2.5 seconds

Seriously???????  I stuck my head in the closet for 2.5 seconds and I turned around to this.......

 and then I walked out into the kitchen to this....

Why does it seem to take Grant seconds to completely destroy every room in our house but yet it takes hours for me to clean it all up?

It is a good thing he is so cute!!!

I read this on a blog that I follow and I just had to share it.  I am fortunate enough to be past this part of my life and finally at a stage where I can read something like this and not cry, but actually get a good laugh out of it.  Those of you that have experienced infertility know just how true this is!

The Infertility Life Cycle:
Typical Month of the Infertile

Negative pregnancy test.

Period.

Cry on toilet.

Cry in bed.

Depression.

Cry at work in bathroom.

Day 3, fertility appointment.

Wonder if you should try having sex during your period.

Sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex.

Inspect toilet paper after wiping hourly.

Fight with partner about infertility.

Friend announces she’s pregnant. Emotional breakdown.

Ovulate?

IUI?

Sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex

Two week wait.

Facebook friend posts a picture of her bump. Cry.

Baby shower invite. Cry about that.

Analyze for early pregnancy symptoms.

Google: “Right breast feels heavier than left breast. Am I Pregnant?”

Google: “Peeing a lot at night, IUI.”

Google: “Left nipple looks darker. Pregnancy?”

Google: “Metallic taste in mouth. Pregnant?”

Inspect toilet paper after wiping hourly.

Hope for implantation bleeding.

Test early or wait for period.

Negative.

Mental breakdown.

REPEAT AGAIN THE FOLLOWING MONTH, AND THE MONTH AFTER THAT AND THE MONTH AFTER THAT AND THE MONTH AFTER…

18 Months

I can hardly believe that the Grant man is a year and a half years old already!  Seriously, where does the time go???  This is what we have been up to the last few months...

*Grant still loves music and has even started singing now.  It is so cute to suddenly hear him quietly singing to himself when we are in the car.

*He is VERY busy!  Give him 2 seconds alone and he will empty out all of the drawers and cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom, spill out all contents of my purse and find a way to sneak downstairs and  feed dump all of Jasper's food all over the floor. 

*He is very kind hearted and loves to share.  He usually shares by trying to stuff one of his crackers into your mouth, but I also caught him sharing toys at playgroup the other day.  I hope this lasts when his sibling gets here!

*He wears 12 month pants and 18 month shirts.  Size 4 diapers.  I won't get his weight and height until later this week.

*Grant takes one nap a day.  Some days he sleeps for hours, some days he sleeps for 30 mins- you never know what you are going to get!  He usually goes to bed at 9 and wakes up at 9- I don't mind him staying up a little later since it means he sleeps later.  This momma loves to sleep in!!!

*He loves to be outside and will point to the door and carry over his shoes and coat to me 40 times a day- even if it is only 30 out!

*A month ago I was concerned about his lack of talking.  That has definitely changed!  He still talks a lot in his own language, but he is also saying so many new words.  It is so exciting to hear what new things he will say each day.  Today when I got him out of his crib he said, "Where dadda go?" 

*Grant is a total daddy's boy.  He will say dadda all.day.long.  He walks around the house carrying J's clothes and he even tore the page out of his alphabet book that has J's picture on it so he can carry that around.  The look on his face when J finally gets home is priceless!  The only love I get is when I drop him off at nursery and he cries for momma- how sad is that!

*My favorite thing he does lately is itsy bitsy spider.  When he wants you to sing the song, he will attempt to move his little fingers like a spider- it is the cutest thing ever!

I haven't had the energy to get out and take 18 month pictures yet so I am using this pic from last month at Disney instead.  I think it is so adorable and captures his personality perfectly. 

Update and Recipe

Thank you to everyone for the kind words, comments and prayers for Baby S #4.  We feel so blessed to not only have this baby growing inside me but to have all of you showering it in love already! 

I need to do Grant's 18 month update, but I don't have time for that so I thought I would just sign in quick and give an update on the pregnancy.  A lot of you have asked how I am feeling.  I am doing ok.  This pregnancy has been very different than my last two.   I didn't have any symptoms until week 8 and then I threw up a couple times and was nauseated for a couple weeks and then I was done.  With the other two, I was sick the entire first trimester.  The only symptom that has been consistent so far is the exhaustion.  I know, I know, I should get used to it because it won't end until the kids are out of the house..... I have heard that one many times the last few weeks.  I am talking pregnancy exhaustion though, not kid exhaustion.  The kind of exhaustion where you can barely get the energy to get off the couch and when you do, your heart starts racing and by the time you get to the fridge, you are out of breath.  It has been a new challenge to feel this way while caring for my precious G and I have many times felt like a horrible mommy because I haven't been the active participant in his playtime as I usually am.  I am in no way complaining about it, I am just praying that it ends soon! 

Although I haven't been as sick as I usually am, I have been feeling very indifferent when it comes to food.  That means that the boys have had to fend for themselves when it comes to dinner.  Needless to say, I did not get to try out a new recipe in March.  So, I thought I would share an old recipe that many of you many not have.  I was so thankful that I was able to find the energy to make these bars for a fundraiser for an amazing woman and friend Kristi  who has been fighting cancer for four years.  There were hundreds of items on the bake sale table but it appeared that my bars were gone quickly so you might just want to run out and make these bars right away! 

Messenger Bars

Put in greased jelly roll pan (1/2 batch in a 9 x 13 pan.

