Heart of the Family at Home

Update on Small Tot....

2006-09-21T22:29:00.000-05:00

Today my small tot of a son actually took 2 - 3 small naps. Whew. I think I might know what interrupted his sleeping: Mama started feeding him food. Not that I don't feed my son - I have nursed him exclusively since birth and thought at 6 months we might try a banana or two. Well, he did like the taste and eats quite well, but I think it uspet his little tummy. I tried a sweet potato yesterday and it was before his 1st nap of the day. Perhaps this is why he was up all day and so very fussy and miserable. My poor baby!!!!!! What did I do????? I think we are going to pass up the little snacks for now and just keep nursing a few more weeks and then try something else to ease him into solids. I love nursing my babies. I nursed my 3 year old Samuel until after his 2nd birthday. He weaned himself and I think it was due to the fact I was pregnant with Isaac. Samuel weaned right when I was about 4 months along. According to nursing information I have read, 4 months is about when your milk starts to change its composition. So who knows..... I am hoping to nurse Isaac for an extended period of time too.

Last year, Samuel, right before his 2nd birthday came down with this HORRID case of 1st time herpe virus. When a child contracts the herpes virus it actually goes into the mouth and inflames the gum line and it is very painful. So nursing him was about the only way he ate anything and I was so very thankful that I could feed, hydrate and help him to wellness by nursing him. My Dr. was very, very happy he WAS nursing and I think it prompted him to think about encouraging more women to breastfeed and continue for an extended period of time.

If you are pregnant, I would encourage you to read and research as much as possible on breastfeeding and the wonderful benefits for both mother and child. So many myths and just plain old BAD/WRONG information is out there. The one I love the most is what my mother always says: "He is crying because he is hungry. You aren't feeding him enough. Add some cereal." Mom, I love you, but please......:-)

Tiny Tot Rules the Roost

2006-09-20T22:39:00.000-05:00

It has been one of those days around the old homestead today. Sometimes I wonder if I am the only mother who has these "problems/issues" with the newest addition to our family. My dear sweet 6 month old son WON'T SLEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This kid is killing me!!!!!!!!!!! I am so tired. I am so un-organized. I am so ______. (fill in the blank). UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel bad, because my 3 year old son needs attention too, but I am always trying to nurse the baby, rock the baby, quiet the baby, entertain the baby, running upstairs to the baby to unwind him from his blankets because he rolls all over the place and flings himself around his crib......I think God is trying to teach me something....hmmmmm. What could it be? I THOUGHT I was a patient parent. I THOUGHT I knew what I was doing. I THOUGHT I could really be an organized wife/mother/homekeeper - especially at the age of 41 and having two older children I have raised (18 and 23)......WHAT GIVES?????!!!!!!!

Well, the little tot is rolling around again....I can hear him through the baby monitor....soon he will be letting me know from the top of his booming lungs that all is not well with him and I have to figure out what will make him happy. I can't believe I have stooped to this level - giving in to the 6 month old. Maybe if my mind was not pure mush I would be able to come up with some sort of plan that would work to train the tyke into sleeping more than 20 minutes at a time and being able to console himself a tiny bit.......what am I doing wrong??????????????????????

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words.....

2006-08-31T21:39:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I am speechless at the blessings God has bestowed upon my husband and I. What an incredible honor to have these.....

Update, update, update.....

2006-08-06T22:51:00.000-05:00

Man, having a blog is a real responsibility. I constantly have things to say, but no time to really process the thoughts out of my head and into my blog. Oh well......what else is new?

Hmmm, let me think.....Over the past few weeks we have been getting settled into our new home. Boxes are gone, storage is organized and I still have yet to organize my office (actually that is what I am TO BE DOING right now, but hey, maybe tomorrow). One new bit of advice for you "neat freaks" out there with children or in the process of having children......life still goes on even though your house is a wreck. No one cares. No, not even your mother. Hee hee. My mother came down to see us a few weeks ago and I was really flipping out over NOT having things up to speed. She just yawned and said "Who really cares anyway??!!" Gee, I thought she would, but I guess not. That made me feel much better too. Perhaps God is trying to teach me about the really important things and not the silly silverware not being polished.

Well, I am having a writers block and so I think I will organize some thumb tacks and paper clips on my desk. Here are a few new pictures of my boys and my GIRL who turned 18 a few weeks ago.......time doesn't just fly, it rockets by!!!! Oh, and I just turned 41!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! E!EEEEEKKKKK!!!!!!!

Moving with Baby.....

