Wednesday, May 27, 2009

The Happiest Baby Wise Whisperer on the Block at 12 weeks old

That would be the title of my book.
It would be for new moms who don't have the time/energy/determination/discipline to follow the "simple" plans outlined in the books hinted at above.
It would be a 2 step book and here is what it would look like:
1. Feed your baby when he/she is hungry and let them eat until they are full. (i.e. don't starve your child just because they are only "supposed" to have a certain amount of ounces or it's not the exact right "time" for them to eat.)
2. Put your baby to sleep when he/she is tired. (they are probably tired A LOT when they are babies, so let them sleep - don't wake them up to eat to stay on schedule and don't try crazy weird things to keep them awake because the book says they are supposed to be awake)

This has worked for me with 2 babies and they have both slept through the night by 8 weeks old. (not the dumb definition of sleeping through the night being 5 hours in the aforementioned books, but a solid 8, 9, or 10 hours each night).
I think I could be a millionaire. It's an easy read. It's a proven method. One problem: they can download the book for free right here! Darn!

Was this mean? Don't be offended if you are a scheduler (mustangsah) because I still love you and that works for you and I was NOT making fun of you. I am, however, making fun of the endless list of books available to "train" your child so you can have them sleeping through the night (5 hours at a time) when you can do the 2 most basic things for them (feed them and let them sleep) and it will likely happen anyway. Just a thought!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Pictures and News

A couple of newsworthy updates:


Yesterday at gymnastics (I am the teacher so I get to see up close things) - boston told the boy sitting next to him: Jesus is everywhere. The little boy said: yep! I thought it was cute!


Yesterday, also, we were swimming at the Davis' (well, boston and miss lauren were swimming - brooke, dash, and I were poolside). I was feeding Dash, looking at Brooke (I'm sure we were talking, cuz I know I wasn't just checking her out) and I saw her gasp and jump up. I, naturally, looked up and saw Boston with his head under water, trying to get back up to the surface and Lauren trying to get over to him. She, of course, saved him and he was, of course, pretty frightened. It wasn't incredibly scary, because I knew Lauren was right there about to get him, but it was still hard to see! Anyway, we got to have a long talk about why pools are dangerous and that you have to be very careful around them. His next sentence after this talk: Now that you aren't holding Dash, mom, can you come over here and let me jump off of the diving board to you? He was, obviously, traumatized!


Yesterday at dinner, Boston says: Mom, you can be angry, but you can't stay angry. How profound is that coming from the mouth of a 3 year old? CRAZY!


He also got a bit of a mohawk yesterday! He's such a rebel.


He's also doing puzzles for 6 year olds -- he loves them!


Needless to say, he is smart. But, why should we be surprised by that?


Here's som pics for ya:


Lance and I at the Crocs Tour (mentioned in previous post)


Our first venture with the double jogging stroller (boston, dash, and I)
He LOVES to hold his brother -- awww, so sweet, I know!


See?



This is what Lance does when he has both the boys -- take pictures, which is good because I really stink at taking them. By the way, he has both of them by himself fairly often, because Dash isn't big enough to come to work with me yet, so Lance has to stay home when I work all my 8 hours per week! He is a GREAT dad! (and it's not even Father's Day yet)





Monday, May 18, 2009

Dashel Update

Boston had a xanga site when he was a baby (I don't guess he technically had it, I did, but it was all about him). Anyway, I was looking at it the other day (www.xanga.com/boston_max) and was reminded of some major milestones in his infancy. Needless to say, I have not done that for this neglected 2nd child! So, we will use this blog to document such milestons: HE SLEPT 9 1/2 hours lastnight -- NO JOKE!! He ate at 8:45, went right to sleep and did not wake up until 6:15 -- that's HUGE! Anyway, one day I will look back at this and realize how weird it is that I thought this was so blog worthy! I would post some pictures too, but that would require me getting up and getting the camera out and going through the whole download/upload process and I don't really want to do that right now. So, maybe later!
UPDATE on my last post -- my heart is still full as He gives me more glimpses of my purpose here and now. I was directed to this verse due to the situation of a friend right now, but I feel like it applies to us all on so many levels:
"for i am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." -romans 8:38-39
His love is HUGE and I am so thankful for that. I'm so glad I'm on his team and no one can ever change that! Praise God today for who He is and for His purpose in my life!

