All boy

OK, here's a question for everyone. Is this outfit too girly for Zachariah? Seriously now? This is a Carter's outfit. I searched online, but I can't find it anywhere. I swear I bought it in the infant boys' department. I chose this color, because he doesn't have many colors other than blue or green. Although he has a few red tops for summer now. I thought this soft red and orange color was cute. Now I'm second-guessing it. All because when I went into a store today an older lady was talking to Zachariah, and then she asked me if it was a boy or girl! Since he was born that's only happened one other time. And it was only a few months ago. He was wearing a cute blue sweater. I don't know...maybe that was a little girly too. Oh well, I know he's all boy.


Here's a full view.

And here's what the front looks like. It says "Little Monster".

OK, so while we're talking about it, is this outfit girly too? Matt thought it was a little girly looking. I don't think it is. It's from Old Navy. Again, it is not blue or green. Do people expect boys to only wear those colors? I think this outfit is adorable!


And this is another shot (from a different camera, so the lighting is different). So?

Hormones?

What is wrong with me? I have been a crazy person this weekend. It's been an up and down roller coaster. I'm not sure why. Hormones? Is it that time of month? It could be. Am I pregnant? Well...I don't think I am, but who knows. (My mother says it's always a possibility.) Somethings got to give soon. I think I'm starting to drive myself nuts. I just sat down here with some Almond M&M's, so maybe that will help. Chocolate is always good.

Friday I was crabby, because of this issue I posted about. That just put me in a bad mood all night. And I think blogging about it made me think about it more, so I just stayed in that mood.

Saturday was fun. We all went to a community garage sale. I found a few places with some name-brand, barely used baby clothes for Zachariah to wear next winter. Even though it wasn't much, it was nice to find a few deals. And I normally hate to go to garage sales. Bleck. But we walked for 2 hours around the really nice neighborhoods. Matt and I talked the whole time, while Zachariah was content in his stroller. It worked out nice. Then we stopped for ice cream afterwards....a treat we haven't indulged in for some time. Oh, and the kind I tried was amazing! When we got home, Zachariah was ready for a nap. He slept for 2 hours. I was even able to lay down for 1/2 hour. It felt nice. Then Matt's parents came over. Matt grilled burgers, and we had salads with them. Yum. It was fun having them over. So, see, Saturday was fun! Matt even commented that I was in a much better mood. (Although, he was not perceptive enough to figure out WHY I was in a bad mood the night before. And for fear of biting off his head, I did not tell him.)

Today. Well, I asked Matt to keep an eye on Zachariah this morning, so I could get my shower. Matt was already showered and dressed and reading the paper. Zachariah was already up, changed, dressed, and had eaten breakfast. Shouldn't be hard...just let the kid play with his toys. By "keeping an eye on him" all I meant was that he had to make sure he didn't hurt himself or get into too much trouble. I didn't think it was much to ask. But I got this pathetic "I guess". ERRRRR! So, I went and got my shower (cold though it was). I took my sweet time. Normally I would wait to do my hair and make-up. But NO, not this morning. I stayed into the bathroom until I was completely ready. And the boy was fine that whole time. Imagine that! I was so mad. I shouldn't have to ask my husband to watch the kid just so I can get a shower. Anyway, off to church we went. Then we came home, had lunch (well I took care of myself and the kid and Matt took care of himself), Matt mowed the yard, then I did the dishes and stuff. Zachariah went down for a nap, so I took my chances to lay down myself. I actually got to sleep a little while. That is until I heard the slamming of the doors. I heard Matt go into Zachariah's room to get him (his door creaks, and it sounded like he threw it open). Then he must have let the screen door slam later on. I didn't sleep after he got Zachariah up, but I figured I'd just stay there for a while and watch TV. Usually Matt ends up letting Zachariah come in to bug me, so I thought my time was limited. But, he was actually thoughtful and let me be. I finally came out after about 1/2 hour, because I was getting bored and knew there were things I should be doing.

Zachariah played for a while, then Matt talked about going to the home improvement store to get something. He actually said he'd like to take Zachariah with him. SHOCK! Well, not too much...he does it once in a while. It just doesn't happen often that he lets me have a little time to myself at home. Anyway, so I happen to see Matt back out. HE HIT MY CAR WITH THE TRUCK. He backed right into it. Luckily he just hit the front grill and his bumper, so there was no damage. I had parked behind him, so he could get the mower out of the garage. Oh my, I was sick when I saw him hit my car. I thought he would come in and tell me, but he didn't. He did get out to check for damage, then he went to the store. So, I just tried to forget about it for now. From the front window I didn't see any damage, and I figured I'd let him tell me when he got home. He did tell me about it 2 hours after he got home. He felt really bad about it. Is it wrong that I didn't tell him I saw him do it and was just waiting for him to tell me?

While they were gone I cleaned out Zachariah's closet. I needed to sort out some clothes he wasn't wearing anymore. It was fun seeing all his baby clothes again...even though I was putting them away. So, I got about 3/4 of that done before they came back from the store. But Zachariah just played near me while I finished getting it all put back together.

Did I mention that Matt and I got into a big discussion again today about joining a small group? that lead to nothing but frustration for us both. I think we need to talk about it again when I'm in a MUCH better mood.

Anyway, there are most of my weekend problems. Well, the ones stemming from Matt anyway. I told my friend on Friday that I don't know why, but he is just driving me nuts. But I love him to death. Here were my other issues today: I was nauseous a few times and I had a funny ache/pain in my stomach. While I was cleaning out Zachariah's closet I thought I was going to lose everything I'd eaten. It went away after a few minutes, but yuck. I feel OK now, but it's come and gone all afternoon into evening. Hopefully it's nothing major.

Snapshot Saturday

Just had to share this picture of my cutie pie looking all grown up this morning. He wanted all his "doggies" today. Funny!

Diaper Duty

I don't know how it is in your house, but this is a typical occurrence here.

