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8.28.2011

8 Months!

My sweet girl is 8 months old today! She even decided to celebrate early by waking momma up with a big slap on the face and a drooly kiss, but she didn't stop there! She then proceeded to prepare the most revolting diaper she has EVER had. It was SO much fun! Ha... yea.

Anyways... so this past month Boogie got her first tooth, REALLY started pulling up, scooting (slowly) on her butt, jabbering up a storm, and has fallen in love with the Backyardigans. She is also moving up from large chunks of food to tiny bites... she finally figured out how to use her pincher fingers! She's tried pancakes, scrambled egg yolk, chicken and rice, white rice, carrots, broccoli, and a little sneak of ice cream... hehe!

She's grown so much this past month, and honestly I'm looking forward to when she starts crawling and/or walking! I'm ready for her to be mobile and a little more independent! It makes me sad that she is getting to that point, but also relieved that she's finding herself! She's still co-sleeping and nursing occasionally through the night, and while we have some rough nights, we have more good nights than rough.

So... happy 8 months sweet baby, momma ADORES you!!!








8.26.2011

Five Question Friday






1. Did you make any fun purchases this week?
Nope... haven't made ANY purchases this week, LOL!

2. If you could go to any musical concert what would it be?
I really want to see Celtic Woman... but then again, I'd love to take J to see Third Day and/or MercyMe in concert... he's never been to a Christian concert!!!! 

3. What is your least fav/most fav house chore?
Least fave... dishes. Luckily I have a dishwasher, and his name is J! :) My most fave... diaper laundry. Not always fun, but every time I stuff a diaper I'm reminded of how one little diaper can be used over and over to not only help the environment, but to also save money and keep my little one's booty out of chemically filled sposies!

4. Would you prefer new appliances or clothes?
That depends on when I would get them. If I had to get them NOW, I'd say appliances. If I could get them after we're done having kids and after I'm done nursing our children... then clothing. I don't have a SINGLE top that isn't stained with breastmilk... and NOTHING I do will get those darn stains out!

5. Miracle Whip or Mayo?
Mayo... mmmhmm.





8.23.2011

A Little of This... A Little of That

My life as a blogger at the moment is in meltdown mode... I just don't ever have the time or patience to sit down and type. However, at the moment my daughter is nursing to sleep and I do NOT want to read anymore American History... so here I am!

What's new? Boogie cut a tooth on Saturday, you can't really SEE it yet, but you can definately feel it with your finger! She is still not crawling, but that's really no surprise... she IS still pulling up on everything in her reach and has contemplated a career similar to Evil Kenevil's! Yesterday we were playing in the floor of her room, I was doing some reading for school and she was just doing her usual thing of picking up a toy... throwing it... screaming at me... and repeat! Well, she decided that it would be great fun to pull up on my shirt, and in the process ended up nose diving right into the closet door (which was open, so she hit the edge where it folds out when you open it). She hits her noggin a lot, but this time she SCARED me. It left an indention, she locked up and didn't breathe for a minute before she started screaming... and even nursing wouldn't calm her down. So we called the pediatrician and they had us bring her in just in case. Thankfully she is OK, and she was back to her normal self within an hour... but AH! And I'm not one of those mom's who freaks out when her kid falls... seriously, this kid hits her head atleast twice a day! Ay yi yi!

J is almost done with his class... we'll be signing him up and paying a hefty fee for his exam this fall and he'll take it in March (I think). Hopefully there will be more changes in the next few weeks for him job wise, so we'll see what happens!

I'm in school. It sucks. I'm ready to be done so I can just relax and enjoy being a mommy. Oh... but I did learn one really cool thing! There was a short little info section on Huron Indians in the 16th century! Did you know that they breastfed their kids until they were 3 or 4 years old? So ha! Proof! I'm not a wierdo, my kid's only 8 months old! :-p And I bet THEY didn't use nursing covers! Sorry... I couldn't help myself.

Ummm.... anything else I haven't already blogged about? Vacation may or may not happen when we'd like it too... more on that later.... possibly going to Ohio to see my mom's side of the family (hopefully).... oh. And Boogie is now 18lbs and slowly moving up to 12-18 month clothing. AND she'll be 8 months old in 5 days. Where is my 5lb squishy? And since I don't have a graceful way to end this random post..... bye!