1st layer:

1 cup white karo syrup
2 cups peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
Heat these three ingred. until melted

Add:  3 cups Rice Krispies
      2 cups hand crushed Corn Flakes

2nd layer:

2 sticks margarine (melted)
6 Tbls. milk
4 cups powdered sugar
2 3oz. instant vanilla pudding
Beat in mixer until fluffy

3rd layer:

Melt together
12oz. chocolate chips
1 stick margarine

Put in refrigerator to cool.



Enjoy!

October 25, 2011

I have started this post a thousand times and I just keep erasing it and starting it over.  I am not sure the best way to say this because I know that some of you will be elated and some of you will get an instant pit in your stomach and wonder why it isn't you.  So, here goes.... we are expecting a new member of the Schrotenboer household in October.  We are shocked and thankful and quite honestly, still in disbelief. 

I found out I was pregnant in February. I could hardly believe it when I looked at the line that appeared so quickly.  I was excited and scared and ran to the store to take 2 more tests just to be sure. I called the dr and she wanted me to come in for a quick ultrasound at 6 weeks to make sure everything looked good since I have a history of well, everything.  I went in and as we looked at the ultrasound screen, we both knew what we saw- an empty sac.  I left that day with instructions to get blood work done (just in case) but to prepare myself for miscarriage.  With all of our issues, I hadn't really let myself believe we were pregnant so I was sad, but I knew I would be ok.  We have been through worse, much worse.  Of course, all of this was right before our trip to FL and I was so worried because the last thing I wanted was to think about suddenly miscarrying while I was walking around Disney. 

I had my blood work done and surprisingly it came back really good.  My doctor suggested that my timing could have been off.  That is a phrase that anyone who has been through infertility thinks is a joke.  Pretty sure I know my body better than my doctor at this point and I know when things happen.   My timing was not off.  I went in the next week for an ultrasound and amazingly enough, there was a tiny baby in there with a little flicker of a heartbeat.  I was in disbelief as I looked at that screen.  The heartbeat was really low though so there were still doubts.  My doctor suspected that the heart had just started beating the night before but I had to go back in 2 weeks just to be sure everything was ok.

I went in for my third ultrasound a couple weeks later and there he/she was- all gummy bearish with a very strong heartbeat.  Everything looked great.

I just had another quick ultrasound (yes, I am only 10 weeks and have had 4 ultrasounds so far!) on Friday and everything still looked good so we finally feel confident in telling the world!  My doctor told me at this appt that I have to start believing that this baby is going to happen but with all of this drama, it is still hard for me to wrap my brain around all of this!

So, there it is.  I obviously can't have a pregnancy without drama but I am hoping that will be all we have to endure this time around.  We know we have a long road ahead of us but for now we will just take it a day at a time and be thankful for this amazing gift from God.

I am still unsure why God has chosen to bless us with another pregnancy. I instantly felt guilty thinking of all of you that I pray to be blessed with your first. Know that you are all still on my mind and I will not stop praying until you bring your baby/babies home in your arms.

the innocence of a child...

Disney was amazing.  We got out of this cold winter weather and soaked up some vitamin D, we met Mickey and Minnie and Goofy.  We played in the pool and took walks along the "beach".  We definitely made memories that will last a lifetime.  However, there was something missing.  This conversation between my 7 year old niece (K) and I at dinner our last night there sums it all up for me.


K- You know what is on my mind Aunt Krista?

Me- I don't know K, what is on your mind right now?

K- Brooke and Alexcyn

Me- (suddenly very happy it is dark in here) Really?  Why are they on your mind right now?

K- I am just thinking how much fun they would have had at Disney.

Me- (first tear rolls down my cheek) I thought about them a lot this week too K.  What do you think would have been their favorite part of Disney?

K-  Magic Kingdom. 

Me- Oh, I know they would have loved Magic Kingdom.  Do you think they would have had a favorite princess that they would want to dress up like?

K- I think Belle would have been their favorite.  They could have gotten Belle dresses and met all the princesses with us.

Me- That would have been pretty special and I know they would have loved it K.

Me- (suddenly speechless and full of tears- I lean in for a hug)  I love you K for making me realize I am not alone and for never forgetting my little girls....

Disney World Part 2

Thursday was a rainy day.  We started off the day at a character breakfast where Grant got to meet Mickey and Minnie and then once the rain cleared up, we went to Downtown Disney and enjoyed some yummy food.

 

Grant was anxious to spend every moment he could outside and he didn't understand why he couldn't go out in the rain.  So, we stripped off his clothes and let him go out on our porch and play in the rain.  He loved it!

Thursday night we had a private viewing of the Indiana Jones stunt show and then we actually got to go on stage for a dinner reception.  Unfortunately, it was really cold (40) so I think I was so frozen that I forgot to take any pictures!




Friday we went to Animal Kingdom.  I was so excited to go to this park, but unfortunately we didn't have a full day there so we missed some stuff.  We were still able to get in the Safari, Lion King and Finding Nemo though.

Our independent boy that wanted to walk/run everywhere.

Friday night we had priority seating at Epcot Illusions night show.  This was a fantastic show and by far Grant's favorite!  I wish I had my video camera there to capture his excitement as he watched the fireworks.  It was so cute.

 

Saturday was another pool day.  It started out a little chilly, but luckily it warmed up enough that I was able to get a little color on my face before we went home.  Grant again spent the entire day shivering in the pool, but he refused to get out!

Saturday night we attended a fancy dinner with street performers and cirque acrobats.  It was quite the show and a great way to end our trip!

When dinner was over, all of the kids went up on stage to dance.  Grant loved dancing the night away!



Sunday, we headed to home sweet home.  It was a wonderful week and although I know Grant will never remember his time at Disney, I know I will never forget the look on his face when he saw Mickey for the first time or the excitement on his face when he watched the fireworks!  It was a great week and we are so thankful that we could go on this trip!