Monday, May 31, 2010

My Mighty Summer List.

If you notice my blog list to the left of the screen, you will probably see a recently updated post from Mighty Girl. I've read her blog for a while now and she has concocted something that I really love: A Mighty Life List.

Think Bucket List, without the creepy death factor.

What I love about Mighty Girl and her Mighty List is that the list is constantly added to and checked off. And, I love the idea of having goals. Goals are good. Ironically, I'm not much of a long-term goal setter. I tend to live life by the seat of my pants, rolling with the punches and going with whatever happens to fall in my lap (count it: THREE cliches in that sentence--WOOT!).

(My college English professor would die.)

Anyway. Mighty Girl's Mighty List inspired me to make a smaller version of a Mighty List for myself: My Mighty Summer List. When I was pregnant with Cub, I booked a photo session knowing I would have a four-week old baby at the time of the shoot. I did it on purpose to prove to myself that I could, and to further emphasize to myself that life does not stop with babies. Sure, it gets slowed down and totally changes, but it does not stop. So, the purpose of this Mighty Summer List is for me to think ahead, beyond having the baby. Some goals are small, some are a bit larger, some seem small but are large to me ... you get the point. I typed it out and adhered it to some fun paper, because things always seem more achievable and exciting when they are typed out and adhered to fun paper.

So! Here it is: My Mighty Summer List.


1. Birth a baby.
2. Breastfeed successfully as long as I can (meaning, I won't beat myself up if we only make it a few months!).
3. Ask for help when I need it.
4. Go to Target with both children.
5. Lose most of the baby weight (meaning more than 50%, by making healthy choices--no fad diets) by August.
6. Take an overnight trip to the lake with my family.
7. Drive to Arkansas, by myself, with both children.
8. Go to a Farmer's Market.
9. Teach Cub his colors as best as he can learn them.
10. Attend my friend's wedding, dressed up, on the Fourth of July.
11. Go on a boat at the lake with both children.
12. Throw a shower for my sweet cousin on the seventeenth of July.
13. Have my eyebrows threaded for the first time.
14. Drink lemonade on the back patio.
15. Learn how to light the grill.
16. Read "Jesus Calling" every morning.
17. Play horseshoes.
18. Surprise my husband with a date night--either a date night in or a date night out!
19. Find time to get a tan.
20. Write a song.

It's a pretty varied list. I am very much looking forward to having my eyebrows threaded for the first time, and a glass of cold lemonade on the back patio sounds fantastic, too. And, good grief, it's fine if Cub only learns one color, or no colors at all--I just want to be diligent in teaching him. I have a wedding to attend on the Fourth of July, and Naomi will be a month old or less than a month old at that point, so that is a very mighty mighty ambition, I think, to attend. If, of course, she's born that week or the week before, I will cut myself some slack! But, you get the idea. I will keep track of my progress and update here as I accomplish each item. And, naturally, they are in no particular order!

So! There it is. My Mighty Summer List.

Have a lovely day!

Friday, May 28, 2010

Feel Good Friday!


1) Annie's products. I finally discovered the goodness that is Annie's! First the mac 'n cheese, then the cheddar bunnies (think: goldfish crackers). Annie's foods are delicious organic interpretations of yummy favorites. My gripe with mac 'n cheese and goldfish crackers has always been the processed ingredients, most of which are not easy to pronounce (that's how I determine the health of something--if I can't pronounce the ingredients, it typically goes back on the shelf!). Thankfully, Annie's stuff is made with the good stuff AND it's tasty. I'm addicted to the white cheddar mac 'n cheese and Cub loves the "Munnies! Munnies!" (cheddar bunnies)!

2) New sandals a la Target!

3) A clean house. My crazy nesting from last week has inspired me to keep our house clean. Not just picked up, but CLEAN. It's borderline obsessive at this point, and I know it. My two priorities right now are: 1) Family time and 2) Clean house. I'm still constantly dusting and vacuuming and scrubbing, every day. It's much less stressful to live in a fresh and clean house, even though it takes crazy work. I have the time to do it right now, so I'm doing it, knowing that when we go to the hospital, my mind will at least be at ease knowing the house is ready to go!!

4) Great doctor's appointment. We had a scare last weekend and I ended up at the hospital, getting fluids for dehydration. Everything's good now and I'm guzzling water constantly. I'm dilated to a 1 and am 70% effaced. I am technically 37 weeks, while Naomi is measuring 38 weeks. I feel great, which makes me think it will still be a while before she comes. And that's fine by me. There are times where I feel "ready", or other times where I worry she will come too soon. But I take comfort in Psalm 139:16:

"Your eyes have seen my unformed substance,
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me ..."

I am constantly reminded that while I'm sitting here awaiting the day Naomi takes her first breath, God has already seen and knows the span of her entire life.

5) Summer. I'm so excited that it's almost officially summer. Bring on the BBQs and hot, sunny days.

Have a lovely weekend, friends!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Grace.

Cub has decided that he prefers to get out of bed after we put him to bed. After about ten minutes, we'll hear his door rattle, watch it slowly open, and see his little blonde head peek around the corner. His door opens to the living room, so my husband and I are usually sitting on the couch, watching all of this unfold.

It started a few weeks ago and at first, it really frustrated me. What in the world? He was doing so well just going straight to bed! Then, of course, my mind raced to after the baby is born, oh my word, what if he's up at all hours after the baby is born! Has he forgotten everything?? What are we supposed to do?? The tricky part of his new little habit is that he is not angry, fussy, whining, or defiant when he does it. He simply opens the door and smiles, waiting to see our response. Because honestly, sometimes our response is nice. It's fine for him to get out of bed after naps and in the morning, right?

After he started getting up, I started walking over to him, sternly correcting him, and hoisting him back to bed myself. After the second or third time, I would be frustrated. And then I would be frustrated that I was so frustrated, because really, the offense wasn't THAT awful. Didn't all of us get out of bed throughout our childhoods? I mean, really. He isn't smoking pot or writing on the wall with a Sharpie.

