Our normal.

It seems that I've been neglecting the old blog for a few days now...so here's an update. We have settled into a calm sense of normal, which is good. Nathaniel has set up his own sort of daily schedule, which is nice (in that I know when to expect him awake/asleep). I've never pushed any sort of a schedule on him because we're home all day, and I figure the baby can do what the baby wants. Apparently, Baby wants a schedule now--and Mama's okay with it!

Eric spends most of his days teaching and lesson planning and homework-ing. We turn up the heat and enjoy crackers and soup at suppertime.

Weekends are our family time, and we spend most of it in our living room with a board game or a new movie on the DVR. Best of all, we've got our little man to play with every single day--which always brightens us, no matter how dreary the weather!

We've gotten lots of snow upon snow, and it's cold. Really cold. As much as people complain about winter and the ice and snow and sleet, I can't say that I hate it. Maybe that's just because I don't have to get up early and drive to work in it. Maybe. Maybe it's just that I do enjoy living in a climate where we have changes with the seasons, and I want to enjoy them all! I feel like lots of people think that spring should start as soon as Christmas ends. Did you ever notice that winter does not actually begin until December 20th? That means that the majority of winter is after Christmas. Yeah, seriously. Anyway, it's almost Groundhog Day, so there is hope out there for all of you anti-snow bunnies!

snow.

Hey, it's been looking a lot like THIS outside our house today:

 So we spent most of our morning doing this:

 Until we decided that enough is enough in the house, and we needed some fresh air!

 Beautiful!

 So calm and serene...

 Until we realized that we were not alone....!

 And, back into the house we went!

Enjoy your snowy day!  And, keep warm!

meat boats.

We love this meal at our house!  No, it's not pretty {if you want pretty food, click on one of those professional food blogs over on the left--they've got pretty food!}, nor is it super healthy {use ground turkey, and it's not so bad!}, but it is YUMMY!  According to my husband, this meal is so good because it's all the best flavors of spaghetti--without the noodles!  Meat boats take some time to construct, but overall, this is a quick and delicious recipe for a weeknight that can be easily multiplied.

1 lb ground beef or turkey; cooked and drained

8 hard rolls

butter

1 can tomato soup

1+ tablespoon garlic powder

8 slices Velveeta OR American cheese

 First, cut off the tops of the rolls.  Next, make a hollow inside each roll by tearing out the insides.  {Save the ripped up bread bits, but you can eat the tops!}  Butter the inside of each roll, and sprinkle with garlic.  Place the rolls on a cookie sheet, and warm in the oven at 350 degrees. 

 While the rolls are toasting, mix the ripped up bread crumbs, tomato soup, ground beef, and garlic to taste.  {If you're like us, you'll want to add lots more garlic!}

 When the rolls are toasted, remove them from the oven and fill each with a generous portion of the meat mixture.  Sprinkle lightly with garlic, then top each "boat" with a slice of cheese.

 Warm the boats in the oven again--just until the cheese is melted. 

Serve warm, and enjoy! 

{These are easily reheated in the oven if they're sliced in half.}

Good Mom?

     What exactly is it that makes a good mom?  Is it the mother who feeds her baby only homegrown, organic, pureed vegetables and fruits?  Is it the mother who teaches her little ones to be polite and respectful to everyone?  Is it the mother who stays at home and doles out hugs and kisses all day long?  Is it the mother who works long hours outside the home while her children are in daycare, just so that she can buy them enough food to fill their tummies?  Is it the mother who reads her baby a Bible story every night before bed?  Is it the mother who is just trying her best, even though she doesn't really know anything about this whole parenthood thing?
     Let's face it: nobody really know how to be a parent before the fact.  Good mommies and daddies are made by babies, not by parenting books or prenatal classes.  We're all doing the best we can to raise our babies in the best way that we know how....and we will make mistakes!  But, you know what?  As long as we learn from those mistakes, they're okay.  There is no single right way of parenting to ensure that children will grow up to be healthy, well-adjusted, well-rounded, happy adults.  (If there was, I bet that book could be on the bestseller list for a while, huh?)
     I suppose, to an extent, we will parent our children the way that our own parents raised us.  And, sometimes, for whatever reason, we will make sure to do the opposite.  We are all different; we all have different parenting styles, and that's okay because, hey, our kids are all different too!  They have some of the same, but also some different needs and wants from any other kids, past or present.  As good parents, it is our responsibility to find the wants and needs of our babies, then to decide the best solution and follow through.  Easy or hard?  How about some of both!
     I've been Nathaniel's mommy for a little while now--5 months and 2 days on the outside, and quite a bit longer when he was in my belly!  I'm no supermom; I get tired and cranky and frustrated sometimes.  But, always, I love my son, and I want to do what is best for him.  I'm a breastfeeding, co-sleeping, baby-wearing, cloth diapering, stay-at-home mommy.  I'm proud that I can say those things, and I love doing them all!  None of those decisions were made rashly or without a lot of research.  I believe that raising my son in this manner is what is best for him, and that's why we do it.  I understand that other moms who do things differently have raised wonderful kids, but this is what works for us.  I wish people did not feel the need to criticize or judge, but I suppose that's just our human nature.  And, although I don't really think that I need to defend my own parenting, I do want to share a little about why we do what we do around here.  I've also included a few links if you're interested in reading more about the subjects.

