A WONDERFUL Birthday!

Happy Birthday to Me!! Yeah! Today is my wonderful birthday and yes, it has been wonderful. It has been going on for days now. On Saturday Chris took me out for dinner after he came home from church. Yes, Caleb was a bit on the snuffly side but we went anyway. He was already in his jammers because he never left them and we fed him his bottle while at the restaurant. By the time we got home he was zonked out and easily transferred to the crib. On Sunday, Chris and I had family day and it was wonderful (previous post). The small group had balloons and cheese cake for me that evening. I felt so loved.

The best part so far was most definitely last night. Wow! About 5:15, Caleb and packed up and left for a friend's house for "Girl's night." The girls from small group get together about twice a month for this great time of hanging out. (Caleb is the only allowed male.) I yapped with my sister on the phone while I drove. I pulled up in the driveway and my sister-in-law ran out of the house and said, "Open the trunk, we're taking your car." What? "We're taking you out to eat." She proceeded to move all the mess from the front into the trunk. What?....Okay. Two more girls came out of the house and climbed into the car. We yapped and yapped and I just followed instructions of where to go. We ended up at a Mexican restaurant that I've never been to but wanted to go. Yum! I LOVE MEXICAN! We sat down and TWO MORE girls from the small group showed up. So, we were all there. I munched on chips and salsa and enjoyed the company. Caleb was in his high chair two people down from me. That was great. It doesn't end there. Next thing I know, I am getting a kiss on my head. What in the world?! It was CHRIS!! He then proceeded to pack up Caleb and take him away. He said, "Enjoy your evening, Honey!" I had to run to him and give him a big kiss. Enjoy the evening I did! The food was great and the company was even better. At one point I was talking and it looked like everyone was distracted by something. Well, I looked down and a dessert was placed in front of me and I had a sombrero on my head. They sang "Happy Birthday" in Spanish and I was redder than the tomato on my dinner plate. Aaahhhh...Good Times! We finished up and went back to my friend's house and hung out some more. By the time I got home Chris had already put Caleb in his crib and he was sleeping hard. I had an entire evening with no Caleb responsibilities. What a wonderful birthday present. Thank you everyone!

Today is my official birthday. I was born at 8:13 am, 28 years ago. (I don't mind saying my age). It is funny that I already have celebrated my birthday and yet today is the real day. I feel great because I know there are people who love and support me. I just pray that I can do the same for others.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Family Day

Chris and I started a wonderful new family tradition yesterday. From now on, Sunday is going to be a day to remember the Lord and Family. It is our Sabbath/Family Day. I know that Sunday has always been the Sabbath and our Sundays are generally a lot calmer and more relaxing than the other days of the week. However, Chris and I still used to get paperwork done or housework done. We enjoyed each other's company and yet continued on in our regular business. After a rather grueling month of redoing the home computers/network and preparing our tax information for the accountant, Chris and I decided to implement Family Day.

Here is how it went. We woke up without the alarm and I went to let Eowyn out, put food in her bowl, and went to get Caleb. Chris and I played with Caleb in the bed for almost 30 minutes. I let Eowyn back in the house and she joined us on the bed. Gotta love the "Family Bed." Chris and I then got ourselves ready (very casual), gave Caleb dressed and fed, and went to the Donut Connection for coffee and a bagel and a donut. We split the bagel and the donut. From there we went to our county's Veterans' Park and walked around and read all the names of men from our county who fought in all the American wars...from the Revolutionary War to the War on Terrorism. It was so pretty and pleasant and Chris and I couldn't believe we hadn't been there before. Caleb was zonking in his carseat in the stroller the whole time. We went home and Chris made a fire. Caleb and I hung out in that room while Chris worked on the fire. I fed Caleb and let him enjoy a teething cookie afterwards. I don't do that too often right now because he makes such a terrible mess, but he LOVES them. Caleb took his nap and Chris and I enjoyed lunch and a CSI episode from Netflix. Our regular babysitter for small group was sick so Chris had to stay home while I went to small group. I thought that was so sweet. Chris said he knew that I needed to "get out" much more than him and he was happy to stay back this time. Thanks, Honey! I had a great time at small group and came home to the still roaring fire and Caleb ready for bed. Chris and I got ready for bed ourselves, put Caleb down for the night, and enjoyed another CSI episode and went to bed early.

It was a wonderful day!

Here We Go Again!

