37 weeks and counting

I'd love to say that this pregnancy has flown by, but man, do I feel like I have been pregnant for forever. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I feel like I have been pregnant for 3 years straight even though I did take a year off this time.

There was a time I thought I'd never want to be pregnant again. We had always planned on 3 back-to-back, but somewhere between double teething children, crazy toddlers, reflux, exhaustion, etc. I felt done. I could not imagine handling 3 children. Let alone, 3 under 3. It actually freaked me out.

But then life calmed down. It got a lot easier. It got a lot more fun. It got to the point where it was time to complete our family. So we went for it, and I am so excited to complete our family that the excitement and anxiety has made this pregnancy creep by.

But here I am at 37 weeks and I am positive that this is our last baby. We had always thought 3 would be it, but this pregnancy definitely has made that very real for me. It has not been a hard pregnancy. There have been ups and downs, but overall nothing too different from my other ones. However, I am just done with this season of my life. I am ready to move on to the next stage of growing and nurturing my babies.

I am already not looking forward to going back to the newborn stage again. It is going to be hard to transition back to feeding and nap schedules. In that sense, having Maisie and Calan only 13 months apart was so nice. I was barely out of that life when Maisie was born. I hadn't gotten use to the semi-independent toddlers that I have now.

I am looking forward to meeting our little one. I am looking forward to counting her little fingers and toes and snuggling with her. I am looking forward to smelling her baby smells and watching her begin her life as a Wilson.

If she is anything like her brother and sister, I will surpass my due date of April 25, which means I still could have four more weeks of waddling around to go. Not sure I can handle it. Patience is  not one of my strong suits and with each pregnancy it seems these days get harder and harder. My excitement to meet my little one is so strong. I just want to bring her home.

Calan can't wait for her birthday. I made the mistake one day saying that we would not be able to meet her till her birthday and of course to him that just meant there is going to be a party and cake. So, he is getting just as impatient as I am for her "party." I will most definitely do a little party dance the second I feel a contraction.

As I head into my last weeks, everything is going great with the baby. I am measuring spot on. My blood pressure is good. My weight is good. Everything is good. So I wait and twiddle my thumbs and count the days.


Next week, I will be posting everyday about her "Purple Pinterest Nesting" nursery. I can't wait to share it with you. If you are impatient like me, I posted pics on Instagram. Each day, I'll share a little about my inspiration and DIY projects I did to complete the nursery. Oohs and Ahhhs are welcome, only half-kidding. I am just so in love with how it turned out and love that almost everything has a personal touch to boot. 

DIY Family Rules

Months ago, Bob and I sat down and decided on what our family rules would be, and it has taken me this long to finally finish the project.

It was one of those projects that I knew kind of what I wanted to do, but wasn't giving myself the time to finish it. I had all the parts, but putting it all together was another story. And there were mistakes along the way that stopped the project.

Moda Hometown Charm Pack by
Sweetwater

This past summer when I was at my mother's, I ran across Moda Hometown Charm fabric squares that I really liked the color combination for our family room. At the time, I had no idea how I was going to use them, but I decided that I needed them for something.

Then, during my MOPS fall sessions, it inspired our family to set up our family rules and our family mission statement. I knew then that my squares would be part of the project, but still didn't know how.

I designed our rules and mission statement in Photoshop and originally thought that I would Mod Podge them to canvas with the fabric squares around them, but that did not work out well. The paper bubbled horribly and it was not looking well at all.

Sometimes mistakes are meant to be. I think
they turned out better in the frames I found
on clearance at Micheal's.

After that, I tabled the project for awhile. We are talking 3 months. It was definitely becoming one of those projects that I thought I would never get done.

But, lucky for me, my nesting instincts kicked in and I needed to get this project done.

I was shopping at Micheal's for some odds and ends for the nursery and ran across some great frames on clearance. I knew right away, that they were just what I had been looking for to complete this project.

The sizes were perfect. The floating 8X10 center with a white mat border gave me exactly what I needed to finish the project.

I love it when you know in your mind what you want and you actually find it and it makes the project better than what you imagined in your head.

