Days 7,8,9...

Do you think someone is jealous!?!
( She isn't usually plopped over like that!)


She loves her bouncer!

One more thing...

About organics...

We wanted to start eating healthier now so that we can develop a habit that's the norm when Aby starts eating meals with us. We ultimately made this decision for Aby and all of our future children!

That's all!

Organics

I'm gonna cut this poll short because honestly I don't have much of an opinion.

We have recently made the switch and this is what I have found. The meat is oober expensive but it truly tastes better! The veggie chips and crackers are awful but organic granola with apples and cinnamon or dark chocolate pieces is a great snack! I love to have carrots for a snack or slice an apple with cheese. I also enjoy having oatmeal for breakfast or a banana and whole grain toast...if you can see a trend...We have decided to eat healthier. Not necessarily all organics. While we have switched to buying mostly organic food we have done so because most of the produce in a regular grocery store doesn't taste that great! If I couldn't tell a difference in the taste then I wouldn't waste my time going to Whole Foods and I wouldn't waste the money because some things are a little pricey. BUT for all of you who said you would eat it if you could afford it I think you can! I didn't think we could afford to switch until I did a little research but I am actually saving money! You heard me saving! Why? You may ask...because when you are buying fresh fruits and veggies and foods with no preservatives it will go bad so you can only buy what you can eat in a week! So that's what I am doing, Stephen doesn't love all of the new things that I am making but compared to oreos, ice cream, chips, organic chicken and rice is never going to measure up! Don't get me wrong still eat cookies and snack foods but as the exception not the rule!

Another trick that is saving me a ton of money is my meat mallot! I bought a meat tenderizor for $10 at target and anytime I buy a split chicken breast ($8) I cut it in half and pound it flat grill one piece and then cut it into two servings! Saving myself 8 dollars a week at the grocery store and the serving size is just big enough to fill us up!

Peasant Princess

I dig Mark Driscoll. I want to encourage you to check out is his Peasant Princess sermon series. Driscoll did a seven week series at his church over Song of Songs and it's available online for anyone to download. Stephen and I have watched the first five and really enjoyed them. They are each about an hour long but better then watching The Office, not hard to sit through at all! I enjoyed it so much that I have set up a group of young couple from our church to get together and watch and discuss them. If you are married, dating, single and between the ages of 18 and 90, you should watch em. No joke. Click here to check it out!

Not Me! Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

So what have I not been up to this week...certainly not making an entire batch of chocolate covered strawberries because they're my favorite and eating almost all of them before I realized that my hubby hadn't gotten any! Nope, not me. I also did not make a huge batch of cookie dough at the beginning of the week and make a dozen or so a day every night after dinner.

I also did not leave the Valentine's banquet (at church) before I finished my salad to check on Aby in the nursery that was only a couple steps away (b/c I was not sitting right next to the exit)and I did not continue to do this four times in a two hour period...and she was not still sleeping in her car seat every time! lol.

I did not want to cry when I saw that it was snowing again yesterday!

I did not convince my husband that we need new furniture instead of paying extra towards a student loan (don't tell Dave)!

and finally I did not leave my daughter crying in her bed this morning for who knows how long because I was half a sleep and thought that my husband was in her room while he was actually in the shower and had never been in her room! Oops..I mean nope, not me!

Homeschool

Again I'm surprised by the response to my poll. I guess this says something about who is reading my blog.

Why we won't send her to public school.
Stephen and I both attended public school, so feel I can speak freely based on my experience. During middle school and high school I had countless friends get pregnant and drop out, I had friends that were using serious drugs and were forced into rehab, I saw fights and gang violence, and I heard vulgar language on a normal basis. While I don't want to shelter Aby from knowing that these things exists I do want to shelter her from ever being involved with them and I believe that as her mother that is my responsibility. No one else is going to protect her from these things.

I also had teachers hated their job and were hardly motivated (mostly coaches that were obligated to teach a subject)to teach at all. I want Aby to have a teacher that loves her, and cares deeply about her education and will devote all her time and energy to make sure that Aby understands every subject,and loves learning. I know that I will do that. I also want Aby to have a teacher that will instill in her godly values. It's a guarantee that she won't get that in a public school, it's the law. She will not have open pray time, bible reading, scripture memorization and meditation...all things that she will do at home with me. Voddie Baucham says that "If we continue to send our children to Caesar for their education, they'll continue to come home as Romans." and I agree.

