8 Months Old

Now that I am done crying...I will post all about my 8 Month Old!!!! Where has my itty, bitty baby boy gone...

• Evan wears size 9 month clothes, size 1 shoes and size 3 diapers.  
• Evan breastfeeds 3 times a day, at Wake Up, around Noon and right before Bedtime.  When he has a bottle, it is usually 8oz.  He also has 2-3 meals a day around 9am, 2-3pm and later on if we squeeze it in.
• Evan weighs about 18lbs...I am guessing.
• Evan loves to have his diaper changed and still giggles every time he gets wiped.
• Evan still doesn't poop everyday, so we add some Karo or prune juice to his food or water.  The whole situation has gotten much better though with time.
• Evan is such a cuddlier.  If he gets really excited, he nuzzles right into you!  If he is sleepy, he will lay right on your chest and just fall right asleep....it is so sweet!

• Evan is a great sleeper.  He sleeps through the night, from 7pm-6am, with only 1 or 2 pacie runs and some nights none.  Zach says it is time to Cry It Out...teething makes this a little bit harder for Mommy.
• Evan takes 3 naps a day.  One morning nap around 8am which is about an hour long, an afternoon nap at the same time as Zoe around Noon or 1 and then a final nap around 5pm (sometimes this gets skipped).  
• Evan is so 'go with the flow' and happy!  Such a chill kid!
• Evan has brown hair that is filling in...I can't wait to see if he if we have a short, tidy cut for him or a long, wild cut....I am going for long (but not unkept long!)...we will see as it grows.  After bath time, we can now comb his hair to the side and it just makes me want to squeeze him so tight...he looks so cute!

• Evan has such a beautiful smile and he smiles all.day.long!  Oh the cheeks!
• Evan is a talker!  He says the 'da-da' sound perfectly and talks the most in the mornings.  Sometimes, he gets this really serious face and starts to babble like crazy and then when he realizes you are watching...he just stops and smiles so big like he was trying to get your attention and he finally succeeded.
• Evan has crazy long eyelashes to match his crazy eyebrows!
• Evan has been extremely snotty...he definitely has allergies!
• Evan loves watching Zoe dance and jump. They play together so great and now that Evan is sitting up, Zoe pays attention to him more.

• Evan sits up great!  He doesn't fall really (unless pushed!) and he loves to grab everything in sight...including coffee and items that should not be in his mouth!
• Evan is teething...but still no teeth!
• Evan sleeps on his tummy or his side.  He loves the glow worm when falling asleep, has to have the sound machine, and cuddles to a blanket.  He never stays in one spot in his crib...he rolls and rolls every which way.
• Evan rarely spits up anymore.  Some days are better than others.  If he hasn't pooped much, he spits up more.
• Evan is doing much better with Tummy Time, but showing no signs or interest in crawling (fine by me!!)
• Evan has mastered his pacie!  It is his favorite toy!
• Evan rode sitting up in the shopping cart this month!

• Evan is an eating machine!  Anything that touched his tongue this past month...he loved and he chews great!  Evan ate carrots, sweet potatoes, all different kinds of oatmeal, yogurt, acorn squash, potatoes, cauliflower, apples sauces, mandarine oranges, bananas, dinner rolls, pretzels, yogurt melts, puffs... and more puffs, pears, peaches, pear bread, waffles and pancakes...and God only knows what Zoe has fed him!  But he loved it all!
• Evan doesn't cry unless he wants his pacie, has pooped or I am not shoveling food in his mouth fast enough.
• Evan has gorgeous eyes that on most days are blue, but have flecks of green and hazel.
• Evan loves bath time and Zoe just pours water all over him and he loves it!  He doesn't like getting out too much though.
• Evan is pulling up when on the floor gym or in his high chair.
• Evan loves to be outside and go for walks and swing.
• Evan can stand up and just hold onto your fingers.  He also loves to be bounced and sung to.

Evan is really such a joy.  He is such an easy baby...and every day with him is so enjoyable!

Easter 2012

We had a fabulously joyful Easter celebrating The Resurrection Day!!!!

Before heading to Immaculate Heart of Mary, my dad's new church, the kids got to discover what the Easter Bunny left them!

Evan got two new pairs of shoes, new pacies that are the right size, a Duck bath toy and new sippy cup and puffs!

 Zoe got Usborne Animal Stencils and Phonics Flashcards, a  jump rope, eggs full of yummy candy, and a fun Princess box to carry around all her favorite items!

After a beautiful Mass, we headed back to my parent's house to relax and begin to prepare Easter Lunch!

 Another great meal thanks to Pinterest!

 Roasted Potatoes!

 Ham!

 Cranberry & Pear Salad!

 Cauliflower 'mac' n cheese!

And Edemame Salad!

Hard for me to say which dish was my favorite...they were all delightful!!!!  We finished out the day with naps and card games!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter Day celebrating our Lord with your family and friends!!!!

Why!?!

Why is it so darn difficult to get one good picture of two adorable kids!?!

And after all that...maybe 2 good pictures!  Oy vey!

Changes!

Well.....so much for having a calm year!  No...we are not pregnant! Ha...

But there are some big changes taking place in our home!

