what a wonderful world

Top 5 (FIVE) : Beach Edition

2010-06-17T12:50:00.000-07:00

5 (FIVE) – Days we went at Nags Head beach! We had such a great time…it was David’s first beach trip and…………….HE LOVED IT. He loved the waves and cold water – He giggled hysterically when we played a 1-2-3-dunk game with him. He loved the sun (and his sunglasses) and seems to have his mommy’s tanablity (I put sunscreen on him often, but he got a nice little baby tan the first day. He did not so much love having sunscreen slathered on him though.) Loved (ate) the sand. He played happily in his little baby pool for most of the day (which meant I actually got to enjoy my book!)

Also the number of people I love that we got to hang out with! ( Bekah, Tim, Caitlin, Cary & Nicole – Transniderpalooza 2010) It was fun getting some quality time with our siblings+.

We had fun in the sun (tan/burn),
made some good food (Spaghetti, Tacos, *Tomatoes*),
ate some DELISHICIOUS food at The Black Pelican (our one night out to eat, lots of fun),
drank some goooood coffee (Dunkin Donuts),
watched a chick flick (Love Happens…..well it does)
rode some fast jet skis (perks of brother being a Kitty Hawk Kite manager),
watched some World Cup (me not so much, but I had one happy husby),
had a great home church discussion (living the true Gospel),
played some fun games (Taboo, but no Beach Olympics this year),
run up the dunes (oh that sand felt so good!),
went Kayaking on the sound (another freebie from a KHK brother),
went shopping at TimBuckII (cute shops).

4 (FOUR) – horses we saw on the Corva beach. We drove on the beach in Cary’s pick up (FOUR girls in the back, boys in the cab) It was so pretty there, with nice, soft sand. Then these horses just slowly walk down the beach our way. OF COURSE we’re taking pictures, and they even stopped and got in a line and posed for us, so cute, then went on their way. Beautiful.

3 (THREE) crabs. 1.) one pinched me in the ocean which made me a little nervous/jumpy which made me jump into my husband’s unexpected arms. Er, I tried to climb up him and didn’t so much work…resulting in a stubbed toe for him, bruised arm (my grabbing fingers) and a huge bruise on my ankle which connected with his toe during my vertical escape from the water/crab. 2.) so I ate his brother on Saturday night when we went out to the Black Pelican. I thought maybe it was just because I was so hungry, but Stephen assured me it was the best crab legs we’d ever eaten. Mmm, revenge is a dish best served dipped in butter. 3.) David has the cutest, sleeveless crabby shirt. And that is the end of my crab story.

2 (TWO) – pairs of Tevas I got at KHK with brother’s employee discount (woohoo!) I have been wanting some of these forever. They are very comfy, I think we will get along nicely. I can’t wait to really break them in and make them form to my feet. These are my simple joys.

We also got David a Life is Good baseball hat that has a dinosaur on it and says “Big Guy.” Ok, yes I got a little snifflie when he first wore it, because A.) He IS getting to be a big guy B.) He is sooooo daaaarn cuuuuute. C.) I am a sentimental cheesy mommy so what so what?!

1 (ONE) – reason, and maybe the only reason, I do get tired of the beach: Sand. It’s stinking everywhere. And then it gets into everything and it sticks to you and it’s hard to vacuum up. Even though I had a great time, I was ready to get home, to My home, sand free. We’ll get more sand later this summer when we come back here with my family.

7.4 million (SEVEN POINT FOUR MILLION) – dollars it costs to buy this beautiful Spanish style mansion for sale. I dunno, maybe I’m saying this because I’m poor, but I think EVEN if I had the money, I don’t think I could bring myself to buy a house like that……….beautiful yes, but too decadent. As we were driving past all these beautiful houses Stephen said his family always stayed in sketchy places, I reflected on how my family always stayed at nice places (not THAT nice of course) when we went to the beach every year. Which is funny, because that’s so not like my (usually sketchy) family. *laugh* We didn’t do a whole lot during the year (like eating out, clothes shopping, et cetera) which is why we could do a nice vacation once a year. I’m looking forward to our future trips to the beach with David and our other kids someday. I hope they will have really wonderful childhood, family memories of the beach like we do.

Planet Crayons

2010-06-09T14:11:00.000-07:00

I love Vacation Bible School……….I don’t know it is about it that gets me so happy/excited. I remember when I was a kid I’d go to several each summer. This year our theme is “Genesis 1 – Space Probe.” I’m in charge of crafts for two of the nights. From my experience there are some kids who are done with the craft in a few minutes so I like to have coloring pages to keep them busy until they switch stations…… So, I printed off a few cool (free!) coloring pages of the solar system and rocket ships and THEN I had the BRILLIANT (if I do say so myself) idea to make “planet” crayons.

I bought two boxes of 64 crayons (total 128) for only $1 each. Pealed the paper off, broke into pieces and separated by colors. (For “Jupiter” I left the crayons longer to get more of a lined effect.) I found the silicone muffin pan I had worked really well since they were very easy to pop out. I had the oven set at 250 and put them in there for about 15-20 minutes, but kept an eye on them. I think it took a little longer, but I took them out as soon as they were fully melted because I didn’t want the colors to run together too much.

Once they were melted I took them out and put them in the freezer for about 30 minutes, then popped them out of thee molds.

TaDa! How cool is that?

This is a great project to do with old, broken crayons…and I know there are some cool silicone muffin molds in various shapes. (you could probably use candy molds as well) If you just wanted to make giant crayons (easier for smaller children to grasp) I bet you could use those ice cube trays that make long cubes for water bottles. Ooo the possibilities are endless.

I *heart* arts and crafts

MORE (ofwhatiwant)

2010-06-07T05:58:00.000-07:00

I’m trying to teach David a few new signs now that he seems to have “more” down… “all done,” “eat/food” and “juice.” So far he hasn’t attempted to make those signs, he just grins at me when I do. AND I’m pretty sure his definition of more is “more of what I want.” Because I’ll be feeding him some of his baby food that he’s not too fond of (and by the look and smell of it I don’t blame him) and he looks at whatever we’re eating and signs “more.” (current favorite of a baby: cheerios with hummus) I AM giving him lots of table food now, but I do love the convenience of baby food. A.) it’s all in a jar so easy to take places. And B.) I know he’s getting the right servings of veggies, fruits, etc. This kid loves him some grown up food though. Especially meat, we’re raising a carnivore apparently.

