One Memory I'm Glad To Not Have

Teething.

The way it's causing my little one to fuss and have multiple other problems makes my heart hurt for her. She will be laughing, happy as can be. Then all of the sudden she starts wailing. And sometimes nothing works. We use tylenol sparingly during the day so if we need it at night we can use it. For most of the last week, we have needed it then.

I know this seems to be a common topic of my posts right now, but it is my life. And unfortunately, it's Zoë's life and pain.

On a funny note, she HATES being on her stomach. So much so that she lasts all of a minute on her tummy now. I can walk away to grab something real quick, only to return to find her on her back. She hasn't even tried to roll from her back to her tummy. That is how much she dislikes her tummy. Yet, she falls asleep better on her tummy for naps. Quite strange in my book. Here is a video of her showing you her roll over talent:

I don't know why, I find it quite funny she does this. Tummy time has become almost nil around these parts. Obviously it isn't too big of a deal. We just spend time working on other tasks: she loves to stand with a bit of support and she's practicing sitting on her own. Little toot is growing up fast!

Memory Monday v. 9

I want to cherish for a lifetime...


...how chubby Zoë is right now.

Sweet girl, I love your baby fat! It gets me EVERY. TIME. I. SEE. YOU.

Seriously.

Those chubby cheeks that have fallen below your jaw line.

The "definition" of your arms - you would think they're so muscular :)

Your wrists. So sweet the little wrinkles in them from all your chub.

Your sausage-like fingers. They were so long and skinny the day you graced us with your presence; now they're long but they have gained quite a bit of meat on them.

The rolls on your thighs. They get you stuck in the Bumbo. Love. It.

The way your feet have a rounded top because of your baby fat.

Not to mention those toes of yours!

I love you so much Zoë! I love enjoying this time of watching you blossom on a daily basis. I'm just glad for now your baby fat seems to be coming along with you as you grow. It can stay around for a while. Mommy doesn't mind at all and you seem to not mind either. :)

Sorry I have not a single picture to show any of the chubbiness. I do have to say - it is so much better in person :)

 

5QF

I'm all in for an easy post. Teething has labeled my week rough. Plus, I think the little miss is having some tummy issues. She doesn't like when anything messes with her bowels and makes sure her voice is heard on the matter. I can't blamer her though. Her momma is the same way :)

Anyway, I love five question friday with Mama M. And true story: I forgot to link last weeks post. That link is about all you will get to it :) That is what happens when your life is more about raising a 4 month old than anything else.

Now on to this weeks questions:

1. What is the funniest thing you saw on Facebook/Twitter this week?
You know...I have no idea. I could tell you Honest Toddler had some really funny tweets, but I don't really remember which ones I was holding my side laughing at. Nor do I feel like scrolling through them. I don't remember seeing anything on Facebook.
2. What is your favorite Olympica event?
Summer: Gymnastics. I was a gymnast for a while.
Winter: Freestyle Snowboarding/Skiing
3. Do your kids do chores around the house? If so, what are they and how old are the children? Do they get paid?
We aren't anywhere near to crossing that bridge yet. The baby can't even crawl. I will say I do plan on implementing chores.
I had to growing up. I don't really remember how old we were when my mom started, but we helped with vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom, setting the kitchen for dinner, and cleaning the kitchen after. Yes, we were paid for some of our chores. We also were responsible for making sure our rooms were clean, beds made, etc.
4. If you get bad service/food do you complain or keep quiet?
I complain to my husband, who takes it on himself to tell the manager. Not that I really mind. He has a very polite, tactful way of doing so. And as he has managed a Wing Stop restaurant for several years, he feels it helpful when people give constructive criticism. I let him. I, however, do not. (long answer to a simple question, no?)
5. If you could pick ONE frivolous item for you home, what would it be? (massive room sized closet? swimming pool? greenhouse? etc)
Umm...well I currently dream of just having 2 rooms. That way my daughter can eventually be moved to her own room. SO...one very, nice sized master bedroom with a wonderful bathroom attached and a seperate room and bathroom, though not necessarily attached, for the little pea please!

Wishing I Spoke Cry

It was one of those days.

Poor baby.

Between her teeth and her tummy, we just had a rough ol' day over here. If I had an iPhone, or some other type of smart phone, I would grace this post with a lovely pic of me holding her. Possibly one of her Moby time too :) Alas, I don't, so just imagine the little sweet pea in my arms most of the day. Either cuddling or in those glimpses of good moments where she was smiling, wanting to stand, or playing with a toy.

Yes, today I found myself wishing I spoke her language so I could tell her, in her language, it's going to be ok. This too shall pass.

Fried Brain, anyone?

Yes. Seriously. I can tell my eyes are currently blood shot. And no, I have not been drinking, though I won't deny a nice glass of wine to relax me might be nice. There isn't even a wonderful, carbonated beverage in my house.

Teething.

That will turn your hair gray. Make you want to scream 'til the walls fall down. Wish you had lost your hearing. Oh and if you're like me, eat every single crumb, drop, nibble, etc, etc of junk food within a twenty gagillion mile radius of you.

It also will remind you, you are just like those parents you label "crazy, horrible, selfish, etc" and wonder how on earth they killed their child. Shaken baby syndrome - it's a horrifically, real tragedy. And anyone is able to succumb. Because we are human and have limits; I know no one who operates properly when they are fatigued and frustrated and dying of a severe character make-over to change the want of being selfish to a total selflessness.

Please understand. I have not and, by God's grace, will not harm my child. I know my limits and if I cannot hold her without anger and frustration continuing to rise, she is calmly placed in a crib so I can find a way to release it and not on her.

Oh, and just so you know, we're only in the beginning phases. We're not even cutting the tooth/teeth; we're just getting used to them moving up in the gums. 

*sigh*

Here is what I'm learning through all this: How to Be a Parent 101. AKA?

Total dependence on the Creator and keeping your relationship with Him thriving, which means time with Him daily.

If I've said it once, I will say it a thousand times over - I don't know how people do it without God. We are flawed. All of us. And I know I am a terrible wretch without Him. I have no motivation to be good without Him.

