I admit, it's been a hard week reigning in the terrible twos. However, last night, I just looked at Noah when he was sleeping, and was completely taken with how amazing he it. So, here is my top ten for the week:
Why Noah rocks:
10) He says the funniest things right now. (sthnow)
9) Everything is exciting for him as he labels things through the house.
8) He gives great hugs and kisses.
7) He's ridiculously cute when he is sleeping.
6) He sometimes just likes to cuddle and be with you.
5) He can keep himself amused for a long time playing with the animals.
4) He is learning the people around him and is beginning to label them on his own.
3) He always wants to help...even if his help often requires more work for me.
2) He delights in the little things.
1) His way of a jubilant, "HI!" when we come get him in the morning. There is no better way to wake up then with a little person who is happy to see you. Forget the alarm clock. :-)
Jesse P. watched Noah last night so that Dave and I could go out on a date. It was wonderful. Noah didn't even care when we came home...he just looked at us like we were invading on his buddy time. Dave and I ate at TGIFridays (since I am digging their 3 course menu right now) and walked Walmart. I know, I know...Walmart. After you have kids, you will see how romantic this can be when you do it without them. :-) We leisurely walked the aisles and meandered where we wanted...even looked at movies for awhile. It was fun.
We came home and watched Martian Child after we put Noah to bed. It was a really good movie about loving even when its difficult and never ever giving up. It makes you think a little bit and made me go back into to check on Noah and just thank God for Him. EVERYONE needs to be loved. If you haven't seen it, I would encourage you to check it out. It's good.
Well, It's Friday and I have no idea where this week has gone. I feel like I blinked and it's the weekend. Sheesh! That means only 4 more weeks to go until this bambino arrives. It still seems like a long time, but there is much to do between now and then and if the weeks keep flying by as they have, it will be here in no time. We're anxious to meet the little dude. :-)
Have a fabulous Friday everyone!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Hallelujah!
Noah went to bed around 8:15pm (after meltdown upon meltdown) and slept all through the night until 7am. YES!!! He woke up in a really good mood, so let's hope it keeps.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Update
So, Dave gave me the best gift ever. He met me at the play center in the mall after work (where I was having some of my meetings) and took Noah off my hands. Noah has been very trying the last few days (see previous blogs) and I was at my wits end. Dave came and we all had lunch together at Wendy's. Noah proceeded to throw the biggest tantrum to date (lasting almost 10 minutes). Dave stood his ground though, much to the chagrin of other diners. After Dave declared victory and Noah realized that yes, Daddy is in charge, he was so amiable. I just watched in wonder as Dave did his magic...thinking if it were me, I would have been in tears long ago. Dave has a certain "Super Nanny" quality about him. It's really quite impressive...but also leaves me feeling a little bereft. I want that too.
Anyway, we got home and Noah went down for his nap nicely. I then laid down and got to take a nap, which was wonderful since I wasn't feeling so great and was slightly uncomfortable with some baby pressure. When I woke up, Noah was already awake and Dave had some errands to run before lifegroup. He decided to take Noah with him. Of all the gifts he could have given me, this was priceless. I got an hour and a half to myself. I cleaned a little, ate a meal in peace, and got things ready for lifegroup. It was so great. Noah had another battle of wills over dinner, but Dave and I both handled him through that episode.
Lifegroup tonight was amazing. We just finished Naturally Supernatural. It was a good book and everyone had a lot to say and I feel that there was a lot of learning that happened (for me too!). I definitely learned more about the Holy Spirit and prayer from this book then I did before. We also chatted more about Saturday's conference and how incredibly God moved. Our lifegroup really seems to be solidifying, and yet we are growing too. It's a neat experience.
Thanks God for the ways that you work in our life. You know just what we need to sustain us and encourage us. You (are the) rock!
Anyway, we got home and Noah went down for his nap nicely. I then laid down and got to take a nap, which was wonderful since I wasn't feeling so great and was slightly uncomfortable with some baby pressure. When I woke up, Noah was already awake and Dave had some errands to run before lifegroup. He decided to take Noah with him. Of all the gifts he could have given me, this was priceless. I got an hour and a half to myself. I cleaned a little, ate a meal in peace, and got things ready for lifegroup. It was so great. Noah had another battle of wills over dinner, but Dave and I both handled him through that episode.
Lifegroup tonight was amazing. We just finished Naturally Supernatural. It was a good book and everyone had a lot to say and I feel that there was a lot of learning that happened (for me too!). I definitely learned more about the Holy Spirit and prayer from this book then I did before. We also chatted more about Saturday's conference and how incredibly God moved. Our lifegroup really seems to be solidifying, and yet we are growing too. It's a neat experience.
Thanks God for the ways that you work in our life. You know just what we need to sustain us and encourage us. You (are the) rock!
HELP!
I need help. The last two nights/days/and mornings have been pretty rough with Noah. If you read the blog from yesterday, he went to bed at 9:30 (after a large battle) and woke up at 6 and would not fall back asleep. Mind you, normal bedtime is between 8-8:30pm and he generally wakes up somewhere around 7ish. 8 hours is not enough for a less than one year old is it? He didn't eat a lot of his lunch or dinner. He fought me on naptime during the day (again...refer to live blog). Last night, we had a great time going to help our friend Becky celebrate her birthday. Noah got to play with River. However, by the time we left, it was almost 9pm and we still ensued a battle when we got home. This morning...he woke up at 5:45am and would not go back to sleep. Seriously folks...I need help. First, he is (and has been) in his big boy bed for months...so as much as I would love to revert back to "caging" him in his crib, I can't. Second, 8 hours of sleep can't be the right amount for a kid his age. Third, the eating issue is bothering me...although I am working really hard to not give him sweets that could have an effect on both his diet and his sleeping patterns...He just plays with his food or throws it at the dog.
I am at my wits end. I am sure that we are both tired of winter and need spring to come (NOW!). I've tried keeping him busy through the day, but that doesn't always help. Is this what they mean by terrible twos? If so, there HAS to be some way to counter it so that parents don't go crazy too...right???