Zachariah: Making grunting noises and signing "potty" (which means he's dirtying his diaper)
Me: Uh oh, not again. Honey, it's your turn this time. I changed ALL his diapers today and already dealt with a messy one.
Hubby: No, that's OK, you can take care of it.
Me: Ha, ha, nope it's on you.
Hubby: Silent
Zachariah: Back to playing - didn't mess diaper

***cut to 10 minutes later***

Me: Oh, he's definitely going potty this time.
Hubby: Oh?
Me: Yes, he wants to fill a diaper for Daddy.
Zachariah: Signing "potty", grunting, starting to stink
Me: Eww, go let Daddy smell it.
Hubby: Gives me a look for that comment
Me: Well, I guess someone needs to change him. Go ahead.
Hubby: Yeah, right.
Me: Gets up, takes child into the other room and changes his stupid diaper....again! For the millionth time this week!
Hubby: Comes into the nursery after the diaper is changed and a fresh one is on. Takes out the trash and announces: I'm taking out the trash.
Me: thinking: Gee thanks, especially since I asked you to do it 2 hours ago. And I do it EVERY OTHER SINGLE TIME!
Me: Completely ignores hubby's attempt at getting a Thank You, and goes on her merry way with a fresh smelling baby.

OH baby!

I just heard wonderful news. A relative of mine is pregnant! Babies are always fun. She has a son who is 3 weeks younger than mine. They, too, had problems getting pregnant with him. She was actually on fertility treatments, but then decided to take a month off. That's when she got pregnant. It was fun being pregnant together, and now our little guys have fun at holiday get-togethers. Unfortunately she isn't someone I'm around much, so I will probably miss most of her pregnancy. She's due around Thanksgiving time. I'll probably meet the baby at Christmas.

As exciting as this is, it makes me feel more depressed than happy. :( Silly, isn't it? Part of this is explained in the posts I'm putting together in response to Swistle's posts about baby spacing and how many. I don't want to ruin those posts for you. I am still working on them. They are issues that I care a lot about, but I have a hard time communicating my feelings on these matters to it's taking me a while to construct the post. Just know they are coming.

Anyway, back to my point. I feel happy/sad about learning that this relative is pregnant. I am happy for her (oh so happy that it didn't take long to get pregnant again). I am happy about a new baby in the family (even if it's extended family). But I always feel momentary sadness when I find out someone I know is pregnant. Most of this stems from my own fertility issues (to be talked about more later). I hope that when we're ready to try for another one, I will get pregnant right away. Only time will tell.

Then the other issue is that I AM READY FOR ANOTHER BABY! If Matt said let's go, I'd be trying to get pregnant tonight (in a manner of speaking). That doesn't mean that everything in our life is ready for that, though. Since Matt is looking for a better job, we will most likely be moving in the near future. Matt is nervous at the possibility of me being pregnant when we're moving. Also, as far as baby spacing, I'm not sure it's the right time yet. I'd be happy if it happened, but I don't know what my ideal is. (I think this relative will have a hard time. They kids will be about 19 months apart.) AND, I'm trying to lose some weight before I get pregnant again. Although I could be trying harder.

I'm hoping that we'll know when the right time is for another baby. Then I know everything will fall into place. I just don't want to wait too long. In the meantime, I'll send a card to my newly pregnant relative to congratulate her. And I will be waiting anxiously with her to meet and hold her precious new baby.

Dullsville

Ahh, life is boring. I suppose I shouldn't ask for more. If it wasn't boring, then something bad would probably be happening. So, I'll take the boring days/weeks. Because really it's been more like a boring week for me.

We had some bedtime issues tonight. I put Zachariah down to sleep at his normal time. He would not sleep. He cried off and on for an hour straight. I finally gave in (NOT typical for me...bedtime means sleeping normally). Matt was not home, so I thought maybe that was the problem. When Matt got home he played with Zac for quite awhile. That seemed to wear him out. Then he was anxious to go to bed. He was trying to figure out how to climb into the crib himself. And now he is peacefully sleeping. I just hope he doesn't do this again tomorrow night. Matt might be gone then too.

I have been watching quite a few movies lately. Oh, probably about 2-3 a week. Is that a lot? Normally I'm lucky to watch 1 a month. The reason...Vongo. It came with a free trial loaded on our laptop. We really like it so far. It's not as nice as say Netflix, but for us who don't watch that many movies it has plenty that we've never seen. I've watched so many different movies lately that they're all starting to become predictable. Maybe I need to expand my typical genres of movies.

I guess that's all I have to talk about. What an exciting life I lead!

What really matters

Today I was humbled, by seeing true humility from someone else.

OK, I've tried writing this blog 3 times now. The only thing that I've kept each time is that line at the beginning. I guess I really don't need to go into details. That's not what matters.

Here's enough of the story to get the point. I crossed paths today with someone who needed help. Another mother who needed something for her child. I jumped up immediately to do what I could for her. And later Matt and I talked about it, and we've decided to help a little more.

This young mother was so grateful for this little thing that I did for her. But it was something that she needed. I didn't mind doing it. In fact, I loved doing it for her. I love helping others. In just the 4 minutes I talked to her, she hugged me 3 times and thanked me over and over. I told her all I wanted for her was to keep being a great mom.

We are so blessed. We have everything we need and a lot that we want. My son has more clothes than a child his age should rightfully have. It's crazy to see the closet full, and yet I just can't resist buying something new every once in a while. I have never had to wonder where I'll get the money to buy diapers, food, or anything. God has blessed us. And I love that I can pass it on.

Here I have been concerned and proud of my son for being so smart and learning sign language and everything else he's doing now. And after this experience today, I thought, you know, that is the stuff that really doesn't matter. What really matters is the my son is happy, healthy, loved, and cared for. And so is this other child, even though she can't offer him as I much as I can for my son. But I know he is loved. And THAT is what really matters.

Helping Hands

We were visiting my family yesterday. I forget how nice it is to be around a few other adults who don’t mind chasing a toddler around for a little while. For now it works out nicely that Zachariah is the only grandchild. That means he has the undivided attention of grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

So, when I arrived at the grandparents’ house, I was able to let go of the kid and take my things in on my own. This never happens. I didn’t have to lug a kid plus all our stuff. It’s a wonderful feeling.

