I still have a blog? (Bonus, Pictures)

Today, my bikini wax girl (the one who successfully guessed the sex of my baby before he was born), told me that I look "different," and she didn't want it to "come off the wrong way," but she thought I looked "more polished and mature."

I'm trying not to be too narcissistic as I consider what the difference could be. I've finally settled on the fact that I blew my hair dry AND put makeup on today... usually it's one or the other, but hardly ever both... even before I had a kid, and much less now that I do, and that he doesn't sit still!

So. Happy New Year's Eve!

I make resolutions all year long, so they really lose their value at the dawn of the new year. They also lose their value because "resolved" in my book really means "I might give it a day or two..." That might also be because my resolutions are typically near impossible... only keepable by a perfect person - something which I am not!

So, I think I'll keep it simple in 2011. As far as resolutions go, I will focus on replacing negative thoughts, grumbles, and complaints with praise, thanksgiving, and God-glorifying thoughts... which are really the only things fit for someone, like myself, who has been loved and saved by Jesus. Really, you can only think and say one thing at a time, so if I "busy" my mind and mouth with thoughts and praises about God and his glory, there will be no time for thinking or talking about... what I fear, what I don't have, what went wrong today, etc.

And because who knows when my next post will be, I'll include some pictures of the REAL reason you are all reading this blog anyway!!

Henry has a total of 11 aunts and uncles if we include spouses, and at Matt's parent's house, he is like their TOY. They loved letting him crawl around on the pool table. I had to leave because I was so mom-ish about him falling off.

He is quite the pianist. Isn't Maddie cute?

The kid hardly napped at all over Christmas... which is probably why he is sick and not sleeping well this week.

Christmas morning, opening his presents.

Nocturnal

I've had trouble falling asleep the last few nights. It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that I frequently take a morning nap with Henry... and sometimes an afternoon nap with him too. No, it definitely has nothing to do with that.

Sooo...

People are always asking me if Henry is a boy or a girl. About 50% of the time, people know he's a boy. Then 45% of the time they ask me to be certain. And 5% of the time, they straight up call him a "she" or a "her." I guess it's okay. He's pretty. And some of his clothes could be considered unisex, I suppose. He also squeals like a girl. BTW, before his surgery, everyone knew he was a boy. The shape of his head made him look like a little old man. Or if you are my brother, it made him look like an alien. Whatev- we always thought he was cute. That's what parents are for.

Anyway...

I'm crazy, here's why...

Matt and I were doing some health-insurance research... so I ended up on my OBGYN's website looking for a number. But I browsed around a little, and noticed that my doctor's info page had changed... it no longer mentioned his nurse (who was my FAVORITE nurse)... so I started to get nervous that she's not there anymore! (Don't worry, I didn't take action...) However, this, coupled with my fear that my OB is going to retire before I have my next baby, may prove that I'm a little obsessed and/or attached to my doc and his nurse. It's admittedly weird. Maybe it's not completely uncommon? I don't know.

In case you haven't noticed...

I LOVE THE ELLIPSIS! (The dot-dot-dot.)

The end.

It's tough being a little guy.

Henry had a rough day today.

First, he fell off mom and dad's bed.

Then, while riding in his stroller, mommy side-swiped his arm against an extra large cement flower pot at The Domain. Ouchie!

Then, he got his picture taken with Santa...


Then, once he thought he was safe in his own home, he face planted into the tile floor.

Hard day.

how to spice up your marriage

Just throw on your hubby's size XL cotton pajama pants and his size XL high school basketball t-shirt. Add a ponytail. And smile. Saucy!

But man was I comfy!!!

9 Month Checkup (AKA Boring Mom Post)

Here's Henry's 9 month stats.

• His head is still huge. We're not sure if it's supposed to eventually be a normal size, but it's still technically off the charts in terms of size. We're going to check into this to see what's "supposed" to happen.
• Henry has LOST weight since about 3-4 weeks ago. Doctor is not concerned because he said that it happens when they start crawling. So he was 23lbs 3 oz, and now he's 22lbs 7 oz, which is 80th percentile. I, being the informed parent that I am, read also that this is pretty normal. He was always 90th % before - I guess he's thinning out like his dad.
  
• He is still REALLY long. 30 inches = 90th percentile.

Stuff he's doing.

• SLEEPING A LOT, and not crying when we put him in his crib!!! I'm telling you, it's amazing. I totally recommend Ferber.
• Sucking out of a straw. (Crossing my fingers) As of tonight, Henry picked up his sippy cup on his own, and sucked down his watery apple juice... all on his own. Breakthrough! I can see light at the end of this nursing tunnel! He also takes juice out of a bottle, but he has to be desperate to take formula out of a bottle... but he will do it.
  
