Weary

Weary...this best describes how I felt yesterday when I sat on my couch and cried my eyes out. I felt beaten, crushed in spirit. No one thing, person or event made me feel like this. It was an accumulation of several weeks of anxiety and stress. I'd never say I feel like my life is stressful compared to most. I have much to be thankful for and I want for nothing. And I LOVE my life as a stay at home mom. It brings me more joy and satisfaction than I ever thought possible. But...there's always a but. Life as a stay at home mom can be just that, stressful. You don't get a break. You don't get time away from your kids. It's nonstop. 24/7. Always a little hand reaching out for something. Always someone who is hungry and asking for a snack. Always noise. Always running. (I've heard this may be different for those parents with girls. Possibly more quiet and down time, and play time that is actually quiet. Not sure, as we have two boys and things are always loud. But then again this could be that they are MY kids and I've always been loud and this is just payback....but I digress and that's another blog for another time.) Always a mess. Always something to be cleaned or folded or put away. With a personality like mine, one who is OCD about messes and can't seem to relax and sit down, it all weighs on you. It makes you feel like you can never do enough, can never clean enough. It makes you feel like you are a terrible mother. It makes you anxious. It makes you yell. It turns you into someone you never saw yourself being. Someone you never thought you'd be. Someone you never want to be again. It all weighs on you until one night you let it all out and cry on your best friend's shoulder. Of course Bruce has no clue what to say, as tears send most men into a panic of their own. But I don't need him to say anything. Just listen. Just hold me. Just pray for me.

I searched for scripture that was encouraging and helpful in times of stress. Because I believe being a parent to small children is a time of stress. Nobody tells you how hard it is. Nobody tells you it can bring you to tears. But there it is...I'm laying it out there. Being a parent is HARD! It challenges you! It challenges your marriage. It will either bring you closer or tear you apart. And I believe that is Satan at work. I will not let my 2 little blessings tear us apart. I will turn to the God Almighty who is bigger and stronger than me. Who can make ALL things possible. A God who will CRUSH Satan! And give me a peace that surpasses all understanding. I hope this scripture gives you the encouragement it gives me.

1.  John 14:1  “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God, trust also in me.”

2.  John 14:27  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

3.  Isaiah 40: 30,31  “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

4.  Romans 16:20  “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.  The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” 

5.  Philippians 4:6,7.  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

6.  1 Peter 5: 6,7  “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

7.  Psalm 103: 1-5  “Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.  Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

8.  Psalm 100  “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

9.  Proverbs 16:3  “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”

10.  Proverbs 16:9  ”In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”

11.  Jeremiah 17: 7,8. “But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.  He will be like a tree planted by the water and sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

12.  James 1: 2-4  “Consider it pur joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

13.  Matthew 11: 28-30  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

14.  Deuteronomy 33:27  “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”

15.  Psalm 9: 9,10  “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.  Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”

16.  Psalm 16: 8  ”I have set the Lord always before me.  Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”

17.  Psalm 46: 1-3  “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and mountains quake and with their surging.”

18.  Psalm 36: 3-6  “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.  Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this; He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”

19.  Proverbs 3:5,6.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

20.  Matthew 6:25-27  “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

21.  John 15: 4, 5.  “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

22.  Psalm 34: 17-19.  “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.”

23.  Jeremiah 32:27  “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind.  Is anything too hard for me?”

24.  Romans 8:28  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

25.  Joshua 1:9  “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”


I got these 25 verses from Lynn Dove's website, here is the link... http://lynndove.com/2012/05/23/25-encouraging-bible-verses-for-stress/

Littles

I read something the other day that really stuck with me. It left me a little sad. A little nostalgic. And very emotional. It was very simple - "While they are my littles." It has made me think about all the things our children only do when they are little. Things that don't last forever, in fact only last a very short while. Things they will grow out of. Priceless things. Things I love. Things that drive me crazy. Things I will wish for when they're older.  I started mentally compiling a list...

Imagination unhinged
Pretend play
Love for animals and the farm
Fascination with the ordinary
Endless days of staying home together
Bottles and sippy cups
Naps
Wiping their noses for them when they're sick...over and over again
Rocking them to sleep
Singing them to sleep
Patting them to sleep
Cuddles
Tantrums and Timeouts
Playing on the playground
Countless "I love you mommy"s
Never-ending chatter
"Mommy, watch this"
"Mommy, I want to tell you something"

I'm sure the list could go on and on ...

Hudson is 1

Hudson and I are hanging out by ourselves this morning. He's up early and  Trey is still asleep. This time is precious because it rarely happens. 

Hudson is walking and standing up on his own. He started walking at 11 months (2 weeks before his birthday) but by his birthday, he was a pro.

