When you know that it's over.

(mic tap) Is this thing on?

 

There's probably only two people that are going to see this, but hey! you're worth it!

 

A little back story: I started this blog in 2010 after Boots and I got engaged as a way to share wedding planning with our family that was/is scattered far and wide.  After the wedding I kept the blog going, posting about what Boots and I were doing fixing up our house.  Then Mayhem was born and, of course, he was the topic of every post.  Since then we've moved twice and Chaos was born. 

 

I have not grown a lot of followers like some blogs, but that's ok.  I have not made any money, but that was not what I set out to do.  I haven't made any friends through the internet that turned out to be friends in real life, probably mostly because we live thousands of miles apart.  I have at times wanted to quit (and have!) because the narcissism was getting to me, but I always came back.  

 

I enjoy posting and sharing, but it is rare that the Computer, the Internet, the Inspiration, the Energy, and the Time all meet up together.  (Sad truth- this post has cranked itself out so fast it's scary.  Not a lot of ruminating going on.  Must be a sign that it is time.)

 

There's so much to share!  I could post something every day I'm sure, but we live on a farm and have animals, a garden, and perpetual chores to help with, plus our own small business.  Plus, I have a husband and two tiny people that need me to cook and clean for them, a cow to milk every morning, and real-life friends and relationships to cultivate.  

 

My to do list has been hanging over my head the past several months and I can't shake it.  It's like this dark cloud of words and thoughts and don't forget this! with lightning streaks of guilt following me above my head.  Time for me to let it go and give myself grace because I cannot do all of the things.

 

 

 

A lot of the blogs that I have followed for years are shutting down and maybe the recent closure of one of my favorites (I won't even tell you because you might like it, too, and that's just sad) really made me think I'm done, too. 

 

I want to write, I have things to write about, but the biggest thing keeping me from it is...

 

 

 

So, that's it.  I'm done.  I won't say forever, but I will say for now.  Maybe I'll be back when I have more time.  This is a free blog so I don't intend to close it.  In the meantime, if you're not already there, you can follow me on Instagram.  I'm @eatingcrowpie, of course.

 

I'll be changing diapers, reading to my babies, and smelling like a cow.  I plan to get caught up on baby books for Mayhem and Chaos and hopefully, finally, organize and start printing some of the millions of pictures Boots and I have collected.

Baby Reading

Reading books is was one of my favorite things to do in my spare time (spare time, ha!) for fun, but when I want/need to know something reading books, all the books!, is how I make myself an expert.  For my second baby I reread a few books I'd read with the first baby and found quite a few new ones to add to my list.  Consider this an informal book review.

 

These links are not affiliate links, just links because I thought I'd make it easier on you if you're interested in the book yourself.  Although, I'm not opposed to affiliate links...

 

 

From the bottom to the top:

 

100,000 Plus Baby Names  

We bought this one in 2012 for Mayhem.  I have the 2009 edition.  Not much to say about this, everybody needs a name book.  I read through the names again and we didn't pick names for Chaos from this book, but they are listed.

 

Your Pregnancy & Birth

My insurance company sent me this one in 2012 for Mayhem.  I cracked it once about two weeks before Chaos was born because I wanted to read up on Group B Strep

 

What To Expect When You're Expecting

I have the third edition.  Only read it this time to look up something about Group B Strep.

 

The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth

This was a new one for me and I loved it.  I think I read it all in a week during naptimes and before I went to bed.  I liked it because it gave comparisons on every possible option for every possible situation birth-related.  If you want to give someone a book and not sure which books they already have I recommend this one.  To the point and eliminates lots of fluff.

 

The Birth Partner

I have the third edition.  Never got around to reading this one.

 

Preparing for Birth with Yoga

I read this.  It was...interesting.  I don't yoga enough for it to be a good one for me.  Maybe if you do yoga regularly or more seriously it would benefit you more?

 

Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way

I read this one with Mayhem and reread it for Chaos.  Another one of my favorites.  The pictures are graphic (real, nekkid people).  I love this one.

 

Not pictured:

Husband-Coached Childbirth: The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth

Another new one.  I liked this one, but it kinda set me up in a bad way.  It's all about the husband and how much he's going to help you and be involved in the labor.  Don't read it unless you a) have a reader-type husband who is going to read this and do what it says or b) can hold back unrealistic expectations easily.

 

HypnoBirthing: The Mongan Method

Did not read this one this time.  Got rid of it.  A little too out there for me.

It's a girl!

Little baby Chaos was born Sunday, February 7, 2016 at 7:01 PM.  5 pounds, 11 ounces, 19.5 inches long

A Little Bit of Chaos

Bloggers in general have this thing about doing big reveals, don't they?

 

 

 

I've been working on a big reveal of my own since, mmmm, May/June-ish.

 

 

 

It's almost time to share!!

 

 

 

Here are a few teasers of what's to come...

 

 

(If you only know me in real life and Instagram {@eatingcrowpie}, boy, are you in for a surprise!

 

 

 

 

July 13, 2015-  Some folks were a little confused by the pink/blue balloons and the "big bro" shirt Mayhem's wearing.

