This morning, I took the boys and drove down to D-town to attend a funeral. Saturday, I'll be going to a baby shower. It always seems to be that they go hand in hand, right? I'm so thankful for new lives. And I am so heartbroken over lost lives. I was able to hug my friend so hard this morning though, and that was the only thing I could do. I couldn't form words, I didn't know what to say, but hugging her was important. She lost her mother, and her mother was also my friend. Older, wiser, and definitely more witty. I know it keeps a balance and all scientifically, but I wonder why God always seems to place a new baby somewhere in the picture when you lose a loved one? I am so thankful that He does because it helps you focus on the good in life and remember how short and fragile it is.
I don't even know what I just said. Babbling. That's what you do when you're sad.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Snacks
This is really just a place for me to keep my ideas, but you're welcome to steal them if you'd like. CJ thinks about snacks probably 80% of the time, Daddy 10% of the time, and Bubby & Lyna the other 10% of the time. I try to have snack time at 10 a.m. and then shortly after he gets up from his nap around 3 p.m. If he is asking for a snack early, I have started setting a timer and telling him that when the timer goes off, he can have a snack. I bought the timer on Amazon a month or so ago, and I am finding it to be so handy! I'll set it for snack time, potty time, nap time, bed time, and time until he can get down from the table during a meal. Who knows what we'll be counting down to in the future. I read about the idea and liked that it was something that a kid can't argue with. They could argue with you about whether or not they want to go to bed, but they can't argue with a timer. What the timer says goes.
Anyway, I'm coming up with a list of "healthy" snack ideas that I think CJ will actually eat. At this point, he's mostly just eating trail mix granola or fiber bars and raisins for snacks, but I think I might hide these and only have the better options available. Eating just fruits and vegetables never sounds appealing to him unfortunately, but I'll put them on the list in case I can convince him that carrot sticks are yummy. So if you have ideas, feel free to share & I'll add them to the list.
-whole-grain crackers, bread (with peanut butter [PB])
-plain yogurt (with fruit, granola, flax seeds, etc.)
-cheese
-apples & PB
-carrots & low-fat ranch
-celery & PB/raisins
-raisins
-fiber bars
-nuts (I think he'd be able to eat these without choking at this point? Maybe might need to wait, I'm not sure.)
-rolled up cold cuts
-cubed ham
-cut up grapes, bananas
-broccoli and ranch (a big reach, but maybe one day!)
-mandarin oranges
-oranges
-beans
-cottage cheese
-plain popcorn (watch for choking)
-berries
-crackers or pretzels & hummus (never offered him this, but I love it so maybe he would to?)
-low-fat oatmeal cookie (just one, not the whole batch)
-prunes, cranberries
-dried apricots
-Graham crackers
-hard boiled eggs
-smoothies (My basic recipe in this order which is more than a toddler serving: 1/2 cup frozen fruit, 1/4-1/2 cup plain yogurt, handful of kale/spinach/leftover veggies, and milk or juice to the top of the frozen fruit on bottom. Sometimes a dash of honey is necessary.)
-string cheese
-dry cereal
-bread with veggies baked in
-veggie/fruit pouches
-green peppers
-leftover pancakes with cheese on top baked under the broiler (Is that even proper english? haha)
(These next few are stolen really good ideas.)
-apple and celery puree (never heard of that one!)
-Mini-pizzas: halved English muffins topped with tomato, grated carrot and cheese, and grilled
-Honeydew melon, mint and ice blended together - a summer sensation!
-Crackers with cheese and vegemite
-Berries and orange juice in a high-speed blender make a fun sorbet
-Fruit & yoghurt pops (mix bananas or strawberries together with yoghurt & freeze)
-Frozen seedless grapes are a cool treat (cut in half first as whole grapes could be a choking hazard)
-Baked beans on 'boats' (the boats are halved boiled eggs with the yolk taken out.)
-Fruit skewer: pineapple pieces, strawberries, orange slices and all kinds of fruit on a skewer (let them do it themselves - supervise carefully!)
-Cooked chickpeas and sweet potato blended together makes a yummy dip for crackers
-Bubble and squeak: leftover mashed potato, eggs and whatever else is handy cooked into patties. Just don't tell your toddler it's called 'bubble and squeak' or he or she may be expecting it to be a whole lot more exciting!-bagels & cream cheese
-pickle
-cucumber
-rice cakes
-sesame sticks
-. . . .
Anyway, I'm coming up with a list of "healthy" snack ideas that I think CJ will actually eat. At this point, he's mostly just eating trail mix granola or fiber bars and raisins for snacks, but I think I might hide these and only have the better options available. Eating just fruits and vegetables never sounds appealing to him unfortunately, but I'll put them on the list in case I can convince him that carrot sticks are yummy. So if you have ideas, feel free to share & I'll add them to the list.