Maybe a bit off topic, forgive me (my brain is fried, remember?), but through parenting, I am learning how much I can love one human being. If I can love that much, oh what a glimpse of how much God loves me. My love for Zoë is so miniscule in comparison to God's love for me.

WOW!

What a wonderful daily realization I am having.

Parenting is way hard, but so unbelievably WORTH IT!

That's Not Supposed to Happen

So my day was plugging along. My normal Monday. (I still am not a fan of Monday even though I'm a SAHM. I don't know 100% why, especially considering my hubby's job splits his weekend so that he's off Sunday and Tuesday. I say that because it isn't like I have his help two straight days in a row; the true weekend doesn't spell relief for me. Not one bit.) Anyway, it was just a going like normal.

Woke up. Gave Sweet Pea her medicine. Fed her. Fed myself. Got the grocery list together. Put Sweet Pea down for a nap. Oh! I forgot, I also took care of my mom's dog amidst all of this. She needed someone to take care of him and asked me; I happily accepted, knowing full well he is a bit neurotic :). Actually made time to be with the Lord. Got dressed, foregoing shower (umm...does anyone else feel me on this? It's not always easy to find/make time to shower with a baby). Sweet Pea woke up. Fed her second breakfast. WHOA!

*SIDE NOTE* I just realized as I typed that, it's not so much second breakfast anymore, as it is lunch.  :( My baby is growing up...at least it's still a liquid lunch. Looking to start solids at 5 months *sigh*

Ok...anyway...

After her "lunch", we packed up and headed to do our weekly grocery outing. Usually the little Bit falls asleep during this, which I'm all for. But as time kept passing, I began to realize she was NOT falling asleep. Not. One. Wink.

I kept thinking, "That's SO not supposed to happen! She should be sleeping! Oh this is going to mess up the entire schedule....ugh! She's going to be overtired. It will be a miracle if I can get her to take a good nap later this afternoon. Oh dear Jesus, please PLEASE don't let this ruin the afternoon! I'm begging you to pour your grace over this situation. I'm not sure I can make it through a terror of an afternoon."

She stayed awake 3 HOURS! THREE! HOLY FREAKIN' COW! This baby normally screams at me if I get her down for a nap any later than an hour and 45 but is usually ready around 1.5 hours. THREE?!?!

We actually made it through alive. She slept for the car ride home with a little extra once home. Unfortunately, Target is only a few blocks away from us so it wasn't much. Then I put her down for a nap about an hour later, only to hear her screaming, whether from teething or being overtired I'm not sure, 30 minutes later.

It was at that point I decided I could use some rest too. I consoled her. Got her comfortable, and held her for the remaining hour of her nap.

B-E-A-UUUTIFUL!

I was so grateful God allowed that to work. Especially because it allowed our night-night routine to go so smoothly.

Needless to say, I made it through the day without feeling like a chicken with it's head cut-off. And tomorrow I have some extra hands to help me :)

Memory Monday v. 8

I want to cherish for a lifetime...


...all the funny things my husband says. He's started noticing that I tweet them as they happen. But they're just too funny to not chronicle so one day I can go back and say, "Remember when you said...". I'm sure to hear "Are you tweeting that? WHY are you tweeting that?" every time. But I don't care. Here is just one example of why I must keep these "chronicled" in some sort of way:

"You know, if everyone was in their BMI the planet might turn on its axis a bit better. [few seconds pause] Maybe that's why there are so many people on the other side of the planet, because there are so many overweight people over here."

In true form my hubby said this last night about the obesity problem in the United States. No lie. And it was completely out of the blue.

Oh how I love that man!

5 Question Friday

Man, oh man, does the sky sound like it's about to fall out. And my husband, who is driving home from work, say it looks it too. I'm ok with that. I'm all holed up in my own little part of the world finally listening to silence for what feels like the first time today. Well, silence from within these four walls.

Teething is not for the weak or faint of heart. Neither is deciphering baby's cries, for that matter.

Words! Just use words, little Zoë!

*sigh*

I wish, but I digress.

On to five question friday :)



[1] What do you call them: flip flops, sandals, thongs, or slippers?HA! Really? Here is exactly what went through my head when I read this:
First off, they are flip flops. You know, those oh so comfy shoes that are great for the beach, lake, canoeing, or just an easy slip-on during the summer.
Sandals are an open-toed shoe that may or may not be slip on but they generally don't have that plastic piece between your toes like flip flops. Unless, they are cool like chacos :)
Thongs - ummm skimpy underwear with...yeah never mind ;)
Slippers are shoes you wear once up in the morning or before bed.
[2] Are you a "my kids can do no wrong" kind of mom or a "Johnny punched you? Well, what did you do to him first?!" kind of mom?Well, I'm taking a gander at this one considering my only child is only 4 months old, BUT I would have to say the latter. Here is why: I have cared for kids a lot in my teens and early twenties. And I mean a lot. I babysat regularly for two to three different families, I worked at a daycare two different summers, and then you could sprinkle that with the ad lib jobs I was given. I have had my rounds with caring for all ages.
When I was dealing with "Bobby did this" situations, I typically tried to work with both parties to get them to admit to what each did wrong.
[3] Would you confront a good friend who looked/looks down at your husband/significant other?Oooi. Tough question. I would like to say yes, but I am not one for confrontation. I do know if i felt it important enough for me to stand up for him, I would. So I guess it depends on what about him they are looking down at him for.
[4] Biggest pet peeve?So I had to ask my hubby on this one. I have a ton of pet peeves. Seriously. 
However, my biggest is definitely when people are fake. I typically can see straight through a facade and let me tell you my nerves get all worked up. I generally don't just blurt it out to the person *thank God* but I will come home and rant about it to the hubs. Sorry bud!
[5] What's my favorite take out meal?Geez. I think this one really depends on my mood. I even asked my hubby and his response: "Well, you don't really have one...You do have a favorite pizza."
And yes, that is very true. My favorite pizza: pineapple and canadian bacon. Ham will work if they don't have canadian bacon, but the first is MUCH better.
Fried food: Cane's! Oh I love me some good ol' Cane's and a slice of their texas toast.
Healthier food: Jason's Deli Nutty Mixed-Up Salad
Gosh this is making me hungry. I digress.
Happy Friday, everyone! Here's to a wonderful weekend and hoping my little one takes her naps despite the teething process!

