Mango Mixer & Meds = Happiness for All

It finally arrived. After much coaxing and advice from my husband and trusted female confidants, I conceded to ordering a KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer for my Birth-mas present. Thank you, Hubby, for choosing it as your gift to me and for persisting. Thank you Momma, Autumn, and Jaclyn for your individual encouragements to let Matt get me what he wanted to as well as affirm that it was a good choice. What was harder than allowing a chunk of money to go towards it was choosing a color! Gracious...they've got like 20 out there. But Mango I chose. It was the one color that ALWAYS made me smile when I saw it (online), and I knew deep down I wanted that color even though it is WAY bright and would lock me into certain kitchen decor. I just couldn't do black or white to match other kitchen appliances. It's not me. I like to be different -- and who else has a mango mixer that you know? So it came on Monday...and I must have giggled the whole time until Matt got home. MAN is it bright! I always said it was a "toe nail polish color" when we looked at it online. Dude. It just so happens I am wearing a polish that exactly matches the mixer! It still makes me smile when I look at it. It's awesome! And the first dish I made with it was Cracker Barrel's Chicken & Dumplins (and yes, it actually turned out well!)

The towels are what I got with some birthday money from Auttie. I plan to have a Bahama colored kitchen...bright and relaxing!




We took Judah back to the doc this morning because we feared he was getting worse. Turns out, his lungs sound fine meaning the RSV is gone and only remnants of a cough remain. Praise the LORD! He is, however, left with an ear infection and the beginnings of a secondary infection in his sinuses. But that's nothing antibiotics can't nip in the bud right quick! I'm so glad the end of Judah's woes are in sight. And I PRAY he does not end up like I was as a kid with frequent ear infections. But if so, I thank God I have a Momma who's been through it before and that there are meds to clear it up. And I also thank Him that Judah is such his happy normal self even when sick. It's made it alot easier to deal with!

Women's retreat is this weekend. I am so excited -- it will be refreshing to be around so many women for an extended time and to be drenched with time in the Word. The theme is "ALOHA," A Life of Heavenly Ambitions (setting your mind on things above). Do pray for Matt as he parents solo for a weekend and for me as it will be my first time away from Judah for a couple days. I'm sure we'll all be fine...but extra prayer always helps!

I think we MAY have chosen a girl's name. We plan to post clues for the baby's name once we know what gender it is. (If we've spoken to you recently, post nothing about any names we mentioned so that everyone has a fair chance to guess.) We still desperately need ideas for boys' names -- we seriously must have used up our one perfect boy name on Judah Gabriel!

There is only one flower left from my birthday bouquet. You'd think the filler flowers would have lasted longer. Even the lillies. What gerbera daisy stands stall until the very last!?? Usually their the first to go. Congrats to my mom...it was the flower I dedicated to her.

Hope you all have a good Wednesday!

Adorable Videos and Mac 'n Cheese Plight

Judah chose a hilarious face to laugh with after dinner last night. He'd cock his head to the side, open his eyes wide, and give a teethy smile...and laugh at anything!



Judah always quits performing for the camera when it's turned on. Not so last night! I'm SO glad we caught this on video! Too cute!



And finally, we gave him some mac 'n cheese for the first time yesterday. He loved it like a good little American boy...but. Yep. He reacted to it -- and I finally remembered to take a picture. Perhaps I'll print it and take it to the doc when we go for his 1 yr check up. Every doctor we've asked about it seems to write it off with "Milk allergies are usually intestinal." Um...I've heard of a milk mustache where milk is left on the upper lip, but never a milk gotee where a rash is left on the chin!



And so I don't leave you with a sad picture...here! Have a great Sunday...it's mine and Judah's first to stay home from church because he's sick. Poor kid woke up to a BAD coughing spell at 2am, but thankfully the albuterol nipped that in the bud. How long will this last? Check out those teeth!

