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| 10 months old! |
Friday, November 30, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Ten Months Old
Zeke, you are 10 months old today! Here's what you've been up to this past month:
- You signed "more" for the first time on November 4th! It's so wonderful to have a way of communicating with you besides crying! And you seem to really enjoy being understood!
- You are wearing size 3 diapers and mostly 6-9 or 9 month clothes.
- We go to the park pretty regularly now. The last time we went, as we walked up you started screaming (in delight!) and kicking your legs because you were ready to swing :o)
- You are a fast little army crawler! You've started getting up on your knees some, but you can't make yourself move anywhere (darn wood floors!) so you bounce around for awhile and then lay back down and use those strong arms of yours to get to where you want to go. You love chasing after Dora. She seems to enjoy this little game too. She'll move and find a new spot and wait for you to get to her and then move again and watch as you follow her once more. I'm really having to keep an eye on you now because I'll set you down, turn around and do something, and sometimes by the time I turn around again you've made it to another room already! We're getting ready to buy you some baby gates and give you a safe play area so you can move around, but also so Mommy doesn't have to worry about you getting hurt (as much). One of your favorite things right now is when I put you on the floor in the "lobby" and you crawl into your room in front of the radio and turn it louder and louder as you stare into the speaker.
- You weigh about 18 lbs. and are around 28 in. tall.
- You celebrated your first Thanksgiving this past month! We went to Grandma Pam's and saw lots of family and friends. You also got your first virus, so we left a little early because you were so feverish. But even though you were sick, you were still such a sweet baby. You didn't do a lot of fussing and were still very good. You also ate a green onion at Thanksgiving dinner :o) We didn't think you'd like it, but you stuck it right in your mouth and just kept on chewing! Ha ha!
- You seem to be showing many of the "symptoms" of teething. Maybe one will poke through before long. But I'm going to miss your toothless grin that I love so much! I'm glad it's taken so long for your teeth to come in. And our friend said that the longer it takes for teeth to come in, the better teeth they are. So way to go buddy!
- We (Mommy and Zeke) spent our longest time apart this past month, about 7 hours. I went to go visit my cousin and her new baby and you stayed home with Daddy. You did a great job, but I sure was ready to see you when I got home!
- You like to play with handles. You reach for the knobs on your dresser drawers, door handles, the gold door locks, the silver desk handles, and more.
- You think it's fun to share! (I'm quite happy about this!) Daddy or I will hand something to you, then we ask for it back and you hand it back. We say "Thank you!" and then you smile real big and sometimes laugh. We love this game!
Ezekiel, you are such a sweet, charming little boy. We cannot imagine our lives without you. You make us laugh and we are thankful for you. Love, Mommy.
To life... full of Zeke's firsts.
- You signed "more" for the first time on November 4th! It's so wonderful to have a way of communicating with you besides crying! And you seem to really enjoy being understood!
- You are wearing size 3 diapers and mostly 6-9 or 9 month clothes.
- We go to the park pretty regularly now. The last time we went, as we walked up you started screaming (in delight!) and kicking your legs because you were ready to swing :o)
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| Headed to Chick-Fil-A for free breakfast! |
- You celebrated your first Thanksgiving this past month! We went to Grandma Pam's and saw lots of family and friends. You also got your first virus, so we left a little early because you were so feverish. But even though you were sick, you were still such a sweet baby. You didn't do a lot of fussing and were still very good. You also ate a green onion at Thanksgiving dinner :o) We didn't think you'd like it, but you stuck it right in your mouth and just kept on chewing! Ha ha!
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| "I hate this hat! I hate this hat! Take it off!" |
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| Daddy and Zeke out on a cold morning... headed to Chick-Fil-A! |
- You think it's fun to share! (I'm quite happy about this!) Daddy or I will hand something to you, then we ask for it back and you hand it back. We say "Thank you!" and then you smile real big and sometimes laugh. We love this game!
Ezekiel, you are such a sweet, charming little boy. We cannot imagine our lives without you. You make us laugh and we are thankful for you. Love, Mommy.
