The House is on the Market!

It is hard to believe but our house is on the market! I have cleared out the house, had a friend help me with some pictures and created a blog for the house. We rented a storage unit back in December a 15 x 20 I believe, it is the size of a single car garage. We have completely filled it with over 100 boxes/tubs, the piano, 2 love seats, my desk, bookshelf and 2 dressers. All of that has been cleared out since the end of January and sadly enough, I haven't missed it all that much! So, a few more things checked off my list, but I still have a 100 things that have to happen before we can move to Connecticut in June. First priority is getting this house sold and then I can start to make plans from there. Match Day is March 18th, so I anticipate our weekends will be spent evading the house after that, or at least I hope that is the case!

Here is the other blog I created with pics!

http://4708oxforddr.blogspot.com/

It saddens me to realize that people will be walking through our home not looking at it as the Sadowski Home, but rather a house that they can fill their possessions with. I have removed any sign of personal items that would even suggest that we live here, I was told that people like to visualize themselves living in a house and it is hard to do with pics of your kids up on the wall. This was our first home purchase, the home that we brought our first puppy home to and a year and a half later, Jacob. Caleb of course was brought home here and it is hard to know if we will be able to bring the third child home to the house shortly before we leave. There are so many good memories here, so many lonely memories of me being at home by myself while Brian was working late and the joys of being able to create our first home together. I will be sad to leave 4708 Oxford Dr. We both love this house,the yard and the location in town. I have walked/run the blocks so many times both by myself and with the boys in a stroller that it will be sad to leave all that is familiar. So for now, I just try to enjoy each day and cherish the time we have here! Where did the last 4 1/2 years go?

Life

When Mommy is gone, this is what the boys do with Daddy!

Jacob being silly!

The boys fell asleep on the way home from the trip to see Great Grandma Shirley!

Caleb's new love....Donuts!

A Visit with Great Grandma Shirley

My Grandmother was in town so on Tuesday, we took a little trip down to Pflugerville (about 1 hour south of Temple) to visit. She was staying with her sister's daughter and her sister, Maxine for a couple of weeks to get away from the cold Iowa winter! Although, Texas has not been too warm this winter either, but at least we don't have all the snow and ice! It was fun to see her. We played for a while at Jane's house and then on to McDonald's for an appropriate Fat Tuesday meal! The boys did great and it was nice to just visit and catch up. Caleb as always was very sweet and personable, warming up to everyone and not afraid to go to anyone. Jacob was more difficult. It is always hard when they act up in public in ways that they normally don't at home. It is frustrating cuz you want them to be on their best behavior and yet at Jacob's age, he doesn't understand that. I also realize that when you push them past their normal nap time, that seems to bring out a different color in them! Overall, Jacob was good, but it still breaks my heart to see that obstinate side of him.

Grandma Shirley, Jacob and Caleb

Grandma Shirley, myself and the boys

Just me and my boys!

Weekend in Review

This past weekend was rather busy and hectic! Brian worked the trauma shift on Saturday, which means he was there from 5am on Saturday until 10am on Sunday. So, my boys and I set out for an adventurous day! I drug them to the quilt shop to get my free "Month of the Block" and they even sat thru a 20 min presentation. I was so proud of them, although the snacks and bears (Jacob has found them scattered throughout the store) made a big difference. We headed home for some mommy time, lunch, naps and then off to Killeen to get Jacob's summer wardrobe at Children's Place and Old Navy. That didn't go so well as Caleb has decided that pulling hair is fun and Jacob is a worthy victim. He must remember all those times Jacob randomly smacked Caleb in the head with his matchbox cars! ;-) Also went to Motherhood Maternity and bought some more depressingly huge pants and a girdle to help support my belly. That evening I had done too much and was in a lot of pain, so I wore the girdle and it really seemed to relieve some of the pressure. Once we got home, we headed to church for their Mardi Gras Party and enjoyed the children's parade (boys rode in their wagon), some good Cajun food, music and fun! It was a good time but by the time we got home at 8:30pm it was all I could do to get them in bed!
Sunday was spent at church and with Brian. We sat in the 2nd row at church and I am amazed at how well the boys do! Jacob is fascinated with the alter servers and the Eucharist....maybe one of my children will end up serving God in the priesthood, but that is up to God and the child! Caleb already says Jesus and Mary and can point to them at church. Caleb took his money up before communion and insisted on giving it to Fr. Don. He just stood at the bottom of the altar, held it up and waited for Fr. Don to come down and get it rather than placing it in the basket that the altar server was holding. It was pretty cute and our priest really seems to enjoy the children! I enjoy teaching them things about our faith and try to make mass as fun as possible for a 2 and 1 year old! Jacob has gone 1 week plus without a single accident on the potty, we are so proud of him. Even long trips in the car don't seem to phase him and he usually holds it until we get home. I never knew how freeing that could be. Valentine's Day was just me and my boys and I couldn't imagine a better way to spend it. Brian and I have been married almost 5 1/2 years and we have never been happier, not that we don't have our moments, but I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else. I love you dearly Brian!

