Spring has Sprung

Since my last post, the snow has disappeared leaving in its wake an early spring. We have been experiencing the BEST weather recently! Dare I say that it has almost been muggy?! It has been such a treat to open the windows and letting the fresh air in. Greta (our dog) has loved sunning herself on our deck, enjoying its warmth.

In a nutshell, life has been on overdrive. Baby T is scheduled to arrive in 13 weeks! Most purchases have been made leaving moving Lane to his new room as the last BIG project. Hopefully within the next few weeks he will be situated and Baby T's room will start to take shape. Gosh, I'm excited to meet this girl!

Lane's birthday is next Saturday. It is so hard to believe that it will be 7 years ago that I brought my little man into the world. He has been such an amazing blessing! Throughout all of the challenges that we have faced, he still knows that his mama loves him more than words could ever express. So far, he has picked a party theme of Monster Jam and is inviting 5 little friends over to celebrate. Please think of us as Dave and I try to manage 6 little boys for 2 hours! Though it may cause me some stress, I wouldn't have it any other way. It's my Bubba's birthday and making memories overrides mom's sanity! :)

Beautiful Silence

It snowed last night. It wasn't the light, flaky snow that disappears as quick as it falls. It was the huge flake, wet snow. The kind that coats trees, causing them to droop with the added weight. The kind that takes your breath away as you take your first glimpse outside. It mutes the noises from our daily surroundings, replacing them with beautiful silence.

I drove to work under a canopy of white.

It is moments like this that I love living in Iowa. For most, Iowa is known for nothing more than growing corn. For its residents, it is home....a place of beauty.

21 weeks down, 19 more to go

Well folks, I am officially on the descending side in my wait for Baby T. to make her arrival. Only 19 weeks to go before my pink bundle arrives. 19 weeks, it sounds so far away, yet not far at all! In the remaining months, my list of to do's is ever growing. Dave and I need to purchase her furniture, get Lane's room moved to the basement, get the nursery ready and finish getting the house in tip top shape.

I have already felt a little bit of nesting setting in. Though I am still quite tired at the end of the day, I always find something to do. Laundry, vacuuming, washing windows, etc... I think Dave is going to go crazy by the time she gets here! Lately clutter has been secretly driving me crazy. Yet, I desperately trying to be patient as everything can't be done in a day.

This morning Dave felt her kick/punch. He had previously felt a little rumble about a month ago, but this morning she gave him 3 good ones! I could sense his excitement as he waited for another one. I am spoiled as I get to feel her all day. It makes me happy when he gets a chance to join in on the excitement. Hopefully the our little girl will cooperate for her big brother who asks daily if she is moving! :)

Have a Happy Wednesday!

Valentine's Day wrap up

Yesterday was such a whirlwind that I failed to mention that it was Love Day! It was my second Valentine's Day with Dave. Last year, he asked me to marry him. This year, we got to spend it finding out about our little girl. It was perfect.

Throughout the work day, 2 different deliveries of flowers arrived. Usually, I would have been stampin' my feet, waiting for my delivery to come. This year was different. I was so content and happy with my "gift". My girl :)

Dave did have a trick up his sleeve when he returned home with some adorable onesies for me and Lane to open. Mine said "Mommy Loves Me" and Lane's said "I'm the Little Sister". I can't wait to have her here to try them on!

The night wound down like most, with dinner and a shower for Lane. Nothing out of the ordinary, yet it was filled with a new excitement as we all talked about the events of the day. I sure do love my boys. I love our dinners filled with crazy conversation. I love sitting with Dave as he cooks. Simply keeping him company.

Though yesterday was considered the day of LOVE, each day for me is its own LOVE day in itself! :)

Baby T is a.......

Today is a day that will be etched in my memory forever. Today, I found out that Dave and I are having a GIRL! The moment of the reveal took my breath away, literally. As I lay there, tears ran down my face. The excitement that I felt was unmeasurable. We are going to have a daughter. WOW. The whole experience was so special to me. To have my husband and son next to me was irreplaceable. I found myself looking at Lane as he stared at the screen in amazement. That was his little sister wiggling back at him. Though he wanted a brother, he quickly stated that he would still love his sister :) Gosh, I love him!

