Just a little reflux, they say...

Baby M has battled reflux since birth.  She will sometimes gasp and forget to breathe, so it has made us sleep not as soundly as we used to.  Granted, she sleeps through the night, but we don't get that restful sleep because we're listening out for her.  A few nights ago, she started to get a rattling in her chest and this horrible sound like she was choking.  I took her next door to our neighbor who works with the NICU babies and she checked her out for me.  She was pretty sure it was related to her reflux since she wasn't stuffy and it wasn't in her chest.  (I was schedule for the doctor in two days, but wanted to make sure I didn't need to call right away.)  Turns out, she was right.  We went to the doctor's for our well check-up appointments for both kids and our pediatrician is certain it's reflux.  She's started her on some medicine since it is getting worse and not better.  We had been on one but it hasn't worked, so we're getting switched to a different one.  We're hoping it helps to clear her up.  It's pitiful and she's just been crying nonstop for the past oh....couple of days.  We were advised to invest in a wedge (not the SIDS one) but one that is much higher. 

As far as the stats go, Baby M weighs 9 pounds 15 ounces and is 22 1/4 inches long.  She's normal, except for her head.  She's got a rather big head, apparently.  I just say it has the ability to hold A LOT of knowledge!  B is 27 pounds and I forgot how tall he is.  I'll have to write it later.  It's in the living room and at the moment, Baby M has finally fallen asleep on my lap and I'm not waking her up just to grab the piece of paper.  Sorry, readers!  You're important, but not THAT important!  B had to have his finger pricked 2 times because of low iron.  He's on the line with it, but doesn't need iron pills.  I'm sneaking in a lot more veggies by pureeing them (thanks to Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfield), so maybe that will help.  By the way, Daddy T hates this book.  He doesn't like not knowing what he's eating.  He's taken several things to work to share and he tells them that I've hidden different foods in them.  He's convinced my Rice Krispies had some kind of vegetables in them.  I can't convince him that they were normal, and all I added was flaxseed!

Book Review: Love, Charleston by Beth Webb Hart

I have never read anything by Beth Webb Hart, but I have been curious about her books since I see them in Lifeway a lot.  I must say that the first chapter or two didn't grab me, but the more I read the more I enjoyed it.  When I would finish a chapter, I felt like I was exploring Charleston myself.  She did a wonderful job highlighting the city and it's especially good if you've been to Charleston yourself and can place certain areas, like The Battery, etc.

The book itself includes two sisters and a cousin that have a strong friendship.  They each have their own path that they are taking to find happiness.  Anne wants a husband and children; Della wants a house with air-conditioning and doesn't want to struggle financially anymore; Alisha (or Lisha) just wants her husband home and caring more.   

Beth did a good job intertwining the characters to where it wasn't awkward to read about each one.  I never got confused as to which character was doing what, which often happens in books where many characters are the main characters.  It was a joy to read and has made me want to find her other books.  I almost felt like I was on a mini-vacation in Charleston!  Mom, you're definitely going to have to read this one.  You will like it..




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Cleaning Tip #1

I got this cool new book that shows things you can clean with everyday products that you have around the house.  Since I think it's so cool, I'm going to share one with you hopefully every week.  I'm not sure I'll try all of them, though.  Some sound pretty crazy.  If you do try one, let me know how it works!

Deodorize carpet with...

1. Bounce.  Apparently you can put a sheet in your vacuum cleaner, vacuum, and then it will eliminate any stale smell you have in your house.

2.  Downy.  Mix one part Downy with two parts water and put it in a spray bottle.  Spray your carpets and vacuum.  Apparently it's also an antistatic formula, which means that you can vacuum up lint and pet hair much easier.  Hmm...who knew?

3.  Gain.  Use the powdered version and sprinkle it on the carpet and vacuum.  Not only does the room smell better, but so does your vacuum.

4.  Heinz White Vinegar.  Yummy.  Add this vinegar to any carpet cleaner you use when you shampoo your carpets.  The carpet apparently smells like vinegar for about an hour, but then it is supposed to fade away into the distance.  It apparently takes away any other carpet odors with it.