Chris and I, especially me, were looking forward to having a "regular" weekend. We would do stuff around the house on Saturday, go to church to serve and worship in the evening, come home to a simple dinner and a movie, and a quiet Family oriented Sunday until Small Group. I was beyond excited that the Holiday stuff was finally over and we were back to normal. Well, when I got Caleb up this morning I saw that the waterworks of his nose had turned on. Yep! The poor boy has another cold. Gee Whiz! I've taken his temperature and he has a small fever (nothing to call the doctor about, though) and the snot continues to flow. He is also very lethargic. He just sits there and works the pacifier. So, being that the symptoms are brand new and so is the fever, it would be a big No-No to put him in the church nursery. Chris will go to church to serve in the children's ministry and I'll stay home with Caleb....again. Don't get me wrong. A poor sick boy is worth staying home for. I love him and I want him to be rested and get better. I was just so looking forward to tonight. I think I'll make cookies to make myself feel better. I was going to do it tomorrow for small group, but I think I'll do it tonight. Baking cookies is so therapeutic. Please pray that Caleb feels better soon.

My Little Man

I was so proud of Caleb today. During our Friday morning errands we went into the bank to close out an account we didn't need anymore. Since Caleb is such a big boy now I rarely bring him into places while still in his carseat. That thing is heavy now and I figure I need to get used to it anyway. So, I sat down at the lady's desk with Caleb on my lap. I saw there was any empty seat next to me and it had a nice back to it. I thought, "Hmmm....I wonder if Caleb could sit up in that chair and entertain himself." I slid him over and VOILA! He sat up with no problems and he just smiled and smiled. It was almost like he was saying, "Look Mom! I'm a BIG boy!" I took a piece of candy from the desk and offered the crinkly paper to Caleb. Okay, what baby can resist crinkly paper? He was beyond happy. I couldn't have asked for a more pleasant trip to the bank. An empty lap and a happy baby. Aaaaahhh!

Have a great weekend!

This Evening Just Wasn't Intended to Happen

I have been so excited about tonight. A good friend from High School and College is in town for a music conference that happens every year. We try to get together whenever she is down here and this year was no different. We usually meet on Friday evenings but because of other events and babysitting issues tonight, Thursday, was the only night that would work. I arranged babysitting and Chris and I were ready to go. Yeah! I was going to have an evening downtown, minus the baby, with my husband and good friend. Double Yeah! Well, I got an email from my friend saying that she couldn't do it because of a session at the conference she really wanted to attend was during our planned outing. We could do it only if we could meet one hour earlier than originally planned. Chris and I racked our brains trying to figure how to make this work. We finally concluded that with the change in babysitting and the fact we would have to take two cars it would be too difficult. Bummer!

I then had a brilliant idea. What if we kept our babysitter and then hit the country town for an evening of just us. It wouldn't be quite so glamorous because we would be eating at our local Mexican restaurant and probably be home before eight. It was a night out with my husband, though! Yeah! Chris agreed and it was settled. I called my out of town friend and apologized that we just couldn't work it out and we would hopefully see her next time we visit Dad. I then called the babysitter and explained that the original plans were cancelled but we really like to keep her for our date. She agreed. It was no change in her schedule after all. Yeah! We were ON for the evening.

I got ready for a lunch date I had and then THE email arrived. Chris wasn't feeling well and he wanted to come home and stay home after work. WHAT!? You mean cancel the babysitter and eat at home like every other evening?! NOOOOOO! I had a pity party for awhile but then I concluded that an evening with my husband can happen some other time. The babysitter will be available some other time. My Hubby takes priority and I need to take care of him.

So, this wonderful evening I had planned and then re-planned apparently wasn't intended to happen. Oh well! I guess we'll eat our salads (Chris' request), put Caleb to bed, watch some TV, and go to bed. I love my Home and I love my Family!

Caleb, Daddy, and a Pen

Chris and I have entered a new arena of parenthood. It all started last night. Chris was sitting by the fire and working on his Crown Ministries Homework. He had Caleb on his lap as he watched him so I could get some work done around the house and/or read something. My lovely husband does that every night. Aaaahhh! I love him! Anyway, I was folding laundry in the living room when I heard "Waaaaaaa!", "No Caleb," "Waaaaa!" "No, Caleb. Daddy is using the pen." "Waaaaaa!" After that happened about ten times I had to go into the other room and see what battle my men were fighting. Apparently, Caleb wanted his Daddy's pen but Chris was using it for his homework. Caleb would grab the pen and Daddy would promptly remove the little hand and say "No, Caleb." Caleb was screaming so hard. His little face was beet red and he was so tense. I don't think I've ever seen him so angry at us. He is only 6 months old! Does it start this early? The dispute finally ended when I offered Caleb a piece of crinkly paper. Oh Wow! Crinkly paper is so cool!

Part of me is sad that my little boy is starting to disobey us and is seeking his own way. I guess we're going to have to think more about discipline and how to do it appropriately with each age. I know my little boy is doomed to be stubborn because both his parents are quite "tenacious." On the other hand, I felt very proud of Caleb last night because I could see that he saw something he wanted and he was going after it. There was a sense of self and personality that I am loving to see develop. Last night, was a milestone that I loved and hated to see come. I am sure it only gets more complicated from here.

