Wow, the last week has been a week of Big firsts for Baby B. First there was the 5.8 magnitude earthquake that shook the East Coast. Baby B was napping upstairs and didn't flinch. I had my momentary freak out moment of "why in the world is my house shaking?!" and then relaxed once I realized everything was alright. Earthquake on the East Coast...craziness.
And then there was Hurricane Irene, which didn't end up being as damaging to our area as many predicted but still knocked out the power to our house for 48 hours. The problem with no power, besides the inconvenience of no TV, Internet, or air conditioning, is that our entire plumbing system relies on power to work. I won't go into the details of it, but the bottom line is if we keep flushing the toilets like normal with no power, it pretty quickly backs up into the house, yuck. So the first 24 hours of no power wasn't a picnic. Then we found out that Hubby T didn't have to go to work the next day so we packed up and drove down to Grandma and Grandpa's house which did have power (even though they live closer to the center of the storm's path!) Yay for having family close by. At the end of it all, I decided that the best way to experience a hurricane is to be less than 1 years old. For Baby B, the only thing different is that he didn't get a bath one night before bed! His food was the same, diaper changing was the same, playing with mommy and daddy was the same. Babies really do have a pretty sweet life.
And oh yeah, in the midst of earthquakes and hurricanes, we had our first two days with Baby D! Playing with these boys everyday is going to be so much fun. Baby D had a pretty hard time going down for his first nap in my house, but after that he was a saint! I also learned quickly that Baby D needs to be up on the couch with me to drink his bottle, otherwise Baby B hones in and tries to take the bottle away. It's pretty funny how singular minded he can be sometimes. Baby D isn't mobile yet, so that makes life a little easier, although I can tell his day is coming soon. I'm very anxious to get into a routine with them, and with my life in general. I know I just need to be patient. We got through the disruption of Hurricane Irene, Labor Day is next week, and then life can settle down and we can find our new normal. As long as there aren't anymore hurricanes or earthquakes that is...
Monday, August 29, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Mmmm dinner and a movie night
Last night was an Mmmm night in three ways. We had an awesome dinner, Baby B went to sleep without any crying, and we watched an awesome movie.
For dinner we had Mediterranean Halibut, couscous, and steamed broccoli (except I used salmon instead of halibut). I've made this fish recipe before and its Mmmm deliciousness gets me every time. The tangy-ness of the feta, the capers, and the olives is perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the tomatoes and whatever kind of fish you use just soaks up the flavor and is the perfect base for the tomato mixture. It makes me want to kiss my fingers the way the Italians do.
Mediterranean Halibut - from Colorado Collage by the Junior League of Denver
Ingredients
4 Italian plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 Tbs chopped kalamata olives
1/4 c. drained capers
1 tsp minced garlic
3 Tbs olive oil, divided
3 Tbs fresh lemon juice, divided
1/4 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese, divided
2 Tbs minced shallots
2 Tbs chopped fresh basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 6-8 oz. halibut fillets
(Note: as I said, I used salmon, because my grocery store has a wimpy fish selection. Really any thicker, solid piece of fish would work.)
In glass bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, 2 Tbs of the olive oil, 1 1/2 Tbs of the lemon juice, wine, 1/4 cup of the feta, shallots, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Let stand at room temperature.
Preheat over to 425 degrees. Brush bottom of shallow baking pan with remaining 1 Tbs olive oil. Season both sides of fish with salt and pepper to taste. Place in prepared baking pan. Squeeze remaining 1 1/2 Tbs lemon juice over the fish and top with tomato mixture. Sprinkle remaining feta on top. Bake until just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Mmmmm!!
The movie we watched was The Conspirators. It tells the story of Mary Surratt, a Southern woman who ran the boarding house where the plot to assassinate President Lincoln was planned. Any student in any public school in America learns about the assassination of President Lincoln, but when do we ever hear about what happened after? Although the Civil War was "over" at that point, there were still Confederate troops holding out and the leaders in Washington felt a desperate need to demonstrate to the country that any rebels who continued to attack the Union would be defeated. The movie was extremely well made (Robert Redford was the director) and well acted. It's not a happy or light movie but definitely worth watching.
