Santa Baby

It's that time of year when mommies worldwide haul the kids off to get the perfect holiday memory captured on film - THE SANTA PICTURE!!  Most mommies hope and pray that their kids behave so that they will have spent their money on a great moment in time.  I, on the other hand, think that a 'screaming Santa picture' is money spent just as well spent as a smiling Santa picture.  Last year Jackson was 7 months old and didn't mind seeing Santa.  This year he is 19 months and has an newly found opinion about many things that happen in his little life - including Santa.  We were golden when Santa first arrived, Jackson liked the bells, the 'ho-ho-ho's' and waving.  He even was dancing!!

*Insert premature thoughts of this ACTUALLY being a smiling a picture**
(I kinda wanted the screaming one)

His attitude changed when Santa was close enough to touch him.  I looked at the 'elves' and said 'ok girls on 3, start snapping'. 

*This is where other mommies may not force their kids to sit with Santa - I am not she*

People, I give you this little gem......

And I will leave you with this little side-by-side......

 

!!Merry Christmas!!

We are not supposed to do it all....just do our best! GREAT ARTICLE!

My fellow pregnant friend and I were talking about the nerves that rattle a little  a lot before your baby arrives.  She has a few more nerves than me at the moment because it is her first and this is my second (I already know she (and I) won't mess everything up even though she doesn't know it yet).

I read this article ''Why Your are Not Failing as A Mother'  thanks to my friend Becky and loved the crazy truth behind it.  We never fail in the roll of mommy as long as we are doing all the things we can to raise good kids.

Keep going fellow Mommy-friend! God paired us with our children to better the world, lets agree with Him in confidence.

Happy Reading!!

 

He is probably crabbin' in this picture but I see a smile.....don't you?!

Mommies, read it and weep....with laughter

This article 'Think you are ready to have children?' made me literally laugh out loud!! The goat and the octopus parts were my favorite!

It is right on the money and I wish I would have been the one to write such greatness!

 

He knows he is cute.....knowledge is power....are you tracking with me?

Whitney Frank Photography

I feel so blessed because one of my oldest, dearest friends is the mastermind behind the camera of local business Whitney Frank Photography.

She has captured some of my most important life moments.  My second son is due in December and she is already armed and ready to snap his sweet little mug!

Do yourself and your memories a favor and call her!!

 



 

What are you waiting for?!?!?!?! Book her!! Love Her!! And Whit, if you are reading this, please know that I love you and you have truly blessed my life.

One Fish, Two Fish, A 1st Birthday Wish

Truth: 1st birthdays get WAY OUT OF HAND.

Truth: 1st birthday parties are more for the mommy

Truth: Jackson is BEYOND blessed and loved.

We celebrated Jackson's 1st birthday Dr. Seuss style. It was fun and fairly inexpensive thanks to our families, our church family and friends that helped.

Birthday Stats (mostly for my memory)
-it was outside
-it was hot
-there were 50+ friends and family who came
-we ate burgers, potato salad, fruit
-Jackson did not eat as much cake as I expected
-we used 30 little goldfish for centerpieces (the heat caused casualties)
-Jackson got an equal amount of toys and clothes
-2 hours is the perfect length for a 1st birthday
-we opened gifts after the guests left which was great
-we could not have done it all without the help of our families and friends

 

 1st Birthday success!! Happy Birthday Son.  I could physically burst with joy over who you are!

 

 

Some Catch Up - 12 months of success

Like stated in my last post....I am inconsistent.  I may start to to catch up....no promises though.  I have found I had more time to write when "The Boss" was not as mobile and took multiple naps a day.  We are down to only 1 nap a day, which is the saddest thing for a SAHM.  I felt like having a funeral for my free time and wearing black for a week in protest.  Neither of which would change Jackson's mind about his naps.  SAD.  Pity party over.  Back to the post. 

WE MADE IT TO 1 YEAR OLD

12 things I have learned in the first 12 months of Jackson's life. 

1) Mommies get to sleep again.....eventually......until the next phase decides to disrupt it....again.

2) Nothing goes 'according to plan' or how the book says it will or how other kids do it.  They change everything just as you are finally getting used to it.

