Looking Back and Thinking Ahead

Several of my Bloggy friends have recently given recaps of their lives in 2008. At first I wasn't going to, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do it. I think in some ways it will wrap up the year for me and help me be more ready to move forward into 2009. I also think it will be an excellent way to remember some of the many ways God has blessed us this year. So here goes!

January was a fairly uneventful month. We did our usual activities: playing that the nursing home, participating in church activities, and getting together with friends. Little Man turned four months old in January. His big milestones this month were rolling over, learning to reach for toys, saying "Mama", and trying rice cereal for the first time.

In February we took a road trip to Chelan, WA to visit some dear friends and to meet their two-week old little son. We also began looking at houses to buy. Almost two weeks after looking at the first one, we made an offer on it. Things moved fast! Little Man went to his first basket ball game ever at the local college as well as beginning to seriously eat solid foods like pureed squash.

In March we closed on our house and moved from our apartment the Saturday before Easter. I was SO excited to have my own washer and drier! My husband packed a lot of work into the two weeks between buying the house and moving in. He is such a diligent and skilled worker. Little Man's major milestone in March was sitting up by himself.

April started out with my husband's parents giving us a visit. Later in the month, his sister came to see us too. Little Man had a big month. He got to swing at the park for the first time, he said "Dada" and "up", he waved "by-by" for the first time, and he got two teeth!

May had more unusual activities as we went out East for a funeral of one of my husband's family members. We stayed a couple of nights with his brother and sister-in-law in their lovely New Jersey home then drove though New York (I was excited since it was my first time ever being there, even though we didn't have time to do tourist stuff) to Connecticut where most of the extended family live. Little Man got to meet aunts and uncles, great aunts and uncles (and great-great aunts), second cousins, great-grandmothers, and so on. He was as good as gold and charmed everyone. A couple of other milestones in his life were pulling himself up, learning to feed himself cheerios, saying "thank you" and "ducky", and walking with help.

June was another busy month as we had the wonderful opportunity to have one of my childhood friends from Brazil stay with us for a week. We had such fun taking her on a day trip to Yellowstone (she was fascinated by the geysers), going on a day trip on horseback up to a mountain lake (some friends from church guided us and provided the horses and gear), and staying up late talking. We also made another trip to Chelan, WA, where we played wedding music for the above mentioned friends' little sister's wedding. Little Man had some exciting firsts with going to Yellowstone and riding a horse with me (he was in his baby pack). He also learned how to crawl and get himself into a sitting position. In June I started going to the local farmer's market/craft fair to sell cards and other crafty things. I continued going every Saturday though July and August.

In July we celebrated my husband's birthday. It was another fairly uneventful month with the exception that Little Man stood alone for the first time and got his third and fourth teeth.

In August we went on a lovely camping trip in the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks to celebrate our two year anniversary. We enjoyed hiking, admiring scenery, taking freezing cold dips in mountain lakes, and taking lots of photos. My dad's dad visited and got to meet Little Man. Little Man's biggest milestone was taking his first step.

September's biggest event was Little Man's first birthday. His grandparents and Aunt came to visit, and we had a joint celebration for him and his friend who was born two minutes after he was. It was so much fun seeing them interact as they opened presents and messily ate cake. In September these same friends had their little girl, and it was fun to go visit them in the hospital. In addition to his birthday, Little Man had a lot of big happenings in September. He got three more teeth, he started signing "more", and he started playing peek-a-boo. I am so thankful for my Little Man, for the joys and challenges he brings as I teach him and watch him grow. Oh, and I started blogging in September.

In October I had my birthday. I was excited to be able to make tomato soup from tomatoes that I harvested from my own garden! I also made apple butter and canned peaches. We had our first snow of the year on the 10th. October was another not-too-eventful month.

In November, I voted, of course. It was actually the first time I have gotten to vote because of how my age falls with the election years. We celebrated Thanksgiving at our house. We enjoyed having my parents over. Little Man really took off with walking, started getting his molars, and got his first hair cut.

We started December by going to Utah to get together for an early Christmas celebration with my husband's family. We had a lovely time. We celebrated Christmas day with my family. The biggest excitement in December was finding out that I am expecting again and that Baby #2 will be arriving sometime in August. And now we are getting ready to ring in the new year with our friends (the ones whose son shares a birthday with Little Man).

