Sunday Rambling Journal

The last two weeks have felt like a whole month. The end of the school year is approaching and it seems like we've had tons of things on our calendar. I am having my studio's piano recital on the 31st. I wanted to do it at the end of April, but we had some scheduling problems. Most of my kids have had their pieces memorized for months. I nearly forgot to have them play them for me at lessons last week. Anyway, with all the hustle and bustle I've had a lot on my mind. Today, though, most of my thoughts are those of gratitude.

Edward is one of the sweetest, cutest little 1 year olds ever. Sure he can be fussy and needy and messy at times, but his little face just lights up my world. He gives me unlimited hugs and slobbery kisses. He tries to help me wash floors, do dishes, do the laundry, etc. He loves to be outside and ride on our scooter as I push him, go to the park and climb and slide and swing and run. He loves to dig and tries to garden like his dad. Usually that just results in veggies getting pulled up prematurely though. He is starting to understand and mimic more language. I know it won't always be cute, but for now it is very cute to hear him say, "Big poop." when he's messy. I don't know how many things he really understands, but I've been successful at getting him to repeat "I love you" and other fun phrases. He wants to be just like the big boys. He makes it easy to want another kid someday.

Edward "helping" me with laundry

Walter has been obsessed with "little legos" and they soooo wish that they had more. He (they, really) only plays with legos during their non-screen time. All of the legos they have came from relatives at Christmas. They used them and carried them around the house so much. He and Dean are best friends. They have fights and disagreements, but overall he just loves having Dean around and wants to be just like him. He will be so sad when Dean goes to kindergarten next year, though he'll be in preschool 4 days for 3 hours himself. That will help with the transition I think.

Playing "pool time" with his lego guys

Dean is an amazing creator. They have an invention center at school where he uses recyclables to invent stuff. He LOVES it.  Always comes home with little treasures and contraptions that he has invented with a whole story of what they can do. He is very good at putting together inventive ships with his legos, and he often makes 3-D paper ships as well that he creates in his mind. It is amazing to me. Our home teacher is an art teacher and said that kids don't usually start conceptualizing 3-D art until they're much older--jr. high/high school age. He said his paper ships really were amazing for a 5 year old. He is reading at a level 2 or 3 right now. We're still working on reading with inflection and pausing in the right places (periods, commas, etc.), but he's doing really well. His ability to reason mathematically is amazing. He understands the concept of fractions, adding fractions, and even understands that 3/3 is really 1 whole or that 3/6 could also be called 1/2. Most of that we do verbally, so I don't know if he'd be able to do it on paper yet, but conceptually, he gets how numbers fit together. I am curious to see how school goes for him and what they'll do to accommodate and facility his abilities. We've been working on his lisp too. He finally has figured out how to make an "s" sound and can do it if he really thinks about it and tries hard to form him mouth correctly. A lot of times he forgets, but I think he'll be able to work through it.  He has such a sensitive spirit. The other day I said something about hoping that the kids would be more willing to try new foods when they're older since it was very important to me. Matt jokingly said, "And if you don't, we'll just kick you out."  Dean nearly started to cry at the conversation that followed about how most kids won't live with their parents when they grow up.  That thought is just too much for him to swallow yet.  I've been working on teaching him piano. He's understanding quite a bit and has better technique and hand position than many of my older students. His main thing is that it's hard for him to listen to me as a teacher and do exactly as I ask him. But we're working through that and he's been practicing pretty well. This makes me very happy since for years he would tell me to stop singing or stop playing the piano. My baby is growing up.

A small sampling of invention center creations

I mentioned it last post, but Matt and I have been doing "special time" one on one with the boys. We started doing it as a suggestion from my mom. Both boys seemed to be acting out and having anger issues. My mom said maybe they just need more one on one time and they might be tired of sharing us with each other. Matt will take one and I'll take the other and we'll do something together. So far we've gone to the store (they love to go to Walmart to get a free cookie), played Frisbee  twice I've helped Dean arrange and notate a song in finale songwriter at his request. We've done Jesus says love Everyone and You are my Sunshine. Matt played Stratego with Walter. It's been good for all of us. I feel like we're more aware of them individually and are better able to listen and calmly deal with their behavioral flare ups.

Last week I taught in relief society.  I was released as the primary pianist and now teach in our women's class once a month. It is my favorite church calling I think. It was the second time  I've taught and I really love President Lorenzo Snow (the Latter-day Prophet who's words we are studying this year in that class)  philosophy on improvement and change. "Do not expect to become perfect at once. If you do, you will be disappointed. Be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today."  LOVE it. "The idea is not to do good because of the praise of men, but to do good  because in doing good we develop godliness within us, and this being the case we shall become allied to godliness which will in time become part and portion of our being..."

The boys playing their nightly game with Matt.

