Monday, August 31, 2009

Crying It Out

I am sitting on the couch on this BEAUTIFUL fall day (well, actually it's summer, but it feels like fall!) listening to my child scream. SCREAM. SCCCCCCREAAAAAMMMMMMMM. Drew and I are firm believers in crying it out, especially if you have checked on vitals: breathing, diaper, hot/cold taken care of, nothing wrapped around their finger (except your heart), etc. It has worked for us and the schedule that we want to hold to, but I assure it has not come without raised bloodpressure, tears of my own, and nailbiting minutes wondering if I should go and check again or let leave be. This morning as I was listening to another painstaking session of cry it out, it occurred to me that sometimes I bet God lets US cry it out. Think about it for a moment. It makes sense doesn't it? We are God's children and the parent child relationship that I have with Brayden mimics (or should mimic anyway) the relationship that my Heavenly Father has with me. There are times in my life that I feel trapped and all I want is out. Out of my surroundings, out of my circumstances out of a sticky situation that I'd rather not be in, etc. I cry. and I cry. and I cry. Yet God does not rush to my rescue. Or so it seems. You see, me not rushing in to calm Brayden is not harmful to him. It allows him to realize that he needs to nap and teaches him to calm himself down even when mom or dad are not there. So it is with God. Sometimes God allows us to be in circumstances that are beyond our control. And we HATE it even though it is what is the best for us. Yet, no one would learn anything if life was full of comfort and tons of wiggle room. When nap time is over I will go into Brayden's room, open the curtains to the daylight and ask him how his nap was. He'll smile at me, with the crying scene no where to be remembered. I think God's that way too. He's there, watching us on his "video monitor" checking to make sure all vitals are stable, but he's going to let us sit and go through what we need to go through so that we can learn and grow from it. But when it's over with (or even through the storm) He will come in, grab us up, and confirm that He was there all along. Somehow this realization has made it a little bit easier to listen to the screaming this morning.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Week(end) in Review

I have decided that retirement is best enjoyed in your early years; Drew and I always have fun during these long times off with absolutely nothing on the agenda. It's a great way to sit back, breath deep, and just enjoy life! Drew has been a huge help this week allowing me to get away with girlfriends, run errands alone, he has helped out with house cleaning and just hung out with me and B (which is huge since he's usually the first to fill up a calendar!).

Tuesday I was able to get away with girlfriends and go out to dinner and a movie. It was so great to be able to connect with my friends without children climbing all over or babies wailing. Don't get me wrong, we love our kids, but there's just something about being out by yourself that is so refreshing. We saw Julie & Julia. Such a cute movie. Meryl Streep definitely played up to her role! I do have to say that, out of curiosity I googled for the real Julie's blog and found it. She is quite frank with her, shall I say, hatred, towards Republicans as well as use of profane words. Not that I have not ever spoken a bad word in my life, but there's just something about writing it out that seems so crass and offensive to me. Thankfully I found all of this AFTER watching the movie, otherwise I think I would not have enjoyed it as much.

Tuesday was also the day Drew took B to run errands while I stayed behind to clean the house. I laughed because Drew was so eager to run errands with B. I eagerly let him go, secretly thinking to myself that it probably wouldn't last long. Drew did good though, and I didn't get a phone call for an hour and a half. Then I realized I had missed a call and called him back. B was not very happy running errands, and made it very clear by screaming in the background as I talked to Drew. Drew came home with a deeper appreciation for what I do on a daily basis :) The next day when I needed to go and pick up a few things from the store, I asked Drew if he and B wanted to go with me-- he quickly offered to stay home. HA!

Wednesday we drove all over our area looking at houses. We have no intention of purchasing anything anytime soon, but wanted to get a feel for different areas that we might like to move. We are planning on starting to save for a down payment so wanted to know what was out there in our tentative price range. We had fun just talking and dreaming, while B enjoyed the car ride by taking a LONG nap :)

This weekend we have done absolutely NOTHING. Well, actually we went to a local festival. I have to say that I really don't like festivals. Or fairs. Or anything that resembles either festivities. It seems that they attract the most, let's say random, people. Most are dripping with sweat and since people are crammed into small places, you generally will rub elbows with a few of those sweaty people... eeewww. There are also the carnival rides. Have you ever noticed that the carnival rides are run by people who look like Chester the Molester? It's quite eery if you take notice. I told Drew it made me feel really uneasy. Perhaps I am just being a worry wart, but still... makes you think.