On a very heartwarming note, when I went to pick Caleb up from the floor this morning he actually put his arms up towards me! Be still my heart! He's only done it once today so far but I am positive I saw those cute arms come up towards his Mommy.

Beginnings and Endings

This was a very interesting weekend. The big planned event was Caleb's Baby Dedication at church. As members of a non-denominational church we won't baptize Caleb because we believe that baptism by immersion is done once Caleb makes a personal decision for Christ. We pray daily for that decision to made at an early age. Instead of the baptism, we have Baby Dedication. That is when the parents and even the grandparents, sometimes, stand in front of the church and pledge to raise the child as a Christian and the congregation pledges to support the parents in that effort. So, my Dad and Step Mom came into town and so did my sister for this big event. I believe that Baby Dedication is what you make it and Chris and I took it VERY Seriously. We were making our commitment to raising Caleb in the faith public and making ourselves accountable for it. Everyone was excited for a meaningful service and wonderful family time.

Dad and Betty arrived Friday night and we all had a great time despite an epidemic of colds in the house. Chris and I both came down with Caleb's cold. My Dad arrived sick and so did my sister. Anyway, Chris and I woke up at 6:30 am on Saturday to the news that his Grandfather in Poland had passed away. Grandpa R. had been in the hospital for 3 weeks and we weren't really surprised but it still hits like a ton of bricks.

You see, Chris is half Polish. His father immigrated to the U.S. of A in his twenties and married Chris' Mom. His entire family remained in Poland. Chris has seen his Grandfather twice in Poland. We named Caleb after his Great-Granddaddy (Caleb's middle name) and we planned to travel to Poland so that Caleb could meet his Great Grandpa and vice versa. Caleb is the only American born Great Grandchild and the only one who will carry the Polish last name to boot. It was going to be a wonderful time and plenty of pictures were to be taken. My Dad got us a 2 G memory stick for our digital camera for the trip for Christmas. The trip is still going to happen and many pictures will be taken but that one picture I wanted won't happen. Chris and I were so excited about getting a picture of his Grandpa, His Dad, himself, and Caleb. Four Generations. We'll miss him. I never met him but I miss him too.

So, this weekend was a wonderful time of celebration with a dark cloud over it. Chris' parents didn't attend the Dedication due to a bad cold. Chris' Dad was coming down with a cold already and then he got the news of his Dad. His way of dealing with the news was to work outside on all kinds of projects when he should've been inside resting. By Saturday, he was too sick to be around Caleb or to be out.

The funeral is today and unfortunately, none of us could even dream of getting to Poland in time. My heart is in Poland today and so are my prayers.

How about De-Lurking?

I know I'm a bit late for recognizing National De-Lurking Week. But, I had to post this graphic I found on Keziah's blog, A Woman Who Fears the Lord.

Cleaning up the Clutter

Today has been spent cleaning up my house or at least attempting to clean it. Caleb's cold put me sorely behind and I am up to my shoulders in tidying to do. The big kicker is that I have family coming into town tomorrow for Caleb's Church Dedication. I'm also not feeling 100% with a scratchy throat and being really tired. Thankfully, Caleb is doing great and over HIS cold. I'm starting to think that cold germs don't actually die, they just jump from one person to the next. You feel better once the next victim starts feeling rotten. When it comes to the house, I've adopted the "throw all the clutter into the storage room method." I know it will make more work for me later but at least the guest room will be ready. I've been using the guest room as my "Ship Shop" for my eBay auctions and there were books everywhere. I took some Walmart bags and moved everything out. I know this post sounds like I'm babbling and I know I am. I'm sorry. My head is feeling sick and I have a lot of work to do. Thanks for checking in and I'll be back soon. :-)

Music To My Ears!

Caleb is squealing and babbling and smiling like normal today. I never knew till now how beautiful those high pitched, ear piercing squeals would be to me. The past two sickly days have been rather quiet because Caleb just hasn't been up to talking to me. He has just sneezed and coughed and maybe fussed after those. He was feeling pretty rotten. But, he is back to his normal self again. His chest is still a bit raspy when he breathes and he still coughs but his personality is back in full gear. Yeah! We made it through our first baby cold. Now, Caleb can put those immunities into the Bank of Caleb's Defense System.

While Caleb has been getting better, Eowyn has been getting sick. She has thrown up twice in the living room and I've seen her eating grass outside. I wonder what she ate that has upset her stomach so much. She's also been rather lethargic and just staying by the fireplace. (Yeah...it has actually been cold enough to have a fire today!) I am thankful to have a dog who owns up to her accidents. Both times she threw up she just sat by the pile until I saw it and cleaned it up. Her tail was down and her ears were laid back on her head. She looked so pitiful. I had to pull out our pet mess cleaner and I've barely used that stuff since Eowyn was house trained. I guess this is how it goes...one kid gets over a cold and the other gets sick.