Silly side note: I also have to give kudos to Hubby T for identifying two actors in the movie who previously starred in Mama P shows (Rory from Gilmore Girls and Jesse from Glee). He even identified them before I did! Way to go sweetie:)
For dinner we had Mediterranean Halibut, couscous, and steamed broccoli (except I used salmon instead of halibut). I've made this fish recipe before and its Mmmm deliciousness gets me every time. The tangy-ness of the feta, the capers, and the olives is perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the tomatoes and whatever kind of fish you use just soaks up the flavor and is the perfect base for the tomato mixture. It makes me want to kiss my fingers the way the Italians do.
Mediterranean Halibut - from Colorado Collage by the Junior League of Denver
Ingredients
4 Italian plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 Tbs chopped kalamata olives
1/4 c. drained capers
1 tsp minced garlic
3 Tbs olive oil, divided
3 Tbs fresh lemon juice, divided
1/4 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese, divided
2 Tbs minced shallots
2 Tbs chopped fresh basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 6-8 oz. halibut fillets
(Note: as I said, I used salmon, because my grocery store has a wimpy fish selection. Really any thicker, solid piece of fish would work.)
In glass bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, 2 Tbs of the olive oil, 1 1/2 Tbs of the lemon juice, wine, 1/4 cup of the feta, shallots, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Let stand at room temperature.
Preheat over to 425 degrees. Brush bottom of shallow baking pan with remaining 1 Tbs olive oil. Season both sides of fish with salt and pepper to taste. Place in prepared baking pan. Squeeze remaining 1 1/2 Tbs lemon juice over the fish and top with tomato mixture. Sprinkle remaining feta on top. Bake until just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Mmmmm!!
The movie we watched was The Conspirators. It tells the story of Mary Surratt, a Southern woman who ran the boarding house where the plot to assassinate President Lincoln was planned. Any student in any public school in America learns about the assassination of President Lincoln, but when do we ever hear about what happened after? Although the Civil War was "over" at that point, there were still Confederate troops holding out and the leaders in Washington felt a desperate need to demonstrate to the country that any rebels who continued to attack the Union would be defeated. The movie was extremely well made (Robert Redford was the director) and well acted. It's not a happy or light movie but definitely worth watching.
Silly side note: I also have to give kudos to Hubby T for identifying two actors in the movie who previously starred in Mama P shows (Rory from Gilmore Girls and Jesse from Glee). He even identified them before I did! Way to go sweetie:)
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Vacation reading
One of the other things I enjoyed on our Poconos vacation was reading! My genre of choice in reading, school, movies, almost anything really, is history. The first chapter books that I remember owning were the American Girl books (thanks Grandma!). I majored in history in college. When I go someplace new, I like to visit the historical landmarks and sites. And historical fiction is my favorite type of book to read. So you'll probably notice this trend in most of the books I write about. I read these two over vacation and highly enjoyed them both.
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff is two stories mixed into one book. The first story is roughly based on the autobiography and life of Ann Eliza Young, who was the 19th wife of Brigham Young. Ultimately she left him and the Latter-day Saints community and became an anti-polygamy activist in the United States in the late 19th century. The second story takes place in modern day, written from the point of view of a young man who was thrown out of a fundamentalist Mormon sect as a child and returns to help determine how his father was killed and to prove that his mother was not the murderer.
This book was a great read from beginning to end. I didn't know that much about Mormons before reading this book, and although I feel like I know a little more now, I still have many unanswered questions. It puzzles me that this faith claims to have originated with Christianity but has become a distinct, other religion that I can't completely accept that way I do other Christian denominations. The book also hints at some of the ways the Mormon church is still "closed" to outsiders; it left me as the reader wondering what other pieces of history have been locked away. Finally, as a daughter, wife, and mother, I found Ann Eliza's accounts of being part of polygamous families heart-wrenchingly fascinating.
The second book I read was Freshwater Road by Denise Nicholas. This book tells the story of a young college student from Detroit who goes to Mississippi during the Freedom Summer of 1964. I learned about Freedom Summer several times in school, but reading it from the point of view of one volunteer and her individual experience brings it to life in a whole new way. The author's writing is incredibly descriptive, which really helps draw you into the story. I don't always feel emotionally invested in the characters I read in books, but I felt their terror when a group of the characters walked into City Hall to try and register to vote for the first time. (If that doesn't sound dramatic, read the book and then you will understand.) This is the first sentence from Chapter 2: "Heat sizzles jitterbugged off the pavement on Lafayette Street." What an awesome use of language! I don't normally analyze an author's writing style that much when I read, but I couldn't help but notice how well written this book was as I was reading it. This is a great story about an incredible time in American history, I highly recommend it.