• Cruising a little. He can definitely cruise in his crib, and he does it a little outside his crib too.
• He mimics our sounds. He says dada, mama, baba. And we both think he says "hah" (which is supposed to be hi) and "buh" (which is supposed to be BOO like peek a boo).
• He plays peek a boo, which is hilarious. He waves hi and bye... sometimes with two hands at a time, which is funny. (I think he is confused because I was trying to teach him how to clap, and ever since then he started waving with both hands.)
• He is a wiggle worm and will NOT sit still when I change that diaper.
  
• If we sing songs that his dino sings, he will look at his dino. If we sing songs that his "Pal, Scout" sings, he will look for Scout. Also, he bounces/dances to the songs, which of course is awesome.
• Sometimes when he is tired and we keep him from doing stuff he wants to do like crawl into the trash can or pull things out of the refrigerator, he starts to get fussy and throw a miniature fit, but if you just make eye-contact with him and smile, he will smile at you as he continues to throw the fit. Hard to explain, but it is also really funny.
• He makes the MOST AWESOME faces anytime he tries any new food. Now that I think about it, I'm going to have to get these last two bullet points in action on camera. Warning: another boring mom post to follow.

Two pictures:

This is only a halfway version of the face he normally makes when we feed him new foods.

This is what Henry normally does when I hand him his bottle. He pours it all over himself. He thinks it's great.

excuses, excuses plus BONUS: a quote I do like

There's two types of people in this world. 1-Those who do what they have to do, no matter how much they hate it and no matter what's standing in their way. And 2- Those who don't do what they "have" to do because they don't really want to, but they hide behind the fact that they don't really want to by pretending that they do want to but have 1,000,000 excuses as to why they can't.

In the core of my being, I'm an excuse maker. I can't deny it. Basically, in order for me to operate, I'd have to live in a perfect environment and everything would always have to be perfect.

Now most regular readers out there should know that I typically take myself too seriously and am unrealistically hard on myself and typically exaggerate what's negative about myself and I am also introspective to a fault...yada yada yada. So keep that in mind.

That being said. I'm an excuse maker. When it comes right down to it, I really don't want to go workout. I really don't want to get out of my comfort zone and ask some random person to hang out with me and be my friend. To be honest, I really don't want to do much... I mean, I'm not naturally an achiever. I could probably benefit from those motivational quotes I hate so much. :)

However, I've lived long enough to know that some of these things that people like me just don't want to do... well, they have a snowball effect. Meaning, if I workout when I don't want to, then I will eventually want to more. Or, back in the real estate days... if I make a sale, I am more motivated to keep at it and go make another. Or, the more outgoing and extroverted I am... the more I will want to meet new people and be around people.

The truth is, there will ALWAYS be an excuse to not do what I should (I hate the word should) do - and many more since that bebe came along. Like I said, the real issue is that I just plain don't want to do it, and my excuses are the way I justify myself. So, no more excuses. Really, if I don't want to do something, it would be better to just own up to it and say, "cause I don't want to" (which is totally stubborn), than to deceive myself with 1000 excuses about why I "can't" (which is still stubborn). When it comes down to it, people do what they want to do.

Wow, that was really insightful! Just call me Dr. Laura.

Now, while we're on the subject. I remembered an inspirational quote that I heard from Jillian Michaels while I was watching The Biggest Loser a few seasons ago. (I'm not a total hater.) She said, "Trying is planning to fail." I like that one.

I think this problem also has a spiritual aspect to it. What excuses do I make for not doing what I am clearly called to do in the Bible? (Read: Not just what I want to do, but what Scripture says I must do.) The Bible says, "With God, all things are possible." So these things that God calls me to, He can accomplish, but am I letting Him? Or am I doing what I want to do and making my own excuses? It's a heart issue. Sometimes we even use his grace as an excuse to NOT do what he's asked of us. Maybe if we (Christians) got really honest with God about the truth of our own heart's stubbornness, we'd receive the grace to do what He asks of us. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (not to the perfect, to the humble). And my own butt just got kicked.

Love!

a not so shallow thought

We got Henry this dinosaur toy that doubles as a push toy and a toy that he can roll on. Anyway, it's really funny and sings cheesy dino songs to the tunes of other cheesy songs.

(For example, "I'm riding on my friendly dinosaur, oh what fun, just listen to him roar. I'm learning how to walk, and stroll, and ride, with my friend right by my side!" To the tune of, "I'm picking up a baby bumblebee, won't my mommy be so proud of me?")

