Today I am here to admit that I am addicted to my smart phone.
I know, I know, I'm about five years late in jumping on the wagon, BUT I got mine for 100 bucks and I laugh at everyone who paid 500 dollars for an iPhone 5 years ago. :)
One of the biggest reasons I love my phono is the 9 mega pixel camera it has in it.
Every picture I've taken since I got it in February has been taken with my phone. It is so so convenient. I can upload it instantly to my Facebook then I save it to my blog when I use it for a blog post. Every picture you've seen is either from my phone, Benji's phone OR Kathi took it with her camera! Ha! She's a great photographer and I love that she captures so many moments of Emery's life.
I'm still recovering from Benji's trip last week. I am exhausted! Emery has been so difficult lately. I know it's her age but I feel like I fight a new battle every single day.
Yesterday she refused to nap. This behavior is totally new, even when we were having trouble with her getting out of bed at night (which we finally resolved) she was still taking great naps.
Well yesterday she decided it was the day to start acting like a demon possessed two year old.
I ended up holding her door closed for an HOUR while she pulled on the handle and screamed her head off. She was jumping over the baby gate I had put up!
She finally gave up and laid down, slept for an hour. By then Jesse was awake and hungry.
Needless to say that wore me out, physically and emotionally. I still hate hearing her cry, even if I know it's for her own good. Crying for an hour is torture for me as well as for her.
MMO started back again this week, so hopefully we will have a good May with no more hospital stays or sickness!
Once she gets out of school for the summer I'll be frantically searching for ways to entertain her.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
A Brand New Day!
We made it to church today! Just in time for the Easter service. It was so good to be back with my church family. 8 weeks is a long time to be gone!
After church we came home and ate a quick Easter lunch. I would rather eat at home on Sundays because it's so less stressful and so nice to rest after a long week.
After lunch Benji headed to Gainesville to see his mom since it was her birthday.
He wanted to take the kids, of course I didn't mind! As soon as they left I hit the sack and slept for about 4 hours. I needed that rest more than anything after this week.
Emery got to spend time with her "Lydie girl" and to see her Grammy on her birthday and I got to sleep. Win win for everybody!
I'm hoping that today represents not only the "unofficial beginning" of spring but also the beginning of our new normal. It's been a crazy few weeks and I'm ready to get into a routine.
Jesse went back into his big boy crib last night. We had moved him into his room right before his hospital stay but moved him back into our room after.
He does, (or I do) so much better when he is in his own room. He only woke up once last night. Fed at 11, 3 and then at 630. A few more weeks and I think he'll be making it through the night.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
The Best Years
I can not even begin to express how happy this picture makes me.
I spent some of the best years of my life in this house. My sorority house. I know that most girls can't say that.... But I truly believe I would not be the woman, wife, mother, I am today with out my time at Brenau and the time I spent living in the ZTA house.
I love these girls with all my heart!
Rollin With It
I have so so much on my mind.
I can not shut it off ever. But I also can get nothing done ever!
I've sat down to blog about 10 times recently and nothing happens...
Well everything happens, Emery, Jesse, Vance...Benji whatever, something distracts me away and blogging goes by the way side again.
To say I've hit a rough patch would be accurate. This post will likely be choppy and unorganized and slightly manic.
An accurate depiction of my life.
Jesse spiked yet another fever on Monday. This time we knew that it was probably his ear.
Did I mention that when he was in the hospital and they stuck his spine 4 times for a spinal tap that it ended up being an ear infection?
Yeah. Not cool with Mama.
Really though I've tried to convince myself that circumcision is worse than a spinal tap.
They checked his ears THREE times before they found the infection. Two separate doctors. His ped said that the fever can present itself before the actual infection shows up in the ear, explaining why they didn't see it in the pediatricians office, or when they admitted him.
So anyway, 2nd ear infection in two weeks. Probably the same one just never cleared.
I had it, Benji had it, Emery had it.
Who says ear infections aren't contagious!?
This past weekend I went home for the first time since Jesse was born. I am so lucky that I've got two kids that travel well in the car. Emery slept most of the way, once she woke up she just entertained herself looking out the window or looking at books.
Jesse slept the entire way. Thank you LORD for two good car babies!
I went home for Brenau's May Day and ZTA's 100 year on campus. I saw most of my good friends from college days and got to meet all of their kids, many of them for the first time.
Facebook helps keep us connected so well but it was awesome to see every one's kids in person. I was actually really down the next day because it made me miss everyone so much. Being back together felt like no time had passed whatsoever, we just all had children all of a sudden!
While at home I totally fell! TWICE!
My sister Kathi is the one who falls, NOT ME. I haven't fallen since I was like 4 and this weekend it happened twice. Not cool.
I busted my knee, then busted my ankle. This week I've been limping around attempting to take care of two kids alone.
Benji's DNow is the week. He took a group to a town about an hour away that is poverty stricken to help a ministry center. For four days they will be painting, doing construction, landscaping, building playgrounds, organizing the food pantry, library and clothes closet.
Great cause and great experience for his youth, but it's left me here with a busted up leg, a sick 8 week old and a 2 and 1/2 year old who is also on spring break this week from MMO.