Breastfeeding/Delayed Introduction to Solids
     Before I got pregnant, I never really gave much thought to what I'd feed my baby.  When I got pregnant, I thought maybe I'd breastfeed for the convenience and to save a little money.  Then I started doing my research.  Did you know that breastfed babies get sick way less often than their formula-fed peers?  Honestly, that was enough to sell me.  {I worked in a daycare for 2 years, and watching a feverish, raspy baby cough himself awake is enough to break your heart!}  Even the formula companies have to admit {in teeny little print} that breastmilk is the best food for babies!  As far as the difficulty and inconvenience of breastfeeding?  Not so.  We've had no issues, and it's working out wonderfully; Nate loves it, I love it, AND we're getting all sorts of health benefits!
http://www.nursingmothers.org/html/why_breastfeed.html
     According to the American Center for Pediatrics (and a bunch of other organizations), it is best to wait until a baby is 6 months old to introduce any foods other than breastmilk or formula.  There are numerous health benefits, but I'll leave it up to you to read them because I don't feel like typing them all out.  The following link provides an extensive explanation.
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html

Co-Sleeping
     Nathaniel sleeps in our bed with us at night.  Every single night.  On purpose!  Did you know that co-sleeping infants have a lower rate of SIDS?  That's the main reason why we started co-sleeping.  Maybe I'm a crazy, paranoid first-time mom, but I was absolutely scared out of my mind that my baby would stop breathing in his sleep when we brought him home from the hospital.  {I still find myself peeking over to watch his chest rise and fall while he naps.}  I also worried about the "You can't sleep with a baby because you'll roll over on him!" at first....until I did my research and found out that rolling onto a baby while sleeping is very rare, and usually only happens when one or both of the parents are until the influence of drugs or alcohol.  Our last reason for co-sleeping, which is a little selfish on my part, was that it's so much easier to breastfeed!  When Nate wakes up hungry in the night, I can get him and myself situated so that he can eat before he really, fully wakes up to cry.  Easy peasy!  Yes, yes, I know that transferring him to his own bed might be a challenge eventually....but that's why we'll wait until we're all ready.  I'm not worried about it now.  I promise you that he will not be sleeping in our bed when he's 15!
http://www.breastfeeding.com/reading_room/co_slepping.html

Baby-wearing
     Before Nate was born, I never envisioned myself baby-wearing, at least not often--it just seemed so "hippyish"!  Then I had a baby.  And, that baby loved to be held.  All. the. time.  Even when he was sleeping!  I discovered the joys of wearing Nate in the Moby wrap, and I have never regretted it!  He doesn't sleep in the wrap so much anymore, but it's still a lifesaver when he's fussy and I need to get things done around the house--or go grocery shopping at Walmart!  Not only is baby wearing conveniant for the mother, but it has several benefits for baby too.  Check them out...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babywearing#Benefits_of_babywearing

Cloth Diapering
     I've always liked the idea of cloth diapering--saving the environment is quite noble, right?  Well, after we received about 63 packages of disposable diapers at the baby shower, I quit worrying about diapers.  And, when Nate was born, he sure pooped an awful lot....and those disposables were awfully easy to use and toss.  Then, eventually, the poop caught up to the diapers.  We were down to the last few packages, and I started thinking about cloth again.  Although cloth diapers save us quite a bit of money now, they did require a small investment to begin with.  I wasn't sure about the brand or the type of cover to get (there are A LOT to choose from!), and then I couldn't find diaper pins for about two weeks!  We finally collected all of our supplies, and started our cloth diapering experimenting.  I don't regret a thing, and I would never switch back!  The laundry is not overwhelming at all (though it is best to hold your breath when dumping the load into the washer!), and, best of all, I feel better about using these!  Sure, we're producing about two bags of garbage LESS per week, but mostly, I'm happy about Nathaniel's bottom.  He has not had even a hint of diaper rash since we've started cloth diapering!  The more that I think about it, the more wary I am about the chemicals in disposable diapers; I am happy to avoid those touching my baby on a daily basis.  {We do, on occasion, use disposable diapers when we're going out for a long period of time, or when someone else will be watching Nate.}
http://pregnancy.about.com/od/thenursery/a/reasonscloth.htm

