211. Greek yogurt
212. Garage sales
213. Running 6 miles tonight
214. Encouraging mommy blogs
215. That I don't have to be perfect
216. My new prayer calendars (one to pray for husbands and one for children)
217. Not being too tired despite Caleb being up a bunch last night
218. 2 cars that work
219. That my friend Jason got a promotion/new job
220. My amazing, hard-working husband
8.29.2011
8.28.2011
Day 240- 11 months!
Caleb... Happy 11 Month Day!
Dear Caleb,
You are getting SO BIG! You've had a big month as well! You started walking and eating table foods a lot better! You have also decided to start saying, "mama" again. Your favorite things to do are play ball, push around objects (like your train, a bowl, a lid, etc), take baths, read books, and point at things. You are also understanding a lot more words (even if you don't say any yet). You know, "touch your head," "point your finger," "clap," "wave," "bye bye," "Caleb," "mama," "dada," "open," "close," "ball," "train," "outside," and I'm sure a few more. Many of these have to be in context and are not fully consistent, but you are really starting to respond to verbal commands without gesturing to understand! You got to meet all your cousins on mama's side this month, as well as spend your first night away from mom and dad in early August. You are starting to move to 1 nap a day, but still taking 4 bottles pretty regularly. It's mama's job this month to work on weaning. You wear size 3 diapers still and between 12-18 month clothes. Your favorite foods are goldfish, cheddar cheese, and more recently strawberries. (oh and you like ice cream too, but we don't want anyone to know that mama let you try it- hehe). You are still really laid back and smiley almost all the time. You love to make mom and dad happy and have started "sharing" and reciprocating things (like drinking out of a cup, then offering it to us). I hope your generous spirit deepens in you as you get older. I'm enjoying you so much and thankful for you.
Love,
Mama
Trial pic #2 (working hard being a baby)
Thankful...
201. To see Steph on her way to Minnesota!
202. Getting to celebrate Baby Shelton at Bethany's shower (and that Caleb cooperated)
203. happening upon a 50% off all women's clothing sale at Gap
204. coffee
205. meeting a nice neighbor who was super-friendly and connected me to several mom's groups
206. zinnias from mom's garden
207. having a stopper for our bath tub
208. our new TV- thanks Colby!
209. God's patience
210. Caleb's face peaking through the slats of his crib in the morning
Dear Caleb,
You are getting SO BIG! You've had a big month as well! You started walking and eating table foods a lot better! You have also decided to start saying, "mama" again. Your favorite things to do are play ball, push around objects (like your train, a bowl, a lid, etc), take baths, read books, and point at things. You are also understanding a lot more words (even if you don't say any yet). You know, "touch your head," "point your finger," "clap," "wave," "bye bye," "Caleb," "mama," "dada," "open," "close," "ball," "train," "outside," and I'm sure a few more. Many of these have to be in context and are not fully consistent, but you are really starting to respond to verbal commands without gesturing to understand! You got to meet all your cousins on mama's side this month, as well as spend your first night away from mom and dad in early August. You are starting to move to 1 nap a day, but still taking 4 bottles pretty regularly. It's mama's job this month to work on weaning. You wear size 3 diapers still and between 12-18 month clothes. Your favorite foods are goldfish, cheddar cheese, and more recently strawberries. (oh and you like ice cream too, but we don't want anyone to know that mama let you try it- hehe). You are still really laid back and smiley almost all the time. You love to make mom and dad happy and have started "sharing" and reciprocating things (like drinking out of a cup, then offering it to us). I hope your generous spirit deepens in you as you get older. I'm enjoying you so much and thankful for you.
Love,
Mama
Trial pic#1
Trial pic #2 (working hard being a baby) 
Thankful...
201. To see Steph on her way to Minnesota!
202. Getting to celebrate Baby Shelton at Bethany's shower (and that Caleb cooperated)
203. happening upon a 50% off all women's clothing sale at Gap
204. coffee
205. meeting a nice neighbor who was super-friendly and connected me to several mom's groups
206. zinnias from mom's garden
207. having a stopper for our bath tub
208. our new TV- thanks Colby!
209. God's patience
210. Caleb's face peaking through the slats of his crib in the morning
8.25.2011
Day 237- Diaper review #2
Diaper review #2
Well... as a new mom, my diaper selection/preferences are ever evolving. I thought I would update you all on my current diaper favs.