In other baby news, David has his top two teeth coming in……..they are rather large and sharp. And he is a biter. I myself am a biter so I find it hard to fault him, except that it huuuuurts. So until I can teach him the way of gentle biting then we will have to nip that in the bud. (as I type this he just bit into my knee. ahhhh)

ALSO, he is standing quite well without holding onto anything. However, he’s still pretty timid and will stand for a minute and then lower himself safely to the ground. (hurray for cautious kids!)

We painted most of our house two years ago…. This Saturday we JUST finished painting our little hall and the bottom half of the kitchen (Paint: "cream in my coffee.") It just took a few hours and it looks great. Doesn’t it feel so good to check off your mental to do list something t hat’s been hanging on for two years??? Now the only unpainted/nekkid room in our house is the front bedroom which will someday be nursery #2.
Summer is in full swing here……..we’ll be going to the pool and beach and hanging out with friends AND on the 26th we will be having a big birthday party for a little boy…………where has the time gone to?!
I love my life.

That is all.

Mommy Favorite #23

2010-06-02T06:14:00.000-07:00

First of all – HAPPY JUNE! HAPPY SUMMER! A year ago today I was extremely pregnant and uncomfortable.
Many of these Mommy Favorites are pure and simple luxuries. And while this one is very luxurious, it’s probably one that I would keep over all the others…..

23. Video Baby Monitor
We originally registered for just a regular baby monitor, nothing fancy… it seemed like a good one, but after only a little while using it, it broke. I looked over the manual and couldn’t figure out what was wrong, so we returned it (I usually keep original packaging for stuff like that until I’m sure it works/I like it, plus also it’s easier to store stuff in the box it came in.) Of course we had to shell over the extra money for the video monitor, but momma folks, let me tell you it was worth it. I love our monitor for so many reasons:

A.) When he was really little (and I was still kind of freaked out about SIDS) I could see if he had rolled over onto his tummy or had his blanket over his face. Just knowing I could peek in on him put my mommy heart to rest.

B.) If he’s crying I can see if he’s laying down (in which case if I don’t go in there he’ll fall back asleep in a minute) or if he’s sitting/standing up, in which case I just pop in there before he gets too worked up and he’ll go right back to sleep after a moment of comfort.

C.) Most important of all: general spying on his cuteness. *sigh* I go in there before I go to sleep and make sure he’s tucked in, and then I get in bed and take one last look at my sweet sleeper. I’m wondering how long I can keep it in his room…. until he’s eleven years old maybe? We’ll just tell him it’s a smoke detector. Hehe.

Mommy Favorites #19 - #22

2010-05-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

First of all, I have to say again how much I truly enjoy breastfeeding -- David has pretty much weened himself and it makes me kind of sad. However, I must admit it wasn’t as easy as I thought it was going to be at first. Number one, uh, cracked and painful nipples. Eeesh. I don’t even want to dwell on that one for long… Then, the whole latching thing took us a good solid six to eight weeks to get into a good system. Because that was such an ordeal it took me a while before I felt comfortable nursing in public (even with a nursing cover), so I felt like I was cut off from the rest of the world… I felt like I had to plan a detailed strategy around nursing if I ever wanted to leave the house.
Another problem I had was that David liked to snooze after a few minutes, so I spent most of the HOUR it took trying to keep him awake long enough to get a full meal and get that oh-so-important hind milk. AND THEN it felt like I was ALWAYS nursing. With it taking so long per feeding, there wasn’t much time in between and I felt rather chained to my sweet little sucker.

I know most women are all gungho about breastfeeding (as am I), because of this I felt a lot of guilt about giving my baby formula – ever. As with many other mommy-things I’ve found that the best thing for me is to let it go. I don’t need to feel guilty, I am breast feeding my baby 99% of the time, and I felt like I needed to have a bottle of formula so that I could take a shopping trip and not feel panicked about when/where I was going to nurse. Just letting go like that and releasing myself from the pressure and the guilt made nursing even more enjoyable for me. So, for the few times my child does get a bottle, here are my Mommy Favorites:

19. Nuk Bottles
Well, we originally registered for and got the Avent bottles… ug. I so should have read the reviews on Target.com because I soon found out that they leaked after a while (which is what 9 out of 10 of the reviews said) and it didn’t matter how tightly or loosely (we experimented with both) I screwed them on. I was really disappointed because the Avent bottles were more expensive. Tried the Nuk ones (MUCH better price too!) and they worked great. AND I noticed David stopped spitting up altogether once we switched bottles. (he didn’t throw up much when he was little and I was almost exclusively breastfeeding, but when he was around six months old we gave him juice/water out of the bottle and he started spitting up. I know these bottles might not help with every kid, but they did for mine!)
We do still use and like the Avent pacifiers. I like that they’re clear. And I know it's weird, but I think it's soooo cute to watch Davy suck-suck-suck his pacie, I'm sure it's just because I'm obsessed with him in general....
One down side: with the Avent bottles the cap over the nipple kept the milk from getting everywhere. With Nuk you have those little disks, which are find until you’re trying to get a bottle ready for baby to drink in the car or in church and you have to unscrew it, take that out and hope you don’t spill anything.

20. Formula Container
If you’re gonna do the formula thing, this is great because it has three little compartments (I think you can put up to three scoops in each). It’s much better than carrying the whole formula container around. So easy to make a bottle in the car because it’s already measured, you just open the little lid over one compartment and dump it in – no mess!

21. Bottle Drying Rack

I had registered for the dishwashing kit/thing for bottles and then I realized I don’t need that many bottles since I don’t use them that often. BUT I use them often enough to not want them tied up in dishwasher. It’s pretty easy just to wash them out by hand. I had them on a towel drying, but this rack works a lot better…

also saw this neat one in Target the other day:

22. Pacifier clips and wipes
I know all the books say not to give a baby a pacifier too soon because of “nipple confusion” (I dunno about that though, David seemed to understand pretty quickly where food came from and where it didn’t.) After the first night of sleeplessness we caved and gave him one. Soooo much better. He slept better and so did we. And babies love to suck, so why not?! Anyways, I love the pacifier clips and wipes for when we’re out of the house (when we’re home I don’t worry about it falling on the ground, I keep my floors super clean.) You can also use the wipes for baby toys/spoons/etc. There are tons of cute pacie clips out there, my friend Jessi has an Etsy shop, if I can find it I’ll post the link here. I especially love the clips for the car, when he spit it out it didn’t fall so I couldn’t get it, I’d just reach back and pop it back in.
So there you have my two cents.