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff is two stories mixed into one book. The first story is roughly based on the autobiography and life of Ann Eliza Young, who was the 19th wife of Brigham Young. Ultimately she left him and the Latter-day Saints community and became an anti-polygamy activist in the United States in the late 19th century. The second story takes place in modern day, written from the point of view of a young man who was thrown out of a fundamentalist Mormon sect as a child and returns to help determine how his father was killed and to prove that his mother was not the murderer.
This book was a great read from beginning to end. I didn't know that much about Mormons before reading this book, and although I feel like I know a little more now, I still have many unanswered questions. It puzzles me that this faith claims to have originated with Christianity but has become a distinct, other religion that I can't completely accept that way I do other Christian denominations. The book also hints at some of the ways the Mormon church is still "closed" to outsiders; it left me as the reader wondering what other pieces of history have been locked away. Finally, as a daughter, wife, and mother, I found Ann Eliza's accounts of being part of polygamous families heart-wrenchingly fascinating.
The second book I read was Freshwater Road by Denise Nicholas. This book tells the story of a young college student from Detroit who goes to Mississippi during the Freedom Summer of 1964. I learned about Freedom Summer several times in school, but reading it from the point of view of one volunteer and her individual experience brings it to life in a whole new way. The author's writing is incredibly descriptive, which really helps draw you into the story. I don't always feel emotionally invested in the characters I read in books, but I felt their terror when a group of the characters walked into City Hall to try and register to vote for the first time. (If that doesn't sound dramatic, read the book and then you will understand.) This is the first sentence from Chapter 2: "Heat sizzles jitterbugged off the pavement on Lafayette Street." What an awesome use of language! I don't normally analyze an author's writing style that much when I read, but I couldn't help but notice how well written this book was as I was reading it. This is a great story about an incredible time in American history, I highly recommend it.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Vacation
Well, now that I am home from my last (let me repeat, last) trip of the summer, it's time to share about our awesome vacation. Hubby T's parents built a vacation home in the Pocono mountains of Pennsylvania a couple years ago. They did an awesome job, the house is beautiful, and very relaxing. (Well, it was relaxing before Baby B arrived. Now I can hear his cries echoing through the woods around us so it's a little less relaxing, but that's not their fault.) So let's review the highlights with pictures!
We took the train to get there! Normally Hubby T. and I drive the 8+ hours from our home to the Poconos but decided that wasn't going to go over very well with Baby B. So we hopped on the Amtrak instead and enjoyed a relaxing ride up north. Benefits of the train are that we can get up and walk around anytime we want, we didn't have to pull over and stop every time Baby B needed to eat, and there's more room in the seats than on an airplane! Baby B was an awesome traveler too. There was a lot of playing around with Daddy's hat:)
The lake! The house is only a block up from a lovely lake, in which Hubby T and his parents took several kayak excursions. (Note: I am not a kayaker. I am a sit on the beach and read-er.) We didn't get down there as much as we would have liked because there were a couple rainy days, oh well. Baby B mostly played in his baby pool. Daddy did give him a little trip in the kayak, until I started yelling. (Precious cargo, no life vest...I know he wasn't really in the water but I can't help it).
Baby B took his first ride in a swing! He loved it. He's such a chill baby. And it's fun to see him doing "big boy" things:) You may also notice the Philadelphia Eagles logo on Hubby T's shirt. Since we were in the Philly media market, we got to watch an Eagles preseason game and a couple Phillies games - yay for Hubby T and his sports teams!!
But the best thing about this vacation was all the time with family. (No pictures of that, apparently I am very bad at taking pictures of anybody other than Baby B.) We got to see every member of Hubby T's immediate family (mom, dad, brother, sister) and all four of his grandparents. It makes me so happy to see the joy Baby B brings our family and to see him begin to know them and play with them more as he grows. Nothing beats great family time (...except maybe Baby B learning that vacation is for sleeping in, not waking up super duper early! Just kidding:)
We took the train to get there! Normally Hubby T. and I drive the 8+ hours from our home to the Poconos but decided that wasn't going to go over very well with Baby B. So we hopped on the Amtrak instead and enjoyed a relaxing ride up north. Benefits of the train are that we can get up and walk around anytime we want, we didn't have to pull over and stop every time Baby B needed to eat, and there's more room in the seats than on an airplane! Baby B was an awesome traveler too. There was a lot of playing around with Daddy's hat:)
The lake! The house is only a block up from a lovely lake, in which Hubby T and his parents took several kayak excursions. (Note: I am not a kayaker. I am a sit on the beach and read-er.) We didn't get down there as much as we would have liked because there were a couple rainy days, oh well. Baby B mostly played in his baby pool. Daddy did give him a little trip in the kayak, until I started yelling. (Precious cargo, no life vest...I know he wasn't really in the water but I can't help it).
