8 ounces!!

Update at bottom!

Well, I took Eli to be weighed yesterday and he had gained 8 ounces in 9 days!! I was sooo excited that he gained weight. This obviously means that his reflux was causing his weight to drop. My poor little guy just couldn't keep enough calories down! He's taking Zantac right now and it seemed to be working up until yesterday when he started spitting up A LOT again. At his last feeding he soaked me twice immediately after feeding him. So, I've got to call Monday and get them to adjust his dosage. She told me yesterday morning that he was taking the minimum dosage for his weight. I'm also going to ask about prevacid because those that I have talked to say that it works better than Zantac and the dosage doesn't need to be adjusted as often. I'm new to all of this though! We were having some difficulty with getting insurance for the kids but hopefully we have that all figured out now. That will be a big help.

Eli still seems to be having 'other' issues. I won't go into detail considering the subject matter, but he seems to be having allergy issues. I've been told by our pediatrician that it wasn't of any concern but when I talked to the NP she wanted me to bring in one of his diapers next week. I was glad that she actually wanted to see it. All that is going on is not normal and I need answers! So, starting as soon as we get to the grocery store I'm going on an elimination diet. I have avoided having to do this but it seems that this may be the only way I figure out what is causing Eli's problems. I didn't really want to have to do this since my parents are buying our groceries. I know it will be an extra expense to buy separate food for me, but I know they understand (and they know it will be cheaper than hypo-allergenic formula!!). I am constantly worried about my little guy and I'm ready to know what is the culprit! I know everyone around me is sick and tired of hearing about all of this but I just can't help but be consumed with it! Here is my diet for the next 2 weeks (or until the symptoms subside):

oatmeal
pears/pear juice
potatoes
sweet potatoes
carrots
yellow squash
zucchini
rice
turkey
olive oil
salt and pepper

Sounds delish! I've already been dairy free but being wheat, corn, soy, egg, and everything else is going to be tough. I'll eat these for at least a week or two and then slowly (every 4 days is suggested) add things in starting with least allergenic. I'll get to eat apples and bananas by mid-January, woo hoo! In all seriousness though, this is about my baby boy and I'll do whatever I need to to fix his tummy (or intestines to be exact)! It's just food. I think my biggest issue will be making sure I eat enough calories to keep up with feeding him! Whatever he may be allergic to may be causing his reflux too, so that may improve when I can pinpoint what it is.

Well, it's Luke's naptime... so time for me to go!

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Jobs are hard to come by these days! And I've had a hard time dealing with things in the last few days... it's just tough right now.

God is sovereign...


Update:
Well, I decided that the above diet is CRAZY hard to do. So for now I'm going to just be corn, egg, dairy, and peanut free. I'm going to limit soy and wheat products. I've pretty much been doing that for the past 3 days and Eli's poop has never looked better! :) I'm eating a lot of fruits (no citrus), veggies and rice. My meat is pretty much chicken and turkey. I bought some turkey sausage today because turkey lunch meat is getting old! Please pray with me that these issues are just because Eli is extra sensitive right now. I'm praying that we don't have to deal with a lot of food allergies down the road because I've seen how tough that can be for other families. If we have to do it though, we will!

Quick update

I've been absent for a while. Two reasons: One, life over the past week and a half has been crazy, to say the least. Two, the computer at my mom's house is in Luke's 'room' (my old room)so, my prime computer time (Luke's nap and bedtime) are no longer available. I just wanted to give a quick update on my littlest guy, Eli.

We had his 4 month check up yesterday. He's not technically 4 months old but thankfully we were able to move his appointment up before our insurance runs out on the 31st. Yesterday was exactly 6 weeks from his last shots and that's the minimum time frame between his shots. Some of you know that we've been worried about Eli's weight. Well, on Dec 1st (when he was sick) he weighed 12 lbs and 5 oz. Yesterday, he weighed 12 lbs and 3 oz. I did weigh him at the breastfeeding support group though and he actually gained 3 oz in a week according to their scale (he went from 12.01 to 12.04) . All scales differ so you have to compare weight on the same scales. Over the past week I've been trying to do some things to help Eli get the hind milk (fatty milk at the end of a feeding). I think one of our problems is that he gets bored and wants to switch sides too soon. I've been trying to keep him on longer but sometimes he flat out refuses though, so that has been frustrating. I don't think that I have supply issues but who really knows at this point. Anyway, we discussed with the Dr about him spitting up A LOT! I never thought this was a problem because he was always gaining weight and never seemed bothered (like in pain) by it. Well, our pediatrician suggested Zantac to help with the spitting up. Obviously a baby who isn't gaining weight isn't a good thing. And even though he doesn't seem to be in pain when he spits up, it might be a factor as to why he isn't gaining. Since he's always seemed to have a little bit of reflux issues we've had him sleeping on a wedge incline at night and in the swing during the day.
We've been on Zantac almost 24 hours and he's only spit up once today and once last night. And both times they were very small amounts. So, that seems promising. He is still wanting to nurse a lot (every 1.5 hours usually - thankfully not at night though!) and isn't nursing for very long (10-15 minutes max. total) but if it is reflux maybe this will change. I don't mind feeding him that often but I feel like if he were getting a good feeding he might be able to go longer. Not to mention the fact that I've been feeding him upstairs where Robby, Eli and I are sleeping (my sister's room) because it's less of a distraction for him (no crazy toddler or tv to get his attention). This has made it difficult when no one is home, considering I don't like leaving Luke alone downstairs by himself. Dr. C wants us to come back Friday the 26th to have him weighed in the office and if he's gained well, we're good to go, but if not he wants to see us to discuss what to do next. Please pray with us that he gains and begins eating well. It's been so frustrating to me, the sole provider of his nourishment, to be going through all of these nursing issues on top of all that we've been dealing with. Breastfeeding and the decision to continue was difficult for me but in the end I knew that it was something that God wanted me to do.
The good news is that other than weight gain issues he is a healthy little boy. The Dr said he was very strong! I love our pediatrician, by the way! As we were leaving the office he said that he knew that Eli was going to be just fine, "in Jesus name".
Ok, it's time for the kids to get in bed. I started this yesterday morning and am just finishing it tonight at 8PM!
Also a big thank you to all of you that have been praying for me and my family. We appreciate it more than you will ever know. God will see us through.

This is where I am...

Life sometimes brings moments when.....

someone you love will be misunderstood and untruths will be told.

you will want the whole truth to be told but you must trust that God knows man's heart and that is what matters.

you will hurt so deeply because someone has lead others to believe falsely of the character of someone you love so much.

you will have to stop and think, 'did this really happen?'

you will be thankful that your children are too young to understand what is going on.

you will make the best of it and hide your tears because of your precious babies.

you will ask, "Why now, why at this moment?"

you will wonder, 'how would they feel if the tables were turned?'

you will never forget that Christmas.

you will have to make arrangements and decisions that you never thought you would.

you will wonder how someone could treat your family this way with a clear conscience.

you will stand firmly by and believe fully in the integrity of your husband.

you will hate not being able to say goodbye to those you cared about.

your heart will hurt but God will heal.

you will cling to Christ and those precious people He has given you to hold you up in prayer.

your faith in man may waiver but your faith in God will remain steadfast.

This is where I am.