Did I mention that my throat has been rather itchy and scratchy since yesterday? Hmmmm.

Eat Those Veggies

I am sure that many Moms have to same issue of wondering how to get their baby to actually swallow the veggies he/she doesn't like. You've been there. You are trying a new veggie baby food and the food comes out quicker than it does going in. I have found a way to get Caleb to slowly likes his Veggies. It works for me! As you may already know, I make my own baby food and I love doing it. I freeze it in ice cube trays and that obviously produces nice little cubes of apples, peas, carrots, or what have you. You can make all kinds of yummy combinations. Caleb LOVES apples but he will usually spit out any new veggie I give him. So, I will start putting two cubes of apples and one cube of the new veggie into his bowl and thaw them out all together. There is a little bit of veggie taste mixed into those lovely apples. I do that combination for a few days until he's used to it and then I do a switcherooo. I start putting two cubes of the new veggie and one cube of apples. I do that for a few days and next thing you know, he loves his new veggie. Ah Hah! Mommy is tricky! This has worked so far with peas, carrots, and we are working on yellow squash.

Carnival of Beauty--January 17, 2007

This week's Carnival of Beauty is on the Beauty of Bread and it just so happens to be a Share-A-Recipe Week. I hope everyone enjoys the recipes submitted by our participants. I know I will. Thanks Everyone!

Veracity from Veracity-The Way shares two delicious breads-one done the old fashioned way, one for the bread machine.

Allison from Simple Christian Living gives a wonderful recipe for Sourdough Starter and Bread. Looks Lovely! I've been wanting to try homemade Sourdough. Thanks, Allison!

Sallie from A Gracious Home (Our Carnival of Beauty Sponsor) tells us about a Garden Herb Bread that smells heavenly while baking and tastes just as good. It is made in the Bread Machine to boot!

A Honey-Whole Wheat Bread made in the Bread Machine is provided by Beckie at A Child of God.

Patricia at Pollywog Creek lets us in on her recipe for a very satisfying and sweet Blueberry-orange bread in her post, "The glory of bread is that it satisfies", John Piper

Jennifer at Wonderful Pages shows us how she makes four loaves of bread in an hour with her Bosch Concept Mixer.

Beth at Ebenezer Stories shares her recipe for Rosemary Whole Wheat Bread and shares a story of the first loaf of bread she made with her husband.

Revka at The Porch Light gives us her recipe for Basic White Bread in the Bread Machine. You sure can't beat good White Bread.

Ashley from Onward and Upward shares her recipe for Homemade Banana Bread because "Banana bread to me is a symbol of hospitality and welcoming new neighbors."

Sandy at Simply Sandy shares her No Guilty Beer Bread Recipe. She says it is a quick bread that is very easy, very yummy, and very low in fat!! All those are reasons enough for me to try it.

Julie at JulieD's Blog shares a delicious and very pretty cinnamon loaf with us and says "When I want to bake something for family, dear friends or neighbors; this is the bread I make."

Kim at Mother-Lode shares here recipe for Cheese Bread Knots and tells us to "recognize the marvels and mysteries unlocked in breaking bread."

Finally, a delicious recipe for Amish White Bread is provided by Sarah at To Motherhood and Beyond. That's me!

Why I'm not writing much today...

Caleb is napping right now and that is allowing me to get ready for the Carnival of Beauty and work on my Crown Ministries homework. But, he's been a big ball of snot today and not very smiley. Poor Guy! I miss his smiles so much!

Note: Don't forget that the Carnival of Beauty is coming here tomorrow and there is still time to submit some lovely bread recipes. I'm looking forward to it. Are you?

Religious Freedom Day is Today!

I had no idea that today is Religious Freedom Day. I found out when I was reading the Persecution Blog from Voice of the Martyrs. Check out this link and see what they are saying about today. Makes me thankful I live in the U.S. of A and it reminds me to pray for our Brothers and Sisters who don't have the same freedoms we have.

Time in the Warm Sun...in January!

We finally made it outside and had a wonderful time!

I think the sun did Caleb some good.

Eowyn had a wonderful time too!

Mommy Point of View

Mr. Snotty and Adventures in the Bathtub

Okay, when I woke up this morning I had no idea my day was going to be this way. I knew Caleb was still sick but who knew he was going to turn from Mr. McCough to Mr. Snotty overnight. My pajamas have already earned their purple heart with a good smattering of snot on the shoulder. We had the perfect picture op when Caleb sneezed and had a very round snot bubble hanging onto his nostril. Chris ran for the camera but Caleb rubbed his nose and popped it. Doh! I so would've put it up here. I guess you'll just have to use your imagination. The rest of the morning has been spent wiping his nose and using the evil (Caleb's word) suction bulb to get the rest. We both got a nice break with a nap/prayer time on the couch around nine and Caleb felt better afterwards.