One evening a few weeks ago, he did it again. And as I was about to get up, my husband gently put his hand on my leg to stop me. Then he quietly but firmly said, "Cub, go to bed. Close the door."

And, oh my word, the boy did it. He turned back around, disappeared behind his door, shoved his door closed, and we didn't hear a peep again all night. I couldn't believe it. And I REALLY couldn't believe that it hadn't dawned on me to simply ask him to go back to bed. But, sleeping in the big boy bed is a freedom, and with freedom comes responsibility. And in my frenzied mind, I was trying to control a situation that required a bit more grace ... and freedom.

Now, he still gets out of bed. But it's usually only once. And we tell him to go back to bed and he does. No fit, no crying, no whining. And I'm totally fine with that. When he comes out and we're all smiles, he knows it's the right time to get up. When he comes out and we're stern, he knows he should go back to bed.

Now. What's funny about this post is that I have a completely different direction that I'm wanting to go in. So, bear with me.

I try hard to have an obedient child. My husband and I both work at knowing Cub's personality and knowing how to respond to it. I think most parents do. What I've realized is that it is very, very easy to get caught up in the pride of having an obedient child. Patting your back when they obey, you know? And then when he doesn't obey or has several instances where he doesn't obey, I find myself saying, "Well, we had a bad day today", as if the ENTIRE DAY went to pot because he didn't obey. It's as if I lump in the times he did obey with the times he did not, and if the disobedient times outnumber the obedient times, then shoot, it was a BAD DAY.

Then last night a lightbulb came on.

I'm in a Bible Study on Wednesday nights. I'm going to be honest here--my motivation for doing my study each week has pretty much plummeted through the floor. I enjoy the study, but I've had a hard time connecting with it. Probably because I have, you know, some other things occupying my mind. Like trying to remember how to swaddle.

But last night I got into a really neat discussion with some veteran moms and how hard it can be to see grown children struggle with issues and insecurities--feeling that you are responsible for them, and that if you had only done things differently, maybe they wouldn't be struggling now. And suddenly it dawned on me. I said, "Even if you raised your kids to be the most obedient, respectful, pleasant kids in the world, their need for Christ would still be the same as if they had come from an abusive and neglectful home." And I realized that I can try as hard as I want to, but I can never raise my children in a way that will make them need Christ less. In fact, the more I shelter them or the more I try to make their lives cushy and seamless, the less they will think they need Him.

I guess I'm saying that I feel relieved. It is our responsibility to train a child in the way he or she should go and the driving force behind that is the condition of their heart. God cares more that they are struggling and striving to know more about Him than whether or not they come every single time they are called. Yes, obedience is incredibly important, but if we are only teaching our kids behavior rather than intent, then we're missing the mark. And I want my kids to know that they will always be struggling and striving. We're never there. We never fully understand grace, unconditional love, or redemption. They are the mysteries we study our entire lives. It is okay to not know everything.

I remind myself of that every day.

So, as Cub peeks his head around the corner when he's gotten out of bed, I sternly tell him to go back to bed, and I stifle giggles as he obeys and he toddles back to bed. He's just doing what we say. And I love that he is. But I pray that I will relish in the struggles that lie ahead, too, because those will be the areas where he will see Christ the most, and he will learn the most.

And I will keep learning, too.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Completely Pointless Wednesday.

I very distinctly remember the first time I ever used the word "y'all".

I've mentioned before that I spent a good chunk of my childhood in Southern California. There it was only "you guys" when it came to referring to a large group of people. Or a small group. However, when I moved to Arkansas, I was quickly corrected after several girls quietly informed me that they were not, in fact, "guys".

They were "all", I guess.

Anyway. I was about to take a shower one evening in middle school and I noticed I was out of shampoo. We had been living in Arkansas for a few months. Anyway. I walked into the living room, where my parents were watching television, and nonchalantly asked, "Can I borrow y'all's shampoo?" whilst jabbing my thumb over my shoulder in the general direction of their bathroom. Their wide eyes met mine. My jabbed thumb froze. What did I just say? WHAT? Something that involved not one, but TWO apostrophes?? REALLY? They didn't laugh and didn't correct me. Instead, their stunned heads nodded slowly, while I took my embarrassed self into their bathroom and grabbed their shampoo.

And, it's been "y'all" ever since. I like it now.

Oh, and if I see "y'all" spelled as "ya'll", it drives me absolutely batty. The term itself may be an abuse against the English Language, but shoot fire, let's at least spell it right!

Anyway. Silly, I know.

Yep! That's all I've got today folks!

Have a lovely day. Y'all.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Overboard.

As the day of Naomi's delivery draws ever nearer (and remains evermore a mystery, despite contractions and such), my husband and I have at first unknowingly found ourselves giving the little Cub extra attention. I think we both realize that his whole life is about to change, not in the "Oh look! The leaves are changing!" kind of way, but more in the "Oh look! My head just fell off!" kind of way. His mellow personality and sweet demeanor imply that he will take the change in stride, but I can't help but feel a bit of ... sensitivity? towards him right now.

My husband feels the same way.

So, naturally, we talk about the baby to acclimate him. We have the car seat installed now and he points to it and exclaims, "Baby!" He knows the crib is "Nomi's bed" and we show him pictures of the baby in Mama's belly.

And, um, we buy him stuff.

Exhibit A:


A fish tank.

Well, okay, we already owned the fish tank. My parents found it in their garage and happily passed it along to me a few months ago, as it was my fish tank when I was a kid. I had every intention of hooking it up, but, as is par right now, I completely forgot. My husband stumbled upon it in our garage and within a few minutes he had it scrubbed and ready to go. We bought Cub three fish. I asked him what he wanted to name them. "Nemo!" he exclaimed. Okay, that's great, but what about the other one? "Um, Dori!" Okay. Nemo and Dori. But Cub, there are THREE fish! What do you want to name the last fish? "Hmmm ... NEMO!"

