Our moving adventure, part 1

As I sit here in our cozy little house, with family and friends sprawled all over it, I find myself counting the days until we are able to move to our bigger house and then fill that one with our family and friends ... and that led me to writing about our journey in moving thus far.

Back in March, our friends (and neighbors) listed their home for sale so that they could build a new home.  We once again found ourselves wishing that we could move to a more "suitable" home for our family.  It's not that our house is awful, it's just not good for how we use our spaces.  We went as far as talking with a realtor only to find that we couldn't afford to sell our house.  Oh well, that's what we expected.  The market has been bad for quite a while, and our neighborhood was hard-hit with foreclosures.

Fast-forward to the end of April, our neighbor's house sold, as did another neighbor's home ... at much higher prices than we were told we could sell for ... we contacted our realtor again, who said that he had been planning to call us the next morning to let us know that he'd been watching our neighborhood and was amazed, but we could sell for about $20,000 more than he thought!  So, in a hurried frenzy, we got our house ready to list and then left for vacation (not-so-secretly hoping it would sell while we were gone for 10 days).

Once we were back from vacation we started looking at houses.  The first day we were out, we went into a fantastic bank-owned home that was in Shakopee; not quite where we were thinking, but the location was great and the price was amazing.  We put an offer in ... they had 5 others and we were not the best one.  Oh well, we went into this process saying that we didn't want a house unless it was the one God had for us.  So we kept looking.  We later found another that we really liked, put an offer in and again it had multiple offers and we didn't get the house.  No big deal, we are still figuring out where we want to be anyway ....

Fast-forward again, this time to July.  Our house still hadn't sold, we are beginning to lose hope that it will sell.  We get a call on July 3 that someone wants to see our house on July 4th in the evening ... of course, we say yes, they can come ... but inside I'm thinking that these people are awfully rude/weird to interrupt my plans on the 4th of July!  Don't they know that we were going to have friends over?!

Skip to July 10 (our anniversary), we are out to meet our realtor and look at a couple houses that are new to the market.  We get to the first house and our realtor says, "So ... I have news ..." my heart dropped and I assumed the market had dropped to a point that we would not be able to sell. "We have an offer on your house."  We talked with him about this offer as we looked at the two houses that we were looking at that day.  Discussing how crazy it was that we had that offer, because it changed everything!  With our home sold, we could afford a larger home that was more like what we were wanting.  Craziest part is that if we hadn't had that offer presented to us at 1:30, we would have been putting an offer in on the second house we saw that day ... one that we didn't LOVE, but it met our needs and was a nice house in an AMAZING location.  BUT, because we had that offer, we held off putting in an offer until we could see what came of this offer and what opened up with a higher price-point.  We did end up negotiating a sale, and had a great anniversary gift from someone we've never met - a sold house!

We had our realtor change our MLS search criteria to include higher-priced  homes and sorted through the 50+ new homes in an evening ... narrowing our search down to 2 homes ... an existing home that had been on the market for quite a while, or building our own home in a desirable neighborhood in Shakopee.  We wanted to see the existing home before deciding to build, so our realtor scheduled that.

On Friday, July 12, 2013 - I walked into a home that I am quite certain God had been holding for us!  It was everything we wanted and more!  It has a great neighborhood (we had looked at another in the same neighborhood, but it wasn't quite what we were looking for), large yard, great features and it's on a cul-de-sac!  What more could we ask for?!  It had been on the market for quite a while (since the end of May), there had been interest, but never an offer.  It still is rather surreal to even think that in 3 weeks (and 1 day) that will be our home!

God has shown himself to us in so many ways throughout this process.  He has taught us to rely on Him, to not settle for less than what He wants for us, to FULLY trust in Him... and so much more.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

6 

in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

This has become a key verse for us and has become our mantra!

Oh - and if you need a GREAT realtor, contact Chuck Hinsz!!  

BUY THE BOOK!!!!!

You know that really awesome book you've been hearing so much about (if you're my friend on facebook or talk to me in real life, you're probably ready to tell me to shut up!)?  It's time to BUY THE BOOK!!!!!!!  Here are the details on the free bonus content you'll receive ... go ahead read it ... I'll meet you at the bottom!