Stay-At-Home Mom
     This was an easy decision for us.  I've wanted to be a stay-at-home mom for as long as I can remember.  I believe that it is best for both mother and child to be together on a daily basis, and I do not believe that children were made to be raised in a large group childcare setting.  I've always said that working in a daycare taught me one thing: I will never, ever send my baby to a daycare.  I saw adults mistreat babies/children when their tempers ran out, and I saw children growing up 50 hours/week in daycare.  I know that there are some parents who have no choice but to work while their babies are in daycare, but I knew that it was not an option for me and my baby.
  Yes, I know that there are those who would say that by playing with my boy all day, or reading him 8 stories a day, or holding him all the time, or rocking him to sleep will spoil him.  But, I disagree; I don't think that an infant can be spoiled--they can only be taught that their needs will be met and that they are loved.  And, honestly, what if I do "spoil" my baby into wanting to be rocked everyday?  Well, that's okay with me.  That's why I'm a home, and my job is take care of him AND to make sure that he knows just how incredibly loved he truly is!

5 months.

     Nathaniel is five months old today!  I'll spare you the "oh, my baby boy is getting so big, so quickly!" speech....mostly because I already wrote it for you in yesterday's post!  Anyway, my handsome little man is 5 months today.  He is such a happy baby; we get comments about how quiet/good he is when we're out.  For example, he sits in church through the sermon.  Quietly.  Awake, usually.  He likes to look around during the praise and worship portion of the service, drink his bottle as the sermon starts, then sit quietly and watch the pastor until he falls asleep (usually about 10 minutes before church is over).  Just to clarify, Nate is the one who falls asleep during the sermon, not the pastor...!

     Other than being a perfect angel in church, Nathaniel likes to play!  He LOVES his baby gym that he got for Christmas, and he loves rattles.  He chews on everything, and he thinks that Mommy and Daddy are so funny!  And, Grover too!  He laughs at funny voices, goofy faces, and his animal mobile!  Another favorite activity of Nate's right now is bubble blowing and making a wet razzing sound.  He loves to people-watch, whether we're at church, the grocery store, or at home!  He likes to read stories, especially his touch & feel books! 

     He can hold his weight on his legs when he's held up, and he likes to sit upright to look around.  He loves to cuddle with Mommy when he's tired, but can't wait to play with Daddy when he gets home from work!  He hates tummy time with a passion, and, therefore, spends most of it with his face buried in his hands, wailing.  For that reason, he is not rolling over yet....not that I don't think he he physically can; I've seen him come pretty darn close, but he generally doesn't like to try.

     Nathaniel is still being exclusively breastfed; I am planning to start him on solids at 6 months.  He has had just a few sips of water from a glass, which he was very proud of!
     And, without any further ado, Nathaniel, making his YouTube debut, expresses how he truly feels about turning five whole months old!

sweet boy.

     Look who's going to be 5 MONTHS OLD tomorrow!!!  How is he getting so big, so fast?!  I am quite certain that choosing to let me be a stay-at-home-mom is the best parenting decision that Eric and I have made.  I cannot even imagine being away from my little one every day to go to work.  I LOVE spending all day with my little man!  Sometimes my husband says that we're going out simply because Nate and I haven't been out of the house in 3 or 4 days.  When he says that, I admit that I'm usually kind of surprised to realize that it's true!  Has it really been a week since we went anywhere?!  I love staying home, playing with my baby, feeding him whenever he's hungry, and letting him nap until he's ready to wake up.  I like cooking dinner, and I don't mind sweeping the floors.  And, although I could do without all the laundry, this is, hands-down, the best job ever!  Right after Nate was born, I was overwhelmed by staying at home all the time.  Sounds silly, huh?  But, really, I wasn't quite sure what to do with my time...or what I should do first!  I realized that not only is this the first job that I've had without a boss, it's also the first job that I've had without any sort of formal leadership or training.  Thank goodness for my mom and Google!  Now that I've been at it for a few months (almost 5!!!), we've got our routines down. 
     When I worked at the daycare, I saw a few babies take their first steps.  At daycare.  Without their mommies or daddies watching.  Of course, we never told the parents, and within a day or two, the parents would come in beaming and telling us how Baby took his/her first steps last night!  Now I suppose we could say that what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them, but, golly, I want to be the one to see Nathaniel take his first steps!  And, I want to hear his first word!  I don't know from experience about all of the "firsts" yet, but I know that that first smile and the first laugh were the most precious moments to me as a mother!  And, I want all of those special moments to go to Eric and/or me....not some daycare employee that may or may not know my child's daily routine better than I do. 
     What a blessing every single day with my boy is!  I am so thankful for this amazing opportunity.  And, hey, you should be too; if I worked out of the house all day, you can bet that I'd spend my nights with my baby--without any opportunity to blog during a morning naptime! 