I have Caleb in Target's Up and Up size 3 diapers right now. They are the cheapest I can find (besides Sams and Walmart brands- which I haven't tried yet), plus the quality is really good. Although I did like the Earth's Best Chlorine Free diapers I posted about here, these are more consistent and absorbent. They are also soft. They don't seem chemically at all, unlike the Pampers with DryMax that I used to use. The only thing I've noticed is that if Caleb is crawling around with just a diaper on, the material starts to wear a little on the bottom. It doesn't seem to affect their integrity though.
Since Caleb drinks an entire 8 oz of formula before bed (and eats dinner not too long before that), I was having trouble with him leaking during the night. The problem was solved with these diapers. I just ran out, but I plan to get a few more to carry us through until Caleb is weaned from his evening bottle. I would totally recommend this type for babies who are still feeding before bed and at night. I like Extra Protection better than the Baby Dry version because it seems to keep Caleb's skin dryer.
Well, that's about it on diapers. I guess I'll keep you updated because we have a while before we're done with diapers around here!
Thankful...
186. super pleasant weather today
187. running 4 miles and feeling good!
188. yummy, healthy lunch with a good friend
189. Caleb starting to say, "mama" again
190. getting picture hung around the house
191. smoothies
192. mug brownies
193. fireflies
194. locust shells
195. ant barrier spray
196. getting all the laundry put away- finally!
197. fertility
198. "free" trash and recycling
199. having a key for our spare tire on the CR-V
200. tomorrow is Friday!
Well... as a new mom, my diaper selection/preferences are ever evolving. I thought I would update you all on my current diaper favs.
I have Caleb in Target's Up and Up size 3 diapers right now. They are the cheapest I can find (besides Sams and Walmart brands- which I haven't tried yet), plus the quality is really good. Although I did like the Earth's Best Chlorine Free diapers I posted about here, these are more consistent and absorbent. They are also soft. They don't seem chemically at all, unlike the Pampers with DryMax that I used to use. The only thing I've noticed is that if Caleb is crawling around with just a diaper on, the material starts to wear a little on the bottom. It doesn't seem to affect their integrity though.
Since Caleb drinks an entire 8 oz of formula before bed (and eats dinner not too long before that), I was having trouble with him leaking during the night. The problem was solved with these diapers. I just ran out, but I plan to get a few more to carry us through until Caleb is weaned from his evening bottle. I would totally recommend this type for babies who are still feeding before bed and at night. I like Extra Protection better than the Baby Dry version because it seems to keep Caleb's skin dryer.
Well, that's about it on diapers. I guess I'll keep you updated because we have a while before we're done with diapers around here!
Thankful...
186. super pleasant weather today
187. running 4 miles and feeling good!
188. yummy, healthy lunch with a good friend
189. Caleb starting to say, "mama" again
190. getting picture hung around the house
191. smoothies
192. mug brownies
193. fireflies
194. locust shells
195. ant barrier spray
196. getting all the laundry put away- finally!
197. fertility
198. "free" trash and recycling
199. having a key for our spare tire on the CR-V
200. tomorrow is Friday!
8.23.2011
Day 235- busy, busy
Sorry for the lack of posting lately. Life has been busy. Hope to get back on top of things soon. My one goal for Monday was to do laundry and put it away. Guess what is still in piles/in the dryer!? This seems to be my life lately. I'm thankful for many of the things that have kept it busy though...
171. Caleb started walking this weekend!
172. Getting into the routine of school/work/etc again
173. Good JBU friends coming to visit
174. Running 5 miles without fainting :)
175. Fun patients to work with
176. Boating on Saturday
177. Getting up the first time water skiing in a while
178. Red bell peppers
179. Mug brownies
180. Free samples in the mail
181. I get to see Stephanie this weekend
182. Organizing- I have my own caseload now (finally!)
183. Emails from far away friends
184. That I get Internet on my phone
185. Sleep
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171. Caleb started walking this weekend!
172. Getting into the routine of school/work/etc again
173. Good JBU friends coming to visit
174. Running 5 miles without fainting :)
175. Fun patients to work with
176. Boating on Saturday
177. Getting up the first time water skiing in a while
178. Red bell peppers
179. Mug brownies
180. Free samples in the mail
181. I get to see Stephanie this weekend
182. Organizing- I have my own caseload now (finally!)
183. Emails from far away friends
184. That I get Internet on my phone
185. Sleep
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8.18.2011
Day 230- Select pics from the reunion
Pics from the Verser reunion!
All together...
The sisters
Family shot
Cousins
All born within 6 months of each other!
Most of the cousins (minus Rick, Aletha Scott and their kiddos)
(thanks to Matt and Aunt Karen for all the pics!)
Thankful...
