Simple Gifts

We have spent much of this last year moving closer and closer towards simplicity and the gifts from this process have been simply sweet! Clint and I really felt a calling to abandon our mainstream mentalities that were telling us more is better and learn to find contentment with less -

• Less job - Clint traded in his highly esteemed, high-tech job as an electrical engineer to become an electronics educator which has greatly reduced his daily stress.
• Less money - Our experience was that when you have more money, you just spend more. A bigger paycheck meant a bigger house, more stuff, and more activities for the kids. It was easier to justify buying things that we wanted versus just what we needed when we had the money in the bank account to spend. We have become much more disciplined with our spending and better managers of what we do have.
• Less house - We moved out of our big house that came with a big mortgage, big expenses, and big responsibilities which lifted a big burden!
• Less hustle and bustle - We moved to a slower-paced, smaller town which I will admit was hard to adjust to, but the benefits far outweigh any hesitations I once had.
• Less stuff - We sold or donated over half of all we owned and it felt great! It is so much simpler to keep track of and take care of less stuff! The best part was that our whole family learned that the joy of giving is far greater than the joy of having and we will continue to take seasonal inventories to get rid of more stuff! Be free from stuff!
• Less activities - There was always something to do and somewhere to go and busyness divided us. I still struggle sometimes to maintain a healthy balance, but we have really enjoyed just spending time at home as a family playing in the backyard or baking together or building something together and that motivates me to keep activities to a minimum.
• Less technology - This has made the biggest difference in my life. I used to be so connected to my iphone that I was becoming disconnected from everything else...ironic! Praise the Lord that my iphone crashed one day and my eyes were opened to a life free from the distraction of a "smart" phone! We rarely watch TV anymore and we do not own a gaming system. I spend less time on the computer these days as well and consequently less time blogging, but I figure if I am spending more time making memories than recording them...it's a good thing (that was so Martha Stewart)!

Less really is more!

A Better View

Sophie recently got her first pair glasses and she loves them!! The first time she put them on she was amazed at all she could see! I think she looks adorable in them all well!

Out of the mouths of babes...

Ella says the funniest, sweetest, and most adorable things! I love how she expresses herself and communicates with us. Actually, she will talk to anyone who will listen! It took her a long time to find her words, but as she neared 2 years old, her babble finally became recognizable and now it will be memorable too.

Ella's first word - "uh-oh"

Ella's first sentence - "Max, shut mouf!" (to our dog who was barking when she was trying to take a nap)

Ella's famous phrases -
"That's too loud!"
"Shhhh, baby sleeping!"
"Yummy cakes please!"
"Dance with me!"
"Daddy home!"
"Kiss my boo-boo."
"Feel better."
"My boo-boo needs a banaid."
"Wuv you!" (love you!)
"That's my favorite!" (to just about everything)
"I clean it."
"I help you!"
"Ella do!"
"I do it by myself."
"Ella eata it!"
"No baby Kate...that's mine!"
"I need my pretty dress."
"I see you later!"

Funny mistakes -
"No may!" (instead of no mam)
"That's my pot!" (instead of that's my spot)
"auce" or "appo-auce" (instead of applesauce)
"obama" (instead of bottom...really...I'm not kidding)

Precious moments -
When baby Kate is crying, Ella says, "It ok...Ella here, I'm here...no wying" as she strokes her head and gives her a kiss.

Big sister Ella will also let me know when Baby Kate is hungry. She says, "baby needs to nurse" or "baby wants mama's milk."

When I get her out of her crib in the morning she will hug me and say, "Good morning! I sleep good!"

When Ella sees me clean something up she says, "Good job mommy! I so proud of you!"

Clint and I call each other babe or honey so Ella will sometimes greet us by saying, "hi honey" or "hey babe" - so cute!

The other day, I asked her to help me clean up and she said, "I can't hear you." So, I got right next to her and looked in her eyes and asked her again. She looked right in my eyes and with a smile said, "I still can't hear you." I couldn't help but laugh. What a stinker!