We are working on Jacob and Daddy having more bonding time together. Jacob is very much a mommy's boy and doesn't want Daddy to brush his teeth, get him in and out of his carseat, pour his milk, etc. I have tried to do more "preventative parenting" by preparing Jacob for what Daddy will do which he seems receptive to. We are also trying to find activities that just Jacob and Daddy can do that are fun and create a positive relationship between the two of them. Brian gets frustrated and rightfully so that he is never good enough for the boys, they always want me. But, in their defense, I take care of them 90% of the time. So finding a healthy balance has always been a struggle, but I believe the more fun Jacob has with Brian, the more he will want to do with him! He is already responding to it all, so I think we are headed in the right direction.

I have attached a few pictures of my favorite Valentines! ;-)

Caleb and Daddy

Daddy swinging Caleb around, he was giggling SO hard!

Jacob and Daddy playing "Ring around the Rosie"

Jacob and his friends

Brotherly Love - these moments melt my heart!

It's A.......

Make a Smilebox slideshow

24 Weeks Pregnant...already?

I had my OB appt this week on Wednesday and everything looks great for Baby #3! The heart rate was in the 150's and the baby was kicking the medical student the whole time, it was kind of funny! I am measuring a little ahead already, so I guess that means another BIG baby! Weight wise, I am right on track. I weigh almost exactly what I did with Caleb at this same point, so I feel good about that! I have never gained more than 25 pounds with either of my pregnancies and don't want to start now, it will be even harder to get to the gym with three kids. I have been walking 16-20 miles per week, so I'm trying to stay in shape.

Dr. Fothergill asked when we wanted to have the baby and we all seemed to agree on May 28th. He will be labor & delivery that day, so it will be easy for him to schedule the c-section! That is only 15 weeks away and I will be holding this precious little one in my arms....hard to believe. The baby is moving ALL the time and I'm really enjoying this stage as I'm not huge yet and can still sleep at night, although those kicks are already starting to wake me up. I am getting a fair amount of heartburn already, so maybe that means another kid with lots of hair! ;-) Each pregnancy has been fun in its own way and while I want another one after this, it could be our last, so I just try to enjoy each day. My diastasis recti is about 5-6 inches separated already, so I'm nervous what that means for recovery. Fothergill assured me they could fix it to some degree after the last c-section and not require another surgery. Guess I'll never have a six pack again...not like I ever did! ;-)

Most of all, I am just thankful for this blessing from God and the gift of life, something so precious and miraculous. I was listening to the radio the other day and finally turned it off because this DJ kept remarking how non-miraculous birth was and how gross the babies were when they came out. It made me so sad because it is nothing short of a miracle. The fact that any of us even survive and come out half way normal is a miracle in and of itself when you consider everything that has to happen in those 40 weeks prior to birth. Life is precious and a truly a gift from God. Thank you to everyone who has prayed for this baby and may God give us the grace to accept whatever His plan for this child is!

Recent Pics of the Boys

The boys at the rodeo riding on a saddle with suckers in hand!

Ready for the Rodeo...we went with Nana and Papa (my parents) and had a blast in San Antonio. We even got to see Tim McGraw!

The boys looking at pigs, Jacob was in awe and kept talking about Wilbur and how he was a piggy and Caleb was snorting the whole time!

Caleb loves to read in his Pooh Bear chair. He also likes to be naked, even though it is still rather chilly...doesn't seem to bother him.

Caleb decided he was big enough to help my dad touch up some of the walls! Thanks to my parents, they did a lot of work to help us get the house ready to put on the market.

The boys love to build tents to play in!

Jacob thought it would be fun if we all got on the choo choo...he of course was the conductor!

Nana and Caleb playing horsey

Jacob's spikey hair...he needed a haircut SO bad!

Nana is still young and limber enough to get down and play with those boys!

Caleb loving on Jacob!

Sweet Brothers!

Caleb loves to be tickled and will keep signing "More" if you stop!

I love Caleb's laugh in this picture, it is so pure and innocent. It takes so little to get him to laugh like that! If there were one word to describe Caleb it would be joyful!

