A New Look!

Okay, confession time: I have seen countless CUTE blogs and have never figured out how to make mine cute...and personalized!  Until today (thank you, Pinterest!).  The following blog helped me with my blog (oh I love blogs). http://blissfullydomestic.com/life-bliss/geek-life-bliss/how-to-make-a-blog-header-for-free/66333/

I tried other tutorials that used Picnik and other non-user friendly photo imaging programs.  Alas, my very own Picassa was my tool of choice!  I'm not computer savvy, but I felt like "okay, if they can do it, I can do it!"  Finally.  I have a few little tweaks and bugs to work out to make it exactly how I want, but here's the start.

Isn't it cute?

A new year

Three months later, here I am again with lots of updates! 

First – Jack is ALMOST 10 months old already!  He is pulling up on furniture, starting to cruise (walk along the couch), babbling lots of syllables like (baba, mama, dada and some other delightful gibberish), eating a great variety of food and has one little tooth that has poked up on the bottom (and one more coming in on top…but it’s not a front tooth – if these two come in he will look like a little pumpkin).  Oh, how could I forget?  He climbs up all our stairs now..and quickly! 

 He is my delight.  David and I always take a week to pray and fast at the beginning of each year to reflect on the past year and get vision for the upcoming.  I was looking through prayers and words God spoke to me about Jack and remembered that God said he would be a delight.  He really is.  Of course children are a delight to their parents, but this characteristic really stands out.  Last year was the best year of my life and I am so thankful to God for it.  It was a year of rest, clarity and air (I was actually able to stop, take deep breaths and enjoy life)!  It was amazing.  I am looking forward to another great year. 

We did a major overhaul on our home and are actually starting round 2 right now – I stripped our bathroom and guest bedroom wallpaper (ugly!) and we are priming it today.  More details to come.  It feels good getting this done and I LOVE having David around this January to help!  On one hand it’s hard that David doesn’t have lots of work each January (no one is thinking about landscaping right after Christmas in the coldest month), but it’s fun spending lots of time together and working on the house.

To end on a heart-note.  I was reading the word this morning and I want this verse to mark my life this year: “You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.” Psalm 4:7  I desperately want God’s joy in my life to be far greater than enjoying anything on earth…wow.  Let it be!  

The adventures of the new fort on Fort

My mom arrived on October 22 to hopefully help me begin doing some renovations to our new home.  We haven’t closed yet, but are awaiting news to close VERY soon.  Everything looks good on the loan, so the owners let us get in early to start painting.  Where to start?  With 10 projects in our heads, we just started upstairs.  In two days we painted 3 bedrooms, 3 closets, one hallway and one ceiling!  (lots of wall, trim and carpet taping....that part takes the longest I think!)  Whew! But, we are “get ‘er done” type of women. 

Jack has been a great trooper (or should I say napper) these past few days.  We’ve gotten a lot accomplished in his nap times and get our errands run during his awake times.  He’s just great! Pics to come!!!!  Now, off to bed because tomorrow we finish painting the trim in my bedroom and start taking down A LOT of wallpaper....oh yay.  Can’t wait. 

Jack Update 6-7 Months Old

Jack 6.5 Months! (I wrote this on Oct. 11, but am just now posting...oops)

-Jack started crawling (well, scooting – getting on knees, making a little leap frog movement, flattening out and then getting back on knees.  Somehow he seems to get from from side of the room to the other.  Now, he does it quite quickly....although he still doesn’t look like a “real” crawl...it’s definitely considered crawling in my book.  He can even turn around and come back the other way....especially if he sees the compter in front of me...like now.  He just loves to try to get his little fingers all over these keys. 

-He doesn’t quite sit up on his own yet though.  I try to work on this, but he just leans sideways or back and wants to get movin! 

-He started eating rice and oat cereal at 5.5 months and loves it.  Just last week I started feeding him peas and green beans...oh and some prunes...for the same reason we all eat prunes..ha.   it worked. 

-He giggles more and more

-He sleeps great at night – a consistent 10-11 hours!  Still napping 3 times a day, he gets tired out easily – like his mom I guess.

-He can easily grab things, pass items from hand to hand, put it in his mouth, drop it and pick it back up. 

-I feel like he’s been “teething” for a few month: drool, fussiness, biting on things, etc but no teeth to show for it yet.

Jack 7 Months (Oct. 25)

-          Jack sits up on his own now for several minutes.  I still need to be nearby, but he takes the face-plant falls like man...that’s my boy J

-          He crawls all over – and getting faster each day! and likes to take a few "steps" on his hands and feet (see pic below).  

