365 days in the life

Day 40- words of life

2012-02-09T15:37:00.002-06:00

"By your words I can see where I'm going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path." psalm 199:105 msg

"God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before Him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start. Now, I'm alert to God's ways; I don't take God for granted. Everyday I review the way he works; I try not to miss a trick. I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step. God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to His eyes...What a God! His road stretches straight and smooth. Every God-direction is road-tested. Everyone who runs to Him makes it." psalm 18:20-24, 30

Day 38- sweets

2012-02-07T20:04:00.001-06:00

Gotta love Valentines Day! Made these for small group last night.

By the way... Looked it up and contrary to my belief, 9 months from Vday is not the most common birthday. It's actually 9 months from Christmas!

Day 35- Tebowing

2012-02-04T23:18:00.004-06:00

Caleb is already a Tebow fan! He even Tebowed when he heard his daycare teacher say the word, "Tebow". Now, we need to work on the kneeling part, but I think he does a great imitation! :)
Edit: Nicole Anderson had the genius idea to teach this skill to Caleb :)

YouTube Video

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Day 30- slide!

2012-01-30T12:31:00.001-06:00

YouTube Video

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Day 27- So Strong!

2012-01-27T19:53:00.002-06:00

YouTube Video

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Day 26- Lunch and brief "real food" update

2012-01-26T22:33:00.001-06:00

Yum! Yes, I'm still doing the "real" food diet this month. I've had a few lapses due to eating with others and willpower, but overall I've been able to stick to eating no highly processed food or artificial/processed sweeteners. It's been good. I've eaten less crap and more fruits/veggies/whole grains. More to come on what I've learned and benefits I've experienced!

Day 25- Broken is beautiful

2012-01-25T13:28:00.000-06:00

Life has been busy lately (as evidenced by my lack of blogging). This year so far has been a mix of new responsibility at work, lots of fun time with old friends from JBU, busyness for Alan at school, and more recently trying to get a sick baby well.

Lately, I've been struggling a bit with motivation and stressing about the future. In the midst of the struggle, I've found myself more dependent on God and seeking his help to make it through the day. I'm reminded of a sermon at church a few weeks ago about being the light of the world. God says that we ARE the light of the world. A broken jar shines more brightly in the darkness than one that is fully intact and put together. I hope that through my dependence on God, I'm able to extend extra grace, mercy, compassion, and justice through all my "cracks" and "inconsistencies". I'm thankful that it is in our weakness that he is shown strong.

Day 3- The Year in Review

2012-01-03T21:30:00.002-06:00

2011 was a busy year. Here's a look back at the past year...
January- First New Year for Caleb. Made plans to travel to Italy for our 5 year anniversary. I went back to work after my maternity leave.

February- Made a trip to Kansas to search for houses, and got to visit with Mom and Stacy! Began the process of selling our house. I turned 27.

March- Put our house on the market. Celebrated 5 years of marriage. Travelled to Italy with a 6 month old. Alan quit his job at the hospital to spend time working for his dad before we moved.

April- Returned from a lovely trip. Caleb turned 6 months. Officially sold our house 1 month after putting it on the market (with major loss). Moved in with The Hunts in Platteville.

May- Completed my second year as a PT. Moved to Prairie Village, KS. Alan started school.

June- Visited Russellville to see family before things got busy. I started my new job. Caleb started daycare. Alan worked hard at school.

July- Went to the annual Hunt Family Cornfeed and Caleb met his Hunt great-grandparents for the first time. Went swimming and spent time outside trying to enjoy the heat that is Kansas! Alan finished his first semester

August- Caleb got to meet his Verser cousins when we went to my Great Aunt's 100th birthday. Alan started his second semester of classes. Alan turned 28.

September- Caleb turned 1! Family from both sides came in to celebrate. Caleb began walking well on his own and he started at his new day care.

October- We welcomed Jackson Paul Shelton into the world. Alan powered through mid-semester. I settled into my fall schedule.

November- Went to the Broncos/Chiefs game and watched Tebow win solidly (may have been the only one like that this season). Celebrated Thanksgiving with the Hunt side of the family. Rita (my car from high school) started dying and Alan and I decided we should get a "new" car.

December- Bought mini-van. No, we're not pregnant, just too practical for our own good :). Saw Stephanie and Charlie for few hours before a snowstorm. Celebrated Christmas with the Galbos. Spent time with the Hunts in Platteville.

Day 1- Welcome, 2012!

2012-01-01T22:32:00.003-06:00

We're home, sigh*.

We had a wonderful whirlwind of travel to see family for the holidays. In 8 days, we traversed 4 states, saw both sides of the family, spent time with good friends, went to the mountains :), ate lots of good food, and relaxed a bit.

I'm a bit behind on blogging, but I hope to catch up soon. Upcoming posts include: pictures from our trip, Caleb's 15 month post, starting 30 days of Real Food, New Year's Resolutions, some new recipes...

Here's to 2012!

Day 361- Home

2011-12-27T16:12:00.003-06:00

So good to go "home" to see my family for Christmas.
So good to be "home" in Kansas for 24 hours.
Excited to head "home" to Colorado tomorrow.
:)

Day 359- Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T22:23:00.005-06:00

Merry Christmas! Spending the weekend with my side of the family. More pics to come after we get in home and I can take them off my camera. Caleb loved Christmas this year- lights, ornaments, some presents, some grandparents and an aunt, and especially my parents dogs :). He's chilling here and eating some Christmas cheerios.

Thankful today that Christ became man in order to save us from wrong. Thankful that God set his plan in motion so long ago and that one day he will return and bring peace, joy, laughter, light, and love eternally to our saddened, selfish, desperate world. Thankful for the many, many gifts I have in family, health, friends, employment, provision, and so many other things.
Wesley's original hymn...
Hark, how all the welkin rings, “Glory to the King of kings; Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations, rise, Join the triumph of the skies; Universal nature say, “Christ the Lord is born to-day!”
Christ, by highest Heaven ador’d, Christ, the everlasting Lord: Late in time behold him come, Offspring of a Virgin’s womb!
Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate deity! Pleased as man with men to appear, Jesus! Our Immanuel here!
Hail, the heavenly Prince of Peace! Hail, the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, Risen with healing in his wings.
Mild He lays his glory by, Born that man no more may die; Born to raise the sons of earth; Born to give them second birth.
Come, Desire of nations, come, Fix in us thy humble home; Rise, the woman’s conquering seed, Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display thy saving power, Ruined nature now restore; Now in mystic union join Thine to ours, and ours to thine.
Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface; Stamp Thy image in its place. Second Adam from above, Reinstate us in thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain, Thee, the life, the inner Man: O! to all thyself impart, Form’d in each believing heart.
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Day 353- Whole Food Challenge in January

2011-12-19T22:29:00.001-06:00

Our family is in the process of preparing for eating only whole foods in the month of January. We don't know what our diets will look like after that, but for 31 days, we're gonna stick with it.
We're using the rules from 100daysofrealfood.com. (only slightly altered)
They include:
What you CAN eat:
*Whole foods that are more a product of nature than a product of industry
*Lots of fruits and vegetables
*Dairy products like milk, unsweetened yogurt, eggs, and cheese
*100% whole-wheat and whole-grain
*Seafood
*Meats such as pork, beef, and chicken
*Beverages limited to water, milk, all natural juices, naturally sweetened coffee & tea, and, to help the adults keep their sanity, wine and beer!
*Snacks like dried fruit, seeds, nuts and popcorn
*All natural sweeteners including honey, 100% maple syrup, and fruit juice concentrates are acceptable in moderation

What you CANNOT eat:
*No refined grains such as white flour or white rice (items containing wheat must say WHOLE wheat…not just “wheat"
*No refined sweeteners such as sugar, any form of corn syrup, cane juice, or the artificial stuff like Splenda
*Nothing out of a box, can, bag, bottle or package that has more than 5 ingredients listed on the label
*No deep fried foods
*No “fast food"

Is it bad that in "preparation" I'm trying to eat all the processed stuff?

What we are hoping to accomplish:
1. Seeing if we can actually go without some of our favorite processed stuff
2. Gaining more energy
3. Eating more fruits and veggies
4. Better complexion/breaking sugar addiction (for susan)
5. Gaining insight into how we want to raise Caleb as far as food choices go
6. Unexpected benefits?

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Day 347- Caleb's First Christmas Program

2011-12-13T22:44:00.000-06:00

Caleb was the *STAR* performer in his daycare's annual Christmas play tonight. Haha, well, he was the star in my eyes :). He had fun as you can see...

Nothing but cute, redvested, gray turtlenecked love right there!

The younger kids sang two songs... Away in a Manger and Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree. (sorry about the quality of the pics. I can't figure out how to get my camera to take long distanced photos indoors)

The big kids performed the Nativity Story.

All in 20 minutes!!!! Here's to many more years of Christmas plays.

Reminds me of the book, "The Best Christmas Pagent Ever." I need to read that one again soon. Good memories.

Day 346- Another couponing attempt

2011-12-12T22:08:00.000-06:00

So... I tried again...

I.stink.at.couponing.

Okay, I said it. I've got so much to learn. I think I need to take another class. I only saved a grand total of... **** $6.70 ****. I guess that is better than nothing. YES, it's definitely better than saving nothing.

Here's a breakdown of what coupons I used this trip:

$.50/1 Bundle of 6 Kleenex tissues 100ct- $5.24 -> $4.74 or .87 ea -> .79 ea

(2) .45/1 Angel Soft 4 pk- 2.44 ea -> 2.00 ea

(2) $1/1 Kikkoman product- soy sauce $1.77, Panko- 1.86 -> 0.77 soy sauce, .86 panko

0.35/1 egg nog- 2.28 -> 1.93

0.50/2 Dole canned products- canned pineapple small- .78*2- 1.56 -> 1.06 or .53 ea

0.45/1 Cuties- 4.78 -> 4.33

(2) 0.50/1 Frigo cheese- 0.33 ea individual string cheese -> FREE + 0.27 overage each !!!!!!!!

1.00/1 Las Palmas enchilada sauce (large can)- 1.98 -> .98

Coupons that didn't show up on my receipt - (2) 0.55- Horizon milk products :( Bought two expecting to have that discount. Hmmm.

Things learned on this trip:

1) Check the closing time before going to the store at night. I assumed that Walmart would be open at least til 10, but our Neighborhood Market closes at 9:00. I ran out of time and missed a couple of money makers because I had to hurry. I'll get them next time (hopefully).

