Every one of us has moments that split our lives into a Before and an After. The births of each of my children have been personal such moments, and welcoming Nickelson into our family on August 18 was no exception. Nico’s birth divided not just our month, but also our year and my own lifetime into Before I was a mom to four and Since. As this was such a pivotal month for me and for my family, I wanted to document it with a monthly post, despite technically being on a blogging break. I’m grateful for this space that allows me to digitally preserve the biggest memories as well as the smaller moments and things surrounding them.
|| READING LATELY ||
I haven’t finished (or read more than a few chapters of) a single book since Nico was born, but I did read a bit at the start of August. This romance and this mystery were both disappointments, but this this book-in-a-book thriller was a lot of fun, and this complex historical mystery is in the running for favorite novel of the year. I loved the premise of this historical comedy, but wasn’t feeling the jaunty tone and DNF’d around the 20% mark. The kids and I finished two books this month: this fast-paced sequel that was just as great as the original, and this sweet story with an original premise.
In the world of nonfiction, I reread this humorous and poignant poetry/essay collection and enjoyed it even more with this second reading. This book on emotions was fine but not especially helpful, but this book on navigating technology within the family was a fantastic resource as was this Biblical guide to sexuality.
|| WATCHING LATELY ||
Emma ~ Much to my embarrassment, I’ve never read Jane Austen’s Emma, but the trailer for the 2020 film adaptation drew me in. Although the movie was a bit of a slow start as I struggled to identify characters and connections, I was immediately captivated by the stunning scenery and spectacular costumes, and soon the story had won me over, too. While I can’t speak to the film’s faithfulness to the original story, the movie is enchanting, smart, and often surprising, and had me wishing for an alternate life under Emma’s wing (or at least residence in her home) in Regency England. My Rating: 4.5 Stars
|| LISTENING LATELY ||
A few podcasts that have informed and inspired lately.
Focus on the Family with Jim Daly—Creating Spiritual Habits in your Family
The Ben Shapiro Show—Balancing Faith & Reason | Matt Fradd
THINQ—Who is Teaching Your Child: Suzanne Phillips | Episode 293
Don’t Mom Alone—Sidetracked with Jess Connolly :: Cynthia and Heather [Ep 484]
|| LOVING LATELY ||
Although we’d gotten rid of nearly all of our baby gear before discovering we were pregnant with Nico, we bought almost nothing this time around thanks to generous hand-me-downs from family and friends! Two items we are especially loving are our bassinets (which are crucial since we don’t have a nursery or crib and Nico is in our bedroom for the foreseeable future). The first is a portable “snuggle nest” that Nico has been sleeping in at night. It fits right between Luke and me in bed, making it easy for either of us to get him (Luke for a diaper change, me for a feeding) in the middle of the night. This gives us a safe cosleeping option that is working beautifully, and it’s nice that the bassinet folds up for under-the-bed storage during the day.
The second is a foldable bedside bassinet that we’ve been using for naptimes, or just when we need to set the baby somewhere safe. It’s small enough to fit nicely next to Nico’s dresser/changing table. I love the wheels and bottom storage tray as well as the option to move it right next to our bed if we decide we want Nico out of our bed itself at nighttime.
Betsy, who we know from the babysitting room at our gym and who has become a good friend and surrogate grandmother to my kids, made them the most adorable Big Sibling t-shirts to celebrate Nico’s birth. She was so thoughtful to make shirts in the kids’ favorite colors and to incorporate aspects of each kid into the design (Paw Patrol and Mario hats for the boys, and a crown for Kali). It was such a thoughtful gift that made welcoming Nico home extra special.
I’m usually not one to spend much time on my phone, but in the final weeks of pregnancy—when I had reached peak physical discomfort and my anxiety about the birth was sky-high—I needed a distraction, and the New York Times Game app fit the bill. The app includes several daily games including Wordle, The Crossword, Spelling Bee, and (my two favorites) Strands and Connections. Each day a new puzzle of each type is released, which is just the right number of puzzles to give me some diversion without keeping me glued to my screen the whole day. This has become my favorite way to pass the time during middle-of-the-night nursing sessions when I’m too tired to focus on a book but need something to keep me from dozing off while Nico feeds.
The twins are in the process of dropping their afternoon nap: some days they really need it, and other days they spend a couple of hours in their bedroom doing “quiet time” instead. On the days when they do nap, we push back their bed time which has created a perfect window for after-dinner family game nights. I bust out the snacks and the kids decide on a game the whole family will enjoy—and now that Kali and Sully are older and can play more advanced games, there really are games we ALL like to play. Some favorites have been Sequence for Kids, Skip-Bo, Clue Junior (which is even more fun than the original!), Scrabble Junior (great for our emerging readers), the Super Mario edition of Life, Harry Potter Pictionary Air, and Taco vs Burrito (we laughed so hard with this game on the night before Nico was born, I swear it’s what made me go into labor!).
|| MONTHLY KID-ISMS ||
CHARLIE-ISMS:
+ “I don’t want to do my work, I like talking instead. . . . I think my mouth has had too much practice talking this summer.”
