Two Months Old!

Zeke, you are two months old today! I can hardly believe it! I love spending time with you so much! At church on Sunday night, we took you to the nursery and I barely made it to the end of the service. I was missing you after only an hour. But, once again, you did a great job. Actually, you didn't even make it to your room because everyone at the front desk took turns holding you until church was over. You are well loved!


- You weigh 10 lbs. 2 oz. and are 21.5 inches long.

- You have been to the church nursery twice.

- You have slept for 7 hours at night, twice.

- You breastfeed approximately every 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

- Your eyes are still a beautiful, dark blue.

- You have started cooing and talking to us much more!

- You have been to the zoo 3 times in the past month, and slept through nearly all of it!

- You are now wearing size 1 diapers. You are mostly in 0-3 or 3 month clothes, but you still wear a few of your newborn clothes (am I going to be one of the those mom's who can let go?!?!).

- You are sleeping much better during the day, partly because I'm being more intentional. You'll sleep in your bouncy seat, on the couch, in your bassinet, or in my arms. We still don't have a true, day to day schedule, but we're working on it!

- Your hands are making their way to your mouth more and more.

- You do well with tummy time. You don't keep your head up for just too long, but you are getting better at moving it from side to side.

- When you lie on your back, you can flip over onto your side (usually the left side), but haven't rolled all the way over yet.

- You definitely respond to Mommy and Daddy's voices. You stare at us when we talk to you and are smiling more and more each day.


- You are starting to enjoy your car seat a little more and held onto the pull-down froggie for a few seconds on Sunday. You thought it was funny.

- You are a social boy. You prefer someone riding in the backseat with you in the car. You seem to like perfect strangers just fine. You don't mind when other people hold you, even if you aren't familiar with them.

- You like it when I play the piano for you. You will lie on your blanket and listen as I play a song or two, but not much longer than that.

- Your hair still rocks! It is soft and there is so much of it! Nearly everyone comments on it when they meet you.

- You will be getting your first round of vaccinations one week from today.

I love spending time with you! It's true! Sometimes I wish you'd wake up from your naps sooner just so I can play with you again. Daddy and I love you so much! We pray that you will come to know the Lord at a young age. We hope you will be a respectful, courageous, adventurous boy! Happy 2 month birthday, Ezekiel!

To life... full of milestones.

MMM: Sleep like a Baby

Recently that phrase meant very little to me. It felt like Zeke was awake SO much and only slept for 4-5 hour spurts at night. I thought it was just something I had to deal with because he's so little and that he'll eventually learn to sleep more. Well, to a certain extent, I still believe that is true. He is still growing and needs to eat at fairly regular intervals. But after a recent visit from a friend, I discovered that maybe there was more I could do to help him sleep better... and in turn, I would get more sleep! She told me she had used the "Babywise" book with her baby and that it worked really well. I have had this book for many months, but I never thought to read it AHEAD of time (please don't ask me why! I honestly don't know)! I figured, well once he's a couple months old then I'll read it because I can't get him into any sort of schedule before then. According to this book, that belief is wrong, wrong, wrong. I dove into the book that very afternoon and figured out the basic points of it and started trying it immediately with Baby Z... and I just couldn't stick with it. I laid him down for a nap, let him cry, and it just hurt my heart. Something about letting him cry to sleep, I just couldn't handle, at least not at 7 weeks old. I read some more and tried it once more for putting him to bed that night, he cried off and on for 45 minutes before I couldn't take it and rocked him to sleep, as usual. Something in this method just did not resound with me. And my pediatrician as well as several other mothers encouraged me to use my common sense and mother's instinct.

So I presented my question onto a group on facebook and the responses I received were such a blessing to me! Other mothers told me their stories of how they get their babies to sleep; the plans that they follow; the books they have read; the methods they have tried. It was such an encouragement! As much as I know that I can't be the only mother wondering how in the world to get my baby to sleep, when you're sitting in a dark room, rocking and rocking your crying baby, you do feel alone. It was just wonderful to get this feedback.

After reading Babywise though, one thing I did take from it, and will continue to implement is the Feed/Play/Sleep method. Zeke had actually fallen into this pattern semi-naturally, so it hasn't been too hard to enforce. But I realized I needed to take a stronger initiative to have him sleep at regular intervals throughout the day. I thought he was just an alert and awake baby, but every night he would be fussy and it would be so hard to get him to fall asleep at night. But just in the past few days I have been more aware of his need for sleep (even if it's only 30 min. at a time) and he is already sleeping more throughout the day AND the night! It's really so cool how once you become aware of something, it's rather obvious. So the past couple days he will wake up, eat, I'll play with him or put him on his tummy mat or in his bouncy seat, then after he's been awake an hour or so, I will try to get him to sleep and nearly every time he does! I'm thankful I learned this now while it's still early and before he became extremely sleep deprived.