Baby B took his first ride in a swing! He loved it. He's such a chill baby. And it's fun to see him doing "big boy" things:) You may also notice the Philadelphia Eagles logo on Hubby T's shirt. Since we were in the Philly media market, we got to watch an Eagles preseason game and a couple Phillies games - yay for Hubby T and his sports teams!!
But the best thing about this vacation was all the time with family. (No pictures of that, apparently I am very bad at taking pictures of anybody other than Baby B.) We got to see every member of Hubby T's immediate family (mom, dad, brother, sister) and all four of his grandparents. It makes me so happy to see the joy Baby B brings our family and to see him begin to know them and play with them more as he grows. Nothing beats great family time (...except maybe Baby B learning that vacation is for sleeping in, not waking up super duper early! Just kidding:)
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Blog name
So I actually started writing this blog before I named it. It's hard to find a name that covers all the things I think I might address in this blog (see the list at the bottom of the first post). But after a couple weeks of thought and a great brainstorming session with Hubby T, I finally have what I was looking for. "Overflowing with Mmm! The Deliciousness of Life, Love, and Reeally Good Food."
The key phrase in the title is "Mmmm!" There are several reasons why this phrase has been floating around in my mind lately:
- A couple weeks ago I tried a new quesadilla recipe that is served with Nacho Mmm Sauce. I love that title for a sauce, it's so fun and descriptive (I'll share the recipe soon). And it really does make you go "mmm" when you eat it!
- We're trying to get Baby B to eat and enjoy solid foods, so more often than not when I'm holding up a baby spoon of mooshed peas (or squash or carrots...) I find myself singing "Mmm, mmm delicious!" to try and get those tightly pursed lips to open. (The jury is still out on whether or not vegetables are indeed mmm, mmm delicious, but fruit definitely is!)
- Baby B mastered the "d" syllable a couple weeks ago but we're still working on "m" for mama. So naturally I say "mmmmmmmma" to him every chance I get! My only consolation is that the "da" is mostly said when Baby B is upset and crying. It's really fun to hear him say "dada" but a little less fun when it's mixed with tears!
- I really really love reeally good food, the foods that make you smile with joy just thinking about them. I plan to share the recipes that make me go "mmm" as I find them in hopes that they will also make you go "mmm". Because let's face it - who doesn't love good food and who couldn't use a few more awesome recipes to try?!
And the final reason to include the phrase "Mmm!" is that more than just food can make you go "mmm." For me that sound represents the feeling about many pleasant things in life. Like curling up in front of a fire with a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter's night. Like collapsing onto the couch with Hubby T. to relax and watch one of our favorite tv shows at the end of a long exhausting day when Baby B is finally asleep. Like giving a friend you don't see very often a big hug after a wonderful visit. I have lots of things in life that make me go "mmm." I hope by sharing them they remind you to be grateful for the things in your life that make you go "mmmm."
The key phrase in the title is "Mmmm!" There are several reasons why this phrase has been floating around in my mind lately:
- A couple weeks ago I tried a new quesadilla recipe that is served with Nacho Mmm Sauce. I love that title for a sauce, it's so fun and descriptive (I'll share the recipe soon). And it really does make you go "mmm" when you eat it!
- We're trying to get Baby B to eat and enjoy solid foods, so more often than not when I'm holding up a baby spoon of mooshed peas (or squash or carrots...) I find myself singing "Mmm, mmm delicious!" to try and get those tightly pursed lips to open. (The jury is still out on whether or not vegetables are indeed mmm, mmm delicious, but fruit definitely is!)
- Baby B mastered the "d" syllable a couple weeks ago but we're still working on "m" for mama. So naturally I say "mmmmmmmma" to him every chance I get! My only consolation is that the "da" is mostly said when Baby B is upset and crying. It's really fun to hear him say "dada" but a little less fun when it's mixed with tears!
