Monday, November 1, 2010

Husband Hunting?

I know all moms think their sons are great, but my toddler already possesses many qualities that will make him a great husband in say, 25 years.

1. He likes to follow behind you and close drawers and doors, so your house will always be neat and orderly.

2. He can often be found picking up small crumbs or tiny pieces of trash off the floor and putting them straight into the trash can.

3. He is very adept at putting clothes from the washer into the dryer and emptying the dishwasher.

4. The first thing he wants to do in the morning is sit with his Bible and read to himself, so he will be a great spiritual leader.

5. He likes a routine to his day, but can be flexible if needed.

6. His favorite place to be is outside, so he will enjoy going for hikes and strolls along the beach.

7. While outside, one if his favorite toys is the tractor, so your lawn will always be immaculate.

8. He likes to be near you, so you will never feel abandoned or lonely.

9. He has highly advanced skills in solving puzzles and matching shapes, so he will be a great Mr. Fix-it for around the house.

10. Plus he comes with a great set of in-laws :)

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween!!

Each year for Halloween our church holds a "trunk or treat" event where kids go from car to car and get candy and play games. Trey enjoyed picking out a piece of candy to put in his bag. He also loved the games, especially any that involved throwing a ball or bean bag! I had to hold his bag and help him during the games, thus no pictures. Jay is part of the committee that puts this event on, but he was able to break away from his responsibilities to help Trey trick or treat.

Trey is taking in all the craziness going on around him. Everyone loved the chef costume his Nana made for him.


While at first we kept saying, go get a piece of candy and Trey had no clue what "candy" was, he quickly learned whatever it is goes into the bag. He had 1 m & m for his Halloween candy this year.





Towards the end Trey decided it was more fun to play with rocks in the parking lot than to collect more candy :)

After we got home the chef decided to make a yummy meal! Don't all great chefs stir with their mouths' wide open?
Happy Halloween!

Lazy Saturday Mornings

This is my favorite time all week.



Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Apples Galore!

This past Saturday Trey and I went to the farmer's marker. We stocked up on local eggs, butter, soap and tons of apples! Trying to carry two bags full of apples and have a toddler follow you to the car (when he wants to go to the playground) makes for an interesting trip! I had wanted to go to the apple orchard to pick apples one Saturday, but I didn't know if that would line up with our busy fall schedule, and I was not attempting to take Trey by myself. This was the perfect solution- fresh, local apples, way cheaper than the grocery store, and it took less than 5 minutes to purchase them!



I have many plans for the bags of apples! I bought 1/2 bushel of golden delicious and 1/4 bushel of gala apples. Gala apples are usually my favorite to the eat, but the golden delicious taste even better than the gala ones this time. So far I have made apple cinnamon muffins and am in the process of canning 6 jars of apple pie filling.




I have also used this as a great excuse to buy that food processor I have been wanting forever. Hopefully once that is purchased I can get more apples to make applesauce.


Trey loves to just walk by the bag, pull out an apple and start eating it. They are his favorite snack. One time he decided he needed an apple in each hand to snack on and took one bite out of each one. We are working on that...


After we got home from the farmer's market Trey wanted to eat some apple pieces. At first he walked around holding the piece while he wandered. Apparently this caused him too much difficulty with playing, so he decided to free up his hands and put the whole piece in his mouth, well at least all that fit into his mouth.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Fluffy Bum!

I absolutely love Trey's cloth diapers! We had never known anyone who had used the "modern" cloth diapers so after a lot of internet research we went out on a limb and bought 2 dozen Bum Genius 3.0 one size diapers before Trey was born. We got a lot skeptical responses when we told people we were planning to use cloth. We have used these same diapers since Trey was 3 weeks old! Here is a picture of Trey in his green diaper for Earth Day last year. Isn't he so cute and little!! Despite his lineage Trey has always had very skinny legs- thus making the diaper look a little big, but it was a perfect fit with no leeks!



