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!

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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....