brownie fail.

     I enjoy baking, and my husband enjoys brownies.  We're a perfect match, right?  That's what we thought, anyway!  For years and years, I have been baking brownies from my grandma's brownie recipe that I'd tweaked just a little to make, as my husband calls them, The Best Brownies Ever.  I'm not a huge brownie fan, but he loves them....so I keep making them.  And, as more people tasted them, they were declared The Best Brownies Ever by a lot more people.  So, am I going to share my wonderful brownie recipe with you today?  Nah.  Maybe next week.  Anyway, I feel more compelled to tell you about this time that I'd decided to make brownies that wouldn't be quite so compelled to cling to my hips forever. 
     Black Bean Brownies.  Ever heard of them?  They were a hit in the "mommy bloggy recipe" world several months back, and I bookmarked the page.  Recently, as I passed the black bean section in the grocery store, I remembered the recipe, and felt compelled to try it.  C'mon, what could've held me back from trying HEALTHY brownies for so long?!  I'd read about them on multiple sites; everyone said the same thing: don't tell anyone what's in them, and your kids and husband will be chowing down on these delicious, healthy treats!
     Here is the recipe: Open one can of black beans, and rinse beans.  Pour the beans back into the can, and add water until full.  Pour the entire contents of the can into blender, and blend well.  Mix blended beans with your favorite brownie mix.  {Add nothing else.}  Bake according to directions on the box.  Sounds easy peasy, right?  It was.  And, without oil or egg, plus the added bean fiber, these brownies are like super dessert, right?  Yeeeeah. 
      Now I'd read that black bean brownies have a bit of a different consistency than "normal" brownies; they are "fudgy" and "dense".  Okay, we have no problems with "fudgy" brownies around here.  What we do have a problem with is brownies that are the consistency of thick spackling paste, as these particular brownies were.
     Sadly, I have no pictures of the black bean brownies to share, but they really just looked like any other brownie.  True to what I'd read, there was no bean taste.  There was also no fudge taste.  There was, on the other hand, a chocolatey spackle taste....not that I'd know; I'm just guessing about the taste of spackle.  If I were to find a motto for black bean brownies, I think it would be something like, "Black Bean Brownies, they stick to your teeth, not your behind!" 

Snow Day.

     As you may know, Eric is finishing up his Master's of Education degree for Spanish and French. {Smarty pants!}  Yesterday was his first day of student teaching.  (Why, yes, he already has been teaching at the college level for 2 years, but that is inconsequential to the university. Bah!)  Luckily for Eric, we woke up to about 4 inches of white stuff on the ground (not the 6 that the weather man promised me, but I'll take it!), and Snow Bird dancing on the television. He spent his first day of student teaching like this:

A leisurely pancake breakfast;



Playtime for Daddy and Nate;



A bit of studying;



A little shoveling;

 

Relaxing after a long day...

     Don't worry; he only got to sleep in two extra hours today, before actually attending classes!



it has started!

Stream of Conciousness.

