Progress!

Well, it looks like we've got about one month to go until we'll be moving into our new house. I've been meaning to post some photos of the progress, if just for my own digital scrapbook. So here we go, here's a walk-through. I'm so incredibly proud of this house! We are almost done.

Our front door. Fireplace doesn't have the stone work up yet. I love the skylight! Had to protest the designer for a 4x4, rather than 2x4. I'm so glad I did. It brings in so much light, facing the southeast.

View in from front door

View into the kitchen/dining room

Pass through view into the kitchen. Cabinetry is alder with cedar stain. 

Laundry room. White slot on the bottom left is the toe kick drawer where Grizly's dog bowl will be kept.

Laundry chute :D

The study, painted red.  I had to have at least one red room!

Future window seat home.

Basement rec. room

My hobby room! Mwahahahaha. Can't wait to fill this with ribbons and wrapping paper.

Kaden's room

Anika's room

Kid's bath detail - the bottom drawer has heavy duty glides and a sliding top, so it works as a step stool for the kids too.

Master bedroom

View from the bedroom

Master bathroom

Shower detail

Shower niches and window

On the stairs platform. Glad we decided to expose the Glulam beam. I like the look. The tiny window on the left was our builder's idea. One of the worker's suggested a stained glass hanging for it.

And just because, here's a few photos from Kaden's 6-month checkup. He's such a happy guy!

We're starting to pack up boxes and get ready to move! Can't wait...

Just Do It

Oh man, am I terrible at this thing called blogging or what? Life certainly is a balance most days, with busyness beating out free time. But it's about time I update this, even if in the wee hours of the night. Ryan's on-call, so what the hell. Sitting cross-legged on my bed, me with a cup of tea, my music and the dimmed light of the computer screen. I'll pretend I'm a night owl by choice, with a glorious long morning of sleep ahead of me - ha!

Christmas has come and gone, taking with it just enough of the hectic to make me feel sane again. Building a house, multiple Christmases in a row, toddler, baby... Gosh, I'm tired and I don't even have a "real" job. All labors of love, but still. We had a fun time with all the families this year.

Picking out our Christmas tree at Donovan's near our home

This one looks good dad! Just my size...

Two of my favorite people!

Anika and me enjoying the hayride (and Anika's first candy cane!)

Anika decorating the tree, once we finally got it home, up and straight. :)

All the non-breakable ones stayed towards the bottom of the tree...

I had a lot of fun putting together the Christmas card this year, and had some pretty willing and photogenic subjects. Willing to wiggle and stare blankly that is! I really wanted to put together a "Christmas outtakes" card, but opted for the other "What I Did with My Year" card instead. But I wanted to show just how many photos it takes to get to actually get one good photo. Here is just a handful of the kidlet photos I took:

Do I really have to take a photo with her, mom?

Check it out mom, a zip tie! That's great honey...

I see you back there, and you better not be trying anything funny...

Both look at camera, one smiling the sweetest smile ever, and the littlest sort of smiling... yup, got it!

Christmas Eve was spent with Gretch, Dylan, Mom, and Jak - it was wonderful. No stress at all. We all pitched in with dinner, and just hung out. It was exactly what Christmas should be about - just enjoying the company of the people you really care about. Watching the kids open up their presents took Christmas to a new level for me. Anika could understand this year what was happening, that Santa Claus (Dan Kaus as Anika says) was coming and bringing presents. Christmas morning, I heard her crying a bit, so I went in to lie with her. She didn't want to get out of bed, and was still in her grumpy Leave-Me-Alone-I'm-Not-Awake-Yet phase... until I said, "I think Santa Claus came." She threw off the covers and slid out of her bed without a word, on a mission to the downstairs with the biggest eyes I've ever seen. I didn't need to get any presents this year. Just seeing the kids experience it was more, more than enough.

Could someone please pass the cat? Thanks... delicious!

One of the few photos with Jak and clothes...

This is a pretty good representation of the evening...

Dinner was delicious!

Jak the ham!

Don't you just want to squeeze him?

Gretchan made a dress-up box for Anika this year, and it was a hit! She loves it...