Originally the idea for cloth diapers was Jay's and not my own. I told him I didn't mind, but that it would be hard with us both working to keep up with the laundry. 17 months later and it has not been a problem at all. Plus Jay is always willing to stay up late to put the diapers in the dryer for the next day. No you read that correctly, he has never complained if I forget to start the diapers until 8 and he has to stay up. I know- I am very lucky!



This picture was taken last October when Trey was six months old. The diapers are on the medium setting. I love all the colors! So much cuter than big bird or elmo in plastic!

I have no walking, toddler pics of the Trey in his diapers because sadly, he can take them off by himself (such a clever little one!) and so we quickly have to pull up his pants or snap his top when we do diaper changes.

This past week we have had a bit of a problem with a rash on T's bottom. This has never happened before this summer. I prided myself on choosing cloth because my child has always had a rash-free bottom! Well- no longer. I thought it was just the heat for a long time and during his 15 month appointment in July the pediatrician said diaper rash was common during teething and Trey has been cutting new teeth whenever the rash appeared (off and on all summer). However, after doing lots of research on what can cause a rash with cloth diapers I realized we had a detergent buildup and that my detergent (which I thought was free of everything!) actually had enzymes in it, causing the rash on my child's bum.

I bought new detergent and have spent all day washing my diapers in REALLY hot water over and over again until all the suds are gone and the diapers are completely free of any build up. Despite the rash and the whole day of diaper stripping (that is the word for this in the cloth diaper world) I still love my cloth and can't wait to go back.

We have been using disposables since Wednesday so I could figure out the best way to strip these diapers and get them ready for wear again. I cannot stand disposables! They stink for one thing. I don't want to smell the diaper before I even put it on my child. They hold an insane amount of liquid, which constantly reminds me of the amount of chemicals on my child's bum that are holding in the liquid. They make Trey's room stinky (even in a diaper pail!) way worse than used cloth diapers before they are washed.

To all those people who told me we were crazy for using cloth or that we would never stick with it- I would never go back to disposables! And you bet we are using cloth for baby number 2!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Bring on the Maternity Pants!

Today was my first day back at work. (Which is a whole other post!) Meaning my first day in a long time (besides going to church) to get up to an alarm clock, put on makeup, and wear clothes other than a tshirt and workout capris/shorts. I put on a pair of capris I had no problem wearing a few weeks ago and a longer top to cover my belly. No one ones to see a baby belly poking out when I raise my arms to staple up my bulletin boards. Why bulletin boards are all taller than me I am not sure, but thus that is my lot in life!

Anyways, around 11 am I noticed my waistband feeling a big snug and going lower than my belly. By the time I got home today I couldn't wait to take my pants off. A whole day of wearing constricting, not giving, belly rubbing pants was no fun!! Maternity pants are usually made of some type of stretchy material that allows you more freedom of movement plus a never ending stretchy waistband. I am 19 weeks pregnant, I need to just face the facts that I cannot wear my normal clothes anymore. To finish up organizing my classroom you can bet I will be wearing maternity pants tomorrow!

By the way, as soon as I came home I changed back into my tshirt and athletic shorts with an elastic waistband. Ahhh.....

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Real Food

In case you did not realize this, I live with two EXTREMELY picky eaters. In fact it is easier to just list what they do eat as opposed to want they don't. And of course they do not both eat the same foods. Yes I am talking about my son and my husband. Although my other family member, Cooper the lab, eats anything you put in front of him. Maybe I should start inviting him to meal times so someone appreciates my cooking. Hmmm....

This causes me to pull out my hair at meal time. I have been known to make 3 meals for three people. I refuse to do this any longer. In my husband's defense, he is at least consistent in what he eats. If I put a piece of chicken in front of him he will eat it no matter what. Trey is not so consistent. For example, he loves grapes, both green and purple. For a few weeks there was a sale on purple grapes so that was all I bought. Then I found a good deal on green grapes and he refused to eat them. They are the same thing! It's like I have to remind him, remember, you like this! I know this is a typical toddler thing, but I am over it.

