Making Room for Baby

We've hit the 30 weeks pregnant mark- which, for most people, means they've got about 7-10 weeks to go until a new baby arrives. For me, I figure I've got about 11-12 weeks until our lives are blessed with a 3rd child, because my babies always seem to love the womb and like to make their appearance when they are beyond fully "cooked." Kylee was born between 40-41 weeks gestation, and Owen was just about 42 weeks gestation. It's always hard to wait in those last few days, and it's always funny to hear people say pregnancies are 9 months long, when mine are more like 10 to 10 1/2... but I've been lucky to have good, healthy babies- so I have no complaints. I would be very surprised if I did have this baby early... so, we've got some time to get things ready. But, then I looked at our calendar and realized we've got most of our weekends crammed with trips, events, the kids birthdays, and anniversaries all the way through October, so we might as well start getting a few things set now. Plus, I figure having a new baby is going to be a big adjustment for Kylee and Owen, so we might as well set the house up for baby NOW, and that'll be one less thing to throw them into some sort of regression when the baby does arrive.

We are doubling the girls up in Kylee's room, so we needed some extra space. Wes made Kylee's bed into a bunk this weekend and she loves it! We're shopping around for a used dresser that can double as a changing table, and we'll get the crib set up in the empty space soon. Here are some pictures of the 1st stage of the girls room makeover:

Kylee's bed before being "lofted."


Her new set up- this will be "Kylee's side of the room."


Kylee's toys are marking the spots where the new girl will have her crib and dresser.

The kids are loving climbing on Ky's new bed- and are really excited about the changes so far! We'll just keep introducing them to these new changes, little by little, and hopefully all the build up will make them super excited for a newborn in the house in November:)

Time Flies

This morning went extremely well. Owen woke up first, at 6 am, and was very excited to go to school. I was a bit nervous about him, he's a young preschooler, and never spent any time away from home- but he woke up ready, so I was reassured that he'd do great. His school outfit was all set out, and he was excited to get dressed right away, all by himself. He ate a quick breakfast with Daddy while I took a shower, and when I got out, at 6:35, he was standing there with his backpack on. I told him it was still early, and we had to hang out for a while and help Kylee get ready for Kindergarten. Kylee woke up on her own just then, and got dressed right away. We did her hair and chatted about what to pack for lunch. Owen helped Kylee and I make a sandwich and handed us fruit and carrots from the fridge. Kylee ate breakfast, and we talked about what to expect at school today. Kylee's class is huge- there were over 50 kindergarteners signed up to start at Weaverville Elementary, so they had to create 3 grade Ks, rather than the normal 2 classes. We got a phone call last night that there was a last minute teacher change, and a very nice man named Mr. Sprague was calling all of his kids saying he'd be their new teacher. Kylee was excited to meet him, and see who her classmates were going to be. So, we all brushed our teeth, and before we knew it, it was just before 8 and time to head out. Kylee kept asking if Daddy was going to be able to see her new school, and if he could take her- and Daddy's little girl melted his heart, so he checked in with his dad to see if he could have a late start at work to see the kids off. First stop, Kylee's classroom. I was a bit overwhelmed at this big new school, with a packed parking lot, and parents and kids rushing everywhere- and couldn't imagine what Kylee was thinking. But, we were warmly welcomed at the door by Mr. Sprague, who was great with the kids. Kylee had three boys from her preschool already inside playing, so she adapted very quickly. We hung out for a few minutes after our hugs and kisses goodbye, and when we were done watching from the hall, we blew kisses goodbye. She looked so grown up and ready for school! Here is my baby girl... on her first day of life and her first day of Kindergarten.

Kylee Marie Scribner Novemeber 4, 2003


Kylee's 1st day of Kindergarten


She's now a Weaverville Wildcat!


She found her seat and nametag right away.