So, there you have it. Nemo, Dori, and Nemo, respectively.

Exhibit B:


I received a Target gift card the other day and had every intention of purchasing something for myself. Really. Um, assuming I wear Luvs diapers. Size four. Anyway. I found this pool on sale and oh, I just knew how much Cub would love it. It was nice and big, which means we can use it for a few summers (I really don't want to buy a new kiddy pool EVERY. SUMMER.), and, as predicted, Cub loves it. High five to Mom.

And you know I'll be laying out in that pool come July.

Perhaps we feel a twinge of guilt that Cubbie's life is about to change, you know? Of course, guilt is such an awful word, and we don't feel awful about the situation at all. We're happy and excited and thrilled and tingly with joy. So maybe we just feel ... sympathy. Or, maybe we just really wanted to show our little man how much we love him. And while neither of us are of the "stuff makes you happy" camp, we are both in the camp of "a little stuff every once in a while never hurt anyone".

I'm pretty sure Cub's just fine.

Have a lovely day!

Friday, May 21, 2010

Feel Good Friday: Happy Anniversary, Babe!

Five years ago today, my husband and I pledged "for better or for worse". And, I can honestly say, in those five short years, we've seen both.

And I wouldn't change a thing.






In honor of those five years, I will give a Top Five List:

1) Best Memories: Obviously, the birth of our son tops the list! As far as just the two of us, our trip to Arlington last summer, hands down. It was a last-minute decision to get away for the weekend and we had a blast. We went to Six Flags and had so much fun. I love having fun with my husband.

2) Best Pet Peeves That Still Ring True: He leaves his underwear next to the hamper, not in the hamper, and I "misplace" his things!!

3) Challenges: I obviously am not going to share anything confidential within our marriage. :) But, one of our biggest challenges has been watching different family members struggle with different kinds of illnesses, and knowing how to be there for each other while also giving each other space to deal with it.

4) Favorite Qualities: My husband is an absolute goofball. It's genetic. I also love how quietly confident he is. He's told me his favorite qualities about me are the way I "glow" when I interact with other people and how I make him laugh. We also both love watching each other parent.

5) What Makes It Work: Communication, communication, communication. I think I can safely say that after five years, we've finally figured out how to communicate. Rather than shirking away from confrontation, we've learned to embrace it, and to address issues promptly rather than letting them fester. BUT, most importantly, we've learned the best way to approach each other. I'm sensitive, he's a little tougher. And we approach each other accordingly. We've also learned that keeping it light and funny is priceless. Some issues in marriage are huge and should be dealt with seriously. Most, however, are not. Simple honesty and lots of laughter go a long way.

There you have it, friends! My Feel Good Friday.

Have a lovely day!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie ...

It started with a cup of coffee.

It was a tasty cup of coffee. Just the right amount of creamer, too. I drank it down, soaking in the quiet morning. Cub had spent the night with his grandparents, so I had the morning all to myself. I took my empty coffee cup into the kitchen and noticed the small pile of dishes in the sink. So, I loaded the dishwasher and set it to run. Then I noticed the backsplash behind the stove. I decided to give it a good wiping down (thank you, Windex Multi-Surface). And, of course, there was the stove right in front of me, so I removed the grates and went to town scrubbing down the burners (thank you, Soft Scrub). I looked up and saw the microwave, so I decided to scrub that out, too. And, why not the oven while I was at it.

And the countertops.

Since I was already in full-swing kitchen mode, I went ahead and vacuumed the kitchen tile. And really, who can vacuum the tile without then mopping it? So, I mopped away, at some instances getting on my hands and knees to scrub near the baseboards. I scrubbed down our kitchen table, too, just for kicks. And, since I had the vacuum out already, I went ahead and vacuumed the wood floor in our living room. And the window sills. Then I wiped out the window sills with a damp rag. Dang Oklahoma dust. And, since the vacuum was still out, I wandered into our bedroom and vacuumed our bedroom. Then I vacuumed our bathroom. And, like I mentioned earlier, who can vacuum tile without then mopping? So, I mopped ourbathroom floor, getting on my hands and knees to scrub near the baseboards. I went ahead and scrubbed out the tub, too. And the sinks. And the toilet. On my way out of the bathroom, I figured I might as well dust our bedroom, too. So, I took a damp rag and went at every smooth surface in our bedroom. Then I decided to reorganize the office area in our bedroom, and dust it, too. And, shoot, since I already had the dust rag handy, I went ahead and dusted the living room, too.

And I reorganized the bookshelf.

I drug the vacuum across the living room floor with the intent to put it away, but why not vacuum the kids' rooms while it was out? So, I gave them a good vacuuming. And then the only room left, really, to vacuum, would be the guest bathroom, which is RIGHT THERE next to the kids' rooms, so why not vacuum that, too? So, I gave it a good vacuuming. And, of course, you can't vacuum tile without then mopping it. So, I gave it a good mopping, getting on my hands and knees to scrub near the baseboards. And, since I was in there, I figured I should scrub down the countertops, too. And the sink. And the toilet.

I figured I should probably shower, seeing as I was giving off the lovely scent of sweat and toilet cleaner. So, I stepped into the shower and decided it could use a good cleaning, too. So I took a shower and cleaned the shower at the same time.

Oh, and I did three loads of laundry in there, somewhere, too. And folded them and put them away.

I stretched out on my bed for ten minutes with the windows open and the lights off. I was actually sore from all of the cleaning. It was amazing. Then I went and picked up Cub, came home and made dinner. Fajitas.

And unloaded the dishwasher.

And put my coffee cup away.

Five days before I had Cub, I alphabetized our kitchen cabinets. (Then I accidentally washed my iPhone.)

I think it's safe to say today was a nesting day.