-whole-grain crackers, bread (with peanut butter [PB])
-plain yogurt (with fruit, granola, flax seeds, etc.)
-cheese
-apples & PB
-carrots & low-fat ranch
-celery & PB/raisins
-raisins
-fiber bars
-nuts (I think he'd be able to eat these without choking at this point? Maybe might need to wait, I'm not sure.)
-rolled up cold cuts
-cubed ham
-cut up grapes, bananas
-broccoli and ranch (a big reach, but maybe one day!)
-mandarin oranges
-oranges
-beans
-cottage cheese
-plain popcorn (watch for choking)
-berries
-crackers or pretzels & hummus (never offered him this, but I love it so maybe he would to?)
-low-fat oatmeal cookie (just one, not the whole batch)
-prunes, cranberries
-dried apricots
-Graham crackers
-hard boiled eggs
-smoothies (My basic recipe in this order which is more than a toddler serving: 1/2 cup frozen fruit, 1/4-1/2 cup plain yogurt, handful of kale/spinach/leftover veggies, and milk or juice to the top of the frozen fruit on bottom. Sometimes a dash of honey is necessary.)
-string cheese
-dry cereal
-bread with veggies baked in
-veggie/fruit pouches
-green peppers
-leftover pancakes with cheese on top baked under the broiler (Is that even proper english? haha)
(These next few are stolen really good ideas.)
-apple and celery puree (never heard of that one!)
-Mini-pizzas: halved English muffins topped with tomato, grated carrot and cheese, and grilled
-Honeydew melon, mint and ice blended together - a summer sensation!
-Crackers with cheese and vegemite
-Berries and orange juice in a high-speed blender make a fun sorbet
-Fruit & yoghurt pops (mix bananas or strawberries together with yoghurt & freeze)
-Frozen seedless grapes are a cool treat (cut in half first as whole grapes could be a choking hazard)
-Baked beans on 'boats' (the boats are halved boiled eggs with the yolk taken out.)
-Fruit skewer: pineapple pieces, strawberries, orange slices and all kinds of fruit on a skewer (let them do it themselves - supervise carefully!)
-Cooked chickpeas and sweet potato blended together makes a yummy dip for crackers
-Bubble and squeak: leftover mashed potato, eggs and whatever else is handy cooked into patties. Just don't tell your toddler it's called 'bubble and squeak' or he or she may be expecting it to be a whole lot more exciting!-bagels & cream cheese
-pickle
-cucumber
-rice cakes
-sesame sticks
-. . . .
Monday, October 12, 2015
Growing myself
Ok, two posts in one day. I'm crazy. The kids are still sleeping.
I'm learning so much these days I thought I'd try to jot down a few of them before everyone wakes up.
The popular hymn, "I Need Thee Every Hour," has taken on a whole new meaning now. I am reading a book called, "Hope for the Weary Mom," as part of an online book club, and through it I learned that this hymn was written by a housewife and mother of 3 children while she was washing her dishes. You can read more about it here, but doesn't that bring so much more meaning to you if you're a mother as well? As you are trying to get your little one(s) into bed each night, just start singing that hymn, even if you can only remember the chorus.
Another thing that really brought meaning to a lot of other mothers during our WOW Moms (like MOPS but opened up to mothers of school aged children as well) meeting this last Friday was learning to pray to love the sound of your name. The speaker was talking about how she started praying to like hearing, "Mommy! I'm doooooone!" or "Mommmmmyyy! I'm uuuupppp!" If you're a parent of a talking little toddler or preschooler, you know what I'm talking about. You're enjoying those last few minutes of quiet before the kiddos wake up and you hear the sounds of your name being called. In our house it's either "Mommy! Mommy! Mommymommymommy!" or "Daddy! Daddy! Daaaaaaddddddyyyyyyyyy!" What is the common reaction? A groan or a thought of "Just 2 more minutes, please." But as she said, "Before you know it your kids will be 15 and starting driver's ed, a few years away from leaving your house, and you will long to hear that tiny voice again calling your name." I looked around the room and saw that I was not the only one dabbing tears from my eyes just thinking about it. So enjoy that little addition to your prayer list. I'm sure it will do wonders for both of us.