They do have their sweet moments and seem to really enjoy each other. They can make each other laugh in a way that I cannot.

Jacob is Potty Trained!!!

I never thought little boys in underwear were very cute, but when it is my own, I think it is adorable and I'm so proud of him!!!!

I can officially say that Jacob is potty trained! We have made several attempts, starting back in June 2009 (25 months), September 2009 (29 months) and January 2010(32 months) and now at 33 months old, he is potty trained! I have always tried the "Potty Train in a Day" method but it never worked. Well, it obviously planted a seed in his brain, because he woke up on Sunday, February 7th and asked to wear underwear. My parents had initiated it on Friday the 5th and he successfully wore underwear that afternoon without any accidents. On Saturday, we headed to San Antonio for a day trip to the Rodeo, so I wasn't about to test him then. When he asked Sunday morning, we put him in underwear and he hasn't looked back since. He has gone 3 1/2 days now without any accidents and has even pooped in the toilet twice! The other times he poops is right after nap or night time before I get his underwear on. I am SO proud of him and amazed that this whole process was SO easy! I think that God knew I needed this right now!

The previous week, Jacob started asking to take baths and finally after almost 3 years, didn't cry and seemed to enjoy bath time. He did cry when we washed his hair, but other than that, he had so much fun with Caleb. He has asked night after night to take a bath so it looks like we have 0vercome that obstacle. He also ate his first peanut butter and jelly sandwich at the Rodeo....he has always refused and then ate another one today for lunch! Yeah....my little boy is growing up! I am sad yet thankful because as this third child kicks and makes its presence known, I am reminded of how much I will need Jacob to be a big boy come May! Some days seem so long and difficult and yet life goes so fast and I step back and wonder where all the time went....and how I survived! Each day and month get better and better!

Spring Cleaning

Growing up, I can always remember my mom doing some Spring Cleaning...it usually involved all of the cleaning we enjoyed the least but had to do. I admit that as I have grown up and have my own home, Spring Cleaning is something I have not always done! I keep my floor boards clean throughout the year and get rid of cobwebs as I see them, but never anything formal. After living in Texas for 4 1/2 years and trying to pack up and get the house ready to sell has forced me to do A LOT of spring cleaning and reorganizing. I can honestly say it has never felt better or more rejuvinating. I feel like my home is better organized and livable! I have never been good at keeping the paperwork organized but I have a great filing system now and don't feel like the papers are stacking up around the house anymore! It is actually quite liberating. Now if I could just tackle those taxes!

Spring Cleaning actually has its tradition rooted in Catholic tradition! I read a wonderful article in the Catholic Spirit and wanted to share some of the nuns thoughts. Lent has always been a time to "clean up your soul". It is 40 days every year that the Church asks us to evaluate our spiritual life with Christ. Most Catholics think of Lent and immediately think of giving something up like chocolate, coffee or TV. But Lent is so much more than that. First you must evaluate your relationship with Christ. How often do you pray? No relationship can grow unless you put time into it....so how much of your busy, fast paced life do you give to the Lord each day? If you struggle with this, Lent is a great time to make a change and begin spending 15-30 minutes of quiet time each day with the Lord. Second, Catholics are asked to fast during lent. Fasting can be so many different things but it is showing discipline to God by giving up something that we need to even though it may be difficult. It could be things like gossiping less, talking less and listening to others more deeply, but it should be something that will benefit our spiritual lives. Third, the discipline of almsgiving. This could be giving money to a charity or donating your time to help someone else. Whatever it may be, time should be spent in prayer with God trying to discern what he is asking you to do! Lent is a great time for forgiveness as well, whether living or not. So, dig deep and ask for forgiveness or forgive someone who has wronged you. It is also a great time for the sacrament of Reconciliation! Clean up your soul along with your home.

Another article went bedroom thru bedroom in helping you "spring clean" your spiritual life. Here are some questions she posed:

1. Living/Family Room - What influences are we bringing into our home? Are there movies, tv shows and music that are compatible with the lives God has called us to live?
2. Library/Study - What are we feeding our minds? Do our reading and Internet-surfing habits help us to be people God made?
3. Playroom - Do we take time to relax and enjoy life? Do we share with one another as we should?
4. Kitchen - Are we being good to the bodies God gave us? Are we eating nutritious food? Are we making good use of resources? Are we recycling? Are we giving to those who have no food to eat? Are we working together and doing our fair share around the house?
5. Dining Room - Do we make time together as a family a priority? Are we considerate and empathetic as we talk to one another?
6. Bedroom - Are we spending time each day talking to God? Do we dress with dignity and modesty, remembering that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit?