2) Always check the off-brand price. One reason I'm glad I went to Walmart is that I knew I would be able to tell if the coupon was actually getting me a deal. I almost bought $8 cold medicine with a 1.25 off coupon, then saw that the generic was only $2.25. I also almost bought wheat thins, then realized the Walmart brand was 0.50 cheaper, even considering the coupon.

3) Go to the store without your child. Yes, we love them, but they are very distracting when trying to concentrate on getting deals :). I went without Caleb this time and felt like I was able to concentrate much more (and felt like I wasn't neglecting my child while I shopped).

4) Watch the register while they are scanning your coupons. I didn't even realize that my Horizon coupons didn't scan until I got home. I guess I need to pay better attention.

5) Be friendly and nice to your cashier. I chatted and sympathized with my cashier and she was willing to just type in several of my coupons that had difficulty scanning. Not sure if she would have been as nice if I wouldn't have shown her courtesy first.

Day 342- The Advent Conspiracy

2011-12-08T15:48:00.002-06:00

Just changed my Christmas list!

[AC] Promo 2011 from Advent Conspiracy on Vimeo.

Day 341- Caleb spinning

2011-12-07T07:51:00.001-06:00

Caleb just learned how to spin! We played "hokey pokey" several times earlier in the day and he just stared, but later that evening, he just started spinning on his own! He is also attempting to jump up from the ground and recently started walking backwards! On a language note- he started saying "uh-oh." So, we've now got "dada," "uh-oh," and "dog."

Day 340- The results...

2011-12-06T08:08:00.000-06:00

Okay... Here's the good and the bad from my trip to Target this afternoon. Please do not make fun of how much I spent. I'm trying to be real here :). So, here are the highlights... I'll break everything down at the bottom.

The Good: I saved around $42 strictly from coupons and $55 if you count the discounts that were already in place at the store. I had NO problems at the register. All my coupons went through just fine. It was fun to watch the register slowly cut down my costs.

The Bad: I went to the Target Greatlands by my house, and it has a crappy grocery section, since it's not a real grocery store. I was unable to use 3-4 of my coupons due to not having the items available. Next time I'll make the trip to the Super Target south of my house. I spent $4 for newspapers (and have 2 other weeks) to get coupons. I spent $6 on a binder to hold my coupons :). Tax is KILLER here.

So here's the breakdown:

Up and up diapers- $1/1 target printable coupon- 19.99 -> $18.99= $.14/diaper to $.13/diaper

Up and up disinfecting wipes- $0.50/1= $2.19-> $1.69

Merona pants for Al- on sale from $24.99->$20- 20% off coupon-> 16.00

Pepperidge farm bread- $3.69 (thought it was $3.05)- $0.50/1-> $3.19

2 Triamenic infant fever reducer- (2) $3/1- > $9.98-> $3.98 total OR $4.99-> $1.99 each

Lunch meat + shredded cheese- $1 off when you buy 1 of each- $2.84 + $2.59 -1.00= 4.43 OR ~ 2.21 each

2 ReVitalens 2 pack travel size- (2) 3.00/1-> 3.49 each -> 0.49 each

ProNutrients vitamins- 2.00/1 Target, 5.00/1 Man-> 11.99-> 4.99

Ziploc- $1/2 -> 2.89+2.89= 5.78-1.00= 4.78 OR 2.39 each

Starbucks- store deal $5 gift card when you buy 3, $1/1, $3/2- > 7.99 each-> 3.65 each after you add in the mail in rebate you can get on the Starbucks website for buying 3 bags of coffee

So, obviously I bought other stuff at Target, which was probably my biggest mistake. Salad dressing, salmon, buttery spread, socks... all probably more expensive at Target than my friendly neighborhood Aldi or Walmart. Also, I noticed that 8 o'clock coffee (which I like perfectly fine) was only $4.05 a few rows above the Starbucks. Kinda takes the life out of the $5 gift card/mail-in-rebate hassel for a mere $0.40 savings. I think my best deals were the contact solution and the infant tylenol. I couldn't find the Curel lotion coupon that was going to make me $.42 per transaction. Oh well.

I'm going to keep trying this for a few more months and see if anything pans out. I know part of couponing is developing a stock pile. So far in my stockpile I have: some juice from a while back, contact solution, tylenol, coffee, and disinfecting wipes. I guess it's nice not to have to buy any of those items for a while. Anyone with pointers or tips... I'm all ears!

Getting ready for my first "big" couponing attempt

2011-12-05T14:16:00.001-06:00

So, I'm about to go to Target on my first "big" couponing attempt. If I've calculated correctly, I should save over $50 and only buy things I currently need or things that are free and will use. I will share later on what I got and how much I actually saved. I spent 2 hours this afternoon getting ready and researching everything. I hope I get faster as I get used to this! Wish me luck!

Day 339- Monday Meditation

2011-12-05T08:46:00.002-06:00

O Holy Night
Matthew Gerrard

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!

Day 338- Christmastime is here...

2011-12-04T08:06:00.002-06:00

I can't believe it! Christmastime is here!

It snuck up on me this year, but I'm trying to get in the mood by listening to Christmas music around the clock :) We also got all our decorations up during the weekend after Thanksgiving. (this picture was taken before the ornaments went up on the tree)

It's funny for me to think that this is Caleb's 2nd Christmas. He has changed so incredibly much, yet in many ways, he's still his old self.

Our lives have changed dramatically this year. We moved to a new state, Alan started school, we left dear old Nigel in Colorado, I went back to work, Caleb turned 1, friends have moved, siblings have moved, we sold our house, I turned 27 and Alan turned 28, and many more things. Somehow, out of this year of transition, I'm ending 2011 with a sense of contentment and peace. I feel hope for the future and joy with the day to day. This has been a struggle for me, and still is many days. But, I'm learning to "not be anxious and anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, to present my requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding is guarding my heart and mind in Christ Jesus."

Day 337- Happy Birthday, Dad!

2011-12-03T21:01:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Dad!

All your girls (plus the boys who have been more recently added to the family) love and respect you so much! You've taught us what it is to hear God through study and prayer and to obey him with your life choices. You've supported us, challenged us, and provided for us. I have such fond "Dad" memories while growing up, and a deeper appreciation for you as I get older. Thanks for being a loving Dad, a wonderful father-in-law, and a fabulous Papa! Can't wait to see you again at Christmas! Wish we were there to celebrate with you!
Love,
Susan (, Alan, and Caleb)

Day 336- World AIDS Day

2011-12-02T21:26:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, December 1st was World AIDS Day. There are currently over 34 million people living with HIV and approximately 16.6 million AIDS orphans. Although much progress has been made in treating AIDS, there still millions of people that lack access to meds and knowledge. Below are 5 ways you can pray for the AIDS crisis.

1. Pray that people living with HIV and AIDS would be strengthened and comforted, that they would live a full life and be embraced and cared for by their families.

2. Ask God to give children orphaned by AIDS families and caregivers who will provide for them both physically and emotionally. Pray that they are able to attend school so that cycles of poverty are not prolonged. Also, pray for strength, protection, and provision for child-headed households.

3. Praise God that the biggest epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa have either stabilized or are showing signs of decline, and pray that this trend continues.

4. Ask God to slow and stop the spread of HIV in areas of the world where it is still increasing. Pray especially for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where the number of people living with HIV has increased 250% from 2001 to 2010.

5. Praise God for doctors and AIDS caregivers who are providing life-saving care and support. Ask Him to give them wisdom and compassion as they work through difficult cases in difficult conditions and for the supplies they need to be able to care safely and effectively.

For more information and ways to help visit A:CTS

Great Magazine Deal

2011-11-28T12:59:00.000-06:00

http://www.discountmags.com/section/65/1/package-deals

If you are interested, Discount Magazines has a Cyber Monday special today for magazine packages. You get a year long subscription to 2 different magazines for $6 total if you type in the coupon code CYBERMONDAY. They offer combos like Natural Health and Whole Living, Taste of Home and Rachel Ray, or Men's Health and Men's Fitness. It's a great deal! You can gift the magazines and seperate the addresses (ex. you want to keep Taste of Home, but gift Rachel Ray to your friend...)

Day 332- Cinnamon roll waffles

2011-11-28T08:30:00.000-06:00

I found this "recipe" on pinterest a week or two ago. It looked fun, so Alan, Caleb, and I had Cinnamon Roll Waffles last Saturday morning. It was super-easy (although not super healthy). I guess you could make your own cinnamon roll dough for this as well. We just used dough from the pop can, put it on the waffle iron for about 2 minutes, and voila! Squirt icing on as desired, then enjoy!

thanks ahensnest.com!

Day 331- Thanksgiving recap

2011-11-27T08:30:00.001-06:00

We spent Thanksgiving with Alan's family this year, specifically, the Hunt side. I love getting together with his family! So many cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. The whole family actually gathers in a suburb of Kansas City at Al's aunt and uncle's house for Thanksgiving every year. So, it was quite convenient for us this year. We just drove across town for festivities on Wednesday night and all day Thursday. Alan's mom and dad came over to our house on Friday to hang out until their flight left in the evening. We just had a nice (not relaxing chasing a 1 year old around!!!!), sweet time of visiting. It took Caleb about 10 minutes on Wednesday to warm up, then was the center of attention for the rest of the weekend. I mean, what's not to love! He was friendly and played with everyone. Here are the only 3 pictures I have from the weekend!

Here's a pic with Great Grandpa and Grandma Hunt

One with the Great Grandparents, Alan, and Caleb

One with the Hunt girls (we've got to stick together!)

Day 330- 14 months!

2011-11-26T22:42:00.000-06:00

Caleb turned 14 months today!