We got up around 10:15 and proceeded to have Caleb's solid brunch. Yum! While feeding him I figured I could finish feeding him, give him a bath, and we could go sit outside in the lovely WARM (74 degrees F, to be exact) temperatures before my lunch and his naptime. Bathtime started out nicely until I saw that LOOK on his face. I think every Mommy out there knows that look. He was concentrating and bearing down on something OH, NO YOU DON'T!! YOU DIDN'T!! CALEB! Yes, Caleb POOPED in his bathtub. It wasn't just once but twice. I had to use my hands and fish it out. I gave up on the baby tub and took Caleb to the kitchen sink and finished his bath. Thankfully, I thought to load the dishwasher earlier this morning. I dried Caleb off and put him in a diaper and laid him down in his floor gym where he is currently playing happily. As I was thoroughly GROSSED OUT, I cleaned the guest bath tub and Caleb's baby tub. Eeeewww! I guess this is a good thing because I have family coming in Friday for Caleb's church dedication and I was thinking I should scrub down that bath tub before they came. (Don't worry Dad, the tub is nice and shiny and clean now). Maybe this was God's sense of humor getting me to actually clean the tub and not put it off anymore. Okay, I got the message.

The escapade in the bathtub is over and I survived but the snot continues to flow. I will just pull my hair back into a pony tail and continue on my day as a Mommy. I feel thoroughly initiated into the Mommy club. Thanks, Ladies!

You Gotta Love Homemade Bread!

I LOVE BREAD! But, I guess you could say that I am a bit of a bread snob. I really don't like the sliced bread from the store and for the first part of our marriage I just didn't buy it. We have a bread machine and it is wonderful. I used to use it for our only source of bread. A few weeks ago I got brave and I decided to branch out and try making the bread completely by hand. Now, I am addicted. The bread machine is collecting dust and wondering if we still love it. I am still very new to this handmade bread thing and I've only mastered one recipe. I try to make it often enough to keep bread in the house. It makes two loaves and I usually freeze the extra loaf. I would like to share this wonderful recipe with everyone. I got it from allrecipes.com.

Amish White Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups bread flour

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in wamr water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a ligh floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, andplace into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 3 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

YUMMY!

The Carnival of Beauty is Coming Here!

I am so excited. I am hosting The Carnival of Beauty this week. The topic is the Beauty of Bread. Yum! This is going to be a Share-A-Recipe time. So, please send me your take on the Beauty of Bread and your favorite recipes by Tuesday at 3 pm and I'll post all your lovely recipes on Wednesday. I can't wait!

*COUGH* Da Da Da *COUGH* Da Da Da

That's the way Caleb sounds this morning. It looks like Caleb has come down with his very first cold. He has made it 6 months without ever getting sick. He is coughing a good bit and sneezing. He is also all snuffly. Poor Guy! I think I'm taking it worse than he is, though. He is still in good spirits and babbling a good bit. He just seems a little more lethargic than usual. I'm going to call the nurse and see what she says and go from there. I don't think this is going to be too bad. I'll be sure to write again and keep everyone posted.

UPDATE

I've called the nurse and she said he probably has a virus. Not a big shock there. They are calling in a prescription for some nasal drops that I will have to give to Caleb 3 drops per nose, 3 times a day, for 7 days. Whoo! That's a commitment. Caleb is still sleeping and we'll go get his medicine as soon as he wakes up and has a bottle. Poor Guy!

Unfortunately, it looks like we won't be able to attend church tomorrow because Caleb shouldn't go into the nursery like this. Oh well! I was so looking forward to a "normal" Saturday. Caleb would go into his nursery class, Chris and I would serve in our normal areas during the 5 o'clock service, and then attend the 6:45 pm service. We haven't been able to do that since before the holidays practically because of parties, etc. that were going on Saturday nights. I'll just keep praying and "normal" Saturdays will return.

Consider Your Ways...Question 2

What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?

I have two things I want to ask God this year. I've been unsure about this question for a few days. It finally came to me during my Nap/Cuddles/Quiet Time (previous post). Here they are:

1) I want to ask that Chris' Paternal Grandfather in Poland will not only stay alive but also be completely aware when Chris and I plan to visit in June/July. I ask God this because He is the only one who decides when we are to leave this world. You see, Caleb is the only great-grandchild who will carry the Polish last name, therefore carrying the tradition and he is the only American born great-grandchild. For these reasons, Chris and I consider it extremely important for us to get to Poland and show off Caleb. The plan is to go in June or July. Caleb will be one. I really don't feel comfortable traveling to Poland until he is at least one or almost one. That is a big reason we are waiting for the summer. We are also waiting for Chris' parents to go (the summer) so we'll have others to travel with us...not to mention a translator if needed (Chris' Dad). So, I pray that God will allow his Grandfather in Poland to tarry on this earth until he can meet Caleb.