Lots to think about and evaluate ourselves. It makes me realize that while my house may be physically clean, I have a lot of spiritual cleaning that needs to happen!

Here is a great Bible Verse for the week:

"Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Phillipians 4:8

Some Pictures

Here is the week in review with pictures!

Jacob and Daddy

Caleb pretending to be a doctor with his own pager!

Daddy reading to his boys!

Caleb loves the firetruck....one of his favorite toys!

The boys playing in the leaves together!

I love Jacob's blue eyes in this picture!

Toddler Mania

The last couple of weeks have been hectic and fun! So here is an update on the boys!

Jacob: Jacob is now 33 months old. I am in denial that he will soon be 3. People in public ask all the time and think he is at least 3 years old because of how well he talks, but he politely reminds them that he is only 2. He just started to be able to do it with his fingers and is quite proud when he can hold up 2 fingers! Jacob loves books as well and we do a lot of reading. Last night he was reading "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" to himself and almost repeating it verbatim. It is a good reminder to me of what a little sponge he is and how careful I have to be about what I say and how I say it! He loves his legos, Imaginext toys (ship, firestation and helicopter), airplanes and puzzles. He enjoys imaginative play such as being a firefighter or buzz lightyear. If anyone is doing something they shouldn't be, he will remind them that the police officer says they can't do that. I told him that about seat belts and somehow that has been translated that a police officer regulates all rules. Jacob has really become such a good boy. He obeys me quite well, sits thru church very patiently, follows multiple-step commands, helps in the kitchen and picking up toys and is quick to show love and affection to me. He is definitely a momma's boy and wishes the rest of the world would just disappear, so I am trying to enjoy this phase because I know it won't last forever!

Jacob raking leaves...he is a BIG helper!

Jacob thought it was funny to put his Elmo slippers over his footed pajamas..silly boy!

Jacob just being himself!

One of Jacob's favorite toys is Mr. Potato Head and he was so proud of the ones he made "all by himself" as he says! ;-)

Jacob loves to throw birthday parties for Eeyore and these were his presents!

Caleb: Caleb is 14 1/2 months old and really becoming his own person. He is very active and his hollow leg seems to be getting bigger each week...this child WILL eat me out of house and home during the teenage years! He loves food and has decided anything on a fork is worthy of eating. Eating with utensils has become a favorite past time and he does quite well with a spoon and fork, all things considered. We are working on drinking from a big cup and getting rid of the sippy cup except when out in public, at playgroups, etc.

His favorite words are: Mama, All Done, Dog, Ball, Dada, Nana (banana), Please (also signs this), and many many more. His favorite sign language is "more food" which he signs all the time! He enjoys being rocked to sleep for naps and bedtime and is my little cuddler when he wakes up, wanting nothing more than to just be held for 10 -15 minutes. I love these moments!

Caleb is big into imitation. He will imitate anything Jacob or I am doing. He loves to dance by stomping his right foot and attempting to snap his fingers. He loves books and anything with animals. Jacob's room is the promised land so any entrance into it is the highlight of his day, especially if he knows Jacob doesn't want him in there. He is very sweet with Jacob, wanting to play with him and laugh with him. But he has also figured out how to be an antagonist and tease Jacob...oh the fun that brings! For the most part, he is very mild tempered, a good sleeper and quite an easy child compared to Jacob. He loves babies so I can't wait to see how he does with #3! Here are a few recent pics!

Mommy and Caleb cuddling

Caleb playing in the leaves!

Caleb wearing Jacob's favorite hat....this is how he antagonizes! ;-)

Caleb eating mac n cheese with a spoon!

Caleb loves playdough!

This is what happens when you eat your playdough....we just washed it down with some milk!

Living an other's centered life

So it is only February 1st and I'm finally getting around to solidifying my New Year's Resolutions! I have always hated them because it is about digging deep and finding the things that you don't like about yourself and changing them. While this is a good thing, it can be quite difficult to really own up to our own faults and then make the effort to change (this is the hardest part). It has been almost three years since I became a mommy and I feel like as I add another child into the family, I become more and more secluded and self-absorbed. It is challenging to figure out exactly what God wants of me right now and I pray daily that he helps guide me. Sometimes I feel like all I do is change diapers, wipe noses, make meals, clean and start all over again as soon as the house isn't in complete disarray. My friends and family get neglected and I have failed to do much of anything for anyone outside of my circle of friends and family. And yet Christ calls us to help others less fortunate and more in need than ourselves. It is easy for me to play the "Poor Me" game and feel sorry for myself because we don't have much money and Brian is gone most of the time. And yet we are living so comfortably poor right now, I have little to complain about or feel sorry for myself. So, in essence, I want to dedicate this year, 2010 to living a life for others. It may only be in small ways, like taking a meal to a friend or putting a little extra money in the collection basket which means I have to pass on a luxury I had been looking forward to. But these little steps can make a big difference for people. I can think of all the little things people have done for me and how impacting they were to me.