And now I am going to crash.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Maternity Shoot. MINE!

So, I finally mustered up enough courage to stand in front of the camera for a somewhat lengthy amount of time. I realized that I won't be pregnant with Naomi forever, so, despite the fact that I'm not a HUGE fan of having my picture taken, I had a good friend of mine snap some pictures for history's sake. I handed her my camera and edited them when she was finished.

And can I just say, it was so hard for me to do this! Not the actual smiling--that was fine. I like to smile. But, for example, the preparation: Oh my goodness. I rummaged through my closet and kept trying to think of an outfit that would have a lot of layers to it. I used to wear the whole dresses-and-jeans combo a few years ago, but haven't done it in a while. But, for this shoot, I did exactly that and paired a new post-baby sundress with some cuffed jeans and yellow heels for color. And a cardigan for layers. And a chunky necklace and big hair just because. I laugh because this isn't necessarily an outfit I would ever wear out in public--I viewed it more as a costume. And, in the pictures, I really like it.

Then there was the actual posing. Seriously, I take pictures of others all the time--you'd think I'd have the whole posing thing down. But it was SO HARD for me to figure out how to stand! I laughed at myself almost the entire time. It was hilarious. I realize that Cub and my husband aren't in the pictures. But, that's okay. I have pictures of the three of us during this pregnancy, so it was fun for me to just to play dress up for a day and have a fun girly shoot.

Here are a few! Thirty-six weeks. Less than a month to go. WOW!






Have a lovely day, friends!

Burnt Pancakes.



When I first started this blog, I almost entitled it "Burnt Pancakes" rather than "Little Footy Pajamas".

I was very excited about the prospect of blogging publicly again, this time a bit wiser with a little less private details about my life, but I wanted the title of the blog to properly represent my life currently as well. I very distinctly remember sitting down at the computer at the kitchen table, excited and giddy, racking my brain for blog title ideas.

And then I smelled it.

The smell of a burnt pancake on the stove, the scent of it wafting into my nostrils. I jumped up and found what used to resemble a pancake now resembled a piece of coal in my pan, and I lamely dumped it into the sink to try again. For some reason, pancakes have been a bit of an El Guapo for me in the breakfast realm. I mean, really. How HARD can it be to make a pancake. SERIOUSLY. Of course, at that moment, a cutie-pie in footy pajamas came crawling into the kitchen, and the cuteness was irresistible.

Hence, the current blog name was born.

BUT, I never gave up on my efforts to create the perfect pancake. And, I'm proud to say, that after a few months of trial and error, I've finally found a formula that ma familia loves. While I prefer whole wheat pancake mix, let's face it: Some mornings are just kind of "Just Add Water" mornings. So, I take my box of Hungry Jack, dump in a cup of mix, dump in 3/4 cups of water, and then I add a little shakey-shake of brown sugar and a little bigger shakey-shake of wheat germ. After a good whisking, I dump it into an already-heated, already-sprayed-with-cooking-spray skillet and let them cook at medium-high heat. And, voila! Pancakes ready for the eating.


Well, ready for Cub eating, anyway. Mama likes just a biiiiiiiiit more sweet, so I take my maple syrup and add a good dollop on top of my stack. Mmmm.


I've mentioned on previous blogs that I am a maple syrup snob. I can't help it.


It's my family's fault, really. My Mom grew up in Vermont, so, naturally, all she consumed was the real thing. None of the fake stuff. And my Dad, well, he grew up in the hills of Pennsylvania where they tapped their own trees. Have I told you about this? My Grandma tapped her own trees well into her silver years. Her name was Virginia and she was a member of a very conservative sect of the Society of Friends, a group known as modern-day Quakers. I mention that only because their lives are traditionally known as quiet ones, and hers was no exception. Her life was quiet and hard-working, and every year she would trudge around in the snow drifts, tapping the maple trees around her house. And every year, when I was a kid in California, we would receive boxes of her bottled syrup and packages of her homemade maple cream in the mail. While I never had the pleasure of tapping trees with her, I can imagine her all bundled up, moving from tree to tree while the snow fell quietly around her. She must have loved the serenity of it all, you know?

This is making me really miss Grandma.

Wait, what were we talking about? Oh right, syrup.

Obviously, I have an emotional attachment to it. Sorry!

Now that Grandma is in heaven, my Mom makes it a point to purchase maple syrup on her visits to Vermont and she gives me a mason jar full of syrup when she comes home. Mmmm. Love it. Hence, the snobbery!

How about you? What is your favorite way to make pancakes?

Friday, May 14, 2010

Now Onto Girly Things ...

I'm scheduling a pedicure for next week. SO! Here is my awesome question for the weekend:

What color polish should I get?

Is anything "in" for the summer? Because, you know, when I'm giving birth to our second child, I know I will be SO CONCERNED that my toes are TRENDY.

:)

Any ideas?

Have a lovely weekend!

Indigestion?

So, I spent a few hours at the hospital yesterday. I had some pain at the doctor's office during my regular check-up, he felt my stomach contract, and he sent me over to the main hospital for monitoring.

Naturally, I was mortified.

I knew it, I just knew that it wasn't labor. I mean, I kind of knew. The pain ebbed and flowed like a contraction. My back hurt like a contraction. But ... it just didn't seem like I was in labor. I've gone into labor before. I know how it feels.

Uh, right?? Haven't I done this before??

So, my mortified state had nothing to do with the possibility that I was in labor, but rather in the fact that I was pretty sure that I wasn't, and I was therefore quite embarrassed that I was wasting the staff's time. Of course, the nurses were fantastic and assured me that it's better to be safe than sorry. I appreciated their sentiments. But ugh, there's nothing like feeling like THAT person, that person who JUMPS THE GUN. Worse than that, they advised me to call my husband (understandably) even though I kind of didn't want to (at the risk of him having to leave work ... which he did ...), and in turn my husband called his parents and my parents (unbeknownst to me) and then this thing that I was hoping would just be a liiiiiiiittle thing, turned into a potentially BIG THING. Ugh.