We’re going on vacation in less than 3 weeks with my family. Everyone is excited about going. We all get along great and we have fun together. It is also exciting, because it will be Zachariah’s first trip to the ocean. It will be fun to see him stick his little baby toes in the water and on the sand. It’s reassuring to me to have all this help there for us. It won’t be just Matt and I chasing the kid around the whole time. I know that the rest of the family wants to spend time with him too. I’m not sure I’ll know what to do with myself. I’m used to taking care of him almost every waking moment. Matt keeps talking about the fun things we can do. The usual things we do while we’re at the beach – sunbathing, boogie boarding, walking on the beach, and other things. I keep telling him that this just isn’t going to work. We have Zachariah to worry about now.

I just don’t think I’ll have as much time to do these fun things that I used to enjoy at the beach. This has been discouraging to Matt, because he wants me to have fun too. I keep telling him that I’ll need his help a little more than normal. And the more I think about it, the more I realize I will be able to let everyone else help me out too. It is fun and relaxing for my family to spend time with Zachariah. After seeing them play with him this weekend, I think I’ll be able to let go better.

Sunshiny days

For now...just pictures.

Zachariah and I outside at my sister's house.

Zachariah peeking at us through the tree.

This is the cutest picture of Zachariah. I just love it.

Sometimes you just gotta go

Well, first of all let me talk about this last post. It generated a lot of comments. Yes, I know I should be able to have time alone. I do...if I really want/need to...with a little convincing. Anyway, that isn't the real issue. It has more to do with the fact that he won't do something with me that I'd really like to do. Usually, he's on board with doing things with me, but this particular thing not so much. He's not a very social person, and I think this is out of his comfort zone. To be honest I think the other stuff is just excuses to get out of it. I don't yet know if we'll go to the small group or not yet. I'll let you know what happens. I will not go with the baby. It's either all or none. So, if Matt's not interested and I can't convince him, then I won't go either.

But actually, Matt hurt his back this week. He went to the chiropractor today, and he was ordered to relax this weekend and do no yard work (which was his excuse for staying home tomorrow). Ha! Take that! OK, that was mean. :(

Today I had this itching feeling. I just couldn't stay in the house one more day. I needed to go somewhere. Luckily my sister let us come over. She helps her husband run a pizza shop, so she had to be around. But we kept her company since it was a slow afternoon anyway. Plus that was better than walking around the mall again. I knew if I did that I would just buy Zachariah more clothes that he doesn't need. I think his closet will overflow if I put one more thing in there. But a nice visit with my sister did me good.

And on Sunday we've decided to go to my parents' house. The boys are going golfing. I'll just stay back and visit with my mom. It's supposed to be super nice outside, so we'll just chase Zachariah all over the yard. I'm sure he'll love that. And it will be nice for me to just be out again too.

What are your weekend plans. I hope it's warm and sunshiny where you are too. Enjoy.

Give me a Break

Is it too much to ask for a night to do something I want to do?

Sorry, but I'm complaining about my husband again. (Disclaimer: He really is a great guy. I only complain here, because I can!)

I have been trying to talk Matt into getting involved in a small group at church for a long time now. For the first few years we were married we were involved in great groups. I loved the dynamics and friendships of those groups. I have kept friends to this day that I met and got to know better through those groups. Unfortunately when the last group fizzled out, we didn't find another group. The last few years I've been interesting in joining a new small group, but Matt was not. It was something I really wanted to do with him.

In the last month or so we were approached about a new group starting. It is one I think I would like very much. I can not get him interested in it. It starts Saturday. He told me I could go by myself. Ha, by myself! What this really means is I have to take Zachariah with me, so Matt can have time to himself to do things at home. I NEVER get a chance like that!

Matt started going to a bible study on Wednesday nights. He also does some computer work a few nights a week (some weeks). Me - I get zero nights to do anything I want to do! All I'm asking is for one night a week. I'm not even saying I want a night alone or without the kid. I want my husband to come with me to the small group for 2 hours. We'll take Zachariah along, but two of us can handle him a lot better than one.

Ahh, I really don't know what to do. I guess unless he comes around and decides this is something he wants to do, then I won't be going. Such an exciting, eventful life I lead.

Wordless Wednesday

I'm too tired to think of something to blog about. Zachariah would not take a nap this afternoon. I would think he was sleeping then 15-20 minutes later I'd hear him squealing or crying. This went on for almost 2 hours. Ahh, at least I got a little done between laying him down again and again and again. Oh, now he wants more to eat. Well, here are some cute pictures for your enjoyment.

He was a camera ham this morning.

Both of us hamming it up the other day. We look a little dorky, but that's OK.

Zachariah discovered the exercise ball and all its fun. Hilarious to watch. This thing is so big that it knocks him over sometimes.

I can't look away

I love reading blogs. I guess it's a way for me to connect other people without having to invest a lot of time and energy into a relationship. I have a list of blogs that I check daily. Lately, I've been realizing that there is one particular blog that I have a love/hate relationship with. I like the fact that it's another mother with a young child. I like some of the topics are come up in her blog. But it's funny, because I'd say half of the time I come out of her blog feeling...drained. Maybe that's not the right word. I'm not sure what is though. And I'm not positive what keeps drawing me back to this particular blog. Don't worry, it's not any of you. To my knowledge, this person does not read my blog. And just in case, I'm keeping it vague enough that it wouldn't matter.

I think I feel a sense of snobbiness from this person. I guess if that's part of her true personality, then it will probably come out in her blog. I wonder, though, how much of it is a show for others. She at times makes (or at least appears to) herself look better than others. Her child is perfect. She's a great parent and does wonderful things for this child. She makes herself sound like Supermom sometimes. And she probably is a great mother. It's just something about the way she "flaunts" it.

So, why do I keep reading her blog. I return daily to see if she has posted anything new or interesting. I have realized my frustration with her, so if I feel like a particular blog entry is leaning towards showiness, then I stop reading it.