On another note...I am looking for a gate that can extend atleast 5-6 feet for our kitchen. It might not even work since we have a funky shaped divider. Noah keeps "playing" in the kitchen. He pulls chairs up to the counter and "cooks" or plays with spoons. Somedays I am OK with this as long as its not dangerous. However, the last two days (notice the pattern of the last two days) he has pulled a knife out of the knife block (that i have pushed as far back as possible) and has fiddled with the stove burners...2 big fat no-no's for this household. Unfortunately, the kitchen is a huge draw for him since he feels that he is a "big" boy. Do I continue to let him "explore" and just watch him very carefully? Or do I kick him out of the kitchen completely?
Clearly, I am not feeling like super mom right now. Noah's instruction manual got lost in our move here, so if you have some really great ideas or just some support I would appreciate either!
I am at my wits end. I am sure that we are both tired of winter and need spring to come (NOW!). I've tried keeping him busy through the day, but that doesn't always help. Is this what they mean by terrible twos? If so, there HAS to be some way to counter it so that parents don't go crazy too...right???
On another note...I am looking for a gate that can extend atleast 5-6 feet for our kitchen. It might not even work since we have a funky shaped divider. Noah keeps "playing" in the kitchen. He pulls chairs up to the counter and "cooks" or plays with spoons. Somedays I am OK with this as long as its not dangerous. However, the last two days (notice the pattern of the last two days) he has pulled a knife out of the knife block (that i have pushed as far back as possible) and has fiddled with the stove burners...2 big fat no-no's for this household. Unfortunately, the kitchen is a huge draw for him since he feels that he is a "big" boy. Do I continue to let him "explore" and just watch him very carefully? Or do I kick him out of the kitchen completely?
Clearly, I am not feeling like super mom right now. Noah's instruction manual got lost in our move here, so if you have some really great ideas or just some support I would appreciate either!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Monday- Live blog
6:00am- Noah wakes up after going to bed late (9:30pm). I go in to remind him it is still "night night".
6:20am- Repeat process
6:40am- Repeat process
7:05am- Allow him to get up for the day. (For the record...I am really just wanting him to not get on a 6am wake up schedule 5 weeks before I am to have this baby.) Anytime after 7am is fine.
7:10am- Let dog out, get Noah's milk, start breakfast, lose patience, empty dishwasher, turn on computer.
7:55am- start my quiet time away from dogs, kids, and everyone else. This was perhaps the best part of my morning as I had already lost my cool 3 times before 7:30am. I prayed through the fruits of the spirit and really connected with Jesus. This is good.
8:30- play "play do" with Noah, send out emails, check blogs, upload pictures from yesterday's baptism onto facebook.
9:30- Finally get into the shower.
10:00- Chat with Summer on the phone. It's nice having another mom to talk about life with. I hadn't seen or talked to her in a few days, so it was nice to catch up a little bit.
10:05- (While on the phone) Reprimanding Noah and the dog for ganging up on the cat. Noah had him in a headlock and Chester was attacking from behind. Successfully freed (sp?) cat...who immediately ran for cover in the baby's crib.
10:30- Refilled juice, am starting to think about picking up the house a little bit. Reprimanded Noah for climbing on the table...Praying for the 12th time this morning for patience. Trying to decide if it will just be an early naptime or if we need an activity to keep us going today??
10:35- Started reading books with Noah...pretty much read through most of his library, but it was good quiet time with my son.
11:00- Started lunch
11:05-Pulled the oranges that Noah had started to microwave...out of the microwave and reprimanded Noah. As I am putting them higher, he reaches for the set of knives...bigger reprimand and explanation that knives are dangerous and can hurt. Kicked him out of the kitchen and for the 10th time today wondered how I could make a baby gate work in our house...
11:10- Gave Noah lunch- chatted with Becky C. on the phone about mom's hour at Starbucks...will go if Noah is not already sleeping (and I pray that he is)
11:17- Noah is throwing his food on the floor to the dog. After a warning, he picked it up and squeezed it all over his legs. Cleaned him up then put him in time out.
11:26- Decided that he needed to take a nap. Tried laying him down.
11:32- He got out of bed, made a loud noise and set the dog off on a barking tangent. Got dog settled down. Told Noah to lay back down.
11:35- took away binky (which is only for naptime) but have decided to let him play in his room...as long as he stays in there. He is clearly not tired...although I am. Will probably go to mom's hour just to get out of the house and in a different setting. Hopefully he will wear out there and we can come home and he will nap.
12:00- Mom's Hour at Starbucks. Becky W., Becky C. and Sarah R. were all there with their kiddos. It was actually fun and helped to calm my nerves a little bit. Noah enjoyed being around the other kids except that he kept clearing the table of markers and such. He did give everyone hugs goodbye though...that was nice.
12:50- Start the naptime process for the second time. As I continually have to go in to lay him down again...I feel my blood pressure rising. It is not a good situation.
1:20- Dave wakes up from his morning rest. I ask him to check on Noah...who at that point was shaking his fish tank. Fortunately, Dave dealt with that one...and of course Noah went right to sleep after Daddy said something to him.
1:30- Dave and I started watching the movie, "Once"...A lot of our friends recommended it to us. It's an Indy film...neither Dave nor I were really thrilled with it (sorry to our friends that really liked it).
3:00- I'm still contemplating cleaning the house and Dave just went out to the garage to play. I need to run to the West side to go to Von's this afternoon sometime.
**Sorry about the continual jumping back and forth from past to present tenses...too lazy to go back and fix it though**
6:20am- Repeat process
6:40am- Repeat process
7:05am- Allow him to get up for the day. (For the record...I am really just wanting him to not get on a 6am wake up schedule 5 weeks before I am to have this baby.) Anytime after 7am is fine.
7:10am- Let dog out, get Noah's milk, start breakfast, lose patience, empty dishwasher, turn on computer.
7:55am- start my quiet time away from dogs, kids, and everyone else. This was perhaps the best part of my morning as I had already lost my cool 3 times before 7:30am. I prayed through the fruits of the spirit and really connected with Jesus. This is good.
8:30- play "play do" with Noah, send out emails, check blogs, upload pictures from yesterday's baptism onto facebook.
9:30- Finally get into the shower.
10:00- Chat with Summer on the phone. It's nice having another mom to talk about life with. I hadn't seen or talked to her in a few days, so it was nice to catch up a little bit.
10:05- (While on the phone) Reprimanding Noah and the dog for ganging up on the cat. Noah had him in a headlock and Chester was attacking from behind. Successfully freed (sp?) cat...who immediately ran for cover in the baby's crib.