Being a mother in and of itself is very selfless and especially having small children at home requires one to focus most of their energy, love and time into their children. I am reading a wonderful book right now called "At the Heart of Motherhood". It is about finding satisfaction in God's calling to being a mother and finding the joy in the activities. I realize that much of my selfless acts right now must be focused on my boys and raising them to be loving men who are dedicated to serving Christ. That thought alone is daunting and almost paralyzing. I am not trained to do this. I spent 3+ years training to be a CT/MRI/X-Ray tech and felt confident in my abilities. But no one trains you to be a mother. So I glean off of the example that was led for me and thanks to many wonderful friends and good books, I can take from them and mold my children as I see best for our family. So as a stay at home mom with a husband that is not home very often, most of my selfless love must be devoted to my babies. But certainly there are small things that I can do for others. I often find that when I am most feeling sorry for myself or down because Brian hasn't been home much and I just want a break from the boys, I realize that when I turn to help others in need, I somehow forget my own sufferings. I believe this to be the reason Christ asks us to help others. We live in a world that encourages us to look out for #1 and make sure that we are happy before we worry about anyone else. How sad that the world has it backwards. And yet it is human nature to look out for ourselves first. Being a mother has taught me to put others first. While I struggle with this daily, I hope that this new year opens my eyes to new opportunities to help those who need help more than I do...all the while being grateful for what I do have and rejoicing in my own circumstances!

Jacob loves to watch Veggie Tales and one important message they have imparted on both he and I is the we give to others not because it makes us happy, we give to others because we ARE happy. Christ has given his life for us and in turn, we are to turn to others and help those in need because we are grateful for what Christ gave us. It has to come from the heart to mean anything. I realize how important it is for us to lead a good example for our children, something my parents did for me in many different ways! I see so many people who boast about the good things they do for others and yet Jesus warns about being boastful in our giving. "But when you give to someone, don't tell your left hand what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you." Matthew 6. How powerful this message it and difficult for all of us because we want to be proud of what we do and yet Jesus asks the opposite of us. I pray for myself and all my friends and family that we can live up to this challenge by Christ!

I love when I go out to blogs and actually walk away from the blog with something to think about, a recipe or a novel idea about child rearing! So my other New Year's Resolution is to use this blog not only as a journal for our family but to possibly give to others thru what I have learned along the way! So my first contribution is a wonderful recipe I made last week, thanks to recommendations by my good friend, Jaime! This Jalepeno Pot Roast is to die for and she had a great idea of using the leftovers to make burritos, so all you need extra is tortillas and cheese! ;-) This recipe is phenomenal and I think the secret is putting your roast in frozen, that meat fell apart before I could get it out of the pot. The link to the recipe is:

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/09/jalapeno-pot-roast-crockpot-recipe.html

So, please enjoy!!!!

I have many other New Year's Resolutions for myself such as not gaining more than 25 pounds during this pregnancy (although that could prove to be quite difficult b/c I eat when I'm stressed and with everything going, I can't seem to stop eating). I am exploring different methods of homeschooling and hope to start with my boys in the fall. I want to use a curriculum that is focused on incorporating Catholic beliefs but most of all just a Christian overtone. Obviously Jacob is no where near ready to dive into Catholic Theology...a task most of us adults find overwhelming! Jacob will be almost 3 1/2 in the fall, so we can start to learn the alphabet and numbers, writing, learning about the Saints, etc. I can't wait to share my faith more deeply with the boys!

I also thought of a fun way to contribute to my blog but I did kind of steal the idea from someone else's blog and then just improvised, so here is my idea:

Monday : Mommy Monday's (All about life as a mom)
Tuesday: Toddler Tuesdays (All about the boys)
Wednesday: Wordless Wednesdays (just recent pics)
Thursday: Thoughtful Thursdays (if there is anything I have to share)
Friday: Faith filled Fridays (entries about my faith journey)
Saturday/Sunday: Wonderful Weekends (an update on us and the boys)

Well, this ought to keep me quite busy, but I will enjoy having this someday to look back upon!