I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. ~ Psalm 121:1,2

But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. ~ Psalm 3:3

God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. 1 Corinthians 1:9

Praise The King!

Today my heart is bursting with praises!

I hope this song blesses you on this beautiful Sunday!

Will you join me in lifting your head to heaven and praising the Mighty King of Glory?

Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
Praise him in his mighty heavens!
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
Praise him according to his excellent greatness!
Praise him with trumpet sound;
Praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
Praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with sounding cymbals;
Praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

Psalm 150:1-6

My little guy

Is this not pitiful?? Luckily, he hasn't been bothered much by it. If you read my random list from Monday, you know we had to take the little guy to the Dr. We left the house around 2:15pm and got home around 8:30pm! We had to pick up Luke who was at my parents and they live an hour away from us so we weren't at the Dr's office for that long but it was a long evening to say the least!

The little man has bronchiolitis. So, that's why he's got the dinosaur mask on! Along with breathing treatments for a week, he also got a shot and a round of antibiotics that has left his poopy diapers a nice shade of grass green (I know you wanted to know that). Dr. C said his lungs sounded pretty nasty but "no need for hospitalization. You can treat this at home." Ok, so that freaked me out! Just hearing the word hospitalization! Like the Hubs said, "Don't mention the word 'hospital' unless that's where we have to go!" Seriously.

And although he is a sick little boy, you would never really know it by the way he acts! He is the happiest little guy! He jabbers and talks all the time! Man, I love him so!

I took two videos of him 'talking' last night and this isn't the best one... but I had to show it because I'd like you to notice at the top left of the screen, what Luke has on his head. I didn't realize this until after I uploaded the video. I had taken it off to get more light in the video. Haha... kids..

on Vimeo.

It's Monday... it's December and it's COLD outside!

Monday morning list...

that I may or may not go into detail later about... :)

1. We're heading to the Dr this afternoon with Eli. He's been sick for a week now with a runny/stuffy nose and a cough and isn't getting better. Luke's had the same thing but is over it. Eli is just so little and having a harder time getting rid of it!
2. We had baby dedication yesterday! Eli and I left immediately after the dedication since he's been sick. I didn't want to spread the germs! He looked so very cute in his little sweater vest though!
3. Extreme Makeover Home Edition was so good last night! I cry every time! (and so does the Hubs!!!) To hear those little boys talk about their daddy! Gut wrenching! Did anyone watch it?
4. Eli turned 3 months old Saturday! My newborn is turning into a baby!!
5. I desperately need to do some Christmas shopping. I'm thinking about doing some online just so we don't have to get out.. especially with sick kiddos!
6. I made a homemade Angel Food cake this weekend. Was all the beating and folding of the separated eggs worth it? Not really. But this blueberry sauce on top was to die for. Seriously. It would be great on top of ice cream... if I could eat ice cream.. boo hoo... (BTW, I used half OJ for the water in the recipe)
7. I was tagged a while ago by Donna to list 7 random thing about myself and I'm having a hard time coming up with 7... does that mean I'm boring?
8. My memory verses for this week are:

Matthew 6:28-30 - “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Check this out: (Give-A-Way)

Go here (or click the cute Simply Inspiring button in the side bar), right now and check out this cute, new stuff that you'll be able to find at your nearest Hallmark Gold Crown Store soon! Or you might just win the awesome give a way and get some for FREE!

You're Welcome! :)

His Word is Life

Over the past weeks, the Holy Spirit has really been speaking to me about Scripture memory. I'm ashamed to say that currently there isn't any Scripture memorizing going on in my life. It's been tough here lately finding a quiet time in my house to spend time in prayer and God's Word. But I desperately crave it!


I really struggled with this after Eli was born. I went from having a chunk of time set aside to be alone with God and in His Word.. to spending a few minutes in prayer here and there (mainly while rocking or nursing the little guy). I think the feelings I had regarding this were genuine (and normal) feelings of hunger and thirst for His Word but also feelings of guilt and shame. If His Word was so important to me, why could I not make time for it? I've been praying that God would help me out with my quiet and alone time with Him... and praying for His forgiveness in the lack of time I was spending with Him.

Through this prayer, my Heavenly Father has so lovingly showed me that He understands where I am right now in my life. He knows that I'm answering the call that He gave me to raise my little boys. He understands that I'm up 2-4 times a night, every night! He knows that it's crazy around here with a toddler and a 12 week old.

He knows because He is there. He has given me an assurance that what I'm doing right now during this season of my life is exactly what I'm suppose to be doing.

This definitely doesn't mean that I am to forsake His Word or prayer time though. It just means that my time alone with God will probably vary from someone who has no children, older children... and so on. My job is to find something that works in this season of my life that honors God and strengthens my relationship with Him.



So, as I said, the Lord has laid on my heart Scripture memory. Although I may not be able to sit and do any kind of in-depth Bible study on a regular basis, I can meditate on Scriptures. I truly believe that His Word brings life. I know it will renew my heart and strengthen me as I take on the most important task I will ever be given.

I have chosen Romans 12:2 to begin my memorizing. I am already very familiar with this verse but that's ok. It's more than just memorizing.. it's allowing the Scripture to transform me.

Romans 12:2 - And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and
perfect will of God.

I'm going to need some accountability as I take this on. So, every Sunday (or Monday morning) I'm going to be posting my weekly memory verse(s), probably in my side bar. If anyone is interested in doing this with me let me know (I'd love some company!) or if anyone has any special verses that mean a lot to you please share them and I'll add them to my list for future memorizing!

May I grow in the knowledge of His Holy Word... so that He be glorified and lifted up!

My Rambled Thoughts on a Monday Afternoon

Here is what's up:

Luke has a cough... Not bad but definitely could be. Praying it doesn't turn into anything.

Eli is 11 weeks old. Wow.

I'm learning to be significant in God's eyes. (As opposed to desiring significance in other people)

I made pumpkin bread this weekend that was fabulous. I'll share the recipe later.

My kitchen floor is clean. :)

I'm going to be a rebel and not put up a menu this week. But fear not, I do have a menu.. it's just up there somewhere in my head.

I have a desire to be simple. I'm attempting to learn to apply simple to my life... and wondering if that's even possible.

The Zucchini Stew from last week was pretty good. I did add a bay leaf and some dried basil to it. I also used pasta instead of rice since the Hubs isn't fond of rice.

It's cold in our house! Brrr..

Today's chore: Clean the bathtubs!!!

Menu ~ November 10, 2008

Short and Sweet:

Zucchini Stew (new recipe), Corn Bread

Loaded Baked Potatoes, Salad

BBQ Pork Chops, Green Beans, Corn on the Cobb (I'm seriously cooking those pork chops this week)

Blueberry Pancakes (I'm going to make half with cow's milk and half with soy milk), Eggs

We're planning on going out to eat one night so I'm keeping it simple!

BTW, the Lima Bean Soup was pretty good, not something I want to eat over and over all winter... but pretty good.

Something exciting I found at Publix this week:

And they do not contain milk! YAY! I have a dairy free brownie recipe and I'm thinking about sprinkling these in them. Double chocolate! YUMMY!

I'm so behind....

I'm so behind on updates and that kind of thing.. I started this a few days ago but just haven't had the time to finish it! I have tons of blog posts swarming in my brain but no time to actually type them!

