19 Weeks - Corn, Beans, Pig & KIDS

When I started this blog over a year ago I decided to call it "Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids" because that is what we raise on our farm and it just has a nice flow to it.  "Corn, Soybeans, Pigs & Kid" just didn't seem to have the same ring to it.  And My Farmer and I often, if not always, introduce ourselves as farmers from North Central Iowa who raise corn, beans, pigs and kids.  Now we have been caught a time or two having to explain the kids part since we only have one, but now I'm officially excited to announce we are expecting a second child on June 6th, so we officially will being raising KIDS on the farm!

Now I had hinted at that we were expecting another child in my New Year Resolutions, but I figured today, at 19 weeks, I'd make an official announcement that MP (Mini-Plagge) will be arriving this spring.

The best picture MP would give us yesterday at my ultrasound

So what does it mean being pregnant with your second child when your first is a busy toddler?

• Well, it means when you're tired and just want to take a nap, you can't just take one anytime you wanted to, like with the first pregnancy.  You have to wait till nap time or bed time, which I have to admit, I've thought about changing slightly just so I could lay on the couch.  I found out I was pregnant in September and actually kept the pregnancy a secret most of harvest.  Now this was hard at times because harvest can just be tiring to begin with, add going through your first trimester and you can imagine how tired I was at the end of the day (or in the middle day as the sun was really beating down through the tractor windshield)!
• My Farmer has always told me that I plan too much, but I figure planning for arrival of MP won't hurt anyone right?  Well, arrival of MP makes me think of how much, or shall I say how little, "free" time I'll have with two kids in the house?  I also wonder how well LP will do with MP?  I know he'll be a big helper but I also am aware he might be confused or jealous.  Having two kids in the house also make me wonder how well I'll be able to divide my focus, energy and love towards both of them?  Along those lines, I think how hard it is sometimes for just My Farmer and I to go out and have time just to ourselves now, let alone with another child.
• Now at the same time, I am so excited for LP to have a sibling.  I have two sisters and I wouldn't trade growing up with them for anything in the world.  We are all each others best friends and my parents often tell us stories of when we were younger of how we almost had our own language and I remember the countless games we played, just the three of us.  Earlier I mentioned how I think about how well I'll do dividing up my focus, energy and love towards both kids, but the great thing for MP, they'll have not just Mom and Dad to get attention from, they'll have an older brother that'll give them attention too!

So, yeah, I guess that is what this mother is thinking at 19 weeks.  We are almost half way through the pregnancy and we're all excited for MP to arrive!  Do any of you have any advice for a soon to be family of four?

The simple things...

Today as I was playing with my son after dinner I was reminded of how the simple things in life are what makes life great, from seeing the corn begin to tassel, despite the hot weather and no rain in over a week...

To hearing my son laugh...

All I can say is life is good and God is great!

Happiness = Giving Up Things...

Last week I was reading a blog post from the Prairie Princess about "15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy" and I thought about those things today as I was busy comforting my 14 month old as he has a new molar tooth coming in, as I'm days late on responding to emails, and as I feel a little "behind" on getting things off my "to do" list done!

Anyways, I'd like to share with you the "Things."

1. Give up your need to always be right.
2. Give up your need for control.
3. Give up on blame.
4. Give up your self-defeating self-talk.
5. Give up your limiting beliefs.
6. Give up complaining.
7. Give up the luxury of criticism.
8. Give up your need to impress others.
9. Give up your resistance to change.
10. Give up labels.
11. Give up on your fears.
12. Give up your excuses.
13. Give up your past.
14. Give up attachment.
15. Give up living your life to other people's expectations.

The top three "Things" speaking to me today are:

• My Need to Always be Right - I need to remember to let things go and not always feel like I need to have the last word, or prove that I am correct.  This need has caused unnecessary stress and pain to me and others in the past.  I don't need that in my life, so I need to remember that I always don't need to be "right."
• My Need for Control - I feel like my need for control kind of relates to my need to always be right, but at the same time they're different.  I've always been independent and have been known to not delegate very well...  Now people that really know me are laughing out loud probably right now because they know how little I like to delegate.  But if I am feeling overwhelmed by just "stuff" I need to learn to let go and either delegate or reprioritize my priorities.  And I feel like reprioritizing might need my attention the most.
• My Excuses - At the start of this blog I gave excuses right off the bat about why I am just feeling a little bogged down right now.  If I stop giving excuses, then I have no other reason but to get things done that need to get done, as well as starting doing things that I may have pushed off for a long time because of excuses I gave myself.  

What "Things" would be best for your to give up?

Figuring out what I need to do to keep myself and my family  "in line" for happiness