2006-06-06T22:26:00.000-05:00

For those of you who know me in real life......here is a picture of my life these days......take one item out of box, pick up baby. Move said item to its new home, pick up baby again. Observe that item doesn't look right or fit in new place, put baby in stroller. Decide on another place to put this item/thing and push baby back and forth really fast in stroller. Perhaps this item is not needed, sing to baby. Put item back in box, console frightened baby from your singing to him. Decide that maybe you should just go and play with the baby ......baby finally falls asleep and alas you have some "time" to unpack. Open up box to find the "thing" that you were previously working on putting away. Drop the "thing" on the floor. Baby awakes with a scream. Decide to just forget everything and order pizza. Go downstairs, push junk off of favorite chair, put in a movie and eat pizza, drink pop and nurse happy baby. Pretend your house is all in order and try to relax. :-)

Future Men (with their Father)

2006-04-12T08:23:00.000-05:00

I thought this picture was pretty cool - especially since no one was crying at the moment! hee hee

LIttle Pumpkins

2006-04-12T08:20:00.000-05:00

A picture of our newest baby......

Jumping Back In.....

2006-04-12T08:15:00.000-05:00

So, you noticed I've been gone for a while.....hee hee. Not that anyone probably really reads anything I write, but........I am back to blog some more. I have had lots of time to think of thinks I would like to write - especially since I am nursing my newest son AND he eats A LOT!!!!! :-) Hooray for breastfeeding! I don't know how I would cope with having to make bottles and the such.

Anyway, since I have so much time to think these days, I thought I would try to blog a bit more when I have the TIME.......so, I hope you will stop back by soon and see what goes on in my head at 3 a.m. Hopefully it will be something useful. :-)

Hello

2006-03-22T10:30:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone!!!

This is C.A.'s daughter. I promise she will update her blog soon. We have had quite a few changes to our family life in the past month!!

Drum Roll Please..........Isaac has arrived!!!! That is the new and biggest change to our family!!!:)

Stay tuned for more update's!

Baby Kicks and Hot Chocolate

2005-11-17T20:26:00.000-06:00

Well over the past couple of days my newest little darling boy has been kicking and flipping around inside his mummie. I must tell you that this is my favorite part of being pregnant.....knowing that one of the most wonderful gifts from God is being created inside of me right at this very second. I often wonder how many women really stop and think about how God is forming the child inside of them. Every little cell, every little bone, every little hair on his/her body.......the color of their eyes and so on. Wow - a little overwhelming when you really think about. I am thankful that I think of these things. It keeps me grounded and is a very good reminder to me Who is in control and Who I am to be pleasing too. :-)

Tonight my lovely daughter made French Hot Chocolate. Now, I love chocolate - especially HOT CHOCOLATE, but she put in WAY too much chocolate bar and very little milk......ack!!!! So, I suggested (actually demanded!!! :-) ) that she add more milk. So she did and it turned out wonderful. I think she is trying to cook like the chefs on the Food Channel. Really fast and without any measures.......hee hee! (Just like her mother - never follows instructions - *sigh**.)

Hmmmm, also today, my husband and I officially became Minnesota residents. Whoo hoo! We plunked down a chunk of money for our vehicle tags and registration. I really do get a kick out of changing our plates every couple of years. I think it is a trait left over from being a military wife. My favorite all time plate was when we lived in North Dakota. I know a lot of people don't even know the state exists, but I do believe it was my most favorite place to live of all the places we have been. I just loved the open space and the beautiful sunsets and "you can't believe the star field" nights. Yes, it may get pretty cold, but they have coats AND heated places to live!! hee hee.

Well with that I must close for the day. I can't believe people read what I write.....but it is fun and a way to sort of contemplate life a little bit. I have many toys and cheerios to pick up off the floor now - Ah, the glamourous life of a mother......I love it. :-) Here is a picture of the Cheerio Boy.....

It's Great To Be A Lady!

2005-11-12T14:32:00.000-06:00

Today I woke up and sprang out of bed (actually crawled) to get ready to go to my hair appointment. Not too exciting, I know. But - for someone who has been doing several life changes over the past few months, it was a great way to sort of make myself "presentable" again to the world! Mainly my husband and family, but whoever else I meet too!