I am so thankful for this year: for the learning and growth that I have had as I strive to be a better wife and mother, for the special friendships that I had the opportunity to build on, for the priceless memories from trips and other "extra" that I will treasure.

Here are some things I am looking forward to in the next year:
~Maybe taking a trip to Oregon.
~Having Baby join us in August.
~Feeling Baby move for the first time.
~Enjoying time with my husband.
~Watching Little Man continue to grow and develop.
~Teaching him and enjoying him every day.
~Finishing (and starting) projects. ; )
~Trying doing craft fairs instead of the farmer's market.
~Trying some new recipes.
~Growing in peace and wisdom as I seek to walk with God.

But I'm not counting on making too many plans yet. "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." (James 4:13, 14)

Here is what I am counting on: "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

I'm looking forward to seeing what God brings next year.

Those pesky emotions!

Yes, today has been one of those up and down days for me. Arg. Those pregnancy hormones have making my life a bit harder recently. But I really wouldn't want to be emotionless, or even to be stuck with only one emotion. I have to smile as I think of the folk tales in which princesses are cursed with laughter being their only response to life's circumstances or to who can only cry no matter how amusing the situation in which they find themselves is. Either one would be an awful place to be!

I find that the key to handling roller coaster emotions is remembering that God is bigger than my feelings, no matter how huge or important they seem, and He wants me to always be subject to the control of His Spirit. In fact, while understanding what my hormones are up to is a helpful way to explain why my emotions are haywire, I must not use them as an excuse to be ruled by my feelings.

"We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." (II Corinthians 10:5)

"Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit." (Proverbs 25:28)

So that's what I've been thinking about today.

Menu Plan Monday

As most of you know, I find that planning my menu out ahead of time helps me to shop more efficiently since I can make out a complete list that helps me avoid needing to run to the store all the time. It also helps me thaw the right meat the right days and be more prompt with dinner preparations. Some people like to plan all three meals, but I prefer to only plan dinner since I work well with a little bit of flexibility. Even the dinner plans are somewhat flexible, though I do try to abide by them.

I like doing my menu plan in two week segments. These next two weeks I have a few more unusual meals planned than usual. I also am picking up a few meals that were planned but didn't make it in the busy-ness of Christmas time. So, anyway, here goes. Oh, and I usually serve a veggie too, though I don't write it down every time.

December 29-4
M-Garlic-ginger chicken strips, rice
T-Tomato Soup, mashed potatoes, meat balls (double batch, freeze extra for future use)
W-Not sure yet
Th-Pork Chops with stuffing and cream of mushroom soup, rolls (company's coming!)
F-Roasted Chicken
S-Chicken pot pie
Su-Pasta with hamburger red sauce

I am also planning on making chicken broth to freeze for future use from the chicken carcass. I am hoping to be able to cook up all my garbanzo beans since they are getting old and make a bunch of hummus to use for healthy snacks and spreads. I think the extra will freeze nicely.

January 5-11
M-Boston baked beans and brown bread (we're giving this another shot since it didn't happen last time)
T-Pasta with grilled chicken and white sauce
W-Chicken risotto
Th-Stew (crock pot)
F-Meat loaf, roasted potato salad
S-Leftovers or my husband's choice (maybe I can get him it make it) ; )
Su-Lamb Roast with potatoes and carrots

More Menu Plan Monday

Baby Budgeting

So, I know this isn't even remotely holiday-ish. In fact, I don't even really feel like it is a "me" thing to write about, but it is something I've been thinking about recently with Baby #2 on the way.

As a first-time mom last time around, I often found myself confused and overwhelmed thinking about how we could afford all the stuff that seems necessary for meeting a baby's needs. This time I feel much more confident and would like to share a few tips and ideas that I've gathered over the last year and a half.

My top tips are to think creatively, out of the box, and to resist your urge to buy those highly marketed and overpriced but oh-so-adorable products if you don't need them. Here are a few categorized tips.

Baby furniture:
~Check used furniture, but don't assume that it is the best price. It seems like used baby furniture is often overpriced. Also, if you are buying used, make sure all the parts are there. We got Little Man's second-hand crib for free, and though it has a few issues and isn't quite the beautiful piece of furniture I had envisioned, we saved a ton of money and it works nicely.
~Try to use what you already have. For example, we used the dresser that I used in high school for Little Man's clothes. The top, padded with a thick blanket, can double as a changing table.
~Try doing without. We don't have a changing table, and I find that the top of the dresser or the floor (depending on the height of your dresser and squirminess of your baby) works well. Another example is do you need a bassinet and a crib.
~Consider a booster-seat type high chair that straps on to a kitchen chair or a portable high chair that clips onto a table or counter. They tend to be less expensive and take up less floor space than standard high chairs.