10:30- Refilled juice, am starting to think about picking up the house a little bit. Reprimanded Noah for climbing on the table...Praying for the 12th time this morning for patience. Trying to decide if it will just be an early naptime or if we need an activity to keep us going today??
10:35- Started reading books with Noah...pretty much read through most of his library, but it was good quiet time with my son.
11:00- Started lunch
11:05-Pulled the oranges that Noah had started to microwave...out of the microwave and reprimanded Noah. As I am putting them higher, he reaches for the set of knives...bigger reprimand and explanation that knives are dangerous and can hurt. Kicked him out of the kitchen and for the 10th time today wondered how I could make a baby gate work in our house...
11:10- Gave Noah lunch- chatted with Becky C. on the phone about mom's hour at Starbucks...will go if Noah is not already sleeping (and I pray that he is)
11:17- Noah is throwing his food on the floor to the dog. After a warning, he picked it up and squeezed it all over his legs. Cleaned him up then put him in time out.
11:26- Decided that he needed to take a nap. Tried laying him down.
11:32- He got out of bed, made a loud noise and set the dog off on a barking tangent. Got dog settled down. Told Noah to lay back down.
11:35- took away binky (which is only for naptime) but have decided to let him play in his room...as long as he stays in there. He is clearly not tired...although I am. Will probably go to mom's hour just to get out of the house and in a different setting. Hopefully he will wear out there and we can come home and he will nap.
12:00- Mom's Hour at Starbucks. Becky W., Becky C. and Sarah R. were all there with their kiddos. It was actually fun and helped to calm my nerves a little bit. Noah enjoyed being around the other kids except that he kept clearing the table of markers and such. He did give everyone hugs goodbye though...that was nice.
12:50- Start the naptime process for the second time. As I continually have to go in to lay him down again...I feel my blood pressure rising. It is not a good situation.
1:20- Dave wakes up from his morning rest. I ask him to check on Noah...who at that point was shaking his fish tank. Fortunately, Dave dealt with that one...and of course Noah went right to sleep after Daddy said something to him.
1:30- Dave and I started watching the movie, "Once"...A lot of our friends recommended it to us. It's an Indy film...neither Dave nor I were really thrilled with it (sorry to our friends that really liked it).
3:00- I'm still contemplating cleaning the house and Dave just went out to the garage to play. I need to run to the West side to go to Von's this afternoon sometime.
**Sorry about the continual jumping back and forth from past to present tenses...too lazy to go back and fix it though**
Kaitlyn's Baptism
Yesterday, Noah and I drove to Watseka, IL to witness our niece, Kaitlyn get baptized. It was nice to see the family again. I hadn't seen Kaitlyn since she was 6 weeks old...she grew fast, but is still little. :-) Noah and Tyler were buddies for awhile until the red/yellow car came out...then there were some battles. Ahh...cousins. :-)
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Learning to Listen to Jesus
We had an awesome mini-conference at church today. It was entitled, "Learning to Listen to Jesus" and basically in a nutshell talked about prophesy, dreams, and visions. Sorry if this concept scares you. Believe me, at one point in my life...I didn't even believe in it myself. However, I have watched God work and change people's lives through visions or pictures meant to encourage, strengthen, and comfort a person...I am now convinced that it does happen.
Today, our lifegroup got totally hit. Well, number one...we all went, which was stinking cool. We know how to represent. :-) Second of all, many people in our lifegroup received life changing words and cool things spoken into their lives, while others had specific words for other people. We both received and gave. It was awesome.
I ended up calling Becky W. later tonight to ask her to pray for me. I have been feeling very judgemental and critical lately. And of the outflow of those petty feelings, come critical comments. I got pretty convicted because the thoughts I have had are towards people who don't know Jesus and need my love and compassion the most. I hate that this comes back and bites me every now and then. Becky did a good job praying for me and helping me to deal with it. Sometimes it takes a harsh realization that I am not being who God wants me to be to get my rear into gear again. Usually, its not very pretty and I get pretty humbled (if not a little embarassed by my actions... "I said that? Eeew.") Dave so graciously confirmed that I had been acting this way (It's SO HARD to hear that you are sinning from your spouse...I hate it when God uses Dave. However, it is also the most effective...when my spirit is willing to listen that is.)
So, anyway...if you have heard ungodly things from my mouth recently, I deeply apologize and (gulp) give you permission to call me out in the future. I am desperately trying to live my life in accordance with God. I realize now that my tongue reflects my heart. I need to be reading God's word and really gaining spiritual truths and insight from it (I'm working through Numbers right now in the Chronological bible...and admit...I probably need to also be reading something else to balance it out). I also need to be really seeking God's heart in prayer more often.
So, now...after this big confession...I am heading to bed.
Lord, I can do no good thing apart from you. Help my actions to be your actions...my thoughts, your thoughts, and make there be less of me and more of you in my life. I truly long for you to fill me and make me more like you. I don't do such a hotshot job on my own.
Today, our lifegroup got totally hit. Well, number one...we all went, which was stinking cool. We know how to represent. :-) Second of all, many people in our lifegroup received life changing words and cool things spoken into their lives, while others had specific words for other people. We both received and gave. It was awesome.
I ended up calling Becky W. later tonight to ask her to pray for me. I have been feeling very judgemental and critical lately. And of the outflow of those petty feelings, come critical comments. I got pretty convicted because the thoughts I have had are towards people who don't know Jesus and need my love and compassion the most. I hate that this comes back and bites me every now and then. Becky did a good job praying for me and helping me to deal with it. Sometimes it takes a harsh realization that I am not being who God wants me to be to get my rear into gear again. Usually, its not very pretty and I get pretty humbled (if not a little embarassed by my actions... "I said that? Eeew.") Dave so graciously confirmed that I had been acting this way (It's SO HARD to hear that you are sinning from your spouse...I hate it when God uses Dave. However, it is also the most effective...when my spirit is willing to listen that is.)
So, anyway...if you have heard ungodly things from my mouth recently, I deeply apologize and (gulp) give you permission to call me out in the future. I am desperately trying to live my life in accordance with God. I realize now that my tongue reflects my heart. I need to be reading God's word and really gaining spiritual truths and insight from it (I'm working through Numbers right now in the Chronological bible...and admit...I probably need to also be reading something else to balance it out). I also need to be really seeking God's heart in prayer more often.