Ella also loves to sing...as loud as she can! She makes me smile everyday. What a fun stage!

The 2010 Christmas Photo Experience

Have you ever had an idea that seemed really great at the time and then later you realized it was a really bad idea, but it was too late to change your mind? So, I thought that I would save time and money by taking my own photo of the girls in front of the Christmas tree to send out to friends and family. How hard can this be, right? I realized as I was getting the girls all dressed up that this may have been a bad idea. Ella was having a meltdown because she wanted to wear a pink tu-tu skirt over her pretty Christmas dress and I asked her not to. Kate was not liking her tights and she was trying to rip them off (I can't really blame her...I feel the same way about them). Sophie was grumbling about the whole idea. After some coaching and cheerleading from mommy, I managed to get them all to agree to sit by the tree, but I couldn't get them all to be still and smile and look at the camera at the same time! How do photographers do that? I had to jump around and make silly faces and noises like a clown while Clint tried to snap a few photos. We took around 40 photos, several breaks, and finally ended up with 1 photo that was pretty good 45 minutes later. We laughed afterwards. It was quite the experience. Next year, I am going to let a professional handle the job! Oh, and I only managed to get Christmas cards and photos out to family this year. I apologize to all of my friends for not sending out Christmas greetings and the fruit of our hard photography labor, but please look forward to a fabulous, professional photo card next year! Merry Christmas to all!!

Pumpkin Pickin' with my Pumpkins

We found a great farm out here to spend the day and have some fall fun! I love this time of year - the cooler weather, the changing leaves, apple season, the pumpkin pickin', the hay rides, a hot bowl of chili, the smell of wood burning fires in the air! Nana and Papa came over for a weekend to enjoy some of the season's best moments with us! Here are some pics at Carrigan Farm in Mooresville: (more to come when I can get them uploaded)

Up, Up, and Away!

The girls are growing up so fast and if I don't hurry up and write some things down, these priceless moments may get away from me! I am amazed at how things seem to get lost in my brain, especially since I have become a mom.

Baby Kate - 9 months old

9 months old today - 10/19/10

Kate is still the happiest baby I know! I have noticed that she seems a little shy sometimes, but she is always friendly. She has beautiful, bright blue eyes and a smile that seriously melts my heart everytime. She also has the cutest giggle. I love my baby girl!!!

Kate spent her first few months quietly observing her new surroundings and her two big sisters in action. She made her movement debut at 4 months when she rolled over, but it took her a long time to figure out how to master sitting on her own. She was nearly 8 months before she gained the balance and strength to stay upright. Almost immediately after sitting, she learned to lean forward into the crawling position. She managed to pull her body with her arms and "scoot" across the floor for a while and then on 10/18, she finally figured out how to make her knees work for her and she began to crawl. She is cruisin' everywhere now! She is so proud of her new crawling skills and is quickly moving on to pulling herself up to the standing position.

Kate's first tooth finally made an appearance on 10/16 - the bottom right one. I had been waiting to start finger foods since she had no teeth to chew with, but we are trying mashed fruit pieces now. She is already expressing likes and dislikes with food. She seems to prefer fruits, yogurt and cereals while veggies get a grimace most of the time. I am making her baby food, but I have not been too creative yet. Sweet potatoes, butternut squash, applesauce, and pears are the majority of her solid food diet. She is still nursing 5-6 times a day and once during the night a few times a week. Most nights she sleeps 10-11 hours and takes a 1 1/2 - 2 hour morning nap and a 1 1/2 - 2 hour afternoon nap.

Kate is already signing milk and more and seems to have a high aptitude for expressive communication. She also claps and moves her upper body to dance to music too. I have even heard her trying to sing - music to my ears!

8 months old - ready for take off!


8 months old - out riding in the stroller


8 months old - the shirt speaks for itself


7 months old - still holding on for dear life, but sitting on her own...pretty much

7 months old - not sure about that hair band (me either)

7 months old - hey mommy!

6 months old - yes, that is sweet potato on my chin :)

6 months old - my big sisters really like to feed me

5 months old - found her new perspective and she loves being on her belly!