Even though my doctor sent me over. It was actually his call, not mine. But, you know. And, I was in pain. And I did have contractions. Just not at the frequency (or the strength) where they posed any sort of threat. Given that I'm not full term (meaning 37 weeks), this kind of thing wouldn't be good. I know healthy babies can be delivered at 34-35ish weeks (wherever I am right now). I was one of those babies. But, it's better if they bake just a tad longer. I WANT Naomi to bake!

So, after a few hours of pain and monitoring, they released me and I sulked out of the hospital with my tail between my legs.

I owe my OB nurse a ride in a wheelchair, seeing as my ride was in vain.

:)

Have a lovely day.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Thirty Five Weeks and Thinking.

Hiccups in my tummy. All the time. I'm going to miss these little hiccups.

Trips to Target with two. How, exactly, does one manage that?

Coffee intake. Massive increase? Is this possible?

Mornings. I've gotten waaaaaay too used to waking up at 7:30. Sigh sigh sigh.

Breast feeding. Do I remember how?

Baby girl. Not a baby boy. They will be so different.

Bloomers. Ah, little baby girl underpants. How stinkin' cute. So new to me.

Brain function. Will it exist after her birth? How does one split attention between two children?

Waistline. Ever? Again? My skinny jeans seem so ... skinny.

Swaddle. Fold up, fold over, fold over, tuck. Um, right?

Where in the world is our car seat base?

Little cries. Little cries that I won't understand. Little cries that will come randomly, sometimes for what seems like no reason at all. I'm so used to big boy cries that come for a reason.

Smiles. Coos. Kicks. Whimpers. Burps. Mmmmmm.

Anxiety. Will I have it again? Will I know what to do with it this time?

Four. The number our family will be. Our family of four. Wow.

Breast pump. Bottles. Pacifiers?

A brother and sister. Can't wait.

A Mom and Dad. Are we ready??

Feeling so unsure and so, so, so excited at the same time.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Nineteen Month Updates!

In honor of Cubbie's nineteen month birthday today (Tuesday), here is a quick rundown of his latests. So I'll have a reference point. :)

FOOD
-His appetite ebbs and flows, but his palette is still pretty good. He loves fruit more than anything. I try to keep containers full of chopped grapes, melon, and strawberries in the fridge, so I can grab a handful of each and stash them in a plastic baggy when we go out to eat! His favorite lunch is, by far, grilled cheese.

-He prefers Muenster.

-He still has yet to master a fork, but maybe that is because I always forget to give him one? Maybe? Poor guy. Developmental delay is ALL MAMA'S FAULT!

-BUT. He is still an expert at smearing bananas in his hair. Fantastic!

-And the spoon ("soon") is coming along swimmingly.

-I found a recipe for some yummy "energy balls" that consist of granola, wheat germ, peanut butter, raisins, and honey. I'm trying to get more creative with his snacks. He likes them. So do I.

WORDS
-Cub is quite the little communicator. I didn't expect that from him, seeing as he was always a quiet baby. We taught him a few signs when he was 10 months old, thinking he would be a late talker. We were wrong. The little guy LOVES TO TALK OH MY WORD.

-And he speaks quite clearly for a nineteen month old. Someone else told me that. Just so you know it isn't a completely biased mother opinion. Ha ha.

-Given his propensity towards a somewhat articulate vocabulary, we've started simple memorization. During breakfast, I read my devotional out loud and then I read Psalm 23. He learned the word "shepherd" ("sheh-erd") and we've practiced using it in the first line. I will say, "The Lord is my ..." and he will respond, "Sheh-herd!" We are also learning, "I shall not ..." "WANT!" Some days he gets it, some days he stares at me like I'm nuts. If he gets it, great, if not, that's fine. But I want to try, just in case he ends up being wordy ... like his Mama. Plus, it's a good way for me to start my day!

-He can do three-syllable words now. "Basketball" and "Emery" rank up there as his top three-syllable words. So cute.

-In the effort of trying to learn sentences, he will babble and put random words he knows together. Very often I will hear him mumbling to himself in his bedroom, saying something like "Ba-ba-ba-basketball water la la juice swimming oh oh oh Nemo." Cute kid.

BEHAVIOR
-Ahhh, the joys. The high chair hating fiasco has simmered down quite a bit. I had to take him out of a restaurant TWICE the other night, however, which I've never had to do before (and haven't done since). And it wasn't even for high chair reasons! Good grief! He was just extra whiny (which, oh my word, I can't stand whining) and decided to crumble to a mess when his Dadda left to go to the bathroom. "Dadda!! Dadda!!" with tears streaming down his cheeks, on his knees, pleading for his father ... quite dramatic. This is while we were waiting for a table. So, I hoisted him up and took him outside, where he proceeded to cry harder. That's when I knew the punishment was working--he really did want to be inside rather than outside. So, we walked around a bit and I told him when he calmed down, we would go back inside. You don't get what you want by whining and throwing a fit.

Now. We have a little cue we use to make sure Cub understands. When we finish the appropriate spiel for whatever issue we happen to be addressing, we ask him, "Okay?" at the end of it. If he responds with "okay" then we know he heard us and he gets it. If he continues crying or refuses to say "okay", then we know he isn't over it. So, Cub and I walked around until he said "okay" to my explanation. He calmed down. We went back inside, got to our table, and all was fine until Dadda got up to go to the salad bar. OH MY. Again, I hoisted Cub up and we went straight outside. I wasn't about to sit there and try to shush him while other people were trying to eat their dinner. I'm way more stringent when we're out to eat! Again, we walked around until he listened to what I was saying. Then he calmed down and was fine the rest of the meal. Just a note--Dadda takes care of this stuff, too, but since he was the one Cub wanted, I took over. Fun! Oddly enough, the whole fiasco didn't stress me out. I felt very calm and was glad to take care of the issue. I wasn't mad at Cub or anything, either. I knew he was tired and over-stimulated and had no desire to initially obey. He wasn't going to get away with bad behavior because of it, but I understood his situation. Tonight we went out to eat earlier in the evening and he was a champ. So, you know. One bad situation doesn't define EVERY situation.