Today our lesson was on the importance of family relationships. It made me so grateful to be part of such a grand clan. She asked about people's family reunions and I shared that even though we're spread out, we've been able to get together for a reunion every other year at least since I was 18. Maybe before then but since I was at home I didn't notice it since people came to me rather than me having to schedule to go to it. My family is such a source of inspiration. I see my brothers and sisters with their kids and they are such good examples of righteous, loving families. Even if we don't all share the same religious or political beliefs, we share a common link of DNA and love and acceptance and forgiveness and friendship. I ache for people who don't have that group.  This past year as both of my maternal grandparents passed away, I was able to see how, even my extended family, which is even more varied and colorful than my immediate family in belief systems, is such an amazing tribe.  We have such a deep rooted love that has been passed through generations. It was so much fun to see my cousins and spend time with them.  It is sad, in a way, that life is so spread out.  People used to stay right by their family for generations. I'm just grateful that in this day where it is harder to do that, that we have means of staying in touch, even if it's not physical contact.  I miss my family dearly living so far from anyone, but I am still connected, and for that I am grateful.

I have a friend whose daughter is in bone marrow failure. They've found a partial match for her and she will be leaving her other 4 very little kids for a few months while she goes with her daughter for a bone marrow transplant out of state. It is amazing to hear her speak of the process, their lives, and their faith. The little girl has not even reached her teenage years and has to face life and death and operations and transfusions. She and her mom and their whole family are such a touching living testimony of the importance of families and taking time for one another.  She is truly an inspirational mother. They haven't been to church in about 2 years since her daughter's been in bone marrow failure and can get sick and die very easily, but her faith is so strong. Today she got to "attend" Relief Society via skype (or some other program like it)! I love technology! It was so touching to me that I kept tearing up randomly during class. They have reminded me to cherish life and health and that people are more important than things or money or circumstances.  If you're interested, her blog explains their situation and their lives. Here is their blog. http://ourlittletasteofheaven.blogspot.com/


 If you keep your eyes open for good things, you will see them. Even if it seems cloudy and gloomy.  Yes, sometimes it rains, but then you have puddles to jump in. Just jump in. Preferably in your underwear.

Those are a few of the things on my mind. I am grateful, so very grateful to be a mother. I am grateful I have a husband I love who loves me and that we can get along and make things work even when we're so very different and we have our own idiosyncrasies. I am grateful for a sweet peace that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings into my life and that I know that families are eternal units and that I am sealed and bound with my family of origin as well as my own little family of choice and creation.  Every day I try to "love life and see good days" 1 Peter 3:10.  I don't always succeed, but when I do fall, I get up, repent, and try to do better than before. And that's all God expects of me. And for that I am grateful.

10 years of us

This is the first year I've actually felt old. Now, don't get me wrong, my body doesn't feel old. Culturally I feel older. I am not of the same generation as kids graduating. high school OR college. Not even close. It's been 14 years since we graduated high school, 13 years since we started dating, 10 years since we got married, 9 years since I graduated college, 7 years since Matt graduated and we moved to TX and bought our first house, 5 years since we had our first son, 3 years since we had our second son, one year since we had our third son, and 9 months since we sold our first house and bought our second house. Sheesh. Time flies.

This has been a good year for our relationship. It's amazing how a relationship can grow if you feed it. Now that Edward is old enough to leave, we've been better about going out together again. We've gone to the Temple together. We've gone on dates. I have things I like to do by myself (mainly running and piano these days). Matt has things he likes to do by himself (mainly programming a game and warhammer and other online games). And finally, it seems like we're starting to be able to do things by ourselves together (without the kids) so that we can remind ourselves why we like being with each other. Matt's been really good about helping with the kids. We've started having special one on one time with the kids. It's been good. Busy, hence the no blogging, but good.

This year I held a bake sale/yard sale all morning. I'm trying to raise funds for my piano studio to get a new piano. Well, new to me. My 106 year old antique is really starting to show wear and isn't working super well for me anymore. I really, really want a grand or baby grand and am starting a piano fund. All my piano lesson money will go into that fund until I have enough to buy something decent off of craigslist.

On to photos...

May 3, 2003 It was very windy.

May 3, 2013

 And now for the throwback to 10 years ago...

.

 Anyway, I'm needing to go to bed now. I know it's not much, but it's all I can do for now...

Edward is one year!

Ok, fine. Technically Edward is 1 year and 1 month because I have been a blogging slacker! But now that it is spring break and I have no lessons, I'll take the opportunity to catch up a wee bit. Yes, I know, I missed Christmas. Maybe one day I'll get back to it. It's a little overwhelming to go backward.

So Edward. He is getting so big!  We went to his 1 year check up last week.