4 months old - thinking about gaining a new perspective

3 months old - happy girl

... and daydreaming

3 months old - just laying around with Sophie

Two months old - nap before church on Easter Sunday

One month old - getting sweet snuggles from Ella one morning

10 days old and already loved so much!

What an amazing 9 months we have had together!

Sophie Goes To School

This year, Sophie is attending a traditional public school. This is a huge shift for us and we are taking it one day at a time, but Sophie enjoys it most days so far. We loved our homeschool experience last year and we may go back to it in the future, but we are really trying to give traditional school a try. Why the change? Initially, it was because I was getting a lot of pressure from Sophie's dad and others to send Sophie to school and it is difficult to stand up to that on a regular basis. I grew weary of defending the benefits of homeschooling. I still believe that homeschooling is a better educational choice for Sophie with numerous benefits that go above and beyond school work, but we have decided to take a break from it for now. Sophie misses homeschooling too, but she also loves recess and lunch time and riding the school bus with her new friends. Tax dollars well spent :). In all fairness, Sophie has a wonderful teacher who loves the Lord and loves to teach. As the school year progresses, the school work should become more challenging and Sophie will be more interested in learning.

Clint also encouraged me to look at the advantages of traditional school and there have been some really great ones. I am able to spend more time focusing my attention on Ella and Kate. Ella is really blossoming. She was speech delayed and now she is saying new words every day and putting together 5 word sentences. I have seen Ella emerge into her own person instead of always following Sophie's lead. Kate is so happy and fun to play with and I am really enjoying our moments together. I also have a lot to accomplish around the house right now since we just moved. I have boxes to unpack and organization to do so I can make our home liveable in addition to the normal housework. Sophie is meeting new friends while she is at school during the day and that is helping her to make the adjustment to a new town. This is good timing for our whole family to try something different.

Sophie has also had the opportunity to share about Jesus with some kids on the school bus and a little girl who had never heard His name before! God has a plan for Sophie's life and He is already using her to share His great love with other kids. That's the only reason I really need to send her to public school. Sophie just may have the gift of evangelism and she may be right where God wants her to be so He can use her to tell others about Jesus and the great hope we have in Christ!

Home Sweet Home!

We are officially residents of Statesville and so far we love it here! I can honestly say that we are already feeling right at home even though there are still boxes to unpack. We love the character and charm of our historic home, the tree-lined streets with sidewalks that lead to the heart of downtown, the short walk to Clint's new job at the college, the family friendly community events, and the small town atmosphere full of friendly people. I love that the mailman, Bud, an elderly gentleman, comes right to the house to deliver the mail and he stops to chat a couple of times a week. I love that I am able to take walks with the girls everyday around town, to the park, or even a grocery store. I love being able to drive somewhere without traffic. Both Clint and I love that this town is so rich with history. We love being much closer to the mountains too. This town is a great fit for Clint and I and a great place to raise the girls. I am so glad that we trusted in the Lord and followed His lead here!

We love Aunt Allie!

My sister came to visit us recently and we had such a great time with her! The girls missed their Aunt Allie and I really needed some sissy time. Allie brought me wine and chocolates and she even cut my hair for me. She is so thoughtful and giving and she always knows how to make me feel better. I have the best sister in the world!!! While Allie was here, we finally got a couple of photos of our whole family of 5 too.

A Fresh Start

I am so excited to begin blogging again! I have missed recording family moments, sharing thoughts and pictures, and creating a journal of memories. After Kate's birth, I had my hands full with newborn care, a very needy toddler, homeschooling our oldest, my sister's wedding (for which I was the matron of honor), my husband's job and career change, selling our home, selling or donating half of our belongings and packing the rest, moving across the state with a few stops along the way, and finally settling into our new home! In the midst of it all, my computer's hard drive crashed and my ability to blog or communicate via the internet was limited to a few cell phone uploads. It has been a long 7 months, but with a new season just around the corner comes a new beginning for our family and a fresh start in many ways!