Why private school isn't our first choice.
Starting with the cost, we don't have the money for private school. For Aby to attend a private school it would require me going back to work and because we desire to have more children this is not a good option. Aside from that I don't honestly think it is much different than public school. In speaking with youth that attend a private school they believe that it's the same as public school, they just have a bible class. She may get a better education then she would from a public school because the standard may be set higher, but I don't believe it would be better than homeschool especially when you consider the price.

What if she hates it?
We are not going to torture her. If she is not enjoying it, or feels that she is isolated socially from other kids her age, we will consider other options. I would love for her to meet with other home school children for activities, I would consider taking her to school at a church part time. Stephen and I both love sports and we hope that this can be an avenue for Aby to interact with other children. We also love music and I hope that she will want to learn an instrument or take singing lessons. We want her to be happy, but in the end we are the parents and while she may not appreciate our decisions at the time, hopefully in the end she will understand why we made the choices we did.


I had a very hard time writing this post, I have so many opinions and there are so many options available when it comes to education. Hopefully we will make the right choice for Aby, I'm just glad that we have plenty of time before any decisions have to be made!

He tries so hard.

I always feel bad for Stephen being at work all day and missing out on so much time with Aby. I feel so bad that I let him wake up at night and change her diaper. This particular morning at 4am Aby had a blowout while she was sleeping and needed her outfit changed as well. When I woke up the following morning this is what I found...



Notice anything???

Maybe this will help...
I thought it was pretty funny, but in his defense it was 4am!

Aby at Five Weeks.

Time has flown by! I can't believe my little girl is already 5 weeks old! It's amazing how much she has grown in such a short period of time! Here are a few things that Aby is doing at five weeks of age!

-Aby can hold her head up on her own pretty well. It may only last a few minutes or even moments but she can do it! We were lying in our bed a couple of nights ago with Aby between Stephen and I and she was on her tummy looking at me and lifted her head and turned to look at Stephen when he started talking to her! It was so sweet!

(She's looking up at her crib bumper, she absolutely loves the bright colors...and don't say a word about how long her legs are (DAD!) we know, we know!)

-Aby love to be held upright, and I hate it. She doesn't want to be held like a baby but as if she is sitting up in a chair.

-Aby loves colors! She loves looking at her bumper in her bed,the walls in the living room, her toys...anything with bright colors. She also loves faces...she will stare you down!

-Aby loves when I read to her. She enjoys her colorful books more than the Bible (I assume its the colors not because she is a little sinner) she gets a little restless when we read the Bible.

-Aby hates taking a bath. She screams bloody murder although yesterday I tried holding her upright (in a sitting position) instead of lying her back and she didn't shed a tear!

-Aby loves her music. We turn it on when we want her to calm down and get ready for nap time, sometimes in an instant of turning it on she will totally relax.


-Aby is making new sounds everyday, she is starting to ohh and ahh. I can hardly stand it, it's so cute!

-Aby is can bear weight on her legs for a few moments. If she is mad she can practically stand up on her own...okay, maybe not but if she wasn't so bowlegged she could do it!

Project 365 Update

It's not easy to take a picture everyday. I blame my camera mostly. My camera takes regular AA batteries and they die daily. So, these were not actually taken on their assigned date and I'm willing to admit that but I will press on and try to include a picture of a few other things besides Aby to keep things fresh!



Day 5

Thanks Grandma Kak for the fancy outfit. It finally fits! As you can see Aby currently has horrible baby acne and I can't wiat for it to heal. It looks like she has a really bad rash and when anyone sees it I know that are thinking "what is that?" but never actually asking so I don't bring it up but I hate it!

Day 6



Now that I am a SAHM I have to bake cookies from scratch right? Bahaha! Nope, but I did and they were (in Racheal Ray fasion) Yummmo! I don't bake often but I do love to cook and lately I have really enjoyed shoping for a good deal and having dinner on the table when my hubby gets home from work! It's fun to try new things. Stephen isn't always impressed but he bites his tongue and cleans his plate for my sake!

