7 Whole Years

The husband and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary yesterday.

7 whole years.

For us, that equals:

a 3 month engagement, a one year deployment (4 months after our wedding day), Jeremy's 1st year of teaching, graduate school for me, another job change for Jeremy, losing my Dad, moving to STL, the house debacle in GA, two babies, and lots of stuff in between.

There is no one else I would have wanted to go through all of that with other than Jeremy Martin.

We celebrated last night by getting carry out from our favorite restaurant (LoRusso's) and ate dinner after the kiddos went to bed. We both agreed that it solidified feeling like parents by enjoying our date night in.

It was perfect.

Here's to many more, husband!!

Two things

Two things I want to remember about today:

MJ ducking her head when I tried feeding her. As soon as I would put the spoon to her mouth, she would duck. Mashed sweet potatoes covered her forehead and hair.

Claire saying, "When you were little like MJ, you were born."

Pensieve: September 9, 2011

*I eat entirely too much Nutella.
*I'm pretty sure I'm more productive throughout the day when I shower in the morning.
*I. Love. My. Job. It's a privilege.
*I love that I love my job so much and still get to be with my girls the majority of the time. HUGE blessing. I wouldn't do it if it weren't for that. And if it weren't for Jill.
*I love it when the windows are open and a breeze is going through our house.
*C's train table has GOT to leave our sunroom. I'm tired of it being there.
*The only reason the train table hasn't moved is because I can't move it myself.
*Yes, I've tried to move it myself.
*Claire had better fall asleep before 10pm tonight. Seriously, child.
*Claire would eat her weight in black olives if I let her.
*I'm grateful for friends who watch my kiddos to help me out. (thanks, again, Greta)
*I have to fold 6 loads of laundry at some point today. Ugh.
*I've been daydreaming about owning a minivan. How the heck did this happen?
*I miss living in the South this time of year. College football season just isn't the same.
*MJ's very first tooth emerged on my birthday this week.
*MJ's preferred mode of movement is rolling. It's awesome.
*Is there anything greater than hearing your kiddos laugh? Like REALLY laugh?
*MJ has the best belly laugh.
*I definitely just dated this post as 2009, posted it, and then came back and changed it.

A Great Weekend

This has been a great weekend.

**Disclaimer: I do not have perfect children. They are wonderful, beautiful, funny, and sweet but they also whine, yell, spend time in time out, and beg for crazy things. All of which happened in the midst of this weekend. Oh, and I did my fair share of losing my patience as well.**

Back to this weekend.

I suppose I want to write about it so that I remember it.

So that when I get overwhelmed on the weekends, when they go by too fast, or they don't seem all that fun and relaxing... I can stop and see what needs to change or happen so that I enjoy the two days of the week that are supposed to be different from the other five.

We haven't done anything spectacular. We haven't even had a babysitter. And my baby girl even woke up for an hour at 5am on Friday night. (I just listened to her talk for an hour before she went back too sleep.)

Here's what we've done:
*I got to take an hour long nap Saturday morning.
*While the baby napped in the morning, C and I went on a long walk and then played at a park while the husband had some quiet time at the house.
*We had Saturday lunch at ChickFila. (This is becoming a tradition for us.)
*We ran into friends from church at lunch. So fun and a blessing.
*I went to Sams alone in the afternoon, and I got to wander around and compare prices without anyone whining or asking for things.
*We watched a late afternoon movie and played.
*Ate leftovers.
*The Schawacker's came over to play Ticket to Ride when the girls went to sleep. (They had to arrive after Claire went to bed because she NEVER would have gone to bed with her crush here.)
*Went to church Sunday morning. Claire ran into nursery without even saying bye to me, MJ played happily on the ground in the back of church during the sermon, and Jeremy served communion. I love our church. It was a peaceful morning seeing familiar faces and feeling at home. AND we walked in to the Wilson's leading worship and singing "Thy Mercy My God" which I've sung to my girls since they were born.)
*Now we're at home with the windows open.

So looking at this, I know it doesn't seem like the most stellar weekend.

But here's what I notice: I actually RELAXED. The husband and I got to do things we wanted and we still played with the girls. I didn't have an agenda or an expectation that didn't get fulfilled.

Seriously. What more can you ask out of this stage of life except to enjoy the downtime and rest when you can. And play when you can as well. Sometimes I just need to get out of the way and appreciate the here and now.