Sorry this post was not supposed to be my rantings about trying to fix nice family dinners everyone eats, it is about real food. Sometime last spring I picked up a book Jay had ordered called In Defense of Food by Michael Pollen. This is the same guy who wrote Omnivore's Dilemma. This book along with a class at my church really changed my whole perspective on food. The whole point of the book is that you should eat food, not too much, and mostly fruits and vegetables. Luckily since Jay had ordered this book himself he was willing to read it and agreed with many of the ideas.

Now we are the proud owners of a grain mill and grind our own flour for food each day. I use this to make pancakes, muffins, tortillas, bread, rolls, cookies, cakes, pretty much any bread product you can imagine. I could go on my soap box and tell you all about the benefits of freshly ground flour, but I will save that for another post. For now I am just working on making the food that does make it into the mouth of my family the best quality that can be.

We also try to buy locally and what is in season. I don't think I have ever eaten as many peaches in my life as I have in the past month. We shop at farmer's markets, natural food stores, and website for our food. This does not mean we do not use Kroger, but we are more inventive and try to rely on what we can make ourselves (homemade yogurt anyone... ) and what we can get from local farmers.

This does take extra time and effort. I have to plan ahead for meals, try to get things ready the night before or during nap time, but it is worth it. After making my own tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes I cannot go back to just a store bought jar. Our journey into only eating real foods has just begun and I am sure it will be tested when we go back to school, but for now it is an exciting adventure. Who knew the joy I would experience when Trey gobbles up a zucchini muffin!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

July

Despite Jay and I being "off" of work this month, our family has been really busy. I use "off" of work lightly because taking care of a toddler all day while being pregnant leaves me way more exhausted than teaching a classroom full of 7 and 8 year olds. Probably because at work the students listen when I say no, do not throw important objects (i.e. remote) repeatedly into the trashcan, can walk themselves up and down stairs independently and for the most part do not cry when they do not get their way. Not that my precious child ever does those things :)

In the middle of July we had our niece and nephew come stay with us for a week during VBS at our church. Having a 1, 5, and 9 year old was a new experience for us. We all had a great time and I do not think I have ever done so many dishes in one week! The dishwasher was exhausted by Friday :) We enjoyed a free trip to the transportation museum (a teacher perk) during the week and many swims in the creek. We now have a new "rock collection" beside our home courtesy of the creek trips.





After VBS week we rested, cleaned the house (all those kids make a mess!) and Jay and I took at trip to the Barter Theatre. For Christmas Jay's brother got us tickets to the Barter. It was such a nice trip and Trey enjoyed spending the day with Grandma and Grandpa. I spent the car ride reading and sleeping- two things you cannot do on a road trip with a toddler! We got to eat lunch at The House on Main, a beautiful old home that has been turned in a restaurant. We sat on the front porch and enjoyed the cool, breezy day. After we ordered I felt restless at the table. This was our first meal in a restaurant without Trey since Thanksgiving. I felt like I needed to whip out some toys, cheerios, or just be too preoccupied making sure Trey was happy to participate in a conversation. But don't worry- we did have a nice conversation :) The musical was wonderful and we came back that night refreshed and rejuvenated. Here are pictures of the view from our table and the restaurant.





Finally, to end the month we went on vacation to Oak Island, NC. We had a great time visiting with our friends and enjoying the beach. Trey LOVED the sand and water, especially all the hard sand left after the tide went out in the afternoon. We spent most mornings and late afternoons playing in the sand and waves. Trey even befriended our friends' dog that came to the beach as well. By the end of the week Trey would touch Mabel (ok sometimes hit...) and let the Mabel walk all around him. Trey also enjoyed pointing to all the pelicans and sea gulls on the beach. Notice the immense amount of sand all over Trey in the beach pictures! I did not know sand could end up in so many little cracks and crevices!




Saturday, July 17, 2010

Fears

When I was a child I was scared of thunderstorms. So was my dog. We used to huddle up in the hallway of my parent's house and wait out until the worst of the lightning and thunder was gone. As a teenager I worked at a girl's camp in the middle of the woods. Needless to say there were plenty of thunderstorms that raged through those mountains and I got really good at putting on a brave face for the girls. So everyone assumes I am no longer afraid of thunderstorms, that instead I just don't like them. Well I am here to confirm that my heart skips a beat every time I see a flash of lightning and the sound of rolling thunder causes my stomach to knot. Since we moved out into the woods ourselves and into a house that is 150 years old I have tried to pacify my fears by assuring myself that the present storm cannot possibly be the worst storm this house has ever seen so of course it will still be standing after the storm is over.