I can't wait for her to get here! I can't for her Daddy to hold her. To see the look in his eye as he holds his daughter for the first time. That too, will be a moment carved in my memory.

Today is one of those days where my blessings are ever present and I am so incredibly thankful for all that God continues to give me each and every day. This new chapter in my life book has been a page turner and I can not WAIT to see what comes next.

Tough decisions

We are almost a week out since learning the news of Lane's bullying situation at daycare. As of yet, no major changes have taken place. We found out on Monday that he was pushed into a cabinet on Friday afternoon. Yesterday, Lane and the other child were in a battle on the bus which extended to daycare. The other kid ended up getting sent home early for his behavior.

As a parent, I can only try to control what my own child does. I cannot tell you now many times Dave and I have told Lane to STAY AWAY from that boy. BUT, in actuality, how can we expect him to? They ride the same bus and are in the same area at daycare. Wherever he turns, THERE he is! How can I expect a 6 yr old to ignore someone who is in his face saying things to anger him? Sure, it sounds easy enough, but we all know that the little mind of a child doesn't have the capability to turn off the negativity. Also, how do we go about disciplining Lane for his part in reacting to the situation? We know he is being instigated, but yet, we need him to know that foul language, name calling, pushing, etc..is NOT to be tolerated in our home or our lives.

There are so many questions running through my mind....Do I go above the daycare and speak with the other child's parents? Do I go to the school? Do I pull Lane from the daycare all together? Am I being impatient in thinking that the problem should be solved by now? Am I doing enough to protect my son?

Today I am at a loss of what next steps to take....

Don't be a Bully

Yesterday was rough. It brought both Dave and myself to a new parenting crossroads. A place that neither of us have been. Lane had his usual weekly appointment with his play therapist. This being a normal routine, I wasn't expecting any new or different information. Boy was I wrong. Dave came home after dropping Lane at school and flung a piece of paper at me. This is what I saw.....

After speaking with Dave, I learned that the bigger the button, the more something bothered Lane. The 4 bigger buttons are as follows:

Bullies follow me-I want to kick them
Don't get to play my DS (this is a consequence for bad behaviors so disregard for the time being)
Bullies follow me-I want to hit them
Bullies follow me-say bad words

The smaller button:

Bullies hit me sometimes

Just looking at the picture, my heart jumped and then ached. It ached for my boy. Why is this happening? Where is this happening? What can we do? How do we proceed? I felt helpless yet was urged to action. I quickly headed to his daycare where his therapist stated the incidents are taking place. In I walked, picture in hand. I tried to remain calm as I spoke with the director. I simply stated that this has been brought to my attention and immediate action of some sort needs to be started. Lane has worked so hard to get to the point he is at today and to learn that he is dealing with these circumstances adds even more to his plate.

Dave and I have told Lane previously that he should stay away from "friends" who are unkind, telling him that real friends don't try to make their other friends sad or unhappy.

I am at a total loss. What do I do? Am I overreacting? Is it simply boys being boys?

I guess all we can do now is wait. Wait to see if things start to change. If they don't, Dave and I are prepared to do whatever we need to do to make things better for our boy.

Got Prayer?

Do you pray? It's ok if you don't. I know not everyone holds the same beliefs. I guess I just ask you this...Do you ever "talk" to God, the clouds, something...asking for help, clarification, peace? It seems like most people I know go to this place during certain times in their lives. I find myself asking God frequently for patience, understanding and wisdom during times when I am lacking. I internally thank Him for my happiness and cry to Him in times of sorrow. He always listens. Never judges. Always loves... The amount of love poured out by Him each day is unmeasurable. With all the love my heart has to give doesn't even come close to his. He IS love. How awesome is it to know that no matter what you have done, no matter the mistakes you have made. He LOVES you, unconditionally. Wow, is that a gift or what?!

Recently, I have had the chance to take my prayer time with Him to a new level. I, for the first time, prayed with Dave. This was something that didn't come easily for me as my prayer time has up until now, been my time alone with God. I admit, it was uncomfortable to be vocalizing my requests to Jesus. Having someone else hear my pleas. Yet, in a way, it was comforting to hear my spouse make his own requests. Asking God to watch over us. In those few short minutes, I think we both knew that God was hearing what our hearts were offering.