Eli's 2 month check up was last Thursday. The little guy weighs 11 lbs and 4 oz and is 23.75 inches long! Everything was perfect! He did really well with his shots. Luke also had a little check up! We had delayed his MMR shot, so he had to get it (tried to get it a few months ago but couldn't because I was pregnant!) and the flu shot. He did really well too! At one point we told him how much of a good job he was doing and he agreed with, "I did do good job!" over and over in the midst of tears! He weighed 30.5 lbs and was 35.75 inches tall. Dr. C mentioned how blessed we were to have two healthy boys! That is something that I never want to take for granted!

After there visit we went to stay with Mimi and Grandaddy because we had planned on being in town for Halloween night. Sometimes, living an hour away with 2 little ones, it's just easier to stay the whole day (or night!). Luke dressed up like a scarecrow.. or farmer.. or just a cute little boy in overalls (whatever you'd like to call it!) for Halloween. He wouldn't let us stuff him or put any kind of 'paint' on his face but he was super cute! Eli didn't dress up but did have a cute Halloween outfit on. Here is Luke checking out the candy at Mimi's:

My boys are growing so fast! Eli is 10 weeks old today! He is smiling, cooing and even trying to laugh! It's the most precious thing. Two nights ago he rolled over from tummy to back... not really on purpose, but he still did it! He's also really beginning to notice his hands. He stares at them when he catches a glimpse like, "What are those things and how do I make them move??" He's also gotten them to his mouth a few times to chew on! The dairy elimination worked wonders! He is much more content just because he feels so much better! I've been dairy free for almost 5 weeks now. Here is a picture from this afternoon, hanging out with Daddy:

Luke is such a big boy! He says the cutest and funniest things all the time! I love watching him figure things out! I can just see those wheels turning in there! He is so smart! He's such an encourager too. He's always telling the Hubs and I that we're doing a good job. Just the other day he asked me what I was doing and I told him I was making a sandwich for lunch. He responded, "Good job, Mommy". It's nice to be told that every once in a while! :)
Here lately he's really been into singing in his toy microphone and playing his guitar (or 'paytar' as he calls it)! Wednesday night at church the Hubs was standing around talking while Luke played with an old mic that he found. The Hubs stopped because he could hear Luke singing and wanted to know what he was singing. He was singing "Amazing Grace"! The Hubs said it was the sweetest thing! We've never heard him sing it before but I've sung it to him (& Mimi too) many times. I got him to sing me the first line, but that's all he would sing for me! Of course they never want to preform when you want them to! Those moments when they don't realize they are being watched are priceless though!

Time to go hang out with all of my boys before bedtime!

A little (much needed) humor for today...

At dinner last night I asked Luke who he thought was going to win the presidency. I said, "Obama or McCain?" and he said, "McCain" (I might add that when usually faced with a question like this, he almost always picks the latter) So, then I asked, "Ok, do you think it's going to be McCain or Obama?"

He decided to really think about it this time. So after a pause, he said:

"Lightning A-Queen (McQueen), wins the race."

Menu Plan Monday - November 3

It's Sunday and I'm posting my menu! I'm on top of things this week. Haha.. not really. It's just that my menu from last week is basically being rolled over to this week!

We visited friends who had a new baby on Monday and then spent the night with my parents Thursday and Friday night. So I only cooked the chicken and made tuna sandwiches from last weeks menu! You would think that I saved on my grocery bill, but I didn't! So, for this week:

BBQ Pork Chops (grill or oven), Corn on the Cobb, Baked Sweet Potatoes (if they still look good... otherwise some other veggie from the freezer)

Lima Bean Soup, Corn Bread

Pot Roast (on sale this week) w/ Carrots and Potatoes

Beef Soft Tacos (using leftover roast meat with taco seasoning) w/ Beans and Rice

Pork Ribs (thinking about using the crock pot again), Green Beans, Potato Salad

A few new dairy free products I picked up this week:

100 Calorie Pack Oreo Thin Crisps (Yay, for something chocolate!)

Thomas' Mini Squares Bagelbread- 100% Whole Wheat (really good toasted)

Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars- Maple and Brown Sugar

Lipton Soup Mix - Onion & Onion Mushroom

I also love Amy's Dairy Free Rice and Bean Burrito, but they are kind of pricey! So, aside from the occasional splurge, I'm just going to start making my own!

Since the weather's getting cooler, I'm starting to think about soups and chili's! So, I though I'd share with you BooMama's Souptacular Crockpotalooza. I missed the actual 'event' but I've been looking through all of the links for good soup ideas! And just because I love you so much, I thought I'd share it with you!

Ok, gotta get busy on some things!

Happy Reformation Day! (A Give-A-Way and great links)

I wanted to tell you about a sweet give-a-way that The Preachers Wife is having over at her place. She is giving away 5 copies of John Piper's book, Spectacular Sins : And Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ. So hop on over to this post and enter yourself to win a copy. I'm a huge fan of Piper and would love to have this book. I'm sure it will enter our library one day even if I don't win it though! You've got until November 7th to enter!

And if you do enter tell her I sent you! :)


Now, I've got some fantastic links for you!

Since election day is drawing near (thank goodness!), I'm sure we're all wondering who the next President of the US will be. Well, John Piper writes a fantastic article on Christians and voting. I'll let you go read it for yourself (if you do let me know what you thought). I've heard many people talk about being worried about this or that. But as Christians, let's all remember Who holds everything in place. Psalm 20:7- "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God."

Next... I've spoken many times about my passion for all things pro-life. I came across this blog post by Randy Alcorn a few days ago when reading Kelly's (Love Well) blog (she had it listed in her sidebar). I'm a huge fan of Randy Alcorn and his position on prolife and abortion issues. It's a great article on prolife issues and the election. He answers this question: As a Christian, should we vote for who we think should lead our country solely based on their stance on abortion? And again, if you check it out.. let me know what you think!

Have a blessed and safe day!

Menu Plan Monday ~ 10/27/08

What do you think about my new fall look??

Here is my dairy free menu!

BBQ Pork Chops (grill), Potato Salad, Sauteed Zucchini and Squash

Sauteed Chicken w/ Mushrooms and Onions, Green Peas

Pork Ribs (haven't decided on how to cook them yet, any suggestions?), Baked Sweet Potatoes, Corn

Tuna Sandwiches, Chips, Pears

Lima Bean Soup (new recipe, I'll post the recipe later if it turns out good), Corn Cakes

And just a few dairy free products that I've learned I can eat (by brand name):

Wheat Thins
Sun Chips (Original)
Chung's Vegetable Spring Rolls (I bought these before I went dairy free and emailed them last week just to make sure that the 'natural flavors' on the ingredient list didn't contain dairy, and thankfully they don't! And they are good!)
Heinz Ketchup
Kraft BBQ Sauce Original
Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing (most Italian dressings are okay, but occasionally they contain cheese)
Kraft Taco Bell Soft Taco Kit
Cheerios (Original, Apple Cinnamon, Berry Burst, Frosted, Multigrain)
OreIda Extra Crispy Fast Food Fries (thankfully, since I can't have McDonald's fries! And I can bake mine! I mean who puts dairy in fries??)
Nabisco Teddy Grahams (Cinnamon and Chocolate)
Publix Brand Thin Slice Wheat Bread

And for Halloween:

Sour Patch Kids
Sweedish Fish
Laffy Taffy
Blow Pops
Twizzlers
Cry Babies

Maybe each week I'll post some different things that I've found I can eat. I know I did a lot of searching around the internet and someone else might just do the same and find my blog!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And now for a to-do list! Since Eli is 8 weeks old I've got to actually start doing something. Yes, my hands are full but I feel the need to be a little more structured with my house work. So, I'm back to making a list.. which suprisingly I haven't done in a while (except for groceries). So, here is my small list for today:

Sweep Kitchen

Dishes
Fold Towels and Put Away
Wash & Dry Eli's Clothes/Put Away

Go through junk basket on kitchen counter (please tell me I'm not the only one who has one of these!?)