Cute Little Sneaky Boy

Judah is just...adorable. He is such a little boy now. No more baby left in his body. Which is fine, because there'll be baby in this house all over again in a few months. I caught him trying to figure out how to climb on his turtle to reach higher on his dresser this morning. I haven't seen him "flop" in a while because he is so fast at crawling. It's probably much more comfortable for his tummy, too! He's very into grabbing at faces and hands right now, and my helium-filled birthday balloon is a smash hit with him (and his daddy). Matt pretends to fly Judah through the air like a super hero attacking the balloon. It's just the cutest.

He doesn't have a fever today (first time in several days); and while he isn't coughing as much, his cough still sounds icky. But at least he's on the mend. Tomorrow will be my first time staying home from church with a sick kid! What a milestone.

Now for the sneaky, funny story...

For a couple months, there have been a few times where I'm on the computer IMing or typing up a document and the keyboard seems to take over. It was as if someone had hacked our computer and was taking control. Sometimes it'd be like someone was holding down the 3 key, pressing enter multiple times, etc. So I would just shut the computer down to sever any link a hacker/virus may have had. Matt was finally home for one such episode yesterday and wondered if the keyboard was going kaput. But then it stopped. A few minutes later, it happened again, and Matt put two things together. It happened at the same time Judah began playing with the remote control to the computer. Come to find out...if you have a program open that involves typing, you can do quite a few things with a remote control. So all this time, it was little Judah innocently playing while his mother was freaking out over possible hackers and viruses.

I know now. ::sheepish grin::

And here he is -- the second pic shows his top/bottom teeth well (enlarge it).

Post-Birthday Glee

Whirlwind. Most of you know that just hours after my last post, Matt showed up at home with JACLYN. Talk about shock. I am not easy to surprise -- a strength/weakness of mine. I -- had -- no -- clue!!!! They've been planning "Operation Black Ice" since the beginning of November...and I suspected absolutely nothing. Not even an inkling that something big was happening. All in all, #25 is probably the most memorable birthday I've had right along with my golden birthday (19) when Alicia threw me a surprise party at TGIF!

Friday night, we had Andrew and Elizabeth over for chicken parmesan (my first time making it). It was oh so tasty! They brought a cookie dough ice cream cake from Cold Stone. We played the LOST board game...and they all hated it. I think we eventually let Andrew win because he controlled the most people. I guess I couldn't remain champion forever. It was such a fun birthday. And I managed to get by without blowing out any candles or being sung to in person. The only song I got was from my precious nephews, niece, and their parents. That and the flowers from my mom TRULY make my birthdays real birthdays. It wouldn't be a good birthday without them. :-) The orange is for Aut, the pink for Momma. <3




I need to get pics from Jaclyn...but I did get one pic of us all before she left. Saturday morning, the three of us went to the Duck Club Grill for breakfast -- and now I'm glad they finally understand why I've been dying to go back there. So wonderful! It did happen to be the ONLY foggy morning in a long time, but it was still glorious. I'm hoping Matt and I can stay at the hotel for a night for our anniversary and have breakfast again. Of course...nothing like being 8 months pregnant for your 3rd anniversary. Another thought keeps occuring to me...Aut and Andy will be married for SEVEN years this May. Wow!



We got our nightstands today! Woo hoo! And it only took a year of waiting and saying no to several negotiations!

Judah got to go to the doctor this morning. Poor guy has RSV, which is apparently going around here. So now he's on albuterol as needed, and his cough just makes me so sad. I hope it does go away within the next few days as we were told. He has gained over a pound and over an inch in the past 2 1/2 weeks. For me that is just further confirmation that it truly was time to start weaning. This week we're only down to one feeding in the evening. I was going to stop completely next week...but I'm getting more emotional as the time comes. Maybe I'll just hang on to the evening feeding until whenever. No need to give that up, right? My energy is 10x what it was!

'Nough said. I need to go nap while Judah naps. He's not sleeping so well at night with this cough. Not that he's asleep -- he's enjoying his crib. But, rest I shall. Ta ta!

Thursday

Today is my sis-in-law's 17th b-day! Happy Birthday, Melody!