I have been reading a lot lately about looking your best and how it makes one feel. I am a die-hard believer in Biblical Womanhood, but just can't get into the "jumper/running shoes" mentality. No offense ladies - really! I have several friends who really like that sort of apparel, and they wear it wonderfully. I for one look horrid in jumpers and it makes me feel.....dumpy?? So I am still trying to figure out what my "style" is. Right now I am 5 months pregnant, so I guess I have some time to figure my "style" out.....I mean who really loves maternity clothes? To be honest though, most women I see pregnant (or at least the ones that I look up to who are pregnant), really look stunning to me. I think Jenny Chancey (from LAF) looks so pretty in her dresses that she makes. I wish I could pull off that look. Stacey Mac Donald (from Homeschooling Today), I think always looks beautiful no matter what. She is such an inspiration to me. Beautiful with lots and lots of children. How cool can that be?!! My friend Crystal Paine - when she was pregnant, I thought she looked beautiful too. Of course I met her when she was pregnant, but I still admired how she looked and carried herself. In fact one day I saw her in SWEATS .... *GASP!!!*, but she looked GREAT! Oh, BTW, Crystal still looks great and even better because she has the "Mommy Glow" now. You know, gushing over your children all the time. hee hee. Hmmmm.....let's see who else looks really great pregnant - OH!!! Belle Phillips, wife of one of my favorite people in the whole world Doug Phillips (Vision Forum). I think Belle is so pretty and she has a great smile. I also like how she does her nails. :-)

Of course all the women here I have mentioned are beautiful from the inside out. They have set wonderful examples for all of us ladies and they live their lives (at least from the fruit that I see from them) within the perfect and wonderful guidelines that our Creator - God has set forth for us. I know none of them are perfect, but for a girl like myself, who grew up without the influence of Godly women (I love my mother TONS, and am glad God made me my parents daughter, but God was not the center of our lives), these are women I have attached myself too. I read their articles, listen to their wisdom and testimony when available and watch them to see how they carry themselves. Because I don't have at this point. many like-minded friends (people who are physically close to you and you can see each other often and fellowship), I have chosen carefully those that I could learn from and hopefully help me to articulate myself and figure out just who I am as a daughter of the King of the Universe!! This is a tough thing when you are 40 and have children already, but it is ok, because when you make mistakes your children are there to laugh with you and learn.

Oh, back to my hair appointment - I did get it done. I got high lights/low lights put in and they look great! I also bought some new cosmetics called Bare Escentuals. It is the mineral makeup and you can't believe how wonderful this product line is!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I absolutely love it. It is a little pricey at first, but like anything else, you use what works best. I am a true believer in buying a quality product. Not just a name, but something that really works well. I think I inherited that from my father. :-)

On my way home from my appointment, I was feeling a little guilty about what I had spent, but then I thought of Esther from the Bible and of Sara. The Bible tells us that they were exceptionally beautiful women. I am a daughter of Sara and so I think it is important to make ourselves a lovely as possible for our husbands and to the rest of the world. But - don't think I believe it is just skin deep. No way. First you must work on the inside and let the light of Christ shine through, then work on the rest. No sense in being a beautiful woman on the outside when your rotting from within. Right!??

So with that, I will sign off. I hope you have a wonderful, wonderful God filled day and that you are beaming from the inside out. Remember, the world sees you too. Let the world know that you are a beautiful person, no matter what situation you find yourself in today, because of Christ, our beautiful Messiah!!!

Shalom!

It's A New Life Everyday...

2005-11-10T08:31:00.000-06:00

My husband and I recently made some really tough decisions about our lives and decided to take the leap. After 20 years in the military, he retired and then went to a position in the same type of career field. For two years he worked 12 hour (really 14 if you count to/from work) rotating shifts. The money was great and the benefits, but we never had any time together, plus we also had a new baby. So after mulling around changing careers, he finally had enough and decided to go for it. We sold our nice home, he terminated his job and we packed up and left the state. Whew! Now he is unemployed, home A LOT more and trying to get ready for his classes to start. I must say it is a real change for us, but God is control and we do believe He will take care of us. Talk about a stretch of faith! But I am loving it and so are our 17 year old daughter and probably most of all our 2 year old son! He never had any daddy time before so this is really neat for him.

I was reading some comments on my friend Crystal's blog about entrepreneurship and was inspired even more regarding what a blessing it is for my husband to have made a choice and go with his heart and do something he wants to do for a change. It is very scary and a big change, but even if you have a job or money, those things can be gone in an instant too. Living and depending on God is an adventure and a great reminder that it "IS a new life everyday!!" Let us be glad and rejoice in it!!

Baby Ticker.....

2005-11-07T23:10:00.001-06:00

My New and Really Cool Blog

2005-11-07T21:29:00.000-06:00

Testing out my new blog.............whoooo hooo. Just stay tuned for up-to-the-minute family issues and comments.