Kate Lilian has arrived!

Our sweet baby girl has finally joined the Halsted family and we love her bunches already!! Kate Lilian was born on 1/19/10 at 5:23 am.  She weighed 7 lbs. 13 oz. and measured 19 1/2 " long.  I started having contractions 2 weeks prior to her birth.  It was rather frustrating because it seemed as though labor was beginning and every time it fizzled out after a couple of hours. By 1/13/10, I was dilated to a 3, 70% effaced, and the baby's head was very far down in my pelvis. We (me, Clint, my midwife, one of the OBs, everyone I talked to...) all thought that the baby would be born within a couple of days, but she wasn't coming out!  I knew that she would eventually get here, but it was so hard to wait and anticipate her birth.  What added even more pressure for me was knowing that the OB scheduled an induction for 1/21/10.  I was not interested in having labor artificially induced, but I would have been about 41 weeks and the OB thought it would be best considering my high-risk pregnancy and the fact that this was my third baby.   On Monday night, 1/18/10, I had decided that I didn't want to be induced and I was planning to ask for a few more days, but there was no need!  

Kate's birth story-

I had my usual pattern of contractions ranging from 3-6 minutes apart from 10pm-12am on Monday night (1/18/10).  The contractions stopped so I went to sleep.  I was woken up at 3am with some intense cramping.  I decided to get up and go to the bathroom and realized that I was actually having some heavy contractions and they were coming fast.  I timed them for about 10 minutes and they were 2 minutes apart.  I called my midwife first and by this time I was shaking so I could barely speak.  Lucie was the midwife on call and she asked me how fast could I get to the hospital...she knew the baby was coming fast and she was debating whether or not to have me call the paramedics to the house.  I told her we could be there in 20 minutes so she said to go.  I had to call my parents and tell them it was time and to come on over, but they were an hour away and they had to get dressed so I knew they wouldn't make it in time.  Then, I called my neighbor, Linda, and asked her to please come over to stay with the girls until my parents could get there.  She was a lifesaver and came right over!  Clint and I finally headed for the hospital and arrived shortly after 4am.  The nurses and Lucie were ready for me and this was definitely my fastest labor and delivery!  Lucie was amazing!!  She stood on one side of me and Clint was on the other and I felt completely supported and encouraged throughout that very difficult last hour of labor.  With one long push, Kate was born at 5:23am!  

36 weeks...the home stretch!!

Baby girl is looking good and measuring well!  She is head down and now we are just waiting for her to make her grand entrance into this world!!  We are so excited!  I have been playing baby a lot with Ella to help her get used to the idea of having another baby around.  So far, there has been a LOT of jealous whining, poking of baby's eyes, ripping baby out of my arms, picking her up by the neck, throwing her on the floor, and covering her head with a blanket.  Is this normal for a 16 month old??  When does the gentle, nurturing instinct kick in?  I may have to keep baby girl at a very safe distance from her little/big sister Ella :).  Good thing big sister Sophie has some experience and will be a great example for Ella!

Here is a picture of my basketball shaped belly (as many people have told me) and the latest stats...

How far along? 36 weeks

Total weight gain: 31 lbs.

Maternity clothes? yes...I only have one pair of jeans that fit comfortably now

Stretch marks? nothing new

Sleep: still waking from aches and pains and having to pee

Movement: a ton...she is still poking and pushing although I can tell she is starting to run out of room in there.

Food cravings: still sweets unfortunately...I can see the affect on my thighs :)

Gender: girl

Name: We have narrowed it down to Lily or Mary for a first name and the middle name is still a work in progress.  Feel free to vote and help us pick one!

Belly Button in or out? out

What I miss: a few things, but it is worth the sacrifice :)

What I love most: that she is almost here now!

Weekly Wisdom: stretch muscles, take deep breaths, careful with body movements and heavy lifting

34 weeks and counting down...

We are so close now to meeting baby girl and I just know these weeks through the Christmas season will help the time fly even faster!

Here are the stats...