We've managed so far. Park on Monday, Walmart on Tuesday and Library and lunch with friends on Weds. Thursday (today) my mom's coming up to entertain and feed babies while I nap and go to the grocery store alone.
Soon I will post pictures from this weekend. I really am so blessed with such great friends old and new.
Now I'm going to attempt to nap (I started this post at 530 am) before Emery wakes up! Jesse's finally back asleep. No time for proof reading or spell check! Roll with it okay, I am.
I can not shut it off ever. But I also can get nothing done ever!
I've sat down to blog about 10 times recently and nothing happens...
Well everything happens, Emery, Jesse, Vance...Benji whatever, something distracts me away and blogging goes by the way side again.
To say I've hit a rough patch would be accurate. This post will likely be choppy and unorganized and slightly manic.
An accurate depiction of my life.
Jesse spiked yet another fever on Monday. This time we knew that it was probably his ear.
Did I mention that when he was in the hospital and they stuck his spine 4 times for a spinal tap that it ended up being an ear infection?
Yeah. Not cool with Mama.
Really though I've tried to convince myself that circumcision is worse than a spinal tap.
They checked his ears THREE times before they found the infection. Two separate doctors. His ped said that the fever can present itself before the actual infection shows up in the ear, explaining why they didn't see it in the pediatricians office, or when they admitted him.
So anyway, 2nd ear infection in two weeks. Probably the same one just never cleared.
I had it, Benji had it, Emery had it.
Who says ear infections aren't contagious!?
This past weekend I went home for the first time since Jesse was born. I am so lucky that I've got two kids that travel well in the car. Emery slept most of the way, once she woke up she just entertained herself looking out the window or looking at books.
Jesse slept the entire way. Thank you LORD for two good car babies!
I went home for Brenau's May Day and ZTA's 100 year on campus. I saw most of my good friends from college days and got to meet all of their kids, many of them for the first time.
Facebook helps keep us connected so well but it was awesome to see every one's kids in person. I was actually really down the next day because it made me miss everyone so much. Being back together felt like no time had passed whatsoever, we just all had children all of a sudden!
While at home I totally fell! TWICE!
My sister Kathi is the one who falls, NOT ME. I haven't fallen since I was like 4 and this weekend it happened twice. Not cool.
I busted my knee, then busted my ankle. This week I've been limping around attempting to take care of two kids alone.
Benji's DNow is the week. He took a group to a town about an hour away that is poverty stricken to help a ministry center. For four days they will be painting, doing construction, landscaping, building playgrounds, organizing the food pantry, library and clothes closet.
Great cause and great experience for his youth, but it's left me here with a busted up leg, a sick 8 week old and a 2 and 1/2 year old who is also on spring break this week from MMO.
We've managed so far. Park on Monday, Walmart on Tuesday and Library and lunch with friends on Weds. Thursday (today) my mom's coming up to entertain and feed babies while I nap and go to the grocery store alone.
Soon I will post pictures from this weekend. I really am so blessed with such great friends old and new.
Now I'm going to attempt to nap (I started this post at 530 am) before Emery wakes up! Jesse's finally back asleep. No time for proof reading or spell check! Roll with it okay, I am.
Monday, April 11, 2011
I'm Not That Green I Guess
Well....The last few weeks of pregnancy I started buying paper plates since I couldn't keep up with dishes. At Christmas my mom restocked the paper towels that I had sworn off and she brought more when she came up for Jesse's birth.
Now I've decided we're not planting a garden this year.....
I guess I'm not as green as I thought.
The garden thing, well it never works out as good as I imagine. Mostly because we are gone so much during the summer.
Benji usually plants it as my mothers day gift, but this year I want him to build me a raised garden bed instead, so we can compost and so that we can add rich soil and so that he doesn't have to worry about grass getting into the bed every year.
Sounds like a win win to me right?
I would never ever think of using a cloth diaper. Not for a million dollars.
I haven't been to Whole Foods to buy our local eggs in probably 6 months.
But we still recycle. So that counts for something right?
There is just something about a newborn that makes me not as green.
I'll get back to it I swear.
When Jesse's one. That's my goal. :)
Now I've decided we're not planting a garden this year.....
I guess I'm not as green as I thought.
The garden thing, well it never works out as good as I imagine. Mostly because we are gone so much during the summer.
Benji usually plants it as my mothers day gift, but this year I want him to build me a raised garden bed instead, so we can compost and so that we can add rich soil and so that he doesn't have to worry about grass getting into the bed every year.
Sounds like a win win to me right?
I would never ever think of using a cloth diaper. Not for a million dollars.
I haven't been to Whole Foods to buy our local eggs in probably 6 months.
But we still recycle. So that counts for something right?
There is just something about a newborn that makes me not as green.
I'll get back to it I swear.
When Jesse's one. That's my goal. :)
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back
What a, What a week!!
Most of you know via facebook Jesse spiked a fever on Tuesday and was admitted to the hospital (very quickly) on Wednesday.
We came home on Friday. Everything was okay, just a huge, big fat scare for Mama, Daddy and all who love Jesse. The plight of a second child I guess, he caught some virus with no other symptom but a fever....sigh.....