Yesterday, Judah was trying to figure out how to open up a box that holds some of his books. He was putting it aside to move on, so I held out my hand to him. He looked back at the box, then at my hand, then got the box and handed it to me. To see the gears turning in a little brain never ceases to amaze me!

Cheddar served alone made Judah break out a tiny bit, but not like usual. Still experimenting.

Matt told me last night I'm starting to show just a tiny bit. I'm certainly at the point where I look normal in the morning, but by evening I do have more of a pooch. I'm just glad I'm not yet into the in-between normal and maternity clothes stage. What a hard spot to be in...unless you do Aut's ponytail-on-the-button trick. ;-) I am now 11 weeks (almost 3 months) pregnant: Your baby is now between 1.5 inches and 2.5 inches long and weighs 0.3 ounces! He or she is almost the size of large lime—but much sweeter! This is a rapid growth stage, and your baby's length and weight will likely double in the next three weeks. At this point, the head is almost half the size of the body, but that will change in the weeks to come. Your baby's head also begins to "uncurl" as the chin lifts and the head rolls backwards towards the spine, allowing the neck to better develop and grow. Now there are fingernails! The genitalia are also developing during this time frame, though the sex of your baby is still a secret. (from Babyfit.com)

I feel crafty this week, probably due to increased energy from less nursing. Yesterday I painted "Toys" on Judah's new toy box (a $7 Sterilite box). I hope the letters stay on there longer than I'm expecting.



And here are some fun family pics we snapped last night. He's not a baby anymore, but a little boy. I so wish I could get a good pic of his EIGHT teeth!




And now I must go clean the bathrooms, dust, windex, and iron as fast as I can to see if I can finish before Judah wakes up from his morning nap. I am so thankful I have a patient, encouraging husband who tells me he knows I can do it!

And can I just say I am SOOOO excited for Saturday morning! Matt is taking me to breakfast at a restaurant in the Monterey Plaza Hotel. It hangs out over the bay, has white linens, quiet atmosphere, and good food. I've been wanting to go on a date their since more than a year ago when my mom, Hope, and I went. I hope we can find a babysitter!

Cold Sprite Weans Birthday Pillows

Literally. We did discover today that perhaps one reason we've been on the colder side is because...our sliding door has not been shut all the way! No wonder it was drafty. No wonder I kept thinking I could hear outside noises too well. Problem fixed.

Sprite/Sierra Mist is my nausea saver. Love the stuff like never before.

We've successfully cut out Judah's two mid-day feedings. He doesn't miss nursing, I'm pretty sure. He had grilled cheese for the first time today. Smallest one I've ever made, about 2x2". He LOVED it. And he didn't break out in hives on his chin. Perhaps if dairy is cooked it's ok? Experiments to follow.

I broke out my new sewing machine (obtained from BCLR Share & Swap) and on-hand fabric today. I made pillow cases and a sash for our decorative pillow to go with the quilt. Lookie! We also invested in some frames for our family photos that we hung in the dining room. I learned two picture hanging tricks from Matt that he'd forgotten about until tonight: 1) put a dot of paint on the nail hanger of the frame, line it up on the wall where you want, and allow the nail hanger to hit the wall so a dot of paint stays on the wall where you want the nail, 2) slide a piece of paper between two hung pictures, with a pencil mark the edge of each frame to get the distance and use that to measure the distance for other pictures needing to be hung.

I'll be 25 on Friday. Diane made me a surprise birthday cake on Sunday. It is DELISH! They also got me some Dove dark chocolate and an earrings/necklace set that is just wonderful. So weird to be coming up on 25. Half of me is indifferent, the other half seeing it as half-way to thirty. I'm just thankful for another year of the Life abundantly!

Miracle of Life

Before we left for the holidays, we had our first prenatal visit with Dr. G. I was only 6 weeks along, but we did get some ultrasound pics. I had my second visit today at 10 weeks, again receiving pics. It is AMAZING how much our baby has grown in 4 weeks. From .5cm to 3.7cm. Heart rate from 115 to 160bpm. A blob on top of a yolk sack to a baby with umbilical cord.