8.19.2011

It's That Time of Year Again...

School.... oh school. I was semi excited about this semester, I scheduled my classes so that I am taking two 8-week classes until October and then I will start another two 8-week classes until December. A little bit quicker paced, but I'm not loaded down with four classes at one time... my thought was that this would make it easier and I would still have time to do my everyday "chores" and care and play with Boogie. According to Boogie, that's not the case unfortunately.

EVERY time I pick up my textbook to read, or pick up my notebook to take notes... she demands attention. If I get her to sleep and start doing homework... she wakes up demanding attention. I refuse to fail another class. I refuse to drop another class. Somehow, I will finish this semester with good grades... then I will take more classes in the spring and finish with good grades and I will FREAKING graduate with my AA. It will only take me 3 years :-\ Ugh.








Five Question Friday






1. Do you close the bathroom door when you are home alone?
Well, technically I am NEVER home alone... so when I'm home with just Boogie then no, I do not. She usually sits in the hallway while I shower or use the restroom. With her... you can NEVER not be within her sight or she FREAKS!

2. You have to walk around with a word on your forehead. That word describes you. One word. What is it?
Mommy.... at this moment in my life, that's who I am and I LOVE it!

3. What store do you refuse to shop at and why?
Abercrombie AND Hollister... not only do they only carry microscopic sizes, but they also spray entirely too much cologne/perfume all over their stores and it's gross. 

4. If you participated in arranged marriages for your child(ren), who would you choose for your children?
That's difficult. Boogie's personality is definately coming out, but with her being so young I still don't know who she is yet. I do know I'd choose someone that could take care of her and would love her unconditionally. I'd choose someone who would adore her and cherish their time together. But first and foremost, I'd choose someone who upheld the same beliefs that we do.

5. If you could pick how and when you die, would you?
No, I wouldn't, because I believe God's timing is impeccable.... even when it doesn't seem that way to us.


 








8.15.2011

Blogger FAIL

I have been a horrible blogger lately and I apologize... I've just not been into it lately! The free time I have I've put into cleaning, laundry, family time, etc. All important things but I try to keep this updated so that when I look back I can remember all the fun things that Boogie has accomplished! Anyways...

Boogie has been babbling for quite a while now... we get lots of "mama's", "dada's", "nana's" and "nene's"... here newest is "baba"... or so I thought! First it was "baba", but then it turned into "buh-bye!" I even caught it on camera! If you whisper "buh-bye" to her and tell her to tell whoever is leaving bye... she says it! It may be a fluke, but she's consistent! She's trying to pull up on a lot more now, it's scary to think she could be walking in the next few months. In our living room we have a corner set up just for Boogie's toys and books and things, there are two shelves and then there's a shelving system with canvas drawers. The shelves are just your basic shelves from Walmart or Target, so the middle shelf comes out... which isn't so good for my little one who likes to pull up on them! Hopefully we can get some real wood shelves to replace those at some point and bolt them to the wall!

Sourwood was this weekend... and honestly it was kind of a bust. If you don't know what Sourwood is, it's a festival my hometown throws with homemade goods and really bad for you food. I was thorougly disappointed in the festival this year. I did however stop at the hardware store (best shop downtown in my opinion... you can buy all kinds of neat toys, old fashioned gadgets, and just your basic hardware needs) and found J some rubber ducky boxers. HA!

Let's see... what else? Sorry this is a completely random post of updates... but sometimes that's just the way it is! J was having a pretty rotten weekend at work so to cheer him up, which I really should do every day, I got the entire apartment clean. My lovely friend, Janelle (also known as the Flint Monster Wrangler), came by to entertain Boogie while I finished up. Prior to her arrival it took me over TWO hours to clean our tiny kitchen... that is just ridiculous. Why, you ask? My daughter thinks the world revolves around her pretty little head, and while my life does revolve around her 99.999999% of the time... that .00000001% that didn't was today when I was focused on making sure her daddy came home to a clean house! Hehe. There were only two things I didn't do. One, I didn't clean the tub or shower because I was afraid of scary spiders. Really. I swear, everytime I go in there I find spiders. We did bomb the house with one of those bug bombs, but I STILL have J check before I go in there. I'm a wimp, I admit it. Two, I didn't pull out the random socks, shoes, and odds and ends out from under Boogie's changing table. Why? Spiders. I've seen them in there, and I was not chancing that I would pull one out. Ew.

