What a Year!!

Wow! I can't believe that we are in the last days of the year... and what a year it has been!! From a new little person in my life to deciding to homeschool Gabby, this year has got to be one of my busiest and best. My marriage is stronger than ever, we are financially standing on somewhat solid ground (knock on wood!), everyone is healthy, and we have so much to be thankful for this year. There are some days that definitely stick out in my head though this year....

Gabby losing her first tooth

Catching fireflies

AJ and Sophia... they love each other so much!

AJ turned 3 this year

Our family grew... an unexpected Christmas surprise!

We discovered a very cool festival and already are saving up for this summer

Raspberry picking was awesome and sooo yummy!

Gabby started playing sports

Klint got his first tattoo

Somehow I grew and lost a lot of weight... all at the same time! 

We had so much fun in the sun.... these little girls love the Splash Park!

But most importantly... this year was filled with a lot of love and happiness! Happy New Year everyone and see you next year!!!!

Favorite Crafts Tutorials from 2010

This was a pretty crafty year for me since I had a whole nursery to decorate and so many fun things to make! Here are my favorite crafts and tutorials from 2010!

Butterfly Chandelier found here

Patchwork Pillow found here

Sock Owl found here

Pocket Pillow found here

HUGE Strawberry Pillows found here

Baby Bunting Quilt found here

Baby Change Kit found here

Plushy Angry Bird Characters found here

I am sure that there are more, but these are my favorites!!!!

Happy Crafting and see you tomorrow!

Getting Readjusted...

Today my little one is exactly 3 weeks old and while in some ways I have needed more time to adjust to this new routine, in many ways life just continued on as normal. My own children to care for, other children to care for (a new family started the week that I came home from the hospital!), pets to be looked after, laundry... it is all there. I am enjoying this new person in my life though... she is definitely an easy, mellow baby, who already heard the sounds in the sometimes chaotic house, therefore, when I have to raise my voice or there is nuttiness going on she can sleep right through it all. Thank goodness!

Moira definitely has a personality already. She is calm and likes to push away from me to look around her environment. She will fuss if I don't nurse her as quickly as she wants and man oh man is she a messy eater! Most days I have at least a couple outfit changes for me and her as she somehow gets milk on my arms, legs, her whole upper body, lol! I have started wedging a small washcloth between her chin and me to catch all the run off... but at least I know she is eating well. Well enough, in fact, that she gained a whole pound and then some in the first two weeks of her life!

But aside from the baby, most normalcy has returned. There are still some things we need to fix, like getting a bigger vehicle, but all in all... I am getting readjusted quite well!

Oh.... and I just bought these for Miss Moira's monthly photos.... aren't they genius?! The seller has tons of fun designs and they are way cheaper than actually making onesies with the design on it!

Happy Holidays from the Krebs!

Happy Holidays and a very Merry Christmas from all of us to you!
I am going to take the next couple of days to enjoy my newly improved family,

and will see you all next week.

May your days be merry and bright!!!!!

It's Snowing Snowmen!

I love snow, making snowmen outside, and any craft that has to do with snowmen. I am making these cookies with the girls later today and doing this craft this week!

This is the icing recipe I use, really simple recipe!

What favorite snowman craft do you have or remember doing as a child?

My favorite is always taking different sized white buttons and making snowman cards with the kids... 

easy and so cute to give to relatives with homemade gifts!

In One Week

In one week I have discovered a lot of things about this new life of mine. I learned that it is a lot easier to go from 2 kids to 3, that having a 6yr old in the house is way more helpful than having just a 3yr old, and that putting myself through the trouble of dancing until I was ready to burst paid off in the end. I have been off all pain medicines for the last 2 days, have gotten more sleep with a newborn than when I was pregnant, and have even taken all three girls out shopping today... a daring feat considering everyone has Christmas madness!

I have learned that even at 3am I like to just look at my baby sleeping beside me. This new life of mine is in some ways no different from my life a month ago and in other ways is so much easier. I have regained a lot of my old figure back and am recovering really nicely from my c-section, which I am very thankful for. I am looking forward to spending this Christmas with 3 wonderful little girls and a lovely husband, knowing that this is what I have always wanted and never knew it before. And for that simple fact I am grateful for this life I have.

