So far, the hardest thing about parenting for us(me) is figuring out sleep/cry stuff. Some people don't let their kids cry themselves to sleep at all, some let their kids cry and cry. To solve the crying problem some parents co-sleep. Others rock their kids to sleep and then ever so gently lay them down, only to have their kid wake back up and the routine starts over again.
As we've established Titus's bedtime routine, he has easily fallen into a groove with it. What has been great about it, is that when he finishes nursing, I burp him and lay him down in his cradle and kiss his head and cover him up. He is normally very sleepy but he knows I put him down and he settles in and doesn't make a peep - other than sometimes sucking his fist a bit - and falls asleep. He has been great at it and I have been so proud of my boy for doing such an excellent job going to bed.
The past two nights have been different. I'm not sure what the change has been. But I've burped him and laid him down and he has cried so hard. Since it's been out of the norm, I keep going in to check on him. I soothe him and see if I can get any more burps out of him. He settles the INSTANT I pick him up. I rock him and tell him I love him but that it's still night night. I lay him back down and he cries and my heart just breaks.
Tonight, he cried, I picked him up. He burped. I laid him back down. He cried. I picked him up. No burps. Laid him down. He cried. I kept him in his cradle but rubbed his back and "shh shhed" him. He cried. I picked him up. Soothed him. We rocked for a few minutes and then I told him that this was it. It was still night night and mommy couldn't come back in this time. I laid him down and we both cried really hard tonight.
=(
(Note: I am not asking for any advice, just merely sharing. Thanks.)
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Popy LaDashy
This is the story of Popy LaDashy.
A few years ago I was housesitting for the Coudsy fam as they celebrated Christmas in Texas. Mike and/or Lisa, Jeff and Lauren and Adam and I went over to watch a movie at some point and up on the Coudsy's fireplace mantle was a big white snowman with raised arm, as if it were waving. Next to the snowman, on the mantle, was a wooden block sign that said Happy Holidays. We made fun of the sign for saying Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. Adam then proceeded to rearrange the letters. What was born that day was Popy LaDashy, the waving Christmas snowman. When the Coudsys came home their Happy Holidays sign was next to the snowman saying "Hi Popy LaDashy."
For my bridal shower, Susan gave me the wooden blocks. That Christmas, Lisa, painted Popy LaDashy onto a canvas for us to hang on our wall.
Popy is 3 years old now and we are hoping he will grow and prosper and bring lots of smiles to people.
A few years ago I was housesitting for the Coudsy fam as they celebrated Christmas in Texas. Mike and/or Lisa, Jeff and Lauren and Adam and I went over to watch a movie at some point and up on the Coudsy's fireplace mantle was a big white snowman with raised arm, as if it were waving. Next to the snowman, on the mantle, was a wooden block sign that said Happy Holidays. We made fun of the sign for saying Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. Adam then proceeded to rearrange the letters. What was born that day was Popy LaDashy, the waving Christmas snowman. When the Coudsys came home their Happy Holidays sign was next to the snowman saying "Hi Popy LaDashy."
For my bridal shower, Susan gave me the wooden blocks. That Christmas, Lisa, painted Popy LaDashy onto a canvas for us to hang on our wall.
Popy is 3 years old now and we are hoping he will grow and prosper and bring lots of smiles to people.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Titus Tells
Well I tried. I've been trying to upload this video since last night. Blogger refuses... maybe one day.
It's like 2 minutes long but the end is cute. This is Titus telling Daddy about his first Christmas:
It's like 2 minutes long but the end is cute. This is Titus telling Daddy about his first Christmas:
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Christmas Reflection 3
Reflection 3:
Since I have a wee babe I've been thinking alot about Jesus as a baby. What sticks out to me the most, is Christ's humility.
Humility = humiliating. No one likes to be humiliated.
Jesus became a baby. A helpless, needy baby. He mildly laid his glory aside, fit himself into the womb of a teenager who was ready to be ashamed, and came out in a busy busy busy busy town that cared nothing of who he was.
As I've nursed Titus, I've thought of Jesus and how Mary nursed him. To me, I am amazed at how humble a suckling babe is. They rely on their mother to feed them. All they can do is cry when they are hungry but just because they cry doesn't mean their tummy is filled. There is nothing they can do to satisfy their hunger until the breast is placed in their mouth. I know it's graphic, but it's humbling. Babies have to open their mouths wide and use their tongue to suck the milk and to think that Jesus had to do that astounds me. Jesus, the God of all, had to suck his milk from a sinful human. It makes me pause. It makes me pause again. I think about it a lot. He was humble. And I am thankful.
Since I have a wee babe I've been thinking alot about Jesus as a baby. What sticks out to me the most, is Christ's humility.
Humility = humiliating. No one likes to be humiliated.
Jesus became a baby. A helpless, needy baby. He mildly laid his glory aside, fit himself into the womb of a teenager who was ready to be ashamed, and came out in a busy busy busy busy town that cared nothing of who he was.
As I've nursed Titus, I've thought of Jesus and how Mary nursed him. To me, I am amazed at how humble a suckling babe is. They rely on their mother to feed them. All they can do is cry when they are hungry but just because they cry doesn't mean their tummy is filled. There is nothing they can do to satisfy their hunger until the breast is placed in their mouth. I know it's graphic, but it's humbling. Babies have to open their mouths wide and use their tongue to suck the milk and to think that Jesus had to do that astounds me. Jesus, the God of all, had to suck his milk from a sinful human. It makes me pause. It makes me pause again. I think about it a lot. He was humble. And I am thankful.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Christmas Reflection 2
There is a little snowman hanging on the doorknob of one of the apartments down the way from us. The snowman sign has a message on it that says:
MERRY
cHRISTMAS
Exactly like that. All caps except for the "C."
It makes me so sad.
MERRY
cHRISTMAS
Exactly like that. All caps except for the "C."
It makes me so sad.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Christmas Reflections
Every year I always have some different reflections/observations as I think about and anticipate and experience Christmas. Every year, there is either a new song that really reaches my heart or a song lyric that I have sung for twenty-something years that strikes a new chord in my heart and understanding. Something I fall in love with, inside.
This year I haven't found a new song. But as the season progressed I patiently waited to see what would strike my heart. It happened in church Sunday morning. We were singing Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Titus was in his moby wrap singing his lungs out (so precious!) and I leaned down to kiss the top of his head so I stopped singing and reflecting on the words for a moment but when I finished the kiss, I came in singing; "Mild He lays His glory by." It's a simple line but, it's packed. It's kenosis.
Christ MILDLY laid aside His GLORY. That's so huge. Glory and mild are like, antonyms. He voluntarily did it. He humbly did it. He did it.
I'm thankful.
I have more Christmas Reflections. But I'll share them later.
This year I haven't found a new song. But as the season progressed I patiently waited to see what would strike my heart. It happened in church Sunday morning. We were singing Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Titus was in his moby wrap singing his lungs out (so precious!) and I leaned down to kiss the top of his head so I stopped singing and reflecting on the words for a moment but when I finished the kiss, I came in singing; "Mild He lays His glory by." It's a simple line but, it's packed. It's kenosis.
Christ MILDLY laid aside His GLORY. That's so huge. Glory and mild are like, antonyms. He voluntarily did it. He humbly did it. He did it.