This week, I have one simple request. Take a moment out of your day to Sit. Reflect. Listen. You will be amazed at the result.

Lane's Victory

It is amazing how a small victory in a day can bring a smile at just the right time, a sigh of relief when stress is high, etc... I, or rather Lane, has received a victory in this journey we call life. We are reaching new levels in his therapy, causing him to "graduate" if you will, from the rigors of constant appointments and checkups. He has recently gone from monthly visits with his psychologist to a now 6 month time frame between checking in. To us, this is huge. Currently, he is still seeing his play therapist weekly, but that too is in the works to change. We have only a few more weekly visits before we try tapering back on the amount he is seen. As we left the office this morning, I was filled with joy at the amount of progress my boy has made. It was just a few short months ago that our nights were filled with extreme, violent tantrums. While getting him to complete a desired task was almost nonexistent. Today, Dave and I can give Lane a task to complete and find that we have very little to no resistance. Sure, there are times when attitude accompanies his response, but hey, we can handle that.

I then think back to what life was like a year ago...two years ago. It is a complete opposite from our life today. Today, Lane is thriving in so many ways. His school work remains high, he is expressing his emotions in a more calm, mature manner. He is realizing now that consequences are part of life and that the decisions he makes determine which way a consequence will go. As his mom, I could not be more proud of the strides he has taken throughout this journey. The struggles he has endured have been great, causing us all to at times question the process. Yet, my little guy has pushed forward. Never given up. Never forgotten that he is loved and encouraged by so many. He truly is a gift to me and I thank God each day for the fact that I get to be his mom. So I say Thank You to my sweet boy. Thank you for being you. Thank you for showing me that life is not always what we anticipate, but it is what we make of this life we have been given that counts.

A little rumbly in my tumbly

It has happened folks! Baby T. has officially made his or her presence known with a little kick here and a little punch there. So exciting! The last few days I have found myself not so patiently waiting for the next little flutter to come. Each time I feel it, I giggle inside. I can't wait until Dave and Lane are able to feel it move too. I told Lane as we were driving home and he so desperately wanted to feel his little sibling move about. I love it that he is so excited for the little one to arrive. Each time he talks to my belly or about the baby in general makes me even more confident in his big brother skills and how incredible he will be. Today as I left for work, he said he wanted to read to the baby tonight. Melted my heart :) 26 days and counting until we find out if we will be buying blue or pink. Patience is so hard to have at times like this! Have a happy Wednesday!!!

Today so far...

It snowed. Lane is happy.

Lane spilled his Rockin' Raspberry Danimal with his medicine in it on the counter. I then scooped it up with a spoon and put it back in the bottle.

Our snow blower (the one we JUST got serviced) wouldn't start, forcing Dave to shovel in the cold.

Lane is developing a nasty cough. I found some cough medicine but couldn't find the little medicine cup so I used a pampered chef measuring spoon. Hey, whatever works!

I think my dog ate her own poop...this is becoming a trend with her. EWWW.

Dave and I bumped into each other while he had his full coffee cup, causing me to blot coffee out of the carpet.

Dave's new windshield wiper blade broke. Awesome.

The day has to look brighter going forward, right? Oh, on a happy note.... My toes are nice and toasty in my boots and I am snuggled up in a warm sweater on the first REAL winter day of winter. :) Now it can stop and we can go back to our 50 degree weather! :)


Happy Thursday!

15 wks preggo

15 wk baby appointment was this morning. Happy times! :) Baby T is doing well. Heart rate is good and it was squirming away inside my tummy. I know this because Dave begged/asked our Doc if we could see the babe today. So he carted in his ancient ultrasound machine and we got to see Baby T! It is so surreal to see a life growing inside me. I can't wait to feel it move. I remember with Lane, I felt that first flutter while I was snoozing on the couch. I sat up in excitement, so happy to finally feel my little one. Hopefully just a few more weeks and the flutters will return.

Motherhood...wow...I am so blessed to be able to do this again! 1 more month until we find out if Baby T is a He or a She!



When did you first feel your baby move?

First comes marriage, then.......