-          Jack snuggles into me when I kiss his little neck and it’s sooo cute.   I love it.

-          Today he took two long naps...here’s to hoping we transition to two good naps a day, instead of 3 that are a bit shorter.

-          Jack talks and blabs on and on.  Music to my ears.  He is getting close to saying dada...on purpose. 

-          He is eating all sorts of foods, like green beans, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, spinach and even some organic puffs for a snack.  And he loves eating!  

Snotty Nose and Loving Life

It’s hard to keep up with all the new things Jack is doing these days at 5.5 Months Old :

rolling, rolling, rolling lots.  Sleeping a solid 10 hours a night (YES!) 

Smiling and giggling more and more.

 Just started grabbing his feet and putting them in his mouth (Yum??) 

Got his first cold (so sad.  Colds never seemed like a big deal until you have an infant who can’t blow his own nose and has a hard time eating because he can’t breathe out of his little nose.  I knew that day would come and all the sudden I was like “how do I treat a cold?”  The boogie getter-outer (okay, I know it’s not the real name – aspirator for those of you who like that name better) IS NOT fun...and it’s hard to use.  I feel like I spend a good 2 minutes trying to position his ever-moving head just right so I don’t shove the blue thing too far up his nose, yet far enough that I can actually get the snot out and not have to continue torturing my baby!  He screams when I get anywhere near his nose.  Saline solution is a little better...although I think I’ve gotten the same amount of quirts all over his face/in his eyes as I’ve gotten actually up his nose – good thing it doesn’t hurt his eyes.  Whew...I do look forward to when I can just put a tissue around his nose and say “blow!”....okay, it’ll be nice when he can just do it all himself, right? Haha. 

I joined a ministry called NEST at my church for moms with young kids and it’s great!  I’m creating a mommy mission statement!  That may sound weird, but it’s true that mommyhood can just fly by and I want to be intentional with each of my days..plus it helps me find joy and great purpose in my job as MOM.  Will post when I finish.

I am LOVING this season of life – I know I’ve said it in every post, but I know that there will come a day when I might not love “this season” and I want to remember this to help carry me through that season.  Jack is my treasure and I’m honored that God chose me to be his mommy.  I love it...I love it all...all that comes with it. 

.......Even the boogie-getter-outer screaming moments.  I’m thankful.  

Celebrating 5

David and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary this past Friday on August 19!  I adore my husband.  I am beyond thankful for our marriage.  In a world where marriages are crumbling all around or settling to endure the years with complacency....I am thankful to my God, my loving Father, for giving us and sustaining a sweet and strong union!  I don’t give credit to God because it’s the “Christian” thing to do; I give credit to God because I have experienced His love working in me and through me to love David.  I have experienced being loved by a husband who seeks God, hears God and then loves me out of that overflow.  When things are difficult, God reminds me to find my strength, peace and identity in Him.  He pursues me with His love.  God tells me things like “I have loved you, my people [Betsy], with an everlasting love.  With an unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.” (Jeremiah 31:3)   God first and foremost fills my heart with the very real need to feel accepted, loved, embraced and cared for.  Then, I love David  and don’t expect him to meet the needs of my heart that only God can.  From this place of security, I love David and am thankful.  I can respond to him with grace, patience and mercy.  My husband sits with Jesus every morning, learning from Him and letting God’s word be written upon his heart.  Then, when he encounters an emotionally unstable or frustrated wife, he responds with tenderness and patience.  When we love God more, we love one another more.  For 5 years we have experienced this.  So, I PRAISE GOD for my marriage! 

David is so sweet.  He got down on his knees, reread his wedding vows to me and gave me a very, very special gift.  He placed another wedding band on my hand.  It’s stunning.  I cried and read him my vows and cried again while reading them because there was such a deeper meaning behind the words.  We have lived out our vows and I can say them with more sincerity, promise and comittment. 

Today is Jack David’s 5 month birthday!  I have so much love for this baby boy and have learned so, so much in the past 5 months.  I have never loved anyone so much just for “who they are,” and not for anything they can do.  He is smiling, giggling, sleeping, eating and bringing joy to my heart every day!   

The "Brinca, Brinca"  (Brinca means Jump in Spanish)

Tummy time....WEEE!

Jack LOVES his Daddy!  David can comfort and calm Jack like no one else (even me!)  

Heart = melted.  I never want to let go in moments like this.

Record Breaker: 63 days of living in an oven.

Leave it to throwing my back out to get me to slow down, sit down, and type out some of the thoughts I have been wanting to share on this blog.  In my mind I envisioned myself frequently updating my blog to document the growth, transitions, exciting moments and even the normal day-to-day glories of mothering Jack.  People always ask me if I am journaling Jack’s growth, so here’s to journaling.  Right now. 