Dear Caleb,
You just turned 14 months! I can't believe how big you are getting! New developments this month include: walking backwards, climbing up onto the couch, 2 molars, starting to use a fork/spoon on your own, putting all the puzzle pieces into your shapes puzzle, and your second Halloween/Thanksgiving! Can't believe you're now moving to your "2nd" holidays. You wear 12-24 month clothing and size 3 diapers. You have 10 teeth with 2 on the way. You love applesauce, yogurt, and string cheese, but will eat or try most food. You drink 3 sippies of whole milk and sometimes one of juice or water each day. We still have to supplement some with "baby" and "toddler" foods. You ADORE your "buddy" and will start laughing and walk towards your room if I ask you if you want it. You sleep pretty well (minus a few nights when you were teething) from around 8pm to 7:30 am, with a 2-3 hour nap around noon. You love books, your popping ball toy, your puzzle, big legos, toy cars, electronics, and anything that we use (i.e. cell phone, pots/pans, wallet, pen, IPad, keys). You also love to go to the park, look out our storm door and watch the street, and play "i'm gonna getcha". You babble more and more, sometimes making the same sound of the object we are talking about. You understand most simple 1 step commands and a ton of nouns. You know several body parts (head, hair, ears, nose, eyes, feet, hands) and a couple articles of clothing (shoes and shirt). I love that you giggle in excitement in anticipation for things you want (most of the time), rather than screaming or crying in impatience. I have a lot to learn from you! I pray with you every night before bed and am glad that you go to a daycare where you can learn about Jesus as well. God created you with a special purpose in mind. Thank you for all the JOY you bring to me and Daddy!
Love,
Mama

Day 326- Yoga Today

2011-11-22T08:30:00.000-06:00

I just revisited a site that I LOVE! I had totally forgotten about yogatoday.com, until Monday, when I did their free session of the week. Although I don't necessarily go for every yoga workout they give, I LOVED this week's. It's called An Attitude of Gratitude, by my favorite teacher, Adi. It's a really nice Vinyasa flow workout. My should was killing me before I did the workout and it feels COMPLETELY better now. I really need to re-start my yoga practice. I always feel so much more peaceful, energized, and whole after completing yoga workouts. I also use the time to focus on God and opening my heart to him.

*You do have to sign up for a free account to have access to the workout of the week

Day 325- My first couponing attempt

2011-11-21T15:00:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I thought I would document my first, small, feeble attempt at couponing.

I found a link on one of the websites I look at (can't remember which one or I would credit them, sorry!) for a money-maker on this Cranberry Naturals Juice at Hy-Vee. The coupon is still available at facebook on the Hy-Vee page. You just have to "like" Hy-Vee, then you can print 2 per account by hitting the back button. The coupon is for $2 off 1 bottle of Cranberry Naturals, which are on sale at Hy-Vee for $1.77. Theoretically, you should make $0.23 off each bottle. However, when I actually got to the store, the register would only ring up the coupon for $1.77. I'm not sure if that's because it was kind of like a store coupon, since it was a deal between Hy-Vee and Old Orchard, or because the lady doing the register didn't really understand the way it was supposed to work. Oh well. I guess I need to read the coupon policy at Hy-Vee before I go again for a money-maker. I won't complain, however, because I got 4 bottles of this juice for free!

Day 325- Monday Meditation

2011-11-21T14:51:00.001-06:00

Isaiah 55

Invitation to the Thirsty
1 “Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a ruler and commander of the peoples.
5 Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.”
6 Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the LORD’s renown,
for an everlasting sign,
that will endure forever.”

Thankful for the Lord's provision both materially and spiritually. His burden is easy and his yoke is light.

Day 323- Low Maintenance Couponing

2011-11-19T13:35:00.001-06:00

So, have you ever watched the show, Extreme Couponing? You know, the one where these women spend 30+ hours each week, but then only spend $2 on a $885 transaction. Then you feel guilty because you just spent $95 at the grocery store! Alas, you too could have purchased 300 disposable razors, 700 free bottles of Gatorade, 450 packages of spaghetti noodles, 250 bottles of ketchup, and 40 crest whitening strips. Haha. I know, I'm just jealous.

But, really, that's just NOT what I'm looking to accomplish. I just want to save some dough on my family's grocery bill. I'm just not up for clipping thousands of coupons, then matching them to store sales each week. This coupon binder is the opposite of what I have time and energy for...

But, apparently, there is a way to do this more simply!!!! *insert hallelujah chorus here* The simplest way to coupon is to file your coupons (mainly the big coupon packs that come in the sunday paper) based on the week they came in the paper (still not sure what to do with non-newspaper coupons- I'll get back to you). Then you just peruse some couponing website for the deals each week. There are women out there with websites that have already done all the work, people! The bottom half of my "resource blogs" are all couponing websites. I really like Kansascitymamas.com for this area because she has all the local deals broken up by store. She highlights the best deals, then gives links for all the other deals.

Day 321- Couponing baby steps

2011-11-17T08:05:00.001-06:00

So, I went to a couponing talk at Bethany's church last Saturday. I came away encouraged, but still slightly skeptical I can pull this off. Here are some baby steps that the speaker recommended...

1. Start a shopping fast and eat only items in your pantry (to see what you really need/use).
~~2. Spend time looking at some couponing blogs (moneysavingmom.com, kansascitymamas.com, pennypinchinmom.com, etc), I've added more of these to my blog resource list.~~
~~3. Get a spam email address.~~
4. Start signing up for free samples.
5. Choose 1 store to start at.
6. Get to know the coupon policy at that store.
~~7. Start buying 2 or 4 Sunday papers (because deals are better in 2's).~~
8. Make a list of your top 25 items and how much you normally pay or get them on sale for.

So, I guess I have a start. I won free shampoo, razors, vitamins, and toothpaste at the workshop, so I'm at least ahead there! I'm planning to keep you all updated as I start this journey. *hopefully it will go somewhere and be productive*

Day 320- Bronco's Game!

2011-11-16T21:51:00.001-06:00

We went to the Bronco's/Chief's game this past Sunday! I have a growing love of football, since marrying my husband 5 years ago. I now can name all the pro teams (or I think I could come close) and quite a few players. I still get confused frequently and forget things, but I sometimes even turn a game on at home when Alan isn't there. Needless to say, I was so excited to have this outing with friends. Many thanks to Bethany, her mom, and her sister for babysitting Caleb! Plus, the Broncos won!!!!

The crew

Me and my football connoisseur

Our view for half the game. Gotta love completely drunk Chief's fans.

Love the view of the stadium! Just isn't the same at home!

Thankfuls...
346. enjoying a BEAUTIFUL fall Sunday at the Bronco's game
347. the things God is teaching me about contentment and peace
348. the joy of watching my son grow
349. Thanksgiving is next week!
350. watching the sunset out the window at the pool on workdays

Day 315- Fav of the Week

2011-11-11T08:35:00.002-06:00

Trader Joe's Pizza Dough

Bethany and I ventured out to Trader Joe's a few days ago. We'd both been meaning to go, since the grand-opening crowds have died down a bit. While I'm still not totally sold on Trader Joe's being the "best store ever," there were several things that would bring me back.

#1- Their commitment to using good, natural ingredients

#2- Fav of the Week- their refridgerated pizza dough. Comes ready to roll out and bake. All for $1, which is more than Add Water mixes, but they come in flavors like Garlic and Herb or Honey Whole Wheat. Yum!

#3- $1 Greek Yogurt (same as Yoplait or Dannon at regular grocery stores, but it's all natural)

#4- Two Buck Chuck- Al and I have been enjoying a glass of wine with our meals lately

#5- Organic milk- $6 for a gallon of Organic milk- yes, expensive, but slightly cheaper than the price at Sam's

I'm still not totally sold on Trader Joe's. I need to stop by Whole Foods/Walmart/Aldi and do some price comparison. Anyone who shops regularly at Trader Joe's, what do you buy? I need your food secrets!

Photo Book

2011-11-10T14:54:00.002-06:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

I love Shutterfly baby photo books. I use Shutterfly now instead of printing out a ton of pictures for albums. I guess I've joined the digital age!

Day 314- Coloring

2011-11-10T13:28:00.000-06:00

Caleb is growing up! We had "art time" today and colored on some paper. I know he gets art time at school because he comes home with a ton of crafts every week, but we haven't done much at home so far. I need to run to the Dollar Tree and pick up some coloring books, construction paper, and crayons/markers. He loved it, though most of the scribbles are mine :). His hands aren't quite strong enough to make very dark marks. I'm LOVING my days off lately. Caleb is just getting too cute for words. He did have one of his first acts of defiance today though. He stuck a pen in his ear and I scolded him. He looked straight at me, walked into the kitchen (so he thought I couldn't see him), and stuck it in his ear again. Bye, bye pen! Oh man, I have so much to learn in the way of discipline and teaching right from wrong! Here are some pics from this morning!

My baby is growing up!

He's so excited to show his "colors"

Beautiful baby smile :)

Love this kid!

Day 310- City Market

2011-11-06T08:15:00.000-06:00

Bethany and i ventured out to City Market on Saturday morning. I can't believe I've waited this long to go to the downtown city market in KC! There are tons of fruit/veggie vendors, spice stores, fresh mediterranean shops, and any other type of vendor you would expect at a farmer's market. I bought 6 bell peppers to slice and freeze for fajitas (for $1!), 2 lbs of strawberries ($2), and a 1/2 cup curry powder ($1). I'm trying to increase my fruit/veggies intake, after a slump of poor eating choices. Cheap, fresh produce certainly helps with motivation!

Day 309- XOXOXO

2011-11-05T11:30:00.000-05:00

My dear husband brought these home on Thursday, in addition to new hubcaps (which I'd been asking for since 2 of mine fell off/were stolen in ghetto Aurora) and peanut butter Oreos. Alan knows me too well. I love him so much, and not just because he knows I love flowers, chocolate, and hubcaps. He is a stable, loving, light-hearted, and hard-working pillar in my life. I'm so thankful for him!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Day 308- Fav of the week...

2011-11-04T23:26:00.001-05:00

Pinterest...
Yes. I'm addicted. I have a love/hate relationship with social media.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Day 307- Caleb's favorite game

2011-11-03T08:00:00.001-05:00

Sorry it's sideways. It's still cute! (if anyone has advice for how to flip videos or good, free video editing programs, I'd love to hear about it).

Day 306- a lot about attitude

2011-11-02T09:25:00.001-05:00

I've been trying to focus on my attitude a lot lately. I mean, regardless of my circumstances (which are really pretty good, by the way), I have a choice to make about how I respond. I can either choose to trust God with my day to day or believe that the weight rests on me (or the chaotic world).

Our church is doing a series on Job. Not a super-popular book. It's all about how the wise person responds to suffering. It's kick-butt hard, but Job responds to tremendous suffering by worshipping God and blessing Him.

I want to have a faith so deep that I can truly say, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." Job 1:21

Not quite there yet. Thankful for grace and so many other blessings.

Day 305- The park

2011-11-01T10:00:00.001-05:00

Caleb and I LOVE going to South Lake Park. This chilly morning a few days ago, we just so happened to be the only people at the park.I love fall.