My Friend Picnik.com

Even though I have all the bells and whistles of Photoshop on my computer thanks to the hubby there are times that I just want to do some quick editing. Times when I just don't want to go through the 7,000 steps it takes to get the effect I want. And when I am in that kind of mood I turn to Picknik!

I love that it is free, online so you don't have to download anything, and super easy so anyone can improve their photos! There is a pro-version that you have to pay for, but the free effects are so good that you don't have to pay for it to be a great tool. (The premium level is worth it though if you really find yourself using Picnik a lot... I recently upgraded and am hooked even more now!

Here is a great sample of what you can do in just a few clicks:

And all I did was crop the photo, color balance it, and then put a winter effect on it..... soooo easy and took less than 5 mins. With this awesome program you can add text (and they have FUN fonts!), whiten teeth, remove wrinkles, add frames, age the photo, and so much more. Of course I can do all this in Photoshop, but I don't even want to go into how many steps it would take and the effect wouldn't be half as cool in my opinion!
Here is another photo I have edited recently:

Cool huh?! So be lazy, open up some photos in Picnik, and you will have no excuse for unbalanced, washed out photos!

Guest Blog: hubby cooks Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Cooking with Gabby many years ago!

Wifey kindly asked me to guest blog here on my soup I made last night so here we go!  A little while ago I was inspired by a friend who is nearly a vegan (she can't give up chocolate!) and the health benefits of vegetarianism to check into recipes and find out if there are tasty meals I can make without meat.  I checked out a few books from the library and most of the meals sounded like side dishes or had ingredients I couldn't even picture in my head let alone ones I could predict what they would taste like combined.  Finally I stumbled across Betty Crocker's Easy Everyday Vegetarian.  I've always been a fan of Betty Crocker recipes, and as I paged through this book I found meals that sounded filling and delicious.  We've already tried the slow cooker lasagna (easy and turned out GREAT!) but this recipe for the tortilla soup REALLY hit the spot today.  It was bone chillingly cold today and I was really needing warmed up from the inside out so a nice hot meal that had some zing to it sure sounded great this morning.  So without further adieu, here is how to warm up on a cold day, tortilla style!

You will need:
3 tsp vegetable oil
4 corn tortillas (or I just used tortilla chips)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cans (14oz each) vegetable broth
1 can (10 oz) chopped tomatoes and chilies, undrained (I think this is where some of the heat comes from)
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro or parsley (I used cilantro because I love the way Chipotle's rice tastes)

1. In a 2-quarts saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons of the vegetable oil over med-high heat.  cut the tortillas into strips and cook them for about half a minute until crisp and golden brown.  remove and drain on paper towels.  (I skipped this step and just used tortilla chips)
2. In the saucepan you just used, add the remaining teaspoon of veggie oil and cook the chopped onion until tender
3. stir in the broth and tomatoes.  Heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes
4. stir in lime juice and cilantro.  Be careful with cilantro...it add some zing!

We added cheese and sour cream and served along with some cheese quesadillas for a delicious and hearty winter meal.

check out this recipe and LOTS more in the Easy Everyday Vegetarian.  LOVE IT!

Favorite Baby App for the Droid!

One of the hardest things for me to get used to about having a brand new baby around is keeping track of all the nursing and body function details... which side Moira nursed on last time, when she pooped last, how long ago did she eat, etc.... Well thank goodness for my Motorola Droid!!! Now I have some easy to use and FREE tools to help me adjust easier to our new family member.

Personally I am a huge fan of an app called Baby Care. It is really easy to use, is detailed enough for me to keep track of whether she ate on one side or both, for how long, and how much time passes in between. It also keeps a history so when the pediatrician asks I can just pull up all the information. The app also keeps track of diaper changes, sleeping, other details, and has a diary function. Love it!!

Even though taking care of a baby is pretty basic, it is nice to have some modern things to make the job a bit easier!!

Top 10 Reasons Why I Loved Being Pregnant!