- I really really love reeally good food, the foods that make you smile with joy just thinking about them. I plan to share the recipes that make me go "mmm" as I find them in hopes that they will also make you go "mmm". Because let's face it - who doesn't love good food and who couldn't use a few more awesome recipes to try?!
And the final reason to include the phrase "Mmm!" is that more than just food can make you go "mmm." For me that sound represents the feeling about many pleasant things in life. Like curling up in front of a fire with a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter's night. Like collapsing onto the couch with Hubby T. to relax and watch one of our favorite tv shows at the end of a long exhausting day when Baby B is finally asleep. Like giving a friend you don't see very often a big hug after a wonderful visit. I have lots of things in life that make me go "mmm." I hope by sharing them they remind you to be grateful for the things in your life that make you go "mmmm."
Fever
It's amazing how much a trip to the pediatrician can throw off your day, like the plans you had to exercise or make dinner or call your grandfather to wish him happy 83rd birthday. Forget it. Everything flies out the door when you call the pediatrician to report that your child has a 103.5 fever and they say, "Bring him in right away please!"
Poor Baby B. He woke up yesterday feeling very hot with a 100 degree temperature that kept rising throughout the day as he napped and napped and then napped some more! Kudos to Hubby T for finally deciding it was time to call the doctor. I mean, sometimes a fever is no big deal and I didn't want to drag us all down there for nothing. Plus the doctor's office website said that we didn't need to call immediately until it reach 104. But he was right, it was time. So off we went.
And that's when the day really went down hill. First they tried to give Baby B some motrin orally to bring down his fever; it was apparently so disgusting and distressing that he promptly vomited the whole thing up as well as his entire last feeding. (And that is exactly why we try to always keep an extra outfit in the diaper bag, thank goodness we had one this time!) We never really recovered after that. Every attempt they made to look in his mouth, look in his ears, even listening to his heartbeat was met with fussing and squirming and crying. Baby B is normally a very agreeable and happy child, even at his well child visits, so this was evidence of just how yucky he was feeling. Then they wanted to draw blood to run some tests and not that I doubted it before but now I truly believe them when they say it's really hard to find a vein in a 6 month old. Once they got the needle in they missed the vein so then they were moving it around trying to find one....I don't watch when they stick needles in my arm so watching them do it to my precious little baby boy was excruciating (for him too, which he very loudly and angrily let us know!) Finally they gave him a super-shot of antibiotics which is supposed to help fight anything and everything that could be bringing him down. Unfortunately the super shot consisted of two shots, one in each leg, that are supposedly so painful they include a numbing agent in the shot. Needless to say, I was in tears as well by the end of all this. I don't think Baby B has ever cried and screamed that hard in his life.
Phew. Thank goodness for the yummy cornbread that I had made a lunchtime that was waiting at home for us:) And that it was almost bedtime:)
So the take-aways from this first traumatic doctor visit. Thank you God for modern medicine and health insurance and for a pediatrician's office we feel confident taking our baby to. In the midst of worry about why my little boy is sick, it's a comfort to know that I am doing everything I can for him, and that the doctors and nurses have his same best interest at heart. And secondly, God bless the moms and dads who have children who are seriously sick and have to get pricked and poked all the time. I hope I never have to experience this kind of trauma with Baby B on an extended basis. I can't wait to get my happy, healthy, smiley boy back soon and pray for those who have longer to wait.
Poor Baby B. He woke up yesterday feeling very hot with a 100 degree temperature that kept rising throughout the day as he napped and napped and then napped some more! Kudos to Hubby T for finally deciding it was time to call the doctor. I mean, sometimes a fever is no big deal and I didn't want to drag us all down there for nothing. Plus the doctor's office website said that we didn't need to call immediately until it reach 104. But he was right, it was time. So off we went.
And that's when the day really went down hill. First they tried to give Baby B some motrin orally to bring down his fever; it was apparently so disgusting and distressing that he promptly vomited the whole thing up as well as his entire last feeding. (And that is exactly why we try to always keep an extra outfit in the diaper bag, thank goodness we had one this time!) We never really recovered after that. Every attempt they made to look in his mouth, look in his ears, even listening to his heartbeat was met with fussing and squirming and crying. Baby B is normally a very agreeable and happy child, even at his well child visits, so this was evidence of just how yucky he was feeling. Then they wanted to draw blood to run some tests and not that I doubted it before but now I truly believe them when they say it's really hard to find a vein in a 6 month old. Once they got the needle in they missed the vein so then they were moving it around trying to find one....I don't watch when they stick needles in my arm so watching them do it to my precious little baby boy was excruciating (for him too, which he very loudly and angrily let us know!) Finally they gave him a super-shot of antibiotics which is supposed to help fight anything and everything that could be bringing him down. Unfortunately the super shot consisted of two shots, one in each leg, that are supposedly so painful they include a numbing agent in the shot. Needless to say, I was in tears as well by the end of all this. I don't think Baby B has ever cried and screamed that hard in his life.