So, now...after this big confession...I am heading to bed.
Lord, I can do no good thing apart from you. Help my actions to be your actions...my thoughts, your thoughts, and make there be less of me and more of you in my life. I truly long for you to fill me and make me more like you. I don't do such a hotshot job on my own.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Chili and games
Yesterday, we had some of the college guys come over for Chili and Nintendo. Dave spent the afternoon cleaning the (18-year old) original nintendo. Amazingly, after a good cleaning, it worked great! He and Noah did some practice runs. If you notice that Noah's controller is "plugged into" the floor. :-)
Jesse P., Kurt, and Peter all came over. It was really nice to have them because we really got a chance to get to know them all a little better. Sunday mornings are crazy when everyone is running around trying to do stuff. You're lucky if you can even say "hi" to your friends.
Anyway, last night the guys all got into a card game (that I do not know the name for). Noah was Jesse's partner through the process...although I think he stuck around more for the Chex Mix on the table. :-)
Meanwhile, I had American Idol on. When the writer's strike was going on, I pretty much just stopped watching primetime television. I haven't seen any of this season's Idol up to this point, and was only mildly interested. I know, I know...but I seem to be that way with a lot of things. I think I am just done being inside and would rather be doing other things than watching television or (gulp) even reading. Both of those things have been pretty bland for me lately. Spring...come soon please!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Answered Prayer
This morning, when Noah stirred at 6:30, I went in there quickly and tucked him back in. I then prayed to God that he would sleep in until 7:30...as a special gift to me. At 7:30am on the dot, Noah started stirring and Dave started snoring (which he had not done the entire rest of the night). It was time to get up. Thanks Jesus for the extra hour. I feel pretty rested this morning.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Saturday
Well, thanks to everyone who weighed in on the survey. We'll take it under consideration. Just for the record, Dave is not for denying Noah things, he just has a few reservations about dolls(that, apparently, when talking to other guys is not unfounded). So, we'll see what happens.
Noah woke up at 3am yesterday completely soaked through. I changed him, but decided that I am too pregnant to effectively tackle the bed by myself at 3am (perhaps this is a cop-out, but I was also really tired). Anyway, by the time I had changed Noah, he was wide awake and actually thought that it was time to get up and get going. I assured him otherwise, but he still had a hard time settling down. It ended up with us rocking in the living room for awhile, then me laying him down on Dave's side of the bed (who was at work). It was my own darn fault for not changing his sheets in the night because neither of us got great sleep. I was awake pretty much from 3am on. So, at 7:15 this morning, when Noah woke up...I was a little, well, sleepy. And when I am sleepy...I'm cranky. :-)
Dave got home, and he also had not had much sleep...so I took the morning shift with the kiddo. I actually had to call my friend Becky to have her pray for patience for me. Noah was really whiny and trying today...and on little sleep, that is challenging. We went to the mall where he threw the mother of all fits as we were leaving. One older gentleman glared at me as though he wanted to call DCFS. I literally had Noah in time-out in the hallway by JCPenney's. That still didn't work, and he bucked and fought me the whole way to the car. (Enter glaring older guy). Again, when I have had more sleep and feel a little more human myself...I hope that I could have handled that situation a little more effectively. Noah cried for most of the way home and fell into a deep sleep...We were both exhausted.
So, we both napped. Afterwards, we went to the kids expo at Market Place Center. We basically just got hit up for a bunch of stuff. There were a few useful places to eventually look into for things to do around town. Other than that, we were in and out pretty quickly.
We have been driving Ben C.'s car this weekend as we loaned the van out to him to drive some people from RVC to a ski lodge for the day. They could fit more people in our van. We have really been convicted of how things aren't REALLY ours, but we are stewards of what God gives us. So, when Ben asked if he could take the van, we said OK. Well, it turns out that while they were skiing, someone backed into it and dented the back bumper. Figures. It wasn't their fault at all (considering they weren't even in the car) so we told them not to worry about it. If only someone could really rear-end me then I could afford to get the paint (that I have accidentaly chipped from backing out with the tailgate open..oops) and (now) bumper fixed in the back. OK, I don't REALLY wish to be in an accident, especially with a kid, and a kid on the way...I'm just saying.
It's 6:30pm and I can't wait until Noah is ready for bed, because I know that I will be pretty close behind him. Come on 8:00...
Noah woke up at 3am yesterday completely soaked through. I changed him, but decided that I am too pregnant to effectively tackle the bed by myself at 3am (perhaps this is a cop-out, but I was also really tired). Anyway, by the time I had changed Noah, he was wide awake and actually thought that it was time to get up and get going. I assured him otherwise, but he still had a hard time settling down. It ended up with us rocking in the living room for awhile, then me laying him down on Dave's side of the bed (who was at work). It was my own darn fault for not changing his sheets in the night because neither of us got great sleep. I was awake pretty much from 3am on. So, at 7:15 this morning, when Noah woke up...I was a little, well, sleepy. And when I am sleepy...I'm cranky. :-)
Dave got home, and he also had not had much sleep...so I took the morning shift with the kiddo. I actually had to call my friend Becky to have her pray for patience for me. Noah was really whiny and trying today...and on little sleep, that is challenging. We went to the mall where he threw the mother of all fits as we were leaving. One older gentleman glared at me as though he wanted to call DCFS. I literally had Noah in time-out in the hallway by JCPenney's. That still didn't work, and he bucked and fought me the whole way to the car. (Enter glaring older guy). Again, when I have had more sleep and feel a little more human myself...I hope that I could have handled that situation a little more effectively. Noah cried for most of the way home and fell into a deep sleep...We were both exhausted.
So, we both napped. Afterwards, we went to the kids expo at Market Place Center. We basically just got hit up for a bunch of stuff. There were a few useful places to eventually look into for things to do around town. Other than that, we were in and out pretty quickly.