Top 5 (FIVE)

2010-05-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

5 (FIVE) – wonderful years I’ve been married to the Love-Of-My-Life. Stephen whisked me away to the beach for a long weekend. We dropped David off with Stephen’s parents on Friday afternoon and then went on our way. YES, this was the first time I’ve left him overnight. I got my cries out the night before and then I was good to go. YES, I talked about him a lot (sorry Stephen) and thought about him even more. MOSTLY I thought about how much fun it will be to take him to the beach next month. We had a great babyless time. Lazing on the beach, eating great food (crab legs are a great way to eat melted butter) read, slept, went to see a movie, et cetera.

4 (FOUR) – number of teeth my baby will have very SOON. They’ve already started cutting through his gums. Oooh, this will make his love bites hurt even more. *sigh* I can’t complain too much though, I totally understand where he’s coming from – I am a biter myself. Anyways… once those two suckers are fully in he’ll be even better at Corn-On-The-Cob.

3 (THREE) – books on my nightstand that I am reading. I am a multitasker par excellence.
Parenting: Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp – Pretty good. Parenting is heavy stuff. I need all the help I can get!
History: The Real-Life Adventures of David Crockett by Buddy Levy – Davy has always been a crush of mine. I’d like to read his autobiography next.
Fun: The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks – I am a girly-girl and what girly-girl doesn’t love her some Nicholas Sparks?!

2 (TWO) – grandparents that watched our son while we vacationed it up. Nanna and Poppa had a great time spoiling David and he was a very happy spoilee. He seemed to really love his time with them, I’m so thankful to have such great in-laws that are so good to my baby! I’m glad he did so well. I DO think he missed me though – this morning he was very snuggly and cuddly (don’t mind that at all!) and after he nursed at 7:30 he then wanted hugs and kisses followed by a nice long nap with mommy. *sigh* a girl could get used to this.

1 (ONE) – more month until my sweet little boy is ONE year old! Ahhhh, where has the time gone??? Last night at church we were having a celebration for the ending of our small-group meetings until the fall… one of the guys from our group got up and said some really sweet things…about how neat it was seeing David grow up in our group – then he related it to how God must feel as he watches us grow and change and delight in Him. I feel the same way. Motherhood has given me even more insight into the depths and dimensions of our Father’s love.

238,571 (TWO-HUNDRED-THIRTY-EIGHT-THOUSAND-FIVE-HUNDRED-SEVENTY-ONE) – times I have kissed my baby since seeing him again. (yes, I had a little Davy-withdraw)

Baby Signs, I Think He's Got It!

2010-05-18T10:25:00.000-07:00

(Finally!)

David has learned to clap his hands, wave, give someone five and to sign “MORE”!!! His mommy is rather excited about this progress. He will even do these things when we only say the words (not clap/wave/etc ourselves.) For a little while I don’t know that he knew what “more” meant, he just saw it has part of his hand-trick-repertoire. Last night he was having a lot of fun with spaghetti for the first time and I saw a little light bulb go off… he started to fuss, stopped and signed “more!”

and THAT is why we are doing baby signs in the first place – try and nip the whining in the fussy little bud! ;) I know it won’t solve all problems or whining. But it’s a start, and also fun. AND, he is a super cute signer.

Mommy Favorites #16-#18

2010-05-16T18:19:00.000-07:00

“There is no finer investment for any community than putting milk into babies.” Winston Churchill

Here here!!!!

Gotta keep those babies fed! I’m so glad I stuck with breast feeding because it’s been a really wonderful experience for both of us. Here are three Mommy Favorites which helped me out a lot.

16. Nursing cover

A.) I got my first nursing cover at Wal-Mart, it looked very similar to this. It’s ok. I wish it was longer and I wish it had a way to see my baby better! It certainly worked well enough though, I’m so glad I got one. It made breast feeding in public a lot more comfortable for me and I didn’t feel so tired down and shut off from the world.

B.) The Hooter Hider
I’d like to get this brand for my second baby! My friend let me borrow hers once and I liked it a lot better. I mainly want one that's long enough/covers well, is easy to adjust, easy to see the baby and doesn't get too hot. There seem like there are a lot like these out there though. Anyone have a preference to a particular brand? Etsy has lot of cute ones!

17. Dimmer switch
Stephen installed these in our bed room and the nursery. I LOVE THEM! We don’t have a night light in David’s room at all, but if I do need to check on him I can turn the lights on low without waking him. I also like to turn down the lights as part of our wind down bedtime routine when I cuddle him for a minute before bed. But I really appreciated it the most David was a newborn and nighttimes included many feedings and diaper changes. I could have the lights on low so they wouldn’t wake Stephen up, but I had as much light as I needed. Added plus, David finds the remote a really great toy – I have snagged a few extra minutes of sleep in the AM while he plays with it.

18. Nursing Pads

A.) Johnson & Johnson’s
my favorite. Cheaper than the Medela ones… I also tried Gerber ultra thin nursing pads but didn’t care for them, they were flat and you had to shape them so they ended up feeling lumpy and itchy (so did the Medela ones.) I also thought the J&J ones had the best absorption (ug. I leaked a lot, especially in the beginning)
B.) I liked my washable nursing pads (I forget what brand I got) but I pretty much only wore them at night because they didn’t absorb as well and didn’t wick away the moisture.

Question – Lilypadz – anyone tried them? They look really neat. I was worried that they might cause Mastitis, but the FAQ page claims that it doesn’t… what do yall think?

THIS was on that show "What Would You Do?" I must admit it got me riled up a bit...I might not whip it out just anywhere, but that's my thing... I think a woman should be able to discretely feed her baby when ever/where ever. Thoughts?

Mommy Favorites #14-#15

2010-05-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

More favorites that have made my mommyhood easier and breezier:

14. Swing!!!!
We did not register for a swing. My thought: there is already too much baby stuff junking up our house, swings are huge and a luxury. Ooooh pre-baby-me, if I could only go back and tell her how much she will come to love the baby swing! In the beginning I was asking all the mommies I knew what they did to get their babies to sleep! And with pity in their eyes for the bags under mine – soooo many moms said their babies loved the swing. Thankfully, we have a generous sister-in-law (thanks Jamie!) who let us borrow theirs. Who cares if it is pink with butterflies – David loved it!