I'm thankful.
I have more Christmas Reflections. But I'll share them later.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Titus's Ornament
We bought Titus his first Christmas ornament this year. It doesn't say Baby's First Christmas on it but, before we pack it away, I will write on the bottom of it.
Titus has always had a fabulous grip. That considered, we really wanted him to put his ornament on the tree this year. So we put the ornament in his hand and leaned him into the tree. He held it for a good while but when he let go this is how the ornament settled. I LOVE it. LOVE it. We will always have our kids hang ornaments on our tree no matter how good or bad it winds up looking.
Titus has always had a fabulous grip. That considered, we really wanted him to put his ornament on the tree this year. So we put the ornament in his hand and leaned him into the tree. He held it for a good while but when he let go this is how the ornament settled. I LOVE it. LOVE it. We will always have our kids hang ornaments on our tree no matter how good or bad it winds up looking.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Laundry
People have been getting rude here at The Californian when it comes to laundry. It makes me sad because the bulk of people who live here are believers. There are tons of stay-at-home-moms.
A couple weeks ago, my friend Lisa came over to do some Christmas crafting with me and she brought laundry to do during her couple hours here. She got her laundry into the washer and in the allotted amount of time went down to move it to the dryer. And then within the allotted amount of time went down to claim it and bring it back up to our apt to fold it. When she got down there. There was a lady who had moved all of Lisa's laundry back into her laundry basket and told Lisa that she 'didn't have time to wait.' I thought that was pretty rude especially considering that Lisa didn't leave it sitting for hours unattended in the machines.
Today I did a load of laundry and the same thing happened. I promptly moved it from washer to dryer and after the allotted amount of dryer time I went down to grab it. It was all sitting in my basket on top of the washing machines. It was still hot. So I just missed whoever it was that moved it. But it was still HOT. That means she either 1. ended my drying time before it was up since it normally does a little bit of a cool down or 2. was impatient and thought I wasn't coming to deal with it. It REALLY bothers me. I was there to get my laundry. Instead it was stuffed in my basket getting wrinkly. I did not keep that person waiting. AND I was only using 1 of the 4 dryers. I'm pretty sure they are using all 4 now.
Adam and I agreed to never monopolize the machines. That's not considerate when it comes to community living. We don't hog stuff for ourselves.
Anyway, I wrote Adam an email about the situation. I also picked up the phone to call the manager but hung it back up. I sinfully wanted to just open the dryer that my clothes were in and stop the person's load from drying in sync with all 3 other loads, but thankfully the Holy Spirit convicted me against doing that.
(Even though I still really want to.)
If it were me, and I desperately needed use of all 4 dryers and someones finished load was in there I would at least fold it for them or SOMETHING. But I would just never let things get to a point where I had to take someones laundry out so that I could use the machine. It's rude and inconsiderate and selfish. Plus we dry a lot of little things now that we have a baby and I like to double and triple check the dryer because there are crevices in there where things get stuck when you empty the dryer out and now I'll not really know if all my stuff made it out of the dryer.
There were some ladies out front hanging out. I almost asked if they moved my laundry, but I figured I needed to give myself a couple hours to just absorb my pride and get some distance from the emotion. Hopefully Adam will be home for lunch and I can get some perspective from him. If he agrees, then I will call the manager.
A couple weeks ago, my friend Lisa came over to do some Christmas crafting with me and she brought laundry to do during her couple hours here. She got her laundry into the washer and in the allotted amount of time went down to move it to the dryer. And then within the allotted amount of time went down to claim it and bring it back up to our apt to fold it. When she got down there. There was a lady who had moved all of Lisa's laundry back into her laundry basket and told Lisa that she 'didn't have time to wait.' I thought that was pretty rude especially considering that Lisa didn't leave it sitting for hours unattended in the machines.
Today I did a load of laundry and the same thing happened. I promptly moved it from washer to dryer and after the allotted amount of dryer time I went down to grab it. It was all sitting in my basket on top of the washing machines. It was still hot. So I just missed whoever it was that moved it. But it was still HOT. That means she either 1. ended my drying time before it was up since it normally does a little bit of a cool down or 2. was impatient and thought I wasn't coming to deal with it. It REALLY bothers me. I was there to get my laundry. Instead it was stuffed in my basket getting wrinkly. I did not keep that person waiting. AND I was only using 1 of the 4 dryers. I'm pretty sure they are using all 4 now.
Adam and I agreed to never monopolize the machines. That's not considerate when it comes to community living. We don't hog stuff for ourselves.
Anyway, I wrote Adam an email about the situation. I also picked up the phone to call the manager but hung it back up. I sinfully wanted to just open the dryer that my clothes were in and stop the person's load from drying in sync with all 3 other loads, but thankfully the Holy Spirit convicted me against doing that.
(Even though I still really want to.)
If it were me, and I desperately needed use of all 4 dryers and someones finished load was in there I would at least fold it for them or SOMETHING. But I would just never let things get to a point where I had to take someones laundry out so that I could use the machine. It's rude and inconsiderate and selfish. Plus we dry a lot of little things now that we have a baby and I like to double and triple check the dryer because there are crevices in there where things get stuck when you empty the dryer out and now I'll not really know if all my stuff made it out of the dryer.
There were some ladies out front hanging out. I almost asked if they moved my laundry, but I figured I needed to give myself a couple hours to just absorb my pride and get some distance from the emotion. Hopefully Adam will be home for lunch and I can get some perspective from him. If he agrees, then I will call the manager.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Dinner
I had some sweet potatoes I bought a few weeks ago and I figured I ought to use them soon so that they wouldn't go bad. I am LOVING sweet potatoes/yams recently. My friend Anna had sent me a recipe for a chicken chili with sweet potatoes, but I didn't have all the ingredients for it, so I began browsing the web for a suitable/similar recipe.
I found a link for a vegan sweet potato stew. I figured it would be a good idea to add some more protein besides just the little bit of beans so I added chicken.
One thing I do to help myself with meal prep now that I have a baby is to cook common meats in bulk. Now if you know me, you know that I am not on super friendly terms with meat. I'm reallllllllllly picky about my meat. That being said I basically cook with ground beef and chicken breasts. Sometimes I use pork, but I don't venture much further or even into different cuts of meat. It's just a little scary and unknown and not really in my repertoire. Maybe that will be a New Year's Resolution of mine..
Anyway, I buy a bag of chicken breasts, throw them in my crockpot and add my basic spices: salt, pepper, garlic and oregano. (I can spice them further when I know how I will be using them later on down the road in different recipes - Italian, Mexican etc.) Maybe if I'm digging through the cupboard I'll add another spice or two. Throw the lid on and cook 'em all day. By all day, I mean several hours. After those hours have passed I use my tongs that look like this:
And just attack the meat while it's still in the crockpot and shred, shred, shred. I used to pull the meat out and wait for it too cool then shred it all by hand. Time consuming! This works waaay better. Then I just use quart size freezer bags and portion the meat into the bags and throw it in my freezer. Then when I need it, I just pull a bag out. Last night with the stew, the chicken was still totally frozen, but who cares when you're throwing it in a crockpot? So quick and handy.