We have been driving Ben C.'s car this weekend as we loaned the van out to him to drive some people from RVC to a ski lodge for the day. They could fit more people in our van. We have really been convicted of how things aren't REALLY ours, but we are stewards of what God gives us. So, when Ben asked if he could take the van, we said OK. Well, it turns out that while they were skiing, someone backed into it and dented the back bumper. Figures. It wasn't their fault at all (considering they weren't even in the car) so we told them not to worry about it. If only someone could really rear-end me then I could afford to get the paint (that I have accidentaly chipped from backing out with the tailgate open..oops) and (now) bumper fixed in the back. OK, I don't REALLY wish to be in an accident, especially with a kid, and a kid on the way...I'm just saying.
It's 6:30pm and I can't wait until Noah is ready for bed, because I know that I will be pretty close behind him. Come on 8:00...
Friday, February 15, 2008
Survey
So, here's the deal. As you can see by the above picture, Noah is very much into imaginative play. With a new baby on the way, I thought it might be a neat idea to get a boy cabbage doll for Noah to open while we are at the hospital, from the new baby. This way he can have a baby to feed and take care of while I am taking care of the new baby. Dave disagrees with me, thinking that him having a doll is too feminine. Now, I too, prefer Noah to "stay straight" so to speak, but I wonder if at this age it really makes a difference? So I am seeking the opinion's of the blogger world...
Is it OK for a 2 year old boy to have a doll? Weigh in!
Valentine's Recap
This year I wasn't really into Valentines Day. Just coming off Dave's birthday I was struggling with ideas and frankly I wasn't really concerned with receiving too much from him either. We originally were just planning on maybe going out to dinner, but taking Noah since we didn't have a sitter. Well, our friend Becky thought her husband had to work that night so she offered to take Noah so that he could play with her son River. Dave and I are not ones to refuse an offer of babysitting...so we jumped on it (thanks guys for watching Noah last night).
We went to TGIFridays and had their 3 course menu...Holy cow was that good...and a good deal! Dave and I both had appetizers, entrees, and a dessert each for $12.99. We had a fun time. We watched a couple on a blind date and were kind of amused. We sobered a little when we saw the footage of NIU's shooting. That was tragic and unnecessary. My heart goes out to the parents and families of those who were killed or hurt.
After dinner, we headed over to Uniquely Yours Pottery and each painted a plate to put above the kitchen cabinets. It was a lot of fun. Dave put a lot more effort into his plate than I did to mine...it was amusing.
As far as gifts, like I said before...I was fresh out of ideas. Instead I decided to write Dave a love letter and insert it into his card. He actually did really nicely yesterday. He sent me an email in the morning (which he never does) telling me he loved me. Then brought home tulips, because I really need to be reminded that spring WILL eventually come and a Willow Tree figurine. Nothing expensive, but everything very thoughtful. It was really a nice day and a nice time together.
I am realizing I am not huge on the Valentine's Day hooplah...but hey, it gave me an opportunity to have a nice dinner out with my husband and some child-free time. Who can refuse that?
We went to TGIFridays and had their 3 course menu...Holy cow was that good...and a good deal! Dave and I both had appetizers, entrees, and a dessert each for $12.99. We had a fun time. We watched a couple on a blind date and were kind of amused. We sobered a little when we saw the footage of NIU's shooting. That was tragic and unnecessary. My heart goes out to the parents and families of those who were killed or hurt.
After dinner, we headed over to Uniquely Yours Pottery and each painted a plate to put above the kitchen cabinets. It was a lot of fun. Dave put a lot more effort into his plate than I did to mine...it was amusing.
As far as gifts, like I said before...I was fresh out of ideas. Instead I decided to write Dave a love letter and insert it into his card. He actually did really nicely yesterday. He sent me an email in the morning (which he never does) telling me he loved me. Then brought home tulips, because I really need to be reminded that spring WILL eventually come and a Willow Tree figurine. Nothing expensive, but everything very thoughtful. It was really a nice day and a nice time together.
I am realizing I am not huge on the Valentine's Day hooplah...but hey, it gave me an opportunity to have a nice dinner out with my husband and some child-free time. Who can refuse that?
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Thankful Thursday-
I have a lot to be thankful for this week:
-I am thankful that I have a great husband who is supportive. Yesterday I was doing about 4 hours of church things at Starbucks (really the first time I have been out and non-mommish in a while). I came home and the house was not only cleaned but swept, mopped, and vacuumed. The kid was fed and had napped, and there was order. It was an INCREDIBLE gift and one I appreciated very much.
-I am thankful for our family times. We have been to the Children's Museum twice within the last week. It's been a lot of fun to have quality family time...stuff that can't be caught while the TV is on or housework is piling up. The drive down there afforded Dave and I really great times to chat and just catch up. Then its fun to "explore" the museum through Noah's eyes.
- I am thankful for great friends who challenge me to be a better person and are just there when you need them.
-I am thankful for a great church. One that challenges us to step up to the needs that it has. I love knowing that RVC is a place where people are finding connections, being fed, and experiencing Jesus (sometimes for the very first time).
-I am thankful that I have a great husband who is supportive. Yesterday I was doing about 4 hours of church things at Starbucks (really the first time I have been out and non-mommish in a while). I came home and the house was not only cleaned but swept, mopped, and vacuumed. The kid was fed and had napped, and there was order. It was an INCREDIBLE gift and one I appreciated very much.
-I am thankful for our family times. We have been to the Children's Museum twice within the last week. It's been a lot of fun to have quality family time...stuff that can't be caught while the TV is on or housework is piling up. The drive down there afforded Dave and I really great times to chat and just catch up. Then its fun to "explore" the museum through Noah's eyes.
- I am thankful for great friends who challenge me to be a better person and are just there when you need them.
-I am thankful for a great church. One that challenges us to step up to the needs that it has. I love knowing that RVC is a place where people are finding connections, being fed, and experiencing Jesus (sometimes for the very first time).
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Birthday Recap
Well, Dave turned 28 yesterday. He celebrated by working at Thorntown in the morning and the AEC overnight last night. Although he is on his way home, he hasn't made it here yet. We tried to make the day special for him though in our own way. I got up early and made blueberry muffins (the only "homemade" breakfast food that I am good at making). Noah woke up in time to give him his card and presents. From us, he got a professional name tag with Dr. Dave Yenerich, D.V.M. on it. We also got him the newest Streets and Trips so he can find his way around again. (We have the 2004 version...with all the new construction, it was time to upgrade).