Top 10 Favorite Things During Pregnancy

If you have a bun in the oven or you want one you should check this out! Hopefully you will see something you like!

Mustela
When I found out I was pregnant I thought "Oh my goodness! WOO HOO!" and my very next thought was " I don't want to get stretch marks!" I was honestly probably more anxious about what kind of condition my body would be in afterwards then I was about the labor and delivery itself. I searched to find the very best money could buy (or at least my very small back account) and this is what I found. It doesn't smell great but nothing really does when your pregnant but I am happy to report that my tummy is stretch mark free! I used it religiously, once in the morning and once at night! You can find it at Babies"R"Us for about $35 (a small price to pay in my opinions)!

Body Pillow
Every mom to be needs a good full body pillow. I only used mine for a couple months because in the beginning I didn't need it and in the end it wouldn't fit in the bed! But it was still definitely worth having. It just seems impossible to get comfortable and the pillow definitely helps! In my previous post I mentioned the boppy total body pillow, and like I said I haven't tried it but it was recommended to to me and looks really comfy!


Pregnancy Bible

I got this book as a gift early on in my pregnancy and I was so glad to have it! It gives a week by week outline of what is going on with the baby and you! It also has some great pictures of both. So you can monitor your size and know exactly how big the baby is! It also goes into detail about all of the different things that could happen during your pregnancy, labor, delivery, and the early days with your new baby! It's great! My doctor gave me a copy of what to expect when you're expecting but I preferred reading the bible!


Tums

Everyone will tell you that if you have indigestion during pregnancy that your baby will have a lot of hair. So far it's true! Aby was born with a healthy portion of dark drown hair and I had horrible indigestion my entire pregnancy! Tums are extremely helpful and safe enough to take everyday! They can even be used as a calcium supplement along with your prenatal vitamin! If your indigestion is awful like mine was ask your doctor about something a little stronger. I never mentioned it to my doctor...I always seem to freeze up at the end of my visit when they ask "Do you have any questions or concerns?" I would just say " Nope, everything is going good!" and then go home and suffer! I always forgot! Luckily I haven't had an ounce of indigestion since my little angel was born! Yay!


Belly Band

For all of you newly pregnant ladies this might be helpful! The belly band fits over your jeans so that you can continue to wear them...even after they won't button, or zip for the matter! You can find them at Motherhood Maternity for about $20, it will save you from needing new jeans for a while! I wore min until about 6 months!


Fit and Firm Pregnancy
That's right I did it! I walked at the park, and ran on the treadmill at the gym until people started staring! My hubby thought is was hilarious to watch (I had my Dr's approval before running) but I also bought this online for maybe $15 and did it at home several times a week. It is super cheesy but still a decent workout! It has different intensity levels depending on how far along in your pregnancy you are! If you think it's silly I would still recommend some kind of exercise!


Foot Bath
I bought myself one of these little goodies around 7 months. I wanted to get a pedicure every week but who has that kind of money! Lets be honest no one wants to go into labor with rank feet! So I bought this and used it at home a couple times a week, and even when it got difficult to reach em I kept my toes painted at all times...just in case! Luckily I was induced so I has plenty of time to make sure everything was looking good!


Lemonade
I didn't have very bad morning sickness while I was pregnant...okay, okay I only threw up once! I did get nauseous though! I'm not sure where I heard it but someone told me that lemonade could help with nausea. Like I said before I had very mild morning sickness and so I probably wouldn't recommend it for someone with severe nausea or vomiting but it might help a little! Ginger Root is also said to be helpful. You can buy it as a supplement or try a drink called Ginger Beer (found at Whole Foods), it tastes horrible but you can give it a try!

Wait...that's only eight!

My last two favorite pregnancy items are a little personal. I would rather not mention them for everyone to read but they are definitely things to know...if you are interested in finding out what they are leave a comment and I will e-mail you personally! Trust me you will want to know!

What were some of your favorite pregnancy items???

Coming Soon to a Blog Near You...

All of my favorite things during pregnancy! This will be fun, but it will take a while! Check back to find out what I was totally in love with while I was pregnant!

These are a few of my favorite things.

