Gratitude.
We have so much to be thankful for. Jeff and I are coming up on our two year anniversary, and have been getting along better than ever. It is so wonderful to have his friendship and company every day. We are both very aware of how we have grown in the last year, and how the challenges of late have just made us a better team. Things have been pretty hard at times, but it has made us look harder for excuses to enjoy a good laugh, and that alone makes life better.

We had a wonderful time last night at the C. home, sharing the big meal with family. It was a little sad to realize that this may be one of the last events with this part of family for a while for us, since we are moving in the summer. I have to say, though, that it may have been the most enjoyable family gathering yet for me, and that is the best way to close a chapter!
And, of course, we are the most grateful for Amelia. She is five months old, and sometimes we still can't believe that she is actually ours. She is so full of life, and loves to be involved in everything. She smiles easily, "talks" a lot, and fake coughs to get our attention all day. She can laugh, but she is an unusually tough crowd. We wear our selves out for a little guffaw.

Jeff and I are so aware that our lives are so rich and full. We eat such great food every day, and are able to enjoy so many luxuries in life. We have such a nice place to live, with quality people all around. And we have options. We are thankful that we are able to make major changes and moves to benefit our future family, that we are not stuck in an "unsustainable" situation! We have been given so much to work with, and realize that this is not actually the norm. Sometimes we are tempted to feel guilty about abundance, but I know that part of God's delight in taking care of us is for us to just say "Thank you!" We are so grateful.

Who would YOU be?
So I have a fun reader poll.
Please participate.
Yes, even if you think that I have no idea that you even read my blog (yes, I know about you...)

Here is the question: If you could come back in another life as anyone you wanted, who would it be?
Here is the one rule: Please, no super- spiritual answers like Jesus Christ, or the Apostle Paul. This is supposed to be fun, not edifying. Thought- provoking is OK in moderation. And don't say, "I'd come back as myself, because my life is so great." That's no fun either.

I'll go first.
OK, so I would be Jennifer Lopez. I'm serious. Most people would be very surprised to learn that I am a closet Pop Music fan. It's just so upbeat. I love the attitude and the danceability. Back to JLO, not only is she gorgeous, but she is a singer and a dancer AND she owns at least two fantastic restaurants (I've been to two, there are probably more out there.) Madre's in Pasadena sealed the deal for me. It is a Cuban restaurant that has the aesthetic of a rich family's formal dining room, and you can tell that she got to choose everything, including the rose- covered wallpaper in the bathroom. Who else gets to do that just for fun, since they have the money and the fame?

"Back" in Business!


I could just leave it at that, but there is a little more to tell. I have set my table up after several months of maternity leave. It feels great to use my skills to help people move better again, and to get a break from my regular job description. Plus, the extra money isn't too bad! If you are local and know someone who could use some bodywork, then please spread the word that I'm back!
Something interesting has come up in the past week or so. My accupuncturist has asked me to work in her clinic. Not only doing massage, but helping teach Tai Chi. The hard part is that I don't want to HAVE to work. I love to work, but have somehow graduated from being tied to employment, and that has been a long and painful process that I don't want to have to repeat. I am willing to work for her an evening and a Saturday morning each week, but she is offering several types of business opportunities through her clinic. I think it will be tricky for me to figure out how to just extract from the situation the parts that will help me most and say no to all of the other seemingly wonderful opportunities being offered. If you didn't know already, I am NOT very good at doing that!
As genuinely thankful I am that I am able to stay home with Amelia full-time, it feels incredibly good to me to switch gears now and then. If you think of it, please pray for wisdom and discipline on my part as I test these waters.

A Reflection on Childhood Passions and Kudos to Mom.

The other day, I was laughing at all of the flower arrangements we have in our home. Six at the moment. Two are from the farmer's market, and four are from the yard. It seemed so ridiculous to me, but it makes my heart so glad to see all of the flowers, and to have the luxury of being able to buy them each week at the market, and to have them in our yard. It brought back memories of being ten to twelve years old in Gingoog. I used to gather flowers around the yard for arrangements in our house. My mom noticed this, and made me Officially in Charge of flowers in our home. We procured a flower suki (vendor you have an exclusive or favored relationship with) that would come to our house every week, and I got to take our money and buy whichever blooms I liked and then put them together inside. I felt so important, and my mom really affirmed my creativity and eye for beauty, not to mention humoring this indulgence each week.

A couple of other passions I had during those years also came to mind. I loved animals and really really wanted to have a goat. So I saved my allowance and was approved to buy one. I took care of her devotedly, and she was so much fun! She had two kids ever six months, and although we sold them, the money was mine to keep! My mom even helped me manage this small business remotely for a couple of years when I was at school. I still think of Oreo so fondly.