A Day of "Firsts"

Oh this is too good to wait. I'm sure I will be retyping everything I'm about to in bullet form for Zoë's 5 month post, but it just can't wait.

We had three "firsts" today.

One of them was a true first: she actually jumped in the johnny jump up! It was histerical because for whatever reason she was comfortable leaning toward her left side. This left her right foot kicking thin air and barely meeting the ground, if at all. I have a video, but I don't have time for two and I have to post the second :)

Another "first" was I went into her room to get her up from her nap to find her like this:

She rolled over! BTW, notice the awesome red marks on the right of her forehead and right cheek :) Good nap!

She has rolled over before, though only once in her crib. So this really isn't a first, but considering the times of her accomplishing this have been so few and far between, it was quite exciting to go in and find her like this. Though a bittersweet as it means she is growing :/

Ahhh, but the final first: MELT. MY. HEART! This wasn't a true first either, as daddy was the first to elicit a laugh from her, BUT it is the very first time I've ever gotten a response to peek-a-boo AND she giggled. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!!

I must note, my blasted point and shoot has a terrible buzz it adds to the entire experience. Grrr! At least I still caught her cute giggle on camera :)

My head is swimming...

...with doubts of my parenting technique, style, ummm...just about anything to do with raising my little one.

How do I know if she is crying because she's now grown accustom to being held ALL. THE. TIME (at least when dad is home. And yes, dad and I have discussed our game plan for that)? Or what if she is crying because she does, legitimately, need some extra loved-on time? Or maybe she is crying because she is teething, thus she needs a bit of extra comforting? Am I giving her enough tummy time? Or what about explorative time? Independent play time (it's more like explore on my back or tummy time at this moment)? Can a 4 month-old attempt to manipulate a situation through said crying to gain what she wants? And if she can and I give in, will that make it more difficult to train her later?

Oh and then I have my "nap time" doubts: how do I know it's time to put her down? What if I missed that perfect little window and we've screwed the whole ordeal up? How do I know if she's transitioning or I need to check on her immediately?

However, the worst right now, probably because this seems to have now become routine, is this: am I doing my daughter a disservice by not worrying about the *several* nights she falls asleep at the breast before in her crib for night-night? I mean, almost any book you read on parenting or children says this - "Put your child down soothed and ready for bed but *absolutely, positively* NEVER EVER EVER EVER (did you get that? Ok. Just wanted to make sure) put them to bed already asleep." My only problem is, no matter how awake she seems to be while bathing her, lotioning and giving a baby massage, and feeding her during the nightly routine, she almost always falls asleep while eating. I whistle. I rub her feet. I talk to her. I clear my throat (not sure why but it wakes her EVERY. TIME). OUT. LIKE. A. LIGHTBULB.

She doesn't wake in the MOTN screaming because mommy was there and now she's not. At least, not yet. And should that begin, then I guess we'll be searching for methods to nip that in the bud, which also means I'll be searching high and low to solutions to her not falling asleep at the breast.

*sigh*

These doubts seem to be the story of the rest of my life. I know I will never live without them completely, all thanks to my wonderful sinful nature. And so I am thankful I have a God who allows me to come to Him covered in my "doubt burs". And He so graciously talks me through them, all the while lovingly removing them. He desires for me to trust Him so they never return. And yet, He never turns me away if they do; unfortunately, they do at times.

What an opportunity to trust Him. I pray constantly I will continue to see this as an opportunity to live as Christ while here on this earth. 

Wordless Wednesday v. 3

Because I can't get enough of baby feet...

Hot Summer Days

I know it could be worse. It is around 88˚ outside right now and feels like it's about 92˚. However, what makes it seem so much worse than it is is the 64% humidity. It's killing me.

All you have to do to sweat buckets is step out the stinkin' door.

The heat makes me never want to leave the threshold of my doorway. For that matter, it makes me never want to even crack my door. And if electricity wasn't an issue, you can bet I would have the AC cranked down to a good old 73˚ in hopes it would maintain a temp close to 70˚.

I don't think my daughter is too much a fan of it either. Her little head starts sweating away and those rosy cheeks might look cute but when accompanied with the "I'm uncomfortable" fuss, you can bet this momma wants to hide in AC bliss.

There would be the pool option if she were older, but considering she is too young for sunscreen and her skin is extremely fair, I'm not chancing damage this early on.

But even with all that said, I must say I am so glad that with Summer, comes many fruit that I enjoy. Watermelon. Mango, Kiwi, Cantaloupe. First and foremost on my mind right now is watermelon. I bought a big, juicy one today and just finished enjoying some of it.

Yes, I may loathe this blasted heat and humidity, but I do love some good ol' watermelon!

Memory Monday v. 7

I want to cherish for a lifetime...

...how much you are mimicking me and your daddy right now. It was so cute how near the end of this past week your dad was laughing because he had stuck his tongue out and you copied him. We both joked about how we don't want to teach you to stick your tongue out at people. You have continued to play with your tongue and stick it in and out, but even better than that is this: this past Saturday I started saying "la la" repetitively while sticking my tongue out. You smiled at me (you still do any time daddy or I do this) and then mimicked me and actually said "la" successively. SO CUTE! It makes me think I better make sure to have a good vocabulary so you learn a lot of words in your younger years: you are going to be a talker! You really already are.

15 Day Challenge: [Day 15]

Wow! It's here. I can't believe I made it either. I'm hoping this will become a new norm for me: consistent blogging. Anywho, here you are: [Day 15], the final day.[Day 15]: What's the best compliment you've ever received?
Oh you guys have really stretched me...the best compliment?
Ummm....
I guess I'll go two ways with this: physical and character.
Both were recent, thankfully, because, otherwise, I would have no clue what to post here.
Physical: I've been told by a couple of people I have a firm butt.
Character: the doctor I worked for, his partner who worked in the same pod as us, my nurse supervisor, and the DON have all either told me I was an excellent worker who truly cared for the patients or have asked to have me back. That to me pays a huge compliment to my character, thus the best compliment towards it I have received to date.