Well, it seems that 2011 got away from me. Within the chaos so did my blog :( Boo. BUT.....I am really wanting/needing to get back on the writing wagon. My fingers and my mind miss it. It is so hard to believe that a new year has already begun as I am still trying to wrap my head around all of the changes from the previous one. I can't tell ya how excited I am for 2012! Dave and I are starting the new chapter of parenthood. This will be Dave's first ride in the parenting saddle while I feel like I need a BIG refresher course as it has been almost 7 years since my last rodeo. Hope it's like riding a bike and once I start it all comes back to me! Lane is ubber excited about the little one too. It makes me smile inside when he talks to my belly in hopes that Baby T. will hear him. Man that boy has a good heart and I can't wait to see it grow when he becomes a big brother.

Everything is so completely different this time around. Up until 2 weeks ago, I felt like death 90% of the time and was ready for bed almost the moment I woke up. Thankfully, I have overcome that hurdle and am feeling human again! We are 14 weeks down 26 to go. This go around, I am also finding myself so much more protective of the whole experience. When Lane was born, I was just a young buck of 23. I remember telling anyone and everyone about my pregnancy from the get go. This time, I have been much more guarded. Making sure I hit the milestones ensuring that everything is okay. I have wanted to be a mom x2 for so long. Yet, before Dave I thought my chances were slim. Growing up with 2 older siblings, I have longed to give Lane another. I feel so incredibly blessed to be able to do so.

Sometimes life can be filled with so much "stuff" that people lose track of what's important .This little one has brought me back to reality. It is making me look at myself as a mom, wife, friend, daughter, sister, etc... I hold all of these titles in my life and am so thankful for each and every one of them. The people on the other side of these relationships have helped mold me into who I am today and for that, I am so thankful. I can't wait for Baby T. to meet so many of them and start the molding process of their life.

Mrs. Thompson

Well hello blog world, I'm back! Yes, I know, it has been FOREVER since we have talked. I greatly apologize for my absence and hope you missed me just as much as I missed you! Since my last post, we have successfully moved into our new digs and me and the mister made it official and got married! Can I tell you how strange it is to go from a 4 letter last name (something that has existed since I was born) to a an 8 letter last name! My hand instinctively stops after T H O M and I have to force the P S O N. I guess that is the price I pay though, for FINALLY having a normal last name! Throughout childhood, my last name was Apel (pronounced like apple) BUT, no matter what, it got butchered. Then at marriage #1, I inherited Tuve. That too brought with it more pronunciations that I thought were possible. So here I am, Sarah Thompson!

So, besides the new last name, lets catch up a bit, shall we! The wedding, in a word, was AMAZING! We had the most beautiful day in October! The sun was shining, it wasn't too hot and the leaves were the most magnificent colors! I spent the morning surrounded by 2 of my very closest friends, Teresa and Julie. Being with them kept me calm and brought with it tons of laughter. I couldn't have asked for more! We got our hair done, ate bagels and drank mimosas. It was perfect. After we got beautified, we booked it back to the hotel to get me dressed to meet my groom! As I was getting laced in, it was so surreal to be standing there with my girlfriends getting ready to start a brand new chapter in my life. A chapter that a few years ago I didn't think would ever begin for me. I simply felt blessed. Blessed to have them, blessed to be marrying Dave, blessed that Lane was getting the family that he deserves.

Seeing Dave for the first time was a moment that I will never forget. A bride has that one moment to take the breath away from her groom. By the look on his face, I am hoping I accomplished my goal. I wanted him to know that I was dressed for him and for the celebration of our marriage. Dave and I spent most of the afternoon parading around downtown Dubuque, capturing pictures. I loved that time. It was just the two of us and our photographers (who happen to be very close friends of ours) It was so laid back and stress free.

During the ceremony, I found myself looking out over the vineyard, scanning the hills surrounding us, their colors so vibrant, breathtaking. I am a lucky woman. I have a man that loves me, a son who loves me most of the time :) and friends that I wouldn't trade for all the stars in the sky. It was an amazing moment. A moment that will never slip far from my mind.

There is so much more that I could talk about, but this entry would quickly turn into a novel. So, I will sign off for today and promise to give more info and memories of our big day! Have a happy Friday!

AAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH, GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR, SCREEEAAAMMMM.....ok, I feel slightly better. My oh my, life is getting the best of me today and it has only just begun. Today starts the whirlwind of the move, which is eleveating my anxiety to skyscraper proportions. My house is in complete shambles with the items still needing to be packed and I am left at my emotional limit. I am struggling with keeping myself in check all while being mom, fiance, coworker, bride-to-be who is in the final stages of planning her wedding which is just 23 days away, etc... I feel like my plate is about to crack with all the extra weight on it. Yes, I know I should ask for help in times like these, but it is SO hard for me to ask for or accept it. I am REALLY trying, promise!

Last night, Dave and I were on the hunt for a new washer and dryer for our new digs. My goodness, that turned into a fiasco. I guess this time of year is the time when peeps need new appliances, as 2 of the 3 stops were out of the models we were interested in. We finally found a set at the 3rd place. Lets pray that it is still there today so we can have it delivered on Saturday. I am a crazy girl when it comes to my laundry so I NEED my washer and dryer!! Keep your fingers crossed for me today! PLEASE!

Last night was also filled with the not so fun conversation with Lane's dad regarding the recent developments on his behavior. These conversations always make my blood boil as I feel like I am having to explain my parenting to him and defend my decisions regarding Lane and his care. But, as Lane's mom, I have to have the respect to tell him. It is so difficult, because his dad hasn't personally seen Lane when he is at his worst. He has heard him over the phone at times when I have called him during an episode, but he has never seen him try to scratch, pinch, hit, etc. He has rarely heard the screams and phrases that come out of his mouth. To that effect, it's is pretty much a he said she said type of deal where I feel like he is doubting the severity of Lane's condition and my level of parenting. Is this the actual case? I can't say for sure, but that is how I feel when the conversation ends.

I am really gonna try to be positive today. I have a ton of good things happening around me and I need to appreciate that. I hope you all have a great day! It is the perfect fall morning here, which is a definite highlight for me. I LOVE fall and all that comes with it! :)

Full Steam Ahead...

Just stopping by for a quick sec during the whirlwind that is life lately! Sheesh, it has been a crazy ride in the Tuve/almost Thompson household lately! The wedding is T-25 days ways!!! (insert super big smiley face here) But with that T-25 days means life is in a frenzy! Oh yeah, did I mention that within the wedding chaos, we are moving in 4 days! Why I do this to myself, I have not the faintest idea, yet I always seem to throw gas on an already over powered fire!

Yesterday I had my final dress fitting and was able to check one thing off of my never ending list of to dos. Now it's my job to try to keep my stress at bay and the oreos out of my house in order to be able to still fit in that dress! Being in it makes me smile and I hope it has that same effect on the Mister when he sees me in it! :) :) :)

Life of Lane has had some challenges lately. We have found ourselves going backward in the behavior department. After a trip back to his primary doc, we were referred to a new psychologist to try to get some new answers. The outcome....He thinks Lane does in fact have ADHD, but that he has what is called a combined version. Which means that he has both the hyperactive part as well as the inattentive part. Along with that diagnosis, he also said that Lane appears to suffer from Oppositional Defiant Disorder. To put it in to normal terms, he has a behavioral disorder that prevents him from using reason and logic during stressful times. This definitely helps me understand some of his behaviors. Yet, it saddens me as his mama to see him continue to struggle with these issues. The Doc feels that once we get his ADHD under control the behavior issues will hopefully follow. We have a long road ahead of us, but I am confident that we will get past this hurdle!

Hope everyone else is keeping busy! If not, I can give you some work to do! :)


Just a quick note of congrats to my friend Amber. She just had a new baby, Miss Rayna Simone! She's a doll!!

Stress happens

Hey all!
Hope all is well with everyone in cyber world. My life has been ubber busy. Not only am I getting married in 47 days, Dave and I found a house and will be moving in about 3 weeks. Yep, wedding, moving, working, Lane's back in school....man the list grows and grows! It is in these times though, that I find myself being productive and disciplined. I am determined to get the tasks done that I set before me. It takes tons of organization along with my massive OCDness, but in the end, it all gets done! Oh yeah, did I mention that not only are we moving, but we are also going to have a moving sale to sell a TON of stuff the weekend before the move. So, not only am I packing, I am sorting and pricing all of the goods.

I don't think I will know what to do with myself once life settles down! I hope your summer ended on a high note!