As a new mom I have obsessed over finding the newest baby gadgets and gear. I know that most of the people who read my blog are prego, working on it, or waiting on their little one to be born half way around the world and so I feel obligated to share. Here is a list of my top 10 baby items (so far).

The Soothie
Before Aby was born we had decided not to give her a pacifier. At 1am the day she was born we paged the nurse and begged for one! The soothie seems to be the easiest for her to keep in her mouth. The nipple is also very realistic unlike some pacifiers. We tried to give her a "binky" and several other pacifiers but they just kept falling out! I love the Soothie! This is what they will give you at the hospital if you request it, they can also be found at Wal-Mart.



The Boppy
The boppy is a wonderful tool! Breast or bottle feeding this thing is great! If you don't know what it's for let me tell ya, just slip it around your waste and rest your arms on it while holding, feeding, or playing with your baby! It really helps when you want to hold your baby all day but they weigh 10lbs like my little lady. The boppy is also great for when you want to eat dinner on the sofa...it makes an excellent plate holder! lol. I would recommend getting a separate boppy and cover (instead of the all in one) so that you can throw the cover in the wash anytime it gets "wet" or "dirty"! And for all of my expectant moms they also have a boppy total body pillow to use during pregnancy. I didn't have one but it looks amazing!



Medela Breast Pump
If you plan on breast feeding you must own one unfortunately these bad boys will clean out your pocket book. That is why I went to Once Upon A Child (a children's consignment shop) and found one for a 1/3 of the price! You can replace the tubing and anything that actually comes in contact with the milk for about $30. Just ask your lactation consultant at the hospital where you can purchase those items! It is a great deal. It takes me less than 10minutes to pump 3oz of milk which is whole feeding! The reason it is so important to have is to store milk! Aby is starting to sleep through the night causing my milk to decrease and so now I wake up a couple times a night and pump a bottle and freeze it! In the future when I want to go out for the day and leave Aby at home with the hubs he will have plenty of frozen milk for her! I can also just throw on my backpack and take it with me to pump while I'm away, it even comes with a nifty ice pack and container to keep the milk cool!

The Bumbo
I have not used ours yet with Aby because she can't hold her head up yet, but I have seen this thing in action with my nephews and I think it rocks! We bought Aby the bumbo with a play tray. It enables babies to sit upright all by themselves!


New Native Sling
I have a few slings and baby carriers that I purchased or that were given to me but my absolute favorite is my New Native sling. No twisting, tying, looping, stretching or buckling, just slip it over your head and on you go! I wear Aby in it to the mall, church, grocery shopping and even around the house sometimes. It is much more convenient than lugging around the whole car seat. Which I would recommend doing if you are going to be getting in and out of the car frequently (so that you don't have to disturb the little angels sleep)!
buckling or


Glider
I spend hours and hours everyday in my glider. I love to feed Aby in it, read to her, and rock her (almost) to sleep in it. Stephen love it too, so much that he thinks we should get another one and put them side by side in her room so that we will both have somewhere to sit! Every momma needs a glider. I think they are much smoother than a rocking chair but that's just a personal preference!


Family Driven Faith
I could write an entire blog post about this book alone but I will spare you (for now). Stephen and I received it as a gift when we found out we were pregnant and we couldn't be more grateful! I love Voddie Baucham and his ideas about family worship. I think every person who ever plans on being a parent should read it. Even if you disagree with some of his views you will enjoy the conversation starters that this book offers!

Moving right along...

Dr. Browns Glass Bottles
Before I had Aby a friend of mine said "I will only use glass bottles when I have kids" and I thought "huh? I wonder why?" So I did a little research and this is what I found out. Plastic bottles contain something called BPA if you ask the makers of the products who use this chemical they would say it's harmless...if you ask me its a chemical that could not possibly do anything good for Aby so I will do without it. Unfortunately there are still many products like Tupperware, water bottles, and plates that contain it and it's not always advertised (wonder why?) so as she grows up she will use items that contain BPA and we will pray that it is as harmless as they say! Now, as for why I picked Dr. Drowns bottles, they are supposed to be the best for reducing gas and reflux. I used them when I was a nanny and decided to look into the supposed benefits when I got pregnant, you can look here for more details about how they work! So far I don't have a bad thing to say about em!