15 Day Challenge: [Day 14]

[Day 14]: If you were only allowed to watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? 
Well...I would have to say Father of the Bride, Part II.
Why?
Because I love Steve Martin and Martin Short. And they make for many laughable moments in that film. Plus, it's just a heart warming movie. And I especially relate to it now that I have my own little one. I even find it funny how my husband noted the actress who played the daughter had likely never been pregnant because of the way she moves, sits, etc. throughout the movie as she "grows" and Diane Keaton had. Funny observation but only half of it is true. I found the info to confirm that on this and this page.

4 Months Old

*sigh*

My heart cries and jumps for joy at typing those words. My baby is growing healthy and for that I jump for joy but it makes me sad, in a bittersweet sort of way, she is growing so fast. It seems like yesterday we were driving to my mom's for the first time with her in the car.

Before I get too far into this, I would like to mention something I noticed the other day: Zoë is bound to have at least one of her birthday's, though more likely several (I hope it's several but only God knows), on Friday the 13th. I'm not into scary movies or anything scary at all. And from the looks of it, Zoë won't approve of it either. She may even do something anti-scary. Just thought it was interesting.

Anyway...on to sweet Ms. Zoë.

I was able to take some pictures of her today so we could document her growth by pictures (not to mention eat up her cuteness...oh and I'm about to photo dump):

Not so easy to see a difference in the pic between this month and last, but cute none the less

This girl can make some silly faces. Not sure what this was at or if it was just spontaneous.

I mean seriously. Look at that face. HAHA!

Good milk

PAHAHAHA! I still can't get over this candid shot. And the dimples above her nose.

Excuse me?! (Look at those chubby cheeks)

Now are you ready for some sweetness? Because we are chock-full of it! I mean seriously, get ready to have your heart melt you guys.

Look at those GORGEOUS blue eyes!

She's not happy. Not one bit.

Whatcha doin' Zoë?

Oh, ya know, just chillin.

Oh and that smirk. Gets me every time.

I don't know about you guys, but I could just EAT. HER. UP! This momma is sold: hook, line, and sinker.

Zoë Baby,

My how you are growing! I cannot believe we are already here at 4 months. Your personality shines more every day (and it rears its stubborn little head too :]). I'm loving getting to spend all my time with you so that I experience first hand your likes and dislikes, what makes you smile and what scares the bejeebers out of you, your new discoveries and continued interests.

You are getting so big! At your 4 month check-up you weighed 14 lbs 6 oz, a whole 3 pounds since your 2 month. You've also grown 2 inches so that you're now 25 inches tall. As far as percintile: you're 75 percentile for weight and between 75 and 90 for height. Needless to say, you are long and lean.

Here is what you have been up to this past month:

• You've rolled over a few more time, but as you are still not a fan of your tummy I have a feeling we're just going to be slow going with that.
• You refuse to roll over from back to tummy. That has not been done once by you.
• You now initiate smiling. So sweet when you make eye contact with me and smile.
• You laughed for the first time last friday, July 6. Daddy was making fun of a sound you made and after a few times, you giggled. You've laughed some more since then but you have a tendency to take your time practicing what you're learning until it becomes a daily event. You laughed at me earlier tonight so it is becoming more regular.
• You prop yourself up on your elbows when you're on your tummy.
• You scoot yourself forward, though ever slowly, when on your tummy.
• When you're on your back, you scoot yourself backwards. Need I say your little legs are very strong.
• You are fully in size 3-6 months/6 months clothing
• You are still in size 2 diapers but you have to wear size 3 at night or you wake us up in the middle of the night. I don't blame you at all. 
• You are still boycotting naps, though it has gotten much better. We actually had about a week or two where you were taking 2 very good naps. However, that was short lived and your back to not napping so well. I'm hoping that by the time we're nearing 6 months, all this will have fixed itself the way it did for your 2 cousins, Brayden and Connor.
• You talk ALL. THE. TIME. It's adorable! You talk to your bird friends that hang above you on your bouncy seat. You talk because you want to. You talk to me. You talk to your daddy. You talk. No one has to tell you to, you do it because you're a girl :)
• You grab your feet a lot.
• You grab anything within reach, which means it's hard to hold you while I eat.
• You also put most of what you grab in your mouth. We just make sure we keep only safe things in your reach.
• You're starting to show signs of readiness for solids. We're still going to wait a bit, but you watch me and daddy eat, as well as, smack when you see food. I also think you understand the question "are you hungry?" because I can ask you and you get excited and smack if you're ready to eat. 

Sweet Pea, you are my pride and joy. I am loving every minute with you and am so blessed to call you my daughter. You light up my world. I can't imagine life without you. You are growing too fast for my liking but I am so glad you are healthy. I'm looking forward to seeing what changes in the next month.

I love you, Sugar!