Phew. Thank goodness for the yummy cornbread that I had made a lunchtime that was waiting at home for us:) And that it was almost bedtime:)
So the take-aways from this first traumatic doctor visit. Thank you God for modern medicine and health insurance and for a pediatrician's office we feel confident taking our baby to. In the midst of worry about why my little boy is sick, it's a comfort to know that I am doing everything I can for him, and that the doctors and nurses have his same best interest at heart. And secondly, God bless the moms and dads who have children who are seriously sick and have to get pricked and poked all the time. I hope I never have to experience this kind of trauma with Baby B on an extended basis. I can't wait to get my happy, healthy, smiley boy back soon and pray for those who have longer to wait.
Scooching
Big day for Baby B yesterday - he started crawling! Well, kind of. He figured out that if you pull with your arms and push with your legs, you move! At his first scooch forward I called for Hubby T to come watch (yay for both of us being home to see it!). Baby B immediately headed for the a/v corner of our family room, you know, where all the electronics and cords are. The only thing that could tempt him to scooch in the opposite direction was my cell phone, but he was still mostly focused on getting to the DVD player. This boy is going to be trouble! But I'm still excited and proud of him:)
On a completely different note, I finished reading an interesting book this morning - The Widow's War by Sally Gunning. It's the story of a woman who is widowed in a 1761 Cape Cod fishing village and the struggles she goes through to maintain some control of her home. Laws at the time left a widow under the protection of a male relative and she was entitled to the use of one third of her husband's real estate (note that use is very different from ownership, and was a slightly ridiculous way to do things, as the story demonstrates). I took two womens history classes in college and have been fairly engrossed with the subject ever since. It's fascinating in a horrifying kind of way how few options women had and how society belittled them. It certainly makes me grateful to live on this side of the womens suffrage and womens rights movements. Historical fiction is by far my favorite genre of books to read, so keep reading and I'll keep sharing good books that I come across.
And now, Baby B and his painful teething mouth is calling. Something tells me today won't be as exciting as yesterday....
On a completely different note, I finished reading an interesting book this morning - The Widow's War by Sally Gunning. It's the story of a woman who is widowed in a 1761 Cape Cod fishing village and the struggles she goes through to maintain some control of her home. Laws at the time left a widow under the protection of a male relative and she was entitled to the use of one third of her husband's real estate (note that use is very different from ownership, and was a slightly ridiculous way to do things, as the story demonstrates). I took two womens history classes in college and have been fairly engrossed with the subject ever since. It's fascinating in a horrifying kind of way how few options women had and how society belittled them. It certainly makes me grateful to live on this side of the womens suffrage and womens rights movements. Historical fiction is by far my favorite genre of books to read, so keep reading and I'll keep sharing good books that I come across.
And now, Baby B and his painful teething mouth is calling. Something tells me today won't be as exciting as yesterday....
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Weekend Blessings
So on the drive home yesterday evening Hubby T. asked me, "What was your favorite part of this weekend?"
There are a lot of answers I could have given.
I could have said hanging out with my college friend on Thursday night. She has lived in France since college and I only get to see her once a year at best when she and her husband come over to visit family. Yay for old friends, I wish she was around more often:)
I could have said hanging out with my parents and Baby B at their house on Saturday afternoon. Both my mom and my dad become almost different people around Baby B. He's the first grandchild and it's hard to imagine them being more joyful about anything in the world, even the birth of their own children! (Don't worry Mom and Dad, I don't hold a grudge, Baby B is hard to resist:)
I could have said watching our college friends get married! Weddings are so fun, and ever since mine I've really appreciated the way watching other people recite their vows reminds me of the vows that I made. In a culture where the value of the institution of marriage is declining, I say, rock on marriage! It's awesome, and I'm always glad when our friends choose to join the marriage club too.