Go visit Misty at the hospital and meet baby Nathan!

Ok, I'll update later on how I did.

And if you haven't read the story about our shopping trip, check it out below!

Today we went

....grocery shopping......

It was an adventure.

First we stopped by Target to pick up a few things... all was well in Target... Next was Publix.

Eli got a full belly so we thought all would be good in Publix. Well, we were wrong. I would like for you to picture this as I attempt to describe it.

I got a regular shopping cart. The Hubs got one of those HUGE ones with the "car" on the end that you push. I have never gotten one of these because they are so big and I can't hardly control a regular size one. Luke seemed to love it though. He really liked pretending to drive the cart. Eli went in the basket part of the "car" shopping cart in his carseat. So, off I go to get groceries while The Hubs and the kids follow me. Shortly, (and I mean less than 5 minutes) into our trip Eli starts screaming so we attempt to hush him with the paci... and after a few failed attempts The Hubs picks him up. So, now the Hubs is trying to follow me, while I shop, holding a baby in one hand and pushing a gigantic shopping cart with the other.

Even being held didn't do much for Eli. He was sleepy and just really wanted to nap but couldn't. So, The Hubs decides he's going to take Eli to the car and leave Luke with me. Ok, so I transfer the few items we had already picked up into the giant cart (that I was so looking forward to steering) and they head to the car. Off Luke and I go to finish grocery shopping.. as fast as we can. So, we shop.. and run into several things along the way. As we are heading to the produce (I should stop here and say that I have a very detailed and precise order in which I grocery shop.. my last two stops are produce and meat, so we were almost finished) I remembered that I didn't have my purse. The Hubs was originally with me.. with a check card.. but now he was in the car. And I was in Publix with a cart full of groceries and a toddler. Oh, and it was raining.. well 'misting' but still, it was wet!

So, I get my produce and my meat and I push the enormous cart over to where the bathrooms are. My logic: I'll leave the cart here and no one will mess with it because they'll think that whoever it belongs to is in the bathroom. So, I carry Luke to the car.. in the mist and get the check card. I leave Luke there and head back in. My plan worked, the cart was still there. So, I go to check out. Me, by myself.. with a gigantic cart.

I was so ready to get out of there! I did mention to the cashier and bagger that I came in with a husband and two children but they had all ended up back in the car.

I didn't purposefully choose the big, humongous cart all by myself.

Sometimes in those stressful moments.. you just have to laugh. And I did... while I pushed the big, gigantic, enormous, huge, green car shopping cart to my car... alone! Luckily, I didn't hit any people or real cars on the way!

This trip wasn't our first... we have all made it before and it worked out okay. But, for some reason today it didn't. It was an interesting few hours to say the least but we survived. Life with two children.... it's an adjustment. It's never boring, to say the least! :)

Menu Plan Monday & update

So, this no-dairy thing is going OK. I miss it.. but I can deal. I am going to have to get more creative with my menu planning though. I'm not going to make 2 meals. I guess it will just take time to figure out which products I can eat and which I can't. So for the first time in a LONG time here is our menu for the week:

Pinto Beans, Smoked Ham, Corn Cakes

Biscuits (toast for me), Bacon and Eggs

Tacos

Marinated (Italian Dressing) Chicken Breast, Green Beans, Potatoes

Soup (don't know what kind yet), Salad

All I do for the corn cakes is mix corn meal (salt and pepper) with water and fry them in olive oil. They are soo good and dairy free! They are best made really thin so they get crispy!

As far as Eli, he seems to be doing better. I can tell a difference in the way he acts. It's only been a week so I'm hoping to see more improvements over the next few weeks. I still think he has some reflux issues that I'm going to be talking to the Dr about though and that may also have some to do with his fussiness. He's still fussing a good bit when he nurses. I think part of that is just that he's very impatient!

Luke is a ball of energy! He had a blast this weekend having lunch with family and going to a birthday party! We've had two weird episodes of hives though.. and I can't figure out why he got them. He woke up from his nap yesterday with them on his cheek and some on his hand. They looked like little bug bites. I honestly thought something had bitten him. Well, they went away shortly afterwards, so we didn't really think much of it. Well, last night Luke didn't seem to be sleeping well. At about 12:30am the Hubs went in to check on him and he was scratching his legs. He had welts all over his thighs and on one of his hands! So, we gave him some Benadryl and the Hubs and Luke slept on the couch in the den. There were 2 tiny little places this morning but the majority was gone. He hasn't eaten anything different. The only thing we can think of is a blanket that he received as a gift that someone made for him last week (I didn't wash it because he wanted to sleep with it THAT moment!). So, I stripped his bed of everything and washed it all today in All Free and Clear. He's napping now so we'll see how he does after his nap. It's just strange that it's only happened when he was asleep.

So, that's what's going on around here....

Happy Anniversary!

Four years ago today I married the man of my dreams... [everyone say "Awwwww"]

Seriously though, I'd like to take a little (and very little, since Eli will be up soon!) time to say how much I love that man of mine! I never realized 4 years ago how much more I could love him! He is such a support to me! In the past few weeks he has been my strength. I am so thankful that he stands with me in our desire for me to stay at home. And I believe that he does understand (most of the time!) how difficult my job can be. I'm thankful that he doesn't get bothered by a messy house or my no-makeup face! He understands that some days it just doesn't happen (more often than not here recently) and the most important thing is that I'm taking care of our boys! He helps me out as much as he can. He understands that family comes before work and he always puts us first (after his relationship with God, of course).

I admire him so much. He stands firmly on God's Word. I know that his desire is to honor God with his life no matter what. I trust him to make decisions about our future because I know he is following God's plan.

And here we are four years and two beautiful little boys later. I am so blessed!

And if I may get a little more sentimental... here is the wording on the card he gave me today.. it fits perfectly:

Someday, many years from now, we'll look back on this crazy time in our life together and wonder how we did it all.... and then, those ordinary, everyday moments that we often take for granted will shimmer like the stars as we recount them...

I'll sit close beside you, you'll take my hand in yours. We'll look at each other and say: "I'd do it all again.. and I wouldn't change a thing."

And I cried.. and his response was, "Well, don't cry! I didn't write it!"... (in our home we must always interject humor somewhere!)

I know that, but you read it.. and you knew it was perfect! :)

What is wrong with that baby??

Yes, someone asked me that.. at church.

My baby cries. A lot.

Another question I love (sarcasm)... is...

"Is he a good baby?" Well, of course he is! He is MY baby! Just because he cries doesn't mean he's a bad baby! He is a BABY!

