Icy Days

The last time it snowed, it only lasted about 20 minutes and I didn't get the chance to take Caleb's picture in it, so I took advantage of this wintry storm to snap some photos of Caleb's first snow, errr, I mean ice ... or something. Caleb wasn't too thrilled with the cold, but he warmed up to it after a few minutes (pun completely intended, hah).

Another Year Older

It's on these cold winter nights that I wish we had a fireplace, but we don't so instead I'm snuggled all warm in front of the space heater (doesn't that sound cozy?) as I blog about something that's at the forefront of my mind tonight.

Tomorrow is my birthday, and as I'm another year older, I can't help but think back over the past year and the many, many blessings I've received. I have a wonderful, kind, loving, godly man for a husband, who puts up with all of my stuff. Who loves me, when I know it must be difficult, impossible even, aside from the grace of God.

I have also been blessed with the sweetest little boy. A little guy who is so happy, and healthy and growing like a weed. Who gets a huge smile on his face when he sees me in the morning, and who doesn't love that?

I certainly don't deserve these two guys in my life, but I am so very thankful that God has blessed me with them. This past year has been amazing, and while life has changed so much, it has certainly changed for the better.

I pray that my 27th year of my life is just as exciting, and full of love and fun with my two guys as this past year has been.

Curly Top

This is what Caleb's hair looks like after a bath ...



and this ...



and this is what he looks like when he's tired of me taking his picture, so I put away the camera and pinch his chubby cheeks instead ... he doesn't like that either.



So the question is ...

Do you think Caleb will have curly hair when he gets older? I can't decide what I think. To be honest, I don't always like my curls and therefore straighten my hair ALOT, but curly headed little boys are so darn cute, don't ya think?

7 months old

My sweet little guy is 7 months old today. It's amazing. I know I've said this many times before, but times goes by so quickly. He's growing up so fast.

There are so many things I love and want to remember about Caleb at 7 months old, but I'll just share a few of them here.

* He is mobile. He does this little army crawl thing, where he just scoots around on his tummy, but it gets him where he wants to go. And in the last few days he gets up on his hands and knees, but hasn't figured out how to coordinate any movement from there.

* He is still so happy. He hardly ever fusses and smiles all the time.

* It's easy to get a laugh out of him these days, whereas we used to try and try to get him to laugh, now he laughs at all kinds of things.

* He is finally, consistently (he's been doing it off and on for months) sleeping through the night. Which means more sleep for mama.

* He plays very well by himself, which is nice when I need to get things done around the house.

* He still talks all the time, and is very vocal.

* He still snuggles when he's sleepy, which I love.

* He loves his bunny, and sleeps with it every night.

This list could go on and on, but suffice it to say, he is the cutest thing in the world.

Little Man,
7 months ago today we met you for the first time, and we love you more and more every day. I love being your mama and there is nothing else I'd rather be. I love you sweet boy!

Curious

He wanted to know what was under the ottoman.

So he crawled on over.



And looked underneath ...

nothing was there.



Then daddy got home, and all was right with the world.

Go Panthers!

I have been told, by a certain friend of mine, that I need to watch the tv show, Friday Night Lights. That I really need to watch it. That I will love it.

I kept thinking ... I watch enough tv as it is, I do not need to watch another show. I don't even have time to watch another show. But then, while Caleb was napping I came across Season 1 of Friday Night Lights on netflix, and I could watch it right there on my computer. So I thought, why not? I'll watch the first episode and see what all the fuss is about. So I watched episode 1 and then episode 2, and then Caleb woke up and no matter how good I told him it was, he would not sit still and watch it, so I had to stop.

But I am here to say, Boy have I missed out. I should have been watching this show years ago. I really did need to watch it, and I do love it.

I've managed to squeeze in a couple more episodes over the past week ... ok more than a couple ... 10 actually. But I have alot of catching up to do, so it's ok.

Lexie, next time I'll listen ... I promise.

Strollin' Strollin' Strollin'

The first warm(ish) day after a long cold spell is so much fun.
Caleb and I enjoyed it by taking a stroll.

Consistency

Let me start by saying that if you are not at all interested in Caleb's schedule (I'm sure this is most, if not all, of you) stop reading now and come back another day when I have something more interesting to talk about. But I am thrilled to death that I now have a predictable schedule for Caleb and know that I will want to look back at it once I have other children. So this is more for me than for you.

If you have children, you remember that when they were babies you were asked all the time, "How is he/she sleeping?" I have been asked that question countless times and many people seem surprised when I tell them that Caleb has been sleeping well from the beginning. Of course, he ate every 3 hours at first, but by 6 weeks he was sleeping 6 hours straight at night, and then it progressed to 7, then 8, 9 and now 10 hours between nursing.

Don't get me wrong, we have had our struggles. Nights when he woke every few hours, or days when he woke up before the sun rose, but generally speaking, he has been a great sleeper. And I attribute it to the routine we started from the very beginning.

