Nothing but pictures...

Raun and I painted our bedroom for Valentine's Day!

Eating beans on his 6-month birthday!

upside down after naptime

Top 10 ways my life has changed...

1. I have yet to watch a movie in full since the day Blake was born. Except for the few times we have taken him to the movie theater with us (which he slept through the entire shows!). I have so many movies that I want to see, but by the time he goes to bed, I know I need to go to bed or I'll pay heavily the next day.

2. No more Saturday sleeping in. Even if Raun is still sleeping, I get up, feed him, play with him, and put him down. However, Raun does help out and change his diapers and washes the messy clothes in the morning.

3. "Running into stores" consists of at least 30 minutes from start to stop. I love when the grandparents come to babysit because I can hit THREE different stores in the 30 minute time frame!

4. Big restaurants are now about to be reserved for special occassions and our date nights. The poor kid just likes to talk and move and neither are very acceptable at nice restaurants...,unless it's lunch:)

5. I love exercising even more! I find myself taking more walks, meeting Julie to walk the greenway, and running just so my muscles can relax. I love weight lifting even more because it's preparing me to carry a much bigger boy! I think that running is almost as good as a massage because it loosens every muscle.

6. 30 minute meals are a must when Raun is not home...as well as Crockpots! Dinner falls in the middle of cranky time, so cooking has to be hurried.

7. My schedule revolves around nap time. Not my nap time (although I wish I could fall asleep as easily in the middle of the day), but Blake's.

8. I don't get as much done around the house anymore, unless the grandparents are here to watch Blake for me. I definitely take advantage of that and use that for cleaning or exercising. Or painting pottery!

9. I see first hand how fast time flies. Honestly, that's why I was scared to have kids because I knew they would constantly remind me of how old I was. I'm 25 and from here on out, my age goes down a year. Happy 24th birthday to me in a few months!:) I don't think 90 is old at all anymore...It's more like a spring chicken just hatched!

10. Doors must be locked when I'm taking a bath so that I will not be interrupted! That's my quiet time and father/son bonding time:)




I feel so blessed that God thought we would be the perfect parents for Blake. Perfect is a relative term because I know we will fail so many times, but I also know that we are praying for God's guidance in our lives and in Blake's little life. How can people not see God when they look at a baby and their entrance into the world? They are so alive in our tummies and it's neat to see in person what they used to do in my belly...like kick ALL THE TIME! No wonder it hurt so much! God begins life from conception...not once the child is born. I just can't imagine the third trimester abortions where it even looks like a human and does human things. It breaks my heart and I can't even look at pictures anymore without crying (not that I could before but it's more personal now). Okay, off my soap box! I'll post some pictures of my growing boy hopefully this weekend. Off to paint our bedroom!

Top 20

I know I say this every month, but I really cannot believe that it has been 6 months since I was giving birth to Blake. He has changed in so many ways and it's almost daily. He's a lot more talkative, rolling around, and is partially able to sit up by himself. He is eating green beans and for the most part likes them. He gets frustrated more because he really, REALLY wants to crawl and his mommy REALLY doesn't want that:) However, it will ease the frustration that he has to get to the toys he wants. I am so blessed to have him and Raun and I can't remember what it was like to not have him in our lives. It seems like he has always been a part of our family.

So...in honor of Blake's 6-month birthday, I thought I would make a list of the Top 20 things that I have learned since being a mommy. Here we go....

1. No matter what, you can never be in a hurry. Somehow they can sense it and they take that moment to poop everywhere or to pee on the wall, which require baths and a change of clothes.

2. Laundry is almost a daily thing. It never fails that at least 3-4 times a week a load is done...unless he's messed up more outfits.

3. Huggies were not made for all kids. We have the worst problem with Huggies diapers. I can guarantee that we will dirty between 2-3 outfits in the course of a day when we are wearing Huggies. Pampers Swaddlers are our favorites and rarely leak unless it's completely full.