Cooking was my other great love, and I remember as a nine year old, being allowed to cook my own meat "Japanese" style in the kitchen with our helpers when I had a friend over to eat sitting on the floor with chopsticks made from skewers. Mom was always game for letting me cook just about anything, provided that I read the recipe three times and get out ALL the ingredients I needed first (after a few crises.) In sixth and seventh grade, I spent a lot of time at our landlady Mrs. E's house. Her side business was baking, and she taught me how to bake and ice cakes (think big Mexican birthday cakes,) including making icing flowers on a toothpick. I began baking really fudgy cakes that you can't find in our town, and found a regular buyer for my cakes (we're talking one per week-- nothing too ambitious!) I sat down with my parents and figured out how much the ingredients for each cake would cost, including gas for the stove to bake them, then paid them their expense and pocketed a pretty decent amount of money. And a great lesson in math and business.

I was pleased to realize that my love for homemaking, animals and cooking were there from childhood, and had been nurtured in me. I take so much pleasure in these things now (although I am having to wait on the goat purchase at this point) and I am so thankful to my mom for recognizing and reinforcing these passions. She had such a "yes" spirit about the things I was interested in, and that is something I really want to do for my kids. Thanks Mom!

Amelia moves out...

Amelia was sleeping in bed with me for a while, and Jeff was on the couch. Obviously a less than desireable setup for us. Amelia thought it was pretty great while it lasted though. We made her a crib and I made a special sleeping blanket, and we are all working hard on sleep patterns. It is so fun to sew stuff for her, even if she can't appreciate it yet. I will have to put pictures of her room in her baby book so she can see what a sweet little place she had during her first year of life...
And we are all getting more sleep!

Some News.
The first announcement is that Amelia is doing well with her weight gain. We found out on Thursday that she has put on over a pound in the past two weeks. Pediatrician is happy, and we are relieved. I am putting a few pictures to confirm that she is chubby and rosy.
I love those rolls!

Look at how rosy her cheeks are!

Now that she is four months, she is indulging in an egg yolk every day. This picture was taken after her first couple "bites." We have moved the egg eating to right before bathtime.


Although she may be chunking up, she is still a shrimp compared to her 7 week old friend James....


There is more to tell, but I will make it another post soon.

Coming soon... A chubbier, happier baby!

Last Thursday, I took Amelia to her pediatrician for a routine visit, and found out that she is quite undernourished. The doctor was pretty concerned and told me that my breast milk quality was not good enough. I had been nursing her ever 1-2 hours, but she is still only 10 lbs. 13 oz. That was discouraging. He told me I need to start supplementing with formula after nursing her, and that I must come back for a weight check in two weeks. The can of formula he handed me was 42% corn syrup solids (!!!) I am now making my own formula each day at home, and with a little flavor tweeking, Amelia is drinking down quite a bit and spends less time crying and chewing on her hand. I am really really hoping this will help with her sleep issues!

I took this picture of her when she should be napping. It was a fun way to deal with my exasperation after several hours of trying to get her to go down for a nap! I also took her to a chiropractor, and the next day she was unusually mellow and content. She has actually put herself to sleep a few times since supplementing and adjusting. While this is a tough adjustment time for all of us, we are excited to think that Amelia could end up happier and quieter. I get so excited just thinking about it.

Photo Update
So Amelia is getting better and better with neck control. She can almost sit in a bumbo chair independently. Anders and Gretchen came over, and this adorable little flapper hat is a gift from them.

It's so fun to get the babies together. They noticed each other some, but were of course much more interested in what the mommas were doing.

We had a wonderful time in Michigan with ALL of my siblings, their spouses and kids. It felt pretty amazing to be together like that. At one point, I believe there were 19 of us staying at D & Bs' place!

We have surprisingly few "family" pictures of the three of us, so I am happy to show this one.

I can't believe how different Amelia is looking these days, especially in this picture. Little girl on the way, better enjoy the baby! All of these photos are courtesy of brother Daniel-- thank you!

That last picture of Amelia (with me) wasn't so great, so I owe it to her to put this one up. I took it today. Isn't she wonderful?

Just the two of us...

So Jeff is back at work now, and Amelia and I are finding and settling into our own routine. I was really dreading Jeff's absence during the week, but it has been better than expected. Amelia is a pretty regular napper, so I am able to get a lot done, and sometimes join her. Also, we have moved the daily walk to first thing in the morning since she often doesn't go back to sleep after Jeff gets up at six-- might as well get moving! She is increasingly playful and is such a delight to be with. I'll post more pictures and details later, but wanted to give you an update.