Today we are enjoying the nice fall weather, watching the Little League World Series and looking forward to Sunday Night Football. Speaking of football, I just have to say that I am ecstatic that next week marks the start of college football. ECSTATIC. This morning I sat B in my lap and let him look at the paper while I read over the local football previews. I explained to B who all of the players are, what positions they played, etc. He actually is mesmerized by the newspaper, although I am sure it has nothing to do with the football, despite my hopes and dreams ;)

Thought I'd end with some of the pics I snapped this week. Since we had a lazy week, none of us really got dressed up or anything, and as you can tell, by the end of the day B was usually in just his diaper. He loves to be nakie though, so we just let him kick it outside in his diaper most nights! I promise I will NEVER go out in public with him like this, but this blog is a glimpse into my life, so you must see how we live on a day to day basis :) Hope everyone has a great week!

Daddy & B wrestling outside

Brayden has really become fascinated by facial expressions, particularly those made with your lips. Generally he'll grab your lips if you're talking. This night with Drew was no exception :)

"Ladies, this viewing of my impeccable figure is free of charge"

Brayden LOVES to grab the grass! We laid him down for just a few minutes in the grass so he could just feel it... he LOVES it but I hate doing it because I am scared he either break out in a rash or get bit by some strange bug.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Weekend in Review


the farmers market
This weekend was like a glimpse of fall-- the weather has absolutely spectacular! Friday B had his well check for 4 months (we were a bit behind due to scheduling at his pediatrcian's office) and got his 4 month shots. Sad day for all! Since we knew he'd be cranky pants anyway, we
decided to run errands and mozy around Sam's that afternoon. I've decided I have a serious addiction to coke Icee's. I mean, serious addiction. Thankfully it's nothing like a Starbucks addiction, since Sams has cut our Icee bills drastically :) We ended Friday by watching the Cowboys on TV... have I mentioned how excited I am that it's football season again?!

Daddy & B soaking in some Hogs football
Saturday B slept in until 7:30-- that means we got to sleep in too! Horray for 30 extra minutes of sleep! LOL. My how the definition of things change once you have children. We went to the farmers market for a stroll and then headed up to watch the Hog's scrimmage. It was B's first time in Razorback stadium so we made sure to get lots of pics. He LOVED watching football and didn't cry the whole time (I was worried he'd get cranky since we went during his normal nap time). We only stayed there for an hour, and then we drove around just enjoying the weather and the long way home on the back roads.

our chauffeur for the backroads tour
Sunday was a lazy day with just the typical church festivities. Drew is working on completely ripping out the garden since it's obvious that we have serious soil issues. I let Brayden sleep all afternoon since he's been feeling under the weather from the shots.

We are looking forward to a restful family week this week, as Drew's taken a week off between jobs. We really don't have anything on the calendar, which always feels nice not to be running around like crazy. If we do anything spectacular, I'll be sure to post some pics. Have a great week!
PS-- just because I know you all need to smile, I'll end with this pic:

Oh, just the cutest thing that's ever graced the face of God's earth :)

Friday, August 21, 2009

4 month stats

B had his 4 month appointment a little late this month due to scheduling conflicts with his doctor. Drew was able to go, which is always nice since it's a bit stressful going to the doctor, much less for shots! Thought I'd chronicle B's stats at 4 months and almost 2 weeks:
- 17 inch head circumference (75th percentile)
- 16 lb 4 oz (75th percentile)
- 26.75 inches long (95th percentile)
He is a LONG boy, and the nurse said he will probably be really tall. I have a feeling he will be long and lean like my side of the family based on his stats so far. I can't believe he's grown 7 inches in 2 months-- that's CRAZY. The shots were sad, as always. The nurse commented on how happy he was and asked if he was always like that. I told her for the most part yes, but then again, you're about to hear his lovely voice :) He screamed, but only for a minute, because we can prepared with his best friend-- a bottle of breastmilk :) He downed the bottle and was out cold, so Drew and I enjoyed the free popcorn from our bank and an icee at Sams. Tonight we're staying in, cooking up some stir fry and watching the Cowboys play (thank the Lord for football season!). I'm looking forward to enjoying the beautiful weather this weekend with my two boys, and the upcoming week of Drew's sabaticle before starting his new job! Hope all 4 of my readers have a great weekend!

Monday, August 17, 2009

photoshoot

As previously mentioned, I had the opportunity to take some pictures of a friend of mine's daughter. I had so much fun doing this shoot! Thought I'd give you a sneak peak of my favorite shot.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Weekend in Review

With Drew's new job impending, that means that we will soon be without his Friday afternoon's off. It's a small price to pay for a bit more security, salary increase (not a huge one, but an increase is an increase) & WAY better benefits. We've decided to do fun things during these next couple of weekends before the big job start.

Friday I went to the eye doctor. Nothing exciting really, other than that (thankfully) my eyesight has not worsened. I was afraid because I had started having some problems when I was watching tv. Thankfully the doc just thinks that my eye was having spasms. I do have to admit that at first I was scared because I could not read anything on the chart for my left eye. Again, just spasms. Kept me sweating though! I will go back this week to get some new glasses. Not that I really NEED another pair, but we are about to lose our vision coverage, so I might as well use my benefits while I can!