Back to the stew. It was GOOD! Adam really liked it. I also tried a new biscuit recipe.
I can't find the link again for the stew, but here is the biscuit recipe.
Sweet Potato Stew:
Saute:
1/2 c onion - chopped
1 garlic clove - chopped
olive oil
Throw in crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours:
The above onions and garlic
4 c sweet potatoes (1/2" cubed)
1-1/2 c red beans ( I used a can of kidney beans and a can of black beans)
1-1/2 c broth
1 c red bell pepper - chopped (I didn't have it so I didn't use it)
1/2 c water
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes - drained
1 (4 or 4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles - drained
1tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cumin
salt
pepper
THEN:
scoop out some broth - about a cup - and whisk in 3 Tbsp of peanut butter. I also whisked in a few spoonfuls of flour because the stew seemed more soupy/brothy and I wanted it thick and stewy. Pour that mixture back into the crockpot. Stir and serve.
The recipe said you could sprinkle chopped peanuts on top. I didn't have any but it would be good. With the amount of my sweet potatoes I ended up having to 1-1/2 times this recipe. It made a lot. My crockpot was pretty full. So I portioned the leftovers out into 2 quart size freezer bags (they are good friends of mine) and will freeze the leftovers so that we don't have to eat sweet potato stew for the rest of the week.
=)
I found a link for a vegan sweet potato stew. I figured it would be a good idea to add some more protein besides just the little bit of beans so I added chicken.
One thing I do to help myself with meal prep now that I have a baby is to cook common meats in bulk. Now if you know me, you know that I am not on super friendly terms with meat. I'm reallllllllllly picky about my meat. That being said I basically cook with ground beef and chicken breasts. Sometimes I use pork, but I don't venture much further or even into different cuts of meat. It's just a little scary and unknown and not really in my repertoire. Maybe that will be a New Year's Resolution of mine..
Anyway, I buy a bag of chicken breasts, throw them in my crockpot and add my basic spices: salt, pepper, garlic and oregano. (I can spice them further when I know how I will be using them later on down the road in different recipes - Italian, Mexican etc.) Maybe if I'm digging through the cupboard I'll add another spice or two. Throw the lid on and cook 'em all day. By all day, I mean several hours. After those hours have passed I use my tongs that look like this:
And just attack the meat while it's still in the crockpot and shred, shred, shred. I used to pull the meat out and wait for it too cool then shred it all by hand. Time consuming! This works waaay better. Then I just use quart size freezer bags and portion the meat into the bags and throw it in my freezer. Then when I need it, I just pull a bag out. Last night with the stew, the chicken was still totally frozen, but who cares when you're throwing it in a crockpot? So quick and handy.
Back to the stew. It was GOOD! Adam really liked it. I also tried a new biscuit recipe.
I can't find the link again for the stew, but here is the biscuit recipe.
Sweet Potato Stew:
Saute:
1/2 c onion - chopped
1 garlic clove - chopped
olive oil
Throw in crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours:
The above onions and garlic
4 c sweet potatoes (1/2" cubed)
1-1/2 c red beans ( I used a can of kidney beans and a can of black beans)
1-1/2 c broth
1 c red bell pepper - chopped (I didn't have it so I didn't use it)
1/2 c water
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes - drained
1 (4 or 4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles - drained
1tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cumin
salt
pepper
THEN:
scoop out some broth - about a cup - and whisk in 3 Tbsp of peanut butter. I also whisked in a few spoonfuls of flour because the stew seemed more soupy/brothy and I wanted it thick and stewy. Pour that mixture back into the crockpot. Stir and serve.
The recipe said you could sprinkle chopped peanuts on top. I didn't have any but it would be good. With the amount of my sweet potatoes I ended up having to 1-1/2 times this recipe. It made a lot. My crockpot was pretty full. So I portioned the leftovers out into 2 quart size freezer bags (they are good friends of mine) and will freeze the leftovers so that we don't have to eat sweet potato stew for the rest of the week.
=)
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Jumbalaya
When Grandad and Lola were here they bought Titus this giraffe. Adam named him Jumbalaya. Not Jambalaya. Jumb. Jumbalaya has brought entertainment to Titus's world. One thing we've noticed about Titus is that if something doesn't really interact back with him, he gets frustrated. So at first Titus was talking to Jumba. Talking lots. So I grabbed the camera. Of course when I started filming was when Titus got frustrated. Tell me that pout of his doesn't break your heart like it breaks mine. Anyway, he started pouting so I was gonna get him, then it seemed like he might calm down again, but he didn't. So I had to intervene.
Did you see it? The pout? Did your heart break? Mine did.
Did you see it? The pout? Did your heart break? Mine did.
Monday, December 6, 2010
New Ornaments
Every year we get a new Christmas ornament or 2 or 3. Last year our yearly ornaments were 2 wooden robots that were our wedding cake topper. There is even still cake on the bottom of them. (They're hanging from an "E". I have a sign on our treetop that says PEACE, instead of the typical angel or star or bow.)
This year when Adam went to Target he came home with the most adorable owl ornament for me. I love it so much! Hanging to the right of it is a sparkly blue and white mushroom. I bought that one this year at Cost Plus. Saw the mushroom and couldn't resist it's cuteness. So our theme this year seems to be nature related ornaments.
We went with multi colored lights on the tree this year. So fun. So us. And our tree is propped up on an old wooden picnic basket to make it look taller and more eclectic. Again, so us.
I'm really diggin' our tree this year.
This year when Adam went to Target he came home with the most adorable owl ornament for me. I love it so much! Hanging to the right of it is a sparkly blue and white mushroom. I bought that one this year at Cost Plus. Saw the mushroom and couldn't resist it's cuteness. So our theme this year seems to be nature related ornaments.
We went with multi colored lights on the tree this year. So fun. So us. And our tree is propped up on an old wooden picnic basket to make it look taller and more eclectic. Again, so us.
I'm really diggin' our tree this year.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Thanksgiving Pie
Adam thought it would be fun to make a pie for Thanksgiving. So Wednesday night when the family arrived at our apartment, Adam set to work making the pie. He had made it all alone for Turkeys, Tarts and Testimonies but this time he thought it would be fun to make it a family affair.
Adam's mom, aka Lola, helped us make the crust look so delectable.
It was The Pioneer Woman's pumpkin cream pie. And I just remembered there is still one piece left. I think I will go eat it.
Adam's mom, aka Lola, helped us make the crust look so delectable.
It was The Pioneer Woman's pumpkin cream pie. And I just remembered there is still one piece left. I think I will go eat it.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Friday
1. Tomorrow is our one year anniversary. One year. So much has happened. Lots will happen in year 2 as well.
2. Love the weather. Overcast and rain. YES! It makes the Christmas music seem a lot more real.
3. Made banana bread this morning. Last time I made banana bread it was so good we ate the loaf in like 3 days. So this morning I made 2 loaves. I also put choc chips in it again. Delicious! I'm eating a fresh out of the oven warm piece right now.
4. I think for our anniversary tomorrow I get to get my nose repierced. I miss my nose ring so I am very excited to get it back in. (I had to take the ring out for my c-section and we didn't get the ring back in before the hole closed up.) I think I actually want a bigger one this time. I feel like the last one was just a speck on the small side. Hopefully Adam will go with me and he can help me pick something.