In case you couldn't tell from those two things, lately, I have been feeling a little overwhelmed and weary at times. Two year olds are no joke. The baby isn't too demanding, but throwing in his needs with the two year old just adds to the stress and exhaustion. Please don't misunderstand me, I am LOVING this stage in our lives. CJ is SO much fun, so loving, and so silly all at the same time. Bubby is just a sweetie who has melted my heart. I love it, I really do. But after I/we shut their bedroom door, it takes all the strength in me to make it to the couch where I collapse in a heap of exhaustion. The medical news we have received about Bubby has also had me worried, especially adding to that knowing that I also have Fabry's disease and now CJ is being tested for it as well. However, I have started waking up early most days to have a quality quiet time. I had been reading my Bible and such while CJ ate lunch, but as I said before....two year olds. So I'm trying to go to bed a little earlier and wake a little sooner because if there is one thing that can fill you up with energy and encouragement, it is spending time with and learning about God. I'm also starting a weight lifting program (as in little dumbbells) to try and get rid of the extra 15-20 pounds hanging around. (Side note: How do you have a 9.5 lb baby and still have 20 pounds left over??? haha) My goal is not to lose the 20 pounds, but when I look in the mirror, I want to feel like I don't look flabby anymore and I want to be able to fit in my clothes again. Also, my feet grew! I can already tell that the quiet time in the morning coupled with taking care of me a little more is helping. Perhaps it might be an encouragement to you to try it as well, add a few extra minutes to your quiet time you already have in the mornings or evenings, or start a little exercise routine. And when you are feeling like a heap of exhaustion, just say remember this verse:
I'm learning so much these days I thought I'd try to jot down a few of them before everyone wakes up.
Another thing that really brought meaning to a lot of other mothers during our WOW Moms (like MOPS but opened up to mothers of school aged children as well) meeting this last Friday was learning to pray to love the sound of your name. The speaker was talking about how she started praying to like hearing, "Mommy! I'm doooooone!" or "Mommmmmyyy! I'm uuuupppp!" If you're a parent of a talking little toddler or preschooler, you know what I'm talking about. You're enjoying those last few minutes of quiet before the kiddos wake up and you hear the sounds of your name being called. In our house it's either "Mommy! Mommy! Mommymommymommy!" or "Daddy! Daddy! Daaaaaaddddddyyyyyyyyy!" What is the common reaction? A groan or a thought of "Just 2 more minutes, please." But as she said, "Before you know it your kids will be 15 and starting driver's ed, a few years away from leaving your house, and you will long to hear that tiny voice again calling your name." I looked around the room and saw that I was not the only one dabbing tears from my eyes just thinking about it. So enjoy that little addition to your prayer list. I'm sure it will do wonders for both of us.
In case you couldn't tell from those two things, lately, I have been feeling a little overwhelmed and weary at times. Two year olds are no joke. The baby isn't too demanding, but throwing in his needs with the two year old just adds to the stress and exhaustion. Please don't misunderstand me, I am LOVING this stage in our lives. CJ is SO much fun, so loving, and so silly all at the same time. Bubby is just a sweetie who has melted my heart. I love it, I really do. But after I/we shut their bedroom door, it takes all the strength in me to make it to the couch where I collapse in a heap of exhaustion. The medical news we have received about Bubby has also had me worried, especially adding to that knowing that I also have Fabry's disease and now CJ is being tested for it as well. However, I have started waking up early most days to have a quality quiet time. I had been reading my Bible and such while CJ ate lunch, but as I said before....two year olds. So I'm trying to go to bed a little earlier and wake a little sooner because if there is one thing that can fill you up with energy and encouragement, it is spending time with and learning about God. I'm also starting a weight lifting program (as in little dumbbells) to try and get rid of the extra 15-20 pounds hanging around. (Side note: How do you have a 9.5 lb baby and still have 20 pounds left over??? haha) My goal is not to lose the 20 pounds, but when I look in the mirror, I want to feel like I don't look flabby anymore and I want to be able to fit in my clothes again. Also, my feet grew! I can already tell that the quiet time in the morning coupled with taking care of me a little more is helping. Perhaps it might be an encouragement to you to try it as well, add a few extra minutes to your quiet time you already have in the mornings or evenings, or start a little exercise routine. And when you are feeling like a heap of exhaustion, just say remember this verse:
Milestones
Yesterday (Sunday), my baby, who had just turned 3 months old 3 days before, hit 2 milestones in one day. Bubby was napping in the play pen in our room while CJ was napping in their room. When Bubby woke up, I went in and he had rolled over from his back to his belly! Of course, he was holding his head up strong and smiled at me when I walked in to get him as if to say, "Look what I can do, Mom!" He had already mastered rolling from his belly to his back right away in life--having a large head helps with that. Then after I finished feeding him, I held him out in front of me, and he gave me one of his adorable big smiles. Right there looking at me were teeth! I kid you not, my 3 month old has teeth! Hubby was nearby and I said, "Oh my gosh, he has teeth! He has teeth!" He confirmed that my eyes hadn't failed me yet. And like many moms would do, I hugged him tight and started crying. He had the absolute cutest, huge, gummy smile. Now it is gone, and I must begin prayers that he doesn't learn to bite early in life also. So not only is he the size of his older brother at 6 months old, he has teeth like his older brother did at 6 months. I haven't been able to take a picture of the teeth yet since my camera battery is dead, but I did take a picture on his 3 month birthday of his gums because it looked like he was going to get teeth soon.