He got his first cold when he as two months old and pretty much slept on my chest the first few nights, waking himself (and mommy) up with his coughing and struggling breath (so pitiful!) He wasn’t sleeping, he was miserable, I was miserable. Out of desperation I put him in the swing and……HE SLEPT THROUGH THE ENTIRE NIGHT. And the angels sang a hallelujah chorus!!! (ok, so sleeping through the night at two months old is pretty good……..but let me tell you – THOSE WERE THE LONGEST TWO MONTHS OF MY LIFE.) I called my dad to see if that was ok, a baby sleeping in a swing all night, and he said yeah that was fine. Thankgoodness for the plug in swing! (no wind up, no midnight run to Wal-Mart for D batteries.) Once he got used to sleeping through the night we then did the transition to the crib. All I know is, I am a better mother, wife and Christian when I get good sleep! And David is a happier, healthier baby for getting good rest himself.

15. Baby wearing
I’m all about some one-handed mommy action! But I also really love being able to use both hands sometimes. (ie. Shopping, cleaning, etc) I love the idea of baby wearing! Closest thing to being preggo again, having my little one nice and close to me!

A.) Sling One
We only used our first sling twice. I felt like it swung away from my body too much and I was nervous about bumping David’s head. Stephen used it once and David got Waaaaaaay too hot and that was the last time we used it. Good thing too, it ended up being recalled due to suffocation danger.

B.) Sling Two
I got this sling at Target. I liked it. It kept David nice and sung and comfortable. I even used it when I went to the library to use the internet and he just slept peacefully. I think I might like the sling with a ring that you can tighten, but this worked well for us. I also tried to use it to help me hold him on my hip. It worked ok (maybe I didn’t use it right) but it sort of put a lot of stress on my shoulder and I wasn’t completely able to use both hands, just didn’t put as much stress on one arm (he’s getting heavy!)

C.) Baby Bjorn
We borrowed a Baby Bjorn and this has to be one of my favorite items! I could wear him facing in or out (he always preferred facing out, he would be sooooo good and happy when we’d go shopping, just looking around and smiling at everyone.) He’s too big for it now. I’d like to look into getting a backpack so we can go hiking!

Question – Moby wrap?
I’ve seen a lot of pictures of the Moby wrap, it looks really comfortable… but it also looks a little complicated and a lot of fabric. For those of you who have tried it – is it pretty easy to put on and get the baby in? (in a parking lot, when it’s raining??) Is it super hot and bulky with all that fabric? Is the Moby brand the best in this type of wrap? I’d love to know what yall think!

ALSO…as David gets heavier… I’m starting to think about getting a backpack so we can go hiking, etc. Anyone know of a good one to recommend?

Mommy Favorite #13

2010-05-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

This is one of my faaaaaavorite mommy songs. Every time I hear it I tear up. *sniff* And I KNOW this is cheesey, but I get even sappier when I think about Davy getting married one day, and me handing him over to his wife and letting her be the one to love him the most. *sigh* I have the lyrics to this song written in his baby book… next to THIS picture…

You're my life's one Miracle,
Everything I've done that's good
And you break my heart with tenderness,
And I confess it's true
I never knew a love like this till you....
You're the reason I was born
Now I finally know for sure
And I'm overwhelmed with happiness
So blessed to hold you close
The one that I love most
With all the future has so much for you in store
Who could ever love you more?
The nearest thing to heaven,
You're my angel from above
Only God creates such perfect love
When you smile at me, I cry
And to save your life I'll die
With a romance that is pure heart,
You are my dearest part
Whatever it requires,
I live for your desires
Forget my own, your needs will come before
Who could ever love you more?
Well there is nothing you could ever do,
To make me stop, loving you
And every breath I take,
Is always for your sake
You sleep inside my dreams and know for sure
Who could ever love you more?

Home, sweet sweet Home

2010-05-04T18:45:00.000-07:00

4.28.10

12:30pm
Car packed – plenty of food/toys/etc for a baby, check!

Cute, blue eyed baby, check!

Off to Nashville we go!
Spilled puffs all over the back seat (Me, not BooBoo. Go figure)

3:22pm
Found out nephew/cousin Andrew was born! Sad we won’t be there to hold him all fresh, but I guess he’ll still be pretty new when we get to see him in a week and a half. (still, poo, because I reeeally wanted to hold him when he was so brand spankin new.)

Took several naps with Blanky and Bean.

Was mostly happy.
But had a few slightly fussy moments.

Mommy brought current favorite toy: big orange balloon. Which made us cheer right up. Also… new toys especially for our trip from Aunt Rachie (Thanks RaeRae!)

4.29.10
Bekah’s actual birthday!
11:30am
Went to Lipscomb to visit Bekah, gave her 21 presents

Then went out to eat with her and my friend Lauren

4.30.10
AM
Visited with Aunt Judy

PM
Partied with Bekah and her friends

For her 21st birthday

AND got to see Aunt Jessi

5.1.10
(fewer pictures than I’d like, but we spent a lot of quality time with family and I forgot to take some good shots!)
AM
Had lunch with Stephen’s Aunt Bev’s kids and their kids! (on his dad’s side)
Oh, also…. LOTS of rain

PM
Had dinner with all of Janie’s family
LOTS more rain… flooding and tornado watches.
Thankfully, most of the family was able to get to and from the dinner.
We got home safe and sound Monday night.
David didn’t do as well as on the way there (he was a perfect ANGEL) but still did pretty good considering it’s an 8.5-9 hr drive and we only stopped once.
Glad to be back. Thinking about those people who lost so much in the flooding in Tennessee.

Faves: #11 & #12

2010-04-26T17:58:00.000-07:00

For today, just two random favorites….

11. Car Mirror
But not just any mirror! This one plays music that you can turn on with a remote. Now firs t let me say, I think this is ridiculous. I’m one that thinks kids these days are over stimulated, and WHY does everything need batteries??? And it irks me that you have to use a screwdriver to replace any batteries (I mean, I understand why, safety and all that rubbish). BUT the mirror we had originally registered for didn’t work in our car (we didn’t have any headrests in the back seat for them to attach to) so I FINALLY found one that worked and it happened to be this one…the dinky music is soooo annoying, but David loved it. if he was fussy and crying in the car, as soon as I’d turn that thing on he’d quiet down and most of the time just go to sleep (how he found that peaceful I have no idea.) I went so far as to record the dinky music on my cell phone and play it for him when he was super fussy and it would calm him down. So weird, but as any desperate mommy trapped in the car with a screaming kid: YOU DO WHAT WORKS!
I DO love being able to check on him in the mirror. Plus also, he’s waaaaay cute. I do have to be careful about not just staring at him every two minutes. Oprah wants us to sign her No-Phone-Zone so we don’t talk on the phone and drive – I’d say a cute (or screaming) baby in the back seat is Waayhaaay more distracting than chatting on a cell phone!!!

