing that soon they will be 5th and 2nd grade and I will wonder where it's gone.

Trying to remember not to get bogged down in the little things that are so frustrating and remember where they fit in the big picture.  Time.

Perspective.

This is a post prompt from The Gypsy Mama. Join in?

Two Month Old Girls!

My babies are two months old already!  It of course seems like forever and also not like forever since they were born.  The last two months are mostly a blur... good thing I have pictures to help me remember!

The girls are starting to make sounds now (other than grunting and screaming) and it's almost startled me a couple times to hear them coo!  A smile here or there, but not too much interaction yet.  Although they have started to notice and stare at the toys on their bouncers a bit more.

The past couple of weeks have been really hard.  I think they may have a gluten sensitivity as well so I've gone gluten free (that's another post in and of itself!) and Joy is having a LOT of issues nursing.  To the point that I've started pumping and feeding her a lot more from the bottle.  She has a doctor's appointment on Friday to see if she's tongue tied.  I kind of hope she is because it's a simple fix and hopefully then we can move on.  If not... I am not a fan of pumping.  Poor girl weighs less than her sister because I didn't realize she wasn't getting enough to eat.  It's amazing how long she'll sleep now that she has food in her tummy.

They have both outgrown the newborn clothes though and are in 0-3 and 3 month clothes now.  Lots of cute clothes!

Here's to a much better report at 3 months...

Beyond Coastal Review and Giveaway

It's starting to get warm around here; we put the AC in our window last night!  That means summer's just around the corner.

One of our favorite treats in the summer is to go to the waterslides.  Now normally I don't put sunscreen on myself or my kids every time we go outside.  I prefer to try not to be out in the heat of the day and just wear light clothing to cover up.  But going to the waterslides you don't really have that option!  They don't open until 10 and the hotter it is outside the more fun it is to be in the water.  So, we really need a good sunscreen.

Now, I'm pretty particular when it comes to sunscreens.  Cory reacted badly to a sunscreen the first time he wore it when he was just a year old so I did a lot of research and finally found one that has worked for us.  This means it has no fragrances, no extra ingredients, and we are limited to the mineral sunscreens.

If you know me you know how important it is to me that we limit the amount and kinds of chemicals we put in and on our bodies.  This sunscreen that we use on our boys is still available (although it's rather expensive), but the one that I have been using is no longer available in the formulation that the Environmental Working Group (EWG) lists with a good rating.  So now I need a new one for me, too.

Recently I was introduced to a new sunscreen company called Beyond Coastal.  They sent me a trial package of their sunscreens as well as information on the company.  I was thoroughly impressed by the fact that I can read all the ingredients and actually have a clue what they might be (Vitamin E, Aloe Vera, Shea butter, etc.).  None of their sunscreens have a rating higher than 3 and the Natural line all have a 2 rating (on the EWG Skin Deep Database). 

This makes me super confident that when I do need to put sunscreen on my kids I'm not doing more damage to their little bodies by adding yucky chemicals.  When I used the Natural Kids SPF 30 I liked that for a mineral sunscreen (that's the white stuff) it actually rubbed in fairly quickly and really didn't feel greasy.  Usually I have to wash my own hands after applying it, but with this sunscreen I didn't notice it was nearly as bad.

And, if you absolutely can't stand the white sunscreen you can try their Active line.  They use the least toxic of the UVA blocking chemicals; avobenzone, plus all the other ingredients are natural just like in the other line.

Finally, all their sunscreens are fragrance free, paraben free, and even gluten free!  They have a slight scent, probably due to the various oils used, but I found it to be light and pleasant.

I'm happy to have a new family of sunscreens to add to our arsenal for fun summer days!

WIN IT!


If you would like to win the same sampler pack that I received all you need to do is answer this question: What does your family like to do in the sun?

• Leave the answer in the comments!
• Please be sure I have a way to contact you or I will have to choose another winner. 
• Contest will end next Tuesday (the 22nd) at midnight, or whenever my mama brain remembers to close comments!  

I received the sample pack of sunscreen in order to facilitate my review through the Global Influence network. All opinions are strictly my own.

First Family Photo

Wherein no one told me to stand up straight and Noah's shirt is wet because Cory sprayed him with the hose.  And Cory's shirt is wet because then Uncle Kevin sprayed him with the hose!  But it's Mother's Day and the boys are both wearing their favorite colors and we had a yummy dinner... once we all got there on time!  Sorry Mom!

Wordless Wednesday: Fun with Chalk

Noah and the balloons, a fun idea I've seen online!

Boy Quotes #10

At my parent's house:
"Cory, are you ready for a nap?"
"No, I'm ready to Rock and Roll" (said with attitude and body moves for emphasis)

Noah got a piece of cheese and Cory asked for some:
"Nana, can I have a piece of cheese..........................please?"
By which time, Nana had already gone back into the kitchen and didn't hear the please so she says,
"What's the magic word?"
Cory to me: "But I already said it"
I replied that I didn't think Nana heard him.
He says again, "But I already said it".
Nana comes out and he says to her, "I already said it".
She replies that it's nice to hear more than once.
He finally acquiesces and says,
"Nana, may I please have......." and now he's forgotten what he's asking for!

We had friends over awhile back and they were trying to teach Noah hide and seek.  A few days later he climbs up in the chair, puts both hands over his eyes and says, "1 2 3 4 6 5 1 2, Here Tum Me!"  Then he runs down the hall and "finds" brother playing in his room!

Wordless Wednesday: Nana Love

Warning: overwhelming cuteness ahead! 

I was getting ready to go and my mom was holding the girls... so I had to take a picture!  Then Noah photobombed too.  Unfortunately Cory declined to join in, but I love this picture!