To life... full of Zeke's firsts.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Happy Thanksgiving!
I have so many things to be thankful for, but I often forget or overlook them when problems arise or obstacles appear in my way. I've seen many people naming something they're thankful for everyday in November on their facebook status; I didn't join in with everyone else, but I am indeed grateful for the many ways the Lord has blessed us and on this day, Thanksgiving, I want to share a few of those things.
My husband. He works so hard to provide for us. He is constantly gracious and patient with me and he makes me want to be a better person.
Ezekiel. My precious baby boy. I love spending my days with him.
A place to live -- we are warm, safe, and dry.
Food and water.
Jeremiah's job.
Clothes and shoes.
My health.
Family.
Friends.
A computer - to stay connected with others and find information quickly.
A Cell Phone so I can talk to my friends and family.
Our car.
Dora. I love having an animal to pet and (occasionally) cuddle.
I know this is just a short list and there are many more things I could list, but more than anything it's just a reminder to be thankful for the things I have.
To life... full of a thankful heart.
My husband. He works so hard to provide for us. He is constantly gracious and patient with me and he makes me want to be a better person.
Ezekiel. My precious baby boy. I love spending my days with him.
A place to live -- we are warm, safe, and dry.
Food and water.
Jeremiah's job.
Clothes and shoes.
My health.
Family.
Friends.
A computer - to stay connected with others and find information quickly.
A Cell Phone so I can talk to my friends and family.
Our car.
Dora. I love having an animal to pet and (occasionally) cuddle.
I know this is just a short list and there are many more things I could list, but more than anything it's just a reminder to be thankful for the things I have.
To life... full of a thankful heart.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Pumpkin Crock-pot Oatmeal
It has been awhile since I've posted a recipe! So here's a quick and easy one.
Once October hits it seems like the perfect time to start making pumpkin everything :o) I found a recipe on Tasty Kitchen for Pumpkin Pie Crockpot Oatmeal. Since Jeremiah can't have *much* dairy, I edited the recipe for our needs, so I'm going to claim it as my own! Hooray! I rarely create my own recipes. But I still have to give credit to Tasty Kitchen for my inspiration.
I bought steel cut oats for the first time a couple of weeks ago because I had seen recipes for overnight oatmeal which I thought would be super convenient since that's pretty much Zeke's and Jeremiah's breakfast every morning. I thought it would be nice to wake up and the house would smell delicious and breakfast would be ready immediately. Here's what I did:
Pumpkin Crock-pot Oatmeal
Rub butter around the inside of your crock-pot. Add 1 cup steel cut oats, 4 cups of water, a scoop of pumpkin puree (maybe 1/2 cup), a couple shakes of cinnamon (~1 1/2 tsp.) and a dash of pumpkin pie spice. Stir ingredients, put on the lid and turn the crock-pot on to low for ~8 hours. Serve with brown sugar and milk (or sans milk for non-dairy folks) and you have a heart-healthy, warm Autumn breakfast!
My first experience with steel cut oats... I wasn't a huge fan. They had a weird texture, but I ate it anyway because I know oatmeal is good for you. I just made another variation last night and liked it better. Recipe to come...
To life... full of tummy-warming breakfasts!
Once October hits it seems like the perfect time to start making pumpkin everything :o) I found a recipe on Tasty Kitchen for Pumpkin Pie Crockpot Oatmeal. Since Jeremiah can't have *much* dairy, I edited the recipe for our needs, so I'm going to claim it as my own! Hooray! I rarely create my own recipes. But I still have to give credit to Tasty Kitchen for my inspiration.
I bought steel cut oats for the first time a couple of weeks ago because I had seen recipes for overnight oatmeal which I thought would be super convenient since that's pretty much Zeke's and Jeremiah's breakfast every morning. I thought it would be nice to wake up and the house would smell delicious and breakfast would be ready immediately. Here's what I did:
Pumpkin Crock-pot Oatmeal
Rub butter around the inside of your crock-pot. Add 1 cup steel cut oats, 4 cups of water, a scoop of pumpkin puree (maybe 1/2 cup), a couple shakes of cinnamon (~1 1/2 tsp.) and a dash of pumpkin pie spice. Stir ingredients, put on the lid and turn the crock-pot on to low for ~8 hours. Serve with brown sugar and milk (or sans milk for non-dairy folks) and you have a heart-healthy, warm Autumn breakfast!