Mommy

15 Day Challenge: [Day 13]

Wow... [Day 13] is already here? Time is passing too fast, though I didn't need a 15 Day Challenge to prove that. Why? Because my daughter is enough of a reminder. Be looking out for a 4 Month post at some point today. Unless, of course, I end up posting it way late, in which case, you would be looking for it tomorrow. Haven't taken pictures yet so it definitely won't be here until this afternoon. But it will be headed your way within the next 24 hours so watch out :)[Day 13]: List your favorites: song, quote, food, vacation spot, photo
So I know I could pick from any faves I have, but I decided to stick with the ones listed originally. Otherwise, I would have a hard time roping in my scatter-brained mind and never get you any. Thus here you have it:
SongReally? I mean seriously. Let's just start this out with the hardest thing to ask a musician: favorite song? I don't think I can give you a single favorite song.
I mean I love Yo-Yo Ma's performance of Bach: Cello Suite #1 in G, BWV 1007, Prelude. Then there is also NeedtoBreathe's Washed by the Water, Lay 'Em Down, A Place Only You Can Go (just to mention a few of theirs). Oh and The Civil Wars Dance Me to the End of Love. Or what about Coldplay Spies, Paradise, Fix You, Strawberry Swing, Swallowed in the Sea (you know, all of their albums :])? Hmmm...you know I also really like The Cab's High Hopes in Velvet Ropes. Or Kari Jobe's Find You on My Knees and Here. And Jesus Culture's You are My Passion. And Bethel Live's God I Look to You featuring Jenn Johnson. Oh and Ascend the Hill's version of Be Thou My Vision. Can't forget my and my hubs songs: Jason Mraz's Lucky and I'm Yours as well as (and this is probably #1 of the three) Aqualung's Brighter Than Sunshine.
Yep. I could keep going but I did that to prove you can't ask a musician that (or maybe you can but at least not this one). Music to me is all about mood, connection, experience. It all depends on where you are. That will decide your "favorite" in that moment. But a singular favorite of all times. For me, that is just not possible.
Quote I have a lot of these too, but there is one I consistently go back to. It is from C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters. Let me just say, that book is filled to the brim with a gagillion amazing quotes. I was reminded of such as I went a searching for what I'm about to post. Anywho, here is my go to quote:
"He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their stumbles." p. 40 Good quote, no?
FoodOooo la la. Well, I have to say if it is cooked right I would have to say steak. I love me some really, juicy, tender steak. With mashed potatoes or potatoes au gratin or twice baked potatoes. And asparagus or my mom's strawberry salad. Yep. Steak it is.
Phew!
Glad that was easy :)
Vacation SpotWell, considering most of our family vacations were at the beach, of which I'm not a huge fan, and the only real vacation my husband and I have been on would have been our Honeymoon, I'm not quite sure I'm qualified to answer this question.
I do know I love to ski. I've been a few times. And I love it. I could see myself choosing that as my fave, especially since I prefer for it to be cold and you have to wrap yourself up in some good ol' toasty blankets. 
Williamsburg was fun. And I would love to go there again.
And I do remember enjoying D.C. when we went in my early teen years.
But I think I would prefer a vacay in the mountains. Or at least on a Cruise, because I remember that being quite fun too.
Ahh...for sake of answering the prompt: mountains/skiing
PhotoBad question to ask a newly budding photog and a photo junkie. I mean, I could smother my living quarters in pictures. Literally. If it didn't become so overwhelming, I would do it.
I guess let me share a few. One of which you've recently seen, but I love it so much I must post it again:

How could I not love this? I mean, my wonderful hubs did this on his own. Such a sweet man and he's MINE :)

This is from my second ultrasound. It's special to me because it was the first time I saw Zoë move. She was rocking back and forth and her little feet were bobbing around. So, so sweet!

Holding my sweet pea for the very first time. She snuggled with me. Agh I love her so much I feel my heart bursting!

Let me tell you just how mad I am this picture came out fuzzy. Seriously. Because that precious grin, oh that precious grin! All mine (and her dad's) :)

So I cheated on a few of the answers. I just couldn't pick one :)

How about you? What are your favorites?

15 Day Challenge: [Day 12]

Linking up with Sar again over at Life of Love. This challenge is getting close to it's end. I can barely believe it!Let me forewarn you: this post somehow becamse ginormously long :) (and yes I know that makes absolutely no sense but whatev)[Day 12]: What are you most looking forward to in the next six months?
Oh geez! I'm not quite sure how to tackle this question. Honestly, my mind starts reeling, for several reasons, when I read the question. I don't have any big plans or events coming up that I'm looking forward to. Where my mind goes becomes a fork in the road: my hopes and dreams I would desire to come to fruition and the changes I know we're headed for but I'm not so sure I'm jumping for joy over.
Let me explain.
My husband works his freakin' tail off. No joke. He has a full time job working for FedEx Office and manages part-time at a Wingstop here in town. On the days he works both jobs, he works 16 hours straight. To say he is exhausted is an understatment. It spreads both of us thin. And I wouldn't be able to stay at home with our sweet girl if he wasn't willing to work that hard.
For several months now, he has been searching for a way to provide for our little family with a single job. And searching. And the economy sucks. And searching. With nothing to show for it. FedEx has offered him "promotions" but they are all lateral moves, none of which will help him get a foot in the door to move further up. He's applied to different positions throughout the company and still has found nothing.
Thus, my first hope and dream: 1) I pray constantly for God to answer, all the while allowing me (and Ben) to be content while seemingly stuck, is a job that will provide for our family. One sole job. A job that will provide everything we need, including more time as a family.
That is another desire: 2) more family time. We enjoy what we have. And the bit we do have is such a blessing. It could be way worse. I am very much aware of this. However, with both of us being stretched quite thin, the time we do have isn't very quality at times. God has been very gracious and allowed us to make the most of it (usually), but it would be nice to, at times, not feel like every waking minute has to be spent with Ben because of how often he is gone.
That takes you down the left side of the fork in the road.
If you're feeling up to it, let's wander down the right.
You see, in March we welcomed a beautiful baby girl. My sweet pea. My pride and joy. My cuddle bug. Sugar britches. Smiley girl. Zo-Zo. Blue eyed heart stopper.
A 100% healthy little bundle.
And with like most healthy little bundles, there is a lot of change in just the first weeks and months, not to mention year. Within the next six months, she will be 10 months old. NO NO NO NO (told you I wouldn't be jumping for joy)!!!
*sigh*
I want her to grow. Really. I do. It just makes me cry thinking about it. I'm tearing up as I type this.
But 10 months? Seriously?!
Ugh.
By that time, we will be learning to eat by ourselves, which means solids will have been well under way. We more than likely will have gotten our first tooth, if not more than one. Rolling will have passed and crawling started. Possibly walking. Sitting up on our own. Repeating one syllable sounds such as "da da", "ma ma", "ba ba" (I think you get the idea).
So much change in so little time. In a way, I'm looking forward to all the change. I want Zoë to learn the world around her and I am always intrigued watching how she interacts with all the newness to her world. It's fun and sweet and exciting. However, it is such a bittersweet.
And so there you have my glimpse into the next six months. Only time will tell what will actually come to pass.

Sorry it weirded you out...