164. A relaxing day around the house
165. The good tired feeling after a run
166. Organic raspberries
167. Caleb is eating stage 3 baby food like a champ (finally!)
168. Dinner last night with some fun people from church
169. Reading The Hunger Games (such an engaging read- I finished it in less than 24 hours!)
170. An on sale KU hoodie Alan got for me at the bookstore. I guess I'm an official Kansan now!
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All together...
The sisters
Family shot
Cousins
All born within 6 months of each other!
Most of the cousins (minus Rick, Aletha Scott and their kiddos)
(thanks to Matt and Aunt Karen for all the pics!)
Thankful...
164. A relaxing day around the house
165. The good tired feeling after a run
166. Organic raspberries
167. Caleb is eating stage 3 baby food like a champ (finally!)
168. Dinner last night with some fun people from church
169. Reading The Hunger Games (such an engaging read- I finished it in less than 24 hours!)
170. An on sale KU hoodie Alan got for me at the bookstore. I guess I'm an official Kansan now!
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8.16.2011
Day 228- Lost and found + family weekend
This weekend Alan, Caleb, and I headed down to Little Rock, AR to get together with my mom's family and celebrate my great aunt Josephine's 100th birthday. It has been 5 years since we've all been together and several kiddos have been born since then. I had never met 4 of them! (granted 2 were under 6 months). It was so fun to catch up with everyone and I hope that it doesn't take so long for us to all get together again. It seems odd that my cousins and I are now the one's toting around little ones (instead of being the little ones toted around). We stayed in a nice hotel and ate... and ate... and ate :). Us Versers are good at that :). In fact, one of my cousin's kiddos said, "awww... why do we always have to go and eat!?" in response to being told we were about to go get dinner.
No pictures of family weekend as of yet, but I'm hoping to steal some from my Aunt Karen who took a ton!
We left the hotel in a bit of a hurry on Sunday morning to head to brunch before going to my great aunt's 100th birthday party. Alas, about 45 minutes down the road after leaving the party I realized that we did not pack my IPad! We called the hotel and they even went and check to no avail. We arrived home late on Sunday night and rechecked through all of our things. By Monday morning I had completely resigned to the fact it was gone. But... later that day, Stephanie (my sister) called me to give me the info for a person at the hotel who found my IPad!!! They mailed it back yesterday! I'm so thankful that someone decided to turn it in rather than keep it as a souvenir. In my "despair" on Monday, I also decided to go on a search for $1000 airplane vouchers I had lost during our move. And I found them too! So, essentially, I was restored $1500 in 1 day. What a gift!
thankful...
150. to see family this weekend
151. safe travels to and from Little Rock
152. safety for my immediate family on Friday evening when a storm knocked over a huge tree in their yard (it fell away from the house rather than on it!)
153. the hotel finding my IPad
154. finding the airline vouchers
155. Caleb tolerating the travel and inconsistent schedule well
156. a gorgeous picture of Caleb that his daycare took and printed out for us
157. a fairly full day at work, even with the cool weather
158. Ethiopian food with friends
159. the invitation to go over to new friend's house tomorrow evening
160. Alan going to the grocery store this afternoon
161. having a library card now
162. homemade pizza
163. Caleb taking 1 step, 3 different times now!
No pictures of family weekend as of yet, but I'm hoping to steal some from my Aunt Karen who took a ton!
We left the hotel in a bit of a hurry on Sunday morning to head to brunch before going to my great aunt's 100th birthday party. Alas, about 45 minutes down the road after leaving the party I realized that we did not pack my IPad! We called the hotel and they even went and check to no avail. We arrived home late on Sunday night and rechecked through all of our things. By Monday morning I had completely resigned to the fact it was gone. But... later that day, Stephanie (my sister) called me to give me the info for a person at the hotel who found my IPad!!! They mailed it back yesterday! I'm so thankful that someone decided to turn it in rather than keep it as a souvenir. In my "despair" on Monday, I also decided to go on a search for $1000 airplane vouchers I had lost during our move. And I found them too! So, essentially, I was restored $1500 in 1 day. What a gift!
thankful...
150. to see family this weekend
151. safe travels to and from Little Rock
152. safety for my immediate family on Friday evening when a storm knocked over a huge tree in their yard (it fell away from the house rather than on it!)
153. the hotel finding my IPad
154. finding the airline vouchers
155. Caleb tolerating the travel and inconsistent schedule well
156. a gorgeous picture of Caleb that his daycare took and printed out for us
157. a fairly full day at work, even with the cool weather
158. Ethiopian food with friends
159. the invitation to go over to new friend's house tomorrow evening
160. Alan going to the grocery store this afternoon
161. having a library card now
162. homemade pizza
163. Caleb taking 1 step, 3 different times now!
8.11.2011
Day 223- Thursday...