I could have said hanging out with all of our friends at the beach on Sunday. The wedding we attended on Saturday was for one of Hubby T's friends from his college small group. It has always been a pretty special group, they started meeting their freshman year and stayed together all 4 years. Since graduation the guys have been intentional about getting together for a weekend once or twice a year so that they can stay connected and, let's face it, have fun hanging out together. In the last year or so they've started including the families (aka wives and kids) in some of the gatherings. And since we were all together for the wedding, it made sense to have some hang out time the next day. The bride and groom even came over for a little bit after lunch! We included a couple of other college friends who were in town for the wedding, which made the gathering even more merrier. I'm always sad when I think about how dispersed our college friends are, because we had so much fun together in college, so it's a very joyful and fun time when we get to have a little bit of that time together now in our "grown-up" lives.
But I think my favorite part of the weekend was the time we spent in worship on Sunday. Because it was Hubby T's small group that organized the gathering and because it was Sunday morning, somebody decided it would be a good idea to spend a little time in worship and hear a short devotion before heading out to the beach. I give him credit, because it would have been really easy to not take the time for God. But I'm really glad we did. One guy played the guitar and we only sang two songs. The second one was pretty familiar to almost everyone, but I got the feeling that most people (including me) hadn't sung it for quite awhile. The voices were a bit hesitant, especially on the verses. But the chorus of that song is set up as an echo, where the guys sing the line and then the women echo it and then the voices come together for the last line. I thought it was a bit symbolic of marriage, how the husband and wife complement and support one another as individuals but are also one in their marriage relationship before God. There's also something very pure and intimate about worshiping God with only a guitar and voices. I haven't worshiped that way in quite awhile and it was heart warming. I wish I could do it more often.
So yay family. Yay old and dear friends. Yay marriage. And most of all, yay God.
There are a lot of answers I could have given.
I could have said hanging out with my college friend on Thursday night. She has lived in France since college and I only get to see her once a year at best when she and her husband come over to visit family. Yay for old friends, I wish she was around more often:)
I could have said hanging out with my parents and Baby B at their house on Saturday afternoon. Both my mom and my dad become almost different people around Baby B. He's the first grandchild and it's hard to imagine them being more joyful about anything in the world, even the birth of their own children! (Don't worry Mom and Dad, I don't hold a grudge, Baby B is hard to resist:)
I could have said watching our college friends get married! Weddings are so fun, and ever since mine I've really appreciated the way watching other people recite their vows reminds me of the vows that I made. In a culture where the value of the institution of marriage is declining, I say, rock on marriage! It's awesome, and I'm always glad when our friends choose to join the marriage club too.
I could have said hanging out with all of our friends at the beach on Sunday. The wedding we attended on Saturday was for one of Hubby T's friends from his college small group. It has always been a pretty special group, they started meeting their freshman year and stayed together all 4 years. Since graduation the guys have been intentional about getting together for a weekend once or twice a year so that they can stay connected and, let's face it, have fun hanging out together. In the last year or so they've started including the families (aka wives and kids) in some of the gatherings. And since we were all together for the wedding, it made sense to have some hang out time the next day. The bride and groom even came over for a little bit after lunch! We included a couple of other college friends who were in town for the wedding, which made the gathering even more merrier. I'm always sad when I think about how dispersed our college friends are, because we had so much fun together in college, so it's a very joyful and fun time when we get to have a little bit of that time together now in our "grown-up" lives.
But I think my favorite part of the weekend was the time we spent in worship on Sunday. Because it was Hubby T's small group that organized the gathering and because it was Sunday morning, somebody decided it would be a good idea to spend a little time in worship and hear a short devotion before heading out to the beach. I give him credit, because it would have been really easy to not take the time for God. But I'm really glad we did. One guy played the guitar and we only sang two songs. The second one was pretty familiar to almost everyone, but I got the feeling that most people (including me) hadn't sung it for quite awhile. The voices were a bit hesitant, especially on the verses. But the chorus of that song is set up as an echo, where the guys sing the line and then the women echo it and then the voices come together for the last line. I thought it was a bit symbolic of marriage, how the husband and wife complement and support one another as individuals but are also one in their marriage relationship before God. There's also something very pure and intimate about worshiping God with only a guitar and voices. I haven't worshiped that way in quite awhile and it was heart warming. I wish I could do it more often.
So yay family. Yay old and dear friends. Yay marriage. And most of all, yay God.