3) I am a toddler mommy

4) Jackson is by far the best thing I have ever done

5) New mommies put way too much pressure on themselves

6) Jesus is the only way I could ever be a successful mommy

7) Feeding a toddler is often as hard as feeding a non-latching newborn

8) Time-outs often start sooner than expected

9) When Jackson falls, he learns to do it differently next time. Falling is good

10) My children will be older kids longer than they are younger kids so all hard stuff in the beginning isn't so bad

11) Shots are easier when they are newborns

12) Mommies and Daddies need to be on the same team/page to ensure success

**Bonus Lesson** In the first 12 months I have eaten a lot of crow (humble pie) are you tracking with me.  Being a mommy is HARD!

Light has been shed!

Having a blog has made me realize two things about myself.....

1) I am really inconsistent with things like this (blogging)....along with photo albums, baby books..... are you tracking with me? (I haven't blogged in 3 months, there is a theme)

2) I am funnier when I am in crisis (for proof see the blogs when Jackson was first born)

That is all. 

Hopefully I will saddle up again.....there are some serious updates to be had.

Stay-At-Home-Mommy-Syndrome (SAHMS) Episode #2

Well my friends. just as I suspected in this post, I experienced another case of Stay-At-Home-Mommy-Syndrome.  This time involved a 'could not miss' opportunity and one day my son will surely shake his head at this event.

Definition
SAHMS : A non-treatable condition in which stay at home mommies crack and do whatever it takes to liven up their days.

Symptoms: can be but are not limited to:

Shamelessly grabbing the video camera to record your screaming baby while he is (safely but madly) stuck in a box.  He crawled into a box while I was in the washroom and could not find his way out.  Who knows, maybe this is our $500,000 winning video for America's Funniest Home Videos one day.  (RELAX PEOPLE, it is only a 10 second video and you know you would do it too)

Treatments: Giving into your urges as long as they are fun and you and your little one(s)are safe

Stayed tuned.....there are future episodes to be had.

Downton Abbey

Every so often there is a movie or TV series that sucks you in to the point of emotional involvment.  It sounds crazy but think about it.  How many people do you know that think they are a part of Carrie Bradshaws life?  Or talks about Noah and Allie from The Notebook when making a reference to true love.  For me, I cried everytime one of the soldiers died in Band of Brothers; I felt a loss. 

I have been sucked in yet again but this time it is in the sophisticated world of Downton Abbey.

 
It is set in Yorkshire, England during the early 1900's.  When I watch this, I get INVOLVED.  As soon as I hear the opening song on the show I am all of a sudden English.  My thoughts have an English accent and I instantly steep some tea.  Season 2 has just ended but you can catch episodes from Season 1 and 2 here.

My favorite character is Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham

And I covet the clothes of Lady Mary Crawley

Watch! Love! And let me know when your thoughts start to have an English accent.

It appears Punxsutawney Phil was wrong!

A few weeks back that little fortune telling groundhog told the world there were 6 more weeks of winter left.  Um, either he was wrong or the Central Valley did not get the memo.  I am loving this upper 60's lower 70's thing that has set its sights on our little Valley.  I am ok with the spring like weather we have had this February.  It has quicken the post-winter revival that usually happens in my house and soul when the sun starts shining.

The thick jackets have been stashed away
The blinds are being dusted (slowly but surly - I hate blinds)
I have been outside with the baby detoxing from living room floor
Pandora is on more than the TV
My flip flops are sitting by the front door
I have been exercising - oh lawl have mercy
And the best part of this revival are these gorgeous little beauties that I think make my whole neighborhood happy

________It's What's For Dinner

I am constantly in need of new ideas for dinner.  I also need to find ways to encourage me to cook.  That is what prompted me to post recipes to the blog.  Don't get too excited.  This is not becoming a food blog.  I count on people like Gina at Skinnytaste for things like that.  I just thought if you had a good recipe you could post it for me to feed my family with.  We will thank you in advance!

Turkey Meatloaf
*this is a mix of my grandpa's recipe and other things I thought would taste good*

You will need:
1 1/2  ground turkey meat
1 egg
3/4 to 1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs
3/4 diced white onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Mix all of this in a bowl together (with your hands)

Put into a 9X5 loaf pan.  Spread some ketchup on top to add a glaze.  Cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour 15 min

On the side, we ate these Garlic Mashed Potatoes from Skinnytaste soooooooooo good!

