My Sunshine

You are my sunshine,
my only sunshine.

You make me happy,
when skies are grey.

You'll never know dear
how much I love you.

Please don't take
my sunshine away.

20 Favorite Things

Benji is in Ecuador and I miss him SOOOO much. This is really the first time he has been away this long.

Needless to say I have spent a few days in Gainesville with my mom. Which has been awesome. I swam, (aka laid out by the pool) every day....Ate way too much and had Starbucks every morning....

I'm spoiled rotten. I know. So what.

Any way. I've been driving back and forth to Gainesville a bunch this last week, so I've had some time to think.

Think of things that have changed my life.

You may think some are insignificant things really, but they have changed me for the better none the less.

*No significant order*

1. DVR
2. Crushed ice
3. Oscar Mayer, fully cooked bacon....I ain't kiddin people,have you tried it!?
4. The Twilight series
5. Baby Legs: leg warmers for baby
6. My garden
7. Reusable grocery bags
8. Bare Minerals Cosmetics
9. Sugar In The Raw
10. Emery Hart Ladd: EST 7.31.08
11. Ipod
12. Whole Foods
13. Benefit: Benetint
14. Burts Bees lip balm
15. Starbucks Pike's Place roast
16. My old/new friend at Brushy Creek: Jocelyn Kay
17. Splenda
18. Advil
19. YMCA
20. Trader Joe's Lavender Dryer Bags

It's the simple things in life really.....

Emery's Natural Birth

Okay. So it's been awhile since I posted about breastfeeding. I promised then that I would post my thoughts on delivery, so here it is.

This is a big big issue for me. I am so, SO tired of Christian women being stupid and irresponsible when it comes to the issue of child birth.

I don't even know why this is so prevalent in the Christian community, but it is.

Let me be clear. ANY child birth is a "natural" birth. There is a cesarean section, and a vaginal birth. Any woman who has carried and developed a human for nine months has had a part in the "natural" progression of human life, the birth experience no matter how it occurs is part of that "natural" process.

If your doctor recommends a c- section, it is not because he/she is late for a tee time, he/she is not just ready to go home.....it is because it is in the best interest of the baby AND mother.

I think it is irresponsible for Christian women, or any women for that matter to make a new mom question their "mommyhood" because they didn't labor for 36 hours......

Cesarean mommies have their abdomen split open.....I think that counts towards "labor points".

That's my soap box. I'm not saying don't ask your doctor questions. Be informed. But don't' be stupid. Or Paranoid.


Healthy mom, healthy baby is what counts. Period.

Cowmooflauge

We hit a milestone this past week with Emery. We had to get her a big girl car seat. I love the pattern so much I just had to post a picture.

The Britax Roundabout 50 is a convertible car seat (rear and front facing) is usable up to 50lbs. Best rated in The Baby Bargains Book. Which is my go to book for all things baby.

Great Tip Of The Day

I honestly can't remember where I read this/heard this, on The Today Show maybe, or in a magazine.....

But it is the greatest, most logical tip ever! I can't believe I haven't thought of this before.

I love to use fresh herbs whenever possible. This season I am growing Basil, Dill, Parsley, Chives and Oregano.

One herb that I use almost as much as I use Basil, is Cilantro. We love Mexican and I love to cook it!

The dilemma is that when I buy Cilantro I only use a few leaves. Then the rest of it goes to waste.

But this week I learned a tip! Just use the food processor to mince up the leftover herbs. Add a bit of water, and freeze in ice cube trays. Next time I need Cilantro I will just take one of the cubes out of the freezer, defrost it and have fresh herbs instantly!

I'm going to prune back my Basil and Dill this week and freeze some cubes for the winter........ Great tip of the day!

Rites of Passage

A few weeks ago My mom, Benji's mom, Emery and myself performed one of the many "rites of passages" in a young lady's life.

Emery got her ears pierced.

She was such a big girl! She obviously cried after the first one. I know it was a shock, but once the second one was finished all she needed was a hug and her paci and she forgot all about what had just happened.

She is growing so fast! These pictures that Sue, (Benji's mom) took show how she is turning into an official toddler.


Emery with her cousin Lydia chillin at her other cousin Luke's t-ball game.




Pretty much the most precious thing you have ever seen.