Next, we walked outside the school yard to the new home of Alps View Preschool (Kylee's school last year.) They moved to the W.E.S campus, with the same great teacher and a much bigger classroom. Our friend, Shannon, just got hired on as a new aide there, and her son, Brian, is a buddy of Owen's, and starting school there, as well. Owen and Brian walked to their preschool together like big kids- it was the cutest thing ever! Shannon and I were talking and we wanted to find out about the head teacher, Teacher Susan, who had been airlifted out this weekend. She had a heart attack while setting up for school on Friday. We were so worried about her, she is very healthy and only in her 50's, and hoped she was ok. We never told Owen she might not be there, because he loves her, and we were just hoping he would get comfortable with things without her, and when she was better, she would be an extra special treat at school. Well, we were shocked to walk in and see Teacher Susan getting things set up this morning! She was released from the hospital on Saturday, and advised to not do anything stressful. We weren't sure if preschool would be the best place for her- but she said she couldn't miss the first day, she loves the kids, and they bring her peace. I felt so happy that she is ok, and that someone so wonderful is caring for my little boy when he's away from me. Owen and Brian had a blast playing with Teacher Susan soon after we got there, they checked out the boys bathroom together, and were playing so well together. Wes and I looked at each other and said, "He's gonna do great here!" We said our goodbyes, there were no tears- nothing but excited preschoolers. I got all teary-eyed on the walk back. It hit me how big my kids have gotten, how independent they are, and how much time I've spent with them. It was SO quite when I walked into the house- it was nice, but I needed some music to keep my spirits up. Don't get me wrong, I am excited for my kids, and this chance I have for some alone time for the first time in so many years... and to get things all ready in the house for Baby #3... but still a mommy who is amazed at how fast time has passed by.

Here are Owen's 1st Day of Life and 1st Day of Preschool Pictures

Owen Lawrence Scribner, September 22, 2003


Brian and Owen head to school


The walk to Alps View for W.E.S


They have side-by-side cubbies


All grown up and saying goodbye to mommy

The Last Weekend of Summer Break

I can't believe it, but my kids are all snuggled in their beds getting plenty of sleep for their first day of school tomorrow. I'm feeling a bit emotional knowing that my two little ones are growing so quickly and are now school age... but I'll save all that talk for tomorrow. Let's focus on what an awesome time we had this weekend! I decided that we had to do something fun for our last days of summer, and when I found out Wes didn't have to work- we put the plan in action for some family time. Luckily, we don't have to travel far to experience "the great outdoors," so Saturday morning we drove 7 miles up the highway to one of many great campgrounds on Trinity River. We dropped off all of our camping gear, then headed a bit further up the river and met with Wes' mom, nephew, and brother's family. We all loaded into rafts and floated down to the campground- which took about 3 hours. The kids loved it! Once we got there, Wes taught the kids how to fish, and we all played in the sand until dinner. Wes' dad and sister joined the party for dinner at the campground, which turned out great for being a spontaneous trip. Most of us camped out there- which was fun, until I remembered that I am seven months pregnant and have to use the restroom at least 3 times a night. I wish I would've put our tent a bit closer to the bathrooms! But, we had a nice full moon, and I made some super-fast late night darts through the campground to get to the restroom PRONTO- not just because of my small bladder- but also my RIDICULOUS fear of bumping into a bear. Needless to say, I survived the night and we were awakened at 5:30 to RAIN! It was startling, since we had no cover on our tent, but really exciting, too- all I could think was, the rain will put our wildfires out! Unfortunately, it didn't last long, but it gave me a little hope that rainy season is coming and these fires just won't be able to burn once the rains are here. So, we started our Sunday early, and really couldn't muster up much energy for a lot of recreating today. We made a yummy breakfast, played a little at the campground, cleaned up, packed up, and headed out to a nice swimming hole up the road. The kids played on a rope swing, and we relaxed on the beach and picked blackberries. We were all ready for a nap by early afternoon, so we said our goodbyes and headed home- which was only 10 minutes away! I can't believe we had a family getaway vacation just down the road from our home, no road trip issues, no worry about gas prices... just good- inexpensive- fun in our own backyard.