There are those of you out there who have never had a crier (and both of mine were and now are criers) so you may not can sympathize. Life with a high needs infant is difficult. If I don't make it to [insert event here] it might just be that I couldn't even get in the shower because my beautiful, sweet baby boy cries a lot. There may be hours where I can't put him down. And that's okay... because at this point in my life.. this season... he is my priority. And although I know that, it's stressful. It's stressful to think that someone may be questioning whether or not you know what you're doing with your child. Or whether or not you really have a good excuse for missing church. Or how come your house is a gigantic mess!

I'm in the process of trying to figure out what might be causing Eli to be so fussy all the time. I am nursing and so far the biggest 'cause' for these kinds of things in nursing infants is dairy. So, I'm eliminating dairy from my diet. Cheese, milk, sour cream, butter, ect. Not only have I decided to eliminate those obvious dairies but I've decided to eliminate hidden dairies as well. That means looking a lots of labels. In case you're wondering, this site has a list of the hidden diary that can be found in ingredient lists. A good resource for me was this vegan (which means nothing derived from animals) site. I was happy to find a few of my favorites (Wheat Thins to name one) on the site! It takes a few weeks for milk proteins to be out of my system so it may take a while for me to see a difference but I'm praying I see it sooner than later!

Along with eliminating dairy, I'm keeping a food journal. So if there may be other things that seem to bother him I might can see a pattern.

I love my little boy.. and if this is what it takes, then this is what I'll do. And to be completely honest, if he does have a dairy allergy/intolerance, then there's no way we could afford hypoallergenic formula! So, I don't have much of a choice! :)

So bring on the rice milk (hey, it's not that bad if you don't actually drink it! Just pour it over cereal or dip these into it!) and fake butter (oh my, that hurts me more than you know.. if you've read my blog for any length you know how I love the real stuff!)....

A Picture...

to go with my previous post....

Luke with his cowboy hat...

I should be in the shower...

Don't tell me that I am the only Mommy that doesn't always get a shower! It's ten minutes until 4pm and I haven't bathed. I'm not sure why I decided to let you all in on that fact.. I just did.

So, the real reason for this post is to let you all in on a new obsession of my 2 year old. Here it is:

Those are the Imagination Movers and Luke LOVES them. It comes on Playhouse Disney and we have all of the episodes DVR'd. I will not even admit to you how many times we have watched them. Shortly after this obsession began the Hubs found a cowboy hat of his from back in the day. When Luke saw it, he went nuts! *see the middle Mover from the picture, whose name is Smitty by the way* He put the hat on and got his Leap Frog guitar and went to town! I have got to get it on video because it's hilarious! Luke also randomly calls himself different Mover's names. "I'm Scott (insert Dave, Rich, or Smitty)" And he also puts on sunglasses for Wobble Goggles (see Scott in the above picture and yes, around our house we call them by first name.. like we know them..) and calls them "Goggle Goggles". Are you impressed that I know so much about this TV show?... really that just shows how much my son LOVES it.

It really is a cute show though and one that doesn't get on my nerves!

Yet.

Sleepy time....

This will be short. I am attempting to let Eli sleep without being swaddled. I'm just curious if he might be one of those who can sleep without it. Luke was not! He was swaddled until he was about 5 months old. Eli does okay swaddled but I've often thought that he might actually sleep without it too. I've always been jealous of those parents whose babies seem to actually enjoy just laying flat on their backs asleep! So, it's been 15 minutes and considering Luke would scream immediately if laid down un-swaddled, I count this as a huge accomplishment. And I actually laid him down not quite asleep yet and he has drifted off to sleep with only a little peep, that was caused when his paci fell out of his mouth (yes, he is a major paci baby!). In all honestly Eli sleeps best when being held! And although I do hold him A LOT, it's impossible to do all the time with a toddler! At night he sleeps on me a lot mainly because I fall asleep with him sometime during burping!

My question for you: How did your babies sleep in the early weeks? I'm just curious...

Ok, and since I started this about an hour ago (many Luke interruptions and lunch) I will give you an update. Eli slept for 30 minutes then the Hubs got him back to sleep and he is sleeping now. It's almost eating time for him so he'll more than likely be up soon because of hunger but I feel like he did great considering this is our first attempt!

My sweet boy will be 5 weeks old tomorrow! And my other sweet boy will be 28 months old on Sunday! Wow!

Time to go....

One Month Old!

I've got to get back into the swing of things! I really do miss blogging but life with 2 kiddos is still very new!! Not to mention the crazy stuff that has gone on(more on that later).

Eli is one month old today! Time just flies by! His little belly button 'stub' finally fell off Friday! He and Luke both wanted to keep theirs longer than normal. We had to take him in on Thursday to get them to cauterize it and we had to do the same thing with Luke. Eli is growing so fast! He has already started smiling! He first smiled at me at 3 weeks and 2 days which seems really early but it was a for real smile! Luke smiled at 5 weeks so Eli beat him by 2 weeks! He's not super smiley all the time though just rare moments (like early in the morning at 5 am!). He's still practicing! I'm not sure how much he weighs but at 2 weeks and 5 days he was 9 lbs and 21 inches long! And he is definitely a Mommy's boy!

Luke had a tough weekend (as did we all.. well, except Eli! He had no clue what was going on!). At the Dr's office on Thurs Luke fell asleep sitting in the Hubs lap. He was really sleepy all day long and that night I took his temp and it was 102. He had no other symptoms but was just kind of cranky! Friday he ran a low grade fever and was cranky and didn't nap well at all. He woke up 45 minutes after being put down and was really hard to console when he got up! I knew that he was in pain but wasn't really sure where. We noticed a little spot on his lip that night but I though it was just where he had bumped it. Well, Friday night he slept horribly! He was up on and off all night long. The Hubs did a great job at doing what he could to help the little guy but he was really just beside himself. Saturday we called the on call nurse and she suggested we watch him the rest of the day and assess the situation in the am. Well, that was a bad idea! By Sat night we both knew he needed to see a Dr. We realized that the little bump (which now had another one by it) was more like a fever blister of some sorts. Luke wasn't eating and was just not acting himself. He was crying constantly and was certainly in pain. So, the Hubs took him to an after hours clinic around 6pm and thankfully my mom met him there. Well, it seems that Luke has/had some kind of viral infection that causes blisters inside the mouth and throat. And it is very painful. The only thing you can do for it is give pain relievers.. although the Dr did give him some cough medicine to help dry up the blisters (which I think really helped.. plus helped him sleep!). My mom decided to stay the night with us (a huge blessing!). I mean I kind of have my hands full with a 4 week old so the Hubs needed some reinforcement. I think Luke may have slept 3 broken hours Saturday night. It was horrible. I think we all cried at some point (with Luke doing the most of it). I couldn't stand not being able to help him. He refused to take any kind of medicine at all. We finally called my dad and he came around 5:30am. Luke finally calmed down some with my dad and we actually got him to take some tylenol and then his meds after the Hubs went to pick them up. We had a rough day yesterday though. By the afternoon Luke was exhausted. At one point he fell asleep sitting up on the couch! He wouldn't eat hardly anything and wouldn't swallow (which led to massive amounts of slobber). He hardly talked much either. He just hurt so bad in his mouth and throat! So, once we started pumping him with tylenol and getting that cough medicine in him he really started to feel better. He slept yesterday evening from about 3:30-7pm and then from midnight to 7am. He's napping right now and has eaten pretty good today. I can tell the little blisters on his mouth look a lot better. Oh and I didn't mention that both of his ears were red too so he got a shot and antibiotics! My poor little guy has had it rough.. but it looks like we're on the mend! Here is a link to what I think he had. I wasn't at the visit so I'm not sure what the Dr called it! And here is a little picture of my man passed out on the inflatable bed yesterday evening:

And here he is last night. I got up around 1:30am to find him like this. Later around 4:30am he had made it to the inflatable bed. The hubs stayed with him last night while Eli and I stayed in our bedroom.