Henry LOVES it! If we start singing the songs, he will look for his dinosaur. And if we sit him on the top of it, he just looks like he's having the time of his life. Plus he squeals and stuff.

I didn't realize till today how much enjoyment I get just from watching him enjoy his dinosaur. And how God must be the same way with the gifts that he gives us. Surely he is pleased to watch us simply enjoy his creation and his gifts to us.

Love, Love, Love

Words just cannot express how much I love this little man.  He brings so much joy to my days, even when I don't sleep as much as I think I need or don't feel like I am accomplishing anything!  He will be 9 months on Friday!  I just can't believe it. :)  There is a video of him crawling at the bottom.  Enjoy.

This is how Henry has been falling asleep since we've started to let him cry it out.  He is always sitting, and usually his head is up against the side of the crib.

About to mess up the laundry!

He is just so sweet!

Success

I tried to get creative and start this post with a motivational quote about success, but I started gagging within seconds of seeing my search results, so I gave up. Failure! There's some motivation for ya...

Sleep update
Let me get sleeping update out of the way first. (I figured it is my duty to update you on our sleep process, since I already opened that door.) We "ferberized" Henry for both naps yesterday and for bedtime last night. The result was that he "missed" his naps (because they tell you not to let him cry for longer than 30 minutes at nap time), but eventually fell asleep in the car.

At bedtime, he fell asleep after 40 minutes of on and off crying. Not too shabby, my friends. Then, when he woke up at 2:30, it only took about 40 more minutes for him to fall asleep again, but he was hardly crying at all.

The book, however, didn't tell us what to do if he fell asleep in a really weird position. The first time he fell asleep, he was actually in a sitting up position, hinged at the waist with his head on the mattress.

Get the picture?

So obviously, we thought he looked uncomfortable and went ahead and moved him onto his tummy. Then, when he fell back asleep after waking in the middle of the night, he was in the same position, except this time his head was leaning against the crib, and his arms were hanging outside the crib. So again, I went back to move him to a more normal position. This time he woke up (oops), but when he fell asleep again in about 10 more minutes, he fell asleep the exact same way... so I left him. He eventually moved to his tummy, but managed to keep one arm outside the crib. I think I can live with that.

Let's just celebrate that I got eight hours of sleep last night and Henry fell asleep on his own!

Blog Background
I have a really, really, really sweet... TOOTH. I also love jelly beans. Hence, the new, temporary background. I'm ready for a Gibbizarre makeover, but since I don't really have any favorite family photos, and I haven't really had the time, I decided to change it up temporarily.

The first two or three weeks after Henry was first born, I ate so many bags of jelly beans. I would just sit on the couch and nurse him and eat jelly beans. Those two weeks felt like a lifetime when they were happening, but now it seems like they were so short. *Insert motivational quote about making the most of your time.

While we are on the blog topic, can I just say that I haven't updated the side column, where it says "blogs we follow" in a REALLY long time? So, if yours isn't there, that's probably why. That or I don't know about your blog, or there is some technical problem that I am not savvy enough to fix. "Savvy." What a great word.


Half Marathon & Working Out Update
So, my half-marathon training was non-existent for a while, but now it is semi-existent. I have run a few halfs in the past, so I know that I can do it, but I do want to be better about the training. I ran 6 miles twice last weekend, so if I can get a few more longer runs (like 8 miles-ish) in and be a little more consistent about the short runs, then I think I'll be good to go.

I did have to kick myself in the butt a few weeks back (and I'm sure I'll have to do it again) because I was being sort of complainy and whiny about being tired all the time (my excuse for not training and not working out). So I just got online and read some motivational quotes and all was well... okay, obviously not. This isn't the time or place to go into detail, but perhaps I will share more about my butt-kicking in a future post.

Now, for those of you who are left, to what I should be doing instead of writing this post right now. *Insert inspirational quote about not procrastinating.

Get excited because I just learned about this site, http://hundredpushups.com. The gist of the website is that it gives you a plan so that you by the end of six weeks you can do 100 consecutive push-ups. I'm taking the challenge!!!!!! I haven't started yet (except for the initial test, which I am not revealing my results), but I am going to start today! Let me know if you want to join.

Also, if you're a runner, JoAnna, introduced me to http://www.dailymile.com, which is a great way to log your training and get motivation (from people, not quotes). I haven't logged ANY of my miles (and actually am locked out for forgetting my password), but I PLAN to. :) I like the idea of this website!

I'm finished with this post. The end.