Day 304- Monday Meditation

2011-10-31T09:00:00.001-05:00

Meeting with the President every morning

"Come to Me and listen! Attune yourself to My voice, and receive my richest blessing. Marvel at the wonder of communing with the Creator of the universe while sitting in the comfort of your home. Kings who reign on earth tend to make themselves inaccessible; ordinary people almost never gain an audience with them. Even dignitaries must plow through red tape and protocol in order to speak with royalty.
Though I am King of the universe, I am totally accessible to you. I am with you wherever you are. Nothing can separate you from My Presence! When I cried out from the cross, "It is finished!" the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This opened the way for you to meet Me face to Face with no need of protocol or priests. I, the King of kings, am your constant Companion."
Sarah Young

Though I may never meet the President of the United States or the Prime Minister of Great Britain or any other major world leader, I do get to speak with the King of kings every day. It may sound "corny" to say this, but only because it has been said so many times. Christianity speaks the amazing truth that although we don't deserve it, by grace, GOD comes to dwell with us and within us if we invite him into our lives.

Day 303- 13 months

2011-10-30T09:00:00.001-05:00

My dear Caleb is now 13 months old! (pictured holding his dear "buddies")Dear Caleb,
You are getting SO big. You are becoming more of a boy and less of a baby everyday. You love exploring your environment and are becoming more opinionated about how you want your life run. You walk everywhere now, but still need us to hold your hand on uneven surfaces, stairs, or to go a long way. Your favorite toys are your ball, your popping ball game, your car track, books, legos, and shapes puzzle. You also like refridgerator magnets and anything we don't want you to get into. Your bond to your "buddies" (cloth diapers used as a comfort item) has increased even more. You will walk to your room, simply to grab a few from the basket I put them in. You bring them back to the living room and sigh in delight as you rest for a few minutes hugging them on the floor with your thumb in your mouth. You then go about your playing with a trip back to hug your buddies every once in a while. It's really cute now, but let's just hope you don't love them this much at 10 years old :).
You are eating lots of table foods now and about 3/4 of your diet is table food. You especially like banana, grapes, peaches, bread, yogurt, cheese, steak, black beans, green beans, and crackers. We supplement your diet with some stage 3 and toddler foods to make sure you are getting enough veggies and protein. You are starting to use a spoon and fork with help and you've been independent with your sippy for a while now. Eating all this food is certainly helped out by the fact you now have 8 1/2 teeth (1/2 a molar!)
You wear size 3 diapers and size 12 month-18 month clothes. You say "da" for dog and say "dada" with meaning now. You are babbling a lot more, so I think you're really getting ready to start talking. You follow simple commands and mostly respond to "stop." I realized that I use the sign and word for stop a little too much when you throw food off of your highchair because you started throwing food, then signing "stop." haha.
I am loving this stage. I love going to the park with you or seeing you interact with other toddlers at library time. I love hearing your laugh many times a day. My love for you is teaching me a lot about God's love for his children. I hope that I can be part of teaching you about the grace, forgiveness, joy, and love that is found in Jesus.
Love,
Mama

Day 302- Baked Tortellini

2011-10-29T12:39:00.001-05:00

I made Baked Tortellini for dinner a few nights ago. It was SO yummy. I forgot to take a pic of it and before I knew it, we had eaten all the leftovers. Here's a pic of a little different version.

This is the recipe that I used:
1/2 c. Chopped onion (didn't use because Al is allergic)
1 t. Olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 9 oz packages of refrigerated tortellini (I used spinach tortellini)
1 jar Alfredo sauce (I used sun-dried tomato Alfredo)
1 c. Cubed cooked chicken (I used 1 shredded rotisserie chicken breast)
1 c. Milk
1 c. Water
1 c. Frozen peas
1/4 t. Black pepper
2 T. Fresh basil or 1 t. Dried basil (I also added 2T. Pesto)
1/4 c. Grated fresh parmesan cheese
2 T. Butter, melted
1. C. Bread crumbs (I used panko)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Heat oil and add onion/garlic in large skillet. Cook until tender. Stir in pasta sauce, tortellini, chicken, milk, water, peas, and pepper. Heat until mixture comes to a boil; remove from heat and add basil.
Meanwhile, for crumb topping, mix melted butter, bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese together.
Spoon pasta mixture into 9x13 baking dish. Add crumb topping evenly over surface. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until edges are bubbly and top is golden brown.

The great thing about this recipe is that I think it could be adapted to use red sauce or ground beef or any vegetables you have laying around.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Day 290- my anxious heart

2011-10-17T13:50:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I am an anxiety glutton. I pull worry into me so it even becomes infused in my personality. I dwell in the possibilities of the future. I live as a practical deist, forgetting that God is present with me now and will be just as near each future hour. Lord, help me to consider YOU as the greatest part of my present and future, with all situations and decisions as secondary.

"Anxiety is the result of envisioning the future without Me. So the best defense against worry is staying in communication with Me. When you turn your thoughts toward Me, you can think much more positively. Remember to listen, as well as to speak, making your thoughts a dialogue with Me.
If you must consider upcoming events, follow these rules: 1) do not linger in the future, because anxieties sprout up like mushrooms when you wander there. 2) remember the promise of My continued Presence; include Me in any imagery that comes to mind. This mental discipline does not come easily, because you are accustomed to being god of your fantasies. However, the reality of My Presence with you, now and forevermore, outshines any fantasy you could ever imagine."
Sarah Young

Luke 12:22-26
"Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: they do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single day to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?"

Ephesians 3:20-21
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen."

Day 287- Favs of the Week

2011-10-14T17:30:00.002-05:00

Favs of the week include:
Sleepytime Vanilla
Love this tea! It's a yummy spin on the "classic" sleepy-time tea. I don't know what it is about fall, but a cup of tea before bed does a body good.

Neti Pot
I used to be a skeptic because I couldn't get the water to run through my nose. Come to find out it's because my sinuses were so clogged it couldn't get through! tmi? Since I was sick last week and have been fighting drainage and sinus-yuck since, I have been trying to neti-pot 1-2 times each day. I feel SO much better afterwards. Yes, it's a weird sensation, but I totally recommend it. I even watched a video on WedMD called, "The Truth about Neti-Pots." I was sure they would bash neti-pots and say they only had a placebo-effect. But no, they basically said neti-pots are amazing and have even been shown to be as effective as antibiotics in some studies! Thankfuls...
336. having lattes with mamas and babies yesterday morning
337. a MOPS mom playdate
338. Caleb can down sign "all done"
339. finally having groceries again
340. finally mopping the kitchen and foyer
341. finally having clean laundry again (sensing a theme?!)
342. Grandma Hunt is coming today
343. it's almost the weekend
344. a groupon for My Big Fat Greek Restaurant
345. my fall wreath

Day 286- Couponing

2011-10-13T22:34:00.002-05:00

No, I haven't been couponing... I NEED COUPONING HELP!

I watched that show "Extreme Couponing" a couple of times and now I feel guilty every time I go shopping! How do those ladies do it? It must be addicting to get paid for taking $800 worth of groceries out of a store!
I have been more brand/ingredient conscious since having a child, so our bill has gone up, not to mention that KC groceries are more expensive than Denver's. (Who would have thought!?) I follow a couple of couponing blogs, but thus far they have only served to make me feel guilty as well. I think the main problem is that couponing is the FULL TIME JOB of these ladies (or at least part time job). I have to remind myself that I make more money in my part time job than saving a couple hundred in groceries each month (maybe?! some of those ladies are crazy good!) I wish there was a way to do couponing 1/2 way. I feel like you either have to go all in or just pay full price. (Now I am definitely a budget shopper- Aldi, store brands, etc, just don't have enough time to shop all the store sales and find coupons to match). I guess in the mean time I'll keep brainstorming ways to reduce my grocery budget. I'd be curious what all you fellow bloggers do to reduce your monthly grocery bill. Especially if you're too busy to create an excel spreadsheet from every store in town that corresponds to coupons in your larger than life coupon binder!

Thankfuls...
331. having a clean house
332. having a charged camera
333. having time to blog
334. having a sweet aka "awesome" husband
335. having a child that is healthy enough to learn how to climb on top of things :)

Day 281- Jackson Paul Shelton!

2011-10-08T21:35:00.004-05:00

Welcome to the world, Jackson Paul Shelton! I hope the Sheltons don't mind me posting a couple of pics, but I'm so excited for this little guy to be here! He's gonna have some great parents and a great little friend named Caleb! I'm so happy that both mom and baby are healthy!

It just brings back so many memories of about a year ago when Caleb entered the world! He was so little (though still over a pound bigger than Jackson!)

Oh those lovely Billi-lights

He was so precious and gets cuter by the day! By the way, he can do the motions to Wheels on the Bus! We've got to get it on video!

Thankfuls...
321. That all 3 Sheltons are healthy!
322. To have a dear friend enter the world of motherhood with me!
323. To be feeling much better
324. For the weekend
325. To get to hold baby Jackson this morning
326. For the sentiment that I do, in fact, want to have another baby (eventually)
327. That I only have a couple of notes to write this weekend
328. For brunch at First Watch after our hospital visit
329. Family time at the park
330. Bear Creek soup mix

Day 277- In and Out

2011-10-04T12:05:00.003-05:00

Caleb's new favorite thing to do is anything "in and out." He puts items in a bucket, then dumps them out. He slides objects through a slit in the couch footrest over and over. Recently, he discovered HE can go in and out.

In and out of the toy trunk In and out of the kitchen cabinet

Thankfuls...
311. Chick-fil-a
312. Skinny Vanilla Lattes
313. Mums
314. Fall decorations
315. HGTV
316. that Sarah is coming back from Sierra Leone soon!
317. Baby Shelton is coming soon!
318. a warm fall
319. yellow and red leaves
320. getting to go to our 5 year JBU reunion!

Day 275- ABC's of me

2011-10-02T20:20:00.005-05:00

ABC's of ME!
My friend, Sarah, tagged me a long time ago to do this meme! I think I did one earlier this year, but I guess I'll do one again!