12. Umbrella stroller
This was another thing I sort of scoffed at us “needing.” We already have a great (though honkin big) stroller that came with our infant car seat. But we got an umbrella stroller when we were going to DC to sight see (D was getting too big for me to carry him all day in the Bjorn/Sling). It was great because it folded up easily to go on the crowded subway.
Things I love about our umbrella stroller:
A.) it has a place for your drink/wallet up by the handlebars.
B.) very light weight, easy for me to carry (even with one hand, do ya hear me other mothers?)
C. )it can recline slightly (David took some naps while we were in museums)
D.) a little shade which helped keep the rain off while we were there, also good for tucking scarves/jackets behind when pulled back.
E.) a basket underneath for keeping miscellaneous baby junk.
F. ) an optional tray you could attach (or not) that had a place for a sippy cup.
I will say one down side is that it’s not the best for Stephen to use since the one we have is sort of short, it’s more comfortable for me to push.

Mommy Favorites #8-#10

2010-04-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

Last Mommy Favorites were food based, and we all know ------------ what goes in must come out. I KNEW babies had lots of diapers, but I was still kind of poop-shocked at the amount…it still feels like I change a butt-load of diapers. (feeding and cleaning, that’s basically what I do ALL DAY. Man, it’s a good thing my kid is so darn cute!)

8. Diaper Champ
I’ve used the Diaper Genie on several occasions, and it out smarted me pretty much. I dunno if it’s changed since I’ve used it, but something about pushing and twisting a poo-bomb seems dangerous to me. I love our diaper Champ for Several reasons.
A.) it’s so easy to use! You just drop the diapey in, flip the handle, and ca-chunk the diaper is gone!
B.) it takes regular trash bags = saving money!
C.) it keeps the smell out really well until it gets too full. (and I will admit, I totally shake the thing to get every last inch of room in there before I take it out) I’ve noticed it fills up in about a week, so I just take it out every night before our trash pick-up. Also, I hear it works well for cloth diapers as well.

9. Diaper sacks
Simple but nifty. I love these little guys for putting dirty diapers in when we’re out (and any clothes that got wet/dirty). A friend who uses cloth diapers also uses them. They have a nice scent that helps keep the sink contained.

10. Disposable changing pads
Brittany mentioned these and they are great! I use just regular lap pads on my changing table cause they’re easy to just take off and chuck in the hamper when he gets stuff on them. But the disposable mats are really wonderful! Like Britt, I love knowing that the germies from a public changing table aren’t going back into my diaper bag!

Oh, a little side note for mommies of boy newborns. Vaseline in the squeeze tube is the way to go with circumcision care. Soooo much easier than the tub. And although I prefer Budros Butt Paste for rashes, The Method brand is in a pump, which is also nice, so I can just squirt that stuff on there, use the diaper to rub it around and not get it caked under my fingernails. Any good tips on how you deal with a baby-butt?? :)

Mommy Favorites #4-#7

2010-04-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

A few more of my favorite inventions….

4. Bumpkins pocket bib
I was tired to going to restaurants and feeling embarrassed when we left, feeling like I should have vacuumed, with all the Cheerios and puffs David left on the ground. So I picked up one of those pocket bibs (this is weird, but that is one of my freakishly early memories, wearing a pocking bib). I really like the Bumpkin brand – it’s softer than some of the other ones I’ve seen so it’s easier for the baby to self feed (not stuck behind a huge, stiff plastic bib!). It’s also very easy to rinse off. I heard from a friend who uses cloth diapers that they’ve been experimenting with the different types of plastic covers and Bumpkin ones seem to work the best.

5. Mum-Mums
These were one of the first foods I gave to David. They dissolve easily (without making a huge mess like the Gerber Biter Biscuits) and come in rice and vegetable flavors. They come in a box, packaged in twos – so you can throw a pack in the diaper bag…and you don’t have to worry about them getting hard and stale over time. My mom gave these to my little sister, and they really enjoyed them too. I also loved how they would entertain David so I could clean the kitchen or fix dinner!!!

6. Baby food in a squeeze container
My friend Stacy introduced me to these. We were invited out to eat on a Sunday and Stephen had to drive home first to pick up baby food and spoon. Now I keep one of these in the diaper bag and in a pinch we have food on hand (and it doesn’t even need a spoon!)

7. Munchkins Snack Catchers
These are awesome for self feeding! At church we’d have to hand him one puff/Cheerio at a time so as not to make a huge mess. This allows a child to get one or two out and they also won’t spill the whole container.

On a side note… I’ve been letting David play with a spoon while I feed him. He loves it, and I figure it’s always good to start practicing. I’ve been putting Cheerios in the spoon now and then and he puts it in his mouth, and it’s not terribly messy!

What has saves your sanity when it comes to eating time with a baby??

Baby Signs, There Is Hope! (?)

2010-04-21T08:41:00.001-07:00

So, I have been working on clapping with David for *months* now. At first he was really resistant and would strain against me trying to make his hands clap (not that he was mad, more like “What the what are you doing, mommy? This is weeeeird.”) Then this past Friday, out of the blue, I’m working on it with him in the car, clapping my hands, and he just starts clapping like he’s been doing it all along! So funny kid. Then Sunday, during a worship song, he’s looking around at other people clapping and just starts clapping himself. And all I have to do is just say, “clap your hands,” and he does (even if he’s crying about something, he’ll grin and start clapping). Which makes me think that he knew what I’ve been talking about for quite some time now. Sneaky little boogger.

This morning he had run out of Cheerios and I asked him “do you want more?” and I could have sworn he made the sign for more (or maybe it was clapping). Anyway, I think we’re on the right track.

Robin Hood

2010-04-19T11:18:00.000-07:00

#1. Robin Hood
2010

Russell Crowe

#2. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

1991

Kevin Costner

#3. Robin Hood: Men In Tights

1993

Cary Elwes (of Princess Bride fame)

#4. Robin Hood, Walt Disney

1973

Brian Bedford (voice)

yeah, not what I pictured in my mind either.

#5. The Adventures of Robin Hood

1938

Errol Flynn

(also pretty great in Captain Blood)

Of all these Manly Men, which one is your favorite Robin Hood and why?