He loves to eat! Loves bananas, bread, chicken nuggets, FRENCH FRIES, strawberries!, lasagna. He eats most everything I give him. Which is great! I feel like he will eat anything we are having for dinner, and I don't have to fix him something separate.

He is talking a little saying "uh oh" "dada" "mama" sometimes he seems to say "all done"

He loves Trey. His face lights up when he sees him. It is so precious. They play well together, even though Trey can be a bully and is constantly body slamming Hudson and taking his toys away. I'm hoping Hudson will be better for it - super tough and a tough skin.

I have been weaning him for a little while now. He has been nursing twice a day, morning and night, for about 2 weeks. For the last two nights, he has eaten a bottle of milk (milk skim, half whole) for his nightly feeding. It's very exciting and encouraging - especially since Trey would never drink milk for me. I plan to have him completely weaned by Friday, giving him a bottle in the morning as well.

Hudson can give high-fives and play peek-a-boo! He gets really excited about both and they are so adorable.

We went to the Leesburg Animal Park on Saturday for Hudson's birthday with Uncle Josh. There were lots of cool animals there and of course Trey loved it. He is fearless when it comes to those animals. Fear. Less.

                                                

                                      

Sleeping through the night

Hudson is one week away from being seven months old and he is sleeping 12+ hours at night. I believe this is because he is now eating 3 meals a day of solid food and goes to bed with a full belly. He is on a great schedule, going bed around 7:30 and taking two naps during the day. I usually try and lay Trey down at the same time as Hudson's second nap. Which is glorious! I even occasionally sneak a nap in myself. Bruce has been working some pretty late nights, which keeps me up later if I want to spend any time with him during the week...which I do, but only at the cost of my precious sleep which I hold so dearly. I am used to being in bed by 10 and it has shifted to me being lucky if I'm in bed by 12. Those two hours are crucial!! So I am grateful when I can nap with the boys. Trey is still an amazing sleeper. He sleeps about 10-12 hours at night. If he naps it pushes his bed time to 9 or 10 which is super late and leaves hardly any mommy/daddy time. If he doesn't nap he's cranky by 7 so we put him to bed with Hudson. I can't decide which way to go, nap or no nap. That two hours of quiet time during the day is wonderful and helps me make it thru the day without going crazy. But I also love the time Bruce and I get to spend together at the end of the night by ourselves. It makes me feel like a wife and not just a mommy. Which I'd say is pretty important.

Life has adjusted to a normal pace somewhere along the way. It was pretty rough at first. Having two kids was NOT a piece of cake for the MacNeills. I think the thing that helps the most is Hudson being on a normal schedule and getting plenty of sleep. Duh! If I get sleep I am a happy person. If I don't get sleep, watch out because I'm liable to hurt someone. Even with Bruce gone on trips during the week, I feel like I am in much more control and can make thru the week with no problem. In the beginning I was scared to be alone with both boys. Now I am way more confident in my abilities. You live and learn, right?

Lets see... What else is new? Hudson is just starting to sit up on his own and stays up for a good while. He wants to crawl so badly but hasn't gotten up on all fours yet. He is so content. I can lay him on the floor with a couple of toys and he will entertain himself for forever. He loves his exercaucer but not for too too long. He loves to lay and roll and play on the floor the most. He and Trey are starting to play together. It is hilarious. Trey likes to lay on top of Hudson and make him laugh. Which Hudson loves. It's the beginning of all the rough housing I'm sure we have to look forward to. I am loving having two boys. They are such a joy. God surely knew what he was doing when he gave us these two.

Trey started a baseball skills camp about a month ago. It's a bit of a joke but he seems to love it and that's all that matters. This is his first structured activity so he had a hard time listening and following directions at first. He did much better this past week and I was proud of him. Not necessarily better at baseball, just better at listening. He is such a great little hitter and we pitch it to him at home. So he's not used to hitting with a tee. He'll have to learn if he wants to play though. They don't pitch it until they're older.

I want another one...

I want another one...those four little words and Bruce knows exactly what I'm talking about. He thinks I'm crazy. His response "There is nothing I want less in this whole world right now than another child, maybe that will change in 6 months, who knows." This makes me laugh and I expected nothing less from him. Two kids has been a big challenge and adjustment for both of us.

But...
Once we made it past the first few months that were some of the most difficult times ever as parents, a time when I don't know what I would have done without my husband, a time when we adjusted to having two little ones and working out the "tag team" system, a time when sleep deprivation had us on the verge of going crazy. I knew. I knew that even though I have loved Trey and every stage and phase that he's gone through (some not as fun as others) babies are the ultimate! The ultimate challenge, the ultimate love, the ultimate stage. And I have seen how fast it goes by. One minute you have this little dude that completely relies on you for everything, and the next moment you have a little dude that wants to do EVERYTHING for himself, or "meself" as Trey still says. I don't care if it's a girl or boy, all I know is that I don't want this to be the end of the baby phase for me.  I know, I know...Hudson is still very much a baby, and I am soaking it ALL in! but if you can say at 4 months when you are delusional and tired and things are as stressed out and as crazy as ever that you want another one, I think it's safe to say (I'm certifiably insane?) that I really want one.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

 

This is a recipe I came up with by combining 3-4 recipes I have found for Chicken Tortilla Soup. I made it this week and it was really good so I thought I'd share.