Tiny dancer

In kidlet news, Kaden is officially 6 months old today. Man, do I love that kid. He is a happy, mellow little man, content to quietly observe or explore.  He smiles at *everything*. Without a doubt, he is a delightful baby. He sleeps 12 hours straight at night, in his crib - but only takes short naps, just like his sister. He can't seem to put himself back to sleep once a sleep cycle has passed. But if I can get him to sleep in my bed after nursing him, when he's laying on his side or tummy, he'll sleep for quite some time. I know, I'm a terrible mom and I'm not always following the rules. But I have a video monitor, and keep a close watch on him throughout his nap. I can see if his head is smooshed into the mattress and I know when he wakes up. I don't feel I'm doing anything but giving my kid quality sleep.

Kaden's latest trick

Sleeping like a... wait...

He's starting to sit up!

Hitchin' a ride with Dad.

So far, Kaden's a late bloomer, which I suppose is expected, since he was so early. And he's tiny, completely the opposite of his sister. I bet he's in the 5-10th percentile for weight, while Anika was in the 90% at her sixth month checkup. One thing they do have in common are their huge noggins they inherited from their father. Braaaaaaainzzzzzzzz. :D He can sit up now, with assistance and can roll over. He is very curious, despite his limited mobility. Kaden will reach for toys and interact with them now. And boy does he love Anika, and vice versa. She makes him just crack up out of the blue. Last weekend, we were throwing the ball back and forth with Anika in the living room, and Kaden was laying peacefully on the Ottoman in the middle of it all, just cracking up at the scene of us. Or today, when Anika was tickling him after a diaper change; they both were laughing and laughing together. Cue heart melting into a puddle of oozy love goo. I adore those two!

One of my favorite photos lately...

Anika is in full bloom lately, with speech and personality and knowledge in general. She's willing and able to follow multi-step directions and to accept suggestions and guidance when moving throughout her day ("Let's pick up the toys now!" "Should we take a bath now?" "Can you put on your shoes and jacket?" ...).  She's definitely eager to please, as long as it's her idea. My girl is growing leaps and bounds. She talks to us all the time now, although not fully succinct and correct. But I do speak her language. Her words are getting clearer. Not too long ago it was "Mo Wa Bees" for "More Water Please" and "Mo Mama Say Hee" means "No Mama Stay Here." Now she is finally talking in full force, repeating everything we say, bossing us around. "Me do it now. Me do it now." What a wonderful thing communication is. She is so content in herself, finally. I still stand by my prediction of show business or drama. Anika loves to put on a show. She loves her Christmas dress-up clothes and it's a struggle to get her to sleep/eat/change diaper/leave the house without either a blue tutu or pink tutu or both. She loves to play "Bawina" and dance around in her outfits. She's got the pointed toe leg extensions down already. Even before naps and bedtime, she must dance for me for a few minutes, before we read. Funny girl...
Most days, I'm absolutely in love with her. She has an enthusiasm for living that I wish I had. Her eyes are huge and blue, flanked with these long eyelashes. Her teethy smile with the dimple on the left side; chubby little fingers ready to get dirty; wisps of blond almost-curls that flip out to the sides like a nun's hat; the little gallop she does everywhere she goes. *sigh* I love her...

The face of trouble

We're coming into the home stretch (pun intended) of our new house. What a journey! I have had a blast. I thoroughly love researching, just in general. Me and www.gardenweb.com are good friends now. I've learned so much about the construction process, from footing to roofing. The devil certainly is in the details, especially in the end. Things I never would have imagine pondering: Cabinet knobs or handles? Different sizes for different drawers? Or just one or the other? Squared or rounded shower door hinges? Should we mix the brushed nickel with chrome? Blown-in insulation, or spray foam, or traditional batting? Low voltage or line voltage wiring? 5" or 6" can lights? Height of sconces? I could go on and on and on about things normal people don't care about. Ha! Everywhere I go no, I find myself scoping out all the tiniest of details in a room. I love the process! Watching everything come together, it's so satisfying. Even though I didn't actually build the house, I created it in my mind's eye. I'll post some photos soon.

Here's to a fantastic next year!

Welcoming Kaden

There is a big plastic bag hanging in the bathroom here in our Post-Partum room. It's got this sketch straight outta the 70s on it. The mother is holding her baby, while the little one leans in to her chest in a loving and playful way. The mother's long hair is entwined around this beautiful, thick-eyelashed cherub with roll upon roll of yummy baby chub on its arms. 

Um, what? Where is that beautiful mother, in all her Pre-Raphaelite glory? I haven't seen her around here anywhere... Definitely not in my room. 