5. Titus has developed a cough. I don't appreciate it. He keeps wanting to sleep too so I know he's not feeling well. Yesterday I fed him and he was fussy so I picked him up and was holding him and he instantly fell asleep. He doesn't really do that anymore. And today I fed him and he just wanted to go to sleep so he had no waketime, just headed straight in for his nap and went right to sleep. Poor little guy. I'm taking him to the Dr. at 1:30 this afternoon to get him checked out.
6. Lisa, Lauren and I are having a little craft day on Monday. Christmas crafts. I think I will try and sew stockings for the 3 of us. I also want to buy some felt and maybe make some little felt animal toys for Titus. And Lisa was thinking of making a Christmas version of the garland I made for my wedding. I think that is a great and fun idea so I may do that as well. And then another friend posted a pic of a yarn pom-pom ball wreath. I think it's cute. Maybe I will try that. And then in my Better Homes & Gardens December issue there was a felt flower garland that was super cute as well. So we'll see what prices are running at Joann's and what I can afford. I'm excited though.
7. We are making an announcement in church Sunday night at Turkeys Tarts & Testimonies.
8. I've been playing around with Titus's schedule. For a while he was going/sleeping 5 hours in between feedings at night. Then all the sudden he stopped that and was back to waking up every 3.5 hours at night. So rather than keep his late night feeding (the 10 or 11 one) and trying to get him to sleep til morning. I dropped the 10 or 11 feeding so that when I put him down in the later evening he can just stay asleep. So far it seems to be working. He is back to that 5 hour stretch and then he does a 3.5-4 hour stretch after that. Progress!
9. I finished the Susannah Spurgeon book and am now onto the 2nd book Patty gave me to read. It's called These Strange Ashes by Elisabeth Elliot. I'm only a few pages in so far so I'm still waiting to pull out some awesome things.
10. You should see our Goodwill pile. The end.
11. My mom has a friend in town from NY for the next 2 days. I get to go over there and show off Titus. I LOVE showing off Titus. I am so SO proud of him and I just want everyone to see him.
2. Love the weather. Overcast and rain. YES! It makes the Christmas music seem a lot more real.
3. Made banana bread this morning. Last time I made banana bread it was so good we ate the loaf in like 3 days. So this morning I made 2 loaves. I also put choc chips in it again. Delicious! I'm eating a fresh out of the oven warm piece right now.
4. I think for our anniversary tomorrow I get to get my nose repierced. I miss my nose ring so I am very excited to get it back in. (I had to take the ring out for my c-section and we didn't get the ring back in before the hole closed up.) I think I actually want a bigger one this time. I feel like the last one was just a speck on the small side. Hopefully Adam will go with me and he can help me pick something.
5. Titus has developed a cough. I don't appreciate it. He keeps wanting to sleep too so I know he's not feeling well. Yesterday I fed him and he was fussy so I picked him up and was holding him and he instantly fell asleep. He doesn't really do that anymore. And today I fed him and he just wanted to go to sleep so he had no waketime, just headed straight in for his nap and went right to sleep. Poor little guy. I'm taking him to the Dr. at 1:30 this afternoon to get him checked out.
6. Lisa, Lauren and I are having a little craft day on Monday. Christmas crafts. I think I will try and sew stockings for the 3 of us. I also want to buy some felt and maybe make some little felt animal toys for Titus. And Lisa was thinking of making a Christmas version of the garland I made for my wedding. I think that is a great and fun idea so I may do that as well. And then another friend posted a pic of a yarn pom-pom ball wreath. I think it's cute. Maybe I will try that. And then in my Better Homes & Gardens December issue there was a felt flower garland that was super cute as well. So we'll see what prices are running at Joann's and what I can afford. I'm excited though.
7. We are making an announcement in church Sunday night at Turkeys Tarts & Testimonies.
8. I've been playing around with Titus's schedule. For a while he was going/sleeping 5 hours in between feedings at night. Then all the sudden he stopped that and was back to waking up every 3.5 hours at night. So rather than keep his late night feeding (the 10 or 11 one) and trying to get him to sleep til morning. I dropped the 10 or 11 feeding so that when I put him down in the later evening he can just stay asleep. So far it seems to be working. He is back to that 5 hour stretch and then he does a 3.5-4 hour stretch after that. Progress!
9. I finished the Susannah Spurgeon book and am now onto the 2nd book Patty gave me to read. It's called These Strange Ashes by Elisabeth Elliot. I'm only a few pages in so far so I'm still waiting to pull out some awesome things.
10. You should see our Goodwill pile. The end.
11. My mom has a friend in town from NY for the next 2 days. I get to go over there and show off Titus. I LOVE showing off Titus. I am so SO proud of him and I just want everyone to see him.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The Big One-Oh
Today is Tie-Dye's final day of being in the single weekly digits of age. He is 9 weeks and 6 days. Tomorrow he turns the big 'one-oh.' 10 weeks.
Isn't he cute?
Isn't he cute?
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
2 Months
Titus had his 2 month baby checkup last Friday. I was so excited to go because I was so curious as to how much he weighed. He seemed like he was getting big, but I wanted to know how big.
Titus weighed in at 10lbs 15oz and was 23 inches long.
When he was born he weighed 6lbs 1oz and was 20 inches long.
So, he gained 5 pounds and 3 inches! Good boy!
This is Adam snuggling Titus in his blankie since he was in just a diaper waiting for Dr. Kim.
This was after his shot. =( We decided to go the vaccinations route. We did however, ask if we could get them spaced out rather than having 8 at once. Dr. Kim was totally on board with that. We were told that he is the only Ped. in that practice who allows spacing of vaccines. We were thankful. So Titus got one shot and goes back in 2 weeks for another, then again in 2 weeks.
Adam comforted Titus with a bottle (it was feeding time anyway so it was perfect).
And this pic is for free because the outfit is cute. Titus was fussy instead of smiley but, Hey! This is a real life blog. Sometimes Titus is fussy. And even when he is fussy, he is still adorable.
Titus weighed in at 10lbs 15oz and was 23 inches long.
When he was born he weighed 6lbs 1oz and was 20 inches long.
So, he gained 5 pounds and 3 inches! Good boy!
This is Adam snuggling Titus in his blankie since he was in just a diaper waiting for Dr. Kim.
This was after his shot. =( We decided to go the vaccinations route. We did however, ask if we could get them spaced out rather than having 8 at once. Dr. Kim was totally on board with that. We were told that he is the only Ped. in that practice who allows spacing of vaccines. We were thankful. So Titus got one shot and goes back in 2 weeks for another, then again in 2 weeks.
Adam comforted Titus with a bottle (it was feeding time anyway so it was perfect).
And this pic is for free because the outfit is cute. Titus was fussy instead of smiley but, Hey! This is a real life blog. Sometimes Titus is fussy. And even when he is fussy, he is still adorable.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
My Great Grandma's Orange Rolls
For Thanksgiving every year, my Great Grandma would make orange rolls. We all LOVE them. I ended up with one of her Betty Crocker cookbooks and in it was handwritten her orange roll recipe. So I cut it out to save it.