 

1 can (14.5 oz) chicken or veggie broth

2 cups water

1 (15 oz) can corn, drained

2 (15 oz) cans Rotel Original

3 chicken breasts cooked and shredded (my sis recommends using a rotissere chicken, especially if you are short on time.)

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles

1 medium diced onion

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 bay leaf

(I have added 10 oz of enchilada sauce before, but I left it out this time)

 

This turns out pretty spicy. If you don't like spice, I recommend cutting out the chopped chiles, or maybe cut the rotel down to only 1 can, or use Rotel Mild. Or you could cut out the cayenne pepper. Also, you could add more water or broth.

 

Add all ingredients and cook on low for about 1 hour. Top with shredded cheese or tortilla strips if desired or any other garnish that sounds delish.

I served this with my mom's mexican cornbread and it was great! Maybe I'll add that recipe to the blog.



Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

Bruce has an obsession with Chicken Cordon Bleu so when I saw this recipe on Pinterest I had to try it. I got the recipe off of this blog. Below her blog were lots of notes and suggestions to try to make it better as her recipe seemed to be rather bland and plain. Here is MY recipe that has all the changes I made to make this a delicious meal. Note - it makes a huge portion. We had lots of leftovers for the next night. But being the fatties we are, it was gone in 2 nights. Please read my notes at the bottom as I explain some important instructions for this recipe.


12 oz Pasta (I used Ziti - you could use any fun shaped pasta)
3 Chicken Breasts, seasoned, cooked in a skillet, and cubed
1 cup Ham, cooked and cubed (I bought a package of pre-cooked cubed ham)
3 pieces of bacon cooked
1 cup Skim Milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)
2 Tbsp. Dried Minced Onion
1 1/2 cups Swiss Cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Colby/Jack cheese, shredded
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
Cajun Seasoning
Garlic Powder
Parsley
1 cup Panko Crumbs
1/2 cup Butter, melted

The first thing I did was fry up the bacon. Next time I will add more bacon and maybe even leave out the ham. The ham did nothing for us, and we were wishing for more bacon.

Next, I cut up the chicken into small pieces and  tossed it with seasonings until completely covered. The seasonings I used were salt, pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Cajun seasoning, and garlic powder (and I would recommend putting the minced onion in with the chicken as well instead of adding it to the sauce later. It needed cooking a bit.) I'm not a measurer when it comes to seasoning, so I would just recommend using what seems right to you and your family. We like things spicy so I pumped up the Cajun seasoning and Cayenne Pepper just a tad. I fried the chicken in the same pan as the bacon using the bacon grease. OH yeah!

Start boiling your pasta to al dente -  make sure you don't overcook it.

When your chicken is finished cooking, add your ham and bacon and cook them together for 4-5 min.

Drain your pasta and add your meats to it, tossing to mix.

Next you make your sauce. I made it in the same pan I cooked the bacon/chicken in to make sure I got all those yummy seasonings. Start with your milk, heavy whipping cream then add your cream cheese and cook on medium heat stirring constantly until smooth. Add your Dijon mustard and nutmeg. Then I seasoned it with the same seasonings I used on the chicken to add flavor. YUM YUM YUM!!

When your sauce is heated through and smooth, add to your pasta and meats. Add Swiss and Colby/Jack cheeses mixing it all together thoroughly. Put in a 9 x 13 pan.

For my topping, I would have used Panko bread crumbs if I had them, but I didn't. I ended up putting some 3 cheese flat bread crouton thingies in the food processor to chop them up, making about a cup. Spread on top of pasta then pour a stick of melted butter on top. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 30 min.

I hope I explained things clearly. Feel free to ask any questions you have. And I would love comments if you try it out and find something you would change about it.


Enjoy!!!

Potato Soup on Crack

The soup in the beginning stages. No hamburger meat added yet.

 

 

We recently had some friends over and I wanted to try something new - so of course I hit up Pinterest. (Does anybody even use cookbooks anymore? I recently got mine out and had to dust them off!) This recipe was a big hit! The boys literally licked the crock pot clean. Today is another cold and bleary Saturday at home, full of family time and football, and Bruce has requested it again. If you want a link to the blog where I originally found it click here. She calls it Bacon Cheeseburger Soup. We call it Potato Soup on Crack. It's delicious!

