Take Your Time

The holidays are a joyous time of the year for my household.  We get to spend time together decorating the home for the season and we enjoy each others company.  The only thing that makes me sad about the holidays is that there seems to be a hustle and bustle about the season and if we are not careful the new year arrives and we are tired from the nonstop 6 weeks we just went through. 
As the year comes to an and I reflect back at the year as a whole.  I feel so blessed.  My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has been beyond giving to my family this year.


Johnathan is double digits.  I cannot believe how fast time has gone by.  He is independent and loving.  Yes, he is also tough and stubborn, but that is only a battle at home.  I hope he continues to question and explore.  He will be influential if he uses the gifts the Lord has given him.  I pray for guidance and inspiration.  I know God will use Johnathan greatly for His works.

My baby Noah.  He has been making me sad lately!  What gives him the right to just grow up?  Yesterday he sat up in the tub for his bath.  He also straightened his legs in the walker and moved half an inch.  This morning he scooted himself all the way to Kevin in the living room and escaped from his Bumbo seat. Why!? Why can't you stay a baby, Noah? 

Can someone please tell my boys to slow down?  Please take your time to grow up!  While they flourish in heapfuls, I will stop myself in the hustle and bustle of the season and just enjoy them.

6 months and Christmas Pictures

I cannot believe how much my little one has grown these past few months.  In four days he will turn 7 months old!  Time waits for no one...sigh.  Well my little busy body is the nosiest of my two kiddos.  He wants to be in everyone's business and does not mind prolonging a feeding to sit up and listen to others speak.  I think I have an early talker again; wish me luck!
Just last week he started to put weight on his knees.  Noah is getting on all fours, and although he is not crawling yet he is doing the Army crawl to get around and he definitely has rolling around perfected.  At the start of Noah's 6th month we started to introduce solids during dinner time.  So far we have tried rice and oatmeal cereal, avocado, sweet potato, sweet peas, and apples.  We are working on the solids but Noah enjoys his milk better than his solids; we are eating about 4 baby spoons worth of food before he clams up and refuses another bite.
On the fourth of December Noah finally found out how great his feet are for chewing and has kept himself busy soaking up pairs and pairs of socks.  Also, those wonderful hands of his have helped him rattle his toys, pull up his blanket, and hold a sippy cup to drink water and freshly juiced apples!  We are just thriving and he is doing so much on his own, but I will stop my list here!

 I took these picture this morning to get half of my kiddos ready completed for our Christmas cards.  Babies march to their own beat and taking pictures can be tasking!  Well these are some of the shots; now I have to chose one.  Can I send collages out this year?  Oh boy...

5 Months and all personality

When Exhaustion Hits

Today is just one of those days.  Everyone has them; we shouldn't lie to ourselves.  My wonderful friends bought me a facial service for my birthday in May.  I am going on 5 months just holding on to my gift certificate hoping and wishing that soon I could use it.  Yesterday I stepped out to the store for a whopping 45 minutes with baby in tow.  I also had my mother and grandmother with me.  The focus for my outing was to purchase nice tops that were nursing friendly.  My wardrobe is officially "My baby can nurse easy in this."  Anywho, back to the story.  While I was rushing to get my items before heading to pick up my oldest child from school, my mother commented that this outing was a "mommy" outing.  Really?  Has it really come to this?  Can I really define a 'mommy moment' as a rushed 45 minute shopping excursion with baby in hand? 
I would just really wish that I can go out baby free without needing to run an errand and not having my wonderful husband calling my phone with a current time check.

I am in the market for a SUPER AFFORDABLE all terrain stroller.  The least I can do to feel better is take my bundle of joy on trail walks.

I now understand how easy a woman can become one of Those housewives/SAHM in everyone's business.  Four walls can make a girl go crazy.

Being at home and making money.

Staying at home can be one of the most rewarding jobs a parent can chose.  The children will be around a main care giver throughout the day and the guilt of letting someone else raise your child in nonexistent.  I have been blessed to be home the last four months with my beautiful bundle of joy.  I did not have the chance to be at home with my now nine year old, so I understand the guilt of not being there and I can completely cherish the opportunity I have now.  The hardest part about transitioning from my old ways is that I liked to financially contribute to the household.  I have worked and contributed to the finances throughout my entire marriage and it can be hard to let go of those extra funds. 

