The Mallards and the Muskrats (aka The Birds and the Bees)

Spring is in the air and 'something's in the water'!! Do you recall the posts I wrote about our backyard neighbors, the beavers? Well, add to that, Mallards and Muskrats. Last week I was in the sunroom nursing Coen and I noticed a male Mallard duck 'choking' on something in the small pond created by the beaver dam. I watched for what seemed like several minutes as I thought this duck was trying to carry a huge stick to its nest or eat a large fish. It was hard to tell. After what seemed like several minutes (i'm sure it was roughly 30 seconds!) a female duck surfaced. I felt so violated! Here I was trying to figure out how to help this duck when I discover that he certaintly didn't need my assistance as he impregnated his mate. Fast forward 1 week. Chris and I have discovered a Muskrat that's also been enjoying the beaver pond. We've been trying to show it to Kayna but it disappears before she's been able to get a closer look. Until this week. Again, I was in the sunroom and I hollar for Kayna to come see the Muskrat. She finally sees it and we're so excited to discover nature together until...a second Muskrat enters the scene. It all happened so fast. All of a sudden one of them makes a move and tries to mount the other!!! What looks like an unsuccessful attempt turns into 10+ attempts before we finally exit the sunroom. I'm not quite sure why there's so much friskyness going on in our beaver pond. All I know is that we're not getting any ideas. I've got my hands full at this time!

Its a BOY!

We are excited to finally announce (on the blog) that our Coen Wylee Houston was born on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 10:35am! He was 7.7 lbs and 19 1/4"

We just took him to his one month check up and he's a whopping 9.14 lbs and 21 1/2"!! That's a lot of growing for just 4 weeks (and a LOT of breastfeeding!!).

We're so so thankful for a healthy and content precious boy.

There were certainly concerns that I had about this pregnancy (which, i'm sure are totally normal to have) but the Lord fully answered each prayer and graced us with a beautiful, quick and easy delivery and strong healthy boy.

I will write his birth story and share the details of each answered prayer in another post but I wanted to get this up before another 4 weeks passed by.

Enjoy the sweetness :)

Leaving the hospital (below). Coen was due on Valentine's day so we received a red hat, sweetly made by the volunteers at the hospital:

Sister kisses are the sweetest!

Big sister is certainly a big help :) She's "washed" all the dishes you see here. It only took her almost 1 full bottle of dishwashing soap! Next time i'll have to breastfeed in a place where I can keep an eye on the happenings in the kitchen.

37 Weeks

Here we are. I'm now considered 'full-term' in my second pregnancy. Its been a good pregnancy all around -a tiny bit different with a few more aches here and there- but overall very healthy. Praise the Lord!

Just for the sake of going down memory lane/and for fun (and to see if any gender predictions arise from this list of differences) here are two lists of my pregnancy experiences.

Baby Houston #1 (Kayna)

Found out we were expecting on Oct. 31, 2006
Had bleeding, inconsistent hormone levels and thyroid concerns right off the bat.
Under careful watch via ultrasounds beginning at week 5 1/2 continuing throughout pregnancy.
My belly measured 2cm's smaller than normal the entire pregnancy.
Placenta was on the bottom for the first half, then moved to a more normal and less threatening position for the remainder of pregnancy.
Her heart rate was always in the normal range of low -130's
She was also positioned very low from the start.
My cravings included: Shellfish- particularly in pasta and Lindt chocolate truffles (I had 1 every afternoon around 3pm at work), milk.
Food adversions: COFFEE. Couldn't stand the smell of it throughout my pregnancy.
Gained 19 pounds.
Sciatic nerve pain.
Worked full time until 2 weeks before due date.
Water broke at home - first sign of labor - Kayna was born, all naturale, 7 1/2 hours and 5 pushes later at 11:30pm, 30 minutes before her due date. 6lb 7oz & 19 3/4".
She came fast which was a blessing but the recovery was quite an ordeal.

Baby Houston #2 (??Name??)

Found out we were expecting at the beginning of June 2010
Had a normal first appointment at 10 weeks.
Measuring 1-2cm's small again but have already gained 25 pounds (and we have a few more weeks left)!
Had normal ultrasound at 18 1/2 weeks. Everything was 'normal' and great (this was our first and only ultrasound, so quite a bit different than catching a sneak peek each visit).
Vericose veins made an appearance in 1 leg and other places....around week 26.
Baby's heart rate has varied from 138-150.

Doesn't seem to be positioned quite as low as Kayna was.
Cravings include: Plain pasta in the first trimester -or ethnic foods (only once though, couldn't have the same thing twice) then onto chocolate milk, salad, sushi, crisp/fresh lettuce wraps, and now cinnamon rolls!
Adversions: Ground beef and most meats.
Sciatic nerve pain in 2nd trimester but not any longer - thankfully!
Working full time by chasing after Kayna :) - a little more labor intensive than sitting at a desk 8 hours a day.
As far as labor/delivery - we'll see!!!