(And, as a side note, I'm even more grateful for a good weekend since my birthday is tomorrow!)

Sweet girls

I love them.
Claire's smile while she's talking.
MJ's squishy rolls.
I almost want to wake them up.
Almost.

But then I remember that MJ will want to eat all the time and will whine about not being able to reach the toys she wants. She's finally frustrated about being immobile.

And then I remember that Claire will probably be bossy and beg to watch more Backyardigans.

So I will let them sleep so I can have a much needed break.

To watch Friday Night Lights. (again)

So I will be ready to begin a new day tomorrow.

They've started interacting even more.
And sweet MJ worships her big sister.

My heart walking around times 2.
I love them.

The Secret of My Success (lately)

I feel like I have a better handle on life.

Seriously.

My kiddos are a (little) older. We're sleeping well.

I finally turned a corner where I feel like I can be ME and have two kiddos. Really, I'm not being dramatic, up until this point, I felt like life was on hold until these kiddos left for college. Well, not even on hold, but OVER. I could not make sense of what life was supposed to look like with kids.

But suddenly, I'm having a lot more fun with my kids. I'm doing stuff around my house. I'm enjoying my outside-the-home-job, I'm remembering (some) things again. And I've been more present with friends, family, and the husband.

If you know me well, you know that I've had a really, REALLY hard time adjusting to being a Mama. I can't explain it in one post, but I've felt compelled to talk about it because no one does.

Sure we complain about being tired, not being a good mama, etc, but I have felt like a stranger just trying to survive for the last two and half years.

That is, up until a few months ago.

I don't know what changed but something did and I am oh so grateful that God pulled me out. Because I believe it's because of Him.

So what's keeping me going lately. What's the secret of my success?

1. Reading "Jesus Calling" every morning. Love it so much.

2. Listening to 99.1 Joyfm in my car. Cheesy, sometimes.

3. Intentionally turning the tv off during naptime and at night. (not all the time)

4. This iced coffee recipe. Oh my word.

5. Trying to save money. I'm more creative and it feels good to accomplish this.

6. Slowing down. I'm intentionally stopping myself from always thinking of the next whatever that's going to happen.

I want to look back on this time while my kiddos are young and remember that I DID enjoy it.

What do you need to change or start doing to take care of yourself in the midst of baby/child chaos?

I'm still here

Honestly, I just have no idea what to write anymore.

This blog is just a whole lot of randomness and I'm not sure where to go with it.

So I just stopped writing altogether.

Then I came to an epiphany: I'm pretty random, this blog is mine, so why do I have to have it a certain way?

So I'm going to write more and not care what it is or isn't.

Stay tuned.

Claire-isms I want to remember

Daddy: "Claire, do you go to work?"
Claire: "Yes"
Daddy: "Where do you work?"
Claire: "At Miss Jill's house."
Daddy: "What do you do there?"
Claire: "I drink milk and water and eat popcorn."

Claire using the potty at the first time at Jill's: "It's broken! It doesn't work here!"

Claire: "There are ghosts here!"
Mommy: "Ghosts? What do they do?"
Claire: "They TICKLE YOU!"
(we've had a LOT of conversations about ghosts and monsters lately)

Mommy: "Don't poke your sister, Claire."
Claire: "Mommy, I just poke her a little bit."

The next day...
Mommy: "Claire, don't poke your sister."
Claire: "I just poke her in the eye, Mommy."

Claire has learned to sing sing Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star on her own and she can sing a good bit of the Wonder Pets song. She is so sweet to her sister, telling MJ not cry and that it's okay when she does. Claire gives MJ toys and helps clean up her own toys. She loves to help me when I ask for it.

I'm just amazed at the little people my girls are becoming!

Mary Jane is sitting up, mostly on her own. She loves food. Her favorite is squash but she also eats carrots, green beans, peas, apple sauce, pears, sweet potatoes, and prunes. MJ has only gotten a few puffs into her mouth on her own but she really seems to love them. She doesn't seem at all interested in crawling but she scoots a bit. That's fine by me; mobility will add an entirely different level of chaos to my days with my girls!

Pinterest

I interrupt another chunk of time wasted "pinning" to bring you this blog post.