4. Gripe water is a mom's best friend. Forget mylicon! This stuff works almost instantly and solves the problem instead of treating the symptoms.

5. I absolutely love snuggling with my baby. He is the best cuddler...and I love it when he smiles with those little dimples and talks to me.

6. My body will never be the same as it was before. That is kind of sad for me because I've never had to battle the belly fat before. I am working out hard and trying to replace it with muscle. My hips, however, will never return to the same size. No one warns you of this!

7. I love my son so much that at times, it hurts. I have such a deep love for him that I'm convinced will never go away, no matter what he does. It's amazing that you can love someone so new like that.

8. I can't rock my son in his room because I start to cry when I look at all of his pictures on the wall that are from his first month of life. I keep thinking about how fast time has gone and how fast it will continue to go. I'm odd...I enjoy every day with him and don't wish for the next day. I think a lot of that has to do with Shannon, but I know that not every day is a given and I want to enjoy the day I've been given.

9. Taking trips are harder. You can't just pick up and go. There actually has to be planning and I'm convinced that a U-Haul would make things easier. It's definitely easier for people to come to your house...where all the toys are!:)

10. Gone are the quiet days in the car. Going from Manchester to home (which is 1 1/2 hours) consists of constant crying...and screaming. I can't even hear the radio. It's definitely stressful and leaves me not taking my car rides on Monday for granted. It's odd to not hear him talking or crying in the back of the car!

11. My house does not remain clean. I don't know how people find the time to keep their house so neat and in order. I feel like I'm hanging on by the skin of my teeth and am having difficulty maintaining order in my house...which stresses me out.

12. Mommies will do anything for their children, even if it is disgusting. I wish those were the moments that our children would remember and be thankful for as they grew older.

13. Babies hate their nails cut and their noses cleaned out. Taking their temperature appears painful, but not so bad. It does involve them pooping on the themometer, which requires a change of clothes and laundry if you forget to put down a diaper beforehand. Learned our lesson on that one!

14. Boys tend to not see the need in doing things that they don't deem necessary...like rolling over constantly even though they have done it since 2 months of age. If Blake doesn't find it necessary to do so, he will just roll on his side and look at you and talk in hopes that you will help the poor boy out.

15. Breastfeeding is hard in the beginning. It takes up so much time, leaves you exhausted, and you hurt so much. However, it gets easier and it is the best thing I have ever done. I am so much closer to Blake and I know that he is getting all of the "good stuff" that will hopefully keep him healthy for a long time. I never thought I would enjoy it so much, but I do. It makes things easier since I don't have to remember to bring anything with me...which is good because I've lost my brain.

16. Speaking of loosing my brain...it's more of my memory. I thought that "mommy brain" was a joke and just an excuse. Not for me! I can't remember anything....unless I step over it. And even then, that's not the case. I hope this gets better. I've been told that it will, but man is it frustrating to forget everything!

17. I can stay up most of the night! I never have been able to, but pregnancy does wonders in preparing your body for those nights. However, I must add to this that it's rare when I've had to do it because I've been blessed with a great baby that sleeps so well.

18. Babies are the happiest with blankets and mirrors. You could sit at the doctor's office for hours in that one little room on that tiny little table because they have both:)

19. When your baby has to have a shot, I think it's worse for the mom than for the baby. I cried when Blake got his first one because it looked awful. I have since had to close my eyes or turn my head because I get tears in my eyes when he looks at me crying. I even cried in the waiting room when a little boy (about 4 or 5) had to get his flu shot. He came out screaming and crying and holding his mommy, but telling her that he was mad at her. The poor mom felt horrible and so did I! I dread the day when Blake thinks I've done this to hurt him.

20. Being a stay-at-home (mostly) mommy is the greatest job I have ever had. It's hard and stressful, but I know that I am getting to do what so many other women wish they could have the opportunity to do. I have so many things that I want to teach Blake...cooking, writing, reading, drawing (guess it will have to be stick figures), signing, playing music, singing, Bible stories, morals, and so much more. On my list of what not to teach him? MATH! Raun has forbid me from teaching him math.