2) Chris has helped me to realize that I have a dream to be a writer and to someday be published. I confess I have great doubts at times and I am always second guessing my abilities. ALWAYS! So, the idea of being published or to really go somewhere with my writing seems "humanly impossible." Chris and I believe that my desire to write is from the Lord because I have had it deep down inside since college. Chris is really the only person who knows (now y'all do too!) because I've doubted myself so much. I want to pray that God help me continue in my writing, show me where He wants me to go with it, and to help me to realize my dream of being a writer. I know it is going to take God to do this one. :-)

I am so Addicted

Yes, Folks! I am addicted to cuddles. Do you remember my post from last week called "Slowing Down For Cuddles?" Ever since I've moved my rowing time to the evening I've been indulging in my morning nap cuddles with Caleb. I know I could put him in his crib and get something done but I just can't do it. He falls asleep in my arms and all I can do is lie down on the couch, pull a blanket over us both, and just relish in the sweetness. I am addicted! I even found myself missing it on Monday because of his doctor's appointment and on Tuesday due to being at MOPS. I was so excited yesterday not having to go anywhere in the morning because I could have my cuddles. So, who are these cuddles for? Me or Caleb? I think both. I think it is really building a stronger bond between us. ;-)

Today, I made the cuddles even better. Is that possible, you ask? Well, yes it is. When Caleb was good and gone, I turned the news on the TV off and I closed my eyes and prayed. I actually had the prayer part of my quiet time during Caleb's nap. I prayed for my small group, my family, my personal relationship with Christ, etc. I was amazed at how long I was able to stay focused and not even fall asleep. That was the amazing part for me. I struggle with staying awake during my prayers, but today I was lying down on the couch, covered with a precious baby and a blanket and I stayed awake during my prayers. AMAZING! I think this might be an answer to my quiet time issues...at least for now. I thank the Lord for this answer. Now, I can do the study part during Caleb's afternoon nap. Yeah! I am so happy! I can indulge in my cuddles AND pray to Jesus at the SAME TIME!

Thanks for listening everyone! My name is Sarah and I'm addicted to CUDDLES!

Back on eBay

I started the process of fulfilling one of my New Year's Goals and Resolutions today. I put my first auctions of the year up on eBay. Right now I am selling some books I've accumulated from my own library and what other people have given me to sell. My goal is to have items up for auction each week and to stay ahead of the current auctions when putting the listings together. Please feel free to browse my items anytime. My eBay name is ruszkowski2003. I look forward to seeing you here and there too.

Mmmmm...Squash

I made a batch of yellow squash for Caleb yesterday. My Fresh Baby book said to use 6-8 yellow squashes to make a batch. Apparently, I picked up some bigger ones because I have three full quart size freezer bags of frozen yellow squash cubes. Well, I went to thaw three cubes this morning for Caleb's breakfast and that squash was the most watery baby food I have ever made or seen. Good Grief! I had to keep adding Rice Cereal to make it thick enough for Caleb to eat. Thankfully, he ate it right up and smiled the whole time. I was afraid it was going to be a waste but since he likes it so much it won't be. I will just have to make a note that yellow squash comes out way too think and maybe I shouldn't add as much water when I'm cooking it or I just need to add it to other things like peas or sweet potatoes.

I just have to say that I LOVE making Caleb's baby food. It is so rewarding knowing that I am giving him fresh veggies and fruits to eat. There are no preservatives or other additives. It tastes so good. I know because I've tasted everything he's eaten. Yes, there is a time commitment but that is minimal. Each time I make a batch of something it takes no more than 30 minutes and that provides at least two quart size freezer bags of cubes. I recommend homemade baby food to any Mom out there. Caleb says to all the babies out there, "Tell your Mommy about homemade baby food...especially the sweet potatoes!" YUM!

Consider Your Ways...Question 1

What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?

I know the answer to that question without really thinking about it. I'm surprised it has taken me this long to really write about it. The one thing that I could do this year to increase my enjoyment of God is to put a whole lot more emphasis on my devotional time/quiet time. I confess that my devotional time has suffered greatly since Caleb was born. Granted it wasn't that great before then, but it became almost non-existant afterwards. It seemed like whenever I could put Caleb down I was too tired to even think about reading my Bible or anything else. Sure, I would pray when I had a spare moment or when I was nursing him but I usually fell asleep then too. Now, Caleb is on more of a schedule and he takes a nice long nap in the afternoon. I used to use the whole 2-3 hours to clean the house or do computer work. Now I try to make a point to have my devotional time as soon as I put Caleb down. The ideal situation would be for me to have a devotional time first thing in the morning and I've tried that. But, I have found that the afternoon nap time is ideal for me at this point in my life. My small group is starting the Crown Ministries Small Group Study and that requires daily homework, prayer for members in the group, and scripture memorization. My devotional time for the next 10 weeks will probably be filled with that study. I am looking forward to it. So, I just pray that God helps me to really make my devotional time a much greater priority and I know my enjoyment of Him will grow exponentially.