Bulb Syringe

If you haven't had your baby yet keep this in mind, the hospital has the BEST bulb syringes! My sister told me this when I was in the hospital with Aby and I didn't think much of it but oh boy was she right! I am so glad that I saved mine now that Aby has an upper respiratory infection and I am using it a dozen times a day. I have several that I got in the little baby care kits but they stink! You can't get anything out with those silly things! So, a word of advice ask for an extra before you leave the hospital and hold onto it for dear life!

and finally...

Butt Paste
When we were using disposable diapers full time (aka last week) we used this good stuff at every diaper change. I decided to try a sample of something else that I got in the mail and she instantly got a diaper rash! It is a little pricey though. Lucky for us with our fancy cloth diapers her booty is looking good and we don't have to use it very often!

Sick Little Baby

Aby is not feeling well. We took her to the Dr on Saturday because she started coughing on Friday night. He thought we might have come in a little prematurely and let us know that it would get worse. She isn't running a fever but she sounds horribly congested and has the saddest cough you have ever heard. He said it is viral so there is nothing we can do except spray saline in her nose to try and break it up and then bulb suction it out. It seems to be helping because now not only is she congested and coughing but has snot running all over her little face. It breaks my heart, and scares me a little bit to see her feeling so crummy. He said it would last 3-5 days and I can't wait for it to be all over! I'm convinced that she is going to smile at me soon, a real "Hi Mom" smile...not a "I'm about to poop my pants" kind of smile...so I really need her to be feeling better!


I gave up swaddling her hands...she always gets them out!

Not Me! Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This week was pretty relaxing...NOT! We had our first full week without visitors since Aby was born and yet it was still busy busy around here! So what did we NOT do this week...Stephen and I did not load Aby into the minivan, get in buckle our seat belts, start our engine, throw it into reverse only to realize that the car was parked behind us and we wouldn't get very far! bahaha, nope that did not happen! I did not (yet again) watch The Biggest Loser with my traditional Oreo eating habits. Not me! I'm sure these aren't the only silly things that I didn't do this week but to tattle on my husband a little...
I did NOT catch my hubby in the front yard with one of the neighbors that he invited over to help/join in on the fun standing on top of our yard waste container holding onto a tree jumping up and down because "we have to fit more in"! Not my husband!

Baby Legs.

I found these at the store where we get our diapers... I think they are too cute! I can't wait until Aby is a little bigger so I can get her some! They say one size fits all but I seriously doubt they will fit her tiny little legs! Maybe next winter! The idea is that you don't have to take pants off and on to change their diaper!


THIS IS NOT A PICTURE OF ABY!!! (hahaha!!!)

Vote!

Check out my new poll!------------------------------->

Cloth Diapers

I am so glad to know what you think! I am a little surprised at the results of the poll. I thought it would be a little more towards "don't even think about it" or "that is so gross". Well here is what we think (Me, Stephen, and Aby)...We think they are very different than what we imagine when someone says cloth diapers. I know that they are a little more trouble than throwing on a pamper and chucking it afterwards BUT is it worth it?

On average a family will spend $2500 on disposable diapers per child! That is outrageous! I don't know about you but I don't have that kind of money...considering how many kids we want to have! Cloth diapers are an investment. We are putting the money up front now to save some in the long run. Compared to the price of disposable diapers we will save money starting with Aby and plan on reusing the same cloth diapers (and adding a few along the way) with all the children that follow!

Dioxin, you have probably never heard of it but it's a bleach byproduct and is one of the most toxic of all cancer linked chemicals and it's in disposable diapers. Disposable diapers also contain chemicals like polyacrlate gel and Tributyl Tim as well as perfumes, latex and dyes that can cause other complications. I know what you're thinking "don't be so technical, no one has gotten cancer from a diaper" but everyone these days seems to have cancer...and I'd rather be safe than sorry. If there is something I can do to prevent her from getting cancer or lower the risk, then I will do my best! I consider it my job to make the very best choices for her, even if it's not the easiest for me.

Disposable diapers are also the 3rd largest consumer item in landfills. Crazy right! I am no tree hugger BUT I do think that we are responsible for the planet and we will be held accountable to how we treat it. It's the same reason that we don't litter.