-In an attempt to incorporate Scripture into the words we use with Cub while we discipline, we've decided to go with the Fruit of the Spirit. When he's impatient in his high chair, we tell him he needs to be patient. When he whines or throws a fit, we tell him he needs to practice self-control. When he refuses to acknowledge an adult or a friend, we tell him the importance of being kind. And we always follow it with "okay?" and await his response and make sure he corrects his behavior.

-Note: Raising a child is like having accountability to yourself ALL DAY LONG.

-Also note: Raising a child is REWARDING. Seeing Cub improve in different areas is priceless.

-Also also note: Mama is also improving in certain areas.

-Cubbie is a snuggly bug and I love it. Lots of hugs and snuggles.

-We keep a stash of books in the car after discovering how much Cub loves to look at books in his car seat. It keeps him happily occupied. Which we fully support, of course.

-When Cub toddles into Naomi's nursery and sees her car seat, he exclaims, "Baby!" When he sees her crib, he points to it and says, "Bed! Nomi!"

HONORABLE MENTIONS
-When we put Cub in his car seat, we say, "Ready, Set ..." and he exclaims, "GO!"

-When Cub got scared today in public, he took my hand. It melted my heart.

-He is allowed to take one toy into a store if he so wishes (unless he throws a fit wanting it) and today his toy of choice was a big stuffed animal fish that his Grandpa bought him. Cub was wearing his overalls today, and I have to say that I was so proud to be holding the hand of a little Cubbie toddling into Hobby Lobby wearing overalls and carrying a huge stuffed fish in his free hand. So stinkin' cute!

Okay! Cubbie update complete. Notes taken. Time for bed!!

And ... YAWN.

It isn't for lack of inspiration that I'm staring at the screen a bit cross-eyed and clueless. It has more to do with that kind of exhaustion that makes you feel like there's someone sitting on your chest, pressing down on your lungs. And, given the little bum that is wedged up under my ribcage, the chest pressure isn't exactly welcoming.

Today was a very restful day, actually. Cub and I stayed in our pajamas while I cleaned up from the weekend. And yet, I'm still tired. I think, however, that being tired will simply be my MO for the next few weeks. I'm Katie. I'm Tired.

My life is not that interesting and when you pair that with feeling sleepy, it can make for a bland blog post. The things I might consider exciting would be an absolute bore for my readers. Like, today I made the most fantastic homemade chicken nuggets for Cub. I chopped up chicken, rolled the pieces in plain organic yogurt, dredged them in a mixture of corn meal and bread crumbs, and baked them for 30 minutes at 350. YUM. Cub loved them. I've always loved making food for Cub. I still love making food for Cub.

So, you know. That's good.

Um .... let's see.

I REALLY need a pedicure. I will schedule that tomorrow.

I go to the doctor on Thursday. I am technically 35 weeks, but this will be my 34 week appointment. They did not adjust the appointments after adjusting my due date. I don't think it really matters. I'm having contractions, but only two this weekend made me sit down with tears in my eyes. The rest were braxton hicks. Yippee!

And ... hmmm ... tonight I helped my husband transpose the chord chart of one of his new favorite songs so he could play it on the guitar. I felt a little bit like a genius at the moment. My husband rarely asks for help, so when he does, I love it.

See? Not exactly thrilling. But, meh, y'all know me. Please forgive my bland post. We'll hope that tonight brings deep sleep, that tomorrow brings good coffee, and perhaps my mind will give me a fantastic blog topic. We shall see.

Until then. Have a lovely day, friends!

Sunday, May 9, 2010

It's Coming Together!

It's Sunday night and my eyelids are drooping. We've been working on the nursery ALL weekend and needless to say, I'm exhausted. My mother-in-law busted out her amazing painting skillz (that's right, with a "z") to help create the most adorable room for our little girl (naturally, I'm a tad biased). I couldn't ask for anything better! We're almost done ... just a few more finishing touches. Until then, here are some pictures of what we have so far.

And I'm going to bed. :)

Have a lovely day!




(The crib sheet was the inspiration for the mural.)


(Oh, and just for kicks, here are my 35 week preggo pictures. Ironically enough, this was the point in my pregnancy with Cub when I STOPPED taking pictures of myself because I felt too self-conscious ... but with this pregnancy, I've felt totally self-conscious until now. How weird is that? My arms are bigger, my belly is bulging, and my face has taken on a bit of a larger shape, but I honestly don't mind. Maybe it's because I can finally say that I'm due "in a few weeks", and I know this is the last leg of the journey? I know that, looking back, I wish I had taken more pictures at the end with my pregnancy with Cub. Pardon the forced smile--we were rushing out the door for Mother's Day lunch! :))


Saturday, May 8, 2010

Feel Good, uh, Saturday!


Because we all know my brain is deficient right now, I'll just go ahead and post this a day late!


1) Yesterday at Lowe's, while I was in the checkout, a nice older lady asked me when I was due. I told her next month. Her response? "Already? Really?? Wow! You don't look big enough to be due that soon!" Bless you, woman, and the life experience that has taught you to choose your words carefully and intentionally with pregnant ladies. :)

2) Naomi's bedding just arrived! It made it before she did!! I can't wait to open it and get it all set up!!