Pull through, Dr. Ferber

Disclaimer: boring mom post.  Skip if you don't care.

You may remember back in March or April when the little guy was about 6 or 8 weeks old we were doing some sleep training, and I was blogging while I listened to him cry it out.  Well, in the last couple of months we have regressed, and we're back...

Yesterday, in desperation, I went out and bought Dr. Ferber's book "Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems." (Excuse me, I know that should be underlined.)  Then, after a long night of NOT SLEEPING, in desperation, I have started the "progressive waiting" method for nap time.  To those who have never read Ferber's book, it's really not as cruel as I originally thought.  And it's much easier to read than some of the other books that were recommended to me.  Just saying.

Anyway, I have learned that it is common for a child between around 6-9 months of age to start waking up in the middle of the night again because they are more aware of their surroundings.  This book's goal is to get the little one to learn to fall asleep on his own, without mommy and daddy's help. No rocking, no nursing.

*Note, learn from my mistake - do it right the first time.  We were cheating and putting our kid in his crib after he had already fallen asleep.  This works for a few months, but it stops working.  When it's a little two or three month old, it's hard to put them in their crib awake because you don't want to hear them cry.  HOWEVER, it doesn't get any easier to listen to your kid cry, and the older they get, they will just get louder and last longer.

I nannied a few kids in my pre-mommy days, and I was pretty darn good at the Ferber method (even though I didn't realize I was doing that).  It's 1000000000 times harder with your own kid, even though it works in a matter of days. Yeah, yeah, everybody says that.  It's true! Don't judge!!

Here's to sleep!

New Post, Long Overdue!

Since we last touched base, I have started two different posts on two entirely different topics and haven't finished either of them! I suppose it is highly unlikely I finish this post either.

Did you know that I like to make fun of "inspirational" quotes?

If you've been around awhile, you might have figured as much.

I do not make fun of quotes which I consider to be truly inspirational, but only those which I consider cheesy and not inspirational and/or too cheesy to be inspirational. Therefore it is totally arbitrary. Also, at one point in my life (early high school), I do remember being obsessed with cheesy "inspirational" quotes, so something changed in me, and I am not necessarily sure if I am better or worse for it- just different.

My sister and I have a game where when we come across a "too-cheesy-to-be-inspirational" quote, we post the quote on the other's Facebook wall.

Last time I did this, one of my good friends commented on the post, "Leah, is that you?" Clearly, it is out of character.

So, now you know. I am too cool to be cheesy. Or I think I am too cool. One or the other.

Anyway, I thought I'd give you a few examples (five, to be exact) of my favorite "too-cheesy-to-be-inspirational" quotes. Please don't be offended if you love these quotes or identify with them. I was once a cheeseball, too. Without further ado...

1. "Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching."
2. "Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away."
3. "Don't frown! You never know who's falling in love with your smile!"
4. "Reach for the moon. If you miss, you'll stand among the stars."
5. "To the world you might be just one person, but to one person, you just might be the world."

And my work here is done. Please feel free to share your favorite inspirational or cheesy, non-inspirational quotes with me.

update and recent pictures

My little man is one cute stinker.  I say he's a stinker because... well he is.  Let's just say that before his surgery he was dream baby. After his surgery he is still a dream, but a little more realistic one or something. :)  It's probably a lot to do with his age, but everything- from sleeping to taking a bottle or a pacifier- has just been a little rocky since the surgery.  And I don't really think the surgery is to blame anymore, but maybe that combined with how we dealt with it and combined with his developmental stage has had the effect of turning him into a "realistic dream baby."

Henry was measured and weighed at the doctor this week (bonus, since it wasn't a well check), and he was 23 pounds, 3 ounces and 29.5 inches.  I'm not sure, but I think that means he's still big.  :)  Not going to lie, sometimes I get nervous that he is too fat.

My little crawler!  Did I mention that my floors haven't been this clean since I was nesting?  Still probably not as clean as they should be.

He's pulling up now, too!

I thought I'd post a before/after picture of him on his changing table- one now and one from March... to show how much he's grown!

This was in March... the days when we didn't need to handcuff him to the table in order to change his diaper. 

Goodnight!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

I got the original recipe from cooks.com, but I modified it, and I can pretty much guarantee that my recipe is better (and easier bc it's made w/ self-rising flour).

1-2/3 c. self-rising flour
1 c. sugar
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice (I made my own with 1/4 cup cinnamon and 1 tbsp each of nutmeg, ground cloves, and ginger)
2 lg. eggs

1 15 oz can of plain pumpkin
1/2 c. (1 stick) melted butter
1 1/3 c. chocolate chips (or raisins, dried cranberries, or nothing...)

