the ABC's of giving thanks

I thought it would be fun to go through the alphabet of things I'm thankful that aren't Jesus, friends, or family.

A- attachment parenting (I can hear you groaning from here)
B- Bono and blogs (i read a lot of them for inspiration)
C- cool breezes (esp. since I have hot flashes all the time)
D- December (Christmas--ooh, could've used that for "C")
E- easy recipes
F- Florida (no beaches like it) and FoxTrot comic strips
G- ground beef (i fell in love with when I had my first hamburger)
H- happy tv shows, music, and people
I- Icee (don't drink them now but they were happy treats from my childhood)
J- justice served on this side of heaven
K- krispie kreme donuts (because they make my husband so happy)
L- loose clothing (it means i'm losing weight--hello! I am way smaller than I was before pregnancy and before jr. high for that matter)
M- microchips (don't understand them but i am glad they exist)
N- naps (any kind, for either baby or myself)
O- open, honest and I-care-about-you/I-care-about-me communication (yes, I'm a nerdy therapist)
P- Pennsylvania Dutch eggnog
Q- Q-tips (ok, so not a lot of Q's but I'm reaching)
R- rock and roll, baby!
S- SUNSHINE!!!!
T- t.v. (very uncool to some people to like t.v. but I don't care)
U- underbed storage (holds wrapping goodies, out of season clothing)
V- vino (ok, i cheated--it is in a different language)
W- winter drinks at starbucks (i never get them but i like knowing they are there with their festive red cups)
X- X-mas (ok, reaching again...)
Y- yellow houses (so cheerful no matter the weather)
Z- zippers (because they are functional and practical)

7 and a half mos.??!

Yes, david jr. is that old. I can hardly believe it. He weighs (are you sitting down?) 23lbs 8oz. He is, however, growing taller so that all the rolls are getting slightly smaller. I still have a job in cleaning in between all the fat, though. He has two bottom teeth and two top teeth. However, the top two teeth aren't the front ones. One is but the other one is his side tooth...strange. We survived our first ear infection and I was traumatized by the constant night wakings. Nothing like a sick baby to make me appreciate how wonderful he is when he is healthy. It was so sad to see him sick. The worst is over (we hope) but he is still recovering. Yesterday, I set him in his jumper. A few minutes passed and I didn't hear anything as I was fixing breakfast. I walked over and he had his head resting on the side, just staring. *sigh* so cute, so pitiful.

It is a bit easier to get out with him. He enjoys his carseat and it usually lulls him to sleep. He is more willing to hang out with me in the sling and I'm more amenable to not being in stores as long as I used to. So, I've adjusted to my new lack of freedom. David Jr. is smiling and laughing more and we love it. He has us chuckling with every giggle. There is no happier sound to my ears this side of heaven. He shows desire to move beyond the place he is sitting but just hasn't quite figured out how to accomplish it. He will bend far over his legs which manages to get his head closer to his destination but that's all. He also will manage to move to his stomach. Depending on his mood, he will like it or hate it.

The foods he has had up to this point (and in order) are:
rice cereal, butternut squash, avocado, sweet potato, banana, apple.

He loves the squash, avocado, sweet potato, and banana. Apples he turns away but it also might be because he wasn't feeling well this week and just didn't eat much of anything that wasn't momma's milk.

He is playing with his toys and making noises (usually when he is displeased)that sound like "nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah". We hear it when he wants out of his jumper or when we are giving him medicine. David Sr. thinks its cute but I'm not so sure. I think this is a precursor to "no".

I see him turning his attention to the t.v. now and this has me much more aware of what I watch and what he is exposed to. He seems pleased with musicals. He really liked Annie when it was on. Or it was just gas. ;)

can you guess which is the honeybear, honeybee, and the honey?

kitchen redo

I have been doing brain somersaults trying to figure out what to do with our kitchen. I am awful at making these decisions that will last for years and be expensive. It is hard to commit to something depending that is dependent on my decision. So, I am sending out a request for feedback on this kitchen. I have poured over magazines, blogs, and other internet sites to find the perfect solution. Anyway, here it is:

I am still unsure whether to paint our cabinets. I think I want to but then I start to doubt again. David feels sure it should be painted. Look at these pictures and tell me what you think.

We need to have a backsplash. I am open to all suggestions. I have gone from glass tile, to paint, to halfway up or all the way up the wall. I'm just to darn uncertain. The granite countertops that we got this summer are to be the focal point. They are shiny so does that mean I need a matte finish on the backsplash tile? I would love to use glass tile but it may compete with the granite and I don't want that to happen. I want the eye to be drawn to whatever it is supposed to be drawn to. Meredith--your expertise is especially coveted.