Everyone loves a good investment…especially one that comes with a big bonus! This is one of those investments that you don’t want to miss! Purchase Jill Savage’s new book No More Perfect Moms anytime between February 3-9 (online or at a store…and yes, electronic versions such as Kindle and Nook count too!) Send a copy of your receipt to NoMorePerfectMoms@moody.edu. Scan it, take a picture of it - just be sure to send it to the email! You'll be given access to well over $100 worth of resources that will help you on your mothering journey - absolutely free! What will you receive?   6 Sixty Minute Audio Workshops (MP3 format) from Hearts at Home

• Desperate for Wisdom - Dr. Juli Slattery
• How to Fight for Your Marriage - Dr. Juli Slattery
• It is Well with Your Soul - Jennifer Rothschild
• Multiple Intelligences - Dr. Kathy Koch
• Ten Stress Strategies Every Mom Needs - Jill Savage
• The God Who Sees You- Tammy Maltby

4 Printables from Hearts at Home

• 10 Stress Strategies Every Mom Needs
• “Love Is”--I Corinthians 13 for Parents
• Mom Rules
• How to Fight Fair In Marriage

3 Free E-book’s (including PDF, Kindle, iPad, and Nook editions!) from Moody Publishers

• Live Free by Kendra Smiley
• Growing Grateful Kids by Susie Larsen
• Real Moms Real Jesus by Jill Savage

1 Contest Entry You will be entered in a drawing to win hotel accommodations and two Hearts at Home Mom Conference registrations for you and a friend at a conference of your choice! (If unable to attend a conference, a Hearts at Home Conference To-Go will be substituted for the winner and a friend.) This offer is available for this week only (Feb 3-9)! Grab a copy of No More Perfect Moms, scan your receipt, email it, and start enjoying your new book PLUS all of the extra bonuses you’ll receive! It’s “mom university” delivered right to your computer!


OK - are you still with me?!  Did you manage to read through all of that without leaving me to go and purchase your very own copy?

Are you still on the fence about buying the book?  Well, first - who doesn't love FREE stuff?!  You get more than the value of the book in return!  Second - this book will change how you approach your life.  It's not just about moms, it's about changing your outlook on life, changing how you look at things, changing how you appear to others.  It's time to love one another, mommas, imperfections and all.

Go, do it now!!  You won't regret it.  Seriously, go now!  (I believe that you can click on the book cover to do so even)

No more perfect homes

Ok - so just the title is daunting ... you see, I live in a home that is not what I would like it to be.  I find myself thinking, if only it were a little bigger.  If only it were a little closer to anything.  If only it were a little farther from everything.  If only our yard was bigger.  If only my kitchen were bigger.  If only my house were clean.  If only my garage could hold both of our cars.  If only ... if only ... if only .... 

You see, I have what Jill Savage so accurately diagnoses as "perfection infection" in her new book "No More Perfect Moms (BUY IT February 4-9, 2013).  I want my house to be just like the ones you see in a magazine - you know the ones.  Big, beautiful, organized, and (dare I say it) CLEAN!  

If you were to stop by my house on any given day you would likely find: remnants from our last shopping trip on the floor in the entry, the next load or two on the floor in the laundry room, toys in the family room, blankets strewn on the couch (hey, it's cold down there), possibly laundry waiting to be folded on the couch as well.  You'll likely find things waiting to go upstairs with you on the steps (hey, grab those for me, will you!?).  Once you get to the top of the stairs ... just set that stuff you grabbed from the steps on the half-wall, that's where everything else is!  The dishes on the table/counter are from our last meal (or two), and my tiny kitchen is housing dishes and schoolwork and a myriad of other things that likely don't belong there.  Haha ... did I mention the TOYS all over the floor of the living room?  Oh, and we may or may not still be in our jammies!

"It's not the size, style, decor, or classiness of a house that really matters.  It's what goes on inside the house that makes the most difference.  A house doesn't make a family.  A family makes a house a home." 

Jill Savage, No More Perfect Moms

I am trying really hard to make sure that I not only believe that statement, but live it.  I want my house to be clean; I function better then.  In fact, it is a great source of stress when my house is not clean.  However, in this stage of life, that is not my reality.  So, I will do my best to keep it bearable (for me) and keep it real, for you. 

Momma's we have an infection to get over - one day at a time!

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I was given a pdf copy of No More Perfect Moms as part of the launch team.  All thoughts/opinions are mine.