 

1lb of lean ground beef

8 oz cream cheese

8 slices of bacon

32 oz Southern Style Hasbrowns

32 oz velveeta cheese (I use the lower fat one made with 2% milk)

32 oz chicken broth stock

small onion diced

 

 

Fry up the bacon and crumble it. Brown the hamburger meat (I always season my beef with garlic salt and Lawry's seasoning) Cut up the Velveeta and put it all in the crockpot with all the other ingredients, stir well. Cook on high for 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally. Hope you like it as much as we did!!

 

Finally A Good Day

Today was a better day. We needed a better day. Trey has been sick making things that much more hectic around here. After spending 3 hours at the clinic yesterday I didn't want to leave the house - and we didn't. We played all day. It was fun and stress free. We went outside to play on the deck because it was a beautiful day. (If you're wondering if it was cold enough for Trey's winter hat (lol) it probably wasn't. It was maybe in the 60s but I made Trey bundle up since he had a cough.) We played forever in Trey's pretend kitchen. He cooked me delicious cheeseburgers, hotdogs, and ice cream. We built a house out of Legos on his new play table. He really likes it, but really only gets into it if someone is playing with him. We wandered down to the basement in search of my keys to check the mail and ended up going ADD and cleaning the basement and garage. Trey had fun playing with all the toys we found cleaning up. After nap time when I enjoyed 2 new episodes of Duck Dynasty, I even managed to cook an amazingly delicious meal!! Outback's alice springs chicken. Thank you Pinterest. Here's the link if you're interested. Reccommended by Bruce for sure. http://debrapate.blogspot.com/2012/01/outback-steakhouse-alice-springs.html

I took some cute pics of our beautiful boys to remember the occasion.

Can you catch me mommy?

This was a fun game. "Don't take my picture!!"

Admiring his new "cool boots." He loves them.

Our kid is so beautiful

"Hold still, Trey!" Yeah right mom!

Can't catch me!

Hudson is sleeping and oblivious. Can't wait til they can play together.

Oh yeah, I totally posed this one.

Loves playing on his castle. So glad we brought it up on the deck.

How far can I go without falling?

He loves to play.



Little Hudson sleeping the day away

Trey version 2.5

It is hard to believe but Trey is officially 2.5 as of August 8. He is such an amazing kid. I couldn't be prouder of him. He is your typical 2 year old. Full of energy, always talking, obsessed with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, a big-time love bug, extremely stubborn, and wants to do everything by himself! Mr. Independent!

My Loves!
Riding the carousel at Dulles Town Center

We have had such a fun summer! Bruce has been home for the majority of it and we've been spoiled having him around. We go to the pool as often as the weather will allow us (it's been extremely rainy/cloudy/thundery and the pool closes if it thunders) Trey LOVES the water and is completely fearless. He loves to jump in off the side (he even jumped off the diving board at Grandaddy's pool) or for us to throw him or flip him. He can't swim of course, he has to wear arm floaties, but he THINKS he can. It's terrifying. He will jump in without them on and just flail about until we lift him up and he just laughs and laughs. Apparently he thinks drowning is funny. Not sure how to handle this situation.

Jumping off the diving board at Grandaddy's pool

Cousins on the 4th of July

Trey is still an excellent sleeper - he just LOVES to sleep!! He's been sleeping in a toddler bed for quite a while now and he loves it. The transition was much easier than anticipated. He still sleeps with a pacifier. To be honest, we just haven't had the guts to take it away. I'm hoping it's gone by the time he turns 3. So, he sleeps about 12 hours at night and takes a 2 hour nap. I am SO blessed. It has especially been nice when I want to take a nap too. I hope he keeps this up when baby brother arrives. I'm going to need all the sleep I can get.

Just waking up from an epic nap!

He can be a picky eater at times. He eats veggies a good bit, loves asparagus and raw broccoli with ranch dressing, but will not even try fruit other than bananas. It's a mystery to me. His favorite foods haven't really changed, but he will try more new things for me and I am grateful. He really liked the chiken spaghetti and chicken casserole I made recently. I started making Mickey pancakes and cheese toast for breakfast (not at the same time ha!) and he loves those! Mickey cakes!! Chee toast!! He still will not drink milk well, but loves cereal and milk so that's good!


He is 37" tall and weighs about 30 lbs. He's still skinny and tall, so most pants are hard to fit. He's little in the waist and has long legs. I recently went to buy new jeans for the fall and the 2T at Children's were huge! Shorts are easier - he's still in a size 18 months hahaha but some 2T fit. However, I have to buy 3T pajamas and shirts. He's difficult to shop for. I'm sure I have many years of this ahead.