The corn is cooked with 'I can't believe its not Butter' and Garlic Salt.

Enjoy!  WHAT ARE YOU MAKING FOR DINNER?

Nice Baby Bangs

There are so many things that change when we have babies.  Some things are WAY too personal to publish on the blog and fellow mommies, you know what those are.  Others are blog appropriate.... like hair.  I wrote about my extensive hair loss in this post.  It was 5 months of tragedy for me and for my vacuum.  At 8 months, postpartum, I finally stopped losing my do!! YAY *clap clap clap*

~wait, hold the applause~

I am now in the re-growth stage. 

My first thought was, 'finally, my hair will replenish itself'. 

Now that it is happening, I look in the mirror at the short, wispy, wiry, untamable mini hairs of re-growth and think, 'ugh, why don't you just fall out'. 

Do you know of these rebellious hairs?? In some spots mine stick straight up submitting to NO product.  In other spots there are so many I think, 'wow, I was truly bald there'.  And to top off those woes, my hair is naturally curly so these new little guys look like they have been hit with the humidity of the deep south and you can't straighten them because the heat will fry these fragile babes leaving them worse off than they already are.  (hmmm was that a run on sentence??  Maybe but all the information in it was pertinent - so I am leaving it).

OH THE MADDENING WORLD OF BABY BANGS!

________________ Its What's for Dinner!!

A while ago, I came to the realization that, for the rest of my adult life, I will ask myself the dreaded question 'what are we going to have for dinner?'

*This is a life sentence people.* 

If you are a wife and/or mom THIS IS your lot!!  If my man was contributing to this post he would probably be happy to tell you that I have re-surfaced from the 'new baby' tidal wave that knock me over 8 months ago.  People, what has my poor husband been eating for 8 months?

Because I hate the question of, what's for dinner?, I thought maybe we could share recipes?   Or at least I would tell you what I am cooking, that way if you are stuck maybe something we eat will sound good to you.  If you would like to share, please do, my tummy will thank you!! Link up or post the recipe in the comments.

Chicken Tacos
Cooking my chicken, I used this recipe from The Pioneer Woman blog as my guide.

Jarrod's plate...mmmm

In a big skillet cook up the following:
-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts diced into small chunks
-1 can of diced green chillies
-1/2 white onion
-1/2 tsp cumin
-1/2 tsp chili powder
-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (did I mention these were spicy)

Tacos need toppings.  Our favorite topping for tacos is a yummy cabbage recipe from my friend Ally.

You will need:
1 head of Cabbage
1 red onion
2-3 limes
1 bushel of cilantro
salt/pepper

Picture is missing the onion

Chop cabbage into small shreds, dice onion, chop cilantro (mix all three of these in a bowl)
Squeeze the lime juice into the cabbage, onion, cilantro mix to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Add other toppings as desired, we used tomatoes and cheese

We ate the tacos on corn tortillas.  Yum o Yum.

Can you tell I don't type out recipes....ever.  This could be a recipe bloggers nightmare! HA!

Got Smelly Bottles??

No matter how many times I cleaned and steamed/sterilized my bottles I couldn't seem to get that stinky 'milk/formula' smell from them. YUCK!!

Are you in my boat?

Are you afraid to admit that your kid has been drinking from a CLEAN yet still stinky bottle? Don't be because mine was!! I am here to offer a solution!!

Can you see the fine print of 'deodorizing'.........HALLELUJAH!!

Soak your bottles and all their parts in a solution made of baking soda and warm water for about 2 hours or longer if you like, it will not harm anything.

Solution: 4 tablespoons of baking soda per 1 gallon of warm water

I will be doing this every so often to help keep the stink away! Thanks Arm & Hammer

Stay-At-Home-Mommy-Syndrome (SAHMS) Episode #1

SAHMS is a real thing and I am about to prove it to you.

Definition
SAHMS : A non-treatable condition in which stay at home mommies crack and do whatever it takes to liven up their days.