Our schedule

Loves Elmo...especially the eyes!

Blake is now 5 months and 3 weeks....CRAZY! I wish he could stay a little baby forever! I know that each stage will have it's own perks, but I absolutely love his smile when he wakes up from a 11-12 hour slumber or a 2 hour nap:) And yes, I had to throw in those numbers because I'm extremely proud of him for sleeping so long and so good since day 1. I know I may not be as lucky with our next child, but I love the schedule and I really feel that has played a huge part in his sleep and eating habits. He has a routine and there's no guessing as to what is wrong with him when he cries since it's always on cue for feeding or sleeping times. I know there's opposition to this, but this is what works for me and my family the best. Other things may work for other people and I am definitely not one of those people to force my ideas on others or one of those who thinks that my way is the only right way. It's just that for us, it has been wonderful and I plan on using it for all of our children. It also has made it very easy for me when I work for 5 hours on Monday because I know that Julie only needs 1 bottle for that time that I'm gone...not 2 or 3 "just in case he fusses." It also encourages more interaction because he likes that to make him stop crying in between times. Anyway, enough about my schedule. Thank to all of my "schedule people" who have passed down their wisdom to me...including the books!

Blake's Dedication

He loves hair now...and it hurts!

He's sneaky with Aunt Molly!

I've talked in an earlier post about why we got Blake dedicated, so I won't restate what has already been posted. It was so nice to have both of our families there for the event. We know that they will help us teach Blake about Jesus and will be praying for him every single day. I can't wait for his day of salvation! I pray for it every single day, as well as that Raun and I will be the parents that Christ calls us to be. It is so hard in this culture to stand up for our beliefs, but I know it will become even harder throughout the years when we are pressured to parent in ways that we don't feel are the way Christ wants Raun and I to parent. Please pray for us and I thank our family for all of the help you have given Raun and I during these past 5 months. I know that I can always count on you and that Blake will grow up having some of the best grandparents around...just like I do! Family is so incredibly important to me. I feel that they are always the ones you can count on...even if you don't agree with all of them or always feel the same way about things as they do. God put us into these different families with different people and personalities for a reason! There's always something to learn from somebody, I think. Anyway, enough on my thankfulness for our parents and our families. Here are the pictures from two Sunday's ago.

My latest project

As if I don't have enough on my plate already, I have decided to make a baby textured quilt for Blake. I love the different types of textures and I want him to experience all of the new sensory and tactile differences daily, so I figured why not incorporate it into a quilt. Hence, my latest project. I spent the night with my parents one weekend and while they played with Blake I was able to work on my quilt. Mom helped me learn all about the sewing machine that I was to take over, even though I still have lots to learn about it. However, sitting right next to me was her new sewing machine. It took all I had not to do it on there. I mean, while she was sewing something for my friend, Jennifer, she got up and left and it was still doing what it was supposed to do. She was holding Blake, and did it stop? No! I was envious! However, I knew that I wouldn't be inheriting that sewing machine anytime soon, so I had better learn on what is to be mine. I wanted a fun quilt that looked nice, but was functional. I had lots of fun picking out the material for it. It's very fun and it feels so good. In fact, we had an extra square left over so Mom added a back to it and Blake holds it up to his face and rubs it almost every day. The different textures include terry cloth, flannel, and some bubbly soft material. I'm hoping to get it completely finished at the end of the month, but here's a picture of the entire top.

Picture update...written update later!

Dad is supposed to be putting him to sleep...not going so well,huh?

Not a bit sleepy like he is supposed to be.

I love Publix!