Have you ever been friends with a person you just constantly "give" to? And they just "take", "take", "take"? They might be a great person, but when you talk to them it's all about them. It's a one-sided friendship. I have a semi-friend that I had in college who was very much like this. You could try to carry on a conversation with her, but whenever you started telling anything about your life or something happening it always turned back to her. My one sister is like this. It's emotionally draining for me to have a conversation with her. Anyway, that's kind of the feeling I get from reading this particular blog. Not that I want a friendship with her. I think I'm tired of reading that blog, but I doubt I'll be able to stay away. There must be something there that draws me back for more.

Anyway, for some great blog reads, check my list.

Sad

I'd like to take a moment of silence this morning for all the students, victims, and families of those affected by the shootings at VA Tech. If you read this, please take a moment to prayer for (or at least send good thoughts) the way of these people. How very sad.

I'll post something real later.

Call first

I have been doing a great job keeping up with the daily grim here in my house lately. My kitchen is spotless...almost. The floors are clean...mostly. And there is a lighter layer of dust than usual. Normally I keep up with the laundry, dishes, floors, dusting, etc. But I have been doing more. Instead of dusting maybe once a week (or once every two weeks), I'm dusting twice a week. Instead of letting dishes pile up for a day of two, I am doing dishes after every meal. And so on. And I've been cleaning other parts of the house too. I am trying hard to keep ahead of stuff instead of just making do and keeping up.

Then I look around the house in the evening. There are things on the counter in the kitchen and bath toys on the bathroom floor. And at any given point in the day I may have laundry baskets out or dishes and meal prep items on the counters. It always seems that's when someone will stop by my house. Will they even notice that I'm keeping up with my house better? So if you decide to drop by, just know that when no one is here and the baby is napping, my house is practically spotless. If you want to see my house all picked up, call before you stop.

Baby makes 4

Devan of All D's gave birth to a beautiful baby boy on Friday. She was only in labor about 5 hours and got him out in one push! Way to go Devan. He is adorable. I'm sure he's the perfect addition to their now family of 4.

Sleep problems

The sleep problems are surprisingly not with Zachariah. He's a good sleeper, and most days he takes good naps. Lately though he is having a hard time sticking with a nap schedule, so I don't know what to expect from one day to the next.

The real issue is Matt and I. Matt likes to sleep in on the weekends. He always has. I used to sleep in on Saturdays, but like most mothers that ended when I had a baby. Matt gets to blissfully slumber for extra hours while I'm up chasing the kid around, making sure he's dressed, feeding him, and whatever else needs done. So, when Zachariah was a newborn Matt was very gracious about letting me nap on Sunday afternoons. He would watch him as long as he could, until he thought he was hungry. Then of course I had to get up, so I could nurse him. That was so nice to get a little extra rest. Lately (meaning the last several months or so), I haven't been getting those desperately desired Sunday afternoon naps. If I'm lucky, I can get a small one in when Zachariah takes an afternoon nap. Then usually by the time he wakes up, I get up to find that Matt just fell asleep on the couch. And he complains that Zac comes over and bugs him and won't let him sleep. Grr, where's a frying pan when you need one.

This all leads me to what happened on this lovely Sunday afternoon. I put Zachariah down for his nap. And since I already had a load of laundry going, I figured I may as well lay down for a while. I fell asleep right away, but about 1/2 hour or so later, I heard Zachariah. It sounded like he was in the living room, though. I could tell that Matt got him up, and they were playing. So I figured it was safe to go back to sleep. I only slept a little bit off and on for about another 1/2 hour after that. But, still it was nice to get that nap. Then as I'm laying there, I heard the bedroom door open. Then I hear a squeal of excitement from my son. Matt had let him in to wake me up. I talked to him and played with him on the bed for a little while. Matt said "He was signing 'milk', so I got him some milk. He didn't want that, I don't know what he wants." *Are you kidding me!* I felt like screaming. Why can't he figure out what the boy wants? I got up out of my nice, warm, comfy bed to get a small snack for him.

It's always been this way with Matt. I don't know if he just doesn't want to deal with problems, or if he just isn't sure what to do next. I know it was worse when Zachariah was younger. I kept telling him you just have to try different things, then if that doesn't work try something else. That's how it goes with babies. Has he still not realized that yet? I guess not. Maybe by the time Zachariah's 18 he'll get it....maybe.

Capturing a Caption

I captured the picture, you give it a caption. If this works maybe I'll make it a common weekend post. I have several things floating through my head today, but I can't think of enough to make a full post. So, just a picture for now.

Here it is. Name it.

To my son

Dear precious son,

I fear that I have damaged you for life. I may have caused you to be OCD. Sorry! It's probably because I'm a little that way. I didn't mean to pawn my problems off on you too.

When you eat, you can't have anything on or around your mouth. It's funny because you wipe your mouth with the back of your hand. You do try to get any "left-overs" into your mouth, but when that doesn't work it ends up on the back of your hand. This seems to bother you less than having stuff on the front of your hands.

We haven't had much warm weather yet, but you have enjoyed being outside on the few nice days this spring. I let you wander around the driveway a little bit. You're still a little wobbly on uneven surfaces at times. So trying to walk in the grass proves futile. A few times when I was following you around the driveway you fell gently forward. You were discusted at the small stones and dirt on your hand. It was funny watching you try to stand up with your little hands stretched out in front of you like they had the plague and might infect you at any moment. You were not going to use those hands when they were so dirty. I came over and tried to rectify the problem by showing you if you brush your hands together it will get most of the dirt off. That seemed to help.

I know the problem with food on your face was started by me, and to be fair Grandma warned me. When I first started feeding you rice cereal and other baby foods, I always kept your mouth clean. If a little bit got on your face, I promptly wiped it off with the spoon or a wet rag. I still do this. But now it's funny to watch you wipe things off immediately, because they must bug you immensely the way you do it.

I suppose I will be the cause of other things you do in life that may not be the best. You'll probably be a perfectionist too. Sorry for that as well. Although your father could play a role in that too. I guess that's what you get for being the first-born child to two first-borns.

I just hope that we'll do enough good things to you that you will still turn out to be a good person. Not that I don't think you will be good, but I hope that you can function in life like a normal member of society. And then there is only so much I can do. You will be who God created you to be. I'm OK with that. It's a good thing you're so lovable.