I can’t go back and pretend like I’m documenting  Jack’s first 5 months in real time (I did think about it though...but I guess writing entries and making up dates would confuse people and myself when the posts automatically put the date at the bottow).  So here are some highlights of the past few months:

Month 3 (June 2011- July 2011):

1.        1.  Rolling over well from his belly to back...which has it’s perks: more entertainment for himself and it has it’s drawbacks: this little belly sleeper  rolls over at night and then cries when on his back because he isn’t used to sleeping that way...which meant I was back to getting up once a night (or three times) to roll him back over. 

2.      2.    Grabbing things in his hands – I still have to help him, but he could grasp items well.

3.      3.   Giggling more and more (a personal favorite)

4.     4.    Sleeping 8-10 hours a night!  (ok wait...this is the personal favorite)

Month 4 (July 2011 – mid August 2011)

1.     1.  Jack just began rolling over from his back to his belly (ok, so just a couple of times but I think THIS will really be a personal favorite because it will help him put HIMSELF back to sleep at 3am...haha). 

2.    2.  Lots of giggles.  My sister-in-law, Anna-Maria, came to visit and began making cute kissy noises as she kissed Jack’s neck and he LOVED it...he giggled and giggled.  David makes funny noises and Jack just looks at him in amazement and giggles (uh, warms my heart!)

3.      4.   Holding onto objects for about a minute.  When I put things in his hands to hold, he can keep it there for about a minute or so now, so he’s more aware that something is actually in his hands.

4.     5.    Jack went in his baby pool for the first time and I thought he would be kicking his legs and splashing about...but he just layed between my legs and enjoyed the relaxing float.

5.     6.  Jack’s personal favorite: the “brinca, brinca.”  This is his jumper/swing that he adores.  He has hasn’t quite gotten down the drill of jumping up and down in the swing, BUT he is really getting the hang of running a couple steps, picking up his feet and letting his body swing back.  Sheer delight for his little senses! 

6.     7.    Jack had his 4 month check-up and sweet Dr. Kemper said she looked perfect (with one exception: cradle cap).  I had to buy a shampoo called Nizoral to get rid of it.  I am hoping this isn’t a sign of Jack taking after his mommy with expensive hair treatments/products.  This bottle of shampoo costs $50!!!  (I couldn’t find it at ANY of the 7 stores I looked at in Waco because they moved their manufacturing plant and are awaiting FDA approval, so I had to order it on Amazon from a company that had some in stock...talk about supply and demand!)   Jack weighed a little over 17lbs and I actually didn’t find out his height!  I’ll get it off his record when I go back at 6 months.  Everyone comments that he is very long for his age...here’s to hoping he gets the tall genes in the family! 

7.     8.    I think Jack is starting to become VERY aware of where his mommy and daddy are.  He started this new little whine (which is actually quite a cute sound) sometimes when we leave the room or leave him alone for too long.  He is also quite the homebody right now.  We went on a Spanish Ministry Retreat this past weekend and whew...it was anything but a “retreat” for me.  He did not like sleeping in a new place and being surrounded by lots of loud (but lovely) children!  It was just too much for him!  When we returned home, it was like night and day!  He began giggling and smiling, took wonderful naps in his own bed, and was so very pleasant!  Not that I want to go through that again, but we better get him used to being away from home because I don’t want to go through that every time we spend the night elsewhere!   

Okay, these were just supposed to be “bullet points” and each “highlight” has gotten longer than the previous one.  Oops. 

Jack will be 5 months in one week!!  He is sleeping 9 hours a night and car seat riding is much easier (this is a worthy note because it was quite tramatic for the first few months). 

We are spending the summer INSIDE because as I type this, the weatherman is reporting that we have broken a record in Texas: 63 days over 100+ degrees.  This has been the hottest summer on record in Texas!  Poor little Jack...he and mama are trying to get some vitamin D elsewhere. 

Time to refreeze my icepack that is on my back and feed the awaking little squeaker!  Praying for GRACE this week as my back heals and I am trying to care for Jack (not easy when I can hardly walk, let alone lift him up to carry him from room to room!) 

I do want to end this with a thought of thankfulness.  I am thankful for my overall health and thankful for a healthy almost 5 month old.  We are blessed! 

OH...one more thought!  On this Monday,  I pray for all my teacher friends that are returning to work.  Their summer is over.  I cannot even BEGIN to describe how wonderful it is to NOT be going back to work.  I am BEYOND THANKFUL to be able to stay at home with Jack.  I LOVE being a stay-at-home mom!