Small community, big heart

Last week was filled will our usual busy days, along with some out-of-the-ordinary events. The helicopter crash that we heard about on our fire lines Tuesday, turned out to be devastating- 9 of the men on board died in the crash. This story crushed us- the hundreds of firefighters that our still camping out 8 miles away have been honored heros amongst us for almost 2 months. To hear of MORE losses was unthinkable- and such a terrible tragedy. The smoke slowly drifted back in earlier this week, and serves as a constant reminder of the lives lost fighting these never-ending fires in our mountains. Along with the smoke, came the press. Our little town's Veteran's Hall was cleared out by Wednesday morning, as town officials were told to make room for the news stations. CNN was first to arrive, followed by the masses of news vans with their big satellite dishes on top. I heard a reporter from ABC end her piece by asking, "Should we be sending our firefighters out to fight fires in areas where there are no people?" And I thought, "Wait- I'm here, my family is here, my community is here!" We may not be A LOT of people, but we are good people- and we are thankful for all the sacrifices these firefighters have been making all summer for us. The media added a new aspect of "strange" to this summer's events- Weaverville is usually just a quaint, historic little mountain town- full of tourists looking for quiet getaways in the summer. This year it's just been a smokey town with few visitors, tons of firetrucks along the highways, a constant rumble of helicopters flying above, and now media vans. A very different town, but still a great town.

Despite the tragic events, we continued on with our plans to make the most of the last days of summer. We got together with friends and cousins for playdates, and found a great new swimming hole in Junction City- just past where our huge fire camp is located. I even had a friend come over one morning to help manage my little ones, since I was forced to have a 3 hour Glucose Tolerance test after my 28 week glucose screen revealed a very high sugar count. Luckily, I am able to manage my sugar levels with diet and testing my sugar count with a glucometer, and I won't have to manage it with insulin. But, it took me a few days to get over myself having to cut MORE fun things .... sweets, carbs, juices... out of my diet. I keep running through the list of my "pregnancy no-no's" telling myself, "Yes, it's difficult to live without caffine, wine, chocolate, bread, pasta, ice cold lemonade, ice cold beer, lunch meat, soft cheeses, chocolate, and did I mention, CHOCOLATE!- but, my sweet little girl will be worth it in the end." If anyone can offer tips about what else there is in the world to eat in the mean time, I'm all ears. But I digress... back to the good community stuff!

And finally, the weekend proved to be another great example of the strong community that lives in these far-away mountains. Saturday was busy from the start- as our town came out in full force to help Wes and his Dad's crew lay block on our pool project. They have been putting in so many volunteer hours this summer trying to help get our community an awesome new pool, and it was great to see so many town's people come out, eager to pitch in, as well. It was also the last day of our original pool- they will be draining it and filling it in in the coming days. Since I'm a useless preggo lady, when it comes to laying block foundations, I decided to bring the kids and my nephew, Taylor, down for one last swim. We had a great time playing in the pool before heading out to Lewiston for part 2 of our busy weekend. We had a Relay for Life fundraiser BBQ planned, and our team was hosting it. We have an amazing team, who really put so much time into the planning and executing of the BBQ and live auction, and it was an extraordinary success! We are hoping it raised cancer awareness, and that it will promote a great turnout at our community's Relay for Life next month.

That's the week in review... and, of course, here are some pictures.


Swimming with our friends at Canyon Creek


Ian and Kylee jump off the rock


Out with the old pool, in with the new


Jump in


Kylee and Taylor

Back Home!

We had a blast in Oakland, and I had a great plan for driving home with the kids on Sunday. We attended my good friend Kari's Bridal Shower at her old swim club, and it was the perfect place to completely drain my kids energy! I left the pool at 4:10, and the kids slept until after 6. Whoo hoo! We got home with minimal stops, and even had a late dinner with Daddy- who had smoked some salmon in honor of our homecoming.

Since we've been back, we've been busy- the kids had their dental check ups, back to school shopping, and are scheduled for all sorts of play dates OUTSIDE! That's right, the smoke seems to have found somewhere else to hang out, and we've been enjoying beautiful sunny days. We have less than two weeks of summer left, and I'm trying to cram as much fun into it as possible, since the wildfires took away pretty much all of it. We're thinking they are going to start to move towards actually putting the fires out, people in the community are really starting to stand up and say, "Enough with the burning!" An 18 year old died two weeks ago on his first day working on our fire, and last night we heard a military helicopter crash at the fire camp- 15 people were on board and our little community doesn't have enough ambulances to deal with that many casualties at once. So, hopefully all those injured in the crash will be ok, and we'll hear about 100% containment sooner than expected.