Love,
Mommy

To Paris

This is funny. I'm ready to go. Will you join me?


--Go to Google.com (or click my link below for the next step)
--Click on Maps.
--Click on get Directions.
--From New York,New York
--To Paris,France.
--And read line # 23.

Disjointed

This is a pretty random post about things I've been thinking/wondering about or experiencing.


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I don't watch American Idol, but I hear about it all the time. (I'm not opposed to it, we watched Season2 and part of 3.) What's up with this Sanjaya? I hear about him constantly on TV. It seems that people have an extreme love or hate for the kid. Is it a popularity contest or a singing contest? Anyway, I'm just tired of hearing about him. Don't vote for him if you don't want him to stay in the contest. And if he stays in, then I guess people like him. I wish the media would let it go.

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Taxes are due on Monday. We did ours weeks ago. Why do people wait until the last minute? Taxes come at the same time every year. I suppose if you have to pay in it's not as much fun. We've always gotten money back, so I don't mind doing ours. In fact we already have our tax return back, and that's why we decided to buy this new laptop. The rest of the money will be spent on home improvement projects.


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Should preschoolers be allowed online? There is a toy which is supposedly popular for this age group. It looks like a stuffed animal, but you can interact with it online. So, would you let your preschooler use the Internet? I'm not sure what I would do. I guess I'll cross that road when I come to it. I suppose Zachariah will have an interest in computers when he's young, because Matt and I use computers A LOT. But the Internet, I don't think I'm comfortable with such a young child using that. We already have parental controls ready to install on our computers. We know we don't want our children to have computers in their rooms. It will be in a central location where we can monitor their time online.

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Zachariah loves his cereal in the morning. I think it's the only reason he wakes up. He usually gets up has cereal and milk and a banana. Then within the next 1/2 hour he's ready for a nap. He rarely stays up longer than that after his breakfast. Now it does take him about 1/2 hour to an hour to eat breakfast. Mostly he takes his time sitting in his high chair munching on cereal. It's cute. I'll leave you with pictures of breakfast this morning.

He was in a hurry to get to that cereal. ;)

Mmm, love that "life". I'm thinking I should send this to Quaker Cereals for something. Maybe they'll cast him in a commercial.

Think Spring

Do you think it will help? If I imagine warm, spring weather, will it happen? Ahh, I can hope! It's cold and rainy today. At least the rain does make me think it's actually spring. But it has been way to cold this past week. And it sounds like it's here to stay for a while longer. Yuck! I am ready for some warmth and sunshine.

In 4 short weeks, we'll be on our way to the beach. I can't wait! We're going to Emerald Isle, North Carolina. We go to North Carolina with my family at least every other year. This will be Zachariah's first trip to the ocean. Last time we went to NC both of my sisters got engaged that week, and Zachariah was either conceived that week or shortly after. Apparently vacations are relaxing. ;)

First of all I'm concerned about the LONG drive to NC from here. I don't know how Zachariah will be in the car all day long. We're driving about 8-10 hours the first day. Then we'll go about another 4-5 the next morning. I think splitting the trip up will help. Last time Matt and I drove all the way through with my sister and Jared. But I told them I didn't want to try it this time. We might consider driving all the way home in one day, though.

It will be great to lay in the sun and relax a little. I know it won't be as easy as before, because I'll be chasing a toddler up and down the beach and making sure he gets naps. I'm sure he'll play so hard that nap time won't be an issue. But, I also will have 6 extra people there to help that I don't normally have here during the day. And grandparents and an aunt and uncle that can't wait to spend more time with him will be nice too. It will finally give Matt and I a chance to get away for a night by ourselves. And maybe I will get some beach-bumming in.

So, I suppose if the weather insists on staying cold for now, I'll just have to imagine myself on the beach.

The single life

What do you do when you go to a non-parent friend's house with your toddler/baby? I tried to make a subtle comment about how he gets into everything when I talked to my friend before we went to her place. But this friend (lets call her Colleen) has lots of knick-knacks, photo frames, and other things all within reach of my son. Yikes! Thank goodness I had the foresight to put the pack-n-play in the back of my car. I went to retrieve it from the car within the first 5 minutes. Luckily we don't use it often, so Zachariah thought it was something fun. I had brought along some of the new toys he'd gotten for Easter and hadn't played with yet, so they were fun and exciting. This bought me a little time to sit and talk to my friend with my son happily playing beside us. We got him out to walk around the house a few times. Then I put him back in the pack-n-play and gave him a snack. Finally after being there for over 2 hours, I had to pack things up, because he needed to get home for a nap.

But, how do you take your children anywhere that they can get into things like that? I'm just looking for advice for next time this happens. My son is very active, and he'd much rather explore the house than play with toys. That's the way he is at home too.

Broken pieces

Sometimes you have to break something to get it replaced. At least that's what I found out today. Yesterday I opened the bi-fold doors to our laundry closet, and the piece connecting it to the top runner broke off. Well, actually the wood holding that piece in split right down the middle. These doors are old, and we're discussed replacing them anyway. They will stay up for a while the way they are, so it's no big deal. Still I felt really bad for having broken it, even though I really didn't do it. Matt told me today that we can go tonight and get new closet doors to install. What?! If I knew it was going to be that easy to get things taken care of, I would have started breaking things a long time ago. Hmm, what can I break next.

Hoppy Easter

I hope that your Easter was great. We had a lot of fun. Zachariah says Easter eggs are great! (Yes, I snapped that picture just as the egg flew out of his hand. Looks like it's floating in air.) Zachariah was a snazziest dressed boy everywhere we went. He was so cute in his little Easter suit.

The real Easter Bunny

We had a busy day today, but I have a feeling that it will not compare to the crazy schedule we have for tomorrow. Today we went across town to get a few groceries. Matt went to a meat locker to stock up on meat for our freezer. He dropped me off at the salon for a hair cut. I got about 6+ inches cut off. It was getting really long, and I was ready for a change. It is now shoulder length. I will try to get a picture of it soon and I'll post it for you to see. This afternoon we went out of town to an electronics store. We had decided to buy a new laptop, and Matt had done research and decided which one to get. We went to pick it up at the store we knew had it. It's a really nice laptop. It sure beats the old one from Matt's work that I'd been using. We do have a nice desktop computer, but it's hard for me to use that when Zachariah is playing during the day. I like having a computer that's easier to access when I have some free time. This one will be nice to use. It also has a built-in web cam, so when Matt's traveling we can talk to him and see him. We're thinking it will be really handy if Matt gets this job and goes away for 2 months for training out of state. We're heading to bed soon, since we'll have to get an early start tomorrow.