He was able to come home for a little in between the two jobs, so we took him out to Monicals Pizza for dinner. Noah was not the best birthday party attendee, but we managed. Afterwards, since we were already out, Noah and I walked the mall, while Dave headed to work.
It truly was a birthday miracle...when I was at Kohl's I found a display with men's shoes really on sale. When this happens, I NEVER find Dave's size. But, because it was his birthday, it must have been a miracle for me to find a size 12 sitting there waiting for me to claim it. It's funny. When I brought them to Dave at work, we compared them with his current shoes (which he likes but are showing wear) and they are the exact same shoe except the new ones have navy blue instead of black accents. Darn, I'm good. :-)
Today we are going to bring an icecream cake to our lifegroup and do a mini-celebration there (since he worked all night yesterday). I talked with him this morning though, and it seemed like a quiet night last night (he banked 7 hours)...So that means with a nap, we'll get to play with him all day. :-) I know that he has missed Noah since he has been getting home too late to say goodnight and leaving just when he wakes up (or before). He has the next few days off, so it will be nice for him to relax and have family time.
I hear him coming in the door, so I will sign off. Have a great Tuesday!
He was able to come home for a little in between the two jobs, so we took him out to Monicals Pizza for dinner. Noah was not the best birthday party attendee, but we managed. Afterwards, since we were already out, Noah and I walked the mall, while Dave headed to work.
It truly was a birthday miracle...when I was at Kohl's I found a display with men's shoes really on sale. When this happens, I NEVER find Dave's size. But, because it was his birthday, it must have been a miracle for me to find a size 12 sitting there waiting for me to claim it. It's funny. When I brought them to Dave at work, we compared them with his current shoes (which he likes but are showing wear) and they are the exact same shoe except the new ones have navy blue instead of black accents. Darn, I'm good. :-)
Today we are going to bring an icecream cake to our lifegroup and do a mini-celebration there (since he worked all night yesterday). I talked with him this morning though, and it seemed like a quiet night last night (he banked 7 hours)...So that means with a nap, we'll get to play with him all day. :-) I know that he has missed Noah since he has been getting home too late to say goodnight and leaving just when he wakes up (or before). He has the next few days off, so it will be nice for him to relax and have family time.
I hear him coming in the door, so I will sign off. Have a great Tuesday!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Sunday
Not too much to report today. Church was great. Adam Carlyle preached and did an AWESOME job. He has a very quiet demeanor, but was also very compelling. I enjoyed listening to him, and what he said was highly relevant. We're still on the topic of money and today was the things that hold us back from being generous...namely: ignorance, pride, and fear. It was very good. Afterwards, Noah and I ran to pick up the last of Dave's birthday present and came home.
The highlight of our day was taking 2 hour naps. It was wonderful! I have definitely hit the point where I am tired through this 3rd trimester. I can't seem to remember too much about it when I was pregnant with Noah. I remember being tired, but also because we were buying a house, I was wrapping up a job, doing IEP's, packing, and all the emotional things that come with it. I had a hard time differenting between pregnancy tired, and just plain tired. Now, I am feeling pregnancy tired. I am very fortunate that I CAN nap during the day with this one. It is a definite perk of staying at home. I'm trying to soak it all up while I can. :-)
I did some planning for lifegroup today and when I look at the calendar and plan things out for the next month or two, the time seems like it is going to fly between now and our due date.
This afternoon, Noah played super well by himself and was very well-behaved. He had a great time playing with the dog and was pretty silly. It allowed me to get some housework done in between laughing and playing with him.
Usually days without Dave (who's at work) seem to drag. Today has flown by though. I have no idea where the day went!
Tomorrow is Dave's birthday. If you see him, wish him a happy birthday!
The highlight of our day was taking 2 hour naps. It was wonderful! I have definitely hit the point where I am tired through this 3rd trimester. I can't seem to remember too much about it when I was pregnant with Noah. I remember being tired, but also because we were buying a house, I was wrapping up a job, doing IEP's, packing, and all the emotional things that come with it. I had a hard time differenting between pregnancy tired, and just plain tired. Now, I am feeling pregnancy tired. I am very fortunate that I CAN nap during the day with this one. It is a definite perk of staying at home. I'm trying to soak it all up while I can. :-)
I did some planning for lifegroup today and when I look at the calendar and plan things out for the next month or two, the time seems like it is going to fly between now and our due date.
This afternoon, Noah played super well by himself and was very well-behaved. He had a great time playing with the dog and was pretty silly. It allowed me to get some housework done in between laughing and playing with him.
Usually days without Dave (who's at work) seem to drag. Today has flown by though. I have no idea where the day went!
Tomorrow is Dave's birthday. If you see him, wish him a happy birthday!
Friday, February 8, 2008
Children's Museum
Today we decided to venture to the Indy Children's Museum. We had never been before and its only an hour's trip. We had a lot of fun...so much fun that we ended up buying a membership. As long as we go another 4 times throughout the year, we have more than made up our money. We spent most of our time in Playscape, which is an area designed for Noah's age.
He played and played and played there. He alternated between carrying a baby around and pushing a lawn mower. The whole area is geared for imaginative play and is very child friendly. There is a kitchen, sand area, toddler area, and so much more. It was wonderful for Dave and I to just let him run and play without having to tell him "no" or not let him play with something at home. And, even better...we didn't have to clean up the mess!
We toured some of the other sites. It's really a cool museum. There was a glass exhibit there that was pretty neat as well. I took ton's of pictures that I uploaded to facebook...but here's a shot just so you can see how cool and intricate it was.
By the end of the day, we were all tired, but had a LOT of fun. Noah didn't even make it out to the parking lot before he fell asleep. Yea for fun family days!
He played and played and played there. He alternated between carrying a baby around and pushing a lawn mower. The whole area is geared for imaginative play and is very child friendly. There is a kitchen, sand area, toddler area, and so much more. It was wonderful for Dave and I to just let him run and play without having to tell him "no" or not let him play with something at home. And, even better...we didn't have to clean up the mess!
We toured some of the other sites. It's really a cool museum. There was a glass exhibit there that was pretty neat as well. I took ton's of pictures that I uploaded to facebook...but here's a shot just so you can see how cool and intricate it was.
By the end of the day, we were all tired, but had a LOT of fun. Noah didn't even make it out to the parking lot before he fell asleep. Yea for fun family days!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
I am having a hard time thinking of a witty title...so I'll just write...