Saturday we had a fun family filled morning, and then in the afternoon Drew & B came along for a photoshoot I was doing. One of my previous coworkers wanted me to take pics of her daughter. It was so fun because I haven't really taken pics other than infants, which are particularly hard to shoot-- you either get them to cooperate or you don't. An adult is so much easier because you can get them to move and pose however you wish. Anywho, this family also has a pool in their backyard, so while I shot, B and Drew hung out in the pool. Is this the life or what?
I am afraid he will come to expect this luxury :o/ Saturday night we had our friend Susan over for some Red Beans and Rice. It was yummo and we had fresh cucumbers and cherry tomatoes as sides!

Sunday we went to church as usual. Afterwards we went on a Sam's "date". I needed to get some stuff that we were running out of, so we decided to eat lunch there. I LOVE Sam's pizza and LOVE that they have $1 icees! I told Drew though, that I Think he would still save money if he just bought an icee machine. It seriously is my vice, like some people are with Starbucks, so I am with icees. Even the people at the local gas stations know me by name because I drink icees so much. I spent much of Sunday editing pictures while Drew hung out with Brayden. We completed our evening watching Shark Tank-- have you guys watched this show? It's awesome! Basically 5 entrepreneurs offer people money for their business ideas. They are pretty blunt about things, which I love (go figure) and it's actually interesting watching them barter back and forth.

This week is a hectic one with errands & doc appointments. Thankfully tonight my dear friend Katie is watching B while Drew and I go and watch a baseball game from the comfort of a suite! Should be lots of fun. I'll try to take pics and post them later this week.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Little Man



Wednesday, August 12, 2009

A Long Awaited Answer

Today marked an exciting milestone for Drew-- he was offered a new job! This comes as a long awaited answer to prayer. We've been praying about God's direction for Drew professionally these past 2 years, and as always, His timing is perfect. Obviously it's a bit different than we thought it would look, but isn't that how God works?! I am so relieved for Drew, having watched him through countless layoffs at his current company and have setback after setback for development, I am so grateful he will be at a company that values professional development has has endless opportunities. Praise God for providing just what our family needs at exactly the right time!

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On a completely separate note, please keep Katie & Jason in your prayers. We had the opportunity to get to know them through Sunday School several years ago. Katie was expecting a sweet baby girl, and had to undergo an emergency c-section yesterday. I do not know complete details, so in an effort to not have rumors flying, all I will say is that Reese is on life support and needs a miracle. We serve a God who is greater than medicine, but please pray that whatever the outcome, Katie & Jason would be wrapped in His love and peace during this incredibly difficult time.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Weekend in Review

We had yet another eventful weekend this weekend. Friday, Drew got home early and we decided to brave the pool with B. I was a bit scared about him burning, but his skin did great and he LOVED the water. The kiddie pool was less than an ideal temperature, which was a bit for B to get used to, but the big kids pool was a lot warmer and so he was kicking around and splashing! We'll be heading to the pool atleast one more time this summer. I LOVE the water and the sun, so we're hoping B develops this same fondness so that next summer we can lounge there ALOT!

Saturday Drew's dad came up for a visit. He was VERY kind and brought us to Wal-Mart for some new pj's for B (B had outgrown his 3-6 month pj's but was still wearing them... LOL) as well as diapers and onesies. SUCH a big help since all of those things add up FAST! Saturday afternoon B and I headed to a friend's pool party. We only sat in the water for few minutes since he was pretty tired from not taking good naps that morning.

Sunday was the most eventful of all, as Drew competed in a local sprint triathlon.

Us with Drew right after he finished

Drew in action during the cycling leg of the race

He did REALLY well finishing 2nd in his class and age group. It was a very early and long morning, and was topped off by a trip to Mimi's Cafe. If you like Mimi's, then you should sign up for their e-club-- you get a free breakfast entree upon signing up, and they'll send something to you for your birthday too! Almost our entire party (6 out of the 10 of us that went) had signed up, and so we got over $60 in food for FREE. That's MY kind of deal!!!