 

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. In another bowl whisk until well blended: eggs, pumpkin and butter. Stir in almonds and chocolate chips. Pour over dry ingredients and fold in until just moistened. Grease muffin cups or use paper baking cups.

Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes.

Make 1 or 2 days ahead for best flavor. (I didn't do this, but they were still very yummy.)

Makes 12 regular or 48 miniature.

*The original recipe only calls for 1 cup of pumpkin, but if you use a whole can they are much more moist.  Also, you substitute even more pumpkin for some of the butter if you're into healthy... not me.

a deep thought for you- yes!

Before I get started, let me tell you that I just made some Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins that were MONEY! They are so delish... if I was a good blogger, I'd post a picture and the recipe.

Next, I shouldn't be blogging right now, and here's why. After little H goes to sleep is when I should be doing the following: cleaning my house, taking a shower and blow-drying my hair, folding laundry, returning e-mails, planning for the next day, spending time with the Lord, etc. These things just do not get done efficiently or sometimes at all during the day, especially when he's awake.

But, unfortunately, after he goes to sleep, the only thing I really feel like doing is plopping down on the couch and eating ice cream and bon bons... and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. And this I have done many a night... When I do that, the next day never seems to go as smoothly as I'd like.

Anyway, I had a deep thought I'd like to share. Matt and I used to watch The Biggest Loser, but we don't anymore because of the aforementioned. Anyway, we did notice a common theme, though, in the amount of time we watched it. So many of the people there, especially women, said that they had gotten overweight because they had spent so much time over so many years putting other people first. Now, they said, it was time to put themselves first again.

Matt never understood this, and I sort of understood it, but I never liked the way it sounded. It sounded like what they were saying was that they became overweight because they had been so unselfish, putting others first, etc. That just didn't sit right with us because we believe that we are called to consider other people as more important than ourselves, and at the same time, we don't think that must equate to neglecting to take care of yourself.

Well, now that I am a mom, I have a new perspective about this. I can see how some of those people might get that way. It is very hard for me to leave Henry at the gym and go workout. It is hard for me to leave Henry at home with Matt sometimes and go take care of my own business, whether that is working out, studying my Bible, spending time with friends, etc. Why is it hard? Well, I might be oversimplifying when I say this, but I feel like Henry needs me, like I am being selfish if I spend too much time away from him and Matt, even when doing so would benefit ALL of us.

But here's what I am getting at... it actually isn't selfish to leave Henry with a caretaker while I go workout. It isn't selfish to leave him and Matt together for awhile so I can go read my Bible at Starbucks. My tendency is to overestimate how much Henry needs me. I wrongly consider myself to be the one who needs to meet all of Henry's needs all the time, and so in a way, I am considering myself to be indispensable. (And I know from my limited time in the business world - no one is indispensable.) This attitude can look very unselfish, but I think it's pretty prideful.

Now clearly, God has made me Henry's mom, and no one else could be Henry's mom, and it's an important role with serious weight. HOWEVER, if my view of myself and my role is such that I begin to think that by neglecting my own needs (hear me, needs - ie physical, spiritual, emotional health), I can be a better mom- then I think I have overestimated my value and underestimated what others can do for him, and what God can do for him.

And that my friends, is what I believe that many of those Biggest Loser contestants have done. They really do need to take the time to care for their own needs, but not because they have been so incredibly unselfish. Maybe more because they have overestimated their role in the lives of their children, spouses, friends, etc. Lest I appear to lack compassion (who me?), I will say that this opinion has been primarily formed out of my own experience, and everyone is different...

There are a lot of implications to this. One of them is that when I drop that sweet baby off at childcare to workout and feel a sense of guilt or sadness (which I think is normal), I mostly just need to trust that God cares for him and is with him, and that I am not God, and therefore I am not indispensable.

The end.

I have 9 minutes to write this post

Here are some random things I feel like sharing with you.

I am a different person than I once was.  I remember at one point in my life, I would flip out if I stood a small chance of being late ANYWHERE.  Until college, I arrived everywhere 10 minutes early...  during college, I began the downward spiral of arriving closer to "on time" (aka, 5 minutes early)... and then after I was married, I started getting places on time, like actually on time... and now... well, let's just say our church starts at 9:00 AM, and this morning we left at 9:05 AM.

How many coffee shops have creatively weaved the name "JOE" into their name?  Why do people call coffee a "cup of Joe" anyway? 