Baby Clothes:
~Accept hand-me-downs! Save the one that are too big: they will be grown into.
~Buy second-hand. You can get so many cute nearly new (or new) brand name baby clothes at thrift stores and yard sales for a fraction of the original price.
~Stock up ahead of time: if you see it, it's a great deal, and you have the money, buy it, even if it's too big. Try to keep in mind the upcoming seasons, though, and estimate what size your child will be when they change.
~Shop clearance racks (keep in mind, though, that you have to have good sales resistance to avoid giving in to those cute non-clearance items!). I was recently able to get polo shirts for $1 and $0.50 respectively for Little Man at J. C. Penny.
~When your child grows into a new size, try working with what you have stocked up from gifts, hand-me-downs and thrift stores for a week or so, then go and buy clothes to fill in the gaps that you've discovered, if necessary.
~If you don't need baby clothes, don't wander aimlessly though the baby clothes section. ; )


Diapering:
~Consider cloth diapers. Even though they are more expensive to get started with, they save a lot of money in the long run. We like to use cloth diapers and home and switch to disposables when we are out and about.
~Try store brand diapers. The name brand ones are super nice when Baby is tiny, but once the baby is a little bigger, the store brand ones can work nicely.
~Store brand wipes are a good option. If you feel that you need to use more eco-friendly wipes, research making your own. There are several techniques and ingredient lists out there.

Food:
~Make your own baby food! It's easy. Simply cook the desired food, puree it in your blender or food processor (adding water if necessary), then freeze it into cubes in an ice cube tray. Once the food is frozen, pop the cubes out and store them in freezer bags.
~Consider investing in a baby food mill. They are handy for pureeing small quantities of food.
~Once the baby is past the puree stage, feed them small, soft pieces of what you eat.
~Avoid buying expensive small packages of specialized baby snacks. Small containers of goldfish crackers (or cheerios, or saltines, or graham crackers) work just as well.

Miscellaneous:
~Don't feel like you need to wash all of your baby's clothes separately using a special baby detergent. Unless your baby reacts to your normal detergent, use it on the baby's clothes.
~Don't feel like you have to have the most elaborate, high powered swing or the baby bath tub with the most bells and whistles. The smaller, simpler versions often work as well as the larger, elaborate ones.
~Don't buy every toy marketed as the greatest thing since sliced bread. Invest in a few carefully chosen, durable toys that you would like to have for all your children.
~Try making your baby's blankets. Fleece blankets are super-easy to make, and the fleece goes on sale frequently. Flannel quilts are so nice too.
~Brand name baby toiletries (shampoo, etc.) aren't necessarily better. For example, Little Man had a reaction to Johnson and Johnson shampoo, but he does fine with the store brand.
~You can use a large purse, a tote bag, or a back pack as a diaper bag.
~Consider investing in a car seat that converts from a rear-facing infant seat to a forward-facing toddler seat. There are some cons, but you only have to buy one car seat instead of two.

So there are some ideas that have worked for us. I hope that they help someone. So, did I leave anything out? Please share your handy baby-related tips. I'd love to hear them; maybe they'll help me with Sprinkle (I think that's going to be Baby's pre-ultrasound name). ; )

Another Quiet Day

Today was another quiet day. I worked on my calligraphy projects for my parents' Christmas [ahem, or should I say New Year's] present. I am making a scrapbook calendar for them. Each month will have the month's calendar (of course), one to three photos, and a calligraphy verse that complements the photo(s). I got three of the twelve calligraphies done yesterday and today. Tomorrow I'll work on finishing some more of them.

Little man has enjoyed "playing" the piano since he was a few months old. Recently he has decided that he wants to sit on the piano bench by himself. He's getting to be such a big boy! I took these pictures while he was playing the piano today.

I can hardly wait until we can start teaching him about the technical aspects and the joys of musical communication.

We also took an enjoyable yet cold wintry walk. It is so fun to pull Little Man around in his sled and to be able to enjoy the crisp, snowy world.