Last night's lifegroup I thought went really well. One of the guests from last week's party returned, which was awesome. She even had some great input into the discussion. I always feel like I fumble when it comes to the mechanics of breaking up for ministry. I can get through the first part for listening to the Holy Spirit, but when it comes to how we are actually going to break up to pray for others, I tend to get all jumbled up and am not sure how to go about it. Thank goodness for Gabe (the engineer) and Sheena for taking the initiative and getting it going. :-) I ended up receiving some really great prayer last night. Yesterday was sort of a breakdown day for me concerning the housework and Noah. I was frustrated with the housework and how I felt like I was never able to get a handle on it, and hence probably took it out on Noah. I had to repent to Noah, which is not always fun, but I feel is a necessary part of teaching him that although I am the parent and I have authority, I am not perfect, and sometimes make mistakes and have to make amends. Thankfully, huggies go both ways, and we were good after that. I was definitely on a short fuse last night though. Thankfully, I have a wonderful husband who was able to talk me off the edge and encourage me during both breakdowns. He said exactly what I needed to hear to be affirmed, but also to get my act together again.
Back to lifegroup...I ended up receiving prayer for what started out as pain in my left side. It ended up with Gabe praying for my messy living room and having patience. It was exactly what I needed. I love how God works.
This morning, Noah slept in until 8:15! It was glorious! I woke up at 8 a little disoriented as to why Noah hadn't woken me up yet, but really couldn't complain for the extra sleep...it was great. Dave came home and cooked us an awesome breakfast (Noah helped) while I got showered to try to get ready for lapsit. However, I ended up not going to lapsit this morning, which was fine. It gave me an opportunity to clean the kitchen. Then since I was in the mood, I finished cleaning the rest of the house. I now feel that I can sit down for a little bit this afternoon and have some "me" time. I don't feel so behind anymore.
We have a doctor's appt. this afternoon. Just a check-up. We are now going every 2 weeks. I am excited because that indicates that soon, we will get to meet our little man. Although we are keeping mum about the name, we are telling Noah, who can't really pronounce it right, but its pretty cute when he tries. Hopefully, when new baby does come along, Noah will be at least a little prepared. However, I am pretty sure that his world is going to be rocked a little bit. He's used to running the show and having the world revolve around him. It will take some adjustment I'm sure.
Well, that's about all on my end. I need to finish the kitchen, then I am going to take a moment and just....breathe. :-)
Last night's lifegroup I thought went really well. One of the guests from last week's party returned, which was awesome. She even had some great input into the discussion. I always feel like I fumble when it comes to the mechanics of breaking up for ministry. I can get through the first part for listening to the Holy Spirit, but when it comes to how we are actually going to break up to pray for others, I tend to get all jumbled up and am not sure how to go about it. Thank goodness for Gabe (the engineer) and Sheena for taking the initiative and getting it going. :-) I ended up receiving some really great prayer last night. Yesterday was sort of a breakdown day for me concerning the housework and Noah. I was frustrated with the housework and how I felt like I was never able to get a handle on it, and hence probably took it out on Noah. I had to repent to Noah, which is not always fun, but I feel is a necessary part of teaching him that although I am the parent and I have authority, I am not perfect, and sometimes make mistakes and have to make amends. Thankfully, huggies go both ways, and we were good after that. I was definitely on a short fuse last night though. Thankfully, I have a wonderful husband who was able to talk me off the edge and encourage me during both breakdowns. He said exactly what I needed to hear to be affirmed, but also to get my act together again.
Back to lifegroup...I ended up receiving prayer for what started out as pain in my left side. It ended up with Gabe praying for my messy living room and having patience. It was exactly what I needed. I love how God works.
This morning, Noah slept in until 8:15! It was glorious! I woke up at 8 a little disoriented as to why Noah hadn't woken me up yet, but really couldn't complain for the extra sleep...it was great. Dave came home and cooked us an awesome breakfast (Noah helped) while I got showered to try to get ready for lapsit. However, I ended up not going to lapsit this morning, which was fine. It gave me an opportunity to clean the kitchen. Then since I was in the mood, I finished cleaning the rest of the house. I now feel that I can sit down for a little bit this afternoon and have some "me" time. I don't feel so behind anymore.
We have a doctor's appt. this afternoon. Just a check-up. We are now going every 2 weeks. I am excited because that indicates that soon, we will get to meet our little man. Although we are keeping mum about the name, we are telling Noah, who can't really pronounce it right, but its pretty cute when he tries. Hopefully, when new baby does come along, Noah will be at least a little prepared. However, I am pretty sure that his world is going to be rocked a little bit. He's used to running the show and having the world revolve around him. It will take some adjustment I'm sure.
Well, that's about all on my end. I need to finish the kitchen, then I am going to take a moment and just....breathe. :-)
Monday, February 4, 2008
The good and the bad
It's interesting to see what actually rubs off on your kids. For instance, Dave and I always tuck Noah in by praying over him and then kissing him "night night". Well, in the mornings after Dave works and he lays down, Noah and I have gotten in the habit of tucking HIM in. It's pretty cute. We do the same thing that we do for Noah, except Noah gets to do it for daddy. We pray over him and then kiss him "night night". This morning was the first morning that Noah laid his hands on Dave's arm right by mine and silently looked on as I said a short prayer. It was really neat to see that he is starting to "get" praying or is at the very least, is modeling the actions of prayer. He did the same thing when I was praying for Leah this morning. However, since that prayer went a little longer, he lost interest fairly fast, but still. It was really neat to watch.
On a different note. He had a hard time falling asleep (or being willing to) for nap today. Since I was ready for a nap, it just exasperated me a little bit. When I finally got him down, and laid down myself, I had to listen to Dave snoring and couldn't find my ear plugs, which I now keep beside the bed. Two phone calls later, I aborted my attempt at sleep and came out to the living room to read. I asked Dave to hand me my phone, and as he did so it slipped from its case and smashed almost perfectly into the plastic of our office chair. I looked at him and said, "I hope it's not broken"...he looked down and said, "Well..." Apparently the screen went blank. That would be my FOURTH phone this plan...and our plan is not up until July. The phone that just recently broke was an old back-up that we kept around in case one of our phones broke. Well, after replacing 3 phones, I had decided to just use that one until our plan ran up. Stupid piece of crap phones. What are they made of? Apparently, cheap plastic. Ugh.