Weight: 23 lbs. 6 oz (53%)
Height: 32.5" (97%!)
H Circ: 18" (25%)

He started walking about 2 weeks ago. He's been walking exclusively (only occasionally crawling) for about a week and he's very close to running.

He's cutting, oh, about 6 teeth right now including top and bottom pre-molars. Poor kid. He drools like crazy and is gnawing on everything. He's a little grumpier than normal, but not much. He's still such a good, happy kid.

He's down to 1 nap a day and usually falls asleep either to or from picking up Dean and then I have to transfer him to his bed when we get home. Poor 3rd child. The world doesn't revolve around him.  That's probably what has made him so sweet and good and fairly flexible.

He can climb up and down our stairs by himself and we no longer have gates up. He loves to eat (seriously, I have never had a child who eats so much! But he doesn't like milk or Isagenix milk as much as the other two did) and I have him weaned except one morning feeding, though I'm sure he'd be just fine if I cut that one out. I like nursing and have kind of weaned him slowly. I bet in the next month he'll be totally weaned.

We took this video this past Sunday during family home evening so we could get his cute toddle before it turns into an all out run. This is a fairly typical home evening, maybe even better than normal since the boys weren't fighting at all on the video. Haha. The kids are never still.


108 0522 from Celia Brasfield on Vimeo.

  I don't think I've taken any bath pictures of him, but he loves the bath. Seriously loves it. Matt is the one who usually bathes them and he snapped these some time last month.

 

Since his birthday is on Valentine's Day, we moved our traditional Valentine's Day cheesecake to the Sunday before his birthday so we could still enjoy it and have a regular birthday cake as well. Matt did still get me my traditional gerbera daisies though.  We had meat pies and potatoes and peas. It was perfect because he could eat almost everything and the other boys looove meat pies. After dinner we opened presents. Here he's opening a Mr. Potato head. Surprisingly, we've never owned one of these.

Opening and eating some odd balls.

And the cake. It was a yummy carrot cake. I iced it blue, and I should have stopped there. I saw the sprinkles in the cupboard from Dean's cake and decided to have a go at it. When it was done I thought, "Oh man, it looks like a rainbow just threw up on his cake."  Oh well. He didn't mind.  He went face first.

We thought we'd teach him some manners and let him have a go with a fork.

We love this little guy and he's getting big so fast! It is so fun being his mom. So glad he's a part of our family.

Before and After Diastasis Recti

This was me at 39 weeks. I went to 40 weeks 4 days

I hadn't really wanted to do this post till my diastasis recti was totally closed, but seeing as though it's been a year since I had Edward, I figured I'd check in for those of you who were curious.


A little less than a year ago I started the Tupler program with the splint, doing her special ab workout 3 times a day.

I have worn the splint on and off. I can do the recommended 24 hour a day thing for only about 3 weeks at a time and then I start feeling too...trapped...and take a break. The program says it's 6 weeks to great abs or something like that, but I think that's if you're starting at a two finger gap or something.  The booklet says it could take up to a year of diligently following the program.

Splinting 4 weeks postpartum

I started at a 6 finger gap. What does that mean? It means that after I had my baby, I could lay on my back and stick 6 fingers between the right and left sides of my abs at my belly button.  When I sat up, I could feel the muscles pull together and tighten around those 6 fingers. That's pretty bad. "Normal" is like 1 finger or less. It is so crazy to feel the muscles so far apart. Most pregnant ladies' abs close most of the way on their own and some never have split abs. I'm pretty sure I started around a 3 finger gap when I got pregnant with Edward, though I was totally clueless about it. That's why I started showing at 6 weeks pregnant! You better believe that when I'm pregnant with my 4th I'll be doing some splinting and some Tuplers to try and minimize the damage.

I was able to stay quite diligent and go from a 6 to 3 finger gap within about a month. I could not wear the splint during the summer here. It felt like it was going to suffocate me in the hot TX summer. That set me back a bit. Since then I've had a hard time really sticking religiously to the program. I slimmed out of my first splint and needed a smaller size. I finally got it and I've been doing ok with getting some tuplers in every day. But, I'm still around a 1.5-2 finger gap.

One of the worst things about having a diastasis recti is that I apparently am not supposed to do any ab work with a forceful forward movement or my abs can split further. That mean no crunches, no sit ups, no P90X ab workouts etc. I feel like there is a lot of toning that I need to do that I can't do. Maybe I"ll just risk it and see if it really does set me back. I'm ready to do something different to flatten/tighten my tummy. So, overall, not bad, but not perfect. I am still grateful for the body that God gave me and I'm going to try my best to take care of it.

Before Tupler: March 2012 

4 weeks postpartum.  "Normal" i.e. not sucking in

4 weeks postpartum, sucking in/flexing to the max

 After Tupler: February 2013

"Normal" not sucking in/flexing

Flexing

Front shot

*Addendum* This bod did not just come about by doing her program. I eat pretty well, run a lot, and use Isagenix products as well. I was mainly saying hers is the only ab program I've done since then.