Symptoms: can be but are not limited to:

Forcing your 7 month's itty bitty fat hand open to make a Christmas Tree craft even when he is screaming for you to stop (side note: baby's fists are ALWAYS clamped shut in a fist like ball when you want them to do something)

Setting up a 'photo shoot' and realizing it might be a bad idea when your little one puts Christmas lights in their mouth but you keep going anyways, continuously swatting the lights out of their mouths even though they are ninja fast at putting them back in because....what else are you gonna do with your afternoon.

The one shot that made all the craziness worth it.....

Treatments: Giving into your urges as long as they are fun and you and your little one(s)are safe. 

See, I told you I would prove to you that this is real!

Stayed tuned....I am positive there are more 'episodes' to come.

What do you do that an outsider may think....um why is she doing that?

A time out for a time out

I must blog about this now so I can remember it in a few years.

I am thinking Dr. James Dobson's 'The Dare to Discipline' and this may do the trick one day!

New Year, New Joys, Same Jesus ~ John Piper

Happy New Year + 6 days!! Welcome 2012!

How many resloutions do people make at the start of a new? 1? 5? Lose weight, read more, spend less.  Laugh more, relax more, worry less.  How many resolutions are kept? How many goals are actually met when we look back on any given year?  If you are like me, most of the time, the answer is none.  Oops.  I have the best of intentions but somewhere between January 1st and January 31st I allow life to drown out my 'resolutions'.  I give the gym back to those who were going waaaayyyy before January 1st! They are the rightful owners and its only fair I give them back their treadmills!

There is one thing, though, that I want to make sure I do not let life drown out this year (and every year) and that is Jesus.  Time with Him through prayer and through His Word is the insurance that I have to know that I will be victorious in 2012.  Walking with Jesus will ensure that I will be more than a conqueror in 2012 (Romans 8:32).  Time in His word will guarentee that when the enemy sends his flaming arrows, I will have the armor of God on which is able to extinguish them (Ephesians 6:16).  Knowing His truths will renew my mind when the world tells me lies (Romans 12:2).  And trusting Jesus each and every day with each and every thing will show my son that we serve an all powerful, infinate God that really is all powerful and infinite.  But what I see now more than ever is showing Jackson means living it for myself.  Lord, help me do this.

'Start off children on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it.' Proverbs 22:6.

In the words of Paul in Ephesians 6:19 'pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.' 

THIS is what I want 2012 to be about. 

New Year, New Joys, Same Jesus!

Never say Never

Somewhere between 5 months and now, 7.5 months, this mommy was able to finish a few books, a few movies with my husband and Season 1 of a TV series.  Its a miracle.....wait, no, its just what happens when your baby gets older!  Truth be told, I thought days like this were gone forever....

~ cue weird dream-like music as we travel back to a not so distant memory ~

When Jackson was about 5 or 6 weeks old, my man and I rented 'The Chronicles of Narnia - Voyage of the Dawn Treader' thinking we would enjoy our son's nap time with a movie....WRONG!!! He was awake within the first 20 minutes of us starting it and screaming by the middle of it.  It took us a full day and a half to finish watching it and I stood, bouncing that baby for the rest of it.  After that fiasco, we decided to cancel Netflix because and I quote myself 'we will never quietly watch a movie snuggled up on the couch again'.

Guess what new mommies of the world, those days are NOT gone.  They are just on hold for a bit.  I am here to report that, while it is you may not renew your subscription to Netflix, you will be a patron of a RedBox near you!  And if you like to read, nap times become more routine in these months so you will enjoy a good book again. 

If you are looking for some I recommend a 2 part series written by Francine Rivers.  It is about legacy and now that I am a mom it resonated with me in a deep way.  I want my legacy to include a whole lot of Jesus.  I want to maintain a close walk with Him so that my children see His goodness.  I want to thank my mom for giving me the best life her and my dad could.  I want to thank them for teaching me by example.  I am so thankful to know that He can change our destiny if we respond to His calling.  I can't wait for to see where He will lead the generations, our legacy, after Jarrod and I.

First Book

Second Book

I also loved loved love The Hunger Games Trilogy.  Do not be fooled by its popularity for those of you who do not like to be 'bandwagon' readers.  It is worth EVERY page.

So, again I find myself writing about things that I am accomplishing that at 6 weeks, I thought I would never do again.  Mommyland is demanding but oh so rewarding.  I am still ME even thought I double as Jackson's mommy too!  It is a beautiful balance that I am learning to master day by day.