In my room there is a wee peeping thing who squeaks ever so softly when he's hungry or has spit up or has air in his tummy. He can't hold his head up yet, let alone snuggle into me with some semblance of head control. And he's a cutie and all, but there's no baby fat to be found here yet. 

I'm not sure what they're selling with this bag - but I'm not buying it. 

Okay, I lied, I am totally buying it.  Because I know this little warm scene is just around the corner. We're not quite there yet, but when I need motivation I just smell and kiss Kaden's little fuzzy head. We may not quite be this perfect picture yet. We've got some bumps in the road. But we are going to try and ride those bumps like a roller coaster, laughing, moving, enjoying the flight.

The past few days have made me feel profoundly human. Human with all my weaknesses, strengths, gifts, incapabilities.

******

We finally got to meet the little one growing inside me for the past 8 months. Kaden Erik Johanson was born healthy and wiggling via C-section last week. We were surprised to learn that we would be having him earlier than presumed. Anika and I went in for my 36 week checkup on Tuesday. Of course, my blood pressure was high - I mean, just try keeping a 2-year-old entertained while getting your cervix checked! But my BP had never been as high as it was... That coupled with the good amount of protein in my urine meant Pre-eclampsia. Again. However, last time it crept up slowly on us. This time, my blood pressure was fairly good until BAM! It just wasn't. I'd been having headaches all week prior, but nothing that didn't go away by the afternoon. I had a cold, Anika had a cold, Ryan had been on call for four days that week, pollen count super high. Of course I had a headaches! Apparently, I should have thought about that as a sign of pre-eclampsia. One of the midwives said I was very lucky to have had my appointment when I did. My wonderful mother-in-law quickly came and picked up Anika, and I went up to labor and delivery for more tests. My blood pressure continued to rise in the hospital, my enzyme levels came back abnormal, as well as more protein. So... I went into my appointment at 10 am and got a C-section at 5 pm.

It's crazy how life changes in mere hours. The night before the birth, we finally got Anika's big girl bed all set up for her with a twin sized mattress and my childhood white rod iron Elliot bed. She woke up early that morning, probably not used to her new big space. I crawled into bed with her around 6:30 am and we snuggled together under the blanket until we both fell back asleep. I woke up a few times as she wiggled and squawked to herself, as she sometimes does in the early morning as she is waking up, but not fully awake. I watched her as she readjusted herself in her new bed, putting both hands under her head in a snapshot of childhood angelic peacefulness. I hugged her close and we fell back asleep again. I will never forget that morning. It was our last morning together as just her and me, mother and daughter. I was looking forward to being able to snuggle with her in the mornings in the big bed together. We'll still be able to do that, but not without the complete freedom and independence as before.

I tried to prepare myself as much as possible these past few months and weeks for the new baby. But nope. Still not prepared. I don't think I ever would've been. That's fine. Somethings are better experienced as they come rather than anticipated and/or worried about.

Kaden is doing beautifully. His respiration rate is great, blood sugar great, feedings are getting, how you say, harder, better, faster, stronger! He was jaundiced, but we were expecting it. Anika was, which raises his chances. Plus, a number of other factors. And my milk has been taking it's sweet time coming in, as it did with Anika as well. Besides the obligatory sleep deprivation, things just get better and better!

And through it all, Kaden's been a rockstar! The only things that seem to bug him are: gas, diaper changes, and being hungry. I am sure I've jinxed it now, dang it. :) We love our little addition SO much. And are so happy to welcome him to our family.

It's a boy! 

Lots of hugs

Warm and toasty in the bilirubin sleeping bag.

First bath - Kaden did not like it!

But once we wrapped him back up in some warm towels, he was happy again. 

Anika can't get enough of her baby brother so far. She always wants to hug him, stroke his head, change his diaper, carry him around, if we'd let her! She's a great little helper!

Finally home, in the bassinet.

Big stretch!

I think he's going to look more like Ryan...

He's definitely got Ryan's sleeping genes so far - Hallelujah!

We've come full circle now - one boy, one girl. We've recreated ourselves so to speak, and feel so blessed and happy to have done so. Two healthy children, we couldn't ask for anything more! No more kids for us. We are closing our circle, and choose to dance within it now - improv, of course. And in between the tough moments, we celebrate being human, being home, and the life growing all around us.