I used fabric Mod Podge to prepare the squares of fabric
for the project. Coating them first eliminated fraying
when I cut them for the prject. 

To make this project, I printed out our rules and mission statement on off white card stock, cut them to size, and used double-sided tape to keep them in place in the frames.

Next, I coated my fabric squares with fabric Mod Podge. Doing this first, made it so the fabric did not fray once cut. I then just cut and placed and organized the fabric along the white mat border provided with the frame. Once I liked what I had, I Mod Podged them down.

Even though this project took me months to complete, it was so simple and straight forward once I found all the pieces to make it work.

I love having a clear direction of our family on display where our family spends most of the time.

The frames flank our fire place in our family room. 

What do you think? How do you or would you display your family's rules in your home?

Linking to Thursdays are Your Day @ 52 Mantels

Bring on Number 3

12 week tiny baby bump, though to me, I feel huge. 

Well it is official. It must be true since it is posted on Facebook. It is really happening. We are having our third child.

When Bob and I would talk about our future family size, I always thought we needed more than 2. I am one of 4 and Bob is the oldest of 5, so neither of us come from a two-child family. However, once we had 2, my thoughts were how could we possibly manage more.

I was tired, I was stretched thin, and I didn't know if I really could handle more than 2 children. I only have so many hands.

I remember when I was pregnant with Maisie and people would say, "Oh, a boy and a girl, the perfect family," it would irk me like no other. I know that some of my annoyance was pregnancy provoked, but I seriously wanted to scream that not everyone just wants 2 children and not everyone just wants a boy and a girl. There is no perfect family.

Well, then I had my 2, and yes a boy and a girl, and in my tired and exhausted state-of-mind, I thought, well maybe I do have the perfect family. Maybe those strangers were right? Maybe this is all that we need?

But, then life got easier. My two babies were doing better and needing me a little less. I started to sleep better and that urge to complete our family hit me.

I think my husband would have been fine with just two, but even though the thought of 3 under 3 is daunting, he would agree that our family was meant for one more child.

So in July after months of debating should we or shouldn't we, we pulled the trigger per say. We stopped all the what ifs and maybes, and just decided to go with our guts.

Again, there was little trying. We got pregnant on the first try.

So here we are. Pregnant and expecting our third bundle of joy. We are excited and fearful. We are completely scared of what it will be like. I almost feel like a first-time parent again. I have many worries. I have many fears. But, I'm beyond excited. I am beyond thrilled. I am elated to complete our perfect family.

Generations upon generations

My immediate family taking a picture with my grandmother.

My family is probably the exact opposite from my husband's.

Bob's family gets together regularly. We see each other every Sunday and most of his aunts, uncles, and cousins probably once a month. I know about their lives from many upon many conversations.

My family has not been in the same room together in 5 years. I have not seen many of my cousins in probably a decade. We do not get together for the holidays. We do talk, but I only know most of my cousins through Facebook. (Sad, I know, but it is the truth.)

This past weekend we all FINALLY came together to celebrate my grandmother's 90th birthday. Can you think of a better reason to come together?

It was wonderful seeing my family. Though with chasing Calan and keeping tabs on Maisie, I did not get to socialize as much as I would have liked. It was a little overwhelming.

But how wonderful for my grandmother to see her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren all in one room. I can only imagine how overwhelmed she felt at the surprise party.

I think of my grandmother as a pretty quiet woman. She is opinionated, but is pretty passive-aggressive when she wants to get her point across. She had 4 children in 5 years. She has 11 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren. She is an incredible baker and I think most of us think sugar cookies when we think of her. They are a family favorite.

There are many reasons as to why my family does not get together. The biggest being probably distance. But it was great for one moment for all of us to be together to celebrate her. For the most part, everyone minded their Ps and Qs, and it was a wonderful party. I am sure that it is still the talk of my grandmother's apartment complex.

Not sure when I will see my family again, but I hope that this party maybe starts to bring us all a little bit closer.