Aren't they pitiful?? Well, time to get supper ready before both of my guys wake up!

It's a boy!

(This was written yesterday!)

Well, I'm not pregnant anymore! The Hubs told me last night that I needed to update my blog because I was still pregnant on it! I said, sure as soon as I have some time!!! Hahahaha!! And actually at this moment I am feeding my child, which I do very, very often! So, here is a short version of how Eli came into this world:





All day Thursday (8/28) I had contractions, although they weren't what you would consider "normal', or at least I didn't think so!! Thurs evening the Hubs and I went for a walk with Luke. Later around 11pm we decided to get some sleep. I had a feeling we'd be up sooner than later! Well, I couldn't sleep at all! The contractions were coming stronger and stronger and quicker and quicker! I got up around 12:30am and started timing them and they were right at 5-7 min apart. So, I started praying that God would let me know when it was time to leave. Well, 15 minutes later Luke woke up! And he NEVER wakes up in the middle of the night. I knew he was my sign! So, he laid in the bed with the Hubs while I showered and then he wanted to get up and watch Blue's Clues (I think he thought it was morning!). So, we let him watch a DVR'd episode while we got ready. The contractions started coming every 3-5 minutes but still weren't hurting me too much (I could still talk through most of them). Well, we decided to head to the hospital anyways because we live 45 minutes away. We called my mom and dad so they could pick up Luke and we got to the hospital around 1:50am. I was hooked up and checked and was dilated to a 6!!!!! I was sooo surprised. All of the nurses commended me at how well I was handling it. I went ahead and ordered the Epi since I was already so far along. By the time the dr got there (before the epi) I was dilated to an 8 & he broke my water.. this was around 3:30am. After the epi, everything slowed down slightly but I was complete by 5:45am. The Dr thought I had a really good chance at delivering and I was hopeful. But when I started pushing Eli's heart rate did the exact same thing that Luke's did. It dipped with the very first push and wouldn't recover without my complete rest plus oxygen. And even with rest/oxygen it didn't go up as high as they would like. They only allowed me to push with 3 contractions and then we decided that a c/s was best for him. I was upset for about a minute but then got over it! I was about to see my baby boy! So, we went to the OR and Elijah Chandler was born at 6:30am (on his due date!)! He weighed 7lbs and 12 oz and was 20 inches long! I am so glad though that I got to experience the other side of labor! I was amazed at what my body did, even though I didn't actually deliver him 'normally'. With Luke I never went through all of that because my water broke before any contractions and I had to be put on pitocin. This time I had no induction meds at all and labor was really fast! I'm glad that we left when we did! I really was thinking that when they checked me they'd tell me I was about a 3 or 4. We are both doing really well. Eli is nursing really well (and pooping and peeing lots) and I'm praying that bf'ing goes much better this time. It already is! It has been really hard but better than with Luke (which only lasted 3 weeks/I was already supplementing some though in the first week, but that's another story!)! Eli weighed 7lb, 2 oz when we discharged an was already up to 8 lbs & 3 oz yesterday! Luke is doing really great with having a new person in the house! He even called him his baby brother once which just melted my heart! And he loves to give him kisses on his forehead! I'm loving being a mommy to 2 little boys! I'm nervous about the Hubs going back to work next week but I am so thankful that he is close by! Having to hold Eli almost constantly, not being able to pick up Luke because of the c/s, and just having a toddler and a newborn at the same time scares me but I know we'll settle into a routine soon. I'm just praying that God will help me out. And speaking of helping out I must say how wonderful my hubby has been! I am beyond blessed to have him! He has been fantastic with Luke so that I can focus on nursing this little one. Words can't express how much I appreciate him!





Well, that's a short version of the birthing events & a little update! And here's a little peek at the new guy:

Fresh out of the oven:

Just 2 days old:


1 week old:

He's 2 weeks today so I need to get my camera out!! Well, duty calls! :)

Forgive me if this seems written hastily... it was!

Pregnancy Update

So, I am still pregnant!! My due date is actually tomorrow 8/29/08. I have made some progression though. My contractions are very irregular and not what you would consider normal real labor contractions. They are uncomfortable but not painful.

I had a Dr's appointment Tuesday and everything looks good. I did have to schedule a repeat c-section but I knew that was coming. I scheduled it for Wednesday, 9/3. I prayed and prayed about that situation and when I left I just felt a peace about it. I know that God is in control. And after I made the c/s decision, I knew that if I was going to go into labor on my own it was because God wanted me to. I've known that all along but after Tuesday's appointment God just gave me clear assurance and peace that it was all in His hands. It's one thing to know that.. and it's another to feel it. And I'm so thankful for His answering my prayers!

So, the crazy thing was that Wednesday morning I woke up with some obvious progression! I was quite surprised because it's something that I've never experienced. With Luke my water broke 3 days before his due date with no warning. I never felt the first contraction until I got to the hospital and was hooked up on induction meds. So, this is all very new to me even though I've given birth before. And now it's just a waiting game! I'm thankful that my body seems to be working on it's own to do what it's suppose to do. That has been one of my prayers...

And I am still fully aware that I could continue to progress, get to the hospital and still end up with a c-section. I'm just thankful that it looks like I'm going to be able to try for my VBAC. I've been praying Scripture for several days now. Here are a few that I've been praying:

Phil. 4:6-7 ~ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Psalm 56:3 ~ Whenever I am afraid; I will trust in You.

Psalm 34:4 ~ I sought the Lord and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.

Isaiah 12:2a ~ Behold God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid.

Phil 4:13 ~ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

1 Peter 5:6-7 ~ Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.

And these will be going with me to the hospital! Whatever day I end up going! :)

Cookie Memories... and something exciting (no I'm not in labor!!)

I made these today. And they were soo good. I had 5 of them.. no more for me today though. I am maxed out for today on chocolate and sugar! I seriously have been having chocolate cravings... and evidently oatmeal too! I made some chocolate oatmeal cookies last week as well! My mom mentioned these this weekend though and I've been thinking about them ever since. We use to make them a lot growing up and I can't tell you the last time I've had one! These turned out perfect too.. not too gooey or runny... and they set up perfectly. I took a recommendation to boil the mixture for two minutes instead of one. Someone commented that this would help them set up better. Who knows if it works all the time but it did today! I love making things that remind me of the past. And I might as well enjoy it now because I know in a few weeks I'm going to be attempting to avoid sweets so that I can get this weight off. Nothing helps the impatient pregnant lady more than a batch of cookies (or brownies, or a bowl of ice cream)... :)

One more exciting thing to share is that I won my first bloggy give-a-way! I have entered many before but never won! Today I got an email from Stacy, who also participates in Menu Plan Monday, letting me know I won! She had a giveaway last week for a cookbook and a 10$ Starbucks gift card.. and lucky me won it! I am so excited! I love cookbooks of any kind and the Hubs will be THRILLED for the gift card!