3) My closet has been tackled. I took a before and after picture and then thought better of posting it. Y'all wouldn't BELIEVE how scary my closet was. It's hard to be between seasons, between sizes, and unsure of what your size will be in the next few summer months. Needless to say, it was a disaster. Thanks to some large plastic totes and some elbow grease, I was able to weed out the clothes I hadn't worn in over a year, store all of my winter clothes and extra purses in clear totes and keep them IN the closet on the shelf, rather than trying to store them somewhere else in the house (and consequently forgetting what I own which always results in me purchasing MORE clothes that I don't need), and my shoes are lined up and ready to go. I have two big garbage bags of clothes and shoes for our church's clothes closet!! I heart donating.

4) Cub is better! The stomach bug was no fun and while I enjoyed the constant cuddling, I'm glad to have my happy boy back.

5) My Thursday play group threw an impromptu little shower for my good friend and I who are due within a month of each other. It was so sweet! Naomi is now stocked with plenty of newborn diapers and wipes!!

Have a lovely weekend, friends!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Random Thursday!

(Um, and I know it's Friday. I typed this on Thursday and just noticed the title this morning. COOL! Can we blame this on pregnancy brain?? :))

Okay, so, I've had two posts rolling around in my head and I couldn't decide which topic to actually write about. Seeing as my decision-making abilities are currently NONEXISTENT, I figured it would be safest to just write about them both in one post, before my other absent-minded trait got the better of me: FORGETFULNESS.

(Yes, I do think of random posts throughout the day. Isn't that funny? I'll drive by something, hear something, have a random thought, and think, "I should post about that!" Blogging? I love it.)

For the purpose of organization, I shall title each topic separately. Firstly.

"Impulsively"

When I think of an impulsive purchase, I typically think BAD IDEA. I don't know how many times I've bought something, thinking I had to have it, only to be disappointed or regretful in the end. Buyer's remorse is one bummer of a feeling. So, when a friend and I were shopping at good ol' TJ Maxx a while ago and this beautiful red patent leather tote caught my eye, I immediately cringed. Oh man. I wanted this tote. I had just finished a bunch of photo shoots and had a bit of spending money, so, what was worse than wanting the tote, was knowing that I could actually have it. But it was frivolous! Unnecessary! IMPULSIVE!

But, call it blind optimism, call it an out-of-body experience, call it what you'd like. I carried that tote to the front of the store and I bought it. Right there.

And you know what? It has been one of the most functional purchases I've ever made. I get more use out of this bag than I ever could have imagined. Overnight trips to visit my parents, overnight trips to the lake, needing a bit larger of a diaper bag, or, as the taken-by-a-camera-phone picture below indicates, it also makes one handy carry-on.



(Pardon the cheesiness. We had just landed and ran into some friends who were departing. We saw them through the glass at the gate. Hi, friends!)

(Also note: My brother-in-law and I are happy! And fun! My husband? He just WANTS TO GET TO CUSTOMS.)

So. Anyway. Have you ever purchased something totally on impulse that actually ended up being a good idea?

---------------------------

Second topic!

"Food For Thought"

Do you mix your food when you eat a meal or do you eat each item separately? I noticed this evening that I am a mixer. I want a small bite of steak, mashed potatoes, and veggie altogether on my fork before I put it in my mouth. I do not like to eat one item at a time. I like to taste all of the flavors together.

What does this mean? What about you?

Okay. Those are my thoughts.

Happy Random Thursday!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Reality Check.

Did I ever tell y'all Cub's birth story? I think it's on my old blog, not this one. Basically, I went into labor at 3:00 AM on a Saturday morning, headed to the hospital after a hot bath at 5:00, was admitted and our families met us at 7:00, we all hung out for the day, I pushed for forever, Cub was born that night at 8:00.

It was pretty much an ideal situation, when I look back.

(The circumstances, not the marathon pushing.)

However, today, when I was unshowered and on Mama Duty all day with a needy Cub who had spent the night puking, I realized that this time around, my going into labor might not be as "ideal". I honestly thought, "What if my water were to break right now??" My bags aren't packed. My closet is a disaster. My baby is sick. My husband was at work.

Needless to say, it vaulted me into the realization that I had better get my rear in gear for Naomi's arrival. Not that I think it will happen soon, but who's to say that when it does happen, Cub won't be sick again? Or my husband won't be gone? So, tonight I started packing my hospital bag. That way, in case it does happen amidst unforeseen chaos, I can simply say, "Grab the red bag by the door!" instead of relying on some poor soul to paw through my pajama drawer.

Also. Vomit makes me cringe. I spent the last 45 minutes detailing our car. Eeeeeeeek.

That's all. :)

Have a lovely day, friends.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

The Perfect Evening.

Tonight I made the most decadent chicken parmesan for dinner. Seriously. I used a mixture of corn meal and bread crumbs for the breading and then pan fried it just a touch before putting it in the oven to bake. Y'all. It was TASTY. My husband texted me to let me know that he was leaving work, and I smiled at the fact that dinner would be on the table by the time he got home! I picked up the living room, put on some mascara, and smiled with a feeling of wife achievement. Perfect timing, perfect evening, high-fives to Mama.

...
Naturally, things very shortly went awry.

Cub, who had been playing happily in his room, suddenly toddled into the kitchen with a bewildered look on his face. He grabbed the bottom of my (favorite) maxi dress and started crying. I picked him up and asked him what was wrong and to use his words, but he just bawled. Then he started kicking his legs out, like he used to do when he had gas as an infant, so I asked him if his tummy was ouchie (sorry, that's Baby Speak at our house). He continued crying and kicking without responding, so I carried him into the nursery to rock and console him.

And the contents of his ouchie tummy came hurling forth.

All over the glider. All over the carpet. All over his clothes. All over my dress.

Wheee!

I hoisted him up and kissed his little crying head as I hurried into the bathroom to get the tub going. I'll spare you any gruesome details, but by the time my husband walked in the door, Cub and I were both wrapped in towels, sitting on the toilet, while he slept in my arms. I had puke smeared on my leg and my hair was a mess. Within a matter of ten minutes, my perfect little evening had exploded. Literally.