There you have it. I'm sure there are more details that differenciate the pregnancies but i'll leave those to discuss with the doctor :)

Here I am in my first pregnancy around 25ish weeks pregnant with Kayna

Here I am around the same time with baby #2 - with big sis looking on :)

I've been debating on whether or not I should write this blog entry for quite some time and here's why...
This season that we're in has brought out the best and worst of me in many ways and for many reasons. One reason being the other-worldly set of hormones that comes with being pregnant, another reason is the unconditional emotional support I've been trying to give my husband as he has wrestled out what his career destiny should be, and finally some of my best and worst moments have been brought to the surface simply because our sweet Kayna Joy is now three.
The emotional highs and lows of parenting a three year old ebb and flow at a much faster and dramatic rate than the ocean's tide. You could probably compare it more to a wave-pool from your favorite theme park. You know, you're having fun floating one minute and the next minute you are close to drowning in a 10 foot wave only to come out on the other side with a nose full of stinging chlorine. I'm not sure why this has been our toughest year yet, maybe because she's discovering her independence more and more each day, or maybe its because the older they get, the less control you have over everything. Regardless, I have no idea who coined the phrase 'terrible 2's' (because I loved the 2's with Kayna!!). It should be, 'enjoy the 2's because your child will turn into something else when he or she hits 3!' As difficult as the lows have been (tantrums over mama not doing something in a specific routine, to not wearing the "right" socks etc) the highs have been of equal magnitude in the opposite direction. My heart swells when I feel Kayna's little hands cup my face, look into my eyes and say, "I love you" -for no reason at all!
A personal story that happened just last week follows...We were getting ready for preschool when I began to brush Kayna's hair. She had a touchy morning already and was at the brink of a meltdown. The perfect storm was about to unfold. As I was edgy already and we were close to being late, I wasn't interested in 'practicing patience' at this particular point. With every stroke of the brush and attempt to put her hair into a ponytail (our normal routine) she had a meltdown which eventually caused me to loose my cool and raise my voice shouting, "stop it!". My tone was more harsh than I intended it to be and it honestly surprised me as well. The tears began to flow from my three year old eyes and I knew I needed to take a 'mommy time out' to cool down. I put Kayna in her room and walked into my room to have some space to breathe. We had to go in a hurry so we eventually got into the car -tears continuing to stream down Kayna's cheeks. In an instant I prayed (not that I wanted to, because I wanted to 'win' and be in control) 'Help me God!' and a millisecond later my foot landed on the brake and I turned around to look at Kayna. I don't know how to explain the refreshing sense of humility and grace that came over me in that moment, but it wasn't something I conjured up (or even, like I said, I didn't want to conjure up). I put my hand gently on Kayna's knee and looked straight into her eyes and told her that I was sorry for yelling at her. I told her that I was angry because she wasn't obeying me and she was being fussy but it was wrong of me to yell. I told her that I loved her. She accepted my apology with a response of, "I forgive you mama". The rest of the way to school her tears dried up and we prayed and sang Christmas songs together. It was a total transformation in both of our hearts.
Since that day (and, yes, there were countless battles before this one!) I have been reminded to pray for the mind of Christ each morning and to ask God to fill me with self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Its truly amazing to see the difference in my own responses to my three year old's outbursts, and to see how quickly a fire is put out from simply not losing my temper in the moment. I feel more peaceful, handle the stress better and Kayna has even had less and less outbursts.
Even if you don't have a three year old, I'd recommend this strategy every morning as, "each day has its own troubles (or stresses!)" Matthew 6:25-34.
Its been a journey that no one could have prepared us for and I'm now well aware that each stage will have its own set of ebbing and flowing. I'm thankful for grace and forgiveness in my own life and I am trying my best to exercise them both and display them towards my amazing three year old.
I saw the following video today and thought it was sobering to my stage in life. I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to mother Kayna and wouldn't trade it for anything. Its been the most difficult yet the best stage at the same time. Besides, what fun would a wave pool be without a little jostling around and unpredictability!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye39mgcHC3E&feature=player_embedded

Summer 2010

I'm so thankful that September is near and with it will -hopefully- come some cooler weather. We've had an interesting summer from our A/C going out for 21 days, to finding out we're expecting baby Houston #2 on Valentine's Day!

Here are just a few pictures from the recent past.

Kayna enjoying one of her favorite treats - CUPCAKES!

Playing dress up - her favorite!

Chris and his friend Chris Toomey - both groomsmen in a wedding

15 weeks and growing!

Catching up on the latest issue of In Style, just after bath time

Cupcake time, again, with friend Hannah Kate - Purple icing is the best!