He had to have a spinal tap to rule out meningitis.
They had to stick his spine four times. :(
Yes, FOUR times they stuck my 6 week old in the spine with a big ol needle. It makes me sick to think about it still. They never could get enough spinal fluid to do a complete round of test. Thankfully his culture for meningitis came back clear.
All the other test and X- rays came back clear as well.
Now I'm just trying to decompress from all the emotion of the past few days.
We were just starting to get a routine. Emery was just starting to adjust to her role as a sibling...ANNNND I had to up and leave her again for three days with no apparent reason that she can fully grasp.
She threw a big fat tantrum yesterday and today, which she has never done until now.
I am so so so thankful that Jesse is okay. I can not explain the feeling of helplessness that I felt when I first realized that this may be something serious.
Thank God it wasn't.
I know why women are crazy. It's because as mothers we can never ever ever fully shut off our brains. Once that first child is born, that first breath they take makes a mothers heart jump out of their chest and into the soul of that child.
Life can change in a second, I was reminded of that this week.
Most of you know via facebook Jesse spiked a fever on Tuesday and was admitted to the hospital (very quickly) on Wednesday.
We came home on Friday. Everything was okay, just a huge, big fat scare for Mama, Daddy and all who love Jesse. The plight of a second child I guess, he caught some virus with no other symptom but a fever....sigh.....
He had to have a spinal tap to rule out meningitis.
They had to stick his spine four times. :(
Yes, FOUR times they stuck my 6 week old in the spine with a big ol needle. It makes me sick to think about it still. They never could get enough spinal fluid to do a complete round of test. Thankfully his culture for meningitis came back clear.
All the other test and X- rays came back clear as well.
Now I'm just trying to decompress from all the emotion of the past few days.
We were just starting to get a routine. Emery was just starting to adjust to her role as a sibling...ANNNND I had to up and leave her again for three days with no apparent reason that she can fully grasp.
She threw a big fat tantrum yesterday and today, which she has never done until now.
I am so so so thankful that Jesse is okay. I can not explain the feeling of helplessness that I felt when I first realized that this may be something serious.
Thank God it wasn't.
I know why women are crazy. It's because as mothers we can never ever ever fully shut off our brains. Once that first child is born, that first breath they take makes a mothers heart jump out of their chest and into the soul of that child.
Life can change in a second, I was reminded of that this week.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
One Month of Meals
So no secret here, I just had a baby!
My friends. MY AMAZING friends set up and brought me meals every other night for an entire month!
If you've had a baby you know how important, precious, loved, needed this is!
There is no way to find time to shop for food let alone cook it. I am forever grateful to these girls who took the time out of their busy lives, took time away from their own families to minister to mine.
If you brought us food you know who you are and I LOVE YOU! I probably loved you before, but ya know...ha! I love you even more now. :)
Anywhoo... One meal we were fed I've made since then. So yummy and so easy I want to share.
Crock Pot Cubed Steak
Two packages of cubed steak (about 6 pieces, this fed 4 but we are big eaters!)
Flour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup (or 1 can of the big size if you can find it)
veg oil for browning meat
salt and pepper steak, coat in flour and brown in medium heat skillet until just browned on both sides. (you don't cook it all the way through)
place cubed steak in crock pot, pour soup over top and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.
yall for real it is so tender and so good! Serve with mashed potatoes and biscuits. HOLLER!
And I was reminded of this recipe from when we were brought meals in Kentucky when Emery was born.
Lady & Sons Chicken in Wine Sauce
4 large skinless boneless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons melted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces (about 8 slices) Swiss cheese
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup herb-flavored stuffing mix
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Layer the cheese slices on top. In a medium bowl, add the soup and the wine, season with salt and pepper and pour over the cheese. Add stuffing mix on top and drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.
My friends. MY AMAZING friends set up and brought me meals every other night for an entire month!
If you've had a baby you know how important, precious, loved, needed this is!
There is no way to find time to shop for food let alone cook it. I am forever grateful to these girls who took the time out of their busy lives, took time away from their own families to minister to mine.
If you brought us food you know who you are and I LOVE YOU! I probably loved you before, but ya know...ha! I love you even more now. :)
Anywhoo... One meal we were fed I've made since then. So yummy and so easy I want to share.
Crock Pot Cubed Steak
Two packages of cubed steak (about 6 pieces, this fed 4 but we are big eaters!)
Flour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup (or 1 can of the big size if you can find it)
veg oil for browning meat
salt and pepper steak, coat in flour and brown in medium heat skillet until just browned on both sides. (you don't cook it all the way through)
place cubed steak in crock pot, pour soup over top and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.
yall for real it is so tender and so good! Serve with mashed potatoes and biscuits. HOLLER!
And I was reminded of this recipe from when we were brought meals in Kentucky when Emery was born.
Lady & Sons Chicken in Wine Sauce
4 large skinless boneless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons melted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces (about 8 slices) Swiss cheese
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup herb-flavored stuffing mix
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Layer the cheese slices on top. In a medium bowl, add the soup and the wine, season with salt and pepper and pour over the cheese. Add stuffing mix on top and drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.
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