When my husband asked me what had happened, I pointed to the nursery. He poked his head in there, gagged, and opted to take the baby while I cleaned up. Cub stirred and was more then happy to snuggle with "Dadda". We finally settled at the table, an hour later, to eat lukewarm chewy chicken parmesan. Cub had a bowl of bananas.

Which he promptly threw up a few minutes later.

Another bath. Another change of clothes.

After Cub went to bed, I hugged my husband in the living room, smiled, and exclaimed, "Welcome home!!" and then I apologized that he had to come home to craziness after being at work all day. He said he wasn't bothered by the haphazard evening at all. I appreciated his attitude.

He did get some good cuddle time in with his little man.


Funny how the definition of a "perfect evening" can so quickly change. :)

Have a lovely day.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Wide Load.

Yesterday, Cub and I went to Target and were looking for a parking space. I crept down the parking lot aisle and saw a space open right next to a big truck. I swung in and parked the car, high-fiving myself on my good luck. A space close to the doors means less waddling! Sweet!

I slid out of the car and was happy to see that I had left plenty of room on Cub's side of the car (passenger side) to get him out of his car seat. There's nothing worse than trying to wrangle a baby out of the passenger side when the car next to you is only inches away. I took Cub's hand and we headed inside.

After loading up on the essential toilet paper, prenatal vitamins, and dog food, we headed back to the car. I discovered that the large truck was gone and another vehicle had taken it's place. After strapping le bebe in his seat, I waddled around to my side of the car, only to notice that this vehicle had decided to hug the yellow line, thus leaving about a foot of space between my side of the car and his.

I looked down at my ever-growing belly.

I looked up at the itty-bitty space between the cars.

Folks, this wasn't going to be easy. Or pretty.

It took me a few moments to consider my options. I could waddle back to the passenger side of my car and crawl over the passenger seat into the driver's seat, or I could stay on my side and shimmy between the two cars, hoping that my belly could squeeze through. At first, crawling seemed like the wiser option, since my embarrassment would at least be contained inside of my vehicle. But after some more consideration, I decided the shimmy would have quicker results.

With less bruising.

So, The Shimmy it was.

(Just for kicks, I sucked in.)

And with shoulders back and knees slightly bent, I shimmied my way between the two cars. It took determination. It took focus. It was more like a slow side-step lunge, much like an obese crab, moving methodically until I reached my door. I shimmied back a little, opened the door, and squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezed through. Out of breath, I hoisted myself into my seat and heaved a sigh of relief.

And from the back seat came a little voice with an astonished, "Wow."

That's right, Cubbie.

Mama is Wonder Woman, the Queen of the Shimmy.

(With a substantial gut, of course.)

Have a lovely day!

Monday, May 3, 2010

The One Thing.

On Saturday, a good friend and I went to a Farmers' Market in our town to peruse the local wares. There were herbs, birdhouses, plants, flowers, vegetables, baskets, and more herbs and more plants. Unfortunately, all I was able to capture were the baskets.


Hi, baskets!

Apparently, trying to wrangle my camera and the jogger and my burgeoning belly amidst a large crowd of people proved to be a tad daunting. But look! At least I got pictures of the kids!


Yummy Cub.


Sweet Baby E.

As is par for spring in Oklahoma, the weather decided to be a tad sporadic and we were hit with spontaneous rain showers. Thankfully, the kiddos were covered. We, however, were not, so we decided to hop in the car and head to Babies 'R Us. Because, um, that's what moms do, right? They live at Babies 'R Us? Ha ha.

(Have I ever told you about my first visit to Babies 'R Us? I had just found out I was pregnant with Cub and I literally walked in, saw rows and aisles and shelves full of stuff that was completely foreign to me, almost had a panic attack, and promptly turned heel and left. I didn't even register there. DAUNTING, I tell you.)

I'm over it now.

So, we headed to Babies 'R Us so I could get THE THING. Allow me to explain. Okay, well, before I explain, did you ever have that ONE THING that you wanted to do/purchase/experience before you gave birth? For Cub, the ONE THING that really seemed to finalize everything was the act of packing my bags for the hospital. I waited and waited until one random Friday night three weeks before his due date, and I packed them in a hurry and set them aside. Cub was born the next day. Sweet! For some people it's a project around the house, for others it's a concert or a trip or what have you. It's something that makes the whole experience suddenly very REAL.

Oddly enough, this time around, that ONE THING for me has been the most adorable head support/shoulder strap combo for the car seat that I really wanted to purchase for Naomi. You may notice Little E has the aforementioned combo in her car seat. I didn't even realize you could buy girly car seat head supports and stuff, so, naturally, I told my friend I would be copying her and purchasing one for Naomi. She was fully supportive.

So, we headed to Babies 'R Us and I did it. I purchased the ONE THING.


I know it might not seem like a big deal, but you have to understand that for the past 18 months, my life has consisted mostly of blue and trucks and basketballs. Which I LOVE. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I very obviously love love love being the mom of a little boy. I'm all about the blue. So, you can imagine, then, how it's a bit of a shock (an exciting, tingly, most wonderful shock) to poke my head in the nursery and see PINK. I honestly will walk by the nursery and peek inside just to look at the car seat again. See it? It has pink. Pink and FLOWERS. Giddy giddy joy joy!

Yeeeeeee!!!

Also. For your viewing pleasure, here is the latest picture of Naomi:


It is hanging above her changing table. It is a picture of her adorable face and two little fists. You can even see her eye and some chub on her cheeks. Mmm!! I love it.

So. The ONE THING has been purchased and the nursery is coming together. I am now in May, the official "month before my due date". However, if Naomi follows her brother's lead, I am already in the month when I will give birth. Buuuuttttttttt I'm not going there in my head. Not until my doctor tells me to, officially, anyway. :)

Have a lovely day!

(Oh, and did you have a ONE THING before you had a baby?)