Car Wash

Not so long ago during the most recent tax season (Jan - April 2010) I, Jennifer worked for my brother in law, Matt Franklin and his dad John at their CPA firm. The work wasn't glamorous, but I had such a great feeling of accomplishment as I moved 'To-Do' work from one stack, to a 'Done' stack and left each day feeling like I actually achieved and completed a task. This feeling is hard to come by as a full-time mom, in case you were wondering.
As April 15th arrived, Matt called to say that there were donuts and an 'envelope' waiting for me to pick up as the team was celebrating the completion of another successful tax-year. I graciously declined the offer for doughnuts, as I had just that day made a pact to cut out sugar from my diet, but I still needed to swing by to pick up the envelope. Upon leaving the office Matt 'forced' me to take a donut and I obliged, wrapping it in a napkin with every intention to give it to Kayna when I picked her up from preschool.
We were leaving for TN later that day so my 'To-Do' list included gassing up the car and going through the car wash.
Here begins the reason for this blog entry: After filling the car with gas, I chose the option for the mid-grade car wash. You know, the one that isn't as frugal as just water and suds, but not as high class as the Ultimate option with wax and double washing. I pulled up to the teller where I entered the code from my receipt. The automated voice was responding to me as it acknowledged what option I had selected. It told me to enter the car wash so I began the journey, all the while trying to listen to whatever else 'he' was telling me to do. All of a sudden his instructive voice disappeared as I realized that I was being jet-blasted in the face with a forceful flow of pre-wash. I was so intent on paying attention to the detailed instructions that I forgot to close my window!! I was driving our 5-speed so the shock caused me to stop instantly. I did not stall out but I could not think of what to do other than try to roll up my window as fast as I could, all while the water continued to blast into my face and into the car. The automatic window seemed to take 5 minutes to close completely but when it did I was able to put the car back in 1st gear and completely enter the wash. As I put the car in park I was out of breath and looked around to see what had happened. Water instantly poured off the top of my hat and into my already soaked lap. I looked over in the passenger seat to see a single soggy napkin clutching a damp donut. This was the only napkin in the whole car. I decided to eat the donut, for the single purpose of having something to wipe my face off with afterwards, even though the napkin was already wet. I started laughing at the entire situation as I realized that the shock caused me to unnecessarily stop at the flow of water that was not moving. If I had driven just a few inches further I would not have been pummeled in the face with jet-blasted water for a full 20 seconds. It was simply a stationary 'rainbow' - a forceful rainbow - of water that you're supposed to drive through to saturate your car before the wash actually begins.
Lesson learned: Well, I'm still not sure. I keep coming back to the fact that I was trying to obey the instructions given to me. Maybe the teller should first encourage the innocent listener to roll up their window before entering the wash.
I wonder how many people this happens to? I bet the guy who worked that day chuckled as he added a tic to his list of unsuspecting-teller-obeying-water-blasted customers.

Growing Garden

A few weeks ago I got the bug...the bug to get my hands in the dirt and take part in creation and growth and nurturing something new and watch it come forth to bloom and blossom. Some may call it Spring Fever. This inspiration began when the first warm breeze blew in and the daffodils began to show off their pale yellow smiles. I LOVE this time of the year! The only thing I would change about it is the inch-thick pollen that gets deposited on everything in sight...daily. I was at my sister-in-laws house today and I could see the thick layer of "chalk" (as Kayna calls it) floating in the air all around me as I began to feel a slight tickle in my throat that whispered 'allergies'.
I guess its all part of it.
The reason for this post is to mention another inspiration. An inspiration that came from the first inspiration. As I was planting my Zinnia garden last week, I began thinking about a very close friend who is in the middle of a beautiful redemptive season. I thought about how beautiful the flowers I was planting will become, and I felt like it was very symbolic of the journey this friend of mine is on. Since it took a while to plant 200 seeds, my thought process turned into a prayer for this special friend. The next day, while watering my seeds, I began to recall the previous day and my thoughts went back to this friend. I decided that I would pray for her each time I visited the Zinnia garden. Whether to water it or admire the delicate sprouts shooting up. I've found that different, yet specific, words and topics to pray for her have come to mind during this set-apart time in my day. Its become a joy, not only to admire creation, but to have this time focused on one specific person. I plan to make a small beautiful sign and place it in the garden dedicating it to this friend.
As I planted my tomato plants today, I decided that I would use the time it took to plant them to pray for Chris. Each day, as I water them and look after them, I will pray for him. Since he is the main provider for our family, I thought it was very symbolic of how the tomato plants will provide for us - lots of beautiful, sweet fruit in due time. I trust that the specific things that come to mind will be from the Lord and I am finding such peace and purpose in this focused time.
I hope to look for more opportunities in the day to accomplish more eternal work! In the meantime, I better get planting some other veggies as I failed to mention that Chris hates tomatoes!

I am excited to post pictures as soon as things get growing so check back for updates on my growing garden :)