Personally, not sure about Russell, but all of these are great... Still, I think Eroll Flynn's my fav, I'm just Old School like that. (erh, now that I think about it, maybe more Homeschooled.....whatev)

EDIT: errrrrrr, I'm gonna have to take that back. A little grossed out: Errol Flynn's Pretty Baby

Mommy Favorites!

2010-04-17T20:51:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had a church baby shower for a new momma and a bunch of us young mothers got together and picked out a few of our favorite things that we thought were helpful as a new mom. Before I had a kid I’d always get the *cute outfit,* and although I still love cute clothes, I realize how important the practical stuff are to a mom! I thought about doing a few posts about some of my Mommy Favorites. (don’t worry, this isn’t the kind of blog where I shorten stuff to the first letters to be cute… MF? Not so cute. Haha)

Here is what I contributed to the gift:

1. The basket we put everything in.

I have small baskets all over the house so that at the end of the day I can throw all the baby stuff in there and straighten up. It certainly helps my sanity! And we also discovered that David Looooves taking stuff out of a basket… his “basket work” will keep him quietly occupied for a long time (plus also, it’s way cute how busy he gets at his basket work.) Stuff we keep in baskets: books, toys, pacies, burp cloths, and on the changing table we keep wipes, butt paste, hand sanitizer and lotion.

2. Baby soap in a pump. (note: Method baby soap is not as good, doesn’t lather very well, has a weird smell)

It makes a difference when the baby’s small and slippery and you’re trying to give them a bath – you can pump the soap with one hand while keeping the other on baby.

3. Swaddler! (Swaddle Me Brand)

You can get these at Wal-Mart or Babies R Us and Target. They are awesome! David slept so much better, all cocooned up in one of these. There are several points of Velcro to keep the baby nice and snug (a little like a baby straight jacket) and makes for a cute little baby burrito. They come in fleece, jersey and cotton. There was one brand we got (I forget the name) that wasn’t as good because it had only one place that velcroed and so David kicked/squirmed it off.

Just a few things I found helpful! :)
Please share some of your mommy favorites! I always love good ideas.

Baby Signs, Take Two

2010-04-16T07:30:00.001-07:00

Back on the baby signing front… he still refuses to do the sign for “more” – which I *thought* was going to be an easy sign, because if there’s anything this kid loves it’s MORE food. At least we’re not banging on the tray any more. He either growls (a new thing that mommy is NOT supporting) which I take to mean “gimme more now, Woman!” or he opens and closes his fists which I am taking to mean “want” (it does sort of look like the sign for “want”). So I sign, “you want more please?” and he grins. Hm, we’ll see how long it takes before he breaks me. Hehe.

Books + Collecting = Me Obsessed

2010-04-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I found some books from a series that I *loved* to read when I was a kid. Then two summers ago I found several more at an antique store. I’m still missing the first six in the set…. I’ve been wanting to complete the series so I started looking for them online. Unfortunately most of the ones in any sort of good condition were waaaaahhhayyy expensive. I’m gonna keep searching though! Two things I love: books and making collections complete – it makes for a deadly combination. I really do want to complete the set though, there’s something so magical about these books. I’m looking forward to sharing them with my kiddos one day. If you ever run across these books (for a decent price) let me know!

Chick-fil-A

2010-04-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

oh yeah

2010-04-04T04:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry! I left out some very important information! My new love is named: Shark Navigator Never Loses Suction Upright. (heh heh. It's like his first and last name is Shark Upright but people gave him the nickname: Shark "Never-Looses-Suction" Upright. Similar to me, Jen "You-Can-Never-Vacuum-Too-Often" Strosnider.) You can go and meet him here!

In other, much sadder news, my son either has a cold OR allergies. Either way it is sad and miserable for him to breath, for mommy to hear him struggle to breath. I hate how these things sneak up on us out of the blue. Plus also on EASTER when all should be merry and bright. No Sunday school for him today I guess . poo. *a sniffle and a pout*

Happily though………………………………………….we have a risen Lord. Amen.

Procreation of Dust Bunnies

2010-04-02T06:02:00.000-07:00

Warning: This post contains images of a graphic nature. Viewer discretion is advised.

FIRST OF ALL….I must say that I vacuum every week! AND we take off our shoes at the door. AND right before David was born we steam cleaned the carpets and couches (I won’t go into how disgusting that was.) WE ARE CLEAN PEOPLE, people! That's just how I do.

Yesterday’s post was written after only seeing my vacuum for the first time. Last night I used it…

This is what was picked up from vacuuming ONLY my bedroom (which is tiny and most of the carpet is covered with furniture.) I was so grossed out I had to take a picture.

It is both horrifying and exciting.

It makes me wonder about the carpet of people who don’t clean as often as I do.

It makes me love my vacuum cleaner even more.

It makes me want to vacuum the rest of the carpets and floors today. And the baseboards and the chair rails and the couches. And the tapestries and the draperies (I always think of that Cinderella quote when I’m listing in my head what I need to clean.)

ALSO, it’s lightweight, quiet, pushes easily, the cord is really long, the filters are lifetime (you just have to rinse them out occasionally) and it’s a really pretty purple.

LOVE. IT. and that is all.

Birthdays Suck.............

2010-04-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

………………..actually, I looooooove my birthday! I believe that the whole week (month?) is my birthday and take full advantage of soaking it up. *grin* I’m really not scared of aging (even though time is flying by a little too fast.) Even as a child I always thought of my thirties as being the prime of my life, so getting closer to that number isn’t so bad. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life, I’m so thankful for every day, every blessing.

………………and also………….presents! not just because of stuff though. (I’m trying to de-clutter my life, resist the pack-rat/hoarder/OCD collector in me) Ever read the “Five Love Languages”? Mine is gift-giving… I love it! From picking out something special for someone (even a small thing) to the wrapping of it (you should see my ever growing wrapping paper collection), I love making something special for someone special. To me my dad was always the best about this, he would remember when I had casually mentioned I liked something and would surprise me with it for birthday/Christmas. My mom on the other hand would get me something like a cheese making kit (still a Tran family joke to this day.) Well this year they done good – surprised me with a very much needed vacuum cleaner (my old one had stopped being very effective a loooong time ago, and as a cleanfreak this rather bothered me!) Maybe another sign I’m getting old, but this sort of thing thrills me now. (Pots and pans and new kitchen knives for Christmas and a girl is happy!)

March was a wonderful birthday month, possibly the best present I got was warm weather (hello spring! I thought you’d never come!) I’m sitting outside on my porch as I type this, and I’m LOVING it! Thank you God for being so good to me.

