pumpkin spice & everything nice

Eva loves hoodies too. :)

I hate to say it and I love to say it... I think fall has arrived. I love the beginning of fall, but I have a really hard time letting go of summer. Summers out in the NW (especially this last one) will never compare to a great midwest summer. Call me crazy, but I love the heat and humidity Cincinnati has to offer. It's in my bones. The fireflies at dusk, being in shorts and a tank at night, cold drinks that actually refresh..I could go on and on. Just when the heat becomes too much to bear you notice a chill in the air and the leaves start to change. Oh the trees! I miss the beautiful mix of greens, yellows, reds, oranges and browns all along the rolling hills of Ohio.

So the fact that we had a horrible summer, think high 50's and cloudy with scattered days of 90's and sunny, makes it even harder to accept that fall is here, which means another gray winter is right around the corner. But I don't want to end on a sour note. There are things I love about fall no matter where you live. Hooded sweatshirts, pumpkin spice lattes, spiced breads, crock pot meals, warm soups, candles, taking off your jeans that are soaked around the ankles and slipping into your favorite sweats, UGGs, fires in the fireplace..again, I could go on and on.

So I reluctantly and joyfully accept the transition of seasons. And I will hope and try to find my joy, not in what color the sky is for the day, but in the silly stories my 2 1/2 year old will tell, the smiles and coo's my 7 week old will give, the love, encouragement and support my husband will be and the laughter and tears I will share with my friends.

Hotsling

My sister took this picture with her iPhone and I thought I'd share that this sling is my new best friend. I know there has been some controversy around them lately, but I have found this Hotsling to be great. Eva loves to be held and she loves movement, so it's perfect for doing that and still having two hands to help Soren or get things done around the house. I have used the Bjorn a few times as well, but more so for being out in public. I highly recommend finding one you are comfortable with if you are a mom of two (or more.)

29!

I turned the big 2-9 yesterday. I had a great day. It all started a few days earlier with the gift of an afternoon getting my hair done along with some shopping. I don't know what's more of a gift, the shopping and hair or the time to myself. Either way, I'll take both. :) When I walked in the door from my time away Soren came running up yelling "I made you a cake!" Sam made dinner and a cake and the next morning chocolate chip pancakes. Yep, one of my favorites. The rest of the day was filled with lunch with a friend, a wedding, and a night out with the girls. A friend of mine asked me if I was going to make a bucket list, you know, 30 things to do before turning 30. I had thought about it, but I don't know if any of them would really be that interesting. Maybe I'll think more about it and see what I come up with. Thank you for all of the birthday wishes, flowers and gifts, from a cupcake kit to Graeter's Ice Cream (you all must know I like food, especially sweets. :) )

1 month

This is the 4th time I have sat down to write this post. I guess that is a picture of what life has been like lately. The moment I sit down to do anything other than caring for the family or house, I get sidetracked. As soon as one kid is done eating, the other is hungry. When one falls asleep, the other wakes up. When one diaper is changed another is filled. I only have time to write this now because Eva is sleeping, water is coming to a boil for dinner and Soren is watching a movie...Er, scratch that, movie is done and now Soren is asking for dinner.

Eva just turned a month old. Wow! Time flies by faster and faster. The first month has been a wonderful challenge. I'm trying to get Eva on somewhat of a predictable schedule, so I can better juggle her with Soren's schedule. Bed time with two cranky kids has not been fun. She has been such a great baby. I really can't complain. She loves to be held, maybe a little too much. But I know these days will quickly pass, so I am treasuring each moment we get to snuggle. She is awake more and more each day and I love the rare moments I get to see her smile. Those dimples just make me melt.

We have learned this last month how confused people are about Eva's name. Her name is Evalyn (Eh-vuh-linn) but we call her Eva (Eee-vuh). It made sense to us, so I guess we never foresaw any confusion.

Got to Wear Shades

A Village...

"It takes a village to raise a child." I could not be more thankful for the people in my life that make up my village. I want to focus in on four of those people, my parents and Sam's parents. Sam's parents, Dan & Judy, have been wonderful in taking Soren for many afternoons and overnighters. Soren forgets to say goodbye to us half the time, he gets so excited to spend time at "Dit-Da and Ga Ga's" house. My dad came out for a few days and it was special for me to watch him play play-dough, take Soren to the beach, airport and out for ice cream. He also helped with projects around the house. My mom was just here for 3 weeks helping with the arrival of Eva. She was wonderful and did everything from watching the kids so we could sleep, she cooked, she cleaned, held Eva, played with Soren, and spoiled him with great gifts.

Sam and I could not be more thankful for all you 4 have done. There is so much more you do for us than mentioned in this blog post. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I unfortunately didn't get a picture of my dad with Soren and Eva. :(

Bergstroms

Janet and Eva

My mom was such a trooper!

Evalyn Ingrid

She's here! Staying true to the pregnancy, Evalyn kept us on our toes. I thought for sure I would deliver early, but she decided to keep things exciting. 3 days past my due date I had a doctors appointment to monitor Evalyn's heart rate and my contractions. It turned out with each contraction her heart rate would drop to a level the doctor was not comfortable with. The doctor sent us directly to the hospital to get the labor going. They broke my water and contractions began immediately, being 2-3 minutes apart. While the nurse went to get things going for the epidural, things really started to pick up and before we knew it, 3 pushes and an hour and a half of labor baby Evalyn was born. I remember seeing the anesthesiologist peek his head in, assess the situation and walk right back out. He knew he would not be needed.

Evalyn Ingrid was born July 20 at 1:49 pm. She weighed 7lbs 10oz and was 19inches long. A lot of people ask about her name and have noticed we are calling her Eva. Sam's great grandma was named Eva and we wanted to incorporate part of my name. One of our Compassion kids is named Evelyn and when we picked her out years ago Sam said "If we ever have a daughter, we should name her Evelyn." So, for us, it's more than just a name that we liked and thought sounded nice.

I can't believe she is already 8 days old. It has been a good first week, with a little scare to the ER, but thankfully everything is ok. My mom has been in town for 2 weeks and it has been SO wonderful to have her help. Sam's parents have been equally as great taking care of Soren. It is great to transition this way into being a mom of two. I think I'm getting the hang of this!