...but until today, I didn't know Disqus had made some changes to the default avatar on my account. The reason I had no clue is because it also changed my e-mail settings, so I had NO IDEA comments were even being made!Some of you noticed MY picture was being posted as the default. And many of you were wondering who that strange woman was. HAHA! Love it.

It is now fixed so that it will just post a generic design. No weird woman for those of you without a picture and/or Disqus account anymore :) Sorry for the weird picture of someone you didn't know popping up by your name. At least it's solved now.

4 Month Check-up

Oh geez! Yes. I just typed that. I'm not going to post all her stats here because, technically, she isn't four months until this friday. That is when you can expect her typical "growing" post. I just wanted to quickly write up on how amazingly blessed I am to have such a content baby!

She has been slightly fussy post-vaccines, but truly not more than normal. She's currently talking away in her bouncy seat and occasionally stopping to smile at me.

Oh this momma is wrapped (and I thought it was the dad they said to watch out for with that)! HA!

Hopefully, Friday will come with pictures and all. We shall see. I just know I love my little tot!!

And to share some of the sweetness I receive on a (almost) daily basis:

15 Day Challenge: [Day 11]

[Day 11]: What's one thing you would never change about yourself?*sigh*
Whoever came up with these prompts are striving to make me better about talking about myself. And I guess knowing myself better, too. I like the prompts, thus I do them. I'm just not used to talking about me.
As I sat and thought about this prompt, there were two things about myself I would not change which came to mind. I'm going to give you both as they both literally hit me at the same time.
The first thing I would not change about myself is how loyal I am to those I love. I give them my all. And I would die for them if I was asked to.
The second thing I would never change about myself is I know what I want and believe and pretty much stand firm in attaining/following those. I am not cut-throat about either of them but I do make sure I am heard and if it matters enough to me I'm going to voice it. If I'm the one that has to make the decision, you're going to have a hard time to sway me from doing what I want. If you're talking with me about your beliefs, I listen and genuinely seek to learn from them because I am human and, as long as it isn't contradictive to scripture, there is a chance you might change my mind.
However, it is never an instantaneous event. It may not be for a long while before I realize I agree with you. And if I never do, then I have at least broadened my horizons on knowledge which in turn can become wisdom.
I know I technically cheated with listing two, but I just was not able to pick between the two and since they both happened to come to me at the same instant I decided they could kind of be one ;)
What's one thing (or two if you're like me) you would never change about yourself?

15 Day Challenge: [Day 10]

So, I'm linking up with Sar again. Here is Day 10. A bit later in the day than I have been posting but we were out on the town with some friends who are visiting. Unfortunately, I have no pictures to show for it but a sore back from carrying a baby without the carrier because she had decided she'd had enough of the stroller and I forgot the carrier. Oops!

[Day 10]: What's your most embarassing moment?
I didn't have the easiest time coming up with a story for this which, I guess, means I'm not embarassed too easily. That or I don't hang out with people who embarass me too often. OR I slip it away into some abandoned corner of my mind and never remember. I think it's the first though. Thus, the story I have to tell you is more just funny but hey. Funny is good too, right?
It takes place during my senior year of high school in my first period class. I got along with that group of people farely well (I don't remember who all was in my class) and we were all sitting around during some free time we had that day.
I don't remember exactly what I was doing, but I had somehow missed out on an entire conversation about a prank they thought would be funny to play on somebody. They weren't sure it would work but were laughing pretty hard about it. Enough that it caught my attention.
I looked up and asked them what they were doing. Robin, one of the girls in my class, made a statement about how hard it would be to roll a quarter up and down your nose. I, the gullible person I was back then, looked at her with a "Are you serious?! That's stupid and stinkin' easy!" look. She proceeded to hand me a quarter so I could prove I was right.
Well, in the process of showing everyone how silly she was, I put a pretty black line up and down my nose from the sharpie she had put along the outer edge of the quarter.
Of course everyone laughed and I wondered why they thought it was funny I could roll a quarter on my nose. Robin proceeded to explain what had been going on and what I had just done.
I honestly do not remember exactly how I reacted but thinking about it now I laugh at how gullible I was.
And that my blogging friends, is the best I could come up with for an embarassing moment.

15 Day Challenge: [Day 9]

[Day 9]: Describe the best day of your life to date.
So, there is really no way for me to widdle my life down to one best day. Thus, you will get a few (they are in no certain order) :)
#1Definitely the day my hubby asked me out. We had gone to see our church's Youth Music and Drama's production of Les Misérable and IHOP afterwards. We had ridden together with his sister and brother-in-law to both places which landed us back at their place around 11 pm. I'm not really sure how the conversation started, but Ben and I had a good hour and a half long convo standing outside our vehicles. I will never forget how as we hugged to say goodnight, he held on to me and asked me to be his girlfriend. That made for the best day ever and it started at 1230 AM :)
#2Our wedding day

SO. MUCH. FUN. (not to mention I have the sweetest :) can't you tell by that pic?)

We had plenty of laughs (I handed our pastor a ring pop as Ben's ring at first and it got the best expression, caught by our photographer), some sweet, sweet moments, and a lot of fun dancing away. Then we drove off in his awesome '87 GMC Sierra Classic (also a great moment our photographer captured) and headed for our Honeymoon. Oh and by the way, if you have a wedding in Baton Rouge, The Gatehouse sets you up for reals! Great job on everything AND they send you away with awesome food. Ben and I were sad we couldn't bring the leftovers on our flight with us :( Ahhh...special day. Married my best friend, which still amazes me considering we had only known each other for a little under 2 years by that point.

#3

March 13, 2012. Funny how when not pressed for the date I can remember it but anytime I call the peds office I stumble :) That would be the day sweet Zoë Grace graced us with her presence. I'll never forget the doctor holding her up and saying "It's a girl!" Funny I remember those words sounding really slow because I feared being one of those people who had planned for a girl after a sonogram saying such only to be told it's a boy in the delivery room. She was (and still is and always will be) so precious to me!

Here she is just minutes out of the oven :) Love my baby girl so much!

And there you have the three best days of my life thus far. I'm sure I will add to them but I'm also sure I could never just pick one.