Friday, May 15, 2009

a glimpse

I don't even really know where to begin today's post -- let's just say that I have a really thankful, content heart today! It's great! Here's what happened: I had a date today with my husband. We left our house at 9am and returned home at 6pm (weird time for a date, huh?) Well, remember from the previous post if you will, that I was in Houston earlier this week with my mom when I noticed a billboard advertising the Crocs AVP Tour in Houston today, tomorrow, and Sunday! Lance LOVES the AVP! He wears yellow AVP crocs pretty much everyday - no joke! So, I immediately thought that we should go. At first, I wanted to make it a surprise to him, but I was having a little trouble arranging a babysitter AND remembered that we were having a college fellowship (SMACKDOWN, to be exact) here at our house Friday night, so I decided to go ahead and let him in on my plans so I could see if he thought we should try and go or not. He, of course, wanted to go. So, we figured out babysitting, got everything ready for the party and left our house at 9am so we could watch some of the tournament and get back in time for the party. So, what makes me be so thankful/content today?
A few things: 1)my relaxing, fun date with my husband - it is so good to get away, even when you're just watching sand volleyball, 2) the ability to stay home with my kids, and 3) the fact that God knows best and only gives us glimpses of our future, revealing only what we need to know right then
I met Lance in High School and got one of the 1st glimpses of my adult life: that I would be his wife! That was awesome and God worked it out in His own time (that story is a totally separate blog post -- maybe even it's own blog page)! I graduated High School and got another glimpse: just go to school and finish (so I did, with no real career goal in mind, but was totally okay with that). While in college, I got a really important glimpse that I have never questioned and am so glad that it's not something I struggle with: that the purpose of my life with Lance is to serve Him vocationally. I've never been on the payroll where Lance has been the minister, but I never questioned that it was my full-time job as well, to be a minister there. If it's being a student minister, then those students are our lives -- we invest in them and do our best to point them to Jesus each and every day. If it's being the minister of recreation, then we played T-Ball or Basketball every Saturday and had practices every night of the week, in hopes that someone would come to know Christ. If it's being a worship pastor at a brand new church where students still need ministered to and college kids need discipling and TONS of little things just have to get done, then that's what we do with our time and energy. That was a long description of the glimpse God gave me, but I embraced it and have lived it and LOVED it. There is a point here, I promise. And maybe all of this reflecting is happening because I have a milestone birthday coming up (no, I'm not turning 30 yet, but 29 is really the milestone, because it's your last year of being in your 20's)! Anyway, I just realized today, when I got home and started getting ready for our party and loving on our boys that I am so incredibly thankful in so many ways. I'm so glad that I am able to stay home and be a mother all day, everyday. Was that EVER something I aspired to do with my life? No, not necessarily, but I believe God gave me another really important glimpse today. I left my house at 9am and returned at 6pm and felt like I missed my kid's whole day; I felt like they probably missed me, because we are usually together all day. Then it hit me: this is what working moms do EVERYDAY!!! Thank you, God, for giving me a glimpse of the purpose you have given me with my kids. Thank you for directing me to get a college degree, then moving me somewhere where that degree provided no real job opportunities. Why should I be thankful for that? Because had I tried to be in control of all of that, I would have been career focused when Boston came around, but instead I had a job where I got to continue to be with Boston everyday and be the minister alongside Lance that He had called me to be.
I feel like I am totally rambling here, which I am, but my heart is just so full - I can't get it all out in type fast enough. I'm just so glad that God tells me, little by little, what I am to be doing with my life. Marry Lance. Go to college. Get a Degree. Be a Minister with Lance. Be a Mother to your children. So, I'm going to keep doing those last 2 things until He gives me my next glimpse. I'm not going to worry about a career or the future or other menial things --- I'm exactly where God wants me to be, doing exactly what He wants me to do and I'm so glad! I'm glad my life is all about Him. It's my pleasure to serve Him with my everything, to open my home up to students 24/7, to let my husband spend his time doing the things that need to be done in a new church, to raise my kids among all of this!
Thank you God for the glimpses!!!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Mothers Day/Mini Vacay