Charlevoix 2012: Making Memories

For as long as I can remember, my grandparents lived in Charlevoix, Mich. As a child we went up several times a year, but mostly during the summer. I didn't go up there as much as my siblings, but it definitely was and is a special place for me. Randomly enough, my husband's family has also been vacationing there for years and now we get to share Charlevoix with our children.

This trip was somewhat special since it was the first family vacation there since my grandmother's passing in January (my grandfather passed away 3 years ago), as well as the first since my dad's heart attack in June (he lives there, too).

We went during their special Venetian Festival. The week is filled with music in the park, a beauty pageant, carnival, parades, races, and anything else you can think of. It has changed some through out the years, but it is definitely a very traditional event that brings back a ton of memories for me.

I hope as the years pass, Maisie and Calan enjoy Charlevoix as much as we do.

1) The famous bridge to Lake Michigan. Opens every hour and half hour, and yes, we were that close , so it was a bit loud, but fun for the kids. 2) Calan was exploring everything the second we got there. He did not sleep at all on the way up. I guess he was pretty excited. 3) Maisie just checking everything out when we got there. 

1) Calan was a little sick Friday, so we hung around the hotel while the rest of the family had lunch in Petosky and the guys went golfing. After naps, we walked down for some Superman ice cream. Perfect vacation treat. 2) Maisie and I enjoying some mommy/daughter time while Calan finishes his nap. 3) Maisie loving the pool on Saturday. Calan was not into swimming this trip. I think the pool was too cold for him. 4) Maisie loving life Saturday night after dinner and walking around downtown. 

Saturday morning was the Venetian Parade. It was the kids' first parade we have ever gone to. 1) Walking downtown to the parade. 2) Calan watching the fire truck go pass. He loved it, but thought it was too loud so close. 3) That is a tractor on steroids. Calan loved it. 4) Calan loved all the bands and would listen and clap for them. The bands were always my Grandfather's favorite part. Made me happy to see Calan enjoy them so much. 

After dinner Saturday night, we walked along the marina that now includes a splash pad since its remodel a few years ago. Calan wanted to go in, but wanted someone to go in with him. He would not do it by himself, so Grandpa Gris came to the rescue and got soaked. 

Saturday night after our walk downtown, we headed for more ice cream. Calan choose chocolate. Let's just say, we headed back for bath time shortly afterward. The kid was a disaster. 

Again, a best attempt at a family photo. One day we will get a good one. 

Good friends just make life better

How cute are these 3 playing together?

Yesterday, I had a great day with a dear friend of mine who I have known since middle school. We spent the day at her dad's lake house with our babies splashing in the water and her dad's dog insanely searching for rocks. It was 100 degrees here, but we had an amazing afternoon.

It was funny though because the same house that we now had children napping in pack-and-plays was the house that we definitely got into a little trouble at in high school. The house where we once laid out in bikinis to get some sun, I was now sitting in my full-piece in the shade to keep cool. 

One thing I think every adult learns as they transition through life is that friends cycle in and out. Not that friends aren't still friends; it is just that friendships change. I think that I am just so lucky to still be sharing my life with some amazing women. 

My friends and I at my friend in the middle's baby shower.
This is the only picture of us 3 pregnant together. 

Last year, I was actually pregnant at the same time as 2 of my dear friends one due in April and the other who I spent the day with yesterday was due in June. However, instead of June, her son came into this world at 26 weeks 3 days on March 12. Though looking at a picture of Carter today, it is hard to imagine him as the 2 pound baby he once was. I can still feel the hug my friend gave the first time I came up to the hospital to see her. He was so little, but man he was so strong. 

His stay at the NICU was nothing short of miraculous. He grew so big so quickly and did so great without a single issue that he was released 2 months later (still 1 month before his original due date). Besides some major reflux issues, he has been perfectly healthy. He just started walking a week ago. 

Seeing my 2 babies and her little guy playing together in the water just made me so happy that I have friends like her (and many other women). There is rarely a week that I don't have a "mommy" friend I can call and hang out with. I could not imagine my life without them all. 

Being a stay-at-home mom can be really isolating, but good friends really make life so much better. 

Who are the women in your life that you couldn't do without? 