My first experience with steel cut oats... I wasn't a huge fan. They had a weird texture, but I ate it anyway because I know oatmeal is good for you. I just made another variation last night and liked it better. Recipe to come...
To life... full of tummy-warming breakfasts!
Friday, November 9, 2012
Monday, November 5, 2012
Mommy in the Making
Last Saturday I had a breakdown. Like... I was rocking trying to rock Zeke to sleep and he was just staring at me and I realized he wasn't going to sleep and I just started to cry. I stood there and cried. I sat down and I cried. I put him in his swing and stood in the shower and cried. I was able to calm down some and formed a new plan for the rest of the night in my mind, I started by setting Zeke on the bed went to the other room and heard *boom!* as he fell off the bed and hit his head and he cried. Then my sister called me and I cried some more...
Internal dialogue. I have lots of it. Just the other day I realized that it feels like I do have an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. I go back and forth and excruciate myself over details, which way is better, the pros and cons of a decision. I think it stems from my need to be perfect. And it's exhausting. I feel like I need all possible information to make a decision, but in the end it just wears me out because instead of looking within to find a solution that fits me and my situation, I look to others and compare and therefore feel like I'm never measuring up.
Let me get to the crux of why I'm writing this post... I'm a mom now and instead of enjoying myself (not that I haven't) I've taken the fun out of having a baby by my constant comparisons, reading all sorts of books, and not listening to my instincts. I honestly feel like I was doing better until these past couple of months. They have been considerably difficult for me. I have the fear that if I do the wrong thing I'm going to mess Zeke up for the rest of his life. But here's the problem... I can't figure out what the "right" thing is!! Recently I've been doubting my ability to get Zeke to sleep. I feel like I've tried everything: rocking, bouncing, patting, standing and walking, holding him with me on the couch, laying with him on the bed, using his swing, nursing him, leaving him in his crib and walking away, putting him in his crib and sitting on the other side so he can see me... and all the while in the back of my mind is a little voice saying, "Nope you're doing it wrong. If you rock him, he's going to always want to be rocked. If you let him cry, he's going to form attachment issues." I told a friend the other day that sometimes I wish I hadn't read any books because they make me feel like I'm not measuring up. And because I'm not following their advice my child will not develop correctly, will have learning deficiencies, will be a brat, you name it. And all this does is stress me out to the point of breaking and takes all the joy away from having a 9 month old. And to top it off, I add a dollop of guilt because I feel like I can't say anything or ask questions because I feel like people will think I'm complaining and/or I'm ungrateful to have a baby. I'm not! I am so thankful for my sweet wonderful little boy! I know God has truly blessed us with our son. But I do feel alone. Sooo alone! I want to hear the stories from other people that say they were up every 3 hours with their child through the first 2 years of their life. Why? Because if they made it, I know I can too. I want to hear the stories of the moms who nursed their child to sleep because they enjoyed it so much. Why? Because then I don't feel so alone. I want to hear stories from other moms who can't get their children to go to bed before 9 pm or fall asleep holding their child in the rocking chair in the middle of the night or don't take two naps a day even when they're 6 months old. I feel embarrassed to say that I rock my child to sleep every night or that he's not in bed by a certain time every night. And why? Because when I hear other parents talk about doing things differently I always assume what I'm doing is wrong. What if their way is better? What if my way cripples Zeke emotionally? (It is torture being inside this mind of mine!!)