Klint took this of me when I reached our due date and I love it! Even though my bump is just a memory and there will be no more future bumps, I can honestly look back on this pregnancy with a lot of fondness.... Here are my Top 10 Reasons Why I Loved Being Pregnant (this time!)

10. Minimal Weight Gain- Don't know how I managed to gain as little as I did without puking my brains out everyday, but I definitely enjoyed not wearing maternity clothes and feeling good about myself in general.

9. I Rocked Out the Bikini- Something I never dared to do with either of my other two pregnancies! It may not have been the Swim Suit photo of the year, but I felt pretty good about myself in my Speedo bikini!

8. I got to paint my belly like a pumpkin! (A goal of mine since we got married!)

7. Hardly any nausea and throwing up.... thank goodness!

6. No Swelling- not even in the last trimester!

5. I Got Informed! If it wasn't for this pregnancy I would not have stood up for my birthing rights and would have remained woefully ignorant to the blatant wrongness of our modern medical OB system. I learned so much and have become so much stronger for it. I got to really look at my first two births and see that I was manipulated by an OB who did not have my best interests at heart and that there was something I could do about it!

4. No one called me fat, asked if I was having twins, and only one stranger rubbed my belly- a new record for me!

3. No food aversions- I escaped this pregnancy loving all the foods that I started out loving.... thank goodness!

2. I got to meet awesome women who shared my journey with me, found a doula who is awesome, and now have an OB that I trust and would recommend to anyone I know!

1. My marriage is so much stronger than what it was when we started out this adventure. I got to fall in love with my husband all over again and know that he feels the same way. Even though physically there were some rough times for me, it was so nice to know that my partner was there to hold my hand and support me.

And that my friends, is why I loved being pregnant this time!

We are Home!

Wow! What a crazy last couple of days!!! It is hard to believe that barely three days ago I not only had major surgery but got a wonderful. beautiful baby out of it! Here is Miss Moira Marie's birth story:

Even though I had planned on VBACing with this baby it turns out that she just wasn't engaged in my pelvis so my OB and I decided to go ahead with a c-section, which was fine with me. So on Tuesday morning, at 6am, Klint and I arrived at the hospital to get the ball rolling and meet our baby. The surgery was scheduled for 7:30am and everything looked like it was going to go as planned. I got my IV, the appropriate paperwork was signed, and I had been fasting since 10pm the previous evening. All that we needed to do was meet with the anesthesiologist.  But then a hiccup in the plans occurred.... apparently another expecting mommy needed an emergency c-section and they were going to have to bump my delivery to the early afternoon.... not good news for a hungry and anxious pregnant woman!

So Klint and I hung out in a room until the afternoon came and we were given the green light that at 1pm I was going to be rolled into the OR. Ahhhh! Crazy!! After the news came that everyone was all set to go things are a little blurry because of all the emotions going through me at the time.... I was scared of the spinal (I react REALLY badly to any kind of anesthesia), I was excited to finally meet the baby, and I was a little nervous about yet another surgery.

All in all, the surgery started at about 1pm and at exactly 1:30pm Miss Moira Marie Krebs was born into the world! I remember a LOT of pressure around my ribcage to pop her out... not the most pleasant feeling in the world, hearing her cry for the first time, and then the whole unpleasantness of the doc putting me back together. There were some moments where I thought I was going to be sick from all the pulling and tugging sensations, but thankfully Klint helped me stay calm and not pass out from everything. I don't know if I would have made it without his strength by my side. It was so nice knowing that as soon as Moira was weighed that Klint had her and she was with her daddy.

About 30 mins after they got Moira out I was stitched back up and was given the baby to hold while we went to the recovery room for a couple of hours. From there on I was taken to my post postpartum room where I stayed until I was discharged. There is absolutely nothing negative that I can say about any part of my hospital stay, from the nurses who took care of me to the supporting staff. Everyone was kind, compassionate, very skilled, and at no time did I ever feel like a burden or a pain. I was actually so happy with my care that I spoke with the head of nursing to tell her how much I enjoyed my stay and that every single nurse there had my complete gratitude.