They don't look quite like hers. Hers were smaller. I was a little unsure of what the 'cook for 6 minutes' meant. Cook for 6 minutes from the minute I turn the heat on? From when the butter melts? Or boil? I did a sorta half and half between the butter melting and boiling. I'm pretty sure it means from when the butter melts. Anyway. They taste amazing! I'm excited for Adam to get home and eat some.
They don't look quite like hers. Hers were smaller. I was a little unsure of what the 'cook for 6 minutes' meant. Cook for 6 minutes from the minute I turn the heat on? From when the butter melts? Or boil? I did a sorta half and half between the butter melting and boiling. I'm pretty sure it means from when the butter melts. Anyway. They taste amazing! I'm excited for Adam to get home and eat some.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Susannah Spurgeon: The Wife
As we've been preparing to go to Jackson Hole, and as we settle more into our marriage, Adam asked me to look into reading books on being the wife of a husband in ministry. I facebooked Patty Ardavanis and asked her if she had any favorite books on the subject. Yesterday at church she sat me down and gave me several books. The first book is a biography of Susannah Spurgeon. Three things have already jumped out at me and I'm only halfway through the book.
1. When Susie and Charles were engaged she would accompany him on some of his speaking engagements. He, being passionate and overcome with what he would be speaking of would forget about her. In one incident they arrived together in the same cab. There was a big crowd so they got a little bit separated from each other in the walk to the room and Charles shut the door behind himself and didn't realize he didn't have Susannah with him. She was angry and got back in the cab and went back to her mother's house. Her mom gave her this to think about;
"..that my chosen husband was no ordinary man, that his whole life was absolutely dedicated to God and His service, and that I must never, never hinder him by trying to put myself first in his heart."
Impactful to Erin. I need to not hinder Adam. I need to help him be freed to do what God has for him. I definitely have allowed myself to think I have 'rights' to Adam at times when I probably really don't. I know this has then taken Adam's focus and attention away from where it needed to be. Because I felt that I should come first. I pray I will know and practice keeping myself second in Adam's life.
2. The book says this after their honeymoon:
"...the happy couple..returned to their first united home -- a modest house in New Kent Road, London, where as in all future homes, the best room became the library." Susannah also writes, "..because the 'best room' was always felt to belong by right to the one who 'laboured much in the Lord.' Never have I regretted this early decision; it is a wise arrangement for a minister's house..."
Impactful to Erin: Adam has often commented about how he needs an office. A space where he can be undistracted (pretty sure I just made that word up). A place of quiet where he can gather his thoughts together and focus. Not only spiritually but also for his work as a graphic artist who needs to provide for our family. I understand that having that space is important but this definitely drove the point home. I love that they chose the best room in the house and made that the library where Charles would work. I would be willing for us to do that for Adam.
3. The book says:
"What times of happiness were spent in the little home on Sunday evenings after the duties of the day were done. On his return from Chapel tired by his labours the preacher would enjoy a light repast and then throw himself into an easy chair by the fireside, while his wife sat on a low cushion at his feet reading to him from the pages of George Herbert or some other Christian poet. Or, if the young minister felt that he had not been as earnest in his preaching as he should have been, the poet would give place to Baxter's Reformed Pastor, and as the solemn words were read, husband and wife would sob and weep together, he "from the smitings of a very tender conscience towards God," and she because she "loved him and wanted to share his grief.""
Impactful to Erin. I always want to read out loud to Adam. Granted it is Harry Potter that I want to read out loud, but if there was something else more meaningful that Adam wanted me to read to him, I would love to do that. I think it's a sweet thing and a great and purposeful way to spend time as a couple. But what struck my heart was that Susannah sobbed with her husband because she "loved him and wanted to share his grief." Love that. I've cried with Adam before, but there are times when I've been really passive about his grief. He, like Charles, has a heart that is tender and burdened and there are times that I really am not very considerate of the fact that that is the way the Lord created Adam's heart to work. I pray that I will be able to share Adam's heart in every way. So that I cry when he cries and laugh when he laughs.
1. When Susie and Charles were engaged she would accompany him on some of his speaking engagements. He, being passionate and overcome with what he would be speaking of would forget about her. In one incident they arrived together in the same cab. There was a big crowd so they got a little bit separated from each other in the walk to the room and Charles shut the door behind himself and didn't realize he didn't have Susannah with him. She was angry and got back in the cab and went back to her mother's house. Her mom gave her this to think about;
"..that my chosen husband was no ordinary man, that his whole life was absolutely dedicated to God and His service, and that I must never, never hinder him by trying to put myself first in his heart."
Impactful to Erin. I need to not hinder Adam. I need to help him be freed to do what God has for him. I definitely have allowed myself to think I have 'rights' to Adam at times when I probably really don't. I know this has then taken Adam's focus and attention away from where it needed to be. Because I felt that I should come first. I pray I will know and practice keeping myself second in Adam's life.
2. The book says this after their honeymoon:
"...the happy couple..returned to their first united home -- a modest house in New Kent Road, London, where as in all future homes, the best room became the library." Susannah also writes, "..because the 'best room' was always felt to belong by right to the one who 'laboured much in the Lord.' Never have I regretted this early decision; it is a wise arrangement for a minister's house..."
Impactful to Erin: Adam has often commented about how he needs an office. A space where he can be undistracted (pretty sure I just made that word up). A place of quiet where he can gather his thoughts together and focus. Not only spiritually but also for his work as a graphic artist who needs to provide for our family. I understand that having that space is important but this definitely drove the point home. I love that they chose the best room in the house and made that the library where Charles would work. I would be willing for us to do that for Adam.
3. The book says:
"What times of happiness were spent in the little home on Sunday evenings after the duties of the day were done. On his return from Chapel tired by his labours the preacher would enjoy a light repast and then throw himself into an easy chair by the fireside, while his wife sat on a low cushion at his feet reading to him from the pages of George Herbert or some other Christian poet. Or, if the young minister felt that he had not been as earnest in his preaching as he should have been, the poet would give place to Baxter's Reformed Pastor, and as the solemn words were read, husband and wife would sob and weep together, he "from the smitings of a very tender conscience towards God," and she because she "loved him and wanted to share his grief.""
Impactful to Erin. I always want to read out loud to Adam. Granted it is Harry Potter that I want to read out loud, but if there was something else more meaningful that Adam wanted me to read to him, I would love to do that. I think it's a sweet thing and a great and purposeful way to spend time as a couple. But what struck my heart was that Susannah sobbed with her husband because she "loved him and wanted to share his grief." Love that. I've cried with Adam before, but there are times when I've been really passive about his grief. He, like Charles, has a heart that is tender and burdened and there are times that I really am not very considerate of the fact that that is the way the Lord created Adam's heart to work. I pray that I will be able to share Adam's heart in every way. So that I cry when he cries and laugh when he laughs.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Stewardship
When Adam and I were getting premarital counselled, one of the main things I came away with was that of thinking about/understanding stewardship. Tom never hit the subject hard but it was one of those things where the Holy Spirit was like 'Hey. I'm impressing this on you. Think about it. Keep thinking about it." Tom talked about stewardship in regards to his children. How he doesn't own them. They are given to him by the Lord and he is responsible to do his best with them. But there are things that he cannot control. In the idea that there are things that he cannot control is where a proper perspective of stewardship comes into play.