Everyone tells you to enjoy it because they grow up so quickly. With CJ, I tried. I really did. But I was a hormonal mess. I hurt for a long time after delivery. And I just didn't know how to relax and be a parent for quite a while. So with Bubby, I told myself that I would enjoy each day more and not be in a hurry for him to sleep through the night because they really do grow SO quickly. Well, he also started sleeping through the night (8pm-5am) on his 3 month birthday also, even through big brother's wails in the middle of the night to go potty. I want so badly to slow time down this time around. Everyone also tells you, "Just wait until they're crawling and pulling all your books off the shelves," Or, "Just wait until they're two...." I am trying (though I'm not perfect) to not look at it that way because that just makes the inevitable seem just as bad as leaving the now of the gummy smiles and wiggly baby just laying on a blanket.
So don't mind me, I'll just be a lump on the couch crying into my coffeepot* cup trying to tell myself that it's going to be so fun to see him smiling with those two little teeth poking out rolling around my living room.
*Not pot, but you know I need a pot of the stuff these days.
Everyone tells you to enjoy it because they grow up so quickly. With CJ, I tried. I really did. But I was a hormonal mess. I hurt for a long time after delivery. And I just didn't know how to relax and be a parent for quite a while. So with Bubby, I told myself that I would enjoy each day more and not be in a hurry for him to sleep through the night because they really do grow SO quickly. Well, he also started sleeping through the night (8pm-5am) on his 3 month birthday also, even through big brother's wails in the middle of the night to go potty. I want so badly to slow time down this time around. Everyone also tells you, "Just wait until they're crawling and pulling all your books off the shelves," Or, "Just wait until they're two...." I am trying (though I'm not perfect) to not look at it that way because that just makes the inevitable seem just as bad as leaving the now of the gummy smiles and wiggly baby just laying on a blanket.
So don't mind me, I'll just be a lump on the couch crying into my coffee
*Not pot, but you know I need a pot of the stuff these days.
Wednesday, October 07, 2015
Garbage Day Walks
Ahh, the ripe smell of a weeks worth of garbage sitting on every curb of the neighborhood! My best unwanted advice for someone with a 2 year old (boy?): Take a walk on the morning of Garbage Day! I don't know if it holds true for girls, but I'm sure they'd find it just as exciting if you act excited. However, CJ LOVES LOVES LOVES Wednesdays because it is Garbage Day. He loves taking the trashcans out to the curb. He loves bringing them back in. He LOVES the garbage truck, the recycling truck, and the grass/leaves truck. He also loves the school buses (which can be seen Mon-Fri but they're also about on Garbage Day). Normally, CJ needs a snack to keep him happy halfway through our walk, but not so on Garbage Day! He has perfected the sound of the air brakes on the garbage trucks. (We just had to go run to the front door to go see the recycling truck coming down our street! Perfect timing.) Today he noticed that there is a door on one side of the garbage truck so now he's saying, "Door! Door!" This is definitely not a "Hump Day" but a "Great Garbage Day!"
Bubby (formerly Lil Sir) loves to nap during Garbage Day. One day, sweet baby. One day he will enjoy it too. He'll probably renew CJ's excitement for Garbage Day by then as well.
Bubby (formerly Lil Sir) loves to nap during Garbage Day. One day, sweet baby. One day he will enjoy it too. He'll probably renew CJ's excitement for Garbage Day by then as well.
Friday, October 02, 2015
Smarty Pants
This is going to be quick because I have about 2 seconds before both boys will be waking up from naps most likely.
We went for a walk this morning and walked past this house:
Channer points at it and says, "Mimi! MIMI!!....Papa!"
This is my parents' house (aka Mimi & Papa's house):
Obviously, they don't look exactly alike to us, but the garage, staircase, size is all the same and that's what Channer remembered! I thought it was pretty funny that he thought it was Mimi & Papa's house, and he clearly wanted me to know that they were there.
We went for a walk this morning and walked past this house:
This is my parents' house (aka Mimi & Papa's house):
Obviously, they don't look exactly alike to us, but the garage, staircase, size is all the same and that's what Channer remembered! I thought it was pretty funny that he thought it was Mimi & Papa's house, and he clearly wanted me to know that they were there.
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