So here we are, home, healthy, and recovering as well as can be expected. The baby is a dream in all aspects, she loves to sleep and nurse and rarely cries. I am getting around ok, although stairs are my enemy right now. =) A c-section is definitely not a walk in the park, no matter how fit you are, but thanks to staying active and having minimal weight gain I think that I am going to get back to normal faster than the usual.

Thank you to everyone who called, visited, and sent their well wishes to us, they were greatly appreciated!

Moira has arrived!

Lucky #7!

Dear Klint,
 Today we have been married for 7 wonderfully adventurous years. 7 years of growing together, triumphing over setbacks, supporting each other through hard times, and sharing in so many wonderful experiences. Life with you is an adventure and while I know that I drive you nuts many times, I know that together we bring balance to the other. I look back at how far we have come and am simply amazed..... 3 beautiful little girls, one of which we get to finally meet tomorrow. It is exciting to think about what is going to happen in the next 7 years with you.
 I am so proud to be your wife, your friend, and your biggest fan. You inspire me to try new things, like following  directions when cooking, and at the same time challenge me to be the best version of myself possible.
 Even more important that how we are with each other, you are an amazing father. These little girls love you to death and I know that this new little one will be a Daddy's girl just like her sisters. I love that we are teaching the girls about how wonderful a marriage can be and that even though we may have some doozy of fights, we always say sorry and make it right in the end.
 Well, since I am supposed to be sleeping since we are having a baby tomorrow (YIKES!) I am going to wrap up the mush.... but just know that I love you soooo much and am looking forward to many more years driving you bonkers! =)

One Fine Evening of Homeschooling

Spooky likes to watch TV too!

Today, even though it is Saturday, we had a great day in the world of homeschooling. Gabby had a basketball game this morning, where she made her first basket (YAY!) and played super well. She is quickly grasping the various rules and the overall feel of how a game goes. I think that we made a great choice with basketball for her because she isn't a very aggressive kid and basketball is a game where you have to go after the ball, have some physical contact, and be aggressive.

Then this afternoon she learned about place value in mathematics as well as the greater than/less than signs. I remember learning these signs by thinking of the mark as a shark mouth so that is how I explained it to Gabby. (Actually, that is how I still think of those signs, lol!) She got the concept right away and finished the whole sheet with minimal help.

Gabby also read a letter from a penpal, wrote in her journal, and finally watched a documentary with me from PBS about dogs and how they have evolved to be "Man's Best Friend". It was really cool to watch her watching this film and seeing all the different experiments that the scientists did with the dogs to show how domestication took place as well as how the dogs and humans work so well together. Gabby asked a lot of really insightful questions and seemed fascinated with how the scientific process works so we decided to do a little experimenting on our own since we have a dog.

One part of the film pointed out that in some ways dogs are smarter than chimps, our closest relative. The scientist showed that it you put a treat under a cup and present to cups to the chimp, even pointing out the correct cup, the chimp will not follow your finger to get the treat. A dog, however, will not only follow your finger, but will also use your eyes as a clue to where the treat is!! Gabby thought that this was really neat and wanted to see if Spooky was smart enough to do what the science dogs did. (I asked her what she thought would happen first and then let her prove her theory.)  After Spooky proved that she would listen and follow a pointed finger we talked about how Spooky communicates with us and seems to know how we are feeling.... all in all it was a great conversation starter and I have a feeling a lot more experiments are going to come from this film!!

So that folks was a typical day in our "homeschool"!

Due Date That Stood me Up!

Well here I am at 40 weeks, 1 day!

Yes, I have no makeup on,

my tummy is HUGE,

and I never in a million years thought that I would make it to December still pregnant.

The sucky part is that Miss M has pretty much retracted all indications that she is coming on her own,

but that is ok because I know my OB has tried everything in his power...

So it looks like Miss M will be making her debut on Tuesday,

unless she gets the hint and decides to come on her own before then! 

Of course I am a little upset that I won't get the chance to VBA2C, 

but I am so thankful that at least now I am more informed and have an OB who is so supportive. 

(If you want the details of what is going on and why I am going with the c-section just click on the link to my Birth Blog on the sidebar!)

Now I just have to get through the next couple of days as a mommy to 2!