Reuben Turns 8

Reuben turned 8 on the same day Esther Rose turned 11 weeks. It has been a long 11 weeks and while some things are so much better, some things are worse. Such is life!

Esther is nursing exclusively now. However, she is still not gaining weight correctly so I may have to start pumping again. Since she isn't losing weight I am going to wait until her next doctors appointment to make a decision. Esther gained 4 oz in about a week and a half, which is a little under the 6oz that a baby, at minimum, is supposed to gain. But she isn't losing weight, she seems satisfied and happy with lots of wet diapers--so I am trying to trust the process. 

I am trying to brush my teeth every evening and shower at least every three days. Cooking is hit and miss. I am averaging two meals a day. Sometimes I crash on the weekends and I think my husband still isn't used to it: he seems confused to find himself cooking yet again. 

Also, in the last storm (Lynchburg had a bad thunderstorm that knocked out power and trees for a few days) our roof was damaged and we are suddenly hit with the need to...put on a new roof. I have known we needed one for a while now and we've been saving money and planning on doing it in 2-3 years, but now it needs to be done as soon as possible. I had to cancel my raw milk which made me really sad. As well as a lot of other things that we usually do as a family. We will need to compile somewhere from 10-20k for the work--at least, that was my husbands recommendation. We are going to try to do this in 6 months or less which is going to mean seriously cutting back on our budget. Our idea is to put up a metal roof, which is more expensive but lasts a lot longer. 

I had been also saving for some home improvements in our house (I want a new floor in our main area and a new kitchen) so maybe this will help with that. And I have been saving for a van since Esther was born. Putting three kids in the back seat of our car is a tight fit!

But I will miss my personal money most of all, and the occasional eating out is gone...I am not sure if the kids will get their music lessons this coming August either. It is only a season. And I definitely want our house to be fixed up! 

The books for Reuben's Year Three are arriving and he finishes up his end of the year testing (for the state) this week. I'm nervous to figure out how to homeschool with a baby but I am sure we will work something out, somehow! Becky starts Year One at Ambleside this January as well. We will be a living breathing moving homeschooling machine! 

I'm planning to start the first or second week of August. 

At 11 weeks, Esther is 10 pounds 11oz and fitting snuggly into newborn clothes and a little bit big in her 0-3 months. She is slightly bigger now than Reuben was at birth (he was 10.6 pounds) and is a dream baby  with her cute smiles and nightly cuddles. She is no where near close to sleeping through the night. And she likes to be held for naps! I'm going crazy but trying to find joy in the moments.