I think that's it. Hopefully I will stay up to date this week and have something more exciting to post! Until then...

New pj's... size TWELVE months. Ay yi yi!


8.11.2011

Patience

Patience... that's something I'm struggling with lately. We've started Elah on a schedule of sorts, we're not necessarily making her nap at the same time everyday, but we are having her nap every 2-3 hours. So far, it's working fairly well, however, bedtime is an entirely different story. My girl sleeps GREAT... once she gets to sleep. After trying CIO for about an hour during a nap one day, I have decided that it's really just NOT for us. Not only was it very upsetting for me, but Elah was hysterical... gasping for air, turning purple. And that, I was not OK with. The plan is to have her nap every 2-3 hours all day, which usually means 3 naps a day, nursing before each nap. Then, bedtime routine was starting at 7 (or depending on her last nap a little later if needed) with a bath/shower, 30 minutes of playtime, 2 or 3 books in bed, and then we lay down and I nurse her to sleep. It had been working... until tonight. I'm thinking 7 might be too early, so we might go back to 8, and work our way down to an early bedtime. She fought me and J all evening. We did our routine as usual, and she DID fall asleep, but she woke up after 15 minutes ready to play. I tried nursing her, rocking her, holding her, walking with her, everything! I was incredibly frustrated and quickly losing my patience, so we finally just sat in the floor with her and played for an HOUR until she was too tired to play anymore. I nursed her for 7 minutes and she was asleep.

I really didn't mind waking up with my newborn every couple of hours to feed her, because I knew at that time in her life she NEEDED that nourishment and mommy/baby time. NOW... I'm not so patient or excited about it. Elah sleeps through the night, she is very capable of doing so without nursing... so when she wakes up wanting to play or be cuddled... I do it, but I'm usually very frustrated about it. We will continue to co-sleep, for everyone's sanity, but after her 1st birthday, when I feel like she is ready and can understand a little better that when it's time for bed, it's TIME for bed... then we might revisit CIO. Until then... I'm staying FAR, far away!

Please pray for my sweet Elah, pray that she finds sweet dreams and has a pooplosion tomorrow. (Really... she NEEDS to poop). Amen! ;-)


8.07.2011

Discouraged

I'm not really sure what to say at this point. I can say that I am so tired of being judged and so tired of being put down for decision I make pertaining to Boogie. I have never intentionally put down someone for how they raise their children, I may think it... I may not agree with what they are doing, but I would never say anything to take them down and make them feel bad as a person. If they are putting their child in danger, than yes I may discreetly say something, but I always have an internal battle as to what I should say and try to be very careful with my words. Words are a funny thing... they can be uplifting, they can be supportive... they can also be cruel and detrimental to one's emotional being. Why is it so hard to just be supportive?

I believe that the decisions we have made for our daughter are the best ones for us, they may not be the best for you, and that's fine. Even as I write this blog, I'm battling with myself as to how to word this because I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Sometimes I think I am too nice for my own good. I am emotionally drained. I am emotionally broken at this point. From words that have been said (or typed) and from my daughter being completely and entirely attached to me to the point where I have no idea what to do with her. I am hurt. I am discouraged. Luckily... I am a child of a wonderful God who showed me this, this morning.

Hebrews 12:2-3 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and completer of our faith, who, for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”



8.02.2011

August Meal Plan

Needless to say, J and I were very disappointed with how the majority of our meals turned out for our freezer stash meal plan last month. Although we found a few new recipes that we LOVED (Farmer's Casserole, Mix n Match Soup, etc) there were more that feel short of our expectations. So, this month we have decided to do a few freezer meals so that we will have pre-made meals on hand, and then the rest of the month I'm going to figure out how to keep Boogie entertained AND cook a meal every day. I have a wonderful little girl, she's fantastic... but she thinks she needs mommy's undivided attention 24/7, and that's including in the middle of the night! I want her to eat meals with us in the evenings, but I think for the time being (especially considering we don't have a table... nor do we have room for one) I will put her in her high chair by the kitchen and let her eat her BLW meal for the day while I cook. I'll let you know how that goes!