I'm totally loving Pinterest. I love seeing all kinds of things that I like on my "boards". What's even better is that I'm actually trying out the recipes, being crafty, and finishing stuff in my house that I've wanted to forever. I love this.

The house we're in IS our forever house. I'd be happy staying here forever. Now I'm actually treating it as such. And it is so much fun. Who knows, maybe we'll move some day. But I feel so blessed to feel settled. It's a gift.

On a side note, I'm sort of watching the movie that the husband is watching right now, Kick A%*. Maybe the most violent movie I've ever seen. Pretty good music though. I'm very distracted. And my husband is THOROUGHLY enjoying this movie. I mean, superheroes, violence, good music, clever lines, and good clearly prevailing over evil: my husband's kind of movie.

Avenues Counseling blog

Avenues has a blog! Check us out here.

I had the privilege of writing a post this week. Let me know if you would like us to cover anything specifically. And feel free to add us to your blog roll and tell people about us. :)

Katy's Words of Wisdom this Week:

"Real friends allow you to complain about your child's bodily functions."

You're welcome.

Seriously, I would be in a deep, dark potty-training abyss if it weren't for Jill and Greta. And a few margaritas.

Avenues Counseling

So now I'm working for Avenues Counseling which just opened June 1st.

WOO HOO!!!

This is an exciting adventure, and I'm thankful to be a part of it. I work with great people, feel blessed by our mission statement, and love what I do.

Check out our website: http://avenuescounselingcenter.org/.

AND check out our blog: http://avenuescounseling.blogspot.com/.

Please keep us in mind and feel free to refer to us. :)

And add our blog to your reader. We'll have some interesting articles and resources every week.

A whole lot of celebrating!

So yesterday was Father's Day and today is the Husband's birthday.

That's a whole lot of celebrating!

I don't have any cute pictures (because the husband wouldn't love for me to post any of him) so I will instead celebrate him with a list.

Top Ten Things I love and appreciate about him:
(in no particular order)
10. He is an unbelievably wonderful dad.
9. He is an amazing husband. He loves me well.
8. He's hilarious. We laugh a lot in our house.
7. He can make up a song about anything.
6. He's pretty darn good-looking.
5. He's great at fixing and building things.
4. He has a lot of artistic talent.
3. He says what he means and means what he says.
2. He's a man of action. In life and faith.
1. He is an amazing provider and leader of our family.

Your girls love you very much, Husband!

Ugh.

I couldn't think of a better title for this post.

Ugh.

Claire seemed to be potty trained for the last few days but today has been a never-ending series of puddles. I definitely didn't pressure her into this; she seemed ready and willing. But today was like being back to square one. Although she's had a little look in her eye that's let me know she probably just hasn't felt like walking over to the potty. I have NO IDEA where she gets that kind of stubbornness. (yes, that's said dripping with sarcasm)

Now before you try to make me feel better or give me advice, all four of you who read my blog, I know that this is a normal perk of a two year old. She will be fine and don't worry about it...

But seriously, I'm not worried or concerned. I'm TIRED. And I can't help wondering, how did people manage before Clorox wipes?

Did I mention that Claire also put me in time out TWICE today?

Gosh, I do love this girl. The day was redeemed by running around the house for probably a half an hour after dinner playing a game of "pretend the alligators are going to get us!" This game looks like this: run around the house, yelling, and fall down every few minutes saying, "the alligator got me." (Claire totally made this up and gave me careful instruction.) Then we cuddled in our recliner watching Wonder Pets.

If only I could get that dang theme song out of my head...

Now the youngest beckons from her crib.....

Feedback from Mamas

I've been working on a specialty in eating disorders and body image. I truly love these topics. I truly love meeting with women and talking about how there can be freedom in how you eat and how you look. You may read that and think something like, "I don't want to change anything" or "I don't have a problem" or "There's nothing wrong with being healthy." All could be true statements. But don't we all, at some point, feel a bit controlled by certain thoughts? Why not find some fun and freedom in what you normally do?

Here's my question for you:

As a Mom, what concerns you? What do you think about? How have things changed for you since having your kiddo(s)?

More to come...

Flip Flops

Here it is:

I really, really love this picture more every time I look at it.

I wore flip flops when I got married.
I ended up changing into them at my Dad's wake when he passed away.
(He would have gotten a kick out of that. Heels hurt.)
I wear them almost every single day as soon as the weather gets above 60.