Sunday also marked Brayden's 4 month birthday. I can't believe he's already 4 months old!!! It seems like just yesterday we were going to the hospital because I was in labor. Here are some of the things he is doing these days:

Brayden being a big boy in his highchair

-still sleeping through the night. We tried to drop his dreamfeed, but that created less than desireable results (waking up around 5 instead of 7), so we brought it back. We'll probably wean him from it once we start solids at 6 months.
-taking atleast 3 naps a day, 2 of which are about 2 hours.
- "talks" and "sings" ALOT. Sometimes when he wakes up he'll talk to himself for 30 minutes!
-rolling from tummy to back consistently. You can hardly keep him on his tummy. This also creates some problems at nap time because he gets mad if he is on his back during nap time.
-laughing out loud. Mommy jumping and Toby barking seem to be the most hilarious things these days.
-rolling from back to side. He typically holds his toes (new favorites of his these days) and just rolls.
-scoots in his crib.
-can reach out and grab toys from us if we hold them in the air.
-has started protesting during car rides. He just doesn't like the straps on his carseat.
-he's taking more attention to us when we're eating. I can tell he's curious about it, but I don't want to introduce solids until he's 6 months after some research I did. We'll see if I am able to hold out that long :)

We love you little B and are so proud of everything you are learning and becoming! We thank God for the blessing you are in our lives!





Thursday, August 6, 2009

Ramblings of a Crazy Lady

In my zeal to reveal to yall how well Brayden did during our roadtrip, I failed to tell everyone (all 3 of my avid blog readers-HA!) about a little story from our trip last weekend. Friday before we left, I had to go for my annual visit to the lady doctor (we can all let out loud "ughh" noises right now). During the visit my doctor asks me all of the routine questions and then the "so, any baby bug bites yet?" At that point I am sure that she's ready for the whole, "heck no. we still have a baby right now, don't need another one!" but I was quiet. Truth is, that for the past few weeks I've pondered the idea of children very close in age (mind you, not so close to have Irish twins, but close nonetheless). I know, I know, I am crazy. But I LOVE being a mommy. Life is going to be crazy the next couple of years anyway, might as well let God throw a few more blessings in the pot to make it interesting right? Ofcourse, I hadn't shared of my new found feelings with my husband, partly because I knew he'd answer with "you're crazy," and partly because, on top of all the stresses in his life right now, thinking about having another kid was not an iron that needed to be thrown in that fire. However, for whatever reason, I felt it necessary to expose my feelings to him on our way down to LR for the wedding. The conversation went like this:
Me: "so, what would you think about starting to try for #2 by the time Brayden is 6-9 months old?" (I was sitting in the back seat with B)
Drew: silence. Then the look in the rear view mirror to make sure I am not joking. Then "you're crazy. What? Seriously Linds? I thought we wanted them 3-4 years apart."
Me: "3-4 years apart? Are YOU serious? I don't want to be birthing children when I am 40, muchless have one graduating high school while we're well on our way to the nursing home!"
At this point we've nearly careened off of the bluffs about 3 times as Drew tries to come to grips with my apparent pyschosis. We end up talking more about it, and actually asking friends their opinions on age spacing all weekend. Most agreed with me; while hard, having your kids close together gets it all out at once and your kids (if you raise them right) will have close friendships the rest of their lives. I desparately want for Brayden to have siblings close to his age; I am the oldest of 4, by the least amount of 4.5 years. I am close to all of my siblings, but am looked upon more often than not as a mentor/friend. It's kind of like how you can be best friends with your mom eventually, but she's still, and will always be, your mom. We came to no proper timeline agreement, and quite honestly, it seems far off that we would seriously start actually trying, but the thoughts are there. I guess when God's ready, I'll be ready too :)

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Weekend in Review

Well, we have braved and conquered our first road trip. with an infant. I don't think I had that many butterflies in my stomach about something since my wedding. I seriously was SO nervous about how Brayden would do in the car; not like I had anything to validate those feelings, as he's always been a very easy baby, especially when it comes to sleep and travel, albeit small trips around town. We left Friday after I got back from the doctor's office and Brayden slept the ENTIRE WAY! The weekend was filled with visits to see tons of friends, many of whom had never met little man. He fared incredibly well, and even slept through the night both nights! We are thankful to the Henry's for letting us crash at their place. They truly are our home away from home and like family to us! We enjoyed visiting with Steph & Justin, Court & Adam, Christy & Chris, Rebecca & Matt, and the Parkinsons, just to name a few. Plus, I saw a lot of faces I hadn't seen since high school at my friend Ruthie's wedding. It definitely was a great trip, and a great courage booster for me to brave a road trip to Baton Rouge. The plans are set for me to drive back with my sister and her boyfriend in September and stay down there for an extended visit. We're hoping Brayden continues the trend of being an awesome traveling baby! Enjoy some of the snapshots from the weekend!

"Mommy, Daddy set me in this rocker, but I'm not sure I really like it."

B meeting Mrs. P
B and his new buddy Lawson-- they're only 5 weeks apart!


$31.30

$31.30-- the amount we paid for our little bundle of joy. Not that a price can be attached to such an amazing blessing from God, but it doesn't hurt that our military insurance provided a near free hospital birth and ob care. While I will be the first to admit that I was not fond of the years that the Army took away from Drew and I, I will be forever grateful for the amount of money it saved us in the birth of our first child.
 

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