Baby Signs

2010-03-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to teach my son some baby signs – more, milk, juice, help, please, sleep. Before I refill his tray with Puffs I sign and say, “more please mommy.” My darling son has invented his own sign, which he has been teaching me, called “more NOW mommy!” This sign is basically banging hard on his tray. Then when I sign and say “more please” he just grins and bangs again (which is David sign for “I said NOW, and aren’t I cute?!”) Then when I help him put his hands together to make the sign and repeat, “more please mommy,” he grins even bigger. I’m sure he’s thinking, “Mommy’s so cute, but very slow at learning my sign language, I will just have to keep it up. Puffs. More. Mmmmm.”

Sooooo, I’m not sure who is going to give up first and learn the other person’s sign. All’s well that ends well – my boy is stuffed with puffs.

Three's A Crowd

2010-03-18T16:04:00.000-07:00

The other day I baby sat for a friend… Her two kids, Brayden and Sophie, are adorable and David and I had a lot of fun with them…

I admit I was a *little* worried about watching three kids – especially two babies – at once. But hey, I figure that’ll be me soon enough. (Although my family planning doesn’t include having a six month old and an eight month old at the same time.) I see moms in Wal-Mart, kid in the cart, kid in a backpack and kid walking beside, and I cringe a bit. I *know* this is what I want in my heart, a house full of kiddos, but I’m also a tiny bit nervous at the thought.

The kids were great though, we played on the floor, Brayden gave us a puppet show, we ate lunch and then the babies took naps. (Put Sophie to sleep, fed & changed David, put him to sleep, fed & changed Sophie when she woke up and David was still sleeping, so I only had to juggle a little bit.) Wasn’t so bad after all. Of course that was only four hours, so we’ll see how I can do it once I have three of my own 24/7 – it will be an adventure!

Listy McListerson

2010-01-05T16:47:00.000-08:00

Another new year… and I wouldn’t be the JenTran I know if I didn’t come up with a bunch of resolutions… 1. because I love making lists (always have, always will, OCD and whatnot), 2. because I think it’s a good idea to have a set of goals, 3. the new year is always a great place to make a new start. My list of resolutions almost always have included 1. growing closer to God, 2. getting in better shape, 3. reading more. Mostly it’s about becoming a better version of myself… I think those will be my top three once again. And I’ll add to that 4. keeping up with this blog. (maybe)

2009-04-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I can’t remember what it felt like NOT to be pregnant…. I feel like this little guy has completely taken over my body and mind. I really do enjoy being pregnant, but I sort of miss a lot of things:
- taking deep breaths
- not having to pee in the middle of the night
- fitting in clothes
- painting my toes
- not having a constant bloody nose
- being comfortable when sleeping
- I think this list could go on and on….

But there are a lot of great things about being pregnant too….I really love it when strangers ask when I’m due or if it’s a boy or a girl.

Other pregnancy news/changes
- I’ve had to go up a bra size
- I’ve been getting a lot of braxton hicks, they are weeeeeird
- He especially likes to kick me on my right side, like way way over towards my back and it kind of hurts
- I’ve started his baby book/photo album… it’s so cute
- I get leg cramps, especially at night :(
- At my last appointment my midwife said my glucose was great but my iron is a little low, weight gain is perfect, size of uterus is right on track, his heart rate is steady, everything looks good.

I do wish I was feeling a little less lazy. My to-do list seems ever growing, but it’s nice if I can at least fold a load of laundry.
There are curtains to be made, scrap books to be finished, letters to be written, piles of stuff to organize, pictures to hang…. Oh yeah, and I’d like to maybe finish his nursery!
But we can’t even start until the cats are out because their litter box is in the front bed room. Once they’re outdoor cats we can move everything up fort and start painting. We’ve been having a hard time getting them outside because the weather has been so dreadful. Hopefully it will start to get nicer and we can kick them out! Yea! I really can’t wait until they’re out. I love them but they’re driving me crazy.

I can’t wait for the weather to start to get warmer! Life is so good!

growing a person is hard work!

2009-03-16T09:06:00.001-07:00

My belly is *definitely* growing along with David! I’ve started feeling a different type of movement now, not just kicks (and he still HARD) but I can feel him start to stir and then just roll around – it’s such a weird, cool feeling! I THINK I felt him get the hiccups the other day… it was along stronger/harder than I expected. We have also started playing the “flash light game” where I shine a flashlight on my belly and he kicks at it… which is very funny to watch, I can only imagine how annoyed he is with me! I’m counting down the days until April 18th when I get to see his cute little face on 4D! This pregnancy is really flying by -- I know he’s going to be here before I know it!

We’re well on our way to starting our nursery too… I’ve bought almost all the fabric we need to make curtains, bumper, bed skirt, pillow/quilt and to recover our glider cushions. It’s kind of a different blue we’re using so it’s kind of hard to find stuff to match it but I really really love what I did get!

Our next doctor’s appointment is tomorrow morning, I can’t wait to here the sweet thump of his heart again! Last night Stephen and I laid in bed just talking about how cute he’ll be, how much we already love him and how much more will love…

I tried walking outside for exercise when the weather was nice in hopes that it would give me more energy but it only made me more exhausted and sore! I’m sort of feeling overwhelmed these days, I feel like I have a million things to do and in the evenings I still only want to go to bed!

I’m 25 now. Weird. I’m going to be a mother soon. Weirder.

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!

2009-02-18T08:28:00.000-08:00

David Summitt Strosnider - 20 weeks 3 days
He bounced around so much it was hard to get a good "money shot." I personally don't really see it that well, but the doctor said she was 98% positive it was a boy! Guess we can go ahead and pain the nursery blue! The doctor said the placenta was in a good place and that the cord had lots of coils (which is a good thing apparently). His lips/nose/organs that she checked also loooked good. Very thankful to have a healthy report!

15 cm long, 5 cm wide, 14 oz - due date July 1st (we're still saying/hoping Fourth of July)

Finding out that we’re having a BOY has been the highlight of my week/month/etc! I just love being able to refer to him as a “him” and know that I’m talking about my David! It makes me feel even more connected to him and more in love with this little guy that I haven’t even met yet! I know I’m a real girly-girl, and I really do hope I have a daughter one day, but I also love little boys! They’re so much fun and come with their own set of cuteness! I’ve started reading James Dobson’s book “Bringing Up Boys,” which will hopefully give me some good insight. I also just finished reading “Slacker Mom,” which was a fun, short read with a really good parenting philosophy and it’s a lot closer to mine than some of the other books I’ve read. I know there will be a lot of challenges about parenting, but I’m more excited than scared. I figure it will be somewhat like marriage – in many ways harder than you would expect, but considering that I’ve got a really wonderful marriage!