Hurray!!

Amelia has begun smiling sweetly and sincerely. It is so fun, and makes parenting FEEL so much more rewarding! Somehow I am relieved to see that she can enjoy life and be happy sometimes, and that we can actually cause her to smile... She even makes some sweet noises now and then. I know that this is just the beginning in terms of interaction and delight, and I am so thankful, since she has had a rough go of it adjusting to life in the world so far. She is two months old today!

Jeff Turns "Almost Thirty."



We had a big birthday party yesterday in our back yard to celebrate Jeff. We barbecued burgers, ate cake and played Catch Phrase. It was a lot of fun! So many people love Jeff, but I was the most excited to celebrate his presence in my life. Don't you love his new look?

Picture Update

Lifestyle.

It's Wear Your Baby to Work Day around here every day. Except for the backache, I love wearing Amelia around in a sling. It's supposed to help her set appropriate sleep and wake cycles, and keep her calm. It's the perfect solution for soothing her AND getting housework done, as well as putting her to sleep in the evening.
Whenever the question about which animal I thought I most closely resembled has come around, I have always thought of the kangaroo-- nurturing but a little aggressive (I WILL box you down!) Anyway, I like having a little joey snug in my "pocket."

A visit from Anders

Gretchen and Anders came over yesterday for a little visit. It's nice that Gretchen and I are both new moms, so we can usually count on each other being at home, slightly bored, but not usually able to go do anything too exciting. So visits are a nice, low-pressure relief.

It was fun to see Amelia and Anders next to each other. Amelia seems so big all of the sudden! Besides size, the main difference between them is temperament. I kept teasing Gretchen because I guess Anders was "upset" which meant he was waving his arms around and making cute noises. Amelia was sleeping the whole time, and it was probably a good thing. If you have spent much time with us lately, you already know that she doesn't often wake up happy, and she is honestly a rather angry baby. I think it's colic, and I feel bad for her. She has her very sweet times when she's awake, but this...
Quickly escalates to this! She keeps us on our toes, and we do lots of dancing and bouncing around the apartment to keep things under control. Poor baby!

Silver Lining...

We were so sad to say goodbye to our neighbors and dear friends the McMillans on Monday. They are moving to St. Louis for the next chapter of their lives, and although we are excited for them, we miss them already.
However, I am big on looking on the bright side, and am reminded of this one every day. They sold us their dining table and chairs! We had been using the tiniest table and only had four chairs. When we had people over for dinner, we could only barely accommodate two more, and that was without the serving dishes on the table! This set comes with six chairs and two extra leaves to easily seat ten. My favorite thing in life is having people over for dinner, so this is a serious step toward a better life. I am consoled.

What did they do to our baby?

Amelia had her very first professional photo taken at three weeks. It was a promo that came with our cloth diaper service, in hopes that we would be the kind of new parents that would spend $300 or so on portraits. A photographer came and set up a studio in our living room, and then charmed and cajoled Amelia into all sorts of impossible poses. The session was one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life! She was already crabby before the photographer arrived, and got so angry during the shoot. Somehow, however, he managed to work miracles in between the shots and coaxed her into some very sweet pictures. The above was the best one which we got for free, but she still looks mildly annoyed in the rest. I still laugh every time I look at this! I told the photographer outright that putting sunglasses, a cheesy bow headband or a plastic lace parasol on her were a complete waste of time.

Happy One Month, Amelia!

My, how time flies... She seems just the same to me, only she can hold her gaze and has enough coordination to bat things (things? I mean parents!) away with her hands. This smile was hunted and captured-- I can't wait for her to smile on purpose!

Early Harvest


It feels strange to have pumpkins in July, but we probably won't eat them for quite a while. These were "volunteers" from our compost pile, from a jack-o-lantern Meg threw away in October! One of the garden plots is almost exclusively from these compost volunteers, including butternut squash and many of our tomato plants. We planted that garden with a technique called "Lasagna Gardening." The best thing about this method is that you get to skip the initial weeding and ground prep process, and you create a raised bed.
A quick How- To:
Pick your plot, and create a border, if it doesn't naturally have one.
Cover the whole surface with cardboard, paper bags or a thick layer of newspaper.
Drench it in water to make it stick to the ground, and fill in any gaps with more paper.
Lay down a layer of undigested compost (yes, just kitchen scraps!)
Cover with a thick layer of good soil-- compost, manure or purchased garden soil.
You can then just leave it and see which volunteers show up, or go ahead and plant your own.
Super easy, and you will hardly have to weed at all, since the paper layer kills the weeds!