Various Things Kind of Day

Today has been a bit odd to me. First, I woke up to a lot of rain. The rain made for some great, cozy cuddles with Chris. It was so pleasant and I really didn't want him going to work today. Why can't we have cuddles like that on a weekend when we can sleep in...or at least sleep in as long as Caleb lets us? The outdoors was cold when just yesterday we were wearing short sleeve t-shirts. What in the world?!

Caleb had his 6 month appointment this morning. It was at 9 am which is usually his morning nap time. I knew that may not turn out so well. He did great and he was all smiles and laughs. He weighs 15 pounds and 11 ounces and he is 26 and 3/4 inches long. The doctor said he is more long than chunky. I guess that explains why people always think he is so "tiny." We saw a baby girl who is 4 months old and already weighs 19.5 pounds. OH MY GOODNESS! She was a chunk. Caleb is doing just fine and he is very healthy. The next part was the shots. While we waited for the nurse to come back, Caleb actually fell asleep in my arms and he continued to sleep on the examining table while the nurse prepared the shots. Caleb had to wake up for the Rotavirus vaccine because it is given orally and then you know what the pricks in his little thighs did to him. I HATE SHOTS! Thankfully, he doesn't have anymore routine shots till he is one year old. Wait...I opted for Caleb to get the flu shot and that requires a booster next month. Okay, one booster shot next month and then none till 12 months. Yeah! The next routine checkup is at 9 months.

We went to the grocery store to pick up some random things I needed and headed home. It rained and rained. We ate lunch and now Caleb is zonking in his crib. And would you know it, it is sunny as can be right now. It is still cold, though. For my more northern readers, I live right outside of Savannah, GA. So, low 60's is still coolish to my Southern Self. It is even going to be in the thirties tonight. Brrrr! I've been working on various things of paperwork for Chris during Caleb's zonking time. I've worked my way down and the desk looks ten times better. Yeah! I even talked to my Dad while doing the credit card. I am still behind on some stuff but I feel good because I am slowly putting habits in place that will allow for a cleaner, more hospitable, and less stressful house.

Tonight, I am going to try to start rowing at night. I used to row in the morning around 9 to coincide with Caleb's nap. Well, being that Caleb's morning nap is the short one and he usually took it in his swing (I know, I know...the afternoon nap is always in his crib, though) I've been feeling unsure about rowing and taking my shower. He was unattended and that's not good. So, the plan is to eat dinner with Chris and then he take Caleb while I row and shower. I'll be moving my shower to the evening which is new to me because I've always been a morning shower person. It is part of my waking up routine. We'll see how this goes. I've been slack in the rowing realm and hopefully, tonight will end that. Yeah!! Go me!! One goal and resolution at a time.

Also, I want to say thank you for all the wonderful advice and support I've received the past week. I truly appreciate. Thanks Ladies!

Need I say more?

Slowing Down For Cuddles

This week has been wonderful for cuddles I have to say. Today is Caleb's 6 month birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CALEB!!!! Because of this I've been noticing how much he has grown and that he isn't as much of a little baby anymore. He can sit up in the grocery buggy and the high chair at restaurants. He plays with all his toys and gets quite frustrated if you take them away or he drops them. It is virtually impossible to keep him on his back because he is fascinated with rolling to his belly. That includes while sleeping in his crib and during diaper changes. Caleb is a squirmy little kid. He talks CONSTANTLY and you wonder what fascinating things he is telling you. Why can't we learn babytalk? He is no longer a little baby blob. He has a distinct personality and I love it.

Yesterday, I put Caleb in his jumper in the door to his nursery and I worked on his closet. I pulled out a storage box and I did the inevitable. I started weeding out the clothes he can't fit into anymore. I found the jammies he wore his first night at home. They swallowed him whole then and the arms and legs just flopped around everywhere as we fussed or cooed. I was amazed at how small those jammies really are now. I got through this process without shedding a single tear but I know that was quite a feat. My baby is growing up! He will be crawling in not time and then what? Driving?! College?! GEEZ! What's a Mommy to do?

That is why I've been getting my cuddles all I can this week. I usually put Caleb down for his morning nap and his afternoon nap. This week I've indulged and I've let him sleep on top of me for his morning nap. It has been wonderful. I love to feel his breaths against my chest and feel the movement of his pacifier as he sucks on it. Be still my heart! While he is sleeping with me during those naps he is still my tiny baby. I've been slowing down for cuddles this week and I know I will never regret it.