Today needed to be productive. It was for the most part. I ran, went to a meeting, went shopping for a few items, went to the bank, made dinner (with alan's help), and now I'm procrastinating getting my paperwork done for tomorrow. I've got to get things done because this weekend we're heading to Arkansas to celebrate my great aunt's 100th birthday. Everyone is coming to the "reunion." I'm really happy because it's been a long time since I've been able to see most of them (some of the kids I haven't even met before!). Hopefully I'll get some good pics of Caleb and all his cousins!
Thankful...
136. That I don't have to regularly clean trash out of my yard anymore
137. That the landlord had a plumber come and snake our lines today- gotta love draining pipes
138. Custard (frozen, that is)
139. New tires
140. Locust shells attached to tree trunks
142. The shade
143. Caleb ate pasta today
144. That Al has active friends
145. Football season is starting up (never thought I'd say that!)
146. Having a versatile job that is in demand, even during the recession
147. Fresh salsa
148. A new car seat for the CR-V
149. The way hair feels after a haircut
150. Texting
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Thankful...
136. That I don't have to regularly clean trash out of my yard anymore
137. That the landlord had a plumber come and snake our lines today- gotta love draining pipes
138. Custard (frozen, that is)
139. New tires
140. Locust shells attached to tree trunks
142. The shade
143. Caleb ate pasta today
144. That Al has active friends
145. Football season is starting up (never thought I'd say that!)
146. Having a versatile job that is in demand, even during the recession
147. Fresh salsa
148. A new car seat for the CR-V
149. The way hair feels after a haircut
150. Texting
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8.08.2011
Day 220- Happy Birthday, Love! and lovin' the weekend
Happy Birthday, Alan!
To the love of my life that makes me smile everyday- I love you so much and can't imagine my life without you. These two pics from China are classic. You are always thinking of something to do that will make others laugh. Not that you don't have a serious, sincere heart as well. You also push me to love others more and grow in my relationship with God. I'm so happy that I've known you for 9 of your birthdays so far. Looking forward to the day when the number I've known and been with you is greater than those before we knew each other.
This weekend, Kayleen (Alan's mom) came from CO to watch Caleb, so we could have a "date weekend." We did lots of fun things like: get cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory, go to the KC Zoo, eat out at a nice restaurant, spend the night at a hotel on the Plaza, go to a Royal's game (with free tickets), go to a movie, hang out with the Sheltons, and get ice cream. It was our (or more accurately- my-) first night away from Caleb. It was great to have Kayleen here though because I wasn't worried at all. Maybe next time it will be for a few more nights :).
To the love of my life that makes me smile everyday- I love you so much and can't imagine my life without you. These two pics from China are classic. You are always thinking of something to do that will make others laugh. Not that you don't have a serious, sincere heart as well. You also push me to love others more and grow in my relationship with God. I'm so happy that I've known you for 9 of your birthdays so far. Looking forward to the day when the number I've known and been with you is greater than those before we knew each other.
This weekend, Kayleen (Alan's mom) came from CO to watch Caleb, so we could have a "date weekend." We did lots of fun things like: get cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory, go to the KC Zoo, eat out at a nice restaurant, spend the night at a hotel on the Plaza, go to a Royal's game (with free tickets), go to a movie, hang out with the Sheltons, and get ice cream. It was our (or more accurately- my-) first night away from Caleb. It was great to have Kayleen here though because I wasn't worried at all. Maybe next time it will be for a few more nights :).
thankful...
121. Caleb's "rabbit" impression
122. Kayleen's generosity in watching Caleb
123. good "anytime" friends
124. having a digital camera
125. 2 cars that are reliable
126. more and more rain
127. cool down in temperatures
128. sleeping in a bit 2 days this weekend
129. Cowboy cookies
130. having a husband that I'm still so in love with after 5.5 years of marriage (I think he likes me pretty well too)
131. classical music... and Pandora
132. time to run
133. the time after Caleb goes to bed and before I go to bed
134. coupons
135. Al's books came in time for his next semester
8.05.2011
Day 217- Free Weekend
So, this weekend Kayleen (Alan's mom) flew in from CO to babysit Caleb for the weekend. We are going to spend our first night away from Caleb on Saturday night! (not sure if the exclamation is glee or intimidation). He will be totally fine with his loving grandma. Tonight we tried to see a movie, but they were all sold out at the time we wanted. So, Cheesecake Factory for dessert it was. Plans for the weekend include... spending the night at a hotel on the Plaza, sleeping in, relaxing, Kansas City Zoo, Royals game, and a movie.