Today at church, when I was dropping Henry off in the nursery, the girl who was working in his classroom said, "Oh, I remember seeing you in the Old Testament class last year when you were pregnant!"  And I said, "Oh really, that's funny... I guess pregnant people sort of stick out... literally."  She didn't laugh, but Matt went ahead and commented on how funny my joke was - but he was being sarcastic.  But I thought it was pretty funny.

Also, because of schedule and inconvenience and a lot of other excuses that really equate to bad planning on my part - I almost always drop Henry off at childcare places when he is both tired and hungry... as you might imagine, this doesn't go over well.  He usually cries.

It's NOON, and we are supposed to be meeting our friends for lunch at 12:15 at a place that is approx 11 minutes away, and Henry is asleep and I am not ready to go.  See first paragraph.

Oh, yes, update - Henry started crawling on Tuesday.  It was soooo fun to watch.  It's like he woke up, and all of the sudden he knew how to crawl - the right way, too... opposite arm and leg... you know whatev.  Well, it's time to go, but I will tell you one more thing.

I want to share more fun, deeper, real things that are really going on in my life, but I just barely have the time to share the surfacey things, and I haven't learned to deal with this.

That's the end of this post.  Leave me a comment or something.

Also, I didn't sleep very much last night - this might be obvious.

Love,
Leah

No more pumpkin patches, mom!

No caption needed- the picture says it all.

Three Things

1.  I just made a pumpkin coffee cake.  Except I used a plain coffee cake recipe and just added canned pumpkin to it.  Major, MAJOR fail - even with the yummy streusel topping.

2.  I was testing the cry it out method for naptime while making said coffee cake.  I went back to calm the little guy down, and he was STANDING in his crib.  (That was definitely a first for him.)  He is really tall, so his entire head was above the handlebar!  (Note, my decision to put the crib bed at the lowest setting was a good one.)  I was so excited about his accomplishment that I took him out of his crib and nursed him to sleep.  I officially stink at the Ferber method.

3.  We had Henry's 2 month post-surgery follow up appointment today!  But the exciting part about this is that he was very hungry and tired on the way home = perfect time to sneak in a bottle.  He sucked down three consecutive ounces from a bottle.  Eventually he refused it again, but this gave me a glimmer of hope.

Reward!!!

I'm offering a reward (substantial reward) to the first person who can get my big 8 month old (as of today, that is) to start taking a bottle again!  He's getting that second pair of teeth, and I got BIT tonight.  (I think we both were on the verge of crying - me because of the pain, him because of my outcry.)

Also, I'm starting to fear that he'll still be pointing at my chest and drooling when he gets to kindergarten... okay, not really, but maybe.

Last night I felt as though I had won a small battle because we got him to take about half an ounce of apple juice while he was falling asleep in his carseat.  Today? No such luck.

He is the sweetest though.

8 month update:

• He can officially scoot/army crawl forward across the room.  However, there is not much motivating him to do that.
• He's been waving bye bye a lot.
• He's REALLY long.  He wears 12 month clothes.
• He loves sitting in the cart at Target.
• He loves going running in the BOB.
• He bounces/dances to music = so fun!

Here's a couple of pictures. Later. 

long time no post

Because my brain cannot function enough to create a post with much elaboration (or compound sentences), I will just share some news. You're welcome.

1. Matt dressed Henry today. Then Matt dressed himself. Matt and Henry were matching today. Odd.

2. I made two batches of rice krispies treats this week. I ate a lot of them.

3. The lady at the drive-thru Starbucks gave me my coffee for free today for no reason.

4. Henry can scoot across a distance to get things now. When can I consider it crawling? Not sure.

5. Next week we have Henry's 2 month post surgery follow up appointment.

6. I have a perpetual backache. Henry weighs 22 pounds. That explains that.

7. Matt just told me that the barista gave me my coffee for free so that I would feel special enough to come back.

8. I am falling asleep. This can't be good.

9. I actually get free drinks at Starbucks a lot.

10. I feel like the NBC shows are getting raunchy. I am losing interest.

11. I am going through a study on the book of Genesis. I like it a lot.

12. Two people at work asked Matt if I was pregnant today. I am not pregnant.

13. Henry's gonna be a pumpkin for Halloween.

14. Airplanes fly over our house on their way into town. They are really loud. They scare me. I don't like them at all.

15. One goal in my life is that the nurse at the pediatrician's office would not remember my name. I might call a lot.

16. This post is going downhill fast. Must. Stop. Now.

Henry's Thumb

So here is something unique to Henry.  He likes to feel things with his thumb.  It's really strange and funny to watch.  I found these two pictures of him with his thumb against the side of his face... the first was all the way back in July, the second in September... so he's been doing it awhile!  He also pushes the buttons on his exersaucer with his thumb, and every now and then he will put his thumb on my face the same way he has it on his face in these two pictures. Such a silly kiddo!

