The Two-Kid Transition

October 16, 2014 ~ Crystle ~ 5 Comments

Self Portrait with Kids | Yea Yea Pueblo

Oh, Hi!

Five weeks after bringing the newest Ardoin home, we are all alive and well. Woody has grown exponentially since he was born, maxing out of his newborn onesies and diapers almost immediately. He’s almost ready for size 2 diapers, and I’ve already adjusted his car seat straps twice to accommodate his lengthening and broadening frame. It’s wild.

Margot absolutely adores him and helps in any way she can to be a great big sister. She brings diapers during his diaper changes, she hands over blankies, binkies, and lovies when he cries, and with arms outstretched asks ‘hold?’ when she wants to comfort her brother. I get choked up when I think about how she’ll continue to nurture and love Woody over the years, and I praise God for graciously gifting me such a sweet tempered, and beautiful daughter. And here I am again, trusted with a second wonderful child. Isaac and I are overjoyed.

Also tired. We’re very tired.

Poor Isaac is working a night shift during a training exercise, which means I’m left with around the clock child care without much help. It’s difficult to keep the noise pollution in the home to a minimum with two under two while their dad tries to catch up on sleep in the adjacent room during the day. We’re almost done with this topsy-turvy schedule, but in the meantime, we’re each getting about 5 hours of broken sleep a night/day. I’m also averaging 24 diapers a day between the two kids, have I mentioned that? It is excessive.

We’re keeping afloat with copious amounts of caffeine and with patience that can only come from above when we seem to need it most.

I still find time to make it to my book club, weekly bible study, and occasional play dates. And I’m glad to have friends like Miss Sarah Lewis (the great Fairbanks birth photographer!) who has to get a visitor pass just to come visit me on-post to talk shop, chat about the challenges of motherhood, or just have fun creatively with double exposures, like we did yesterday. She was also such a lifeline when I was struggling through a challenging cesarean recovery and a gnarly bout of mastitis. I was also super lucky that my friend Megan happened to stop by when I was in a particularly low point, and desperately needing help while Isaac was at work (this was the first day of my mastitis, when my fever was 102F and I hadn’t been to the ER yet).

There were many other women I know from the ladies ministry who brought meals (like sweet Jena who brought food, treats and words of encouragement on three different occasions!), and provided additional support during that rocky period. It’s great to have built such a solid support system in such a remote location.

My dad also sent a tandem stroller that has utterly saved my life while carting two tiny tots around town! I hope my doc martens, patterned leggings and slouchy beanie lend cred as I load my giant stroller into my giant minivan, but even over the sound of the obscure, shoe-gazer synth pop that beats out over the stereo, I have my doubts. I have two kids and a minivan, there’s just no way around the severity of the motherhood there.

Point is we’re surviving.

We’re all making it. And in the way of Laverne and Shirley — nothin’s gonna turn us back now / straight ahead and on the track now / we’re gonna make our dreams come true! / doin’ it our way! (does the sleep deprivation show from that TV Land reprise?).

Welcome to the World, Woodrow!

September 16, 2014 ~ Crystle ~ 5 Comments

Our baby boy is here! Woodrow Paul was born Monday September 8th, at 8:04 AM, weighing in at 8 lbs 1.5 ounces and 18.5″ long.

Even though he’s only a week old, life before he arrived is difficult to recall. That may be due in part to sleep deprivation, but that’s okay. Our chubby-cheeked boy is perfect and we’re so happy to be home with him.

I’m recovering well from surgery, and Margot is adjusting to her role as big sister beautifully. She had extra special attention from her grandma CeCe who flew in to help us out while we were bringing Woody into the world. Even the dog is taking the change in stride.

Isaac’s paternity leave ends this week, then I officially begin life at home with two kids. There’s a lot of trepidation on my end at this prospect, but I’m sure the adjustment won’t be as difficult as I envision (I tend to be a worst-case-scenario worrier). My house will undoubtedly take on a new level of disorder, lazy crock pot meals will nourish us, and the dog will likely go un-walked. I value order highly, but I know it needs to take a backseat to the bigger picture shift at hand. Sorry in advance to my visitors, and while it is very tempting, please don’t write your name in the dust.

More portraits to come soon.

Wild Alaskan Blueberries

August 4, 2014 ~ Crystle ~ Leave a comment

Wild Blueberry - Fairbanks, Alaska Wild Blueberry Picking - Fairbanks, Alaska Wild Blueberries Alaska When we lived in Washington, the blackberries were plentiful. I mean they were everywhere. They were considered a nuisance for property owners and like the piled up tumbleweeds of the southwest, they were the hallmark of a neglected parcel of land. On road sides and on empty lots, we wrangled our way through the thorny brush to pluck the seedy wild berries so Isaac could snack on them, and I could can them. We even had them in ice cream.

Alaska has its own wild berry abundance, we’ve discovered. My good friend Jena found a great spot about 30 minutes outside of Fairbanks where she and her family have collected about 6 gallons of blueberries to date. Jena is a self-proclaimed berry-picking addict. After she and her family have their fill of blueberry crumbles, she plans to freeze her bounty for smoothies and treats throughout the year.

095A8133 We didn’t collect nearly as many blueberries as the Smiths, probably because I had a difficult time navigating the boggy terrain with a larger than normal body, leaky rain boots, or some other pregnancy-related excuse.

Margot was content to ride in her backcountry carrier, but preferred to hang out in the boggy terrain with her main squeeze Gavyn. They’re the most sickeningly adorable toddler duo in town, Jena and I are convinced. They sat and munched on berries while the adults harvested. And we were all diligent in scanning the landscape for the grizzly who allegedly lives in the valley on the other side of the hill. No sightings, fortunately.

095A8144 Wild Blueberry Picking - Fairbanks, Alaska The land we were on had endured wildfires some time ago, leaving the dry, spindly trees to slowly rot. Some had already begun their slow descent to the lush ground cover below.

Recent rainfall had pooled in the lower lying areas, making the entire area an ankle-deep pond, with the exception of a few dry, grassy knolls. Mosquitos were of course everywhere, biting any flesh exposed to the open air. My hands have already swollen enough to exclude me from wearing my wedding ring. Swelling is the only way my body handles mosquito bites these days.

Poor Margot has two bites just below her left eye that have her looking like she was in a boxing match, with a few red rash-like bites around her neckline. She hasn’t had any issues with bites this summer so far, but Fairbanks seems to have a cloud of mosquitos over it at all times; we’re all sitting ducks when we head outdoors and it’s inevitable that the mosquitos will bite.

I’ll likely cook my blueberry bounty into a syrup and can the surplus so we can have blueberry syrup swirled into ice cream, onto pancakes, or baked into bread as a sweet reminder of the summer bounty.