Today was the memorial service for Karen Richardson. Her husband, Kent, spent time sharing from his heart. One of the first things he said was, "Karen was never mine." She belonged to the Lord. Again, my heart was so struck with the stewardship thing. Kent was a steward over Karen, but she wasn't his. He didn't own her. Christ bought her. Christ owned her. Kent just got to take care of her and love her etc.
I really want to be a faithful steward. I want to keep in mind that I do not own Adam and I do not own Titus. They are not mine. I'm here with them. I love them and I am taking care of them. But should God call me or one of them home I will need to be ready to let go and to know that each of us belong to the Lord.
Stewardship definitely strikes my heart the most when I think of it in the context of having to let go. If it's my baby and I had to let go, it would be so hard. So VERY very hard. This is exactly why I need to realize that I am a steward and not an owner.
I'm so glad the owner is God.
Today was the memorial service for Karen Richardson. Her husband, Kent, spent time sharing from his heart. One of the first things he said was, "Karen was never mine." She belonged to the Lord. Again, my heart was so struck with the stewardship thing. Kent was a steward over Karen, but she wasn't his. He didn't own her. Christ bought her. Christ owned her. Kent just got to take care of her and love her etc.
I really want to be a faithful steward. I want to keep in mind that I do not own Adam and I do not own Titus. They are not mine. I'm here with them. I love them and I am taking care of them. But should God call me or one of them home I will need to be ready to let go and to know that each of us belong to the Lord.
Stewardship definitely strikes my heart the most when I think of it in the context of having to let go. If it's my baby and I had to let go, it would be so hard. So VERY very hard. This is exactly why I need to realize that I am a steward and not an owner.
I'm so glad the owner is God.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Moby Wrap
The Moby Wrap. Mine is a knock off, but still....
Titus LOVES his moby wrap and so does his mommy (that's me). When I was first pregnant I remembered a lady from PBC who always had her baby wrapped on her during the service. So I emailed her, because #1 it looked like a comfy way to carry a child and #2 I liked the closeness aspect of mother and baby that I saw. She emailed me back and told me it was called a Moby Wrap but that they were pretty expensive and she had some leftover brown material from when she made hers and she'd be happy to sew one for me. I asked her if it would be ok if I picked out my own material because I'm such a patterns person that I wanted something really fun. She told me how much material to get when I made my purchase. I looked for material with a cute design but there wasn't any to be found. So I ended up going with my fallback favorite color. Green.
I can recline Titus in the moby so that it's like he's laying in a hammock. He sleeps very well when I do this for him.
This is the little guy snug as a bug. He was a lot smaller here. Now he stretches all the way across me.
The moby is so awesome because my arms don't die of exhaustion when I hold Titus for an extended period of time. It is comfy for my back as it easily distributes his weight. I don't have a pic of the other hold. It's where it's like an actual baby carrier. He legs poke out the bottom and he is upright and facing me. I could face him out too, but generally he like to be snuggled in. When he is in that hold, I am always ALWAYS kissing the top of his head and smelling the top of his head. He just always smells so good to me.
Anyway, all that to say..BIG FAN of the moby wrap.
Titus LOVES his moby wrap and so does his mommy (that's me). When I was first pregnant I remembered a lady from PBC who always had her baby wrapped on her during the service. So I emailed her, because #1 it looked like a comfy way to carry a child and #2 I liked the closeness aspect of mother and baby that I saw. She emailed me back and told me it was called a Moby Wrap but that they were pretty expensive and she had some leftover brown material from when she made hers and she'd be happy to sew one for me. I asked her if it would be ok if I picked out my own material because I'm such a patterns person that I wanted something really fun. She told me how much material to get when I made my purchase. I looked for material with a cute design but there wasn't any to be found. So I ended up going with my fallback favorite color. Green.
I can recline Titus in the moby so that it's like he's laying in a hammock. He sleeps very well when I do this for him.
This is the little guy snug as a bug. He was a lot smaller here. Now he stretches all the way across me.
The moby is so awesome because my arms don't die of exhaustion when I hold Titus for an extended period of time. It is comfy for my back as it easily distributes his weight. I don't have a pic of the other hold. It's where it's like an actual baby carrier. He legs poke out the bottom and he is upright and facing me. I could face him out too, but generally he like to be snuggled in. When he is in that hold, I am always ALWAYS kissing the top of his head and smelling the top of his head. He just always smells so good to me.
Anyway, all that to say..BIG FAN of the moby wrap.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
2 Months Old
Titus is 2 months old today. I love this little boy. In the last week he has started to really smile a ton and has been cooing at us. It's so fun seeing him learn to interact and it just melts my heart when he smiles at me and talks to me. Already seeing reward to my labors over him.
He still doesn't love to nap. We're still working on it. I've been keeping him up a bit longer. Basically when he finishes eating I talk to him a bit and/or put him somewhere where he seems content. This afternoon he spent a good while laying on his blanket staring out the window and at my music stand. When he began to fuss I propped him on the couch, another favorite spot of his right now. I can only keep him out of my arms so long though. Soon I held him. And kissed him and he was yawning to I put him down for a nap. I think it's helping both of us for me to wait until I can really visibly see that he is tired before putting him down. Once I put him down though he seems to only sleep maybe 30-45 minutes on average. Sometimes there are longer naps.
His eyelashes still seem to grow everyday. They are just getting longer and more adorable every time I look at them. He's got some good cheeks now too. So squishy. Eyes are still blue. It would be so awesome if they stayed blue. I don't want to get my hopes up though. He also loves his moby wrap. In the evenings if he has a fussy time I just put him in the moby and he soon settles down and eventually falls asleep. I love having him so close to me and being able to kiss the top of his head tons and tons.
I love this pic because of the chubby little fingers. Again he loves to have his hands on his face.
This was taken last night. He was so happy to talk to Daddy. I was trying to get video of it but didn't have enough battery for it.
Love this one of him yawning. He yawns with passion, this kid does. Closes his eyes and makes tons of noise. Precious.
Here is a video taken today.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Karen Richardson
Yesterday Karen Richardson entered the kingdom of Heaven. So amazingly true, and so incomprehensible that I can hardly put Heaven together with humanity in my brain. I know that Heaven is true and there but to think of us going there is so crazy. Beautiful, but crazy. We get to go to this place that was prepared just for us. God knows the number of hairs on our head. He has numbered our days. He knew us before the foundation of the world. He knows the intricacies of our lives and he prepared a place just for us. To me that means tailor made. A place tailor made for us. I don't know if that is accurate, I'll have to ask Adam.
The passing of Karen has got my mind thinking a lot. A few years ago when Aaron was starting up the PBC choir, I was in it, and I would try and recruit people into the choir when I talked to them. Once I talked to Karen and asked if she was busy Thursday nights because she should join the choir. She told me that at that point in time she was "really feeling the need to invest in my children." Those words never left me. They've stuck with me all these years. She did invest in her children. It is totally evident in the way they handled the journey with their mom over this past year. Now I sit here, and I hold my baby, and I think of her and I think, I need to invest in Titus. I need to do what I can in my days with him to pass as much of Christ as I can on to him. What if one day I'm no longer around? Who can influence Titus in the way I can? No one.