In the morning we're going to an early service at church. 7:00AM. Zachariah is never out of bed before that. We're hoping we can at least get him up and dressed when we need to go. Oh, we found the cutest Easter outfit for Zachariah. I will definitely post a picture of him in it. Then we're staying for breakfast at church, and we have a class after that. It should all be over by 10:30AM. And then we will head up to my parents' house for a big family dinner. Hopefully Zachariah will sleep on the way there. I'm sure he'll be happy to see everyone there. It should be a fun day. And of course I can't wait until Zachariah sees his Easter basket.

Oh, I almost forgot while we were out today, we stopped in a pet store. They had bunnies in a bin there. Easter bunnies, of course. Matt lifted one out for Zachariah. He loved it. He petted it oh so gently. And he smiled the whole time. Then when Matt put it back, he wanted to see it again. He found another one to pick up, and Zachariah was one happy boy.

Stop! IN the name of the LAW

When I did my Big 50 post my #2 was that I get along great with my in-laws. Really, we all get along great. It is so sad to me when I see that people don't get along with their in-laws. I feel like they could be missing out on a fantastic relationship. I guess I've never seen anything differently. My parents (who are still married after 29 years) get along great with each others parents. My dad was there for my mom's parents when my grandfather was very ill and dying. He was there to reassure my grandfather that he would help take care of my grandmother. (My mom only has sisters, so I think my grandfather worried that things around the house wouldn't be taken care of.) My dad still to this day looks out for my grandmother. And he does it with a smile on his face...even when my grandmother has called him for the 3rd time about a particular problem. He's sees that as part of who she is, and he deals with it. In the same regard, I've only seen my mother treat my father's parents with complete respect. She's there for my grandmother when she needs someone to talk to. And she'd help with anything they needed. I'm sure that part of my life experience has been molded too by the fact that I've never dealt with divorce in my family. My paternal grandparents are still married after 49 years (and many problems) and 7 children. My maternal grandparents were married almost 45 years before my grandfather passed away. And like I said my parents are still married too. I think that is awesome! I feel so blessed for this too.

OK, my in-laws. They have been married for over 29 years now. Their parents (now all passed on) were married for a long time too. My father-in-law has always been a caring soul. He's a quiet shoulder to cry on whenever you need one. He's fun and likes spontaneous adventure. My mother-in-law is a dear person. She is very kind to everyone. She would give you the shirt off her back. She goes out of her way and lives to do things for her family. They have both always treated me as one of their own children. They have shown me nothing but love and respect (even when they don't agree with me).

Now, I have to tell you a funny story about my mother-in-law. We don't hear from her very often, unless we reach out to contact her. She is afraid that she'll interfere in our lives. I've told her before that she would NEVER do that. And she wouldn't. She's afraid of doing it, though, because of how her mother-in-law was when she first got married. Her mother-in-law would call EVERY night and asked what she was making "her" son for dinner. Did it include meat AND potatoes? From what I hear she just liked to step on my mother-in-laws feet for those first few months of their marriage. So, she in turn is afraid that she might be that way to us. But like I said, it is not part of her to act like that.

We made it VERY clear to them when I was pregnant that we expected them to be involved in our child's life. We didn't want them to think they needed to walk on eggshells around us. We've never given them any reason to do that. And they have been great since we had Zachariah. We see them a little more often now.

My father-in-law thought I was a bit overbearing with Zachariah when he was an infant. (I was, by the way, and I knew it.) He told me that he'd said this to someone. He felt guilty about it later, and he came and apologized to me. He said none of that really mattered, because he knew that I was a wonderful mother. That was so nice of him. I appreciated it. I really fussed over Zachariah when he was a baby. (Who am I kidding, I still do.) I didn't care what anyone else said, because that was just the way it was going to be. I will probably be that way with the next one too. Maybe I've lightened up enough that it won't matter the second time around.

Anyway, I think you get the idea about my in-laws. They have always welcomed me with open arms. I know they would do anything for me. And most important of all, they have prayed for me and my family. And through them God will bless us. And He'll bless them for being the saints they are.

Momma said there'll be days like this

Today was quite a day.

First, I'm on day 2 of my period. Arrgghh! And I was out of tampons this morning. I went to the store to stock up and then I saw this product. It caught my interest after the discussion on Swistle's and others' blogs about the diva cup. I have considered something like that. So when I saw the "Instead" product, I figured it would be a good way to give that type of product a try. This particular "cup" is not reusable like others. I have been using it today, and I like it. I won't go into all the gory details here, but it's comfortable and much easier than all the other stuff I normally deal with. But in general I have the period ickiness. I want to go to bed early. My neck is stiff and giving me a headache. And I get moody in a split second. But I'm hoping that tomorrow will be a better day.

Secondly, Zachariah was a CRAB today! I'm not sure what the problem was. Maybe he sense my ickiness? Who knows. He seemed to be in a good mood when he woke up. Then he hit his head on the bathroom door, because he was so excited to see me come out and he came flying at me. He was so upset and it was time for a nap. But, he only slept for an hour. His nap schedule has been so screwed up these past few weeks. I need to try to re-establish a better schedule. He did OK when we went to the store, but he refused lunch when we got home. He seemed grouchy, so I laid him down for a nap. He stayed awake in his bed for 2 hours! He fussed a few times, and I went in to tuck him back in. Mostly he stayed in his bed and "talked" to himself. He got up and wanted to eat. Imagine that! So I fed him and he played for a little while. No more than an hour later, he was getting tired. So, back to bed he went. He fell right asleep this time. The problem with later afternoon naps is that I have to wake him up, so I can go tutor. Then he threw a little fit just before he went to bed tonight too. Grrrr. That didn't sit well with me. Luckily he went right to sleep. I hope he wakes up on the better side of the bed tomorrow.