So here we go:
{a} age: 27
{b} bed size: king, love it!
{c} chore you hate: well... Most, but I really hate mopping and putting away clothes
{d} dogs: we used to have Nigel, but he lives with his "grandparents" now, since we didn't want to move with him (he is one spoiled pup now living on the farm!)
{e} essential start to your day: 9 hours of sleep (ha) and a hot shower
{f} favorite color: green
{g} gold or silver: Silver
{h} height: 5'7"
{i} instruments you play: used to play the flute and guitar, not so much anymore
{j} job title: Pediatric Physical Therapist
{k} kids: Caleb David, born 9/26/2010
{l} live: Prairie Village, KS
{m} main article of clothing: athletic clothes for work, jeans at home
{n} nicknames: Susie, Suse, Susie boosie, Bookie
{o} overnight hospital stays: dehydration as a baby, Caleb's birth @ 26
{p} pet peeve: hmmm... people who are intentionally mean
{q} quote: "The way we live our days is the way we live our lives."
{r} righty or lefty: righty
{s} siblings: Stephanie (25), Stacy (20)
{t} time you wake up: around 7 most days
{u} university attended: John Brown University for undergrad and Regis University for grad
{v} vegetables you dislike: like most, not super fond of raw onions or brussel sprouts
{w} what makes you run late: sleeping too long
{x} x-rays: dental
{y} yummy food: anything chocolate
{z} zoo animal: love the monkeys and polar bears

I tag Stephanie, Crystal, and Krista

Day 275- Sick :(

2011-10-02T11:08:00.003-05:00

So, I'm sick. It was bound to happen at some point. I mean, I have a son going to daycare and I work with children and I just moved to a new state with new germs. I just so happen to be a horrible sick person. I wallow and despair. I rely on Al too much (aka ask him to do everything). And to make things worse, I'm not hugely sympathetic when others are sick. (I've got some things to work on!) I'm going to have to grow up one of these days when I have multiple children running around the house and Al is gone to work. But for now...

Thankful...
301. to have a caring husband who will take care of me when I'm not feeling well
302. that I have a good friend who offered to bring soup and dinner
303. kleenex.
304. netipot.
305. sinus medicine.
306. Caleb slept in some this morning (although he woke up again in the middle of the night. we've got to figure that boy out!)
307. yummy oranges
308. a warm robe (since our house is only 66 right now)
309. hot tea
310. chicken and dumpling soup (so much better than chicken noodle!)

Day 274- Mug Brownies 101

2011-09-29T21:08:00.004-05:00

Mug Brownies 101...
I thought I would share this oh so delicious/oh so dangerous recipe with you all. Because well, sometimes you just need a little chocolate. My sister, Stephanie, is working on a healthier recipe (she's getting her master's in dietetics). I'll update you when she perfects it.
Ingredients:
4 T flour (I use whole wheat)
3 T sugar (the original recipe called for 4)
2 T cocoa
2 T oil
2 T water
Instructions:
Get one mug from your cabinetAdd flourAdd sugarAdd cocoaAdd other ingredients, then mixPop it in the microwave for 60 sec (seriously fast!) Then add toppings if desired. 1 scoop of icecream is usually what I add. I love melty cold with gooey hot! I've also added Andies mints, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and eaten the brownie plain. It's a little bland plain, but hey, for 60 sec with all easy access ingredients- you can't beat it! Sit back and enjoy!!!!!

Day 272- 1 year!

2011-09-29T20:12:00.004-05:00

Happy 1 year, Caleb!
Caleb,
You have grown SO much in the past year. You are really getting to be a "big" boy these days. You walk pretty well and prefer it compared with crawling. You eat mostly table food with only Stage 3 baby food or oatmeal to supplement when you don't like what mama makes for dinner. You love goldfish, oranges, black beans, pasta, salmon, sweet potato, yogurt, cheese, and applesauce. You wear size 3 or 4 diapers and size 12-18 month clothes. You weigh 21 lbs, 13 oz (35%) and are 30.5" tall (75%). Your favorite toys are books, balls, your new car track, blocks, and shapes puzzle. You aren't saying any words yet (that we can tell), but you understand a ton. You can point to your head, ears and feet (and someone else's mouth or nose). You follow some simple commands like, "get a book" or "bring that paper to mommy." You sleep through the night from 8:00pm to around 7:30am most days, but have an episode every once in a while if you get hungry or too cold. You also take 1 nap from around 12:30-3:30. You are a total joy! We have been going to the park a lot and taking walks to enjoy the beautiful weather. I'm excited to see all the new things you learn and do in the next year!
Love,Mama

Hanging out with Paul and Bethany tonight- love having these friends close!

Thankfuls...
281. MOPS
282. dinner with the Sheltons tonight
283. finding a park nearby
284. a visit with a neighbor this morning
285. the internet (it's seriously amazing when you really think about it
286. having 2 cars
287. finding out about a REALLY affordable housing option
288. pumpkin dip
289. leaves starting to turn
290. the 1 flame red tree on Lamar Ave I pass every day
291. Alan's good test score on his Pharm test
292. a new lamp
293. a relaxing evening
294. going to see The Help tomorrow night!
295. that it's almost the weekend!
296. an easy enchilada recipe from my mom
297. that a good friend might come live with us for a while
298. generous friends and family at Caleb's birthday
299. that we've been able to see both sides of the family multiple times since we've moved
300. finding a good pediatrician

Day 268- Birthday Party!

2011-09-25T20:14:00.005-05:00

Caleb turns 1 tomorrow, so we had family/friends come for a birthday party on Saturday! Kayleen (Alan's mom), my parents, Stephanie and Charlie, Stacy, and the Sheltons were all able to celebrate with us. Here are some pics from the extravaganza...

Caleb's first birthday presentNot sure what to do with the box :)Mama helps...We did a Korean tradition called a Toljabee to see what Caleb's future profession would be. You lay out several objects representing career areas, then let the child pick which object he/she is drawn to. Apparently Caleb is going to be an Athletic musician. He's sure to be a lady's man with that combo. :)Totally spoiled!Lego present from Uncle Steve and Aunt Mary Yay... sometimes the wrapping is more interesting than the presentBlow out the candleYummy!The Galbo/Hunt/Loup family

We did get a pic with Kayleen too, but it's on her Ipad. I bet it will be on facebook soon! Alan and I were so thankful to everyone for coming in to celebrate our son's first year of life. He's a huge gift to us and we treasure all the support we've had in starting our journey as parents.

Thankful...
266. a refreshing time with family this weekend
267. watching the Bronco's game today with friends
268. going to MOPS
269. that Caleb doesn't regularly wake up in the night
270. going on a date with Al on Wednesday
271. crockpots
272. Moms (as in my mom)
273. safe travel for family
274. all of Caleb's new gifts (he loves them!)
275. having a cancellation on Friday so I could complete most of my notes for the weekend
276. a beautiful afternoon at South Lake Park with Caleb
277. the changing seasons
278. fuzzy blankets
279. Extreme Makeover Home Edition
280. Love and Respect

Day 262- any thoughts on adoption?

2011-09-19T22:51:00.001-05:00

So, the idea of adoption or fostering just keeps coming up. Some days I think it would be a great idea and that it's exactly what God wants us to do. Then I start thinking about any practical matter and basically dismiss it. Anybody have thoughts? Anyone have good resources? Al and I are way far away from even being in a place we could consider it, so it's just an abstract idea currently. I just have a hard time looking at the hundreds of kids that need to be adopted just in the state of Kansas without being convicted that if God loves these children, shouldn't I as well?

thankfuls...
256. A beautiful fall day
257. Accepting women at MOPS
258. Eating dinner last night at a "real" Ethiopian restaurant
259. Hanging with the Sheltons
260. Caleb walking more and more
261. Ripe kiwi
262. A loving husband that sacrifices his time and sleep to make sure I have time to do things like run or take a shower
263. A fresh, clean comforter
264. Kasha frozen pizza
265. Al already has job opportunities

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Day 260- Recently read...

2011-09-17T22:43:00.002-05:00

I've been reading a lot lately, which has been so refreshing! It has been a long time since I've read fiction on a consistent basis. I feel like it takes me to another place, a different world/time (even if I'm just at home while Caleb naps). These are my most recent reads...
Bossypants:
I really wanted to read this one based on nothing except for the fact it was Tina Fey and the picture on the front was so odd/disturbing/hilarious. In the book, Tina Fey describes her life and rise to her current position as the producer of 30 Rock. I learned some things I didn't know about the comedy business and had a few laughs, but overall I didn't enjoy the book that much. Mostly I felt like I was stuck in a book full of punch lines with no substance. It's a quick read, so if you want to give it a go, you could finish it quickly or just read a chapter at a time because no chapter is super-related to another. Not sure I'd read this one again. (must give a shout out to the "mother's prayer section"- it was pretty hilarious).

The Hunger Games Series:
I LOVED these books. They are young adult fiction, which made them super-easy/ quick reads. They are written in stream of consciousness, which also contributes to the readability. The story is set in a futuristic North America that has been decimated by natural disasters and civil war. There are 12 districts under control of The Capitol, the ruling power over all of Panem. In order to remind the districts of its power, every year The Capitol hosts the Hunger Games, a televised event where one boy and one girl from each district fight to the death in an arena. Warning: don't start these books unless you have time to read the whole series! You won't want to put them down until you find out the end result. The only negative was that I thought the ending was a bit weak, but overall they were very excellent, enthralling books.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan:
This book is set in 19th century China. If you enjoy reading about different cultures or time periods, you will enjoy this book. The story beautifully, and often painfully, shares the lifelong friendship of two women and the different paths they take through childhood, marriage, motherhood, and death. It highlights a written language used by Chinese women called "nu shu" that was unrecognized by men until the mid 1950's. This book is a little slow at the beginning, but it pulls you in as you begin to see life through the main character's eyes.

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Day 254- thankfuls, 9/11

2011-09-11T22:45:00.002-05:00

251. Yummy soup and cornbread with good friends
252. Surviving an 8 mile run
253. A reflective, gospel-centered reflection on 9/11 at church this morning
254. That people volunteer their time to provide childcare during church services
255. A friendly neighbor

9/11
I just wanted write a small note about 9/11. I still remember where I was sitting in Pre-Cal when an announcement came over the intercom that a plane had hit one of the towers of the World Trade Center. I remember thinking... "How stupid! Someone would have to be totally asleep to hit something like that!" I had no idea what was really going on until 2nd period, when they turned on the TV. It was my creative writing class. My teacher just left the TV on and had us write during the whole class. I kept on recording my thoughts and emotions for the next several days. I still have that notebook and hope to share it with my kids someday to help them understand what 9/11 meant to me as a senior in high school. And, when I think about it now, it has truly changed our world.