So how do I move beyond this guilt and worry and fear? Slowly. I am an advocate of trusting your Mommy instincts, but recently I haven't been following my own advice. I must choose to do this again. I need to believe that I do know my child better than a book or another parent. I need to remember to rely on God's grace both towards me as an individual but also as a new parent. I want to make being a parent fun again. I also must realize that this will not change what others think of me. There will always be a well-meaning (or sometimes not so well-meaning) parent who says my way is wrong, but I'm going to have to put on my big girls pants and stand up for myself and my decisions. Oooh, there it is. It's hard for me to do that. I always put myself on the back burner and want to please everyone else even if it means that what I think gets lost in the process. There seems to be no better time to make this change then now, so here we go. Another life lesson I am in the process of wrapping my mind around, believing, and carrying out.
To life... full of internal dialogue (it's too quiet without it!) :0)
Internal dialogue. I have lots of it. Just the other day I realized that it feels like I do have an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. I go back and forth and excruciate myself over details, which way is better, the pros and cons of a decision. I think it stems from my need to be perfect. And it's exhausting. I feel like I need all possible information to make a decision, but in the end it just wears me out because instead of looking within to find a solution that fits me and my situation, I look to others and compare and therefore feel like I'm never measuring up.
Let me get to the crux of why I'm writing this post... I'm a mom now and instead of enjoying myself (not that I haven't) I've taken the fun out of having a baby by my constant comparisons, reading all sorts of books, and not listening to my instincts. I honestly feel like I was doing better until these past couple of months. They have been considerably difficult for me. I have the fear that if I do the wrong thing I'm going to mess Zeke up for the rest of his life. But here's the problem... I can't figure out what the "right" thing is!! Recently I've been doubting my ability to get Zeke to sleep. I feel like I've tried everything: rocking, bouncing, patting, standing and walking, holding him with me on the couch, laying with him on the bed, using his swing, nursing him, leaving him in his crib and walking away, putting him in his crib and sitting on the other side so he can see me... and all the while in the back of my mind is a little voice saying, "Nope you're doing it wrong. If you rock him, he's going to always want to be rocked. If you let him cry, he's going to form attachment issues." I told a friend the other day that sometimes I wish I hadn't read any books because they make me feel like I'm not measuring up. And because I'm not following their advice my child will not develop correctly, will have learning deficiencies, will be a brat, you name it. And all this does is stress me out to the point of breaking and takes all the joy away from having a 9 month old. And to top it off, I add a dollop of guilt because I feel like I can't say anything or ask questions because I feel like people will think I'm complaining and/or I'm ungrateful to have a baby. I'm not! I am so thankful for my sweet wonderful little boy! I know God has truly blessed us with our son. But I do feel alone. Sooo alone! I want to hear the stories from other people that say they were up every 3 hours with their child through the first 2 years of their life. Why? Because if they made it, I know I can too. I want to hear the stories of the moms who nursed their child to sleep because they enjoyed it so much. Why? Because then I don't feel so alone. I want to hear stories from other moms who can't get their children to go to bed before 9 pm or fall asleep holding their child in the rocking chair in the middle of the night or don't take two naps a day even when they're 6 months old. I feel embarrassed to say that I rock my child to sleep every night or that he's not in bed by a certain time every night. And why? Because when I hear other parents talk about doing things differently I always assume what I'm doing is wrong. What if their way is better? What if my way cripples Zeke emotionally? (It is torture being inside this mind of mine!!)
So how do I move beyond this guilt and worry and fear? Slowly. I am an advocate of trusting your Mommy instincts, but recently I haven't been following my own advice. I must choose to do this again. I need to believe that I do know my child better than a book or another parent. I need to remember to rely on God's grace both towards me as an individual but also as a new parent. I want to make being a parent fun again. I also must realize that this will not change what others think of me. There will always be a well-meaning (or sometimes not so well-meaning) parent who says my way is wrong, but I'm going to have to put on my big girls pants and stand up for myself and my decisions. Oooh, there it is. It's hard for me to do that. I always put myself on the back burner and want to please everyone else even if it means that what I think gets lost in the process. There seems to be no better time to make this change then now, so here we go. Another life lesson I am in the process of wrapping my mind around, believing, and carrying out.
To life... full of internal dialogue (it's too quiet without it!) :0)
Friday, November 2, 2012
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