Our view for the afternoon. I grew up nearby, but now live about 40 minutes away. 

Oh How I Missed Up North

What an almost perfect weekend filled with swimming, boating, and a little a lot of Euchre. The kids were great, the weather was near perfect, and the food was amazing. It was everything we missed dearly the last 2 years. There is nothing like spending time in Northern Michigan.

We arrived Thursday just before lunch time. The kids napped and then it was party time down by the water. Maisie loved splashing on the beach and Calan dug away at the sand and swam. Maisie took her first boat ride. She tolerated it, but the life jackets were just not that comfortable. I don't blame her for being a bit annoyed, but overall she was good. Calan loves boat rides just not sitting still while the boat is moving. 

Friday, we spent the morning visiting with my dad, who lives about an hour away from where we were staying. But Maisie just didn't seem to feel right. She spiked a fever after her nap and from there she just kept getting worse. I wasn't sure what was going on, but luckily by Saturday morning she was back to her happy self. I have since discovered that she somehow caught hand, foot, and mouth disease. So far no one else has gotten sick. Just praying that everyone stays healthy. Luckily, it really only affected her Friday afternoon and she was able to have fun the rest of the weekend.

Saturday, it rained in the morning, so we just took it easy, but once the weather broke and the kids woke from their naps, it was another afternoon spent by the water. So many memories and so much fun.

But everything good must come to an end. We headed home Sunday after lunch. Till next year!

(1) Maisie playing in the sand. (2) Our family on Maisie's first boat ride. (3) Uncle Ken taking Calan for a little ride on the 4-wheeler. (4) Calan loving life playing on the deck.

Calan was a water baby this weekend. Loved everything about it. Well, except swimming in the middle of the lake. He tolerated it, but was not a huge fan at all. Maybe next year. 

Here is my pretty girl. You wouldn't guess it, but she was pretty sick. We just stuck inside while everyone else played outside. 

Last pictures before we left. Both kids were out within 5 minutes. Pretty much the universal sign of a wonderful time. 

Planning, packing, and the 4th

Happy 4th of July! We are spending the day cleaning, organizing, packing, and staying inside (Hello, crazy hot weather).

We are taking off early tomorrow morning for Bob's uncle and aunt's cottage up north. This is an annual trip that for the last 2 years we have not been able to go because I was either taking care of a newborn or way too pregnant.

Calan last 4th of July at the cottage.

Last year, we were at home feeling so bored that we decided to drive the 3.5 hours to just spend the day up there with our family. (It was well worth the trip.)

There is nothing like spending gorgeous summer days in northern Michigan. We are pretty lucky to have several locations that we get to visit.

It is going to be a fun weekend filled with amazing unbelievable food, swimming, beach volleyball, walks, and campfires. The kids are going to be in heaven.

We look forward to this weekend every year and can't wait to share it with the kids.

I'll post pictures through out the weekend on Twitter. Follow me over there to see what we will be up to.

Have a great day and stay cool!

Cooking for 4

Teriyaki chicken with green beans and roasted potatoes.

I am now cooking for our family of four. We cut out Maisie's purees about 2 weeks ago. We kind of went cold turkey and just stopped giving them to her. She has done fine with all types of food and is seriously the best eater.

I still struggle to get Calan to eat different types of foods, but for Maisie, the second we put it on her tray, it is in her mouth. She doesn't even question it. If it is food, she is good to go. 

I am hoping Maisie's eating influences Calan's stubbornness. His toddler picky-ness is killing me. I am so tired of every mealtime turning into a battle. I promise him every night that my food won't kill him. The continuous playing with his food rather than eating it lands him in a time out, but does not seem to fix the eating issue at all. I dread dinners with him. So frustating. But, I keep trying. 

Maisie only has a month till we start phasing out her bottles. I can't wait to buy my last container of formula. I still need to work on sippy cups, but I know that she will get there. 

As we gear up for our summer vacations, it is nice to know that food is not something I need to worry about. I will be able to find something for Maisie wherever we go. And I know that she will eat basically everything too. So nice.