+ “If doctors study physiology do they also study fizzy soda? Because I’d love to be their guinea pig for root beer.”
KALI-ISMS:
+ Hearing me listen to a podcast at 2x speed: “Why on earpieces do people talk so fast? I like it when people talk slow so I can understand.”
+ “I can’t wait to pet all the kitties when we get to Heaven. And to see God. I love, LOVE God and we haven’t seen Him in a long time!”
+ Me, when helping Kali change from her gymnastics leotard into her tights and dance outfit: “Oh, Kali, I think I forgot to bring your underwear for under your tights.” Kali, dramatically putting her face in her hands: “Oh no, I’ll be so embarrassed.” Then quickly recovering: “But it’s okay, Mom, everyone makes mistakes.”
SULLY-ISMS:
+ “Bad guys have to wash their hands so they don’t get sick. Because they have to go steal stuff from houses and they can’t steal stuff if they’re sick.”
+ “Mom, what age were you when you were four?”
+ “How does the milk get in your milkies? Does God take the milk from the cow and put it in your body to come out for the baby?”
+ “I’m going to wear my light up shoes. Everyone loves them and probably want to take them. But they shouldn’t take them. They should just say, ‘Mommy, Daddy, can you please buy me some light up shoes?'”
+ “What happens to the germs we kill with the hand sanitizer? Do they go to Heaven to be with God?”
+ “I think Nico is crying because he doesn’t have a twin.”
|| HAPPENINGS & HIGHLIGHTS ||
We started our school year in the first week of August and were able to fit in three full weeks of work before Nico was born. (We’ve taken two weeks off and will start back up again on Monday.) So far pre-K and 4th grade are off to a fantastic start (although how I have a fourth grader is beyond me)! Charleston is loving the new additions to his curriculum and is especially excelling at creative writing. And I’m having a blast teaching Kali and Sully, who are both taking their work very seriously and are particularly enjoying cutting practice. We’ll need to reestablish our rhythms now that Nico is in the mix; thankfully Luke is on paternity leave and will be able to help out as we figure out what homeschooling is going to look like for us moving forward.
Charleston has also begun his Friday Electives day at a local Classical School. He’s the only student who doesn’t attend the other school days but that hasn’t been a problem, and he’s already begun to form some new friendships. This program is similar to one he’s done in previous years, but he’s really enjoying Theater which is new for him with this school.
Of course THE highlight of my month (and one of the highlights of my life) was the arrival of our sweet Nickelson Ryan. You can read his full birth story here, but the short version is that he came on August 18 at 39 weeks in a fast and furious labor that ended with the drug-free VBAC we’d prepared and prayed for. Clocking in at a whopping 6 pounds 12 ounces, he was completely healthy and absolutely perfect in every way (not that I’m biased). We had an uneventful night in the hospital, where both sets of grandparents and the proud big siblings got to come say hello, and were home the following day.
Nico’s first two weeks home have been about as easy as life with a newborn can be. He’s sleeping fairly well and nursing like a champ. The big kids are all completely smitten with their brother and want to hold him, sing to him, and help out as much as they can. After three other kids, I know how fast these early days fly by and am embracing every chance I can to cuddle my babe. We’ve also gotten out a fair bit: Nico has been to church and on date night with Luke and me, watched his siblings at dance and gymnastics, run errands, gone walking with me at the gym, and survived his first bath as well as his first professional family photo shoot. I know that we are still in the honeymoon stage and that life is going to get a little crazier soon, but regardless of all that is to come, I am so overwhelmed with joy and gratitude for this precious gift of a child.
As I mentioned in Nico’s birth story, my parents surprised us by arriving in Texas before Nico was born and got to meet him when he was just two hours old! They were in town for the week and were a huge help, entertaining the big kids with day trips and plenty of game time at home. What a gift it was to have them here!
Kali and Sully started up gymnastics and dance again this week. We are back at the Y, but doing things a bit differently with them each participating in two classes: they do Super Hero gymnastics together, then Sully does a second hour of gymnastics and Kali does a tap & ballet class. This is her first time in tap and she LOVES it (the shoes themselves, as well as the dancing style). They were excited to get back to their hobbies and already seem to have improved a great deal since their previous classes wrapped up last April.
I don’t know when I’ll be popping into this space again, but I was glad to find some time to get this monthly update up. Thanks for your patience in my inconsistent content for the next few months!
I hope that your August was filled with some wonderful things, and that your September brings cooler temperatures, fall vibes, and other welcome delights.