On a little down side… I’ve got a nasty cold. I think I caught it from my cute little cousins (I think I get sick ever time we go see them) I guess I’ve got to get used to snotty little noses! Bring it on!

TAG... you're it

2009-01-21T08:04:00.000-08:00

You may or may not know this about me...

- I love my cats, but they also drive me a little crazy.
- I’m scared of ceiling fans.
- I’m in love with my best friend and if anything every happened to him I honestly don’t think I could ever find a husband as wonderful as he is!
- I don’t like sea food, but I love, almost crave crab legs (or maybe it’s just the butter)
- The thing I am most afraid about being a mother: doing my very best to raise a person who will love God and others and having them turn out to be rotten.
- The thing I am most looking forward to about being a mother: laughing A LOT with my kiddos, and reading to them, and seeing Stephen be a dad.
- I am a milk coinsure: I like it cold, whole, and in a carton. (Especially Shenandoah Pride)
- I don’t feel like I look pretty without make up.
- I feel guilty about all the books I want to read and haven’t yet.
- I hate change. (Mostly.)
- I really like the few freckles I have.
- I could watch “You’ve Got Mail” over and over and over and over, and still love it!
- Every year I make a valentines day book for Stephen, last year I was late in giving it to him. THIS year I will be on time!!!
- Today, I have a very special, life changing secret! :):):)

Out with the Old - In with the New

2009-01-06T10:25:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
It was great to have a little group of kids up for the celebration, but I must admit, not the same without most/all the best pals. I hate breaking a good tradition, but I guess it was unavoidable.

The great thing about a new year is a sense of starting fresh…

OUT: Yucky old couch that Stephen took with him from a house he rented in law school that nobody claimed (for good reason). I don’t know why I had this couch SO much, maybe because I’m grossed out by everything that may have happened on/to it. Or maybe because now it’s become a cat bed/scratching post. And while it’s not the ugliest couch of all ugly couches, it is Pretty Darn.
IN: A brand spakin new oat-meal-colored microfiber couch and love seat!!!!!! AND well under our budget! I’m really excited….
Also in, a bedroom set… nothing out here since our mattress has just been on the floor since now. I guess our dressers will go back to our parents who loaned them to us. Real Adult Furniture, we’re growing up……. *sigh*

OUT: White Walls. We’ve been in our little house since July and we still have no pictures up… I was amazed how much our apartment looked more like a dingy little apartment and less like a home when we took all our pictures down to move.
IN: Color EVERYWHERE! I think we’ve decided on…. Living room: coffey/light brown with a red accent above the fireplace along with red and black accents throughout the living room. Kitchen: RED! (which will match the red above the fireplace) a really pretty dark red… we might do the darkest shade below the chair rail and a slightly lighter shade above. Bedroom: it’s down to two shades of green – “Brisk Olive” (Stephen) and “Prairie Grass” (Jen). We might paint the bathroom later (I’m thinking some sort of blue) and I guess we’ll chose nursery colors in February! I’m already in full nesting mode!

OUT: The good old days of laying around in bed all Saturday, making plans at the drop of a hat, spit-up free clothes, oh yeah and sleeping all through the night. And this is only a drop in the bucket of all the changes we’re going to face when baby Stro makes his/her appearance.
IN: The amazingly wonderful days of cuddling, reading, laughing, learning, growing, teaching and just staring at the little person we made. As much as the thought of motherhood scares me at times, I feel very ready for it at the same time. I’m so excited about starting our family… Laurie Burke (mother of seven) said it the best, “it’s like when people tell you things won’t be the same after you’re married, you can’t do the same things… it’s true, but you’re so happy with your new life that you don’t care about the stuff you’re ‘missing out on.’ It’s the same way with a baby, sure you can’t do all the things you used to do, and yes there are a lot of challenging aspects of parenthood but it’s all worth it and you’re so happy and in love with your baby that you don’t feeling like you’re missing anything.”

And one more thing…….
I just have to say, as I look back on 2008 and welcome in 2009……….
God is Good.

sigh

2008-12-30T11:37:00.000-08:00

I will be honest….

I would like to write on here more often. Problem: I am feeling very, very unmotivated. Pregnancy has been a real drain on me… more than I ever expected. I’m holding on to the hope that the second trimester I will have more energy and less sickness – this is what the books tell me! The crazy thing is that this Friday I start my second trimester!!! They grow up fast! Baby bean is only about three inches but I already feel huge and maternity pants are more comfortable than my regular jeans… I just have to say thank the Lord I get to wear scrubs to work! I’ll have lots of room in those for a while yet.

Christmas was a lot of fun – really great to see both of our families. I feel really blessed that we get along so well with the “in-laws.”

I am very excited about new years….however, there will be several best pals who will be greatly missed…

Bring it on 2009, I’m ready for ya!

and so it begins.....again.

2008-12-18T10:56:00.000-08:00

I've been a blogger before, a while ago back when xanga was the thing to do. I really enjoyed it. So now I guess I'll work on this one until i A. run out of time (baby on the way) B. get bored of it (Oooh, ooooo, I see something glittery and shiny over there!) or C. this too goes out of style (blogger is the new xanga, facebook is the new myspace, etc) and I have to follow my friends on to the next thing.

I really enjoy reading the blogs of my best pals so I guess I can at least do my part and update them on the happenings of my life….

At this VERY moment I am mostly just trying to keep my eyes open at work. Tonight my goals are to finish all our Christmas shopping and start wrapping presents (hopefully get most of them done) and possibly cut Stephen’s hair. Friday we’re going to see a live nativity with best pal Rachie and her husband Chris… then Saturday and Sunday we’ll be in DC with family. Monday we’re going to try and get Christmas cookies out to friends (oh yeah, need to buy supplies for that, make the cookies, make the cards, bag ‘em and tag ‘em). Tuesday after work we’re heading to the Tran Clan’s and we’ll be there Christmas eve and Christmas day until the afternoon and we’ll move on to the Strosniders’ until Sunday the 28th. And then it’s only a few more days in 2009!!!!!!!! Is my life flying by or what?!
Today I am most thankful for: My Stephen-K who has been alive for twenty-nine years and one day. The sweetest husband I ever knew or ever even heard of!