I know some of you think I am crazy. My own husband loves storms and would love nothing more than to open all the blinds and watch the lightning and pouring rain in all it's glory (traitor!) while I try to remain calm curled up into a ball. This is one of those childhood fears that is supposed to go away, but for me it never did. I think because the second biggest thing I am afraid of it is fire. Why? because fire can kill people. I know, so can cars, but when you have a fear you tend to think irrationally. This is why I do not enjoy fireworks on the Fourth of July, or holding a burning firecracker or match in my hand. So back to the whole storm thing, lightning causes fire thus it is dangerous and not safe to be around (in my head). I understand that thunder cannot hurt you but being close enough to hear such noise must mean lightning (thus fire) is somewhere in the vicinity.

By now you are probably wondering what brought about this long post about my fear of thunderstorms. Well last Friday, July 9th, lightning struck right outside our home. Trey and I were home alone and Trey was eating a snack in the kitchen when the storm began. My brother called on the phone and I tried to have a decent conversation before saying I had to go because the wind was picking up and lightning can travel into things that are electrical, thus urging me to get off the phone way faster than I normally would have. I picked Trey up from his highchair while he clutched his sippy cup of milk. I was trying really hard not to project my fear of storms onto him, but it was getting really close and the wind was howling and the rain was pelting on the tin roof and I really did not know the best place to take the two of us to play and distract ourselves till the storm was over because there are windows in every room. So I stood holding Trey in the living room and a huge bolt of lightning (the closest in my life!) struck somewhere right outside of the window of the living room and the thunder came simultaneously and shook the whole house. I tightened my grip on my son and took him to the closet under the stairwell to wait until the storm was over. This may have been a bit over the top but I didn't know what to do. I was scared out of my mind that lightning was going to hit the house or a tornado was going to blow through the area (thus the hiding in the closet). Trey was very good this whole time. He let me hold him (I tried to stop shaking so he wouldn't sense my fear) and just drank his milk. If you laugh at the mental image of me holding Trey while he looks at my like I am crazy for standing in the closet and he is drinking his milk it is ok, I understand. Looking back it would have been funny to be a fly on the wall.

About ten minutes later the storm finally past and we came out of our hiding spot while I surveyed the situation. I tried to call Jay but the phones didn't work. I tried to turn on the tv to check the weather but the satellite was out. Why did the satellite dish and phones stop working? Because of the lightning strike (you know lightning, the thing I am afraid of). The lightning hit the satellite dish and came into the house through an electrical outlet and scorched the outlet, the phone cables, and the ac unit connected to said electrical outlet. That is why I have not been able to post for over a week on the blog or watched television at my house. Although I will say my blackberry saved me from going through complete facebook and email withdrawal.

Anyways, my fear of thunderstorms has been confirmed and I realized now it is not completely irrational (hello- lightning came into my house!). However this past morning we had a storm roll through and I kept my cool. I am not ridiculously afraid, just when they are a little too close for comfort.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Top 5

When people find out I am pregnant I get a variety of responses. Here are the top 5 in no particular order.

1. Wow! Already? (Yes, already, if not I would be lying to you)

2. How far apart will your children be? ( 21 months)

3. How are you feeling? (great, I don't get morning sickness, thank goodness!)

4. It will be crazy for a while at your house! (Yes we are aware of that. However, it will be our house not yours and we will love the craziness.)

5. Congratulations! I am excited for you! ( Thank you)

Now I may not say all the things I am thinking, especially about the craziness. However, how is it helpful for someone to tell me it will be tough having two kids under two? I am aware of this but I know God has blessed us with this little one and having siblings close in age can be a wonderful thing. Not that all comments are negative but sometimes I don't understand why people say things. Pregnant women only need to hear encouraging comments!