6 Weeks

In the black and white photo, the baby is the blob attached to the top of the black area. In the 4D photo, the yolk sack is the round object on the right side; and the bumpy object on top of it is the baby. Just .5cm long!




10 Weeks

In the black and white photo, the baby's head is towards the left with it's body extending to the right. Count 7 periods in (on the CRL line), and just above the 7th is a round object which is a hand. The other hand is a brighter white opposite the first hand. In the 4D photo, the baby's head is at the top right with it's spine running down the right side of the black area. The legs and umbilical cord extend from the bottom of the spine towards the left. Now it's a good 3.7cm long!



Isn't God's plan for life amazing and mysterious? I am happy to point out that while I thought I had gained a whopping 7 pounds over our two weeks in IN (thanks to all the sweets available), I am now only 3lbs more than I was 4 weeks ago whether the IN scale was wrong or I lost some since being home. Whew! We also decided yesterday and got the go-ahead from Dr. G this morning that it is for sure time to wean Judah. I get frustrated more than I enjoy nursing now. I am ALWAYS tired...extra tired. And that was Dr. G's main reason for encouraging us to stop as soon as we can. I have pregnant tired plus nursing tired which equals a good amount of fatigue. As props to my hubby, he suggested last week that a good reason to wean now is for my energy's sake. I gave Judah formula at his dinner feeding last night, and he didn't even seem to care he wasn't nursing. So apparently he doesn't care where he gets his milk, or he too is ready to move on. That makes it easier emotionally. :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As to the "Testing" post some of you saw, I had a website recommended to me at Titus 2sdays this week. http://www.blogarithm.com/ It's a place you freely subscribe to and enter all the blogs/websites you visit to check for new posts. I did tests to see if it works. Blogarithm sends you a morning e-mail listing each site that has been updated with a little excerpt from the most recent post. That way you don't have to spend time checking every blog to find that nothing new has been posted. SpanishMorning and Savary Sensations were not listed in today's e-mail, but a few others were. So, I encourage you to check it out in order to save time. I'll let you know if I still like it in a few days. :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Can we say cold? It was 26 when we checked the temp this morning and frost all around. There were patches of ice on the sidewalk at the doc's office. Apparently LA is expecting snow and very cold weather. It's downright wintry and snow-smelling outside! Doesn't help my freeze-outs -- something that occurs several times a day due to pregnancy. Most women get hotter...I get colder. Dont' know which I'd prefer.

Testing

For Blogarithm

Everyday Life Update

We've done some rearranging and accumulating. We moved the desk out of Judah's room and into the living room. This way Judah can actually play in his own room without us breathing down his neck (though he's not really into toys right now...more like walls, doors, drawers, etc.), and it also prepares room for a second crib! :-P It also is nice for Matt to be able to do homework whenever he desires, and I can sit next to the desk in the comfy chair or do housework while we are "together." We also think it makes the living area more cozy and home like. The accumulating we did was to have our new dining set delivered! Praise God from whom this blessing has abundantly flowed! Seriously. Last year we were blessed with bed/dresser. It is SO amazing how much more family-like one feels when you don't have "newly-wed" quality things. We have always been thankful to have what we need, but we are also very thankful to have "family quality" things. This is our table for life. We absolutely love it! And for those who knew our glass topped dinette set...you can hit the new table and NOTHING wobbles or spills! Woo hoo!



Matt has a big experiment/paper he and some other students have been working on that's due beginning of next week. Pray for him that things will continue to run smoothly and quickly, that he'll be able to write his paper easily, and that the recipient will be pleased. He got pretty sick Sunday/Monday but is fine now, thank the Lord. It's tough when he's out and I'm left with Judah/house/pregnancy AND sick husband. ::sings humbly:: His strength is perfect when our strength is GONE... :-P

I think I may be on the downside of evening sickness. I'm better this week than I was last week. I go Friday for my second check up when they will confirm due date and I believe set a c-section date. So weird to KNOW what day you will see your baby's face! I'm totally fine on all other fronts save for two: Belly = Pudgy for sure. Thankful God apparently thinks we can handle to babies close together...because I'm realizing what a challenge it will be!