He has an adorable obsession with animals. It's what he loves to play with, read about, talk about. His favorite animal (for now) is the hippo. He has a couple of hippo toy figures that he never lets out of his sight, a hippo pillow pet, and hippo pajamas. Maybe he'll be a zoologist or a vet or something.

While Bruce went to Canada on his bi-annual canoe trip, Trey and I drove to Alabama. We had such a great time. He LOVES his cousins! Alissa, Lucas and Whitney were there. They play well together and are fun to watch.

Alissa and Lucas were like big brother and sister to Whitney and Trey.

Our family on the 4th of July

Playing on the trampoline at Maw Maw's house

Pregnancy Round 2

With Trey, I was lucky enough to go through everything with a dear friend of mine, Ashley Ward. We were due within a couple of days of each other. This time around I've had a similar experience and am due the same DAY as my sister. It has been wonderful (both times) to have that person to share the experience with. Each going through the same things. Each making the other feel normal and not crazy. And then, when the pregnancy is over, we have children the same age. What a blessing!! It has been so surreal with my sister. We've always wished and almost joked that we would be pregnant together some day, little did we know it would actually happen.

If I hadn't seen the teeny weeny on the sonogram for myself, I would swear I was having a girl. This pregnancy has been so different than the last. I either have a terrible memory or my life is just insanely different than before, but then again I do have a 2 year old. The nausea has been worse, the heartburn has been better, I've had this crazy nasal congestion that I never had with Trey, and sadly my boobs are not quite as big as before. Plus, I think this baby moves around alot more than Trey ever did. It's like he's on crack or something. He never stops moving! It's really fun, but can be frustrating when I am trying to sleep. On the flip side, some things haven't changed...I have to say that in general this has been an easy going pregnancy. No major issues or problems. My weight gain has been around the same - right about 25 lbs at this point. I was tired in the beginning, energetic and perky for the 2nd trimester and I'm exhausted again in the 3rd trimester. I have reached that oh too familiar phase of sleepless nights that are surely only to prepare me for the baby's arrival. Between the sore hips, getting up to pee every 2 hours and congestion, I am lucky to get 7 hours. But of course, I have a wonderful reason to celebrate the hardships of pregnancy. It all seems to fade away once you hold that little one in your arms and become a mother. It's a feeling like no other. I am forever grateful for such a wonderful pregnancy and the chance to be mother to two little boys.

Easter - 16 Weeks

NYC 5 Year Anniversary Trip - 23 Weeks

25 Weeks

 

4th of July - 28 weeks

28 Weeks

34 Weeks

Ignorance is Bliss

With baby #2 due to arrive in less than 6 weeks, I'm starting to get a little anxious. Maybe even more anxious than I was with Trey. I cannot figure this out. Maybe it's the fact that I know what I'm getting myself into. I've been through it all and I know the difficulties that lie ahead. Except this time there will be even more to learn with having two. I think with Trey I was blissfully blind about parenting and having a baby. I had rose colored glasses on and saw everything in blue and pink. You learn very quickly that things aren't always going to be as peachy as you imagined. Now don't misunderstand me - having Trey was the greatest thing to happen to us. The good by far outweighs the bad. He's our little man cub. Our Buddy Trey. He is such a funny, energetic, sweet, and loving little boy. I can't believe he's already 2 1/2! Our challenges now are entirely different than they were in the beginning (obv). (Can someone please tell me the secret to disciplining a 2 year old?) It has been such a wonderful journey. One that I cannot imagine with anyone other than Bruce. We have tackled every obstacle together, and gotten through each one. He's such a great father and husband. So loving. So supportive. I look forward to the challenges ahead with him by my side.

Even with an amazing amount of confidence, my mind is still constantly thinking about all the changes we are going to go through. I find myself worrying about the little everyday things. I have dreams about leaving one behind at the store, or forgetting to feed one, and a whole range of crazy pregnancy dreams. I even worry about the labor and delivery even though I called my first one "breezy." Everybody says the 2nd delivery happens much quicker. I have this fear of going into labor so fast, I won't be able to have an epidural. I need the drugs. I have NOT practiced lamaze. I know all these worries are probably common and things will be just fine. I try not to obsess over it. I'm a pretty tough ole gal, and a wonderful mother. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Prayer has a LOT to do with it :)

Make You Feel Good Chicken Stew

I created this recipe on my own by adding some ingredients I'd been meaning to use before they spoiled. It was amazing! I couldn't believe how good it turned out. Definitely good for a rainy day (like today) or when you're sick.

3 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
2 cups water
14 oz can Swanson vegetable broth
2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (medium)
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp salt
1.5 Tbsp coarse black pepper

Add all ingredients together. I cooked it in the crock pot all day on low. Enjoy!!

Perfect Chicken Salad

Bruce named this "the perfect chicken salad" because he thought it was the best he'd ever had. I have to agree. It was amazing!! So I wrote everything down and decided to post it.