Some of the methods/books the mothers gave me were the Ferber method, the shush-pat method, the Baby Whisperer, and what I have just started reading this morning, "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." The ladies suggested to me that I try a method for awhile and then if it's not working, I can move to the next one. So far, this book is making sense and helping me to truly understand how important sleep is for infants, toddlers, and children. And tonight, I'm going to start implementing one of the things I've read about this morning: an earlier bedtime. It says many parents fear that if they put their baby to bed earlier, he'll wake up earlier in the morning (I do); that they'll wake up in the middle of the night more (I do); and that they'll fight going to sleep at such an early time (I do); but Dr. Weissbluth says these problems will actually be CORRECTED by an earlier bedtime. That's good enough for me, I plan to try it immediately!

I'm extremely thankful I have decided to start reading books on sleeping and asking questions while Zeke is still so young. I feel like I haven't missed the boat, but I might have, had I waited just too much longer. Sleep habits can be corrected at just about any time (I think), but it seems to get harder as children age. I'm glad I decided to ask questions now instead of just leaving it up to "chance." Sleep habits need to be intentional in the beginning so that infants, toddlers, and children grow into well-adjusted, alert teens and adults.

**Great sleeping news: Zeke slept from 11:45 pm - 6:50 am last night!**


I have a feeling this topic is one that will be re-visited and evaluated at regular intervals throughout Baby Z's life. Especially as I read more of this book and others. But for today, these are my insights into what I have learned and experienced just in the past 5 days! 5 days? I feel like so much has happened in these past 5 days! But I bring this proudly to you as my baby is napping...

To life... full of teaching my baby to sleep like a baby!

No-Bake Cookies

My Mom came down for a visit the past few days. The main reason was, of course, her grandbaby :o) But her and I spent time together and we made cookies! Well... I got out the recipe and measured out a few of the ingredients... the rest she did. I've made this particular recipe once before and I think I will keep it as my no-bake cookie recipe. They are quite tasty!



This recipe is from the cookbook, 'The Great American Cookie Cookbook'

Fudgey Cocoa No-Bake Treats

2 c. sugar
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter or margarine
1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. Hershey's Cocoa
2/3 c. crunchy peanut butter
3 c. quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 c. chopped peanuts (optional)
2 t. vanilla

1. Place piece of wax paper or foil on tray or cookie sheet. Combine sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa in medium saucepan.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a rolling boil.



3. Remove from heat; cool 1 minute.
4. Add peanut butter, oats, peanuts, if desired, and vanilla; stir to mix well. Quickly drop mixture by heaping teaspoons onto wax paper or foil. Cool completely. Store in cool, dry place. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.


We used creamy pb (because that's all I had on hand) and decided to add in peanuts. We also only used 1 teaspoon of vanilla instead of two. Thirdly, I didn't have quite enough quick-cooking oats, so I used some old fashioned oats as well and I think they tasted just as good with that substitution. These cookies are great, especially for the summer time when you don't want to turn on the oven! One last note, we put them in the freezer to make them last longer. I think I actually almost like them better very cold. For one, they don't melt all over your hand as easy and, two, they don't seem to crumble quite as much. Just my couple of little tips/insights. Hope you have a chance to make them now that the weather is heating up!

To life... full of grandmas and cookies!

MMM: Baby Love

The other night, I was rocking Zeke to sleep and he burped right in my face... and, in all seriousness, I loved the smell. It was almost euphoric. And I thought to myself, how can this be? How can I love such a small, tiny person who cries and burps in my face ... how can I love him SO MUCH? It's almost surreal and my heart sometimes hurts from loving him so much. I had ideas of what motherhood might be like. I knew my life would be changed. I knew it would be difficult. I knew we'd be waking up in the night and not getting enough sleep (some people claim for the rest of your lives!). But yet people do it... we have kids. We raise them and love them and take care of them despite of all the work. How do we do it? Because of this deep, intense love for them. It's really inexplainable... at least at this point I don't think I fully understand it. It just is. A fact. I love my baby boy.


Since I can't give a better explanation, I'm going to list some of the things I love about him.

I love that he spends time in his bouncer, just cooing and being happy. Sometimes it's not just too long, but he's been in there for nearly an hour before! It is so nice to have him awake, happy, and entertaining himself because I can get some things done.

I love when he smiles. Whether he's awake or it's in his sleep, it is one of the sweetest things I've ever seen.

He seems to really enjoy the outdoors. I take him out for walks in the Baby B'Jorn and nearly every time he enjoys it. Sometimes if he's been crying it will calm him down. He likes to look around and I like to believe he's taking in all the sights of his new surroundings.

His poop face. I know, it sounds weird, and, sadly, it's disappearing already. But when he was first born, he made the absolute CUTEST face when he was pooping. I wish I had been able to capture it on camera.