Flip flops are me.

And my sweet girl loves them too.

It may not be the best picture you've ever seen but I really love it.

No word on the contest results.
I'm just happy and proud of my final product.

Contest

I mentioned in a previous post that I took a class with Fresh Art Photography. Well, they are hosting a contest this weekend for all of us who took this class in April. They are announcing the winner tomorrow.

And how am I?

Freaking. Out. I feel like I'm back in graduate school again when professors and classmates would listen to tapes of my counseling sessions. (sidenote: I had written consent from all of my clients)

These women, who are talented and professionals, are CRITIQUING MY WORK.

Okay, my freak out is over. I feel a bit better. Seriously.

On top of just a contest in itself, the topic could NOT BE ANY MORE DIFFICULT:

a portrait of yourself.

Really? ME? Why not cute kids? A cute dog? Flowers?

We were challenged to be creative, so I started with this question:

Who am I?

My answer: God's daughter, Wife, Mama, sister, daughter, friend, counselor, learning to take pictures, learning to garden, cook, baker.....

How in the %*&$ do you photograph any of THAT????

Okay, before you throw out a million ideas that probably popped into your ahead, please read ahead.

How do you photograph those things when you wonder how good you are at any of them? Especially when you have two small kiddos that suck the energy out of you? Especially when you feel tired, stretched, challenged? Especially when you're finally adjusting to living out a calling as a counselor, raising two little people, trying to invest in friendships, and trying to love your husband well?

Uh, narrow THAT down to one picture!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So after tons of pictures, I got it. A picture that sums up the me I've always been, with the addition of the person I've become. You'll get this if you know me well.

And, no, I'm not showing you the picture yet. I'll post it tomorrow after the winner is revealed... so until then.....

One more picture....

While I was taking pictures of the girls one day,
I noticed Jack staring longingly for attention.

Poor guy.

He spends a lot of days in the background of little girls' laughing, crying, or whining.

I managed to get this picture which I love.
And I do love my sweet dog.

Again, not edited.
Again, still learning.

Photography

I took a photography class back in April with Fresh Art Photography.

Oh my word.
It was awesome and I learned that being a true photographer is a MILLION times more complicated than just pointing, shooting, and using your automatic flash.
Not that it's a bad thing if you do it the easy way.
It's your choice.
I definitely go back and forth between cameras and my phone to capture the important stuff.

Here are some of my favorite pictures so far with my Cannon 5D.
These are just four out of a whole lot of blurry and dark ones. :)
By the way, these are totally unedited.

It helps to have such adorable subjects.

Almost a month?

Has it seriously been almost a month since I last blogged??? I need to get better about this.

Since a good bit has been going on, I'll just list the highlights.

1. MJ turned SIX MONTHS OLD yesterday! A whole post and pictures will be dedicated to her soon.
2. MJ was diagnosed with reflux in her left kidney.
3. I took a photography class and have been taking lots of pictures.
4. Things broken in our house right now: washing machine, dishwasher (although still usable), and sunroom roof. Awesomeness. Annoying but good lesson in how stuff like this is definitely an inconvenience but we have a lot to be thankful for.
5. Claire has begun talking and asking questions at a rate I never thought possible. Sometimes she DOES NOT STOP. I do love it though.
6. My garden is growing and looking good!
7. We spend lots of time outside and lots of time playing on the play set. So fun.
8. Bottle boot-camp worked on MJ and I get to go on the Riverside Women's Retreat this weekend WITHOUT a kiddo! Funny to think I was pregnant on the last one so she was actually with me then....

So those are the highlights. I'll get around to more posts about these things, including pictures, one of these days....

Happy Easter!

This was the best picture I could get today.
I know I'm biased, but these girls are so darn cute.

Things I know and love about this picture because I'm the Mama:
1. C is clutching the M&M egg for dear life. She takes after me in her love of chocolate.
2. C's knees are muddy from running across the grass outside of church today.
3. The size of MJ's dress is 9 months.
4. I didn't ask Claire to hug her sister like she is. And MJ is staring at C completely enamored in every other picture I took.

In the midst of a great church service, eating yummy food, and visiting with family, there were some AMAZING conversations had in the Martin household today.