How far along? 34 weeks

Total weight gain:  29 lbs. (I am 2 lbs. heavier than I was with Ella at this point in the pregnancy)

Fundal Height (size of uterus):  33 cm. (I was at 34 cm. last time at this point)

Maternity clothes?  Of course!  

Stretch marks?  Same as before...nothing new thank goodness :)

Sleep:  Still waking a couple of times at night, but I am usually able to fall back asleep

Movement:  Wow!  This one is the most active in the womb!  The other night I put a cup on my belly and she was moving it around and poking out so hard that she was able to tip it off several times...quite amazing!

Food cravings:  chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven and a glass of milk at night

Gender:  girl

Name:  Mary Kate, Lily Claire, or Emilie Claire.  I also like Sadie which means princess, but I am not sure what Clint thinks about it.

Belly Button in or out? out

What I miss:  energy...I have been really tired lately

What I love most:  still the baby belly (even though it is getting bigger and bigger) and feeling her move although she is so strong that sometimes she takes my breath away with a kick!

Weekly Wisdom:  Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights...

For the record...at 32 weeks and 2 days, baby girl dropped down a bit.  I could tell because my heartburn/reflux was better, but I started having sciatic nerve pain through my right butt cheek, hip and leg. I was able to limp around during the day, but by the evening I could barely walk.  On Friday, Nov. 27th (the day after Thanksgiving) I was unable to put any pressure on my right leg making it impossible to walk or move at all.  It was incredibly painful...worse than natural childbirth in my opinion.  Clint had to lift me up and carry me to the bathroom if I needed to go.  I am so grateful that this happened over the holiday weekend because Clint was home from work and he took care of all the meals and the girls.  I felt so helpless and awful.  I was able to get around some with assistance by Sunday afternoon, but I had another serious flare up on Monday and I was unable to move again.  It hurt if anyone even touched me so I was so depressed not being able to snuggle with my girls.  Finally, by the following Wednesday, I was able to stand on my own two legs and get around.  I have been taking it very slow since then and seeing the chiropractor and praying a lot.  I have not had another flare up for a whole week now...praise the Lord!  I hope and pray that I make it through the rest of this pregnancy without any more problems!

Reading, Writing, Arithmetic...Oh My!!!

Warning:  this blog post is full of praise towards Sophie's homeschool accomplishments from the heart of her very proud teacher and mama.  My intention is for this to serve as some kind of progress report so I can remember this first 3 months of homeschooling. 

I am so proud of Sophie!!!  She is officially reading up to 4 letter words and is able to sound out some larger ones too.  She can read beginner books on her own and I know she is amazed by her own accomplishments.  Sophie's writing skills have greatly improved as well and she is finally confident using all her lowercase letters and even writing short sentences.  Kindergarten level math was a breeze for her and she is quickly advancing through 1st grade math now.  She counts and writes numbers up to 100 one number at a time and by tens, knows the value of coin money and how to add it together, and is excelling in addition and subtraction without the use of visual aids.  I can see where her strength is going to be!  It is so exciting to watch Sophie learn and make these important connections.

Sophie still needs some improvement with her handwriting as she tends to become sloppy or write a few letters or numbers backwards when she gets tired and when she tries to go too fast, but she is really working on taking her time and focusing.

I have to admit that I was very nervous to take on the responsibility of homeschooling.  It was rough in the beginning as we both struggled through frustrations, but I am finally able to see some of the fruits of this labor.  There are still days when Sophie grumbles about doing school work, but that just challenges me to be more creative in how I present the information.  Sophie does not learn well under the "traditional" model so I am glad that I am able to help her learn according to how her brain processes things.

Art is still her favorite "subject" and the detail in her drawings really amazes me.  She is also learning how to play the piano and is able to figure out simple songs by ear.  I will definitely continue to nurture her love and skill in creative arts.

I have noticed a change in attitude in Sophie as well.  She helps out without being asked and has shown real maturity in her compassion towards others and her desire to give.  It is hard to stay calm when her little sister has just torn apart something special, but Sophie has been very understanding and loving about these things.  Sophie is learning a lot about God's Word and His character as well and she has memorized a few scripture verses along the way.  I know this is why her attitude and behavior have made such positive changes.