Life Wagon

Sadly, my blogging has continued to remain buckled in the backseat of my life wagon. Life...yeah...it's busy! The summer is winding down while wedding prep is in full swing! 59 days to go! Eeeek!

Yesterday I got Lane registered for school, which starts in just over a week. It is so hard to believe that I am a mom to a 1st grader! School clothes, socks, undershirts, supplies and shoes have all been purchased. His backpack is stocked, waiting for the day. Lane found his fully stocked backpack and proceeded to locate his new scissors... (ya know where this story is goin'?) I then found him in the bathroom, scissors in hand. Thank GOD I got to him before he did any damage! Thankfully all of his hair was intact, allowing my heart rate to return to normal.

This school year I am trying something different. I am packing his lunches instead of him getting it at school. I am having a hard time deciding what I should put in his box, as he isn't the most adventurous eater on the planet. I know he will quickly grow tired of PB&J. What do your kids love in their lunches?

On the wedding front, life consists of lists, lists and more lists. Once I get one done, another one is immediately started. I am so excited for the day to get here but am going bananas until then. I am so lucky though to have great family and friends to help me along the way! I have my first dress fitting on the 27th and am SO excited to see the dress come together. Both Dave and I can't wait to celebrate with our family and friends!

Life Lately...

Wow, life has taken over lately! I've been MIA recently doing the whole mom, work, fiance planning a wedding thing. Guess life has gotten away from me a bit. So, lets sit down, chat, regroup. Shall we??

The mom gig has been pretty darn good lately. The kiddo made it back from DC. Survived 25 days without his mama and had his first plane ride. It is nice to have him back. The house feels like home again with all of his noises and giggles. Yes, there are some tantrums too, but I suppose it is all par for the course. I love him and am so glad he's back!

Work has been pretty much the norm, which is actually quite nice. With all of the other projects and and activities taking up the majority of my brain, it is nice to fall into the normal routine of the 8 hr work day.

Wedding....IT IS FAST approaching! I think I forgot all of the planning that went into the first one. The second one seems to be a bit more, but seems so much more worth it :) I am a happy girl who can't wait to marry my man! I think we have the majority of all of the little things done. Now is time to make lists upon lists upon lists to make sure that nothing is forgotten or not done how I had imagined it. (This is sure to be a challenge for me as I am not able to be present when the tables and decorations are being set up) I have a slight inward freak out about this almost daily, but try to remember that I have assigned my amazing cousin, Shawna to oversee the assembly. I am trying to get in tip top wedding shape, yet the stress of it all has me craving Oreos and ice cream. :( I haven't been able to work out like I would like due to the whole LIFE IS CRAZY thing goin' on. I NEED to get back into the swing of it! I just need to figure out where to fit it in again.

How's your summer going? Any fun trips or activities?? Tell me about 'em! :)

Life Changes

Life changes daily, yet in many ways it stays just the same. You get up, eat breakfast, kiss your kids, go to work, etc... each day has the familiar comfort of being exactly the same...comfortable. Then, there are times that life changes, your normal thinking patterns are challenged and you are standing at the fork in the road, forcing yourself to go down the path you know, the comfortable unchanging path, or down the new and different path, where comfortable is not always the option and change is evident.

For me, I have lived my life alone. Have I had others around me? Yes. Have I had others that love me? Yes. Yet, I have held them all at a distance, leaving my emotions and feelings to myself. Throughout my life, I have been the person that others turn to and have never allowed myself to be the person to turn to others. I have lived 29 years of my life keeping my emotions hidden away from the outside world. Recently though, I have started to take steps, baby steps, in reaching those emotions and finding out who in the hell this girl is without the emotional baggage that I have held on to for so long. This turn in the road has been nothing less than terrifying. I am being forced to think, to feel. It is amazing the amount of vulnerability that comes to the surface, making me feel completely stripped of my barriers against feeling.

Many days I go throughout my day completely overwhelmed at the process that I have begun. I am constantly doubting thoughts, decisions, conversations, etc... I guess I should though, look at the fact that I haven't quit yet. I haven't yet turned back to go down the road that I know, the one that I am comfortable with. I am scared as hell, as I feel like I am walking in the dark without a flashlight, afraid of what might jump out and grab me. Throughout my darkness, I am trying to keep in mind that in time, day will break and the darkness will begin to ease, bringing with it light and opportunity.