Mama: "Claire, what does Jesus say?"
(Sidenote- I have NO idea why I asked her this.)
Claire: "Argh!!!"
Mama: "Jesus is a pirate?"
Claire: "Jesus is a pirate!!!!"
Mama to Daddy: "She's totally going to say that in nursery today."

Claire: "I like Jesus."
Claire to her Aunt Amanda: "YOU should like Jesus." (while pointing her finger)
Jeremy: "Yes, we talked about the Great Commission last week."
(No, we really didn't.)

What Claire Sleeps With

*I had started to feel like Claire was getting too crowded in her bed and then I read a blog post by my friend, Cary, that made me feel better today.*

1. Her baby doll. She's has 3 almost identical ones but there is one in particular that she sleeps with. Side note, if you ask any of her doll's names, she says, "Mary Jane."
2. A rubber ducky. Yes, the small, plastic kind.
3. Her frog lovie
4. A stuffed bee
5. Her skunk
6. A Wocket (as in the Wocket in my Closet)
7. Curious George
8. 3 blankets (the number of blankets often changes but apparently she has 3 favorites right now)

And every night, Claire has to tuck in the baby doll and duck next to her. I'm actually not sure if she'd even miss the rest of her "friends" but they stay in the bed anyway. We're not messing with her bed time routine to try it out. :)

Claire's new friend

Claire calls our sweet, six year old neighbor, Larry.

Her name is really Katia.

Thankful for our new playset and getting to know our neighbors better!

Hilarious.

As my husband just pointed out, I'm way behind on this.

But that's beside the point.

Go watch this video NOW!

(Even if you've already seen it, aren't you glad I reminded you of it?)

Sweet MJ

Sweet Mary Jane fell asleep on the floor,
in the middle of playing,
while sucking her thumb.

I just can't get enough of my squishy, beautiful girl!!

(Side note, the girl tends to fall asleep anywhere!)

Superheros

Claire got this superhero a while back.

She says that he's Daddy when the REAL Daddy is at work.

Today she also told me that Daddy is Batman.

It makes me laugh and makes my heart feel full.

Claire doesn't understand who Batman is or what a superhero is.

BUT I can tell that she already believes, at two years old, that her Daddy is one of the greatest people on earth. (her mama being the other one!) She already looks at him like he has every answer and can do anything. Like every little girl SHOULD view her Daddy. I love that she always wants him to look at her and admire her.

Claire's Daddy loves her very well.
My girls are so incredibly blessed.

It's also worth noting that my own Dad has been gone four years now, in March. How can it be that long? He would love these little girls so very much. And they would adore him.

As we grow up, we learn that even superheros have faults.

After all, they are human.

But the good Daddies have superhero powers that outweigh their faults.

I'm married to one of the good ones.

And my Dad was one of the good ones.

And I still think of my Dad as a man who could do anything and got things done.
Pretty great superhero qualities.

Popcorn picnic

This afternoon Claire and I had a "popcorn picnic" in the backyard while Jeremy and his Dad worked on the playset.

First off, our popcorn picnic consisted of a blanket and giant bowl of popcorn. Claire thought this was awesome.

Second side note, the playset is almost done and awesome! Claire calls it her castle. Her castle is now what I see from my kitchen sink. I love it and am excited to have this fun thing for the girls!

During our picnic, Claire tried desperately to keep the whole bowl of popcorn for herself. She, very convincingly, told me over and over that:

"Jack is too little for popcorn." (Jack is our 85 lb dog)

"Mama, it's too hot for you."

If she weren't so darn cute....

Pictures! (finally)

My sister took all the pictures. Aren't they great?

I think the picture of MJ alone may be an all-time favorite.

I just want to kiss those big cheeks!!!!

These were all taken the week that Claire turned 2 years old and Mary Jane turned 4 months.

Breakfast/Devos

Since Mary Jane arrived, Jeremy has pretty much been getting up with Claire every day. Mary Jane would often wake up to eat around 5 am and then give me a bit of a stretch of sleep so Jeremy would step in to be with Claire in the morning. Most mornings they share bowls of cereal. (Yes, they each start out with their own and then Claire tends to eat some of her Daddy's and/or feed him.)

This little morning tradition has evolved to them also reading their Bibles while they eat. We got Claire the Storybook Bible a while back and she LOVES it. So when Daddy started reading his, Claire got the idea to grab her own and they read together. I. Love. This.