I feel about the same being pregnant with this baby as I did with Trey. I know everyone says every pregnancy is different, but so far my "symptoms" (not that this is a disease!) are the same. I had forgotten some things though. Here are the top 5 things I had forgotten about being pregnant.

1. The constant worry "Is my baby okay?" Once the baby is born you know they are okay just by looking at them, but when you cannot actually see the baby it is a little harder to reassure yourself everything is fine.

2. The heartburn and headaches! I don't get nauseous when I am pregnant, nor do I throw up. I am one of the lucky ones. I do get terrible heartburn, especially if I lay down right after I eat or sit in the car for a while. The old wives tale about heartburn means your baby has a full head of hair may be correct because Trey was born with a ton of hair!

3. The feeling of the baby move. Okay I didn't forget that it was an awesome feeling, but feeling it a second time around has been amazing! It is what I miss the most when I am not pregnant.

4. How easy it is to take care of this baby. When you are pregnant if you eat healthy, get plenty of rest, and exercise, your baby is taken care of. You don't have to change diapers, feed them, change their clothes, your body takes care of everything!

5. The end-between fat stage. That is where I am now. I am not pregnant enough for someone to think, "Oh she is pregnant!" Instead they just think, "Oh, she has put on some weight," or worse, "Did she not lose her baby weight yet?" But this time around I have decided to embrace my pregnant body. I may even take more than one belly picture during the whole pregnancy!

While during this pregnancy I am not reading every book, I don't always know exactly how many weeks and days pregnant I am, and I sometimes forget I am pregnant, I am very excited for January and the arrival of baby #2!

Monday, July 5, 2010

Maymont Park






During the weekend our family traveled to Richmond to visit my parents and my brothers' families. While Trey was not a fan of being picked up by his grandparents or aunts and uncles, he is a big fan of his cousins. See post below about being cranky due to cutting teeth to understand his lack of enthusiasm for adults other than his mommy and daddy. Above are some pictures of Trey and his cousins at Maymont Park in Richmond.

Molars Shmolars

During the weekend I had a bit of a reminder of life with a newborn. Trey was cutting his first two molars while we were gone on a trip to Richmond which equaled a lot of whining and very little sleep. He has slept through the night since last July with a slight regression during November and December when he cut his front top and bottom teeth. I forgot what it was like to wake up 30 minutes after you fall asleep to a crying child. I had forgotten the intense headache you wake up with after 3-4 hours of interrupted sleep all night. I forgot how long a day lasts when you wake up 5:30 with your child who is up for the day. I guess it was a good reminder of what I need to be prepared for come January. And to all those moms out there with a child under 3 months of age who gets up randomly all night long- you are amazing if you can still carry on a coherent conversation during the day time or take care of your child and I promise someday soon you may forget what that zombie feeling feels like.

Jay had also forgotten what it feels like to wake up in the middle of the night. At 2:07 am on Sunday I heard Trey crying in the baby monitor. I woke up wide awake. Here is the conversation that took place in our bedroom.

Me: Jay, Wake up Trey needs his medicine.

Jay: (lays there not moving at all)

Me: Jay, you need to go downstairs and get Trey's medicine.

Jay: (rolls over and mumbles something incoherent)

Me: (in Jay's face) I need your help. Trey is crying.

Jay: (looks up at me and blinks) What?

Me: I will go get Trey from the crib and I need you to go downstairs and get his medicine.

Jay: Please don't get mad at me I can't figure out what is going on.

Me: repeats request

Jay: (sits up but does not get out of bed).

Me: Go downstairs and get his medicine in the left side of the pantry.

And finally Jay gets up and follows through on the request. I found it quite hilarious he could tell I was getting frustrated before he was fully awake! I probably could have gone and gotten the medicine myself at that point and Trey would not have had to wait any longer that he did. However, we live in an old house in the middle of nowhere and I do not go downstairs by myself at night unless it is an EXTREME emergency.