3 Tbsp light sour cream
3 Tbsp light mayo
1/3 cup relish
2 T minced onion
1 T honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
3/4 cup pecan
3/4 cup coconut
3/4 cup grapes quartered
3 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped

Mix it all together and add the chicken at the end. Let cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour. My mom usually toasts the pecans and coconut, but I didn't do that this time. . .maybe that has something to do with how good it was. Hope y'all enjoy it as much as we did.

Things are a-changing

 

Oh-em-gee...I can't believe how long it's been since I've blogged. Over two months!! My little man will be a year and a half in 5 days!! We will be moving cross country in one week. So much has happened this summer I'm not even sure I could do it all justice. Long story short....Bruce returned from Afghanistan (PTL!), we took a romantic trip sans-baby to Las Vegas, Bruce got promoted to Captain (hello pay raise!), Bruce's family came out to visit, we took a beach trip to Destin Florida with my family, found a house in Virginia (finally), started and almost finished a couple of DIY projects that we are super proud of, and had our first yard sale (success!) It has been a super busy, super fun and extremely fast summer. I cannot believe it's already August!! No wonder I haven't had time to blog.

Happy Mother's Day and 15 months

Jenny's wedding - July 2009

Today is Mother's Day and my little man's 15 month birthday. So Happy Mother's Day to ME!  And to my momma and my mother in law - you two are wonderful examples of a mother's love and I am grateful for the guidance you provide me. Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful sister, step sister, sister in law, friends, family and everybody else out there who is a momma. I am so blessed and very thankful for Trey. He is the joy of my life and I love him dearly. I love being his stay at home mommy and I can't imagine life without him. MUAH!

My little man cub is getting so big! I cannot believe it sometimes. He is a totally different baby since Bruce left. Bruce will be so surprised at how much he's changed. He's taller! Trey can now climb on top of the coffee table and stand up! I have to constantly keep my eye on him. He's always into something. And it seems he always wants to do something I've told him previously not to do. I think he's a bit of a rule breaker. Or maybe that's just the toddler in him and things are only bound to get worse. HAHA! Either way it wears me out.

Here are some of the quirks and twirks that makes my little Trey the precious toddler that he is at 15 months.

He has found, thanks to the laughter and encouragement of mommy and others, that sticking his finger up his nose is funny. He is turning into a comedian. He does it all for show. It seems that he loves to make people laugh - just like his mommy. I try not to laugh but he's so funny when he does it that I can hardly help it.

He has this mischievous look he gets on his face when he is about to do something he knows he's not supposed to be doing. It's like he's saying "Look at me, I'm gonna do it." or "Are you going to stop me?" Makes me laugh, I mean I am really stern with him when he does this ;)

He loves to throw things. It started out with me teaching him how to throw a ball. Which he can do very well. But it has turned into him wanting to throw everything. It's hard to teach a child that while it's ok to throw balls, we can't throw everything. And how do you teach them you cannot throw a golf ball AT mommy? scary moment.

His current vocabulary is slightly increasing. He can now say no, hot, and bath. And I'm pretty certain he knows exactly what they all mean. He usually says no when referring to whether he wants something. He'll shake his head and say "nah." I will tell him it's bath time and he goes to his bathroom and starts turning the water on, saying "BA!" The other day I opened the dishwasher and steam came out and he says "hot!" which sounds like "hop." He sticks his hand out and jerks it back saying "hop" over and over. Other than those 3, no new words to report. He still says mama, dada, and da ma (which is Daddy Mac.) He's not really a "parrot" yet. He doesn't repeat things back to us. They are usually said on his own.

He loves to stand on our bed and fall backwards on the mattress. Then he rolls over, stands up and does it again. He giggles and shrieks when I hit him with the pillow. This came from a recent pillow fight with Daddy Mac in Hawaii. It's a fun new game.

Our morning routine is one of my favorites. I sit him in his highchair, put his breakfast on his tray and we watch his "show" Baby Einstein until he finishes. He loves Baby Einstein - he will not watch anything else. I've tried. And he still only likes Baby MacDonald and Baby DaVinci. I'm really getting tired of those two.

He eats so well in the mornings. His breakfast usually consists of orange juice, yogurt, a nutri-grain bar, banana, and cheese toast. Banana is the only fruit I can get him to eat - and he loves to hold the whole big ole thing and eat it like a grown up. He cries if I cut it up. I'm bad about giving him veggies b/c I don't really eat that many veggies. He will  eat peas and carrots. I need to try something new. Some of his favorite foods are pizza, any type of pasta, chicken, burgers, hotdogs, cheese, any sort of bread. Some of his favorite snacks are goldfish, puffs, crackers, nilla wafers, fig newtons, fruit gummies, and yogurt melts. He still won't really drink milk.