Yay me!

BTW, I have a Dr's apt in the morning at 8:15am. If anyone happens to read this before then please say a prayer for me! I'm really anxious about everything because I know I will probably have to make a decision about a repeat csection. And although I'm still very much aware that God is in control, I also know that my Dr has some limitations. I can't just pop in at any time to have a baby by C/S if it does come down to that! Thanks so much!

Menu Plan Monday ~ 8/25/08

Remember when I had just found out I was pregnant and going through morning sickness? My menus were few and far between.. well, I can tell you that this is probably going to be one of the last menus for a few weeks. I'm definitely not giving it up! I have to stay on budget and I will keep cooking. I just know it's going to take us a few weeks to adjust after Eli gets here.. and he WILL be here in less than 2 weeks! :) We've already been grocery shopping for the week. In an effort to save money we are going to condense our trips. Instead of going to the bank on Thursday or Friday and then grocery shopping on Monday evenings we'll be grocery shopping and going to the bank on Friday mornings. Considering we have to drive 20 miles one way to the grocery store and/or bank, this will help us save on gas. Plus, I'm sure I'm going to need the Hubs to help me out in the coming weeks on grocery days... so it will all work out since his off day is Friday. So, here is our EASY menu:

Pork Chops, Pinto Beans, and Vidalia Corn Muffins (left over from last week)

Honey Garlic Chicken Legs, Green Beans, Wild Rice (Ok, so the recipe is called 'Candied' but I don't like to think I'm eating candied chicken! I've made something similar to this before so I may tweak it a bit but the last time I did drumsticks in the oven they turned out pretty good.)

Grilled Cheese, Tomato Soup

Bacon, Scrambled Eggs, Toast and Fruit

Pizza (FROZEN)!!!!!! :-)


I'm so ready for Eli to get here! I'm hoping I can just throw this menu out the window!

Visit orgjunkie.com for more menu ideas!

Recipe- Easy Pasta Sauce with Sausage & Recipe Link (Cookie)

Well, I made the pasta sauce that I mentioned in MPM, Tuesday afternoon. It turned out really good! I made double the recipe so that I could freeze half of the sauce. That will make an easy dinner for us after Eli gets here. I originally intended to make it ahead Tuesday to freeze and eat Wed night for supper because I had plans for Tuesday night. My feet and back had other plans, though. My mom and dad did end up coming over because we've been having car issues (praying that we'll be able to buy a new vehicle sometime around the first of the year!!) for the past month and the Hubs needed some help working on it! Anyway, they stayed for dinner, since I just happened to have a huge pot of pasta sauce on the stove! Everyone really seemed to like it... well, everyone but Luke. He didn't even attempt to taste it!! He did, however, eat tons of grape tomatoes, that I had for the salad. That was a first, so there was progress!

So, here is the recipe, doubled:

Easy Pasta Sauce w/ Sausage
(I would guess it serves 10-12, it can easily be halved though!)

1.5 lbs ground sausage (I used mild Italian and it wasn't quite 1.5 lbs)
2 cans (15 oz) tomato sauce
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 1/2 c mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
2 bay leafs
2 T sugar
Salt and pepper (although I don't think I had to add any salt)

Brown sausage until no longer pink. Drain, set aside. In a little olive oil, saute onions and mushrooms until onions are soft, add garlic the last 1-2 minutes of cooking. In a large pot mix tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, sausage, onion/mushroom mixture, sugar and spices. Bring pot to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer, covered, for 45 min to an hour. Serve over your favorite pasta.

*If you've never added sugar to a pasta sauce, try it. It doesn't make the sauce sweet at all (remember this is a doubled recipe) but it cuts the acidity of the tomatoes (doesn't that sound like I know what I'm talking about! Haha!).

And I just wanted to share that I love using pre-minced garlic. I use garlic quite a bit but not really enough to buy fresh bulbs. I've read that pre-minced garlic isn't as pungent (that is a word I learned from Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network, she says it A LOT!) but that's OK with me. I'm not sure I want really PUNGENT garlic.

I also mentioned making cookies last week. Well, I really wanted something chocolate so I made these, last Thursday: Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

I followed the recipe almost exactly, except I did use half whole wheat flour, real butter, and only 3/4 c sugar total. They turned out really good and satisfied my chocolate craving!

Time to go get some things done. I've got pregnancy on my brain too so I'm sure I'll be back to give an update and share some feelings... I'll be 39 weeks tomorrow!

Afternoon with Luke.. my baby...

(Previously written over the weekend)

Around 6pm, Luke and I decided to get out of the house. I told him we needed to find his shoes in order to go outside. So, on the hunt we both go. I find his little brown crocs in the hallway and bring them to him to put on. He says, "Tank you, Mommy, for shoes." Oh, how my heart melts...

The moment those shoes are on (the right feet) we're out the door. There was a little breeze and it was just so nice out. So, I sat with my feet up for a while and Luke rode & pushed his car around the driveway (which, by the way, is his most favorite thing in the world!). We drew with some sidewalk chalk. I attempted to draw Mickey Mouse and a 'clue' from Blue's Clues. He makes me feel like they are masterpieces because he actually calls them what they are and will even say, "Good job, Mommy"... although they look far from what I attempted! After looking through my new Taste of Home magazine for some recipe ideas, I decided I needed to walk. So, off I go walking around the driveway.. with the hopes that maybe this walking will help, whenever Eli decides to make his grand entrance into this world.

Luke continues to play. He's finally starting to use his slide that we got him for his birthday in June. "I can slide Mommy. Watch Me."

After finding a few rocks and throwing them at Lily (the dog.. don't worry though, he doesn't have good aim.. yet), it's time to play with bubbles... while I continue to walk. He's really good at blowing bubbles. It didn't take him long to realize that it works a lot better when you don't actually taste the bubbles every time you blow! He has a minor fall and I ask if he's OK. At first he answers, "I hurt" but as I go over to check his barely rubbed knees, he says, "I okay" and goes on about his way.

All throughout his playing we have mini-conversations... I enjoy them so much. Most begin with "What's this?" or "Watch, Mommy". I wish I could record every one. They are such precious moments.

This was our conversation right as we're about to go in...

"Hey, Mommy"

"Hey, Baby"

"I not a baby"

"Oh, you're not? What are you?"

"I a big boy."

Sigh.. yes you are.