His curly hair. It's not showing up all the time yet, but after his bath he has curls and I am believing that one day they will decide to stay around even when his hair's dry. His hair also has a red tint in some light!

His eyes. They're really starting to focus on my face (and others) now. They are deeply blue and beautiful. I could stare into them for a long time.

He is doing a great job when we go out and about. Nearly every time I'm afraid that the lights will be too bright or it will be too noisy in the restaurant or store, he plumb falls asleep! I'm grateful he seems to adapt to his surroundings so well. He's doing better and better riding in his car seat too!

I love just sitting and rocking him. I love holding him and feeling him snuggle into my neck. Or when his little hands grab onto my neck or stomach. It is such a precious feeling knowing he wants to be near me.


This guy's changing our lives, and I couldn't be happier.

To life... full of sweet baby burps.

Happy Pi Day

Pi(e) Day was Wednesday -- 3.14! My sister was here so we made a Blueberry Cream Pie to celebrate. Really she did all the work, but I have made it once before :o) It turned out great!



I found this recipe from the blog, A Cozy Kitchen.

1 baked pie shell
1/2 c. whipping cream
3 T. sugar, divided
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 t. vanilla extract
2 c. fresh blueberries

In a bowl, beat the whipping cream and 1 T. of sugar until stiff peaks form.

In a larger bowl beat together the rest of the sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla extract. Once everything is well combined and the cream cheese is smooth and creamy, slowly fold in the whipping cream. Once everything is combined gently fold in the blueberries.

Pour the filling into a prepared pie shell and chill for at least an hour to allow the pie to set up.

By the time I finally took a picture, this is all that was left. Enjoy!


To life... full of Blueberry Cream Pie!

MMM: Trip to the Zoo!

We went to the Zoo!


You know they say everything takes longer when you have a kid... it's so true. This morning we decided to head down to the zoo because it was such a nice day... still is! It's beautiful, warm, and sunny! There was a ton of traffic because it's pretty much everyone's Spring Break, so it took a little extra time finding parking and then walking all the way in to the zoo. We finally found a spot to park and I decided to change Zeke's diaper. Opened it up... big mess! He had pooped out the side of his diaper, so I changed his diaper and his clothes. Fortunately we did have an extra onesie in his diaper bag, but had forgotten to put any extra pants in. I also forgot a hat... and baby sunscreen, so we put him in the baby b'jorn and then covered him with a light blanket to keep the sun off his sensitive skin. As we walked inside he fell asleep almost immediately and stayed that way for nearly the whole time we were at the zoo. We didn't stay long because it was crowded and we knew he wouldn't last long. But that's the beauty of a zoo pass, you can go as long or as short as you want because you can go as many times as you want. It was a great morning!


Our first excursion to the zoo was a success. And I hope for many more!


To life... full of beautiful, warm days at the Zoo!

Time to Bake! : Hershey's Chocolate Cake

It's been a while... a loooong while since I've made anything! I mean, you have a baby and *bam!* time goes out the window. Instead of checking out food blogs, you're nursing. Instead of trying out new recipes, you're reading books about reasons babies cry. Instead of cooking food, you're rocking baby to sleep. But you know what's so neat? When people find out you had a baby, they bring you food! We had great meals brought to us for almost 3 weeks! Besides that when our family was here they would make us food AND make extra for us to freeze for easy heat up meals. So for nearly 6 weeks I haven't had to make ANY meals! It's been amazing! I'm not sure what I'm going to do when I go to the fridge and there's not something to just heat up and eat... but I'm sure I'll figure something out. But this Monday, hubby was home and it always makes such a difference in my ability to get things done.

I started off easy on Monday morning... strawberry jell-o!


Then a bit later on while hubby was holding the baby, I endeavored on... Hershey's Chocolate Cake! It's the recipe on the back of the hershey's cocoa container. I had read on other food blogs about it being people's favorite chocolate cake and frosting. It seemed easy and I had all the ingredients (plus, I was in the mood for chocolate) so I went for it.

The recipe...


Melted butter for the frosting...


Mix it up!


I halved the recipe so I would have just enough batter for one 9" round cake pan. When I took it out of the oven, I let it cool a bit and then put it on a wire rack to finish cooling before frosting. The problem came when I flipped it over, part of it went over the edge of the wire rack. It was quite a mess! But, I thought it was cool... when I pieced it back together and frosted it, it ended up looking a little like a heart!


This was a tasty cake! I will definitely make it again. I had made the frosting before for dipping with graham crackers (a weakness of mine), but when combined with the cake, I think it's even better. If you haven't tried it before and are looking for a chocolate cake recipe, I'd recommend this one.

One last thing... just for something fun: when I write up my baking posts from now on, I'm going to try to include at least one picture that has something baby related in it. Can you find the baby item in the pictures above?

To life... full of delicious chocolate cake!