Another little thing that happened today for which I'm very thankful is that my husband put up clothesline in our basement. This has multiple benefits. It will save on our bills because it limits the amount that the clothes drier is used, the clothes will dry quickly since they are near the wood stove, and the evaporating water will help humidify our house, which we desperately need.

I am looking forward to another quiet day tomorrow as I enjoy my son and my husband on his days off of work.

Christmas Treasures

It finally warmed up enough to take Little Man out to play in the snow! We had a ton of fun pulling him around the street in his little sled, introducing him to the snow, and making snow angels.

We gave him a set of classic wooden blocks for Christmas; he likes them and can already stack up to three on top of each other.

My dear guys taking a breather after wrestling.

My parents gave Little Man an old lap top they had that was collecting dust, and he loves it. He has been enjoying having a computer that he can touch, "type" on, and play with the mouse. It has been a lot of fun.

We had a relaxed, laid-back day with my parents that was a true relief from the crazy busyness that has been going on lately. I hope that you had a joyful and peaceful Christmas. What are some of your treasured moments from the holiday?

cleaning

Today I cleaned and tidied and worked on laundry. I'm glad. My home is much nicer to be in now. I also made this eclectic little Christmas table decoration with various things I had easy access to around my house. Its components are not all perfect matches, but it's fun, and I like it.

It has snowed a lot today. I am enjoying both the beauty and the less cold weather the cloud cover brings.

Oh, I am tired and am going to sign off for the evening.

Last Week's Parade of Projects

I got a lot of sewing projects done last week. Even some that weren't really important to finish.

Like this cute quilted tote bag. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it yet. I have to feel out a few people's opinions about it before I decide. hehe. ; ) I used up the last of my beloved chocolate brown vintage flower fabric while making it.

Here it is reversed. I worked hard to make the pocket look like that. ; ) There are a few minor design glitches in the tote, but overall, I like it very much.

I also made another tote bag for myself. I love the chunky, loosely woven fabric, and I've been wanting to buy some and use it for a couple of years now. I was excited to finally find something to use it on. I love the way it looks contrasting with the chocolate brown embroidered fabric.

These two tote bags were inspired by me making a tote bag of the same chocolate brown and loosely woven brown as a Christmas gift for one of my good friends. I was delighted to see that I had so much extra fabric and went to town on making tote bags. ; )

I also made a simple, more short person friendly baby sling out of the heavy, embroidered chocolate brown fabric. (I think I have close up photos of it way back in September because I used the same fabric for my bedroom curtains; I liked it so much I had to get more!) I think that the sling could be even a few inches shorter, and I think I'll alter it again. Unfortunately, Little Man seems to have outgrown his super-clingy stage. Oh, well, I can use it with Baby.

This is a clever idea that I got from one of my bloggy friend's pictures of her projects. She posted a link to a pattern, but I like making my own. Here's the result:

Like the tote bag, it has a few glitches, but it did turn out cute. I'm looking forward to filling it and giving it to Little Man for Christmas. I'm anticipating at least a couple of quieter Sundays at church due in part to entertainment from this handy little project.

See how nicely it folds up? It's compact and portable. I'm thinking about maybe trying to make and sell some of these (or variations on it) to sell at local craft fairs next year.

Tomorrow I am going to work on cleaning up the grand project and unfolded-laundry mess in my dinging and living rooms. Maybe I'll post "before" and "after photos to motivate me. Or maybe not since I don't know if I want to be quite that humble.

Welcome Warmth

Today, at long last, (wow, that sounds like a melodramatic Jr. higher) we got our wood stove safely installed in our basement. Or perhaps I should say my husband did; I sat in the relatively warm upstairs while he worked away. (I'm so thankful for him!)

We had to make two trips to Bozeman (two hours away) to get our special-ordered, hard-to-find 8 inch double wall stove pipe with 45 degree angles. It cost more than the wood stove did (we got it used for a good deal, though). : }


But now we can have a blazing fire in it without putting our house in danger of burning down.

The house is already much warmer. Yay! This is reason to celebrate.

So Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Yesterday I found out that the average five-week-old baby (five weeks after conception, that is) is about the size of a sesame seed. And guess what! The sesame-seed-sized baby (about 2 mm) already has a tiny beating heart that circulates blood through its body.

Words fail to try to express my thoughts and feelings.

I am awed.

I am in awe of our all-knowing, all-powerful, loving Creator.