Menu Plan Monday ~ 8/18/08

My menu this week:

Easy Mexican Casserole* (recipe below), Salad

Chicken Salad Sandwiches (rolled over from last week), Potato Salad

Spinach and Mushroom Fritatta*; Potatoes, Onions & Garlic (in a little Olive Oil)

Pork Chops, Pinto Beans and Vidalia Corn Muffins (Paula Deen)

Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken*, Broccoli Salad

So, this weeks menu looks yummy to me! I'm trying a few new* things. I found some prepared pesto on sale a few weeks ago and have been trying to figure out what I can do with it. So, I did some searching and found a recipe that looks easy and good too. And while I've made a frititta for dinner before, the Hubs said that it tasted too 'breakfasty' (and I agreed) and although we do like breakfast for dinner this one was just a little much. I think part of it was the ingredients. I am not a fan of rosemary and I reluctantly used it anyways, which I shouldn't have. I'm hoping that this one is a little more 'dinnerish'. Eggs are inexpensive and good protein, so that's why I'm using them! :)

As far as last weeks menu, the Crock pot Short Ribs were okay. I won't be making this recipe again though. I must admit that I'm really only a fan of sweet potatoes if they are baked, covered with sugar/syrup/nuts. The flavor of the sweet potato with the other was just not a good combo to me. I think the recipe would have been much better if I had used regular potatoes. The meat was really tender though and I'd like to use the short ribs again, just in a different way. The Hubs said he liked it but I'm wondering if he was just trying to not hurt my feelings... since I have been a little on the emotional side these days!

I'm making the pasta with Italian sausage tonight so I haven't made my 'made up sauce' yet but I'll give the verdict sometime later this week!

Breakfast and lunch are the usual... I've stocked up on cereal because of my BOGO + coupons. We received 2 watermelons this week too! Luke and I have already started on one of them. Luckily, the Hubs isn't a big fan of watermelon so we get it all to ourselves! Whatever fruits are on sale is what I'll get and broccoli is on sale, hence the broccoli salad.

The recipe below I got off a recipe thread from babycenter.com. I thought it looked good!

Easy Mexican Casserole

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef

2 cups salsa
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, drained
3 cups crushed tortilla chips
2 cups sour cream
1 (2 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
½ cup chopped green onion
½ cup chopped fresh tomato
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until no longer pink. Stir in salsa, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in beans and heat through.
Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread crushed tortilla chips in dish, and then spoon beef mixture over chips. Spread sour cream over beef, and sprinkle olives, green onion, and tomato over the sour cream. Top with Cheddar cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

For more menu ideas check out orgjunkie.com!

Finshed!

Well, it only took me 6 months to finish the book of Isaiah! I finished reading chapter 66 today. I took it slow.. really slow! I really wanted to read it and understand it. I didn't have any study helps besides the notes in my study Bible, so many days I'd read a section and then re-read it. I guess averaging 11 chapters in one month isn't that bad. And I must admit there were days when I was so tired that reading just didn't happen. During reading Isaiah, I also read The Holiness of God by RC Sproul and What's the Difference- Manhood and Womanhood Defined According to the Bible by John Piper (both were great, although the Piper book was super short and kind of an excerpt from one of his larger books that I hope to read in the future).

So, where am I going next? I'm so glad you asked. I will be reading the book of Revelation. My friend, Misty, has invited me to be a part of a Bible Study group with a few other ladies. We will be going through the book of Revelation and using John MacArthur's study guide (are you loving all of these links??). During the month of July the girls' class that I teach had four lessons on the book of Revelation and I loved studying it! (I blogged a 2 part post that you can read here: Part 1 & Part 2) So, needless to say I am excited about starting this new book of the Bible! I'm not sure how active I will be able to be in the actual Bible study meetings considering I'm due in 2 weeks but I'm going to do my best to keep up with them on my own even if I can't make it! About 2 weeks ago, I also began reading a book by Donna Morely called A Woman of Significance. I'm only on chapter 3, but so far it's really good.

I'd like to end with two of my favorite verses from chapter 66 of Isaiah.

"Thus says the LORD: “ Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the LORD.“ But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word." Is. 66:1-2

What a beautiful reminder that God doesn't need a temple of stone. His desire is to dwell in the heart of man, someone with a poor (humble) and contrite spirit (broken with godly sorrow over their sin)... someone who trembles at His Word.

May I desire His Word above all other resources and wisdom. May my thoughts and ideas be determined and weighed by the Scriptures. May His Word correct and lead me in sanctification. This is my prayer.

Progress...

Unfortunately, I'm not talking about the pregnancy.. Unless you count that every moment I am one second closer to Eli being here (I'm trying to be positive!!). I am talking about my plans to organize. Well, my sister did a wonderful job on cleaning up the junk/scrap/computer room. I'm really going to try hard to keep it clean. Seriously.

I did go through all of my shoes and it was a bit depressing. I got rid of a lot! Would you like to see why I am so sad?

Look at these cute shoes! But I had to face reality. I haven't worn them in over 2 years. For some odd reason I was holding on to them like my feet were going to shrink or something.

They are just shoes though.. right?

We didn't get Eli's room painted because we are having paint issues. Evidently the painter who painted our house (a year ago) went back over 3 spots in the room that would be Eli's to touch up. Well, those 3 spots are a different color green than the rest of the wall. That room has been an unused room for a while so it never really bothered me.. until I needed to put a baby in it! I purposefully picked out cute baby bedding to match the wall color. Well, that's great... except that I had forgotten about the 3 different color spots! And I have no idea what color the wall color is... We attempted to have it matched last night.. and it just isn't the same. Why did I not save the paint swatches!??!! So, it looks as if we're going to have to paint the entire room, and then do our little polka dot design. Hopefully, we'll get it done this weekend.

My sister did clean the house for me though, after all the organizing/sorting/throwing away.. and I love her for that. Well, I love her just because, but she really helped me out a lot! Thanks, Aunt B! (BTW, I don't think she reads my blog! So, if you know her.. tell her she should!)

I also had a Dr's appointment today. The update is: I am good, the baby is good. That's all. God is in control, that I am certain of. :)

Menu Plan Monday ~ August 11th (and a little rambling.. as always)

Well, we ended up eating out a few times this week so there will be some repeats! But I don't mind.. it just means I can save $$ on our grocery bill!

Menu for the week:

Baked Flounder (w/ a little lemon, salt and pepper), Green Beans, Wild Rice (repeat)

Crock Pot Short Ribs, Biscuits (I had to come back and edit this to add that this is a new recipe that I got from Gourmet Momma. I'll let you know how it turns out.. I've visited the site many times and the photos always look so good! And I love that she gives the nutritional info as well!)

Blueberry Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs (repeat)

Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Sliced Cucumber & Baby Carrots with Dressing

Pasta Sauce with Italian Sausage (using a few recipes to make my own) over some kind of noodles (whatever I have in the pantry), Salad


Since I've been having to repeat a lot of my meals, I'm only going to plan for 5 meals this week; instead of 6!

There's not many great sales going on this week but that seems to be the way it goes sometimes. (Except that Publix milk is on sale for $3.79)

(Breakfasts, Lunches & Snacks as usual!)

Oh and I'm going to be making some yummy cookies this week.. just because I can! :)

In other news....

I'm attempting to do some organizing today! (HAHAH!) My sister is coming over tonight to help with that too!

I'm organizing my shoes in my closet (and getting rid of many that I will never be able to wear.. Before Luke I was a size 7.5-8... and now I'm a 8.5... I must accept the fact that my feet will never be the same!!)

We're also going to be working on our computer/scrap/junk room. It's always a disaster. We have attempted to work on it in the past many, many times.... and it will occasionally look decent.. but most of the time, it's a huge mess.

And hopefully we'll get to do some painting in Eli's room. And by 'we' I mean.. my sister. ;) I think 'we're' going to attempt some polka dots on the wall. I'll post some pictures if it turns out cute!

Now, I must go and re-write my grocery list... Luke just ripped it up in a few dozen pieces!!!

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