Matt and I were discussing how cranky Zachariah had been today. He just laughs and says "And you think you want another one." This is what I hear every time something goes wrong. I told him "Yes, I do. All kids have days like this." He says this makes him think he's done having children. I know, I know. But, I am NOT done having children. We've had this discussion, and he knows that. Actually, I think he is willing to have one more...just not quite yet.

Tomorrow WILL be a better day. I'll keep telling myself that. Actually, tomorrow Matt is taking the afternoon off. His parents are coming to visit. His mom wants to do a little shopping, then they're taking us out for dinner. Sounds like fun! I hope Zachariah gets a nap, so he's in a good mood.

Danger Zone

How can we constantly keep our children from harm? Just thinking about this makes my heart ache. We all see it on the news every day. A child wanders away from his parents never to be seen again. Kidnappings. Rapes. What a sad world we live in.

We all think that we're doing the best for our children and watching them all the time. This would never happen to our children. But the parents of the children who were kidnapped probably think they're protecting their children in the same way. How paranoid should we be about this?

In one book I read about parenting the author tells about his views about being around your kids all the time. ("First Time Mom" by Dr. Kevin Leman) He shares that he and his wife never let any of their 5 children stay overnight with friends. They didn't feel that was safe. How well do you know they parents? How well do you know any other family members that may enter that house? And many other questions. To some extent I feel that this is a bit extreme. We stayed over at friends' houses all the time when we were kids/teens. Yes, it does pay to know the family, though. On the other hand, how well will that parent watch the children. My child? Do I really trust that they will do things the way I do them? Do they know that their uncle who happens to stop by is a child molester? Stuff like that scares me. So maybe my children will never sleep over at any one's house.

It's just a whole big issue on how do we protect our children. My son fell into the door, and he consequently had a HUGE bruise on his head for several days. Was I watching my son? Yes! Could I have saved him from getting hurt? No, it happened so quickly that I couldn't have stopped it. I think the only way to protect him from physical harm (at this age) is to wrap him in huge sheets of bubble wrap. Do you think that would work? But then we'd need to talk about the psychological damage it would cause him in elementary school.

For now I'll just trust in God to protect my family. I'll continue to pray over them daily. I'll tuck my son into bed at night, knowing I'll see him safe and sound in the morning.

Tent makers

After lunch today, I decided to make a little tent in the living room for Zachariah to play in. I thought he might enjoy crawling in and out and playing with his toys in there. Actually, he really did like it. He kept laughing when I peeked inside. Then he'd peek out at me when he was playing by himself. He played with that thing for almost an hour. He wore himself out, and he was ready for an early nap! Wow, that doesn't happen often! I have been trying to convince him to even take an afternoon nap for the last few weeks. Then he usually only gets a small nap in before I'm waking him up, so we can go to tutoring. So, I hope that he'll be in a great mood tonight.

This afternoon at the after-school program I work at, we're having an Easter party for the younger kids. I stuffed eggs for an Easter egg hunt. Then we're going to help them dye eggs and a few other crafts. It should be fun. I just hope it doesn't get too out of control. Those are days I come home with a headache.

Yesterday I took Zachariah to the playground. It was 78 and sunny! So nice. Today -- I see snowflakes coming down out there. Welcome to Ohio.

The big 5-0!

Well, this is my 50th post since I started this blog. I have enjoyed blogging so far, and I think it's something I will keep up for a while. I've never been good at journaling, but I've always felt like I needed someway to vent and share my life and feelings. This is working out perfectly for me. I haven't found my blog niche yet, but I think I will some day. Until then I'll keep up my random blogging.

So, in honor of my 50th blog, I'm going to make a list of 50 random things about me. I'll try to make it interesting. We'll see how this goes.

1. My middle name is Jean. Ugh. I'm not terribly fond of it, but I don't know what I would choose instead. It is my mother's and grandmother's middle name. I used to feel like I should pass it on to my firstborn girl, because that's how it's gone so far. But I don't think I could do that now. (It happens to be my mother-in-law's middle name too. Strange.)

2. I LOVE my in-laws! I know so many people who have in-law trouble. I don't! They're great! My second set of parents. We have always gotten along great. (Maybe this will make a good future post about them.)

3. If my son would have been a girl his name would have been Layla Nichole. I don't think I'd choose this for future children. We didn't talk about girl names for very long before we found out we were having a boy, so if it would have been a girl I'm sure other names would have come up. Who knows if I would have stuck with the name. I didn't want to name the baby before it was born. I think I will always be that way. I want options until the end.

4. I hate ironing. I don't mind doing laundry, but I want NOTHING to do with anything that needs ironed.

5. I don't have a dishwasher, and that sucks.

6. We couldn't really put a dishwasher in this kitchen unless we completely remodeled. And that's out of the question for now.

7. I've lived in Ohio all my life. Actually, I lived in the same house from birth until I got married. And my parents lived there 2 years before I came along, and they just moved 2 years ago. They bought a nicer house out in the country about 3 miles from where we grew up.

8. I was a virgin until I got married. The honeymoon was fun.

9. I don't drink coffee, but I worked in a coffee shop for a year. I can make any coffee drink, and I loved the smell of it. Couldn't drink it, though. Well, I tried things, I just wouldn't choose to drink coffee/espresso.

10. I can play 3 instruments: piano, trumpet, and french horn. I've played piano since I was 5 and walked to my neighbors house early every Saturday morning for lessons. I still play. I started playing trumpet in 5th grade and played all through high school. I've played for church a few times, and I pull it out occasionally. I learned the French Horn in high school, but I never played it much. I still remember how, and I would love to get one to play again.

11. I married my high school sweetheart. We started dating when we were freshman. It's only gotten better the longer we're together. We'll celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary this summer.

12. I majored in Elementary Education in college and minored in Math. I am certified to teach grades 1-8 in the state of Ohio, and Math is listed as my concentration area on my certificate.

13. When I was a kid I wanted to be a teacher or a missionary.

14. I always knew I wanted to be a stay at home mom. I couldn't wait to become a mother. (It's exceeded my expectations.)