I'm so thankful that the evil that happened on 9/11 has not been repeated on US soil. I am also reminded today of all the other evil and pain that is present in our world. I'm so thankful that we have a God who hates evil and is going to return one day to bring an end to all tears and oppression and pain. That he has cried out in sadness and anger, just as we do when our corrupt world causes suffering. I'm thankful that I can find hope in his promise to never leave or forsake us.
"On Christ, the solid rock, I stand. All other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand."

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Day 253- Haircut!

2011-09-10T21:54:00.006-05:00

Well... clearly, it was time. Time for a haircut!

Caleb's wisps of hair had been getting longer and longer. I was hardly able to keep them brushed over to the side and out of his face. So I decided to try my hand at giving my first baby haircut (first haircut period, for that matter!).

Caleb working REALLY hard at smiling!

Getting ready for the cut... Before:

After:

Posed shot

Hats off, Mom!

While I was VERY nervous to give Caleb a haircut, I was determined not to pay $15 for snipping a small head of hair. Here are the items needed for cutting a baby's hair, plus a few tips I learned.

ITEMS:

1 pair of haircutting scissors
1 highchair or other seat with harness (could also use another person holding baby)
toys or food to distract baby
optional: spray bottle to wet hair- personally didn't use
optional: comb- personally didn't use
optional: plastic baggie for collecting sample of baby's hair

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Time is of essence... gather all items ahead of time and have a game plan before you start
2. Place baby in highchair
3. Give baby several items of interest or a favorite food to entertain him/her while you are snipping
4. Start at the front (so that if the cut only lasts for a few minutes, at least the front is trimmed
5. Take the hair between 2 fingers, pull it up vertically and snip at desired length (pull it vertically otherwise it will leave blunt lines- or so I'm told)
6. Continue doing this all over the babies head, until all the hair is roughly the same length everywhere
7. Trim around the ears (careful not to snip them!)
8. Recheck front and back to make sure the lines are even. (I believe the front is supposed to be more of a "wide smile" than a straight line, but that may depend on the look you are going for)
9. Request help from another adult to hold baby still for the last few snips
10. Step back and admire the new look on your "big boy" or "big girl"

Thankfuls... (with catch up due to my blog slacking)
226. Caleb being approved to start at a new childcare facility (nearly 1/2 the price!)
227. good garage sale finds
228. starting Razor's Edge- a spiritual development class at church
229. lunch today with Paul and Bethany
230. Al's chili
231. cool weather
232. being offered a formal contract with work
233. the discovery of HGTV on our TV
234. a few cancellations this week to help catch up on notes
235. new running shoes
236. that although we cannot achieve perfect integrity, we have a God who bridges our inconsistencies
237. houseplants
238. a chat with my sister, Stacy
239. having a healthy, nearly 1 year old (this time last year I was just hanging in there for a couple more weeks)
240. going on walks with Alan and Caleb
241. parents who demonstrated what it is to have a personal relationship with God
242. that America has not faced any more terrorist attacks since 9/11
243. the smell of coffee
244. reading a book that takes me to another world
245. Caleb's smile
246. having a husband who has a servant's heart
247. that Caleb loves to "read" books now
248. that Dave and Kayleen were willing to take Nigel and give him such a good home
249. that Fall library programming is starting up
250. the discovery of a cheap, good Ethiopian restaurant near our house!

Day 246- already September?!?

2011-09-03T23:41:00.002-05:00

Wow... August pretty much flew by! Can't believe it's already September. Because September leads to fall and fall leads to winter, which leads to a new year! It seems like every year goes by a little faster. 2011 has been no exception!

Upcoming posts:
Book review on Tina Fey's Bossypants
Book review on the Hunger Games series
How to give a baby his first haircut (kind of)
Reflections on American hospitality (or perhaps my hospitality)

Thankfuls...
221. Going to a missions conference tonight
222. Caleb sleeping well
223. Rain
224. The ability to go and buy new shoes
225. Exposure to the gospel from the time I was little

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Day 241- thankfuls...

2011-08-29T21:47:00.002-05:00

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

Day 240- 11 months!

2011-08-28T21:46:00.004-05:00

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#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

Day 237- Diaper review #2

2011-08-25T21:22:00.010-05:00

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!

Day 235- busy, busy

2011-08-23T22:12:00.002-05:00

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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Day 230- Select pics from the reunion

2011-08-18T22:48:00.001-05:00

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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Day 228- Lost and found + family weekend

2011-08-16T22:13:00.002-05:00

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!

Day 223- Thursday...

2011-08-11T20:29:00.001-05:00

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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Day 220- Happy Birthday, Love! and lovin' the weekend

2011-08-08T21:14:00.002-05:00

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 :).

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

Day 217- Free Weekend

2011-08-05T21:56:00.002-05:00

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

Day 216- more thankfuls

2011-08-04T22:57:00.001-05:00

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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Day 213- "Running" and "I made it to 100!"

2011-08-01T21:33:00.004-05:00

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

2011-08-01T11:43:00.001-05:00

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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Day 212- 10 months and Swimming! (and thankfulness)

2011-07-31T22:36:00.004-05:00

Caleb turned 10 months on the 26th! I'm just now getting around to posting about it because we've been busy with a visit from my mom (yay!), work, and Alan finishing his first semester of school! We had a hard time getting Caleb to be still for this one. He's getting more and more mobile! Dear Caleb,
You amaze me everyday. For one, I didn't know that it was possible to love you any more and I do every time you smile at me, scrunch your nose, or even when you're naughty (because it reminds me that I have a big responsibility in raising you). I just can't help but swell with love. You've had a big month... standing independently, saying "dada", holding a bottle on your own, nodding, scrunching your nose, getting 2 more teeth (numbers 5 and 6), meeting your Great Grandma and Grandpa Hunt, and I'm sure more than I could think of. You love playing with your ball, rings, shape puzzle, toy car, and reading books (or eating them sometimes :) ) You are sleeping beautifully through the night and napping well (when not at daycare). You take 1 or 2 naps a day (mostly 2) of about 1.5-3 hours. You sleep through the night from around 7:30 pm to 7:30 am with Dad feeding you around 11pm. You are taking a bottle of between 4-8oz, 5 times a day. You wear 12 month clothes and size 3 diapers. As you move even more towards independence, I'm trying to treasure this time when you still like to cuddle before bed and touch my nose a hundred times a day. I love you and pray for your health and future everyday.
Love,
Mama

Caleb playing with his ball
First time swimming at a "real" poolHe loved it!
He didn't like his hat so much (it lasted about 1 minute). It's cute though- right!?
Hopefully I'll get some pictures from my mom of when she was here visiting. We had a really lovely time together. It was short, but it was really sweet!

thankful...
76. that my mom was able to come a visit
77. going to the pool with Caleb and Al
78. a really good message at church this morning
79. finding some good garage sale items on Saturday for Caleb- jeans, 2 pairs of shoes, a fleece, a shape puzzle, and giant legos- all for $5!
80. a nice run tonight
81. a relaxing weekend
82. having Mondays off
83. finding a 1/2 marathon to run in October! The Kansas City Marathon
84. reclining couches
85. re-meeting some of Al's classmates on Friday for an end of summer celebration
86. that the church we think we're going to settle at has a MOPS group
87. the zenias that my mom brought up for me
88. the home grown watermelon that she also brought me (I've been enjoying a little everyday!)
89. Al went out and got doughnuts this morning
90. we were actually on time to church this morning

Day 209

2011-07-28T22:50:00.001-05:00

Thankful that...
71. My mom got to come visit
72. Caleb started standing on his own today
73. I got to talk to a good friend who just got back in country
74. Another friend got a good diagnosis on a medical test
75. Alan has one test left in his first semester of grad school

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Day 206- Monday Meditation

2011-07-25T21:57:00.003-05:00

"You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise." Deut 11:18-19

thankful...
62. God's unending faithfulness, even from the beginning of creation to today in my life
63. for the traditions in my family as I grew up
64. The birthday wish
65. Christmas tree assembling races
66. Getting to pick birthday dinners/cake
67. The discipline of Saturday chores
68. the "Galbo wave"
69. Easter eggs on Saturday, celebrating real Easter on Sunday
70. The wrapping paper toss (thank you, Stacy)

...Thinking about what traditions I want to put in place for our family

Day 205- Learning to be a mom... And what it means to be a good samaritan

2011-07-24T15:05:00.002-05:00

-warning- long post-

For me, the transition into mommyhood has been a lot harder than I would like to admit. For some reason I thought that once my body had done the physical act of nurturing and birthing a baby, the rest would be easy. I'm sure you are rolling your eyes at my naivety, but really... I thought that being a mom would just come naturally. I'm sure it does for some people. However, I'm not naturally domestic, or really nurturing. In fact, when I was a child, I didn't pretend to be a mommy so much as a doctor or teacher or writer or missionary. I kind of grew up thinking.... I'll do something BIG with my life (and maybe I'll get married and have kids too).

Somehow, I'm starting to realize that the biggest thing I do with my life (certainly the thing I spend the most time doing) will be being a wife and mother. That is totally not to say that I can't or won't have an impact in other ways, but this is HUGE! Back to learning to be a mom... So, it's taken me pretty much the last 9 or 10 months to actually get in a groove. To not feel like things are unfair when I get up out of bed at night or wonder why I'm cleaning up things in the living room for the zillionth time. I'm *starting* to just do them. I'm domestic out of necessity. I cook because I want to start establishing healthy eating for my child. I do laundry because he needs clothes to wear to daycare. We go to the park because mommy is bored (haha- Caleb doesn't really know how cool the park is yet).

And another thing... Bonding. Yes, I loved Caleb from the beginning. And I did bond to some extent in those first few weeks, but I didn't really start to ache with love for him, to stare at him and wonder how I got so lucky until the past few months. I think it's taken me a while to get over the shock of someone fully dependent on me + hormones+ lack of sleep + my changing identity in order to truly "feel" the love I have for Caleb. Just different than how I thought it would be.

Final thought... At church this morning I had a revelation, perhaps from the Holy Spirit. The message was about the good Samaritan. I was thinking and thinking about who are my "samaritan neighbors"? Perhaps my husband and son are. At least they are those that I'm called to love and serve most often. In honesty, sometimes they are the hardest to love and serve. I hate that often I look at it as a chore, when I'm eagerly longing for the day when we can do medical mission work or volunteer downtown. I think God is calling me to love and serve in the mundane, as well as by reaching out. How can I love my neighbor in Sierra Leone without loving my family first?