I don't know if they do this every morning but it's been a lot of mornings lately. And it's encouraged me to read my own at some point in the day (usually in the morning too). It's such a different kind of encouragement when it comes as an example through your kids (and your spouse).

So thankful for my little family.

Mid-March Ramblings

I've been trying to upload pictures for the last hour with no luck. I'll post pictures soon. I didn't want to wait any longer to post though... so here goes.

Last week Claire turned two years old and Mary Jane turned 4 months. So hard to believe! We celebrated at Larson Park on Saturday. Claire has asked for a cupcake every day since.

I took both girls to the doctor today. Claire weighs 26.5 pounds and her sister weighed in at 17.5 pounds! Claire is in the 50% and MJ is around 75% (or close to that). I'm taking bets on when they catch up to each other. :) The girls really are a combination of the two of us. Jeremy and I have made it a past time to claim each little detail as a part of us. For example, Claire totally has Jeremy's hands and Mary Jane has mine. I absolutely love that. Also, the doctor (whom we LOVE) was very impressed with Claire's verbal skills. She told us that Claire is about 6 months ahead developmentally!

My garden is coming along! It's been just over a week and a half. I've moved my seedlings over to cups of soil to give them nutrients. They're loving the soil and light in the sun room. They'll be ready to plant soon. Now if it would just stop freezing outside....

Garden: Day 1

Here is the beginning of my garden.
I started all of my seeds over the weekend.
Don't they look nice?

I'm so excited to have a garden.
My Mom has always had a garden and I hope to have the same memories with my kiddos.

I'm attempting to plant:
peas, grape tomatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapenos, cucumbers, spinach, lettuce, romaine, carrots, basil, cilantro, white onions, red onions, and garlic.

Ambitious? Yes.
Go big or go home. :)

The great wall

BEFORE

AFTER!!!!

Please excuse the mess in both pictures.
I have a two year old.

My friend, Greta, came to my rescue and decorated this wall for me.

I. LOVE. it.

It's all things I love and/or that are sentimental. And, even so, had written some of the things off because I couldn't make it work myself.

The cell phone pictures don't do it justice. It looks awesome.

I'm too tired to blog about all the details of each thing... I'll do that soon.

By the way, have you entered the giveaway of Greta's blog???

Claire quotes from this week

Mama: "Claire, you're going to turn into a fruit snack!"
Claire: "No, I Claire."

Mama: "Claire, please throw that in the trash."
Claire: "No."
Then she sits down on the stairs and says, "Timeout!"

Mama: "Claire, are you a girl?"
Claire: "No, I Claire!"

Tonight at bedtime, we were all sitting in the family room:
(fyi, no mention of bedtime had been made)
Claire: "Night night!" (as she walks to the stairs)
Daddy: "Want me to take you night night, Claire?"
Claire: "No, you stay!" with her arms out
By the time Claire got to the top of the stairs she decided she DID want Daddy to put her in bed instead of going on her own.

Great Giveaway!

My good friend, Greta, is so amazing and SO creative.

You would really like her if you met her. (assuming you don't already know her and are friends with her)

Anyway, check out her blog for a GIVEAWAY TODAY!

I know it's late.

Due to my laziness, I've delayed you from entering.

I apologize.

Check it out. And check out her etsy site. You will love it.

We love ChickFila

This morning I asked Claire what the ChickFila cow says.

Her immediate response:

"Eat more chicken!"

I'm so proud.

Picture Update

Confession: I often leave Mary Jane in just a onesie so I can stare at her absolutely adorable legs. And those cheeks!!!!! Kind of makes me want to go wake her up...

Claire's ready for Spring training! Let's hope she likes baseball as much as she loves football. The girl LOVES watching football and playing with the football she had to have last weekend.

I painted Claire's toenails this week. Oh. my. gosh. I didn't think her little feet could get any cuter! Jeremy's a little weirded out by it but Claire likes to admire them and compare her matching toes with mine. I love it. Bring on the flip flops!!!!! (and warm weather)

Things I'm loving right now:

1. This granola recipe. It's seriously the best granola I've ever eaten. It calls for more sugar than the recipe I used to use but I seriously won't use another recipe again. It's THAT GOOD. And I followed the directions and it baked perfectly. Usually I have to adjust the time or over bake. Make. This. Recipe.