Judah's been a little out of sorts lately. He's got his first ear infection most likely due to all the congestion from teething (which he has 8 teeth now). So he's on antibiotics. We also wondered if he wasn't getting enough to eat because he is slowly losing weight. We pondered weaning him slowly and were going to start yesterday. But he all the sudden started drinking his soy formula at lunch yesterday. So we decided that we won't wean him yet. We'll just give him formula to drink with every meal at the table. He seems to like it -- and I discovered yesterday he LOVES plain bread, untoasted and unbuttered.

And did I mention he crawls officially...and quickly. And pulls up on EVERYTHING. And opens cabinets and drawers? And disappears if you turn your back to him? And won't stay seated in the tub? Autumn, you were right. My life is not the same now that he is not a bump on a log. Which is why the thoughts of having a toddler and newborn are kind of daunting! We went to Target yesterday to get some cabinet latches and decided to wait on getting some for drawers until he opened drawers. Home not for TWO minutes, and he was opening a drawer. Ah, how children make you smile in the midst of difficulty. Such little explorers.

I am often reminded of how much I am like Judah to God. If only I could be more like Christ to Judah. I'm glad I'm not able to be perfect this side of heaven. Striving for it is hard enough...to attain and maintain might be harder!

Lovin' My Blog

Momma tagged me.

A - Available or single: Available for my husband only.
B - Best friend: Not sure I can answer that...how can you have a "best" when each one is so different and offers your soul something unique? Not to mention it brings in hints of competition which is not nececssarily good in relationships.
C - Cake or pie: Chili's molten chocolate cake, my pumpkin cream pie
D - Drink of choice: Peach Orange Mango juice (I always jokingly call it "the nectar of the gods"), decaf sugar free hazelnut latte from Sbux, decaf earl grey tea English style
E - Essential item you use everyday: Clothes
F - Favorite color: Purples and light blues to wear; purple, green, orange, yellow to decorate with
G - Gummy bears or worms: Both...just gimme some!
H - Hometown: Grew up in Central AR
I- Indulgence: Dove Dark Chocolate
J - January or February: January -- my birth month! (25 this year...so unbelievable!)
K - Kids & names: 2 - Judah Gabriel, Unkown :-)
L - Life is incomplete without? God, Matt, creation
M - Marriage date: July 2, 2004
N - Number of siblings: 2 sisters - I'm the middle
O - Oranges or apples: Oranges if they are juicy and good, Apples if they are fuji or gala
P - Phobias or fears: spiders and clowns (though I have outgrown both considerably)
Q - Fave quote: "I wish I could just take you inside of me so you'd still be with me." -Said by Matt as he was hugging me very tightly while we said goodbye at the airport for the first time after we were engaged
R - Reason to smile: Because God is so good!
S - Season: What's that? I hardly remember since I live in season-less land. I love fall's colors and clothes. I love springs flowers and greenery. I love summer's laziness (but not the heat in AR). Not fond of winter unless I can be indoors with some hot chocolate and a cozy blanket.
T - Tag 3 or 4 people: Nah.
U - Unknown fact about me: Most recently I have begun to find out that not many people know how much of a fireball I could be with my words if I would always say what was on my mind. It is by God's grace that I can think before I speak. It's sooo hard to control the tongue -- which is why I am the silent type when I'm angry. I know what I have to say will only make things worse. Now if only I could be as controlled in the words I THINK...
V- Vegetable you don't like: cabbage (blech! even the smell...)
W - Worst habit: picking/biting my lips. ::sigh::
X - Xrays: wrists, back; my dad's livelihood
Y - Your fave food: Olive Garden's fettucini alfredo and tiramisu
Z - Zealous about: God's sovereignty.