On the bright side, Dave's phone was also on the fritz, and so he ended up just ordering 2 new phones off ebay. God willing, these will get us to July.
On a different note. He had a hard time falling asleep (or being willing to) for nap today. Since I was ready for a nap, it just exasperated me a little bit. When I finally got him down, and laid down myself, I had to listen to Dave snoring and couldn't find my ear plugs, which I now keep beside the bed. Two phone calls later, I aborted my attempt at sleep and came out to the living room to read. I asked Dave to hand me my phone, and as he did so it slipped from its case and smashed almost perfectly into the plastic of our office chair. I looked at him and said, "I hope it's not broken"...he looked down and said, "Well..." Apparently the screen went blank. That would be my FOURTH phone this plan...and our plan is not up until July. The phone that just recently broke was an old back-up that we kept around in case one of our phones broke. Well, after replacing 3 phones, I had decided to just use that one until our plan ran up. Stupid piece of crap phones. What are they made of? Apparently, cheap plastic. Ugh.
On the bright side, Dave's phone was also on the fritz, and so he ended up just ordering 2 new phones off ebay. God willing, these will get us to July.
Weekend Recap
Friday- Big winter storm in the morning. By the afternoon however it had pretty much cleared up. We decided to make a quick trip to Watseka to take Dave's parents out to dinner. His dad's birthday was Sunday, but we couldn't get down there on that day. We bought a balloon and sent Noah into the shop carrying the balloon to grandpa. We ate at the Watseka Table, this little diner that they have...I LOVE family restaurants. It was truly one of the best meals I have had in awhile. :-) Happy Birthday Dad Y.!
Saturday-Dave worked all day, leaving me and Noah to fend for ourselves. Not the best day for either of us. He was easily frustrated and my patience levels were already low, but quickly dropped to negative levels. It was one of those days where by the end of it we were both in tears in our separate corners. We made up though by the end of the day (after a few time-outs...for both of us) and the day ended on a positive note.
Sunday- Both Dave and Noah had colds in the morning and were pretty snotty. They opted to stay home while I headed onto church (I needed the adult interaction after Saturday). Church was good. Tony is preaching on money and I find myself being pretty convicted every week about how I view it and to what gains? I find myself re-evaluating how I see money and how we can use what we have to glorify God. Whereas before, I was only thinking about how we could use it to benefit us. Not to say that I still don't think about those things occassionaly, or can't eventually do those things...I just needed to gain some kingdom perspective and realize that we are just stewards of our money...and that ultimately it belongs to Jesus. I was convicted about my attitudes toward money...it was definitely a good sermon.
Afterwards, we had RVCTV. I sat with the college students and actually had a fun time. They're a good group of people. When it came time to pray, I watched them lead out prayers with confidence and effectiveness and I almost cried with joy. All the people at that table had been coming for over a year now, and were all considered leaders. It was neat watching them pray for one another with compassion and authority.
When I got home, Dave and Noah both seemed to be doing better so we decided to make a quick appearance at Frank and Sheena's superbowl party (A lot of people seemed to have already been sick anyway, so I felt a little better about bringing them). River, too, had a runny nose and a cough so that made it a little better. Frank and Sheena have a lovely house and were great hosts. None of us really watched too much of the game, but we all paused conversation for commercials...I found that rather amusing. It was a good time, with good people. We ended up leaving at half-time though just to get the monkey in bed. He was pretty tired.
By last night, I had a case of the sniffles and woke up with a sore throat this morning...blagh.
Leah is scheduled to come over this morning to meet and then I am going to focus the rest of the day on finishing cleaning my house. I got the kitchen looking better last night...now its just a matter of getting the rest of the house picked up and cleaned (and, if I have time...organized).
Have a great day everyone!
Saturday-Dave worked all day, leaving me and Noah to fend for ourselves. Not the best day for either of us. He was easily frustrated and my patience levels were already low, but quickly dropped to negative levels. It was one of those days where by the end of it we were both in tears in our separate corners. We made up though by the end of the day (after a few time-outs...for both of us) and the day ended on a positive note.
Sunday- Both Dave and Noah had colds in the morning and were pretty snotty. They opted to stay home while I headed onto church (I needed the adult interaction after Saturday). Church was good. Tony is preaching on money and I find myself being pretty convicted every week about how I view it and to what gains? I find myself re-evaluating how I see money and how we can use what we have to glorify God. Whereas before, I was only thinking about how we could use it to benefit us. Not to say that I still don't think about those things occassionaly, or can't eventually do those things...I just needed to gain some kingdom perspective and realize that we are just stewards of our money...and that ultimately it belongs to Jesus. I was convicted about my attitudes toward money...it was definitely a good sermon.
Afterwards, we had RVCTV. I sat with the college students and actually had a fun time. They're a good group of people. When it came time to pray, I watched them lead out prayers with confidence and effectiveness and I almost cried with joy. All the people at that table had been coming for over a year now, and were all considered leaders. It was neat watching them pray for one another with compassion and authority.
When I got home, Dave and Noah both seemed to be doing better so we decided to make a quick appearance at Frank and Sheena's superbowl party (A lot of people seemed to have already been sick anyway, so I felt a little better about bringing them). River, too, had a runny nose and a cough so that made it a little better. Frank and Sheena have a lovely house and were great hosts. None of us really watched too much of the game, but we all paused conversation for commercials...I found that rather amusing. It was a good time, with good people. We ended up leaving at half-time though just to get the monkey in bed. He was pretty tired.
By last night, I had a case of the sniffles and woke up with a sore throat this morning...blagh.
Leah is scheduled to come over this morning to meet and then I am going to focus the rest of the day on finishing cleaning my house. I got the kitchen looking better last night...now its just a matter of getting the rest of the house picked up and cleaned (and, if I have time...organized).
Have a great day everyone!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
I'm a barbie mom
The other day, the poptarts box was sitting out. On the back was a picture of a blonde haired barbie. Noah looks at it and says, "MOM!" while pointing. Thanks son, you made my day. :-) I don't feel like I look a lot like barbie (especially in my growing state), but its nice to know that my son at least thinks I do.
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