2. Words with Friends. So fun to play with friends that I have all over the country that I don't get to see anymore.

3. How much Claire is talking. It's fun to have conversations with her.

4. Dance parties with both girls. So cute. Especially when Claire yells, "Dance party!"

5. Getting to know Mary Jane. She's such a sweetheart.

6. Mary Jane sleeping more at night. I'm feeling like a human being again. And she's so happy and smiley in the morning.

7. Finally picking out the playset we're getting for the backyard. SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS. I can't wait to have people over to play.

8. That Spring feels like it's just around the corner. Go away cold weather!

9. This sermon that Zack preached on Sunday. SO GOOD. (it's the 2/20/11 sermon)

10. Guacamole. I used to hate it. Then I started CRAVING it when I was pregnant with Mary Jane. Now I love it. Weird, huh? If anyone has any good recipes, please share. Right now, Trader Joe's is my supplier :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

And Happy 60th Birthday to my Mom!

Amy and Mom came in for a long weekend which has been really fun especially after a crazy week. We shopped, cooked, ate a lot, played with the kiddos, and had a great time. A much needed weekend for me.

Today Mom, Mary Jane, Claire, and I went to the zoo. Claire loves the penguins and monkeys. Today they put on quite the show for her. She also loved the bears and really loved riding the carousel. We followed it up with Steak n Shake. It was a fun way to spend Mom's birthday!

Also, the husband outdid himself and surprised me with a Kindle! I love it and was very surprised. Thanks, again, husband!!

Home sweet home

I'm too tired to blog about the last few days right now but I will soon.

I'm thankful for a baby girl on the mend.

I'm thankful for meals waiting on us when we came home.

I'm thankful for my friends, near and far, who have loved us well.

I'm thankful for goodies to look forward to tomorrow.

I'm thankful that the husband kept the house clean just so I could relax when I got home. He loves his girls well and has taken such good care of Claire. (no surprise there)

I'm thankful to be home.

Things I've realized in the last 48 hours

1. Insist on your child's iv be put in her foot if you're nursing. So much easier.

2. MoBap has some amazing nurses. Nurses who treat your kid like their own. Who take an extra minute to rock or sing to them.

3. Could the furniture be any more uncomfortable?

4. I really am my child's advocate and expert.

5. God knew that the new ChickFila would bring me some joy. I believe He opened it for me.

6. Hands down, I have the most amazing friends. Seriously. I hope you're as lucky. And I hope I'm a good friend to them.

7. I'm so thankful for my Droid to talk to my mom and sister and to distract me.

8. I have always admired my friend, Katie, and now I'm convinced she's a hero to her children. I can't begin to describe her strength and endurance. I do know it's rooted in her faith in Jesus.

9. My husband and I can do anything together. There are some things I'm just not strong enough to do. He stepped up. No surprise; he always does.

Operation "Give mama a break"

Last weekend my sister, Amy, came to visit. I did not plan this but the weekend became focused on getting Mary Jane more used to being away from me. Amy actually tried to visit the two previous weekends but things kept getting in the way. I'm now convinced that the Lord knew I needed her this past weekend.

I won't give you all the boring details of the weekend. I'll give you the highlights: Amy, Jeremy, and I were all able to give her bottles, MJ stayed with Amy a few hours alone and slept almost the whole time, and both Amy and Jeremy were able to get her to calm down.

THIS IS HUGE!

I really want to go on a girls' trip this weekend and now I can. But most importantly, I feel like my little girl and I have turned a corner. And I'm one happy mama! I think it's a combination of trying to be persistent the last week or so, MJ getting bigger/older, and sweet friends praying. (Speaking of which, please pray this weekend goes smoothly!)

My girl still prefers me but now I have a little breathing room. Which makes me a better and happier mama. Thank you, Jesus!

And thank you to my sister and husband for loving me through the crazy fog. Gotta love having an infant....

Necklace Giveaway

My friend, Greta, is doing a great giveaway on her blog-

you should definitely check it out here!!!!

She is really talented and you'll definitely want one of these necklaces. And she has super cute stuff on her etsy site.

Today's the last day of the giveaway so GO NOW!

My sweet pea

Does anyone else see a resemblance?

MJ and me at 9 and a 1/2 weeks

So Mary Jane started out being okay with taking a bottle.

Now she is not.

Much to my despair. Much to my desire to feel a little freedom.