When Caleb first came home we tried to stick to a certain routine. That routine was eat, play, and sleep (in that order). And it worked. Caleb very consistently stuck to this routine and it gave us some predictability in our days, which was nice. But it wasn't a schedule. He didn't eat or play or sleep at the same time every day, it was just always in that order. I wanted a schedule, needed a schedule even. If you are anything like me, you understand, if not, then just trust me, there are people out there who love, and I mean really love schedules. But it just wasn't going to happen. During the first 6 months babies go through growth spurts every couple of weeks, and during those growth spurts they need to eat more often, or sometimes sleep more often. So as much as I tried, a consistent schedule never happened. It may have been consistent for a few days, but then something would come up and it would change.

Now, I can gladly say, we have a schedule, and although it changes slightly from day to day, it is a consistent schedule.

Here is a typical day for us (Monday - Saturday) Sundays are different because of church

7:30 am - Caleb wakes up and nurses
Now I'm going to be honest, even 7:30 is early for me, so if he's not awake yet at 7:30 I do not go wake him up, but he is normally awake by 7:30 (give or take 10 minutes)

8:00 am - Caleb plays in his bouncer
I know some babies would never last 30 minutes in a bouncer, but Caleb loves it.

8:30 am - Breakfast
Right now, he eats 1.5 ounces of oatmeal with 1.5 ounces of banana.

9:00 am - Bath time, get dressed for the day

9:15 am - Nap time
We rock in the rocking chair, listen to the pillow that plays a lullaby and then I put him in his crib. He is almost always asleep by 9:30. He doesn't cry or fuss, but sometimes he does roll around and play before going to sleep.

11:30 am - Wake up from nap, nurse

11:50 am - Reading
I know that probably sounds silly, but Caleb loves books so I try to make sure we read a few books every day.

12:10 pm - Playpen time (he plays in his playpen with some of his toys)
You may be thinking, "What the heck is playpen time?" Well, I think it's important for children, even young children, to be able to play by themselves. I'm sure you've been around children who need to be "entertained" all the time, and I want Caleb to be able to entertain himself sometimes, so we have playpen time. When he gets older this will become room time.

12:30 pm - Lunch
Right now I offer him 2 ounces of applesauce and 1.5 ounces of a green vegetable. We haven't found a green vegetable that he likes at this point, so he doesn't eat very much at lunch. (he may eat an ounce of applesauce and a few bites of veggie)

1:00 pm - Play time
We spread a blanket out on the floor, get out some toys and play together.

1:30 pm - Nap time

3:30 pm - Wake up from nap, nurse

3:45 pm - We may go for a walk (if the weather is nice) or play inside

4:30 pm - Dinner
Right now he eats 3.5 ounces (half orange veggie, half pears) He likes orange veggies much more than green.

5:00 pm - Playpen time or bouncer (while I start dinner)

5:15 pm - Cat Nap
He takes a third, short nap from 5:15 - 6:00

6:00 pm - Wake up from nap

6:45ish - Jammies, story, prayers (Yes, we say prayers every night, even though he has no clue
what we are doing) nurse, bed

He is in bed by 7:30 (at the latest) and goes to sleep within a few minutes.


We are less scheduled once Charles gets home. (around 6:00pm)

I feed him one last time at 10:00 pm. He doesn't wake up for this feeding, he never opens his eyes, but eats well. Apparently he can sleep and eat at the same time, don't ask me how, he just does it. I put him right back in bed and he sleeps until morning.


Ok, that was long ... longer than I intended. But I know I will want this information later, and now I'll have it. If you are still reading, I applaud you, because this must have been painfully boring.

Have you noticed?

Have you noticed how I tend to blog daily for a few days and then nothing at all for the next few? Something needs to be done about that, though I'm not sure what.

And I will post later today about the schedule that we have finally settled into with Caleb. We've had a very consistent routine since the beginning, but we finally have a schedule, and for a person like myself, that's a good thing, and it makes me happy.

I just know you're on the edge of your seat in anticipation, but you'll have to wait.

Dear Charles,

The alarm clock goes off and you open your eyes. It's 4:00 am. That's right, I said A.M.! You roll out of bed and the house is quiet. All except for the dogs, who are in their kennels in the den, because it is too cold for them outside. That's right, TOO COLD ... for the DOGS.

But is it too cold for you? Of course not. It's never too cold when there are ducks to be killed. So you, my dear husband, bundle up in your warmest camo gear, make a thermos of hot chocolate, and head out the door.

I'm left in bed alone, wondering why my husband is so CRAZY.

You fight the bitter cold, the wind, the icy water, and for what? The chance to shoot some ducks, and to bring them home where they are slowly overtaking my freezer.

But you LOVE it. You're happy when you're out there in that bitter cold with your friends. And it won't surprise me, if in the years to come, it's not just you, my crazy husband, who's up at the crack of dawn for the chance to shoot some ducks, but my little boy, as well.