Cloth diapering for the glory of God. This is ultimately what drives us in making this decision. We have been in trusted with this little life and we want what is very best with her, we also desire to be fiscally, and environmentally responsible. my ministry is here at home with Aby and I seek to glorify God in every choice I make and ultimately I think that we are honoring him in this decision!

Let me be very clear about something though this is a choice that we have made for our family because we can. I recognize that not everyone is a stay at home mom. Not everyone has the money to put up front and frankly not everyone is impressed with the benefits of cloth and would never even consider it and that's okay. It doesn't work for everyone it is simply what works for us!

They also look super cute on her little hiney!

Stupid Cupid....Stop Picking On Me!

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's day! What a fun time to celebrate love. I love hearing about every ones plans for the day and seeing all of the flower delivery trucks out and about! Unfortunately my Valentine's day was very different this year. We woke up at 7am with a coughing, snot nosed little lady and made a quick trip to the doctor before breakfast. She has an upper respiratory infection, the doctor said it was viral so there is nothing we can do. Upon arriving home I proceeded to cook my husband breakfast. His gift from me this Valentine's day was his favorite bacon, pancakes, eggs, a nice cup of coffee and a card. I will mention that I burned at least the first 3 pancakes because of my horrible skillet. While we enjoyed our Valentine's meal we discussed cleaning up the yard from the storm, finishing the fence, painting the hallways, the stimulus bill, and Aby's new schedule (romantic huh?). After breakfast we decided to make a quick trip to Target to get some very much needed cookware. A gift to each other, now I can cook a decent meal...and now he doesn't have to eat all the burnt junk I make! Later in the evening Ginger decided she wanted to vomit several times (oh yeah and she pooped in the house for the first time in years while we were getting ready to go to the doctor) on the back porch, howling like she was being mauled. We still aren't sure what was wrong with her but she hasn't thrown up since yesterday. After she finished emptying her stomach Stephen wanted to rinse it off the porch with the hose...that we haven't used in several months because of the freezing temperatures. As I watched him from the back door I noticed that it sounded like the water was on full pressure but it was only drizzling out...then I noticed that the floor INSIDE was soaking wet! It was flooding! Holy moley! So we unplugged everything and proceeded to wash up the water, having no clue what has happened! To end my romantic V-Day I made some pasta, and watched a movie with my hubby...a crying baby and a very sad looking dog! And yet I wouldn't trade it for anything! Why? Because I don't believe in the Greco-Roman myth of cupid and his silly love arrows. I don't believe that love is a random, uncontrollable force, that can strike at any moment, or that it can end without notice. I believe that love is a choice, and I choose to love my husband unconditionally. As Voddie Baucham would say....I would rather have a sandwich with Stephen than sex with another man. And that is why I had a wonderful Valentine's day!

Stimulus

This blog was not created to talk about "the issues" it was intended to keep up with family and boast about my baby girl but I do have opinions and it is my blog! So here is what I think about the stimulus. Preposterous. What an amazing amount of money to be spent so carelessly. While president Obama rushes this bill along before everyone who is involved has a chance to read over it with a fine tooth comb we sit by helplessly. Sure you can call your senator or send a letter but is that really effective? I don't honestly think so. I'm sure there were many democrats who called there republican senators pleading with them to vote yes on this stimulus bill and yet only two republican senators actually did. It just simply isn't effective. I am happy to say that my senator Mitch McConnell was not one of those republicans. He is the senate minority leader and had this to say about the supposed stimulus...

“We’re taking an enormous risk -- an enormous risk -- with other people’s money,” said McConnell. “The president was right to call for a stimulus, but this bill misses the mark. It’s full of waste; we have no assurance it will create jobs or revive the economy. The only thing we know for sure is that it increases our debt.”

So how much money are we talking about? $789,000,000,000 To put this in perspective McConnell says "if you spent $1 million a day, every day since Jesus was born, you still wouldn't have spent $1 trillion."

So what exactly are they going to do with this money? Here is a break down of what some of the larger portions of this stimulus will be spent on...