I need suggestions for both brown cabinets and white. I also thought about going a bit crazy and painting the cabinets a greyish blue color. Sounds crazier than I think it would look but it is all about resale here. We want to resell. We will hopefully have a stainless steel appliances. The floor is a greyish stone with creamy undertones (vinyl tile).

sitting up

first solids

you do what you gotta do

I am able to sit down and write this blog because the past few days I have been able to "convince" baby david to sleep in his swing. Of course, I have had to put the swing in the bathroom so that the running water can help soothe him to sleep. I sit on the floor beside him and sing and he eventually falls asleep. My epiphany came when I realized that if I move the swing into the bathroom he will have all that he usually has with us: Motion, song, and white noise (bath water). This way I am free during his naps to be productive. Ok, so writing a blog isn't extremely productive but during his last nap I cleaned out the microwave and ate lunch. It is nice to just sit. Ahhhh.

This new development has given me a sense of hope. It is a small step but it means at least an hour or so of freedom in the morning and in the evening. I'm not going to even think about when he outgrows the swing at this point. I'm just enjoying this new thing. Some things that I thought I would enjoy I have not as much. I was excited to see him start solids (last week) but as I was doing that I started to feel sad. He is growing up fast. Part of me loves that he is growing and another part is sad that I'm seeing phases pass by. I wonder if in a few years I will still remember looks he gives me, his smell, his manner. I am SO not ready to be phased out as a momma and I know that I have more time but does anyone else see how much faster time goes when you have children? It is frightening. I have wrinkles, people!

My wrinkles stand out more these days because I am looking at baby skin all the time. Comparatively my skin looks like rawhide. I'm not ready to lose my elasticity in my skin and look like a dried up prune. It isn't pretty. I find it also strange to say that in ten years I'll be 40. Those of you who read this blog who are nearer than I am or past this point, my apologies. I'm just sayin'...

David and I are so busy with our little guy (who has stolen our hearts) that we find that our house is falling apart around our ears. David would tell me that was not the case but I have a propensity to use hyperbole...a lot. :) So, what I mean is that shingles from our roof have fallen off and because of all the rain we have water spots on our bedroom ceiling--not good. We have spiders and roaches (more spiders than roaches) but YUCK! We have gutters that are overflowing and stopped up. David is up to his forehead in school work for Prep and for graduate school (although it has been better lately and I think it is because David is learning to relax a bit about his work {good thing}). We often wonder how other parents get anything done but we are making it. We are seeing our son thrive. We are blessed (just not with all the time we want).

I don't feel as much of a prisoner as I have early on. I guess that means I'm used to the loss of freedom. What I lose in freedom I have gained in this alien feeling of complete bondedness to a very fat little baby. I am in love with this boy. It isn't butterflys and sappy music kind of love. It is a I'll-fight-you-if-you-try-to-harm-him love. It is a gritty-ier kind of love. I can't describe it very well but it can be intense some days. I realize it when I see other babies in pain or hurting and I feel so sad. I know that motherhood has changed me. It isn't terrible. Just different.

Happy Autumn!

some more pictures

david's baptism

It was a sweet event. Thanks to Esther and Jim for taking pictures. For those who weren't there, David Jr. barely fit his 6 mos. old outfit (he was almost 5 mos. old) and was happy for most of it. When Pastor Mike turned him away from his audience he started to fuss. Overall, he did great and we were thankful for such a memorable day.

God knew what he was doing when he gave us a Sabbath.

I love Sundays. Awhile back, maybe a year ago, I wrote that David and I weren't sure we liked Sundays all that much. We kind of felt lost and down. These days, Sundays are truly a rest for us. David Sr. is home and not thinking about his work. This means that he isn't as tense or stressed. Also, we share more of the load that David Jr. is which gives me a good break. Our pastor has been going through James and it has been refreshing. He is focusing on suffering so why does that refresh me? Well, it reminds me where my hope is and it validates the journey that I (and many of you) have been on. Anyway, back to my monologue on our Sundays...

David and I have turned Sunday night into a mini church for us. We listen to Mark Driscoll on the internet. We are also turning this time into a marriage enrichment for ourselves by listening to his Song of Solomon series. We look forward to being fed in the morning and the evening with the hydrating and filling sermons. I also get to watch one of my favorite shows: Design Star on HGTV. I know, I know. There are enough reality competitions out there. However, this has to do with design and decorating and so I can't ignore it.

I feel sorry for those who don't allow themselves this peace and rest. They toil on and on believing all is on their shoulders. To rest is to trust the Lord, I think. Here we are enjoying the quiet. The t.v. is off. The baby is asleep. David is writing. Ahhhh. Peace. I hope you are relaxing,as well. Happy Sunday to you!