I've been frustrated and discouraged. I've been referring to Mary Jane (lovingly) as my little leech.

I love the girl. I mean, she's so stinkin' cute and has the sweetest smile. You can't help but smile when she does.

But I've been annoyed.

This morning at church I stepped out to feed her and listen to the sermon in the hallway. My good friend, Greta, sat down with me and asked how things were going and how it went when I left MJ with Jeremy for a few hours last night. I told her how Mary Jane cried and screamed the ENTIRE time except for the two twenty minute intervals in which she just passed out from being tired. (I was gone over 3 hours. My husband is a saint.)

Greta then asked, "Do you think she just wanted you?"

Yes, I think she's right. I started thinking that last night. I feel like it's less about the bottles and more about my little girl needing her mama. She wasn't starving when I got home; she had taken part of a bottle. But when Jeremy handed her to me, she immediately relaxed and fell asleep.

Greta shared her similar experience with her daughter, Ruby. I felt like the Lord was speaking some truth into my heart. I selfishly want my freedom back. But what is it that I really want back? Yes, I know it's okay for me to be tired and not love this BUT, at the same time, I have a little baby girl who wants me and just needs me. And it's probably going to only be for a few fleeting months.

I survived my husband's year long deployment to Iraq. I can handle a few months. Seriously.

By the time I left church, I felt more encouraged. My friend, Terri, reminded me a week or so ago that being a parent is "sacred work". God's entrusted these two little girls to me, to care for and love. And to ENJOY.

And sometimes it feels like the enjoyment part is the hardest part. And it should be the most fun. I don't want to live in "survival mode" EVERY SINGLE DAY. (Sure, I'm going to have those days and moments, of course. I've got two kids under the age of two.)

I really do love being a mom. And I love my girls. I love being home with them, playing with Claire and cuddling Mary Jane. I love seeing them already interact. I love teaching Claire new things and seeing Mary Jane's little personality come out. I love making our house feel like our home.

Anyway, I'm grateful for my friend and that she was willing to spend a few minutes with me today. I needed a heart adjustment even though I didn't realize it. I'm SO BLESSED to have friends with kids.

It really does take a village. Or, in my case, friends and a great church. And daily text messages to my mom and sister. :)

By the way, please take a close look at Mary Jane's crazy hair in this picture!

Sleep training

Top priorities:

For MJ to sleep through the night.

For the girls to nap at the same time.

Girls, y'all are killing me!!!!!

No, I'm not sleep training as MJ's too young still.

Just day dreaming....

Mary Jane is 9 weeks today!

Mary Jane Grace at 8 weeks (last Tuesday):

Our sweet Mary Jane weighed in at 12 lbs, 8oz at the doctor this last week! After much discussion, the doctor (whom we love) put her on some antibiotics. The poor girl has been congested for as long as I remember- I sadly told the doctor that I feel like she's been sick since birth. Since Mary Jane had developed a pretty bad cough, we went with the meds. We were hesitant because it was just congestion- no infections- and she is also showing signs of acid reflux.

The verdict: I'm SO HAPPY we went with the antibiotics!!!! My little girl is actually starting to sleep at night, she's not as congested, and I'm starting to see a little personality come out!

Mary Jane loves her big sister. She watches Claire and smiles at her. They really love each other; it's very sweet. MJ has the sweetest little smile. All of which helps right now since I'm a bit frustrated that she's refusing a bottle right now!!!



***By the way, this picture was taken over a week ago... maybe 2... who knows!!! I'll figure it out later :)

What I have to look forward to

Borrowed from my good friend, Cary.

And in no particular order.

1. My sister visiting this weekend. (hopefully!)
2. My mom and sister coming back to visit in February to celebrate my Mom's 60th birthday!
3. Girls weekend in February
4. Mary Jane sleeping more at night. (she will, right?!? yes, I'm at that stage...)
5. Planning a weekend away for me and the husband in a few months.
6. The warmer months... MJ being a bit bigger... less sickness.... fresh fruit.... going outside...
7. Getting a playset for our backyard.
8. Going back to work.

Buzz?

"Claire, what does a bee say?"

"Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!"

Pictures of the girls to come soon...

More Claire-speak

"muppins"=muffins
"copies"=coffee
"moopies"=smoothie

Those are some of my current favorites.

The girl doesn't stop talking these days!!! It's fun to have conversations with her now.