 

 

 

 

July 29, 2015

10 weeks

 

 

 

August 5, 2015
11 weeks
 

 

 

August 15, 2015

12 weeks, 3 days

 

 

 

August 26, 2015

14 weeks

 

 

 

September 5, 2015

15 weeks, 3 days

 

 

 

September 9, 2015
16 weeks
 

 

September 17, 2015

17 weeks, 1 day

 

 

September 23, 2015

18 weeks

 

 

October 14, 2015

21 weeks

 

It's a baby!

 

 

October 15, 2015

21 weeks, 1 day

 

I was feeling artsy this day.

 

 

 

November 25, 2015

27 weeks

 

 

 

November 28, 2015

27 weeks, 3 days

 

 

 

December 31, 2015

32 weeks, 1 day

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

 

January 31, 2016

36 weeks, 4 days

 

 

February 5, 2016

37 weeks, 1 day

 

This pregnancy has been a lot different than being pregnant with Mayhem.  We waited longer to tell people, I've gained a lot more weight (and still am!), I've been more uncomfortable with hip pain/sciatic nerve pain/round ligament pain, and something I never experienced before is the extreme swelling of my feet and hands.

 

I am using a different doctor and hospital this time.  He's pretty crunchy and is supportive of me wanting a natural birth and not just an epidural-less experience.  At my 34 weeks appointment he told me, "If this was Talladega you'd be in the last lap."  HA!  Last week at my 37 weeks appointment he said that he doesn't want to jinx me, but he has a good feeling about this one.  Not sure what he meant by that exactly, but me, too.

 

Mayhem hasn't felt the baby move because he won't be still long enough to hold his hand in one place, but he does like talking to my belly, specifically- using my belly button as a microphone to say, "Hello, baby!" in the cutest little tiny voice.

 

I've been driving Boots crazy with all the nesting and to-do list making.  He'll probably really appreciate it when I calm down.

 

Hopefully, now that we're caught up I can update more regularly.  I'm moving incredibly slow these days and it takes a really long time to get anything done.  It's going to be interesting to see what life is like with two kiddies, but I'm excited.  :)

 

 

Mayhem 2.75

A not so eager cowboy.  He likes the idea of riding a horse, but not really the execution.

He loves frozen raw vegetables straight out of the bag!

He loves his baby cousin and asks to hold him, change his clothes, and change his diaper.

He loves his Mameha.

The facial expressions sometimes...

These Rangeroos ride-on animals were so much fun at the Fair in the Square.  Too bad we have nothing but dirt where we live.

He will steal your shades.

He's a sharp dresser and likes to be prepared.

He sleeps like his daddy.

He took my spot.

He's an expert cookie dough ball maker.

Mayhemisms:

When tucking him into bed at night:  "I want your whole big head."  Or is he saying, "I want to hold your big head"?

"Mama, I have a dry diaper." ..... "Now it's wet."

"You the daddy cow and you the mama bull."

He is a frog legs lover and will eat more than you get to!

He can pronounce "rhinoceros" and "hippopotamus" perfectly, but those big grey animals with trunks are "Elthumps."

"Out with me" = without me

"Jommas" = pajamas

"Motor bicycles" = motorcycles

"Lellow" = yellow

"Shuntime" = sunshine

He may be mismatched by his own doing, but he constantly pulls his shirt down, straightens pants legs, and can't stand to have long sleeves pushed up even to wash his hands.

"Tovers" = covers

He has poured his own milk out of a half full gallon if not assisted fast enough to his liking.  Yikes!

Mayhem 2.5

Cheesing before church one morning.

He had a little fever virus in August and was so cuddly grumpy for a few days.

He loves his baby!

The morning we moved he slept super late.  We carried him outside on the mattress and set it on the trailer before he woke up!

Wallerin' in the floor with my sister in September.

Mayhemisms:

Walking to our trailer in the dried crusty mud- "Here me are. ..... Here I am!" "I can walk. I can walk with my shoes and I can walk with my feet."  "Argh argh! These rocks hurt. Some rocks tickle some rocks hurt. These rocks hurts."

"Breakawist" = breakfast

"Don't get my nose, I need to breath"

Twistated = twisted, as in "My diaper is twistated."

For a while he kept an imaginary dog in a real pen and fed it corn every day.

Anybody: "What have you been eating?"  Mayhem: "Bricks with my friends!"

"I eat all your groceries!!"

"You're breaking me!"

He discovered stop signs along the road and would yell "Stop, Mama, STOP!" when I was driving for a few weeks.

"At" ends every sentence.

"What IS that?"

"You leave me?"

It was pretty mindblowing for him to realize that everything has/is a mama/daddy and we had MANY conversations about is THAT the mama/daddy whatever quite frequently.  See also everything has pee pee and/or poop.

"Chawberries" = strawberries

"Chewdiber" = screwdriver

"Tuhtie" = cookie

"Joofer" = rooster

Cheese puffs = "chipmunks"

Griddle = "skateboard" 

Shampoop

"Swimming toot" = swimming suit

Bridges/sheds were kind of confusing for a while.  We drove under sheds and parked under bridges.

Physically, he can skip, but not jump.

"Help you," he says, not "help me."