Awesome, Short and Sweet, Humiliating Running Story

So, as you know, I have started to run again. At this point, I am not really going for speed, just trying to complete the distances without walking.

Well last weekend, I took a huge stride (no pun intended... wait, no... it was intended). Matt's whole family was running in the Austin Marathon Relay, which is 26.2 miles divided by five people. I ran the 10K, which is 6.2 miles. Woo hoo! Okay, but that's not really part of the story.

For running the race, I got a t-shirt. The back of this very special t-shirt says, "How does my dust taste?" Trash talk, obviously. So I guess if you wear the shirt in public, you should be going sort of fast. Which brings us to... this afternoon.

Matt and I went running on town lake this afternoon, and I was sporting the aforementioned t-shirt, forgetting what it said on the back. The agreement with me and Matt is always that I get to set the pace because I am out of shape and there is no way I could keep up with him. So, I was running in front, and Matt was pushing Henry behind me.

Five minutes into our run, Matt asks if we are going to speed up. Then he lovingly tells me that my body looks "stiff like a 40-year old." I kid you not. (In my defense, I was WARMING UP. In Matt's defense, I felt about as stiff as a 40 year old. Back to defending myself... we ended at a much faster pace, I promise.)

Well, about five minutes after Matt compared me to a stiff 40-year old, this group of high school cross-country runners was coming up behind us, about to pass us, when one of them sarcastically read the back of my shirt out loud, "How does my dust taste?" That was about two seconds before he passed me.

So needless to say, I was feeling pretty awesome about myself. No, really... I really don't care. I thought it was funny. Don't feel sorry for me. Okay? Okay, good.

The end. Much love.

I should be doing laundry!

Okay, so he has not made ANY progress going forward... just goes backwards a whole lot faster now. Here are some pictures from this week!

Henry scooted backwards... halfway under the coffee table!

Look at that sweet smile!  He wears a bib at all times because of the massive amounts of drool he produces.

Eating my exersaucer.  Mmm yummy!

This last video is to show you how much this kid bounces when he gets in his exersaucer!  It is hilarious. You can get the idea w/ in the first couple of seconds, don't have to watch the whole time! :)

My BIG 7 Month Old!

Henry turned 7 months yesterday! I cannot even believe it.  Here's a little update on my sweet fella!

• Today for the first time, Henry lunged FORWARD when he tried to crawl!  He still moves backwards most of the time, but he is getting a lot stronger!  He gets up on all fours and rocks now, so I think it will be a week or two before he is actually crawling! 
• Henry says "Baba," "dada," "gaga," "mmm," and a whole bunch of other babbling noises.
• He laughs and grunts!  In fact, he is a social laugh-er.  If we laugh, then he laughs with us, even though he obviously doesn't know why we are laughing most of the time!
• He still has the sweetest temperament and disposition.  Even when he is extremely tired and/or hungry (not that we'd ever let him get that way ;)), he rarely fusses.
• The post surgery separation anxiety is gone for now, thank goodness, but we are still working on re-taking the bottle! And the post surgery mid-night wakings are also gone.
• People still ALWAYS make comments about those big blue eyes!  Matt gets compliments about his eyes on a regular basis, so I guess Henry will be getting those comments for the rest of his life, too!
• Our guess is that he weighs about 20.5 lbs.
• He got his two bottom teeth right after his surgery, and I think he might be getting his top ones, but he never lets me look in his mouth, so it's hard to tell! :)

I just woke up!

Hangin' with my panda!

Being a full-time mommy is hard work, but I am so thankful that I am able to stay with him and see all of his "firsts."  I wouldn't trade it for anything! 

He loves us!

Not often that I post song lyrics.

This David Crowder song is one that I didn't just LOVE right off the bat, but as I have thought more and more about the truth of the words, my heart is filled...

Do you believe that God loves you and wants good things for you?!

The song is called 'How He Loves.' And the lyrics you've been waiting for:

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

 The end.

May as well leave you with one of my most treasured verses in the Bible.  Romans 5:8- "God showed his own love for us in this, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

God is not holding out on you, friends.  Oh how He loves you!

been busy...

You'd think a stay at home mom would have ALL the time in the world to write blog posts, wouldn't you? I mean, what could you possibly be doing all day long with a baby that doesn't even crawl yet?