Now that we are back home Trey has been so happy to see his crib and slept 13 1/2 hours last night to make up for the weekend. Since I had him I had also forgotten how good it feels to wake up at 8 am and have a quiet baby monitor. That happened this morning and I have been happy ever since :)

Monday, June 28, 2010

Trying to stay cool


It was another extremely hot day so we decided to cool off in the creek. Trey had fun splashing, walking around in the water, and going deeper in the water with his mommy holding him. While he is still not a fan of the hat, he was willing to keep it on for the most part this morning. I am not trying to be a mean mommy, but his hair and skin are so fair I am afraid his scalp will get burnt! Last week I tried to apply sunscreen underneath his hair, but I couldn't get the sunscreen smell out until Sunday night. Besides I think the hat just adds to the cuteness.

When we arrived at Trey was very patient waiting for his mommy and daddy to lather their white-selves in sunscreen.

He wanted to walk all around the water, even the parts where the water was up past his chest!


And of course the splashing!

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Swimming

Yesterday Trey and I both swam in Craig's Creek for the first time. This was also Trey's first time playing in water other than the bathtub. I was a little nervous about how Trey was going to take to the creek but he loved it! The water felt great and in most areas came up to his thighs or waist. It was like a giant baby pool!

Trey loved walking up and down the creek. He would stop and splash in the water and point at the shiny rocks. We went with my friend Laura from church and her daughter Madison. When we first arrived Madison kept wanting to hold Trey's hand, but Trey likes to hold his mommy's hand better (at least for now :).

There were also some older boys there playing and Trey wanted to play near them and watch them. Unfortunately, because Trey wouldn't let anyone else walk around with him and it is impossible to hold his hands in the water and take pictures, there are not pictures of Trey in the water. I guess this just means we have to go back again to get some pictures!

I love the water and it was priceless to watch Trey's face as he splashed and played in the water.

Playing outside in the creek wore Trey out. Here he is taking a snack break to regain his energy!


Trey wore his crocs the whole time in the water because the creek bed is mostly smooth rocks. When I took off his shoes to change him to go home he kept feeling the bottom of his feet because they were so wrinkled!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Why can't I have the camera?

When I decided to start blogging I decided to do what I always do when I start a new project- read a LOT about it! I looked online and read friend's blogs, friends of friend's blogs, and total stranger's blogs. I came to the realization that the best blogs were those with pictures. Especially when I didn't know the people. I could appreciate their child's cuteness in a story by looking at the picture. I know this may seem a bit stalkerish, but I am very fascinated by people's lives.

Today I decided in order to elevate the rank of my blog I needed to add some pictures. Too bad today we had absolutely nothing exciting going on. When Trey was at his top notch cuteness for the day reading to himself I just wanted to take a picture. I am so proud of him when he likes to look at books. It makes my teacher heart happy :)

However my pictures may never come out because Trey thinks the camera is a toy (relating to post below). Lately, whenever I am on the computer Trey likes to come up to my chair and put his hands up and say "Mamamamama!" until I pick him. Well of course I can't resist putting him on my lap and then I look around my desk for something for him to play with besides the keyboard (stapler- no, pens-no, paper clips- no, picture frames- no, camera- ok). So he ends up playing with the camera, which is turned off and was charging by the computer. This happens for a couple of days in a row and now he thinks the camera is a toy. Note to self: Do not use items as toys unless they can be considered a toy exclusively in the future! So enjoy the only pictures that may ever grace my blog until the new baby arrives and does not recognize the camera as a toy :)

First he eats the book. This either happens at the beginning or end of any good book session for him. Personally I prefer this to tearing the pages so I let him enjoy.

Next he decides to look at the pictures. An important step in literacy development!

But wait he spys the camera and decides to head for it.

"Please Mommy let me have the camera (with puppy dog eyes begging his Daddy off to the side to give it to him)."

"Fine I will just have to come get it myself."

Note to readers: Yes I do realize my child has on no pants in these pictures. It is June, very hot outside, and we have no ac downstairs. I really didn't see the need to put pants on him since he did not leave the house today. I promise in public my child is dressed better. However, this way it is a lot easier to grab his little legs as walks by to give them kisses or tickles.