Memory Monday v. 6

I want to cherish for a lifetime...


the way you put your hands on my face. We'll be talking away and you will reach up to grab my face. The older you're getting the more intentional you are about it. Sweet, sweet, sweet!

15 Day Challenge: [Day 8]

[Day 8]: Describe "the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" of yourself.
Oooy, the challenge is asking a lot of me, because you see, I don't typically sit around and list good or bad about myself. However, if I'm inclined to do one I can locate faults quite easily. Beat myself up a bit? Yeah, probably. But alas, here is [Day 8]:
The Good

• In most situations, I tend to show a lot of patience. And personally, I wouldn't say this about myself (due to one of my ugly traits I'll be listing), but I have heard that as a compliment for a very long time. And I have seen it in myself, but like I said, I downplay myself a lot.
• I am empathetic/compassionate. I am able to listen and enter into a situation with someone whether happy, sad, mad, etc.
• I am extremely discerning. It's uncanny at times. Definitely a God-given gift. Not that I'm not human and don't make mistakes in my discernment, my infant daughter would tell you that if she could talk ;), but I typically can see into a situation and see quite clearly what's going on behind the curtains.

The Bad

• My mouth can get carried away with some awful language at times. And the bad part of "the bad" is sometimes it makes me feel less stressed after saying it.
• I have a terrible pet peeve with bad drivers where I talk to them like they can hear me and chew them out. 
• Sometimes when I talk I rabbit trail terribly and have a tendency to get distracted in the middle of conversation. It's so bad my husband thought I didn't like him or was bored when he first met me. 

The Ugly

• I have a temper like no other. And if you set it off, you better watch out because this woman would desire a punching bag in those moments. Being 1/4 French and 1/4 Italian does not help either. No! I don't actually get physical with my anger. My mouth starts getting a bit too active :)
• I was informed the other day, by my wonderful iron-sharpening-iron hubby, I have a tendency to quickly jump to judgements when watching a situation. I don't mean to. Honestly, I don't mean anything by them, as in I'm not holding on to it and thinking were I ever to actually meet that person this would cloud my impression of them, but without thinking I make them. For instance, the other night on our date, Ben and I were sitting in our car when this situation arose for a parking spot. This one chick was acting quite ridiculous in that she was speeding through the parking lot and started cutting off a vehicle which had been waiting for the spot much longer than she'd ever entered the picture. I made a statement about how she's a crazy  ***** and went on with why that was my assessment. Hubby lovingly pointed out what I did. Ooops! 
• I allow people to walk all over me. Like, even walk all over my motherly intuition or making decisions for my daughter WALK. ALL. OVER! It's horrible. To the point that I get angry about it (HA! Told ya so in my first "ugly" bullet). 

So there you have it. Wow, I'm feeling a bit uncovered by this. Not that I have anything to hide. I just typically take time to "warm up" and start sharing anything about myself. Good exercise in getting out of my comfort zone.

15 Day Challenge: [Day 7]

Saturday is cleaning day and I am happy to say it's all done! That's a record for me with a baby in tow. Normally it's an all day event and sometimes completion never sees the light of day. As in, I'm feeling good if the bathroom is cleaned OR the floors are vacummed. Yup. That's how it is around these parts since March. And she isn't even fully mobile. *sigh*

I'm also dog sitting for my mom this weekend. I captured a really cute pic of Zoë with Cody.

I know I'm a bit biased, guys, but I think she's a doll! Oh and notice she's donning a lovely teething bib due to excessive drool and some spit up :) Keepin' it real!

Now on to the15 Day Challenge: [Day 7]

[Day 7]: Recommend a book for us to read. Why do you think it's important?
Oh geez. Really? You should see all the books I own, not to mention a majority of them I have read. Yes, some of them I haven't but I fully intend to eventually :) Grrrr...even cheating by listing one nonfiction and one fiction won't help me. BAH!
Ummm... think. think. think.
You know what. This is way too difficult for me.
So I'm just going to recommend the series I'm finishing up right now. Most people are familiar with it as some amazing movies were made a few years back. 
The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
I'm currently on the final book: The Return of the King. Some people may not enjoy it because of the detail Tolkien takes in describing scenery and other seemingly nonimporant facts, but for me it really helped to visualize where everything is taking place (not to mention, my hubby is a LOTR nerd and bought the books that have maps in the back of them).
Oh and should you decide to read it and you have any questions about it, here's a very helpful website: The Encylopedia of Arda. You can also thank my hubby for that :)

15 Day Challenge: [Day 6]

Day 6. I've actually blogged 6 straight days in a row (this also means my sweet pea has been taking her naps 6 days in a row! WHAT?! Thank you God!). So yes, I'm linking up with Sar again. Here is day 6's prompt:


[Day 6]: What's something you've always wanted to do but haven't? Why not?
Hmmm...
I thought this would be hard but it came to me quite easily: with my ever growing love of baking and wanting to come up with my own recipes (you read that right: I'm always wishing I knew the main staples for cakes, breads, pastries, etc.), I've had a desire to take a professional baking class. Or even a short class taylored to something specific (i.e. my mom had heard of some cupcake class here). I love to bake that much.
Why not? Well let me run down through my current list:
1) My husband works two jobs. Three days out of the week he's not home until way too late. So the days he is home, we try to take advantage of the time given us, whether it's time together or allowing me to leave the house for a breath of fresh air and some alone time, sans baby.
2) I have an almost 4 month-old baby girl. I am a SAHM but I can't go to a baking class with her. Not relaxing for me or her and heaven forbid she get burned because I had her strapped to me. Not my idea of fun.
3) Our budget is a bit thin at this point and any baking class is not really going to fit into said budget. Plus, when God does bless us with a little extra, we either save it or use it for fun dates we've dreamed of but require some money.
And there you have why I have not looked further into a professional baking class. But one day, oh yes, ond day I will. Why? Because I would love to get creative like Cake Boss, just on a smaller, personal scale :)