And I'll be snuggled all warm in my bed, sleeping, because it is, after all, 4 o'clock in the morning, which if you ask me, isn't morning at all. It's night ... the middle of the night. And while I love you, my dear husband, and love spending time with you, I think I'll just let hunting be your thing, because I have absolutely no desire to be up in the middle of the night, in the cold and wet just for the chance to shoot some ducks.

Brrrrrr .....

It has been COLD here.

Very cold.

We even got a little snow, which was pretty for about 20 minutes ... and then it melted.

But cold weather and a 1/2 inch of snow are all it takes around here for schools to close.

The snow is gone, but the cold has stuck around, and our faucets have been dripping for 3 days.

Drip ... drip ... drip ... drip ... drip ...DRIP. DRIP. DRIP. DRIP! It's enough to drive me crazy, but at least our pipes aren't frozen ... at least not yet.

He's on the Move

What does it mean?

let me start by saying this post of kind of long ...

I've been doing some thinking about what it means for a woman to truly submit to her husband. I'm going to be honest here ... it's something I really struggle with. I think all women struggle with it because of the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden. The Lord says to Eve, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." There are many interpretations of what exactly this means, but the word desire is key. The same word (in Hebrew) is used in Genesis 4:7 when the Lord tells Cain that sin "desires to have you". It is a desire to master, to rule over, to control. The same way sin desires to rule over us, we desire to rule over our husbands. So thinking, praying, and talking about this subject helps me to work through and repent of those sinful thoughts I tend to have.

So, if our desire is to rule over our husbands, how do we conquer that desire?

Paul, in Ephesians, addresses the issue of submission.

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
(Ephesians 5:22-24)

What does this really mean?

Earlier in Ephesians, Paul talks about the subject of submission. But instead of talking in reference to husbands and wives, he talks about submitting to each other. We are called, as Christians, to be humble and submissive. Before God, believers are all equal, and no one is better than anyone else. Because of this we are submissive to other believers.

It is only after Paul establishes this submission among believers that he speaks of husbands and wives. All Christian wives are called to be submissive to their husbands. One commentary I read put it this way, "The Spirit-filled wife recognizes that her husband's role in giving leadership is not only God-ordained but also a reflection of Christ's own loving, authoritative headship of the church. As the Lord delivered His church from the dangers of sin, death, and hell, so the husband provides for, protects, preserves, and loves his wife, leading her to blessing as she submits."

God tells us to submit, and this does not mean that we do whatever we are told. That we are not allowed to have opinions of our own, or that we lose our own identity in that of our husbands.

But it does mean that we trust the man that God has put in our lives. We know that he isn't perfect, but we look to his leadership in our lives and willingly and lovingly offer to follow him. Even when we think we know best, and that he can't possibly do things any better than we can. We remember that God designed marriage this way from the beginning. And ultimately we trust Him to guide our husbands in their leadership over us.

It's a hard thing to do, especially when you're like me and want to be in control all the time, but God commands it. It's not a suggestion or a request. Ephesians doesn't say, 'Wives, when you feel like it, submit to your own husbands' or ' when he's right' or 'when you don't know what else to do'. It simply says, "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord." and that's what we should do.

Little Snow Bear

Homemade baby food - Take One

Today was my first attempt at making my own baby food. I decided to start off with something simple. Sweet potatoes.

Caleb hasn't actually had sweet potatoes yet, but it's on the menu for next week, so I decided to go ahead and make some to freeze.

Start with baked sweet potatoes. I wasn't sure how much baby food I would get from 1 potato, and I had 3, so I went ahead and used them all.



Slice them down the middle.



Scoop out the inside and put it in the blender. (You could probably just mash it up by hand, especially if your baby is older and eats thicker food, but I was in a hurry)



I added a little water just to thin it out a little, and I can add more if I need to when I thaw it.



Put spoonfuls into an ice cube tray, and freeze. (I've been told each cube is about an ounce)



Once it's frozen, pop out the cubes and put them in freezer bags labeled with the food and date, and you're done.

Pretty easy huh?

We'll see how Caleb likes it next week. Hopefully he really likes it because I have enough for days and days.

New Year's Day

We spent this New Year's Day with our families, mine and my hubby's. We ate together, laughed together, played games together, and had lots of fun.

This is Caleb's cousin, isn't he a cutie? He's 4 months, to the day, younger than Caleb. We love when we get to see him (and his mom and dad too). I know he and Caleb are going to have so much fun together when they get older.

And here's our little man. Also a cutie, if I do say so myself.
Just look at that precious smile.

I realized after Christmas, that we hadn't really taken any family pictures during the holidays. I always had the camera in my hands, so I was rarely in pictures. Thanks Rachel, for taking this picture for us.



And here's my two guys. I don't love anyone as much as I love these two.



I hope everyone had a wonderful first day of 2010!

We sure did!