Car seats

I know, this is long overdue (hehe ... cute play on words for those who are waiting for their little ones).  You see, I wanted this post to be just right ... but if I keep waiting for "just right" you'll never get to read it!  So, here we go!

Car seats are one of the more valuable things that you will purchase for your baby.  You don't want to go cheap and regret it, but you don't have to go with the top of the line either.  Here's a little secret - ALL car seats that you find at the store have met safety standards.  Now some exceed them and others just meet them - but they all at least meet them.  You're not going to be putting your baby in danger by purchasing an affordable car seat!

A few things to note:

Infant seats - are for INFANTS - they are designed to be rear-facing ONLY, and will come with a seat and a base.  You buckle the base in your car and snap the seat in the base when you are going somewhere.  Nice to be able to put your little one in the seat in your warm (or cool, depending on the weather) house, and not have to mess with it in the cold (or heat).  Your seat will be the "right" temperature for that little snuggle bug you are loving!  While these seats will fit and "snap" onto most shopping carts - DO NOT put them there!  It is not safe and they can tip.  Most infant seats will not get you to age 2, which is the current recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics to wait for before forward-facing.

Convertible seats - these are a seat that can rear-face or forward-face.  Most of them can take infants up through toddlers/preschoolers.  They have a rear-facing height/weight limit, and it is recommended that you get a seat that can rear-face as long as possible.  Jenna just turned 2 and is still happily rear-facing in her Graco MyRide65.  She will be too tall before she is too heavy to stay rear-facing.  You can then take this seat and turn it around so that your child will face the front of the vehicle.

Forward Facing seats - these seats come by many names and various features.  These are seats that will ONLY face forward.  It is not recommended to turn your child to face the front until they are at least 2, or they have out grown their convertible seat's rear-facing height/weight.  You want to keep your child in a 5-point harness for as long as the seat will allow.  Kate is 4 and still very comfortable in the 5-point harness on her Graco Nautilus.  Don't let anyone tell you that a seat belt is just as safe (many people, including some doctors will say that you can switch to a seat belt when they turn three) - IT'S NOT!  Keep that child in a 5-point harness for as long as the seat allows!  When they've outgrown the 5-point on the seat, it's time to either purchase a high back booster or to convert your seat to a high back booster (most of the forward facing seats do this).

Straps
   If your child is REAR facing, the straps need to be in the slot that is AT OR BELOW the top of their shoulders.
  If your child is FORWARD facing, the straps need to be in the slot that is AT OR ABOVE the top of their shoulders.
  The chest clip should always be level with their armpits.
  You should not be able to pinch the strap away from their shoulder, if you can it's too loose!

Car seats have an expiration date stamped on them ... find and treat it as such.  Plastic can wear out and become brittle over time.  Yes, there is debate on if the amount of time that manufacturers recommend is the same as degradation .. I, personally, will not risk my child's safety on a guess.  I would hate to find out that the manufacturers really did know what they were talking about, at the expense of my child's safety.

Never, NEVER, NEVER buy a used car seat!!!  Now, I suppose there can be exceptions - like if you know the person that you're getting the seat from, but even then ... be cautious.  It only takes ONE accident to compromise the integrity of the seat.

Keep those babies buckled in tight (and safe)!!

More to come on carseats soon (told you this was a passion of mine)!!!

Perfect Moms Need Not Apply

Are you a perfect mom?  By that, I mean, do you do the right thing at the right time with the right attitude EVERY time?  If so, stop reading now ... or maybe give yourself some grace and read on (you know what you need).

This year I was given a surprise gift from someone that I don't even know - the opportunity to be on the launch team for a great new book!  The book is titled No More Perfect Moms, written by Jill Savage.  If you are unfamiliar with her, she is the founder and CEO of Hearts at Home.  I was able to attend my first Hearts at Home conference this past fall in Rochester, let me tell you, it was life-changing and encouraging and challenging all a the same time.  In our registration bags, we were all given a preview of the book - which I promptly skimmed while waiting for mom's night out to start ... I knew, then and there, that I would be purchasing this book, in fact I almost pre-ordered it at the conference.

Fast forward to the week before Christmas when I got a glorious email saying that I had been selected to be part of the launch team for this fantastic book!  I was beside myself excited!  Now, I get to tell you all about the book and how fabulous it really is and wet your appetite for your copy!  