And it's SO worth it. I mean, look, how beautiful is family?!
61. For the gift of family and the amazing responsibility to take care of these two men

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Day 204- Saturdays...

2011-07-23T21:48:00.002-05:00

I am thankful for today because:
51. Caleb started scrunching his nose and it's WAY cute
52. I got to relax a little
53. The guest bed is FINALLY made again- been procrastinating that one a while
54. Had dinner with good friends
55. Watched a movie with the hubby
56. Read for a few hours at Starbucks last night
57. Al only has 1 week left in his first semester of school
58. the beautiful desk set that Al's grandma gave us
59. that my new work swimsuit was finally found- Fed Ex delivered it to the wrong place- my Lycra one was getting a little indecent
60. that my boss liked an eval that I wrote and that I had a co-worker send me an encouraging email

Coming soon... updated Diaper review. Watch out people. Perhaps I should just switch to cloth, then I wouldn't have to worry about all this.

Also coming soon... reflections on finally starting to feel like a mom (or at least function as a girl disguised as a mom)

Day 202- Torn

2011-07-21T22:11:00.001-05:00

So, while standing in line after grocery shopping today, I got into a conversation with a gentleman. He wanted to know about Caleb, how old he was, etc. I noticed that he had a child with a disability, which he soon told me was autism. He warned me that it was the vaccinations that caused it. He said his son was developing completely normally and that they watched him sink into his own world after his 18 month vaccinations. He told me to be careful because he doesn't want the same thing to happen to anyone else's child.

Aaaahhh! How do you, #1 respond to that (smile and say you'll think about it?) and #2 take your son in to get his 12 and 18 month shots!? I toiled quite a bit over getting vaccinations and have worried about autism since I found out Caleb was going to be a boy. I just wish that there was some absolute source that could explain for sure the cause autism and why it has increased so rapidly over the past couple decades. I know there are no studies linking vaccinations to autism, but it's crazy hard to ignore the child self-stimming in the middle of Sam's and his concerned father.

Thankful for...
44. A healthy child
45. The huge bag of pita chips I got at Sam's today
46. Sweet texts from my hubby
47. Time to blog
48. That the extreme heat will take a break this weekend
49. That I live closer to the "Galbo" side of my family
50. That al and I are going to get away for a night in a couple weeks-thanks kayleen

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Day 201- really thankful for...

2011-07-20T22:38:00.001-05:00

36. A child who can't yet say awkward, embarrassing things yet :)
37. Caleb just started clapping his hands
38. Being mentored at my new job
39. A friend that can call last minute to do things with
40. A day off tomorrow
41. Not having to worry about physical abuse in my house
42. My handimedown king-sized pillow-top mattress- thanks mom and dad
43. Sunscreen

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Day 200- 10 more things...

2011-07-19T20:04:00.002-05:00

10 more things I'm thankful for...

26. hot baths
27. a flexible career
28. toaster-oven nachos
29. being able to wear workout clothes to work
30. getting tan while at work :)
31. the quiet in the evenings when Caleb is asleep and Al is studying
32. that the heat reminds me of a day when I'll be wishing it was back
33. small reminders of God's love
34. a new journal
35. listening to the cicadas outside

Day 199- 1000 Things I'm Thankful For...

2011-07-18T21:01:00.001-05:00

I've seen other people go on a journey to record 1000 things they are thankful for. I think that during this time in my life, when I'm in transition, would be perfect for reflecting on all the good things that I am surrounded by daily.

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands. O Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep."
Psalm 92:1,4-5

"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!"
Psalm 107:1

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ concerning you"
1 Thes. v. 18.

I bought a little journal to record my thankfulness in, and my goal is to finish 1000 things by the end of the year. I thought I'd start off with 25...
1. A relationship with God
2. Alan
3. Caleb
4. My family I grew up with... Mom, Dad, Stephanie, Stacy
5. My new family... David, Kayleen, Matt, Jamie, Charlie
6. A/c
7. Good friends (even if we are scattered)
8. Being able to read/write
9. The opportunity to have travelled to Mexico, India, Thailand, Ethiopia, China, and Italy
10. That most people speak English in the world (since I stink at learning new languages)
11. My new shoes from target
12. Lightening bugs
13. Caleb's laugh
14. Caleb's health
15. Chocolate
16. Not having to work full-time
17. Going to Brookhill growing up
18. That I can't control the future
19. I don't have to be perfect
20. That my husband empties the mousetraps for me
21. Watching Caleb sleep
22. Sleeping in... Every once in a while
23. Having Bethany close by
24. Washing machines/dryers (even if I don't like laundry... These make it a lot easier!)
25. Hot water

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Day 199- Pajama pic

2011-07-18T09:50:00.002-05:00

Here's a pic of Caleb in the pajamas I posted about below. And yes, he is trying to eat a tin whistle.

Day 198- Summer pics

2011-07-17T21:28:00.003-05:00

Here are some recent pics of the little guy. Most are of this afternoon playing in his kiddie pool. Enjoy!

Day 196- Favs of the Week

2011-07-15T23:08:00.000-05:00

2 Favs of the week this week:

Pajamas by babyGap...
Caleb currently wears the 18 mo size. SO cute! I also like Children's Place for pajamas. Caleb is probably 12 mo in their footy pajamas, but I have him in 18 mo to extend the pajama life. I found some on sale for $5 each with free shipping. I got him the camo one shown below, as well as one with monsters on it. I love that they zip and have little "stickies" on the bottom of the feet, so Caleb can walk and stand in them.

Homeade ice-cream!
Al and I have had this ice-cream maker for 5 years (got it as a wedding present) and still haven't used it... til last night. I made vanilla cookie dough. It was pretty good, but left a pretty filmy aftertaste. I tried doing it the non-cooking way, which is really fast (about 30 min start to finish). But... I think I'll try the other way next time, just to see if it makes a big difference in texture or taste. Any homeade ice-cream tips would be welcomed!

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Day 192- Monday Meditation

2011-07-11T21:37:00.003-05:00

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love."--1 John 4:18

"The LORD is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid?" --Psalm 27:1

"Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." --Isaiah 41:10

Forgive me, Lord, for the many fears in my life. Fears of inadequacy, the future, provision, reputation, abilities... I know that you have conquered the world with your love, justice, and power. Nothing can seperate me from you. Teach me what is truly important and how I can bring your kingdom's restoration to those around me. Give me peace and obedience and assurance when I am afraid. Give me hope and truth and power to overcome my fears.

Day 185- the 4th

2011-07-04T23:03:00.001-05:00

Well, I'll keep this one short...
I'm definitely thankful for this country, but I've never been a huge independence day fan. For some reason it feels like boasting and being prideful (although I never mind when others celebrate their nationality). I do enjoy a good fireworks display and grilling out though. This year, we were a little lame and grilled out at our friends, the Shelton's, house. The kinda lame part is that they were out of town! We had to use their grill because we didn't bring ours with us to KC. So, we spent the evening grilling brats and corn, watching Extreme Makeover: weightloss edition, and listening to fireworks. We stayed at their house cause we thought we might be able to see the fireworks, but alas, as soon as we got packed up with the sleeping baby to try and drive around and find the big show- the finale goes off. How did we know? We and our no longer sleeping child had no problem hearing the big show! Luckily, Caleb went back to sleep quickly and Alan and I truly enjoyed a simple night together relaxing. Thanks Sheltons for the use of your abode!

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Day 182- Fav of the Week- water...

2011-07-01T23:09:00.002-05:00

I never realized how important water really is until the water main broke today in our county. There is a boil order on all water for 2 days for 400,000 people. (all because a raccoon got electrocuted in the breaker for one of the pump houses.) All the water bottles are sold out at stores and restaurants are closed or only partially operational. I went to Starbucks today after work to catch up on notes and totally forgot that you need water to make coffee drinks :). I ended up with a Bare Naked Berry drink and pumpkin bread. They were both very tasty. I wasn't really in the mood for coffee on the hottest day of the year anyway. Back to water... so, Al and I have a huge pot of boiled water on the stove for bottles, drinking, teeth brushing, etc. I'm trying to imagine what life would be like if this was an everyday reality like it is for so many around the world. I'm so thankful that my water will okay again at 5 pm tomorrow evening and that I have instant fuel to purify my water that comes out of my tap. Here's a shout out to charitywater.org... They help the millions of people who struggle with this issue everyday.

Day 181- thankful...

2011-06-30T11:44:00.002-05:00

Today I am thankful for...

...air-conditioning (after living without it for 3 years)
...kisses from a baby (even if they are big, open, slobery mouthed)
...a responsible, trust-worthy, loyal husband (who balances me in so many ways)
...that God is with me where ever I am (be it working with a child with a disability, doing laundry, eating ice cream with friends, or going on a walk)

Day 177- Caleb's 9 month birthday, family, etc

2011-06-27T11:17:00.003-05:00

Happy 9 months, Caleb!You are getting so big! You are an experienced crawler, you love to pull to stand and cruise on furniture. You're starting to get brave and move across wider spaces. You can play ball (kind of), peek-a-boo, wave, shake your head "no", and love to read books. You are experimenting a lot with your voice, saying things like, "ha, ha, ha," screaming, sighing, squeaking, and many other sounds. You still don't like to say many consonants (that is probably on it's way soon). You know how to recognize your name, "mama," "dada," jump," and "no." You wake up between 5:45-7:30, take naps consistently at 10 and 3, and go to bed around 8. You are taking a bottle for every feeding except morning now, and you eat after your naps at 10 and 3, before bed, and when Dad wakes you up at 11 pm. You are also sleeping through the night more consistently! You had another tooth come in this month with one on the way. That puts you at 5 teeth! You are eating stage 2 solids and oatmeal for 3 meals a day, plus puffs and some small table foods. You wear size 3 diapers and size 12 mo. clothes. You started daycare this month and have adjusted to it so well. You did get sick for the first time twice this month! Once with roseola and once with a little cold. You are a total joy and full of so much energy. It is amazing to see all the ways you are learning and growing and changing each week. I love you SOOO much!
Love,
Mama

Caleb was also lucky and had visitors from both sides of the family this weekend.

Grandma Hunt came from Thursday-Saturday

Gran and Papa Galbo came on Saturday and Sunday on their way to Minnesota It was also my mom's birthday! Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you!