I know, it sounds lame, but when your child poops 10 times a day (I kid you not.), eats 6 times a day (and still has not resumed taking a bottle or sippy cup and two of those times you are spoon feeding him pureed fruits and veggies that take a gazillion years to finish), the days can get pretty busy. Not to mention, I usually get stir crazy after about 2-3 hours at home, so we have to run a lot of very important errands during the day.

Before stay at home mom life was a reality for me, I envisioned my child playing happily with his toys while I'd sit by his side and read a book or blog or write in a journal or something deep like that. I pictured him taking a morning nap for 3 hours and an afternoon nap for 3 hours. Plenty of time for me to clean the house and keep up with laundry... and probably extra time to take up a new hobby! And surely, I'd have plenty of energy to wake up earlier than him in order to prepare mentally, emotionally, spiritually for the day ahead- while drinking coffee and watching the sunrise. Surely this would be possible! Only the beginning of my totally unrealistic expectations.

Needless to say, my life is not so...

So, because I feel more brain dead than anything else by the end of the day, here are some thoughts I'd like to share - no rhyme or reason to this post at all.

1. As previously mentioned, I change a lot of diapers. When he was first allowed to eat "solid" foods, which basically means thicker liquids, I bought him infant fortified OATMEAL cereal instead of RICE because I heard that rice could make babies get constipated. I hate to admit this, but this week, I was so tired of changing dirty diapers that I went back out and bought the rice cereal in hopes that he would get a little constipated. Constipation would be nice for a change!

2. Matt and I started training for a half marathon. And by started, I mean that today was the first official day of training. To be quite honest, I don't know how this thing is going to get done apart from Matt forcing me to go running with him... and he pushes H in the jogger, so no childcare is necessary. I am doing this for two reasons, one being mental health. (Not that being a stay at home mom doesn't do wonders for mental health!) The other is that I'm feeling like I need to accomplish SOMETHING. Which is big news bc normally I am not too much of an achiever. However, the accomplishing will also contribute to the mental health.

Seriously... I really do LOVE being at home w/ the sweetie fella, and I love being a "full-time" mom. But if I said it was easy, well that would be a fat lie!

Love you all - whoever you are! Goodnight!

because everyone is asking...

Everyone has been asking me how the little man is doing, and I guess I've been bad about updating because, to be honest, he is completely normal! Yes, praise the Lord!

Well, actually, I lied.  The kid STILL won't take a bottle, and he started waking up in the middle of the night.  "What are you?  A newborn?  COME ON, CHILD!"  On top of that, he has had a little separation anxiety, which I've read can happen at around 6-8 months, so he's in that range.  (Not sure if it's post traumatic stress or just typical separation angst.)  Anyway... we're still thankful that he is mostly back to his normal self.

Here's a a few head shots of the little man.  Thanks so much for keeping up with him!

Day 6

Henry is doing great - minus the fact that he cut his first tooth yesterday, and he's about to cut the second one! That makes for a loooong week with not very much sleep for both him and us!

Here's two pictures we took tonight. He looks less like "Stewie" from Family Guy and more like Henry each day!

The sides of his head are yellowish because of bruising, and his head is still squishy feeling. I feel funny taking him in public because I don't want people to stare, but we've gone out anyway.

I was doing some web browsing today and came across some pictures of a man who never had his sagittal craniosynostosis corrected, and it was very sad. I don't want to post them here because they were linked on a craniosynostosis forum, and I don't feel like I have permission, so I won't. But, we are so thankful that God created a way for Henry's head to be healed. The man has endured a lifetime of ridicule and psychological problems, according to his daughter.

Anyway, thanks for your support this last week again. We feel so blessed and loved.

Pictures on Day 4 (Third Day After Surgery)

Right eye is squinty.

Busted out the infant swing, but it doesn't move when I'm in it.

What up?

Looks tired, but really just can't open all the way!

Both eyes open!

He is able to hold his head enough to get in the exersaucer! The playful face is returning.

Head is looking rounder already!

He gets better by the hour.  His head looks better now than it did at 7 PM when he got in his exersaucer!

Pictures Second Day After Surgery

Early morning on Thursday.

Eyest still shut, but acting more like himself.

Eyes not as purple.  His neck still looks bruised, but his ears are pink here.  They were purple before.

They were really child friendly.

Looking much better, but eyes still shut.

There's the scar.

He still gets better every hour.

His head swells in the direction that it was previously growing.  It's very mushy and feels like a water balloon.

Around 3 or 4 PM on Thursday! One eye open!

Daddy was able to make him laugh!

Going home! (Around 6PM. Just about 50 hours from end of surgery to going home)