Breakfast - eating a banana

I think he may have a nut allergy. This is no bueno. Not long ago, he had a smidge of peanut butter that was left on my cracker and later when I went to get him from his bed, his eye was swollen almost completely shut. And a couple of days ago I was feeding him ice cream from my sundae which had nuts in it and his eye got red and splotchy around it. Nobody in our family has a nut allergy, so I wonder if these instances are all an allergy or can be explained by something else. Because he has come in contact with nuts and nothing has happened. I really hope it's not an allergy, but I'm trying to be really careful what I feed him.

He has the most adorable and funny run. I've even had strangers comment on how cute he is when he runs. He runs so fast and his feet move so quickly, but they barely come up off the ground and his steps are small. It looks like a wind up toy or something. It's hard to explain, but trust me, it's precious.

He likes music and likes to dance. When asked if he can dance, he will spin in a circle. A-dor-able! 

He loves to put things together. He likes to put lids on and off of things, stick the jack to my earphones in and out of my ipod, stick a straw in and out of the hole in the lid. Tons of entertainment!

He is particularly busy in the kitchen. If I have the fridge open, he wants to move all the items in the door to the shelves in the main part. He wants to play with the magnets on the fridge. He likes to rummage through the cabinets and pull everything out. He is taller and can reach the nobs on the stove. We have a gas stove, so he can't actually turn the stove on, but he can move the knob around and turn it off. The dishwasher offers lots of entertainment. He wants to open and close it; take the dishes out; stand on it when it's open; spin the dial and turn it on; lock and unlock the latch; open and close the detergent slot.

He loves to play on playgrounds. He loves to climb the steps and slide down the slide. Climbing is his favorite thing to do right now. He loves to climb stairs. He can climb up all by himself, but tends to get to the top and wait for my help to get down. He holds out his little hand for me to grab on. Trying to go down stairs/steps by himself usually results in a fall. He's working on it.

He loves the pool and the water. We had such a great time at the pool in Kauai. He would just chill in his floatie and we'd swim around. I think he could have done that for hours. Sadly, kids under 5 aren't allowed in the big pool on base, so we won't be able to do that here. I want to get him some sort of kiddie pool to splash in for the back yard. We also have 2 fun splash pads on base that I have been DYING to take him to. This will be the perfect summer for that. It's not quite warm enough here yet, but soon!

I've taught him how to get down off the couch. He rolls over on his belly and slides off. He's not quite perfected it, and he doesn't use the technique every time, but he does most of the time.  He hasn't quite grasped the idea that when he is up on something high, he will fall off. He's always wanting to stand up on our bed and the couch. And playing on the trampoline or a tall playground is just asking for a broken appendage. He makes me nervous!

I think little man is going through a major growth spurt. Or maybe his running around all day is wearing him out. He sleeps A LOT! He is now sleeping 12-13 hours at night, and still takes 2 great naps - usually 2 hours long. It is insane!! Where was this when he was a baby? I was begging for sleep back then. Now I can actually get things done and even have some free time! to blog! and watch movies! and read! I'm LOVING this phase. But of course, when Bruce gets back in a couple of weeks the phase may end. I'm praying it sticks around for a while.

The boy is obsessed with his paci. He still likes to carry 2 around and swap them out. He now wants to go to sleep with 2 pacis. I think it's a comfort thing. The other day he put 2 in his mouth at the same time. Which is what his daddy used to do. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

He is getting more and more teeth. He now has 3 on top and 3 on bottom, with the 4th coming in on both. He has a molar on top and bottom on his left side.

He has been extremely lovey lately and very attached to me. He wants to be where I am and doing what I do. He wants me to hold him or lift him up to be a part of the action. It's gotta be hard to be so small!! He is constantly giving me hugs and holds on tight. He likes to give Maggie hugs and is starting to love on other things like his blankie and his stuffed animals. He even gave our friend's baby a hug yesterday. This usually consists of him leaning over and laying his head on them while patting.

He is becoming more tall and skinny. No more fat baby! Sad! He is hard to shop for. He wears 12 months in most shorts and they fit him perfectly. 12 month pants fit good in the waist but are too short, while 18 month pants are way too big all around. I've been buying mostly 18 month shirts b/c 12 months are too short.

He has now had 2 haircuts and he needs another.

He weighs 22 lbs and has stayed at that weight for a while.