15 Day Challenge: [Day 5]

[Day 5]: If you could have dinner with any five people, who would they be?
Wow...this is a hard one for me. I don't generally sit around wanting to be with people. You see, I'm an introvert, and as such, I get my energy from being alone. I'm NOT saying I don't find enjoyment when I'm with people or even that I have no desire to be with them. It is just a very occasional moment I find myself even wanting to be with someone outside my bubble. So I never really sit and wish for dinner with people. At least, that is how I take this prompt (I'm thinking not my immediate family, hubby, daughter...and even then sometimes I don't want dinner with the either :P). Anyway, I digress.
So...five people? Hmmmm...
Well for starters, I would honestly have to say Christ. This may seem very cliché or even "the right sunday school answer", but I honestly would enjoy an actual opportunity to have dinner at a table with him now. Not just wait to see him once I'm in heaven. To be able to converse with him, listen to him, probably get angry at him for correcting me, and then realize I can be a better person if I listen. Yes, he is definitely one of the five.
Then I would have to say Beth Moore. Doing several of her bible studies and even watching some of her video sessions for said studies have always made me want to get to know her better. She seems very fiery, full of passion for the Lord, and full of insight and wisdom. Not to mention she seems like she is a very sweet natured woman.
Ummmm...can a band count as 1? Because otherwise I would be over into six total...I'm going to cheat...well, actually, I'm going to not cheat and list another musician but had I been able to list a band as one it would have been NeedtoBreathe. A single musician though I would have...gah! Never mind. I can't just pick one musician. That just doesn't work for me because a gagillion of them pop into my head!
Moving on...
The last three are authors: Karen Kingsbury, J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis. Karen Kingsbury has written a series (well, it actually is 4 or 5 series tied together) I have followed almost since it's beginning. I think she might have been on the third book when I started and ever since I have found myself waiting for the next book to come out after I finish the most recent. In between, I found myself reading more of her works. A stand alone novel she wrote that I love is Like Dandelion Dust.
J.R.R. Tolkien. The man is a genius. And full of wisdom. Plus, talking with the man who wrote LOTR? Yes, thank you!
C. S. Lewis - I love everything of his I have read. Some of it non-fiction. Others fiction. And plus, J.R.R. Tolkien was an influence in his life. 
Buggers! THAT was not easy! Not at all!! Because even now, (now that we've got my mind juices flowing in that direction) I can think of people I left out. HAHA! Told you it wasn't because I don't like people. It's merely because I don't sit around thinking about it.

15 Day Challenge: [Day 4]

That's right. I'm still making it in the 15 day challenge. HA! Like it's almost over...I've got a LONG. WAY. TO. GO! BUT I thought I wouldn't have stuck with it by this point. Something in my life would have taken precedence and then I would have forgotten and then I would have found myself lying in bed thinking about the fact I forgot and be too tired to care :) However, that is yet to be the case. So...here's to day 4!

[Day 4]: What's your favorite childhood memory?
Ooooy! There aren't a ton of memories I call to mind. I have a few, but aside from those my mind isn't flooded with a gagillion memories. I had a wonderful childhood; don't get me wrong. However, when I think of my childhood I typically think more about how I know my parents loved and cared for me. That is what I remember. However, the stories I do remember are wonderful and we have family videos and tons of pictures to make up for what I forgot :) Here is one of my faves that I can remember (without help from any of our "family media"):
My younger sibs and I used to build indoor forts with any loose articles and lots of blankets when we were little. One of the best forts we ever built was a maze underneath all the blankets which covered pretty much the entire floor of our family study. The room had to be a good 30x15. Something in that general arena of ginormousness (you know, to a little kids mind it was ridonculously big!). We would play hide and seek in the dark in just that space. The best part was we had a rule you could move around but had to stay in the study. To make it even harder, the fort only allowed for us to crawl through it.
So you're playing hide and seek in the dark, a majority of it in a maze fort, and you could pretty much only crawl around.
So fun!
Makes me think I will have to try something of the sort with my kiddos once they are in that phase of life :)

15 Day Challenge: [Day 3]

[Day 3]: Tell about an article of clothing that you're deeply attached to.
Believe it or not, my article of clothing I'm attached to is quite a new article. Bought for and worn the first time on my Honeymoon, which was a year and nine months ago. But it has a lovely story.
You see, my best friend and I went shopping for my honeymoon clothing together. And found lots of great dresses and shoes and accesories. But there was this one dress. Oh and she is a beauty! And sexy but cute. And freakin' comfortable, ladies! One you could hang out in ALL. DAY. LONG! Not to mention, if you're brave enough, you might even want to find a way to wear it in winter because you just long to wear it. THIS is THAT kind of dress.
Here is a not so great photo of it but at least you will have one:

This dress was on a manikin. We both immediately loved it, so we went searching for said dress on the racks of dresses.
Nada.
Up and down.
Nothing!
Up and down.
We hung our heads.
So my bestie decided to see what size was on the manikin. Neither of us held our breath as usually manikins usually end up with a pretty small size dress, of which said size does not fit me. But we wanted to see. Just in case.
Wouldn't you know said dress was my size. To the tee (at least by the number presented). We moaned that the dress size I would need to try on would be on the manikin. What store clerk would really desire to strip the manikin?
So we bemoaned the fact and headed back to the dressing rooms to try on the hundreds (ok I exaggerate but there were a lot) of other dresses we had picked for me to try.
But that dress was stuck. In both of our heads.
And that's when my bestie got the most wonderfully, mischievous, great look in her eye. I didn't quite understand it at that point but would you know I was oh so glad it came to her? She left shortly after I saw the gleam in her eye to find a different size of a dress I was trying on, only to come back with a different size AND...
THE DRESS!!!
Niether of us could stop laughing after she told me she had decided to strip the manikin.
And oh the dress fit perfectly!
Still one of the greatest memories I have :)
And now, I'm dreaming of the day my body will (boy am I really crossing my fingers) go back to the way it was pre-Zoë. You see, breastfeeding kept my rack enlarged to much more than it was pre-baby. And so I fall out of that wonderful dress now. I long to fit into. To feel the comfortable fabric against my skin. And love the way it fits me. Comfy and cute.
Hopefully, I will one day see that dream become reality. But if not, at least I took almost every opportunity given to wear it.
Oh and by the way, I'm not attached at all ;)