Thankful...
116. Kayleen was willing to fly in to watch Caleb for the weekend
117. A weekend to spend time with Alan and just enjoy each other's company
118. Free Royals tickets from a co-worker
119. A bunch of magazines that Kayleen brought in from her house in Greeley (it takes so long for addresses to get changed)
120. Cooler weather and more rain
Thankful...
116. Kayleen was willing to fly in to watch Caleb for the weekend
117. A weekend to spend time with Alan and just enjoy each other's company
118. Free Royals tickets from a co-worker
119. A bunch of magazines that Kayleen brought in from her house in Greeley (it takes so long for addresses to get changed)
120. Cooler weather and more rain
8.04.2011
Day 216- more thankfuls
101. Being able to run on my days off
102. Free appetizers, drinks, and dessert at a fun Indian restaurant
103. Seeing Amanda Shelton on her way back to CO
104. Caleb eating blueberries
105. Alan making omelets for breakfast
106. Caleb (and thus Alan and I) sleeping til 9 this morning
107. Watching movies with friends
108. Baby gates
109. Rain to cool things off
110. Homeade burgers and sweet potato fries
111. Finding out that another friend from college lives close by
112. The show "Hoarders"- it's so fascinating to watch
113. God's faithfulness
114. Having a book club to motivate me to read
115. Time this afternoon to finish my notes at Panera
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102. Free appetizers, drinks, and dessert at a fun Indian restaurant
103. Seeing Amanda Shelton on her way back to CO
104. Caleb eating blueberries
105. Alan making omelets for breakfast
106. Caleb (and thus Alan and I) sleeping til 9 this morning
107. Watching movies with friends
108. Baby gates
109. Rain to cool things off
110. Homeade burgers and sweet potato fries
111. Finding out that another friend from college lives close by
112. The show "Hoarders"- it's so fascinating to watch
113. God's faithfulness
114. Having a book club to motivate me to read
115. Time this afternoon to finish my notes at Panera
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8.01.2011
Day 213- "Running" and "I made it to 100!"
So... yes, I am blogging twice in 1 day.
I am really excited about running a half marathon in October. I still need to pay for the race, which is an essential part of committing to do it. But, I made my running schedule based on this plan. It has you run 4 days a week with 3 days of rest, which is perfect for me, since I work 3 days a week. I started "pre-training" this week, since I'm totally out of shape. So far I ran 2 miles yesterday and 3 miles today. I've felt good, it's just the dang heat. Today when I left at 8:00 pm, it was 96 feels like 102! Why did we leave Colorado again? I guess I'll be happy about it in the fall and spring. Especially when I don't have to deal with the eternal winter.
thankful...
(on my way to 1000 things I'm thankful for by the end of 2011)
96. that I read about doing the challenge on another blog... it is really helping me see all the wonderful gifts in my life
97. for a support husband that speaks his love for me
98. fans, in addition to a/c, especially after runs
99. that I get to help people have greater function and access in their lives for a job
100. that Caleb is cruising really well behind his "pooh train" (means he's getting closer to walking, which will mean cutting his daycare bill in half at a new place)
Day 213- Monday Meditation
Four-fold Franciscan Blessing
May God bless you with discomfort. Discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. Amen
May God bless you with anger. Anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace. Amen
May God bless you with tears. Tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and turn their pain into joy. Amen
May God bless you with foolishness. Enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. Amen
And the Blessing of God, who Creates, Redeems and Sanctifies, be upon you and all you love and pray for this day, and forever more. Amen.
Thankful...
91. Going to Deanna Rose with Al and Caleb this morning
92. Blue Bell ice-cream on sale for $3.50
93. cheddar cheese
94. Not having to weed this summer in the heat (one of the advantages of selling our house)
95. Netflix instant play
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May God bless you with discomfort. Discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. Amen
May God bless you with anger. Anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace. Amen
May God bless you with tears. Tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and turn their pain into joy. Amen
May God bless you with foolishness. Enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. Amen
And the Blessing of God, who Creates, Redeems and Sanctifies, be upon you and all you love and pray for this day, and forever more. Amen.
Thankful...
91. Going to Deanna Rose with Al and Caleb this morning
92. Blue Bell ice-cream on sale for $3.50
93. cheddar cheese
94. Not having to weed this summer in the heat (one of the advantages of selling our house)
95. Netflix instant play
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