Cooking for my family is just another sign of how big my babies are getting. (Sniff, Sniff, Tear)

Feeling a bit sentimental these days

I am in full-on birthday-party mode. Calan will be 2 on Sunday. I will be the mother of a 2-year-old. OH MY GOSH. Where did the time go?

I will no longer have 2-under-2. I will have a 1- and 2-year-old. When did that happen?

I look back to Calan's first birthday and can't believe that he was so little when I thought he was so big and can't believe I was so big, when I thought I was so little. I was 9 months pregnant with Maisie and my big little guy wasn't even walking yet.

I am feeling a little sentimental for my newborn babies, my non-moving, sleep-on-you babies. My wiggly, can't sit still babies are all over the place now. Their getting into all kinds of mischief.

I just want to hold on to those little babies for a little longer. Calan now tells me to "Let Go" when I have hugged him too long. I just want to hold him all the time.

I had to buy Maisie some 18 month summer clothes because she is already busting out of her 12 month clothes. She is so tall her shorts barely go over her fluffy butt and her Buddha belly is hanging out of her shirts.

I am now cooking for a family of 4. Maisie is eating basically everything that we are eating during meals. Unless I am being lazy, she rarely has pureed baby food anymore.


Everything feels like it is happening too quickly for me. I want to savor this year for a little longer. I want my babies to be just like they are for just a little longer.


I want Calan to sing at the top of his lungs "Farmer and the Dell" all the time. I want him to count "2, 3, 6, 1, 2, 3, 5" again and again. I want him to mumble prayers and say "Amen" when I am taking too long to say them so he can start eating. I want him to say "Dank you" when I hand him what he wants and "sure" when I finally repeat what he was trying to ask correctly forever.


I want Maisie to smile with her 4-tooth grin all day long. I want her to try and escape out of our family room and smile back at me to only turn and move faster wiggling her little butt. I want her to raise her hands above her head when I enter a room every time because she is so happy to see me. I want her to bee-line to any shoe left in her reachable space forever.


I want to remember it all. I am not ready for this season to be over. I thought I would be, but I am not. I love having 2 babies. I love watching them grow, but growing means one day they won't be babies anymore.

I know that they will always be my babies. I am just feeling a bit sentimental right now. I just want to hold on for a little bit longer. This momma isn't ready to let go.

Love that this little guy made me a mom. 

The picture I used to announce I was pregnant on Facebook.

Calan's first trip to the zoo. 

First birthday

My two babies. 

You will truly be missed

Grandma Wilson holding Calan at the hospital. She had 3 great-grandchildren.

My husband's family is closer than most that I know. From aunts and uncles to cousins and siblings, we see each other often. Their love for one another and loyalty to each other is incomparable. And I am positive that the love and loyalty that they have for one another comes from one person, Bob's Grandmother.

This past Saturday she passed away suddenly and we are all feeling a bit shocked. It is all feeling a bit surreal. Her 77th birthday would have been Sunday.

His Grandmother was seriously the most selfless caring person I knew and she had such a forgiving heart. In her life, some have not always been so nice, and yet, she never had an ill-word for anyone or anything. 

She was blessed with an unbelievable servant's heart. She put every one's needs above her own. And her family loved her so much and cared for her so much that to lose her so suddenly leaves us bewildered. 

This week Bob and I will be spending quite a bit of time with family. Tomorrow will be the visitation and Wednesday will be the funeral. 

This will be another survival week. We just need to get through. I am lucky that a friend and my mother-in-law will be helping with the kids, so that I can be there for Bob. 

It is going to be a long week, but like everything it is just one step at a time. 

Grateful Friday: Chance to say goodbye

My Oma and Opa and I at my college graduation in 2003.

Well, this weekend is not going to be the easiest for me. I am taking off today to say goodbye to my grandmother. She has not been well for several years, but knowing that this is the last time is not easy.

I'll be honest, I have not seen my grandmother in more than a year. I do not want to come off as insensitive or too upset. The fact is that I have watched all of my grandparents and one great-grandparent get old. I have watched them live their lives to the fullest. I have been lucky enough to be at a point where none of them were taken (as some might say) before their time.