Hello world
Hello world. I'm not so sure about this whole blogosphere thing but I think I'm going to give it a try. I'm actually going to start by writing blog entries to myself without posting them and see how I feel about it. In general I'm a private person. My brief dabbling with My Space is a huge embarrassment in hindsight. Maybe partly for that reason I don't have too much information about myself on Facebook either. However, some of that changed when I gave birth to my first child, Baby B, last January.
So back to my original thought at the beginning of this post, we'll see if this ever goes public. My husband really enjoys reading blogs and is highly intrigued by the idea of blogs earning money for the author, so I will confess that my hesitant interest in blogging is somewhat financially motivated. I'm not sure who would want to read my blog other than my family and friends who want to know what's going on in my life, and I'm not sure what I have to offer the world in my blog that would be of great interest or value to anyone. But I also don't know if it will evolve into anything more until I try. So expect to see more musings on my baby, on marriage, on faith and God, on cooking, on gardening (eventually), on the books I'm reading and enjoying, and on the things I find to keep Baby B and Baby D and myself amused. This is my life, I hope you enjoy sharing it with me:)
Isn't he adorable? How can I not share him with the world?! You can't help but smile when you look at him, right? Seriously, compare him to the Gerber baby - Baby B is infinitely cuter:)
So here I am, six months later, with an adorable bouncing baby boy and I am one week away from being a 100% full time stay at home mom. My mom stayed home when I was growing up and so did my husband's mom, so we both feel pretty strongly about providing that for our children. I wasn't wild about any of the jobs I had since graduating from college and I've always thought that I'd want to stay home with my kids. But now that it's here, I'm nervous. Will I get bored/restless being at home all the time? Will I run out of enthusiasm for playing with him when I have to do it all day every day? Will I be able to find other moms who I enjoy spending time with for play dates? And, perhaps the biggest leap of faith question of all, will me staying at home mean we can still pay our bills? (We think so, I wouldn't have quit my job if we couldn't make it work, but it'll be tight so it weighs on me.) But that leads me to the other big change coming up in our life - while staying at home with Baby B, I will also be watching another little boy, Baby D, who is the son of a couple my husband works with. I'm excited for Baby B to have a play mate and excited to be able to provide love and care for another little boy. But again, I'm nervous. How long will it take for Baby D to get to know me and get comfortable around me? And how unpleasant will it be for both of us until he gets to that point? How many bumps will they each have at the end of the day once they start moving around more actively? And how will I explain them to his mom without feeling terribly guilty for not taking better care of her baby?! Will Baby B and Baby D both want to eat lunch at the same time? There's only one of me (and only one high chair), so what happens when one has to wait? I can say "Please be patient" in my most loving and patient tone of voice all I want, but somehow I don't think that will stop a hungry baby from hollering at me!
Phew. Now that all those worries are out, let's focus on the positives. I get to spend all day every day with my awesome baby (who I love to the moon and back times infinity), and even on the hard days, I know (hope, pray) it will have an amazingly positive influence on his life. I get to be a blessing to another family by caring and loving their child as well (plus theoretically I'll have a handle on handling two kids at once whenever we get around to having another baby!) More time at home will hopefully give me more time to do the things I like to do, like cook and exercise and keep my house clean. (Just to clarify, I don't like cleaning house but I do like having a clean house - the end product makes the work worth the effort.) And next spring I'm going to venture into the world of gardening and try my first vegetable garden (we'll see how it goes, I don't generally enjoy digging around in the dirt). I'm also hoping that I can use my time at home to be a blessing to others. For example, next week Baby B and I are going to watch my friend's two boys while she goes to a meeting for the afternoon; she had exhausted her list of babysitters and I was free so voila - she's free to go to her meeting and Baby B gets to play with new toys:)
So back to my original thought at the beginning of this post, we'll see if this ever goes public. My husband really enjoys reading blogs and is highly intrigued by the idea of blogs earning money for the author, so I will confess that my hesitant interest in blogging is somewhat financially motivated. I'm not sure who would want to read my blog other than my family and friends who want to know what's going on in my life, and I'm not sure what I have to offer the world in my blog that would be of great interest or value to anyone. But I also don't know if it will evolve into anything more until I try. So expect to see more musings on my baby, on marriage, on faith and God, on cooking, on gardening (eventually), on the books I'm reading and enjoying, and on the things I find to keep Baby B and Baby D and myself amused. This is my life, I hope you enjoy sharing it with me:)
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