15. I have 2 younger sisters - Rachel & Mary. Rachel and I are best friends. Mary and I hardly talk, and when we do I stew about her for a week afterwards. Her life has gone a different direction that I'd have hoped for her. I hope that she gets things straightened out before she gets hurt worse than she has.

16. I have never been drunk. To be more precise I've never had more than one drink at a particular time. And then only drinks I've had are margaritas, daiquiris, wine coolers, and wine (which I'm not thrilled about). I probably have an alcoholic beverage a few times a year. Yep, that's me a goody-two-shoes. Actually there are many reasons for this. I don't want to take up this whole thing telling about it. Let's just say I'm not opposed to having alcohol, but I'm not really that fond of it.

17. I love to bake! Cakes, cookies, other desserts. I love to be creative and try new things. I can make fancy stuff, but I rarely do. I don't bake much, so it's even more fun when I do.

18. I hate dusting, but it feels very satisfying when I do it.

19. I kill houseplants. Well, I have a few that I've managed to keep alive for a few years. But I have no room for them.

20. In high school, Matt and I saw "Titanic" 3 times when it was in the theaters. We own 2 copies of it on video tape now. One is unopened (maybe we can sell it some day).

21. I'm a dork. I'm sure you've figured this out by my list so far. Ha.

22. I still have my bouquet of flowers from my wedding. It's in my living room as decoration. We dried the flowers, and it still looks pretty.

23. I love buying baby clothes. My son's wardrobe is so much nicer than mine. He has more outfits and much nicer ones too.

24. I like Sudoku puzzles. The more challenging, the better.

25. I can't "Magic Eye". :(

26. I like to cross-stitch, but I haven't done any in a while. I've been getting the itch again. I might start some new projects, and then I'll have something to do on vacation next month.

27. My favorite vacation spot is the beach in North Carolina. We've stayed at the Outer Banks, Atlantic Beach, and Emerald Isle. Emerald Isle is my favorite, and that's where we're going in May.

28. I watch reality TV, especially in the summer when only reruns are on.

29. I travelled to Paris, France with my family for a week while I was in college. It was amazing, and I want to go back someday.

30. I would love to travel all over Europe someday.

31. I like to pen pal via snail mail. I used to have quite a few pen pals, but I've cut back to a few favorite friends. It's fun.

32. I love Sanrio stationery.

33. I had a math teacher in high school who was a genius. If there was time left at the end of class, he would let us ask him trivia questions. We were always trying to stump him. I don't think we ever did. The man knew how many "flowers" there are on an Oreo - among many other useless bits of trivia. I loved his classes.

34. My favorite flower is a daisy, and I have a bed of them in front of my house. I love when they're in full-bloom in the middle of summer.

35. I was a writer, and later editor, for my college newspaper The Defender. I still have issues of it saved in files.

36. My favorite things to wear are jeans and a comfy shirt.

37. I want to learn to crochet. I bought supplies and an instruction book once, but I need someone to show me I think. I just can't quite figure it out.

38. I tend to be a night owl, and Matt is an early bird.

39. My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. I love being all warm and snugly in sweaters and warm houses. It's not as hectic as Christmas, but we get to see all our families.

40. I don't know what I would do without high-speed Internet. After having it for so long, I think I might give up the Internet if I didn't have high-speed.

41. I have a MySpace account. Eek.

42. My hair is pretty long right now, and I'm thinking about cutting quite a bit off. I'll probably do it this month if I do.

43. My parents are 2 of my best friends. I could talk to either of them about anything and everything. They are awesome!

44. I can't wait to have another baby.

45. Actually, I want more than one more baby. I'd like 4-5 kids total.

46. Matt isn't sure he wants anymore children. (I try to reassure him that not all children have the same temperament as Zachariah - not that his is bad but he prefers Mommy.)

47. It took us 1 1/2 - 2 years to get pregnant for Zachariah. I think that's why I'm ready to start trying for another baby any time now. I worry a little that it could take that long again.

48. I LOVED being pregnant. The aches, pains, and morning sickness I didn't really mind too awfully bad. I was a pretty easy-going pregnant woman. I didn't have too many complaints. And it's not that they weren't warranted.

49. I'd ideally like to be down at least 25 pounds before I get pregnant again. (I'm working on it, see #50.)

50. I lost 5 pounds this last week and a half! YEAH!

Ok, I finally finished my silly list. If you lasted this long, I hope you enjoyed getting to know more about me. I was running out of things to say.

Contest

I have never done this before, but there is a contest going on over at 5 Minutes for Mom. Go check it out. Sign up so you can win a new Dyson Slim vacuum. Then you just have to post about it on your blog. Works for me. Good luck! Thanks Mommy Brain for showing me the way.

Funny bunny

The Easter Bunny photo session went GREAT! Zachariah loved the Easter Bunny. I sat him down in the bunny's lap, and he turned around and smiled the biggest smile ever. He kept staring at the bunny. He thought it was great. Then we got him to turn around and face me for the picture. He gave me one of his infamous "cheesy" grins. It turned out cute though.



OK, now with the cuteness out of the way, I can't believe how much Zachariah is doing and saying all of the sudden lately. It's like a little explosion of activity. I started making a list of all the things he says and all the signs he does regularly. I was surprised at how many I could quickly add to the list. And I just added two new signs in the last two days. He "says" about 9 words (mostly small jabbering words). And he has 12 good signs. There are other signs he recognized, but he has yet to sign them back to me. He surprises me daily with his knowledge though. Before I know it he'll be talking so much I won't be able to shut him up. But that's OK. That just means one more adventure in his life. I can't wait.


Last night when Zachariah was playing after supper, he was starting to act tired. I asked him if it was time for bed. He signed bed, got up, and started walking towards his bedroom. All the way into his room he'd sign bed, and wave bye bye, bed, bye bye, bed, bye bye. All of the way in there. We were laughing hysterically. Then he came back out of his room with his blankie and pacifier - both of which he only gets at bedtime. So cute! We knew he was ready for bed. It's great. So off to dreamland he went.