I am so grateful to have known all of my grandparents. My grandfather passed away almost 3 years ago and now my grandmother will be joining him.

I am grateful to be able to celebrate a life versus mourn a death. And my dad's parents were larger than life. Until their health started to fail, they were the life of the party. Always the storytellers. My grandmother's birthday is a week from today (a day after mine).

I have been told I don't have to go this weekend. But I regret not being there when my grandfather actually passed. I should have gone. I am grateful this time that I have time to go up and say goodbye.

I am grateful to my family (my father, aunts, and uncles) who took care of my grandmother. They basically put their lives on hold to care for her. They promised my grandfather that they would and they did.

While I am not extremely close to my grandparents, I am grateful that they were/are there. I know that I took it for granted and I am sorry for that.

(I should say that both of my mom's parents are still in my life.)

Anything goes Thursday: Partner parenting

I remember telling Bob when I was pregnant with Calan in a pretty urgent, emotional, hormonal, crazy pregnant tone that I didn't want to be a stay-at-home mom who was afraid to leave her children home with her husband. While the thought was pretty irrational since I know Bob and knew that he would never be "that" type of dad, I still worried about me, my control issues, his passive issues, and how we would work as parents.

I love the father that my husband is to our children. I love that we are true partners when it comes to raising our children. He doesn't leave all decisions to me. He doesn't expect me to do everything. He doesn't expect our children to be perfect. He doesn't expect me to be anything more than I am. 

I think that we work so well as parents together because we realize without an us - our marriage, our husband and wife relationship - there is no us - our family, our happy home. 

Now, I know that many families know that and that I am not saying anything new here and that by saying it, I am not trying to say anything more than how happy I am that I have that. 

I was not raised in such a household because of many circumstances and I think when I told Bob in my urgent, emotional, hormonal, crazy pregnant tone that I was just afraid. I know how quickly things change and how quickly partner parents become solo parents. 

Last night we went out shopping and to eat and I just couldn't help but sit back and enjoy the fact that we can do those things and enjoy doing those things because we get to do them together. 

OK, enough kumbaya blogging. Have a good day!

Photo overload: Calan 1-year / Maisie newborn

All photos by Purple Tree Photography

June 2010 vs. June 2011

Is this really June? I was talking with Bob last night and it amazes me how different this June is from last year.

June 2010 was insane. I basically had 3 doctor appointments a week between weekly ultrasounds and doctor visits, as well as 2 non-stress tests a week. Last year, was so warm for so long, I was so swollen by the end of my pregnancy. My ankles were sausages and my pregnancy waddle was in full swing. At this time last year, I was one week away from my estimated due date and I thought there would be no way I would go late. (I delivered at 41 weeks.) Then you add in the fact that my father-in-law had a heart attack and underwent a quadruple bi-pass the week Calan was due. Our lives were busy.

This June seems very less dramatic to say the least. My pregnancy is going just fine. No additional tests needed. I am not swollen yet and I am getting around pretty well. Although I will be honest that it is getting harder and harder to bend down to get toys and what not for Calan. While it was extremely warm the last few days, it is no where how it was last year. The weather has actually been very pregnancy friendly. My father-in-law is doing well and hopefully will not have to Skype with us from a hospital bed when Maisie is born.

This June, I get to enjoy spending time with my son and watching him enjoy Michigan summer for the first time. We are planning his first birthday party for the end of the month. So excited to celebrate with friends and family.

I am loving June 2011. I hope July 2011 is just as great!

First trip to the Zoo

Our first trip to the Detroit Zoo with Calan. It is about 10 minutes away from our house, so I am sure we will be spending a lot of time there this summer and every summer from now on. We only spent about 2 hours there checking out the polar bear exhibit, butterfly house, and walking around. While the weather wasn't the nicest, it was nice to have a family day.

Bob showing Calan the seals.
Both were pretty intrigued

No polar bears swimming over the tube, but
Calan loved the blue water and all the
light shining through

The butterfly exhibit. He loved it and watching
all the butterflies fly over head. 

Our family of 3.