World Traveler

Trey has been more places in his short little life span than many adults. It's kindof ridiculous. And he is such a good little travel companion. I couldn't ask for a better baby. Our recent trip to Kauai was wonderful! But the traveling part was less than ideal. On our trip out there, we were supposed to meet up with the in-laws in Denver, but of course our flight to Denver got canceled and there were none out that could get us there in time to catch our flight to Kauai. They decided to route us through San Fran, which honestly is a better and quicker route, but we had to wait 3 hours in our own Salt Lake City airport before that flight took off. This gave us plenty of time to get coffee, play in the germ-infested play area, make Trey really tired and momma totally worn out before we even took off. Thank the good LORD Trey fell asleep in my lap - a feat I wasn't sure but truly hoped was possible. When we got to San Fransisco we had an epic 4 hour layover, which gave us time to do just about anything we wanted. Probably could have made it to the Golden Date Bridge and back if I had thought about it. I honestly thought Trey would take a nap in his stroller, but he fought it to the death and did not give in. So I was SURE he would fall asleep as soon as we got on the plane. Thankful we made it through the epic layover, I got my happy butt on the plane, book in hand thinking I was about to get some free time. But alas, United had some sort of dumaflitchy broken and we sat on the plane for TWO!!! hours before we even took off. At this point I think Trey was slightly crazy from being so tired. He was all over me and wanted to sleep or run or jump or anything but sit in mommy's lap while we waited. He wouldn't sleep. There was too much going on. Plus, we didn't have that nice vibration and hum of the engine to knock him out. I asked the flight attendant why in the WORLD would they board us if something was broken. She didn't have an answer and walked away very quickly as she could probably tell I was losing it. I had run out of tricks. I was out of puffs, Goldfish, suckers and yogurt melts. All which were dumped onto the floor, my lap, and Trey's lap. Trey was sick of Baby Einstein - we had reached the point where he was slamming the dvd player shut. Alert! We received updates every 15 minutes telling us they can't fix it, not sure what's wrong...yada yada yada. We were even told we may not make it to Hawaii that day. All these thoughts run through my head like, omg, we're going to be in a hotel tonight and we're going to have to start this day all over again tomorrow. I can't do it! Send me back to Utah! I was seriously considering not going to Kauai. However, the good LORD was looking down on me and had pity on my poor pitiful self. I heard the sweetest words ever spoken by a pilot. "Flight attendants, prepare the cabin for departure!" Praise Jesus! About this time I got a text from Daddy Mac saying they'd landed in Lihue. On the plane we were supposed to be on. FML. Of course as soon as we were in the air, Trey was out. He was wiggly (my lap can't be that comfortable) but he slept for the majority of the 5 hour flight. I read occasionally and watched some of Tron Legacy without earphones - every time I leaned over to grab them Trey woke up. It was NOT worth it. That movie looked stupid anyways. We got into Lihue around 8 pm...this was 12am Utah time. The fam, who was I'm sure just as tired as we were - it was 2 am Katie and David's time - was there to meet us at the airport and even had a large container of Mojitos ready for me in the fridge at the resort. That would have to wait. We went to bed immediately. Sweet sleep.

Now, with all that being said...the rest of the trip was fabulous. I woke up the next morning, which was Easter Sunday, bright eyed at 5:30 am. Go figure. I was emailing Bruce, went out on the balcony and realized the sun wasn't even up and that I HAD to go watch the sun rise. I had no idea when it would happen other than it would be soon, so I threw on some clothes and ran down to the beach - or lack there of - more like a rock face cliff, but it was still a beautiful view and I watched as the wondrous beauty of our LORD revealed itself. It was breath taking.

We went ziplining (while Glenda watched Trey for the day) and that was so much fun! And gorgeous! We were basically in the tropics. At first it was a bit scary to make the plunge and jump, but in the end and on our 7th zip I was comfortable enough to go at it upside down. Thrilling! On Wednesday, everybody but me and Trey went island hopping to Oahu. It gave us a little time to ourselves and allowed Trey to better adjust to the time change. He was still SO tired and slept the majority of the day. I read my new book, Matched, and loved it. We also went to the pool where he pooped in his swimmie diaper/speedo - that was totally gross - and fed the koi in the resort's tier garden ponds. It was a good day.

The rest of the trip was mainly spent at the pool soaking up the sun and playing with Trey in the water. He LOVES the pool.

Katie, David and I went to Poipu beach where Trey saw the ocean for the first time.  He was a bit weirded out by the sand and seemed to want it OFF his hands. And we tried to eat a snack while sitting in the sand. That was fun. He was thrilled by the waves when we got in the water and shrieked when it splashed us. It was awesome to be there for this first-time experience of his.

We went out to eat at Duke's, our favorite restaurant, three times while we were there. My teriyaki steak, coconut shrimp, and BBQ sandwich were all amazing!!

The only thing missing from our vacation was Bruce. However, he was still in Afghanistan serving our country in a time of war. It was one of many sacrifices we have had to make over the past 4 months that he's been gone. We will surely be glad to have him home; he only has 2 more weeks over there. Hallelujah!