We go shopping ONCE a month and we try not to go back to the grocery store except for necessities (milk, bread, etc). We shop for the majority of our groceries at Aldi (super cheap, pretty decent quality) and then finish off at Ingles. One of the main reasons we choose to shop once a month is because the only Aldi near us is about 20 minutes away and with gas prices they way they are...  it's just not practical to drive to Aldi more than once a month. The only other times we make a trip to Asheville is if we have doctor's appointments or if I need to see my advisor or buy books at school. Occasionally if we have the extra cash we'll go out to eat or stop at the mall... but normally we avoid Asheville.

Anyways, this month I have chosen 14 dinner meals, the majority of those meals will make enough for leftovers for both lunch and dinner the next day. When there's not enough for both lunch and dinner we'll have sandwiches those days. I've also chosen 5 breakfast items that will be good for about 2 weeks and then in between those we'll have cereal or oatmeal. So... here's the plan.

Dinners:
  • White Chicken Chili (w/garlic bread and a salad)
  • Taco Soup (w/ white cheese dip and chips on the side)
  • Basic Potato Soup (w/salad and a veggie)
  • Taco Salad
  • Mix and Match Chicken Soup (w/a sandwich or some kind of bread on the side)
  • Farmer's Casserole (w/veggie and baked potato)
  • Hearty French Onion Soup (w/a sandwich)
  • Stromboli (w/salad)
  • BBQ Chicken (w/veggie and baked potato OR roll)
  • Blake's Burritos (w/rice and beans on the side) **courtesy of Blake and Elah's best friend Taylor!**
  • Wings (w/baked fries and a veggie)... by far my favorite and most unhealthy meal... but it's a MUST!
  • Texas Pete Chicken (w/veggies and mashed potatoes)
  • Garlic Chicken (w/veggies and bread)
  • Chicken Salad (w/crackers or bread and a side of veggies)
  • Sandwiches (w/chips or soup) to fill when no leftovers are available
Breakfasts:
  • Breakfast Burritos (w/fruit)
  • Muffins (w/fruit or yogurt)
  • Breakfast Quiche (w/fruit)
  • Biscuits and Gravy (w/eggs)
  • Pancakes (w/eggs)
  • Cereal (w/fruit)
  • Oatmeal (w/fruit)
As you can tell, I'm a big fruit eater during breakfast (and during snacks)... and we are trying to eat a bit healthier. Not necessarily watching calories or anything like that but just being more careful with portion sizes and how much we're eating. I have noticed that the less I eat the less breastmilk I produce... so I will be eating 3 normal sized meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and having good wholesome snacks in between... and probably one around this time. I've noticed that if I don't have SOMETHING int he middle of the night that I wake up completely starving and nauseus from an empty stomach. So... there you go. The Farmer's casserole, quiche, burritos, and muffins will all be made a day or two after our grocery trip and be frozen for meals (sliced individually for servings), everything else will be made that day. I'm going to do my best to remember to take pics of the meals and process so that I can share recipes... some of these are AWESOME! Until then... good night and God bless!


8.01.2011

Once a Month Menu Plan UPDATE!

Well, we've tried quite a few of the meals we froze at the beginning of this month... so far the soup, quiche, black beans and rice, breakfast burritos, and muffins have been the only things we've liked :( . The not so good were the lemon chicken... it wasn't awful but it wasn't great either... the chinese morsels (awful), broccoli chicken (ew), and corn chowder (didn't freeze well AT ALL). We haven't tried the Teryaki chicken or Wild Rice chicken yet... so let's hope they're a bit better!

And now I have to run... been fighting with Boogie to sleep since 9pm and Justin isn't having any luck. 11pm is WAY too late for my sweet sleepy girl to be awake!