Health care-$137.0
Tax Credit-$115.0
Energy-$92.1
Education-$91.0
Infrastructure-$85.7
Alternative minimum tax-$70.0 ( I don't know what this is, if you do please explain!)
Aid to the unemployed-$67.0

I am not only concerned with the amount of money that is being spent but with how quickly these decisions are being made. If things really are as bad as they seem then I would want our government to take their time and at least try to get it right. Throwing money at the situation and hoping that something works (claiming all the while that it might not work just to cover their rears when it doesn't) is not wise and I do not wish for my money (and your money) to be spent in this way.

I will continue to pray for our countries leadership. Asking God to save their souls and change their hearts. That they would desire to do what is right according to his word.

Happy Valentine's Day!

(Day four)

Day Three.

We are working on Becoming Baby Wise and let me tell you it is no joke. The idea is to get Aby on a schedule and stick to it so that she will start sleeping through the night. The routine goes like this starting at 7am eat, wake time, nap time repeat every 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours (except at night). Aby does really well in the afternoon but at night when she has her normal fussy time she usually misses nap time all together because she won't calm down. It is so hard to hear her crying and leave her in bed but I want a baby who sleeps through the night, in her own bed (eventually) and doesn't have to be held, rocked, shushed, swung, or take a pacifier to do it. It has already started paying off she slept last night from 9-2 (waking only to eat and going directly back to sleep)and 2:30-7!

Naptime.

After Aby had been napping for about thirty minutes I went in to check on her and this is what I found. I thought see looked too cute so I had to take a picture.

When she woke up I went in to get her and this is what I found.

Normally she has a sleep positioner to keep her on her back but today I left the positioner in our bed(where she sleeps at night). Need less to say I won't do that again!

Day Two.

Aby and I just getting home from the grocery store. I might cry too if a crazy lady kept putting funny looking bows on my head! They say a healthy baby will cry on average between one and four hours a day, and Aby is very healthy!



You thought I forgot...I just didn't have a chance to post yesterday!

Project 365

I recently heard about something called Project 365 (thanks Barie), the goal is to take a picture a day for 365 days and then make it into a book. After a very disturbing phone call from my step mom today where she told me that in the previous post of Aby and her new friend Sofia she and my Dad has a difficult time deciding which baby was mine I decided that I have got to do it. Not for me of course but for all of are friends and family at home. They have to see us and by us I mean Aby. She is going to grow so much this year and unfortunately everyone is a thousand miles away. And so I promise to do my very best to take a picture a day that includes my little lady and hopefully at the end you can all have a copy of the book! I don't want you guys (all of you at home) to miss a beat when it comes to Aby!

I am obviously no photographer but here we go. Day one.

Aby in her sling. This is how I spend most of my day, with a baby in tow! I am working really hard to get her to take naps in her crib. I hate the idea that she is getting spolied but I love having her close to me. I never worry about if she has stopped breathing or if her pacifier is going to fall out and wake her up (because she doesn't take it when she is in the sling) or if she has kicked off her blanket and her (adorable) little feet are cold! So, for now we will both be spoiled.

Pooping Swing.

To say that Aby loves her swing would be...a complete lie. She will tolerate it for a few minutes, if I'm lucky long enough to grab a quick shower and pick up a few things around the house. She will look at the window or stare up at the mobile but just when I think "She is starting to like it" she screams and wants out and I can't possibly get there fast enough...honestly it sounds like someone is torturing her. And almost every time I pick her up...I understand the tears, personally I would cry too...A complete blowout! EVERY TIME! When I put her in the swing she is clean and dry and when I take her out she is pooped all the way to her feet (she doesn't have a single pair of poopie free socks) you will also notice from the pictures that the swing is white. I have no idea who came up with that idea (or why we didn't consider it when we purchased the swing) but I find myself scrubbing it daily! So here's to Aby and her pooping swing!

Aby and Sofia

Today we had our first official play date!! WHOO HOO! Aby has her very first friend! We went to the mall, and all kinds of fancy consignment shops and then back home for some fancy frozen pizza and salad. I know what kind of person invites people over for dinner and cooks frozen pizza...the kind of person like me who has a one month old!!!




(Sofia was trying to calm Aby down by holding her hand...obviously Aby could care less!)

I'm no hippie...

But I do love my new tie dye onesie...Thanks G-Ma!


( Do I look like a frog?)