New Blog

I have been frustrated with losing my baby weight ever since having B. I decided now is the time to figure something out because I refuse to keep this weight on. I hate it! I know there are so many health complications that come from having belly fat and when I get pregnant, I gain only in guess where? My belly! That's nice in one way, but quite annoying in others. I think belly fat is the hardest to get rid of and now I have the flabby skin on top of that. I exercise regularly, but finding information on breastfeeding, calories, and working out run the range of people saying you need anywhere from 500-2,000 extra calories. I know I don't need 2,000 more. That's crazy and I don't think I could possible eat that much. My guess is somewhere around 500, but like I said, I'm not for sure. If anyone knows, I'd really like an answer!


I am doing P90x and a little bit of running on the off day, so that takes care of the exercising. So the only thing left is diet. I have learned a lot about clean eating and eating only the foods that are good for you. That doesn't mean that I don't cheat....and I really do when I'm pregnant and right after. It's like I crave anything sweet that looks or tastes like chocolate! I know what foods are good for me, but not necessarily why. I'm not a dietitian or nutritionist, so my wording in my blog will be written in a way so that I (and people like me) can understand why the food is good. It also shares how I'm doing in this whole post-pregnancy weight-loss adventure and what recipes my entire family will actually eat that are healthy. So...without further adieu, hop on over to http://www.cleaneatingforme.blogspot.com/. Don't forget about this blog, though. It'll still be updated. It's just that the other one is strictly dealing with food, weight loss, healthy living and clean eating.

Gentle Reminder

Yesterday was the beginning of my new semester of Kindermusik classes.  I'm excited about my families and the kiddos.  One reason I love teaching Kindermusik is because of the bond that comes with the families.  I love it, which brings me to the reason of this post.  Yesterday was one hectic day.  I had taken baby M with me while I worked with my Alzheimer's patients while B went with his daddy and some of his co-workers to eat lunch.  Not bad since it's only 45 minutes.  I met up with Daddy T to trade cars back and to obtain my son and then we spent the next hour and a half riding around the city looking at houses.  Well, that's what I did.  I was trying to make B fall asleep and knew if I stopped the car, he would wake up.  So yes, you can translate that sentence to say I was pretty much wasting gas while looking at houses (which a realtor can do perfectly fine).  B finally fell asleep and when he woke up we went into the church to see if anyone showed up for the baby classes and to tie up some loose ends with the children's choir. 

Fastforward to the Imagine That! class.  (Bear in mind the fact that his nap was small, we have been out of routine for the past...oh....month, AND he was EXTREMELY irritable.)  The class went well and he enjoyed playing with the other children in there.  We finished that class and it was time for the Young Child class, which is ages 5-7.  They were playing their glockenspiels and B wanted those things.  He refused to take mine, which made him have to go and sit in the chair for a while.  Daddy T was supposed to have come to pick up the kids not long after the class had started but he never showed up.  (I learned later it was because traffic was awful because of the storms and rain.)  Needless to say, baby M decided that she would not be outdone by her brother, so she joined in the chaos that had now become my class.  By the time the parents came in, I was frazzled and ready to leave my kids at the curb!  (Not really, for those who would consider me a threat to my children.  It's just a figure of speech that means I was tired of the whining, crying, and disciplining.) 

One of the mother's asked me if I would like for her to hold baby M.  I gladly relinquished her into her arms.  One of the little girls in the class proceeded to ask the lady if that was her baby that she had been pregnant with last semester.  The mother told her "no," it was her teacher's baby.  She then said that her baby had gone to heaven.  I was floored.  Come to find out, she had a baby in March that had been terminally ill.  They knew it around 20 weeks, but decided to still carry it full-term, knowing full well that it might never make it to delivery.  God had other plans and she delivered it and the baby girl lived 4 months.  She died last month.  Needeless to say, that gave me some perspective that I needed to become unfrazzled with my precious bundle of joy.  At least I could hold her and bounce her and listen to her quite healthy lungs announce that she needs her mommy's attention right here and right now, and she doesn't care who hears this loud announcement.  I told the mother that she was more than welcome to cuddle my baby and that brought tears to her eyes.  I told her that it wouldn't be the same, but she was grateful that I would share baby M with her.  I told her the story of my cousin and why I chose to do what I do and she understood my passion.

So, on another day that's full of chaos because of being out of routines, I am choosing to remember that I had prayed for my kiddos long before they were born.  I wanted these kiddos and I'm thankful that God has seen fit for me to be able to continue to love and cuddle them here on earth.  That's all I needed...just a gentle reminder and a little perspective.