Even though Karen has had the physical struggles of cancer and it took a toll, the toll, on her body; to me, she became more and more beautiful. Her love for the Lord so obviously radiated through her body.
I've loved how she didn't keep things a secret but she let us all know what was going on. She shared the struggle. She shared the grief. I loved seeing her family and friends come together to support her. Facebook may serve as a big time-waster, but there are times where Facebook can be so edifying. It was that way with Karen. Seeing her updates and seeing over the months of friends and family visiting and ministering to and serving the Richardson's. I loved it. It set such a great example. I think specifically of Cheryl. Cooking, cleaning, massaging. Loved it. And I love. LOVE. How during the final days facebook was used for people to be able to say goodbye. To write prayers, verses, and encouragements to be read to her. And I love how when she passed, just about every status on facebook had to do with Karen.
She was a precious and godly woman and she has set an example for many of us woman following behind her. No longer can I pray for her healing, but I can now pray for the Lord to heal the hearts of her family.
I was reading Psalm 119 last night and thinking of Kent, Lindsey, Preston and Kailey and I read these verses and they struck my heart for them:
26I have declared my ways and opened my griefs to You, and You listened to me; teach me Your statutes.
27Make me understand the way of Your precepts; so shall I meditate on and talk of Your wondrous works.
28My life dissolves and weeps itself away for heaviness; raise me up and strengthen me according to [the promises of] Your word.
The passing of Karen has got my mind thinking a lot. A few years ago when Aaron was starting up the PBC choir, I was in it, and I would try and recruit people into the choir when I talked to them. Once I talked to Karen and asked if she was busy Thursday nights because she should join the choir. She told me that at that point in time she was "really feeling the need to invest in my children." Those words never left me. They've stuck with me all these years. She did invest in her children. It is totally evident in the way they handled the journey with their mom over this past year. Now I sit here, and I hold my baby, and I think of her and I think, I need to invest in Titus. I need to do what I can in my days with him to pass as much of Christ as I can on to him. What if one day I'm no longer around? Who can influence Titus in the way I can? No one.
Even though Karen has had the physical struggles of cancer and it took a toll, the toll, on her body; to me, she became more and more beautiful. Her love for the Lord so obviously radiated through her body.
I've loved how she didn't keep things a secret but she let us all know what was going on. She shared the struggle. She shared the grief. I loved seeing her family and friends come together to support her. Facebook may serve as a big time-waster, but there are times where Facebook can be so edifying. It was that way with Karen. Seeing her updates and seeing over the months of friends and family visiting and ministering to and serving the Richardson's. I loved it. It set such a great example. I think specifically of Cheryl. Cooking, cleaning, massaging. Loved it. And I love. LOVE. How during the final days facebook was used for people to be able to say goodbye. To write prayers, verses, and encouragements to be read to her. And I love how when she passed, just about every status on facebook had to do with Karen.
She was a precious and godly woman and she has set an example for many of us woman following behind her. No longer can I pray for her healing, but I can now pray for the Lord to heal the hearts of her family.
I was reading Psalm 119 last night and thinking of Kent, Lindsey, Preston and Kailey and I read these verses and they struck my heart for them:
26I have declared my ways and opened my griefs to You, and You listened to me; teach me Your statutes.
27Make me understand the way of Your precepts; so shall I meditate on and talk of Your wondrous works.
28My life dissolves and weeps itself away for heaviness; raise me up and strengthen me according to [the promises of] Your word.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Iced Tea
So my biggest pregnancy craving, as everyone knows, was iced tea. I used to daily drink Dr. Pepper in large quantities. But once I was prego, I knew that Dr P wasn't my best choice, but also the times I drank it would hurt my tum tum (like most things did) so it was quickly phased out of my diet.
The tea craving really began when I remembered Wahoo's had 50cent refills on their drinks and they had passion fruit iced tea. I LOVE passion fruit (or tropical) iced tea so much! So I would often pop in for a tea.
I could never afford a daily Starbucks tea, but thankfully, Starbucks iced tea is about my least favorite of all teas out there.
Sooo the tea became my trademark. I took my Wahoo's cup to the Dr. and asked him how many of those of tea I could have a day and still be safe with my pregnancy. He told me I could have 2. I was so happy to hear that I could have two. Even though tea is a diuretic it still helps me drink a lot more liquids then if I tried to stick with just water alone so it was good for me in that sense.
The craving did not end though, once Titus was born. In the hospital friends would ask if they could bring anything and I would have them stop at the In n Out across from the hospital and get me an X-Large iced tea.
Problem has been, all the teas are bought. They are made outside the house and we have to purchase them. That's not easy on the budget. I always looked for the best deal, but still ... it adds up. I mentioned to Adam that maybe we should buy one of those iced tea makers. He wanted me to try first to make the tea without one. So I tried all different routes of brewing tea. None of them were ever as good or as satisfying as the store bought teas. I couldn't figure out the difference.
At Mike and Lisa's wedding rehearsal, I was talking to Yetta about the whole iced tea thing. They have an iced tea maker and I was saying how I was thinking of getting one. She said they are great because they percolate the tea. *click!!* There was the key factor I was missing!
So last week, or earlier this week, Adam and I packed Titus into the car and headed to Bed Bath and Beyond with one of our wedding gift cards and a 5 dollar off coupon. BB&B was out of tea makers though. They were kind enough to order one and have it sent directly here and since it was an out of stock item they waived shipping. We were able to get a great deal!
Today, my iced tea maker arrived. I almost think he deserves a name.
I just ran the first cleaning brew through and now am making my first batch of tea. I didn't have quite enough ice to make it a legit first brew and I also want to buy the loose leaf tea that Yetta uses but we are well on our way to saving a lot of money.
The tea craving really began when I remembered Wahoo's had 50cent refills on their drinks and they had passion fruit iced tea. I LOVE passion fruit (or tropical) iced tea so much! So I would often pop in for a tea.
I could never afford a daily Starbucks tea, but thankfully, Starbucks iced tea is about my least favorite of all teas out there.
Sooo the tea became my trademark. I took my Wahoo's cup to the Dr. and asked him how many of those of tea I could have a day and still be safe with my pregnancy. He told me I could have 2. I was so happy to hear that I could have two. Even though tea is a diuretic it still helps me drink a lot more liquids then if I tried to stick with just water alone so it was good for me in that sense.
The craving did not end though, once Titus was born. In the hospital friends would ask if they could bring anything and I would have them stop at the In n Out across from the hospital and get me an X-Large iced tea.
Problem has been, all the teas are bought. They are made outside the house and we have to purchase them. That's not easy on the budget. I always looked for the best deal, but still ... it adds up. I mentioned to Adam that maybe we should buy one of those iced tea makers. He wanted me to try first to make the tea without one. So I tried all different routes of brewing tea. None of them were ever as good or as satisfying as the store bought teas. I couldn't figure out the difference.
At Mike and Lisa's wedding rehearsal, I was talking to Yetta about the whole iced tea thing. They have an iced tea maker and I was saying how I was thinking of getting one. She said they are great because they percolate the tea. *click!!* There was the key factor I was missing!