Christmas letter and pictures

Spoiler! Some of you will actually get a physical copy of this. I wanted to post it before I left though, so here it is, probably before you'll see our actual card.

Merry Christmas! 2012 has been a very, very busy year for us!   

Edward (10 mo.)  was 4 days over due and was born on Valentine’s Day. He has been my best sleeper and probably the calmest baby I’ve had. He learned to roll over, sit up, stand up, and talk (mama, dada, hi, bye, yeah, more) earlier than the other 2. I guess when you’re the third you just have to keep up. He currently is working on standing alone and has taken a step, but decided he was not ready for that just yet and hasn’t tried it again. He is very good at climbing our stairs and just today figured out how to go down the stairs in a safe way. He gets very excited to say hi and bye to “dada” and loves being around people.  He has 6 teeth and his favorite game is peek-a-boo.

Walter (3 years) is convinced that he is older than Dean and does not believe that he is only 3 years old. He is finally (FINALLY!) in underwear, though we are still working on taking breaks from fun activities to avoid accidents.  He is all boy, that kid. He loves to wrestle, tackle Edward, tackle Dean, tease Dean endlessly, play with cars and trucks and superheroes, and he thinks potty humor is the funniest kind of humor (just came programmed that way!). He really is our little funny guy. He loves trying to make people laugh and doesn’t quite get that some things are only funny once…He’s been attending a co-op preschool that I rotate teaching with 2 other moms. He loves it and often asks when school is. He holds his pencil (even as a lefty!) correctly and is quite good at tracing. He is very good at riding his balance bike, and feels like he’s in constant competition with Dean. His current favorite show is Curious George.

Dean (5 years) has really started growing up.  In the last few months, he has learned how to play with Walter and has loosened up a lot.  They mostly build “rockets’ out of legos and fly them all over the house and yard. Their second favorite game is “Edward is a monster”.  That one usually ends in me telling them not to shut the door on him or cover him in blankets or drag him around. But Edward endures it well.  He learned how to pump on the swings, ride a pedal bike without training wheels, he can read, do addition and subtraction and can even do simple multiplication and division. And he hasn’t even started kindergarten yet! He is extremely bright and often thinks he is an adult. The biggest things we have to work on with him are respecting adults and not bossing other kids around. He’s in preschool 3 hours a day, 4 days a week. He loves art, science, math, and is amazingly good at navigating computers. He loves watching Matt play computer games and often “plays” those games in real life when he is at school (and much to my chagrin, in church and public as well!). His current favorite show is Cyberchase.

I (Celia) was able to have an unmedicated VBA2C in Feb., which was amazing. Since then my time has been filled with adjusting to 3 kids, getting our house ready to sell, selling our house, buying and moving to a new house/town, driving Dean into McKinney every day for school, teaching Walter’s preschool co-op, and teaching piano.  I LOVE my new neighborhood. Love, love, love it. It’s an amazing location and I love the people here. I finally feel like I have a place and community where we could raise our kids for the duration of their childhood. Since moving to Melissa, I immediately acquired 6 students, and I have since added 10 more students to my studio!  My life feels very busy and full. I love teaching piano. I have actually started taking piano lessons again and am trying to focus on technique, theory, and pedagogy that I didn’t get when I was younger. The only  “hobby” I’ve kept up since having Edward is running. I’ve been working on speed. I ran a 10K in May and got second in my category, but I ended up in the hospital. I hadn’t hydrated well enough to compensate for nursing a 3 month old.  I ran a 5K in November and got a personal record of 23:28 and took first in my category. Next on my race list is a 10K minus the hospital visit at that same pace, and then a half marathon at that pace. I still love running in my Vibram 5-finger shoes. We also had a chance to drive to UT (20+ hours each way) for a family reunion with my entire family  (7 kids, 21 grandkids). It was a blast! I also got to see my family at both my Grandpa and Grandma Hunt’s funerals. Reunions like those are bittersweet. My parents came here for Thanksgiving, which was also very fun.

Matt is still a software engineer at Raytheon and has upped his commute from 3 min. to 15 min. since moving. He worked really hard to get our house sellable and it really paid off! We sold it for 7K more than the realtor wanted to list it for, and we had multiple offers within 2 days of being on the market. Most of the beauty was a result of Matt’s hard and immaculate work. Since moving here, he’s already built himself an awesome workbench in our garage and has fixed other random things. He’s quite an amazing guy.

We hope all is well with you!  Life is full, and God is good. We’re grateful we have all of you in our lives. 

These pics are all the right way on my computer, but I don't have time to fix them for blogger. Sorry 'bout that.