     I am just now realizing that Nathaniel is almost 5 months old.  WHAT?!  5 months....that's almost 6 months, which is old.  Yeah, yeah, I know that babies aren't old, but 6 month old babies are not newborns; they're babies.  Real babies who can sit and roll and babble and eat pureed peas!  And some of them can crawl!  I am not ready for this phase; my baby is supposed to stay itty bitty for at least 2 years!
     We are supposed to get 6 inches of snow tomorrow, and I cannot wait!  I lovelovelove snow!  We've gotten a few snowfalls this season, but nothing big yet.  Really, I wonder if we'll ever get the massive snowfalls that I remember playing in during my childhood.  Wasn't it normal to get a foot or two of snow a few times each winter?  Maybe I was just a lot shorter...
     I need to take down my Christmas decorations.  Last year, I left them up until mid-February because I was in the first trimester of pregnancy, and all I could manage to do was go to work, take a nap, eat a few popsicles, go to bed, repeat.  I didn't mind because I love a decorated house, but I'm ready to put it away this year.  We've got a lot of pine garland, red bows, and sparkle lights cluttering up the place, and I need clean.  Maybe a fresh blanket of snow will inspire me?
     Tomorrow's date will be 1/11/11.  Cool, huh?  I bet that 11/11/11 will be crazy full of weddings because it's a repetitive date (always a big wedding day), and it's a Friday.  {I just checked; I am not nerdy enough to know that.  What?  It's nerdy to check?  Whatev.}  I hope that we are invited to a wedding that day.  I love weddings.  FYI: being a bridesmaid when you're 8 months pregnant and it's 95 degrees outside is not as fun as it sounds.  And, you will not like any of the pictures of yourself, even though you found a really pretty maternity bridesmaid dress to wear.  Trust me, I know.
     Are you disappointed that you've read this far and not seen any pictures of the cutest baby ever yet?  Okay, okay, if you insist...

Brothers, Sirs.

     As of yesterday morning, I've got two, count 'em, TWO brothers who are US Marines.  Don't wanna mess with me now, do ya?  Didn't think so.  With the freshest bunch of Marines from Paris Island, Matthew graduated from boot camp.  Anyway, after a very eventful ride {think a little GTO traveling through a massive snow storm...}, they have finally arrived home, albeit tired, grumpy and hungry, but home nonetheless!  Since Tim has to return to his base within the next 24 hours, today was my only opportunity to see both brothers at the same place and same time!  We gathered at my house with a few favorite cousins, a big batch of cinnamon rolls, and, of course, Grover.  It was a fun afternoon, and I'm glad that I got to spend time with both Tim and Matthew.

     In case you can't tell, I am very proud of my brothers and their accomplishments.  They are proudly serving their country, and I cannot think of a more honorable occupation.  Tim will be deployed to Afghanistan within the next month for a 6-7 month tour, and I crave your prayers for him.  Please keep him and his entire company in your prayers.  Thank you, and semper fi!

Grumpy Bear.

     We've been having a rough start to the new year around here.  I think that Nathaniel is either teething or having a super duper growth spurt.  Or both.  He's been fussy for three days, and only sleeping in 2 hour increments.  All. Night. Long.  He's been waking up to eat, then {thank goodness!} going right back to sleep.  Unless his nose is stuffy from the dry air; then I have aspirate his nose, which makes him grouchy.  (Yes, I guess having someone suck snot from my nose wouldn't exactly be a lullaby...!)  Then, I nurse him again until he falls asleep.

     So, you might say, that's what babies do.  Sure, that's what most babies do, but not my baby!  He's never slept less than 4 hour stretches at night since he was born!  Last night, I hugged him extra tight because he was so stinkin' cute when we were up at 1:00.  At 3:21, I kept telling myself to be thankful that I have such a beautiful son.  At 4:01, I read a chapter of a book.  At 4:55, I told myself that there are millions of women who would do anything to be in my shoes.  At 7:18, I considered asking one of those women to come babysit for the night.  At 7:55, I got up and showered.  I might add that it's now past 10:00, and Nathaniel is still sleeping! 

     Don't get me wrong here, I feel terrible for my little guy.  I wish I could take all of the pain away.  {...why must baby teething be painful anyway?  He didn't ask for those teeth!}  He's trying his very best to be happy, but it's rough when he's crying before he ever opens his eyes to wake up.  We've been having lots of snuggle time, and I've got my fingers crossed that today will be better!  Of course, this isn't getting him completely down; after about every other {nice long} nap and a good, long nursing, Nathaniel does have a bit of happy awake time!  I've been getting laughs at peek-a-boo, giggles at tickles, and big, sleepy smiles at night....come to think of it, all those night wakings were totally worth it for my boy!

Now if you'll excuse me, I think I hear a baby stirring, and I'll bet he's got a morning smile for his mommy...

Find Your Wings

It's only for a moment you are mine to hold
The plans that heaven has for you
Will all too soon unfold
So many different prayers I'll pray
For all that you might do
But most of all I'll want to know
You're walking in the truth

And If I never told you
I want you to know
As I watch you grow
I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage
To dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
And help you find your wings

May passion be the wind
That leads you through your days
And may conviction keep you strong
Guide you on your way
May there be many moments
That make your life so sweet
Oh, but more than memories

It's not living if you don't reach for the sky
I'll have tears as you take off
But I'll cheer as you fly

lyrics by Mark Harris

2011.

Happy New Year!!  Hope you all have a blessed and joyous 2011!