The Spark:
I have been quite busy lately with crafting and creating.  My friend and I have been busy working and we put together a fantastic nursing cover.  The idea began when I was on a weekend trip and left my nursing cover at the hotel.  My neighbor is amazing with the sewing machine and I called her over to see about making the nursing cover.  We bought fabric, ribbons, buttons, d rings, and other sewing goodies.  This project started simple.  We had a nursing cover completed and it was beautiful.  Shortly followed the matching burp cloth with all its glory and then we let our imagination run wild.

The Flame:
We now make Nursing Cover/Baby Blankets with matching burp cloths.

The nursing covers double as a baby blanket (which helps lighten the load in the baby bag).  The blanket comes with two attached buttons in which the adjustable straps attach to when nursing and is easily removed when used as a blanket.  The burp cloths are made with the same fabric as the cover/blanket and are beautifully combined with ribbon.

My friend (who is just about a SAHM as well) and I are really excited about selling our craft to mothers who are looking for a product that is as unique and trendy as themselves.

I am happy to be a SAHM and I am also excited about the opportunity to help financially provide with side projects such as this one!

Four days shy of four months.

So much time has past since my last blog.  I have been back and forth with posting and have had a struggle with the idea of sharing with everyone.  I guess I have really enjoyed the time I am spending with Noah and although I know someone out there would really like an update, I just wanted to be selfish.

Noah will turn 4 months soon.  I just cannot express how sad I am that time is passing quickly by with no remorse on who it leaves behind.  It feels like it was just yesterday that we brought him home from the hospital.  He was little and fragile.  Now he is learning about the world around him and flourishing everyday.  Just the last 3 days has been an adventure for him.  He has learned to roll over from his back to his stomach and he spends all day perfecting his new skill.  His hands are amazing to him, he has discovered them and now swats at his toys, grabs everything close to him with a death grip, and chews on them with no end in sight.  He coos and attempts to reply when spoken to.  He looks attentively at the movement and the mechanics of the mouth when someone is speaking to him.  It is as if he would utter the exact same words if he could.  I love watching him grow and learn.

My handsome Johnathan has begun the new school year on a high note.  He has been chosen as the classroom ambassador, student counsel representative, and his classroom go to tech person.  He is really excited about all his roles and I am happy that he wants to be involved in his school and wants to help other students succeed in the classroom.  I am honored to have such a proactive child to call my own.  His test scores from last year's standardized testing have returned and Johnathan has scored exceptionally well.  He will recognized at an awards banquet later this month.   I am proud of him and all his accomplishments!

As for me.  I have been tired and dragging to find my footing.  I have spent just about the last 5 years running nonstop.  I was determined to get a college degree and be an active parent in my son's school life.  I juggled many hats and for those that know me, understand that just making it is not my normal attitude.  I couldn't just make it, I wanted to apply all my efforts to reap as much academic achievement has possible.  I ran myself to the ground.  I am tired.  Exhausted. 

But I am also extremely glad how everything worked out.

A Baby Story...Part 3

Noah was born at 8:41 AM.  He was quickly wrapped and taken to the warming table for clean up.  I watched in the distance as they rubbed him clean and attempted to arouse a cry.  Everything happened so quickly and this part of his story is a blur.  As my doctor continued his work, I was preoccupied with the little person I carried for 9 months.  They put him on the scales and announced the he weighed 7 pounds 8 oz. He was measured... 19 inches.  The nurses began to murmur as they quickly brought him to me.  They were still rubbing him and although he cried, they were not pleased by it.  Before I could really enjoy his warmth against me, they told me they had to check his breathing and they rushed my beautiful Noah to the NICU. 

It would be hours before I could see my lovely newborn.  As I recovered in the room my husband checked on the baby.  Noah had aspirated during delivery and was breathing over 100 breaths per minute.  They had to place him under oxygen and run tubes in his lungs to remove excess liquids.  His pediatrician was not in the office that day so the assistant director of the NICU decided to make Noah his patient.  This was the best news we could receive.  The doctor provided Noah the best care possible and spent time personally explaining every detail of Noah's medical treatment.  Along with his irregular breathing and aspirating at birth, Noah's blood work came back with his white blood cells hiked up to levels that concerned the doctor.  He placed Noah under watch for 3 days and he gave him antibiotics to help fight whatever ailment that was growing in Noah.

I was completely thrown.  When I envisioned the birth of Noah I did not think about the possibility of complications.  I planned the whole pregnancy and I even had a tentative schedule of my stay at the hospital.  Noah was going to teach me that sometimes life cannot be planned.