No Jealousy Here

Everyone always asks me how B is doing with his new little sister. When I say that he loves her, they ask the next question. "Is he jealous of her?" I respond with "nope!" He honestly loves his sister. He reads to her, sings to her, signs to and with her, hugs her, kisses her, changes her diapers, changes her clothes, holds her, covers her up with the blanket, and well....throws her paci at her if she doesn't take it the first time or keeps spitting it out.

I'm not for sure if this jealousy will come later or not. I really hope not. I am glad that he cares so much for her. I'd love nothing more for them to be friends. Of course, that's after they grow up arguing with each other daily. Hey---I have a brother. I know how this works! Sorry, J, but I think you'd agree with me since we because the bestest of friends in high school. I hope that our kids have the same kind of friendship and bond that I have with my little brother. There's nothing like it.

The picture above is of B reading to his sis. She likes to hear his voice.

Stunning

Normally while I am at the beach, I like to grab my Bible early in the morning and go sit outside and watch the sunrise. There is just something so beautiful and peaceful about watching the sun set and rise over the ocean and the mountains. Hearing the waves makes me focus for some reason and I just can't help but pray. I tend to think about things and people other than myself while I am looking out at the vast ocean. For example, at the other end of this ocean is another country where people aren't necessarily able to worship freely. Another frequent thought is amazement that God would even think to make something so beautiful. Then usually comes the thought of how much God is an artist. I start to look at the sky as a portrait and the beautiful clouds that look like they were painted on. Then I start thinking about all of the people walking the beaches and how most of them don't have a relationship with Jesus, which leads me to the prayers. I love the things God chooses to show me while I look out at the ocean. I love the thoughts that I think and the insights I tend to get. In fact, I simply love just being still. It's probably the only time that it's easy for me to sit in one place and focus.

What do you think about when you see this? What thoughts come into your head as you stare out into the vast ocean and the endless beach?

Just a Glimpse of Our Summer

Nothing more Precious

There is nothing more precious than seeing your husband loving his role as a father. I'm going to take this post to brag about my husband, so if that's too much for you, go ahead and skip reading this.

Daddy T is a wonderful husband, but a great father. He adores his two kiddos and is so laid back with them. (Just so you know, he's WAY more laid back than me which can stress me out a bit!) He is more patient with them and loves nothing more than to come home and grab his son and wrestle with him or run through the house with him. Of course, he also loves his early morning and late night cuddle sessions with his little girl, too.

I love when he admits to his children that he was wrong in getting upset with them...well, him. I love how he meets us for lunch and offers to take them for his lunch break so I can go work for an hour. I love that he goes into work late just so he can see his kids in their more pleasant part of the day. I also love catching him going into B's room at night and just staring at him. But the most precious words I love hearing besides "I love you" are "I love my kids and am thankful God blessed us with them." What do you think? Is he in love with this little girl who is about 3 weeks in these pictures?

My Little Stud

That's right...I said it. I called my own son a stud. I think that after you take a look at these model pictures, you'll be sure to agree with my assumptions. Yeah, you're right...I may be a bit partial. However, I do think that you will agree that he is cute.

Right before we left for the beach, we decided we'd make one last attempt at sunglasses. The poor boy would sit in the back seat of my car and whine because the sun hurt his eyes. Of course when we attempted to put sunglasses on him, he did what every normal child does and ripped them off. We were pleasantly surprised to see him keep these on. They go everywhere with him. In fact, it doesn't matter if it's sunny or not, indoors or outside. They stay on his face when he desires. And do I argue when he wants to wear them inside to church? Nope! I just smile at the other moms and they give me that knowing look telling me that they, too, understand these weird desires of children.


The more I think about it, the more I long to be young again. Not to go through all of those trials and temptations and awkward moments again. It's so I can simply be myself, not worrying what others will think about me if I choose to wear sunglasses into a public place. Or if I chose to show my excitement for something in a less than quiet way. In fact, I might would do that funky little dance my son does and then jump off any box I could find and yell "yea!" Yeah....to be little again would be so freeing. It's times like this, when I've truly stopped to think about B's development, that I get excited knowing that I'm helping to shape this little boy into the person God wants him to be. How exciting is that?! I pray that he'll always be the boy that doesn't care what others think about him as long as he is doing what God has called him to do. And when he messes up? I'll be there for him to love and encourage him and to wipe off any tears from those precious little cheeks.



I guess you might could say that I'm in love.....with this cute little stud.