I am so very, very proud of my husband.  Zach has started his own business.  He is not quitting his current job, this side job is in addition to.  Zach started his own Lawn and Landscaping business and currently has 15 clients and is quickly growing...whether he wanted to or not!  Zach is such a down to earth, honest and reliable person...and I am not just saying this because he is my hubs...he really, really is and it totally shows!  Over the last two months, he has started to really make relationships with his clients, added some new clients due to word of mouth and has even picked up a couple clients in our neighborhood!  The next couple months are going to be busy, busy...but both of us know this is going to really help our family and our future!  I can't say enough how proud I am of Zach...He is such a gift from God!  When I met him almost 5 years ago...I never would have imagined life being this amazing!  God continues to surprise me with this man!

There are also big changes in my work.  I have officially put in my 2 weeks notice at my current job and I am now the latest and greatest Tupperware Consultant!  I could not be more excited!  April is going to be a busy month for me starting parties and still working 2 nights a week for the next 2 weeks...but it is well worth it!  This is a huge leap of faith for me...but I am so confident that it is right for our family!

A little while ago, I wrote about how I was making some changes in our home life and that I really felt that the more I cooked...something I thought would be so difficult...the more improved our marriage and family life would be.  And...WOW...it has made a world of difference in our home!!!  I found that I was being very lazy in my responsibilities as a wife to my hubby and as a mother to my kids!  And that is something really hard to admit..  Since I am cooking more...I also want to find ways to make cooking easier, more practical, more cost-efficient.  And that is where Tupperware has really affected my new way of life!  I can prepare, store, freeze, re-heat food...you name it...in the kitchen faster and I am saving money!  And...I'll admit it...I am having a lot of FUN!  I never thought cooking would be so rewarding!  I was feeling, in my own head, very under-appreciated, but hearing Zach say how much he loved something I cooked or hearing him say a simple "Thank You" for cooking just makes my day!

Please keep our family in your prayers with our new ventures!!!!

Spiritual Risk

~From 365 Mary: A Daily Guide to Mary's Wisdom and Comfort

Some people are natural-born risk-takers.  They dive cliffs, free-fall, bungee jump, helicopter ski, hang glide---anything for an adrenaline rush.  Others are more cautious, barely sticking their toes in the waters of life.  Although cautious types tend to live longer, they also tend to lead more boring lives.

Fortunately, all of us, whether we're naturally risky or naturally cautious, can lead exciting spiritual lives, because spirituality always entails risk---the risk of seeing yourself for what you really are, the risk of having to make changes, the risk of altering your life.

Mary encourages us to take spiritual risks, because she above all other men and women knows that we need to risk in order to become whole.  She tells us to "take courage," because she knows that without the willingness to risk, we can't change; and unless we change, the world can't change.

So how does one risk spiritually?

Spiritual risk begins with the willingness to become more open, more vulnerable.  It means letting others peek over the walls of self protection that we've built around our egos.  It means allowing others to see our weakness as well as our strengths.  It means being willing to be hurt.  It means becoming open enough to let others share our sorrows, becoming free enough to experience deep intimacy, becoming trusting enough to let God absorb our pain.

Are you willing to take the risk?

Hunting for Eggs

Miscellany Monday

So I am going to tell you all about Girl's Night Out with God....Miscellany Monday style!

~Daughter of God~

Did you realize that first and foremost...you are GOD'S!  Before you are your parents daughter, before you are a wife, a mother, friend, sister, teacher, nurse....

YOU ARE A DAUGHTER OF GOD!

Being a daughter of God sets us apart!  The sooner we connect ourselves with Christ...the sooner we will realize that we are no better or worse than any other child of God...and hopefully, we will forgive and not hold a grudge, we will love more and judge less.  And seeing yourself as a daughter of God, in my opinion, just heightens your worth...the worth we so often as women question.  Am I pretty enough, skinny enough, am I a good enough mother, sister, daughter....

YES!  Because you are GOD'S!

~A Little Child~

In the Bible, we read about God telling us to be like children, to humble ourselves as a child!  Now, whenever I hear these things...I think of children sitting at the feet of Jesus...I would say they are 5, 6 maybe 8.  Those are the children I think of...but St. Therese kind of puts a new idea out there.  She says to not just be a child, but a Little Child...meaning one who is completely and totally dependent on their father and mother for EVERYTHING!  The Little Child can do nothing without the help of its parents...NOTHING!

We are to be like Little Children with our Heavenly Father.  We can do NOTHING without Him and we should depend on him for absolutely, positively EVERYTHING!

WOW!  Talk about humbling!

"Whoever becomes humble like a child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven."

~Mary and Elizabeth~

“During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." And Mary said: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.” Luke 1:39-47

Now...imagine this!  Let's say you are going to see a friend.  You had to travel down 85S through Atlanta up 400 and hit a ton of traffic!  You...on top of that...are pregnant...always tired, hunger and having to pee!  But, you are so excited to visit your friend...who is also pregnant!

Now...if it were me...I would get out of that car...and just load on my friend the time I had getting there!  Then we would probably catch up on the latest news about each other and the talking would go on and on.

Now...what if we started our visit with our friends the way Mary and Elizabeth did.  After Mary greeted Elizabeth...Elizabeth blessed her and spoke praise of her!  Then she thanked God for her friend and gave glory to Him!  And then I am sure they went on about their day, sharing joys and sorrows...

Can you imagine if we started each of our get togethers this way.  First we say Hi, hug and then we bless the day....bless each other...Give Glory to God.  And we pray together!  We thank the Lord for what He has blessed us with, especially the gift of our friendship....and THEN we go on talking about the good, the bad and the ugly.  I can only imagine that friendships would become stronger, happier and healthier!

Speak Blessing, Pray and then Share!

~Carry on in spite of the storm, knowing that with Him in the ship all will be well.~
Fr. Vernon Joseph