Day 170- Monday Meditation

2011-06-20T21:38:00.002-05:00

Philipians 1:6
"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

Thank you, Jesus, for the good work of salvation you are continually doing in my life. Thank you for being faithful. Help me glorify you in all I say and do. Amen.

Day 169- Happy Daddy's Day

2011-06-19T20:57:00.005-05:00

Dear Al,
I can't imagine anyone I'd rather have as my partner on this journey of parenthood. You are so patient, kind, good-willed, hard working, and loving. You've been an awesome "dada" so far, and I'm SO excited to see how your relationship with Caleb develops as he gets older. I have a feeling in a few years I'm going to lose him completely to ... wanting to be just like daddy :). Here's a recap of the whole 9 months you've had the honor to father Caleb!

1st MD apptHiking Hanging out Same hair! Sleepy time Look! There's the Trevi Fountain!Piggy back ride in Manarola FlorenceNew home in KC- thanks for working so hard for our family! You are amazing! I have to give a shout-out to the other Dad's in my life:

Thanks, David, for being a great Dad to Al and raising a son full of integrity, work ethic, love for Jesus, and a loyal heart. Thanks for loving me too (even if I do eat chicken- haha). I've so enjoyed seeing you be a grandpa as well. You are adorable with Caleb!!!

And to my Daddy-fic-its:

I love you so much! I am SO thankful for you: how you raised us, the example you set in loving us and mom, working hard, listening to God, teaching truth, answering our questions, being silly with us, providing for us (physically, emotionally, and spiritually). I'm so happy that now you get to be a Papa (to a boy!!!) It's your chance to play with swords, dinosaurs, balls, and dirt (well, in a few years). xoxo

Day 168- Favs of the week...

2011-06-17T20:49:00.001-05:00

These are sooooo yummy...

Also, I LOVED waking up this morning (might I add after a full night's sleep 3 days in a row) listening to low rumbling thunder and rain.

Day 167- thankful...

2011-06-16T23:03:00.001-05:00

I'm thankful today for:
* a day of rest
* visiting the Deanna Rose Farmstead with Caleb
* dinner with Al (even if it was for a school meeting)
* Aunt Mary for watching Caleb when we didn't have anyone else
* being able to wear workout clothes to work

Day 166- Currently Reading & dreaming a little

2011-06-15T21:35:00.001-05:00

Currently reading: The Secret Life of Bees...
I know I'm a little behind the times, but I'm excited to read for pleasure again (not saying I shouldn't be studying or planning treatment sessions for next week)

Sidenote- I'm starting to dream a little with my new job. I think that's a good sign. I have a ton to learn and even get acquainted with everything, but here are a few ideas for my possible involvement with CPTA:
- manage their blog and post regularly
- take over scheduling
- get certified in Peds yoga and do yoga classes
- get them a propio5000 or another device for perturbation training
- help them develop better systems/paperwork for therapists/patients

Day 165- Trip to Arkansas, Back to KC, Starting Work

2011-06-14T22:06:00.003-05:00

Got to head to bed soon, but here's a few pics documenting the last week... (there is no pic with mom or stacy with caleb, but rest assured, he loved them very, very much. Stephanie took those pics and I'm waiting on them :). Caleb LOVED waving and nodding at Aunt Stacy and Gran took great care of Caleb the whole time!)

Aunt Stephanie and Caleb

Papa and Caleb looking at glasses
Caleb riding "papa horse"

Trying his first lemon- LOVED it

Was sick with his first bought of roseola in Russellville- not sure if you can see the rash that popped up as soon as we got back to KC

Happy to see Daddy

Mom and Caleb on the first day of work/daycare

Caleb's first day of "school" went great! They even sent home some pics of what he did!

Day 157- Monday Meditation

2011-06-06T11:07:00.002-05:00

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me."
Psalm 51:10

Alan and I have visited 2 different churches the last two weeks. I'm not sure that we'll attend either, but I think that God spoke to me through both sermons, saying the same thing: I need a clean heart. Both pastors talked about how we need God to cleanse our hearts. Otherwise, we will start growing tiny seeds of resentment, bitterness, selfishness, pride, etc. As I've been busy moving, working, taking care of Caleb, and many other things, I've not taken much time to be with God. I've not spent much time having my heart cleansed and my spirit renewed. I can feel those little seeds starting to spring up in my soul and I hate it! I feel captive to entitlement and selfishness. I need the freedom that I cannot earn or create for myself- the freedom of a clean heart.

Holy Spirit, please come and cleanse my heart. Please take out all that does not honor you. Fill me with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, so that I can serve others. Thank you for giving up your life so that I can be clean.

Day 154- Favs of the week

2011-06-03T15:03:00.002-05:00

One fav of this week is Caleb's. I got this little whale pool for $5 at target a couple days ago. He LOVED it! Even though the water was really cold, he played and squealed happily for about 30 minutes! It is a nice depth for a baby, just covering his legs. I have a feeling it's going to be a good friend this summer.

The other fav of my week is my IPad 2. I have really enjoyed this mother's day/"push" present from Alan. I just got the blogpress app and it is much easier to blog now. I'm even trying to use the IPad for my calendar. We'll see if I can break my addiction to paper planners :).

Day 152- Taking the plunge

2011-06-01T12:03:00.004-05:00

So, after over a year of anticipation, we've taken then "plunge" and moved to Kansas City for Alan to start CRNA school. For those of you (like I was) who are unfamiliar with what a CRNA is/does: the title is Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. It means that he will basically be like a Nurse Practitioner Anesthesiologist. He will be able to practice independently, but will only be specialized in Anesthesiology. It's a really intense program- 3 years long, but I know he will be great!

Here's a pic from the 1st day of school- doesn't he look handsome and professional?

Here's my study material, since my new PT practice is almost entirely aquatic-basedA pic of the guys before a picnic with Paul, Bethany, and some of their friends from church

Our new house (rented)Hydrangeas!!!!

Living roomFireplace

Desk area

Kitchen

Best find ever- stainless steel fridge for $360! Gotta love craigslist!Backyard

Yes, that is honeysuckle all over our fence!

Caleb's bathroom

Our bathroom

More pics to come. And for those of you wondering, Nigel was adopted by his Hunt grandparents, so he stayed in Colorado. We'll be able to see him whenever we visit. There's a lot to miss in Colorado, but at the same time, there's a lot to look forward to here!

Day 151- Caleb turns 8 months!

2011-05-31T21:21:00.002-05:00

Caleb is now 8 months old!

Here are some pics:

Standing up (he started pulling to stand last week)

Chewing on a pen (the only way to distract him from chewing on the paper- hehe)

SOOOOO cute!

Crawling independently

Oh Dear Caleb!

I love you so much! You are growing and changing at an incredibly rapid rate right now. You learned to crawl with your belly off the floor and pull to stand on the same day last week. Since then, you've wanted to do nothing but stand up! I think you'll be walking before we know it. You are nursing/taking a bottle 3-5 times a day, eating baby food 3 times, and trying a few "real" solids like puffs and tiny bits of banana. Your favorite things to play with are stackable rings, anything electronic, water, and your toy bin at the bottom of the dresser. You also love to listen to stories and make the raspberry sound. You recently started imitating us, but the only thing you consistently do is shake your head "no." You learned this from your Grandma Hunt (thanks Kayleen- haha). I've been working on "yes" and waving to no avail. You also hide your head and play peek-a-boo. You've recently started crawling to find mama or daddy if we leave the room. Although you're sleep habits are having a bit of trouble adjusting to your new life here, overall you are going to bed around 8pm and waking up around 7am (with a feeding at 11 by dad and one at 4 by mom- hopefully this will change asap as you get used to the new schedule). You take naps around 10 or 11 and 2 or 3. You are still curious as ever, with a very concentrated look on your face most of the time. You are VERY excited because you just found out that you're going to have a boy "cousin" to play with, since mama and daddy's friends are having a boy. Dear, sweet Caleb, I can't wait to see all the ways you grow and change even in the next 4 weeks. I love you so much and am so excited to see the person that you are becoming!

Love,

Mama

Day 138- Socks are so funny!

2011-05-18T21:09:00.001-05:00

Caleb thinks that socks are HILARIOUS!!!!!

Day 135- Diaper review

2011-05-15T22:19:00.002-05:00

I thought I would do a diaper review on the 3 types of diapers we've used: Pampers, Huggies, and Earth's Best...

Pampers:

We have used both Pampers Swaddlers and Pampers Baby Dry (the nighttime kind). I really like Pampers Swaddlers and have had pretty good luck with them. I know that every baby is shaped differently, but for Caleb, Pampers have proven to work well overall as long as we had the right sized diaper. Side note on Baby Dry: We didn't really like Baby Dry very much. It did hold a lot of urine for overnight, but it seemed to also keep Caleb's skin fairly wet. He never got diaper rash or anything, but I just didn't like the way it smelled/felt in the morning. I like Pampers because the absorbent material gets pretty firm when he uses the bathroom, so it's easy to tell when he needs to be changed. Also, for those that really need help, there is a yellow stripe that turns blue when baby needs to be changed as well. The material does seem fairly chemical-ish though, and it makes you wonder what it is if it keeps baby so dry. Also, Pampers didn't use the Dry Max in Europe and I wonder if it doesn't have the technology or if it had been banned? We never had any side leaks with Pampers, but we did have quite a few blowouts up the back, which really stinks (literally). In Pampers, we've used sizes NB, 1, 1-2, and 2.

Huggies:

We're not big Huggies fans around our household. We've tried multiple sizes and given several good attempts at using them, but Caleb must not be a Huggies baby. We also get way more coupons for Huggies than Pampers. Our main problem was that he kept leaking with them. We got frequent leaks from the sides and front. I just got tired of changing his clothes! Huggies seems to be a little less chemical-ish than Pampers, and they are soft. We just couldn't deal with the leaks. We tried sizes NB, 1, and 3.

Earth's Best:
Recently, I ordered Earth's Best diapers, which are chlorine, latex, dye, and perfume free. They are also supposed to be more biodegradable than the average diaper. They only cost $0.01 more per diaper than Pampers on Amazon. I have loved them! They fit Caleb great (waist and legs), are soft, but don't seem chemical-ish. He has yet to leak or have a blow-out, which is great! They are a little harder to tell whether he needs to be changed or not, but I'm pretty good at figuring that out anyway these days. I'll need to use them a little longer to know for sure (we've only been using them for a week), but I think we may permanently switch! It's my best attempt at being more green and baby-bottom friendly, since I'm not up for switching to cloth just yet.