100 Prayers God Loves to Hear, 100 Praise Songs

My son seems to really enjoy this book. There are lots of pictures that are bright and he sits completely still while I read this book to him. Mind you, he's 2 so that's a huge accomplishment for any book! He also likes the songs that go with it. He asks me to play it for him whenever we get in the car. The songs are well-written and have biblical messages in them. They coordinate well with the book; however, I haven't had a chance to combine both at the same time. I really like the concept though, and I think it would make a great devotional for older children. In fact, I plan to use this as he gets older for our devotional times.




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Big 2!

Dear Precious B,

Is it true that it has really been 2 years since I gave birth to you, my firstborn son? My the time has flown by. I look back over these past 2 years and I barely remember you as a baby. Oh, I remember holding you in my arms, rocking you, and tearing up when I would think of the day when I would no longer be able to snuggle with you or rock and sing you to sleep. I still long to rock you some days, but you just won't sit still long enough unless you're sick. And believe me, despite you not feeling well, I still cherish those days. They remind me of those long nights when I'd rock you and nurse you....just us.

You are such a delight and we are so thankful God gave you to us. You make us laugh most days! Of course, there are plenty of days that you make me cry out of sheer frustration, too. But I know I make you cry out of frustration, as well. You and your sister are honestly the best thing that has ever been given to your Daddy and me.

You are such a determined little boy. You are quite stubborn and will try to fix anything and everything. You are extremely curious and you enjoy being helpful. You are starting to obey so much more, although you still have your tantrums. However, you tend to do most of them in public. One day your Daddy and I will figure out how to deal with that successfully, though. Watch out! You are the world's best big brother. You have yet to be jealous that we brought home a sister to add to your life. You jumped right in and helped change diapers, give paci's, feed bottles, and give hugs and kisses. You run to give her hugs and kisses first thing in the morning and last thing at night. When you go to visit Pop and Mama, I'm told that you ask about your baby many times throughout the day. That thrills me! I can't get enough of watching you interact with her. I love that you teach her sign language (you watch it on the television, then you sign it, and then you run over and grab your sissy's hands and sign it for her). I also love listening to you read with her at night when you both lay in your crib. My heart just melts.

Your daddy and I were talking the other day about how we never knew that we could ever love someone so much as we do you and your sister. No one could EVER replace you. Your determination is going to get you far and your willingness to be helpful is something that brings me joy. Your strong desire to be clean simply humors me! I love sharing the laundry with you, the unloading of the dishwasher, vacuuming, sweeping, etc. It may take more time, but it's definitely more fun with you.

Two years ago today, our lives changed forever. We added the most precious baby boy into our lives at 4:04 p.m. You were such a good baby and dare I say that you are a pretty good toddler? We both have our days where I think we drive each other crazy, but when the day's over, I usually go back into your room and just stare at you and think about how fast the time has gone. You don't look like a baby anymore, that's for sure. You look like a little minature boy. I guess that's what toddlers are! Someone warned me at your first birthday to take lots of pictures of you and to record your laughs before your 2nd birthday. They said that by your 2nd birthday, you'd change so much and would look like a different person. They were correct! I'm so glad that I have those videos of your beautiful laugh recorded both then and now.

We love you, B. You are so precious to us and we look forward to many more birthday celebrations (although they can take their time in coming)!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Newborn:

First Birthday:

Two years:

Why we need swimming lessons

Extra bananas?

Somehow I always manage to not eat my bananas quick enough before they turn brown. I am the type of person who just can't eat it once it turns brown. I don't know why. I know they are perfectly fine, but I just can't eat it once it is all brown. That means I pretty much have 1-2 days to scarf down those things, which never happens. With this said, I am always looking for recipes that use bananas. I came across this one in the Woman's Day magazine and it's pretty good.

Monkey Bars

Calories: 80

Protein: 1g

Fat: 3g

Fiber: 1g

Carbohydrates: 13g

Active: 10 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

1-2/3 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 5 bananas)

3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup milk

2 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. each backing soda and cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1-3/4 cups white whole-wheat flour

1 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 15 x 10 x 1/2-inch baking pan with nonstick foil (let the foil extend about 2 inches above pan at both ends).

2. Whisk mashed bananas, sugar, oil, milk, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl until mixed thoroughly. Whisk in flour just until blended. Gently stir in 1/2-cup of the mini chocolate chips.

3. Spread batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

4. Holding foil by ends, lift from pan onto a cutting board. Carefully cut lengthwise in 4 strips and then cut each strip in 10; remove foil.