My mom laughs at me because I actually get so excited to go grocery shopping now at our new favorite store that saves us lots and lots of money....PUBLIX! They are so great and willing to help us when we need something. And I'll be the first to say that our new store is HUGE! They have absolutely everything and it's only about 3 miles away. Can't get much better than that. They always have such great deals and the staff is always smiling, whether they are having a good day or not. My favorite part, though? That would be the Baby Club that they have. The send you free coupons for nursing pads, diapers, hand sanitizer, baby spoons, baby food, etc. Not to mention their stock up sales! Buy one get one free dishwasher soap? Crazy! Anyway, I've been meaning to post on the importance of Publix in my life. I hope all of you get the same thrill when you walk into Publix as I do. It's so much fun to hit all the sales and see my total sales for two weeks equal what one week at Walmart used to cost!

Pediatrician update

Since I've had so many people ask me about what the pediatrician recommended for our rice cereal troubles, I thought I'd display it for all to see! First off, we have the most wonderful pediatrician. She is very supportive of my shot requests and never tries to push me into something I don't feel comfortable doing, which is great. Raun's mom found her for me by polling the doctors and nurses at Erlanger about which pediatrician was the best. She was right! I can call her anytime and she always calls back within 30 minutes or less. Not that I've done it a lot...only twice. Once to make sure I had done all I could do when he had a cold and then now for his tummy since I won't see her again until February. Okay, so to the recommendation. She told me to take a few weeks off of the cereal and then try it again. If he still has trouble, she told me to go ahead and start making my baby food for him to try. She said it could be the different schedule that he's having trouble adapting to, or it could be just that cereal. So there it is! Now it's nap time since I have a cold and need to get rid of it before Raun goes back to work on Monday!

5 months old!

We have been so blessed the past 3 nights with a baby boy that sleeps almost 11 1/2 hours, waking up around 8:30. We've been really consistent about his naps the past 2 weeks and are trying to maintain a schedule while I'm teaching lessons. However, he does great for his morning nap but doesn't particularly like his afternoon nap. Most of the time he goes down willingly, but the past 2 days has been a challenge. We've been experimenting with his rice cereal because we have found that giving it to him before bed results in night wake ups because of his tummy. So I moved it to lunch time, but he still struggles with an upset tummy. We're not for sure what to do about it because he seems to like eating it. I think I'm going to have to call the pediatrician to see if she can recommend something for me to try. I'm not feeding him baby food for another month, so I'm hoping she can recommend another type of food that is gentler on the stomach. Or maybe this is how all babies react to it. I'm not for sure! He's doing great with eating, though. He's sitting up by himself in the Bumbo and is opening his mouth when the spoon comes close to his mouth. Then he gives you a goofy grin and tries to grab the spoon with his hands. Raun is much cleaner at feeding him than I am. He's going to have to teach me his techniques. He requires a bath every time I feed him because he grabs his bib and puts it in his hair or gets his hand on the spoon, etc.

Blake is going to be dedicated on January 18. This is simply saying that Raun and I will do our best to raise Blake in the way the Lord desires. We don't want him to just know ABOUT God, we want him to KNOW God and to have a personal and deep relationship with Him. We want him to follow Christ and to lead others to Christ. I know that Raun and I will mess up plenty of times as parents, but we are making a public statement asking the church to pray for us, to guide us through his life, and for them to show Blake the importance of Christ. I'm very thankful that we have so much support and that those older and wiser are teaching us, just as Christ calls for. I hope that we continue to adhere to their wisdom and to God's. I just don't like having to learn things the hard way!

I'm beginning to teach my Kindermusik classes next week. I'm teaching the Baby Sign and Sing. I feel that sign language is very important for language development and helps to ease so much of the frustration because of the lack of language. I've already been signing a lot to Blake...pretty much everything I say during play time. I want him to be used to seeing sign, as well as hearing my voice. This class will have about 5 parents with their children all doing sign and playing. I can't wait! It's going to be so much fun to watch these babies learn to sign back so early.

That's it for now...got a crying baby that just woke up from his nap!