Mother's Day was GREAT - my mom has a conference in Houston all this week, so she came in on Saturday, we had mother's day and baby dedication at church on Sunday, then Boston, Dash, and I accompanied her to her hotel in Houston on Monday -- we went ice skating at the galleria, then visited the aquarium and had dinner there. It was pretty awesome - here are some cool pics:

Riding the carousel at the aquarium


All of us at the "picture spot" -- boston said this was the shark from Shark Tales



Boston as a scuba diver

Ice Skating -- woo hoo - what was I thinking? Really, it wasn't that bad - he just needs to learn to keep his feet straight!




What is that look?



Kisses on Mother's Day





They make me a mother!







Me and my mom (and a little bit of Dash's head and hand - couldn't crop anymore)! Am I the only one who feels sorry for their mom the older they get? Because I realize all of the sacrifices she makes/has made just for me to be comfortable or happy or taken care of -- she ALWAYS puts me ahead of herself and I grow more and more thankful of the mom that I have the older I get. They tell you this will happen when you have kids, but you never believe them (whoever "they" is). It's true, though, and I'm just glad that God is in control of who we are - who our parents are, who are children are -- He makes that happen, you know? AND, He knows exactly what He is doing. I'm so glad that's true -- I'm really glad that He gave me a picture of the type of mom that I want to strive to be for my boys, through my mom!






Mother's Day Lunch at Buca di Beppo - (Lance was there, he's just taking the picture)












Saturday, May 9, 2009

My Pleasure

Awesome picture painted by none other than, my wonderful 3 yr. old, Boston:
I asked him to do something for me yesterday while I was feeding Dash (it would be a much better story if I could remember what that something was, but I can't -sorry). He did whatever it was and I said, "Thanks, Boston." His response: "It's my pleasure!" How funny is that? He's THREE years old!
So, how many times does God (via the Holy Spirit) ask/prompt us to do certain things? Answer: all of the time! Question: How often is our response -"my pleasure!"? The answer there for me is - rarely! That's sad, isn't it? I totally desire for my life to be all about Him, for my sole purpose to be to glorify Him, so why don't I take pleasure/find joy in doing all of the things that He prompts me to do? Why do we find it so hard or boring or (insert word meaning lame or weird or something of the like) to serve Him? We were created to enjoy God -- why is it so hard for us to see that? Why do we try to find pleasure in all of these other meaningless things?
My goal: For my response to God to always be: "It's my pleasure, Lord!"

Philippians 4:4 - "Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice!"
Psalm 100:2 - "Serve the Lord with gladness..."
Psalm 16:11 - "You show me the path of life; in Your Presence there is fullness of joy, in Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisified in Him." -John Piper

And, we'll end with a pic:

Glorify Him




What up? Just wanted to post some new pics of the kidd-o's getting big! Fun, huh?
Anyway, here's my question of the day: What's my job/responsibility when people just don't get it? It being our reason for being on this earth. (That reason, by the way, is to glorify God) It just frustrates me when people just don't understand. I'm not saying that everything that I do brings glory to His Name, but I understand that it should, you know? So, the question is - how do I deal with people who don't understand this, but think that they do? I want to be loving and I want to be welcoming, but at the same time, I want them to understand. I want God to be glorified in their lives, you know?! So, how does one handle such a situation?