So last week, or earlier this week, Adam and I packed Titus into the car and headed to Bed Bath and Beyond with one of our wedding gift cards and a 5 dollar off coupon. BB&B was out of tea makers though. They were kind enough to order one and have it sent directly here and since it was an out of stock item they waived shipping. We were able to get a great deal!
Today, my iced tea maker arrived. I almost think he deserves a name.
I just ran the first cleaning brew through and now am making my first batch of tea. I didn't have quite enough ice to make it a legit first brew and I also want to buy the loose leaf tea that Yetta uses but we are well on our way to saving a lot of money.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Hands and Things
In the past few days, Titus has been doing lots with his hands. I'm not sure it's safe to say he's 'discovered' them because I really don't think he knows they are attached to him and that he can control them. But he has been grabbing my shirt, his shirt, my hair, punching daddy's face and he takes lots of opportunities to suck on his fingers. Once he even managed to get only his thumb into his mouth and spent a while sucking that.
Titus has also been smiling a lot more. Yesterday has probably been his happiest day yet. When I woke him up from his nap in the early evening for his next feeding, I brought him out to change his diaper. When I lay him on his changing table I normally spend some time talking to and kissing him. Yesterday when I was talking to him he looked at me and gave me a giant smile. It was precious. And it was all for me.
Yesterday Adam and I started listening to Christmas music. I listened to my few usual break-the-Christmas-season-ice cd's and then when Adam got home we spent the rest of the evening listening to all the Sufjan Christmas CD's. Today I created a playlist of all the Christmas music and I have that playing now. Too bad it's 85 degrees outside.
Today is my big brother's 29th birthday. It's different this year to think of my brother as a baby boy since I have my own baby boy now. I can't imagine Titus being 29. Hopefully when Adam gets home from work we can give Jeremy a call and sing our traditional birthday song to him. He loves it and looks forward to it every year.
Look at those cheeks hanging down.
Titus has also been smiling a lot more. Yesterday has probably been his happiest day yet. When I woke him up from his nap in the early evening for his next feeding, I brought him out to change his diaper. When I lay him on his changing table I normally spend some time talking to and kissing him. Yesterday when I was talking to him he looked at me and gave me a giant smile. It was precious. And it was all for me.
Yesterday Adam and I started listening to Christmas music. I listened to my few usual break-the-Christmas-season-ice cd's and then when Adam got home we spent the rest of the evening listening to all the Sufjan Christmas CD's. Today I created a playlist of all the Christmas music and I have that playing now. Too bad it's 85 degrees outside.
Today is my big brother's 29th birthday. It's different this year to think of my brother as a baby boy since I have my own baby boy now. I can't imagine Titus being 29. Hopefully when Adam gets home from work we can give Jeremy a call and sing our traditional birthday song to him. He loves it and looks forward to it every year.
Look at those cheeks hanging down.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Bad Memory
Titus and I went on a walk just now. When we got back home, THIS
was on the wall by the front door. It reminded me of THIS.(The pic disappeared so the link is much less visually interesting, but still informative) I was so scared to take a pic with my phone because I was afraid the spider was gonna jump on my hand and bite me. But for the sake of the blog, I sacrificed.
Put my life on the line.
Nearly perished.
I'm glad I'm alive to tell the story.
was on the wall by the front door. It reminded me of THIS.(The pic disappeared so the link is much less visually interesting, but still informative) I was so scared to take a pic with my phone because I was afraid the spider was gonna jump on my hand and bite me. But for the sake of the blog, I sacrificed.
Put my life on the line.
Nearly perished.
I'm glad I'm alive to tell the story.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Week 7
We had just found out I was pregnant. No morning sickness yet.
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
week 12
Week 13.
This was the day I had my first dr. appt. I wasn't supposed to have gone to the doc yet but I was throwing up so much they wanted me to go ahead and come in. This was also the day we found out we were having a boy. I could NOT stop smiling. Look how little the belly is, and we were able to already know baby's gender.
week 14
week 15
Belly bands were not comfy to me. I pretty much gave up wearing it.
week 16
This was one of my fave outfits.
week 17
In jammies because we almost forgot to take our weekly pic. We had gone to a Josh Garrel's concert that night and during his song Sweet River Roll, Titus moved through the whole thing. It was the most movement I had yet felt.
week 18
Trying out wristbands for the nausea.
week 19
Almost halfway and still so small.
week 20 - I don't have a pic of week 20. It's in Adam's computer
week 21- This was the only week we forgot to take a pic.
Week 22
week 23
week 23 - close up
week 24
week 25 is in adam's computer
week 26
week 27
week 27 - close up
week 28
week 29
week 30
week 31 was taken in jammies but those shorts are too short for a public display.
week 32
week 33
week 33 close up
week 34
comfy outfit
week 35
look at that torpedo.
This is week 36. Adam and I headed to Cambria for a 'babymoon.' Little did we know we 'babymooned' just in time. At the fruit stand Conejo's on the 126. Conejo's is our favorite one.
Still 36. I did NOT pack warm enough clothes for Cambria. I was so used to roasting that I just figured I'd be roasting and ended up being cold for most of the trip - Hence the ill fitting jacket.
Adam and I took a pic here on our honeymoon so we had to take one there for our babymoon.
We squeezed in a VERY impromptu maternity shoot.
week 36 official pic
Labor day. 36 weeks and 6 days. Titus was born at 37 weeks to the day.
We had just found out I was pregnant. No morning sickness yet.
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
week 12
Week 13.
This was the day I had my first dr. appt. I wasn't supposed to have gone to the doc yet but I was throwing up so much they wanted me to go ahead and come in. This was also the day we found out we were having a boy. I could NOT stop smiling. Look how little the belly is, and we were able to already know baby's gender.
week 14
week 15
Belly bands were not comfy to me. I pretty much gave up wearing it.
week 16
This was one of my fave outfits.
week 17
In jammies because we almost forgot to take our weekly pic. We had gone to a Josh Garrel's concert that night and during his song Sweet River Roll, Titus moved through the whole thing. It was the most movement I had yet felt.
week 18
Trying out wristbands for the nausea.
week 19
Almost halfway and still so small.
week 20 - I don't have a pic of week 20. It's in Adam's computer
week 21- This was the only week we forgot to take a pic.
Week 22
week 23
week 23 - close up
week 24
week 25 is in adam's computer
week 26
week 27
week 27 - close up
week 28
week 29
week 30
week 31 was taken in jammies but those shorts are too short for a public display.
week 32
week 33
week 33 close up
week 34
comfy outfit
week 35
look at that torpedo.
This is week 36. Adam and I headed to Cambria for a 'babymoon.' Little did we know we 'babymooned' just in time. At the fruit stand Conejo's on the 126. Conejo's is our favorite one.
Still 36. I did NOT pack warm enough clothes for Cambria. I was so used to roasting that I just figured I'd be roasting and ended up being cold for most of the trip - Hence the ill fitting jacket.
Adam and I took a pic here on our honeymoon so we had to take one there for our babymoon.
We squeezed in a VERY impromptu maternity shoot.
week 36 official pic
Labor day. 36 weeks and 6 days. Titus was born at 37 weeks to the day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)