Spring is here, Easter is approaching, the weather is warm and breezy, time for Sorin and Mommy to dye some eggs... Mommy has been waiting for this!!!
a word about the girl...
Our little baby girl is (as you can see) getting bigger and bigger as the weeks go on. I have been pregnant for 30 weeks now. Seems like forever. According to the experts she weighs about 3 lbs and is anywhere from 14 to 17 inches long. She is very sensitive to her surroundings and has definite sleep and waking patterns that are not necessarily in tune with her mother's (this is true)... they say that now is the time that she starts positioning herself for exit by easing and resting her head on mother's pelvic bone. (I really do hope this happens... this little girl has been sitting up and kicking straight down and many times it is painful to WALK). They say that her brain is developing fast and that her brain is training her eyes for opening and her lungs for breathing - she can differentiate light and darkness and can track a light source. Her eyelashes are fully grown as well as her eyebrows and she will continue to add fat and grow round (not necessarily long). Amazing.
So I am feeling the nearness, now, of this baby being born. I am accumulating clothes for her, and blankets, and other pretty things. I decided that I am going to try my hand at making her things like dresses, bibs, bedding, a mobile, maybe some hats... I better prioritize... : ) so I've gathered together my pretty fabric and got out a needle and thread:
Very exciting. A girl!!!! I will be sure to keep you posted ; ) on my progress...
Sick Sorin, Sick Family
It's been a tough couple weeks at the house. Katie hasn't felt good for a couple weeks and Sorin has gone downhill for about six days now. We found out on Monday that Katie has a sinus infection and Sorin has a cold and cough. I know families with kids know what these kinds of weeks are like, but it's a pretty new experience for the Schiefelbeins.
Of course add to this the fact that Katie is pregnant and you can see how the stress levels and lack of energy somehow collide seemingly every night. I don't write this to complain but to tell the whole story of what's going on in our lives.
It's rough to see Sorin sick. His appetite started to fade and that was difficult because you can't talk him into eating if he's not hungry. He didn't want to drink either, so he's been running on empty for a few days now. But the toughest part is his cough which wakes him up numerous times in the night. If I were to look at the bright side it would be this: last night as I was putting him to bed he was so tired that as I was singing to him, he laid his head on my shoulder and was dozing off. A sleeping child in your arms is an amazing feeling.
Katie's been hit pretty hard too. She's pregnant and uncomfortable and now she's extra tired from being up with Sorin (my ears mysteriously stop working in the middle of the night at the sound of crying children). As if being sick and pregnant (though not sick OF being pregnant) wasn't enough, with Sorin being sick he's always whining to her and is very needy.
Not a fun post to write - but a part of the story that needs to be told. Katie is on meds and Sorin is on the road to recovery. The next post should be a little more fun.
Snowshoeing on the Lake
Outdoor sports are so underrated. Winter outdoor sports even more so. Two years ago Katie and I bought cross-country skis and got ourselves very familiar with the trails at the UW Arboretum. This year I finally got myself a pair of snowshoes. Katie is able to borrow my mom's. And last weekend we got to use them for the first time with Sorin.One of the most common reactions when I bring up snowshoeing is, "What's the point? Aren't you just walking on snow?" I have to admit that I've had the same questions before I actually got out and
shoed. (I think that's the pro way of saying it.) And the answer is obvious - yes, you're walking on snow.
But until you actually try it you should reserve your reservations about snowshoeing, I mean shoeing. I've shoed in the Northwoods and blazed a trail through 18 inches of powder. Even a casual walk through a park or a golf course is much more enjoyable as you float across the top of the snow. The shoes give you float but they also give you grip, so you're working more efficiently. As I said, last weekend our course was the shoreline of Lake Waubesa.
It was a pretty cold weekend so unfortunately we couldn't stay out too long for Sorin's sake. I really love the Deuter backpack we have for carrying him, but he just sits there so he obviously gets pretty cold. We hiked through the backyard and across a couple neighbors' lawns to get to a more gradual
downhill to the lake. Climbing over a few boulders we were onto the frozen lake in a couple minutes. As we walked the shoreline the trees were gorgeous. As you can see from the pics, the snow had just fallen and each branch had a light layer of snow that stuck, outlining the branching structure of each tree (tree geek, I know).We only walked about 20 minutes before we had to turn around. Unfortunately the weather has been very cold this winter so we haven't been out since. My goal is to get to a couple state parks and even back to the Arboretum. Would you consider snowshoes? It's decent exercise and it gets you active. (And I saw a kids pair at REI - Sorin will have his own pretty soon!)