Sophie does seem to be closer to tears than usual and is expressing a lot of emotion.  I was talking to a couple of other moms of 6 or near 6 year old girls and they described some of the same behaviors as I am seeing in Sophie.  She is just so sensitive right now.  The other day she found out that the Bear Rock Cafe at Cary Crossroads is closed and moving locations and she cried because this was her favorite place to eat lunch with her "partner" Clinty on his lunch breaks from work.  She also gets really whiny and tearful when she is tired or hungry which reflects her behavior from back when she was 2 or 3 years old.  I am thinking this must be something developmental, but I haven't really researched it yet.  

Ok.  I think I am done with the first unofficial progress report from our first quarter of homeschool.  I am looking forward to this next quarter and hoping that we are able to stay on track with the addition of another baby coming soon!

32 weeks complete...only 8 to go!

Wow!  I really can't believe another due date is just around the corner.  The time has really flown by with this pregnancy.  I am trying to enjoy my belly and feeling baby girl move as much as possible during these busy days.  I am already starting to feel sad about this pregnancy coming to an end because it will probably be my last.  I know that sounds crazy and of course I am looking forward to holding our little girl, but I also love being pregnant.  There is something so amazing about being a life giver.  What a miracle to be growing a life inside of me and giving birth to one of God's creations!  I will miss that part, however; I do feel very blessed and honored to be given these little girls to love, care for, teach and train.

As far as being "prepared" for baby girl's birth, we are not...at all.  I have moments of panic and nesting, but it is not as bad this time as it was when I was awaiting Ella's arrival.  I am going to try to get the car seat washed and installed in the mini van this weekend.  Maybe I will even make a list of all the "to-do's" as well.  I guess I am more relaxed because I know all baby girl really needs in the beginning is love and mama's milk (and maybe some diapers would be good too).  I am also too tired this time to get everything done that I would normally like to have accomplished before a baby comes.  I am trying to just let some things go and make sure I am taking care of myself and the girls (and the house and my husband too) :).

Belly at 30 weeks...  

At 32 weeks...getting bigger and bigger :)

And here are the current stats...

How far along?  32 weeks

Total weight gain:  27 lbs.

Fundal Height (measurement of uterus):  32 cm

Maternity clothes? Oh yeah.  There is no other choice in pants at this point although I do have some non-maternity long sweaters that will still fit over the belly :).

Stretch marks? Truth time - no new ones, but I do have one that I got during my first pregnancy with Sophie.  In my younger, less wise days, I had to get a belly button ring.  I took the ring out when I got pregnant with Sophie (or maybe a little before that), but it left a hole and a small scar and of course my growing, pregnant belly stretched the scar tissue. After 3 pregnant bellies, the scar is now a permanent stretch mark that extends about 1 inch from the top of my belly button.  Oh well...lesson learned.  

Sleep: I am waking up every night now sometimes multiple times during the night.  I have terrible sciatic nerve pain through my right side and heartburn/reflux pain as well.  It's ok...I know it won't last much longer.

Movement: All the time!  I hope she is not that squirmy out of the womb :)!

Food cravings:  Sweets.  I have to eat smaller meals at a time now too because my stomach is being smashed and I get full faster.

Gender:  Another girl!

Name: Top agreed upon picks are still Mary, Emilie, or Lily for first names and Claire or Kate for a middle name.  

Belly Button in or out?  Out

What I miss:  Walking, sitting, movement without pain in my hips, butt, or lower back.  

What I love most:  My baby belly...holding her, feeling her move.

Weekly Wisdom:  Slow down to cherish every fleeting moment and find time to sit and rest!

Fall Festival 2009

I'm finally getting some photos posted from Fall Festival this year!  Sophie was a beautiful Minnie Mouse and she had a ball bouncing, sliding, hunting for candy, and playing with her friend, Tinkerbell.