Overwhelmed

Well, I should've thought this would happen to me. I'm already feeling overwhelmed with all the things I want to accomplish this year. It is only the first week of 2007 and I am overwhelmed. My last post listed all my goals and resolutions for the year and it was A LOT. It is so much that I'm having a hard time even getting started. I haven't written here much. I haven't rowed at all this week. My house still looks in shambles...even though I did do laundry today. That is one thing.

I met with my friend to discuss how we want to handle me selling her pottery on eBay. She came over yesterday to help me with an oil change for the van. I hate waiting around the garage especially with Caleb, so I always ask someone to pick me up and we just hang out at the house while we wait. We talked about eBay and just had fun as friends. She is 16 weeks pregnant and there was plenty of baby talk. That was fun.

Okay, that was a brief bunny trail. I know I need to take my goals and resolutions one step at a time. I also need to PRAY more. Jesus is my strength and I strongly believe that many of my goals are from him and God-honoring. So, I just need to trust him to give me more strength and organizational skills to get this done. I also need to not be too hard on myself. I don't have to be a SUPER WOMAN or SUPER MOM. I guess I just want to move forward in each area at a fairly steady pace.

Thanks for listen to my ramblings as I think through a good strategy for not feeling overwhelmed and how to actually accomplish something this year. Y'all are great. If you have any ideas please leave a comment. I would love to hear what y'all do to get things done. Thanks so much!

A New Year and Perhaps, A New Me

It feels so good to be back here again. I find that taking a few days off can really get the juices running again and increase my desire to actually do stuff, including writing. I am obviously home now and the holidays are officially over. It felt weird to see Chris leave for work today. But, it also felt good because it meant that things can get back to normal now.

Yesterday, I took some "Non-Mommy Time" while Chris took care of Caleb and worked on the computers some more. I went to the Donut Connection because it was the only coffee shop like place open on New Year's Day. I drank my coffee and pondered some New Year's Goals and Resolutions. I've been having ideas running through my head for quite some time but ideas are no good until they are written down. I find that writing my ideas down make them real and worthy of pursuing. Here is what I came up with. They are organized by categories in my life (no particular order of importance or priority:

Health: I want to lose 20 pounds.
-I plan to do this through drinking at least 2 Nalgene bottles a day (64 oz.)
-Watching my food intake...obviously
-Exercising through my rowing machine

Rowing: Become a member of the One Million Meter Club
-Row an average of 20,000 meters/week

Spiritual: PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY
-Have my devotional time first thing once Caleb goes down for his afternoon nap
-Finish my Beth Moore Believing God Online Study.
-Focus on one ministry apart from the church--Voice of the Martyrs
-Pack and mail at least 2 Action Packs per month
-Mail 5-10 Bibles through Bibles Unbound each month
-Send letters through PrisonerAlert.com (don't know how many)
-Participate in the VOM Blogroll (at least 2 entries per month...shooting for 1 per week)

Blogging/Writing:
-achieve 200+ entries in my blog
-participate regularly in my favorite Carnivals (ex. Carnival of Beauty, Works for Me Wednesday, etc.)
-Finish naming my One Thousdand Gifts (I'm sorry for the lag in that)
-Answer all the 31 questions in the Consider Your Ways list (more on that later)
-work on driving more traffic to m blog
-submit blog material for publication through places like Associated Content, etc.
-Write and submit an article apart from my blog (SCARY!)

Ebay:
-Help my friend sell her pottery on Ebay
-List at least 5 items a week
-Stay a week ahead in forming m listings
-Search yard sales 2+ times a month for inventory
-Achieve a feedback score of 100+
-Become a Trading Assistant

Financial:
-Complete the Crown Ministries Study with small group
-Go on a Cash Only Grocery Budget and budget that money to have some left over each month for date money
-Make money through writing and Ebay
-Discover new and creative ways to save money
-Pantry Challenge SUPREME (more on that later too)

Home:
-Tidy 1 room each week day
-maintain the kitchen each day
-vacuum the whole house at least once a week
-figure out a better laundry system

Caleb:
-Finish his Kiddy Bible with him
-Start doing sign language with him...I'm already behind on that one

Cooking:
-try one new recipe each week (after Pantry Challenge SUPREME)
-start making more things homemade (ex. bread, sauces, etc.)

That about sums it up, folks. I know it is a lot. These are all things I've always wanted to do and just never felt like I could do. I guess I didn't give myself enough credit or something like that. Chris is a wonderful supportive husband and he is behind me 100%. Thanks, Honey! With all these goals and resolutions I believe I can completely redo how I do things and that is why I called this post "A New Year and Perhaps, A New Me." I will take it one step at a time and PRAY all the waythrough. Here's to a WONDERFUL NEW YEAR!

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