Are you so excited that you can hardly wait?  I am!  Here are some ways that you can be involved now and get the most from the book:

 1. Sign up for Jill Savage's "No More Perfect Moms" 31-Day Email Challenge. You don't have to have the book {which doesn't release until February anyway} to be part of this. Click here to sign up so you can start receiving real-life encouragement in your inbox on Jan. 1 (tomorrow).

2. Don't buy the book yet, but get ready to do so Feb. 4-9. Along with the release of "No More Perfect Moms," Hearts at Home and Moody Publishers will offer additional bonus resources worth more than $100 if you order/buy the book anytime Feb. 4-9. Click here to learn more about this and sign up to be reminded of the release date.  We want to get the book on the Best Seller List so that more mom's can be reached.

3. Visit "No More Perfect Moms" website. This is where you can share stories, learn more about the book, and view motherhood resources.

I look forward to making motherhood real with you, my friends!

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A PDF copy of the book was given to me to review, but the thoughts and commentary are mine.

I haven't forgotten ...

Merry Christmas. my dear friends!  I haven't forgotten about you, or the next mommy advice post ... but I want it to have pictures, and can't seem to find the time to take them! 

We've had a lot going on around our house (who hasn't these days, right?) - it all started with sick kids over Thanksgiving, and has just gotten busier and  busier by the day!  David has been on vacation all week, and we have yet to be home for a day (or even half a day) - yikes!  Tis the season, right? 

Thinking of and praying for safe travels and a very merry Christmas for you!

Labor and Delivery

So, as promised (and just a bit overdue, but hey - babies work on their own time-table too!), here is my take on labor and delivery :)

WARNING - MY STORY IS NOT "NORMAL"

As we neared the end of my pregnancy with Kate, I was finding myself thankful that I had gestational diabetes.  You see, my doctor told me that she would not let me go past my due date!  So, with Kate, I was induced on my due date (well, the night before) :)  (Jenna was another story!).

I was told to call into the hospital at 6:30am, and that they would then "put me on the list" and call me when I could come to the hospital.  Let me tell you, that day was the longest day of my entire pregnancy!  When they FINALLY called at 8:00pm, I was ecstatic!  We eagerly drove the 45 minutes to the hospital, checked in and waited some more.  Finally, at 11pm I was given cytotec (to "ripen" my cervix - how's that for TMI?!) and told that I would get that every 4 hours until they had seen sufficient progress; then I would be switched to pitocin to bring on labor.

David and I decided that we would do our best to get as much sleep as we could (although we were VERY excited).  Around 2:30am I woke up; feeling something strange.  Decided I must just need to go to the bathroom, got up and realized that strange feeling had been my water breaking - decided to go back to sleep, because I could.  At 3:00am  I woke up, unable to sleep through the contractions anymore.  So, we got up and used all of the things we learned in our birthing classes.  Around 4:00am, I realized that this could go on for a very long time (most first babies are 10+ hours in labor) - and I wasn't so sure I could go through with my no medication plan.  So, I had David tell the nurse that I wanted something to take the edge off.  The very next contraction, I looked at the nurse and told her "I know you're going to tell me it's not time - but I feel like I need to push." She immediately had me get into the bed so she could check my progress and told me that there were going to be no pain meds in my future - I was going to push on the next contraction!  So, I pushed for a couple contractions and then was told that I had to wait because the doctor was not in the room to catch the baby.  I waited as best I could through several contractions (that is VERY hard to do, by the way) - then asked the nurse if the doctor was ever going to come, because I just couldn't do that anymore.  (She later told us that she was just about to push the "code" button when the dr arrived).  Well, the doctor FINALLY arrived, thinking that she'd have some time before our baby was ready - the nurse told her to get ready as fast as humanly possible - this baby is coming - NOW!

At 4:28am, our little princess came into the world and changed our lives forever.  We were now parents to this little 8 pound 2 ounce, 21.5 inch angel (who is now 4 - HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?!).  What a difference a few hours made!

The next morning the nurse who checked me in came to say hi and see how we were doing - every staff member who came into my room talked of how very fast Kate came and how they were all surprised and amazed that I did it all without medication.

You know what?  I wouldn't have it any other way!!

Next time: carseats (be warned, this is a topic of passion of mine)