Of Celebrating Six Months

Happy Birthday to our little boy who turned 1/2 a year old today!  Pull out the party hats!

It's been a wild six months, but I definitely enjoy having this little guy around.

Six months ago he was snuggled in my arms as I knelt on my bedroom floor.  I held his warm little body close, climbed into bed and never wanted to let go.  Today, it's all I can do to keep him in my lap while he eats, as he arches his back to see everything around him.  If he's not eating, sitting still to snuggle is hardly his favorite activity.  

At six months our little man is sitting up and wriggling around the floor.  He likes to spin in circles when he's laying on his belly, grasping at anything within arm's reach to put straight in his tiny mouth.  He will chew on anything and everything he can get to and the radius of what he can get to increases daily.

The other day, at the drive-in, he lay on his belly in the back of the SUV, he pushed his feet against the wall of the car to pull his knees up under him and shoved his elbows forward to gain a few inches.  It was impressive and a big step toward mobility.  Sure, when he's not pushing himself against something he's not so good at putting weight on those chubby knees, but still, Momma's proud.

So grateful for what time has brought us.

1,000 Gifts:
759. Pulling shoes on little feet.
760. Creating a to-do list
761. An adventurous and understanding husband
762. Abundant food

Photo of the Day:

Whole 30 - Day 5:
Breakfast: Eggs scrambled with Salsa, Banana
Lunch: Celery with Almond Butter, small serving of Chunky Apple Chicken Salad, Cherries
Dinner: Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole, Clementine
Evening Snack: Small serving of the above casserole

Worst Part of Today: The severe temptation to just grab a bowl of cereal when my belly was rumbling later in the evening.
Best Part of Today: Realizing I really don't miss some of the things I used to think necessary, like cheese or a breading in egg casserole (or even just cheese on my salad).

Of the Drive-In

Yesterday afternoon, Micaiah sat in her small camp chair, in her pajamas (yes, in the afternoon, don't judge), combing her My Little Pony and asked, "Mommy, do you remember when we went to the movie theater and saw the Panda movie?"

I stared at her blankly, thinking, surely, she cannot be talking about when we went to the drive-in for Emmett's first birthday, when she was a mere 2.75 years old - an event to which she has not referred since the night it happened.  Surely not.

"And we ate popcorn and sat in Dia's big car.  Do you remember, Mommy?" she continued.

This girl's memory never ceases to amaze me.

"Yes, baby, I remember." But how do you?!

"Because I want to do that again."

Well, okay, then.

And as I marveled to her Daddy over instant message about how this conversation was born from nowhere and thinking, yes, I have been wanting to go all summer, it just hasn't worked out, and, maybe, we could go sometime soon, before it closes for the season.

And then I realized.  It's Friday.  We have no plans for tonight.  Philip has been telling me all day how beautiful the weather is.  So, why not?

Thus, it was.  We ate our Whole 30 approved dinner, packed up the car with chairs, blankets, pillows and snacks (popcorn for the littles, per Micaiah's specific request, and nuts and grapes for Mom and Dad - you should be proud - you have NO idea how hard that was for me!) and headed to the Drive-In where we snuggled with our bigger kids in the cool breeze of the less-than-100-degree evening while watching Ice Age 4 (which may have made a hair more sense had we seen any others in the series besides the original, but I kind of doubt it), with Joey sleeping on his blanket spread in the trunk of our SUV (I may have been excited about taking this car to the drive-in, for that very purpose, since the day we bought it).

Thanks, Micaiah, for motivating us to get out of the house and enjoy the waning days of summer.

1,000 Gifts:
745. A cool breeze on  summer evening.
746. Three kids snuggled in.
747. A small head resting on my shoulder.
748. Kids playing in the dirt.
749. The sweet taste of grapes.
750. Bacon - especially when wrapped around other foods
751. Whispers from a little boy
752. Airplanes in the night sky
753. A shooting star - God's entertainment is always better
754. Little Guy squirming in my lap
755. Avocados
756. Breezy Saturday afternoons
757. Fresh produce
758. Just what I need at just the right price

Photos of the Day:

Whole 30 - Day 3:
Breakfast - Eggs scrambled in walnut oil with Salsa and a mix of chopped red and yellow peppers, Banana
Lunch - Chunky Apple Chicken Salad (with Homemade Mayo), Grapes
Afternoon Snack - Zucchini Chips (these were supposed to be part of lunch but took much longer to bake than the recipe stated - but they were AMAZING)
Dinner - Sweet & Spicy Bacon Chicken (minus the sweet), Green Beans
Movie Snack - Mixed Nuts, Grapes

Worst Part of Today: Movies without popcorn?!  What kind of madness is this?!
Best Part of Today: Being full after dinner, but not feeling gross or heavy, as I would after being too full from carbs or sugar.  I don't think I ever knew you could feel a little too full but not feel yucky.

Day 4:
Breakfast - Eggs, Clementine
Lunch - Chunky Apple Chicken Salad (with Homemade Mayo), Grapes
Dinner - BLAT Salad
Dessert - Cinnamon & Nutmeg Banana Ice Cream

Worst Part of Today: Remembering not to lick the spoon while dishing up pudding for the kids.
Best Part of Today: Philip telling me, "I'm not very happy with you.  I'm not supposed to like this because it has avocados and mayonnaise.  I don't like what you're doing to me." Love it when he's surprised to discover the things he thought were bad really aren't so bad.

Of Letting the Rhythm Move Her

I'm not sure if it was my first exposure to the sport, but one of the few things that stuck in my memory from watching the 1996 Summer Olympics (other than Kerri Strug's heroic vault, of course) was staying up until 2am (because I was twelve and it was summer, so why not, right?) and discovering Rhythmic Gymnasts (who were only aired during those wee hours of the morning, in the days long before DVR) twirl a ribbon through the air and do amazing contortions of their body through a hula hoop.  I thought it was magical.

Since those middle school days of having no other life than lounging in front of the television until my eyelids were going to fall off, I have not had the ability to indulge in the once-every-four-years airing of this particular event (as, apparently, America has no investment in this sort of artistry at all) - until now.

Now that it's aired during the normal morning hours, reserved only for housewives and jobless college graduates who live with their mothers, I finally have the privilege of watching in awe, once again, as one slender dancer after another, adorned in glitter and spandex, makes a bouncing ball a fluid member of her own body.

And the best part this time around is having my four-year-old daughter sitting nearby, also marveling at this amazing feat.  And when it's over?  Seeing her pick up her own glitter-filled ball and attempt to hold it by sheer will on the inside of her knee, just like "the girls" did.

Everyday memories, sponsored by the Olympics (and NBC, of course).



(And just in case you need a reference point for any of the above to make sense)


1,000 Gifts:
738. Opening my fridge to see sprigs of parsley, fresh ground nut butters and salad fixings
739. A full fridge
740. Kissing boo-boos
741. A tiny, fleshy tongue sucking on my arm
742. "Secret Missions"
743. The Library
744. Renewing memories

Whole 30 - Day Two:
Breakfast: Egg Scrambled in Walnut Oil, Banana
Morning Snack: Apple with Almond Butter 
Lunch: Leftovers from last night
Afternoon Snack: Frozen Blueberries, Strawberries and Bananas blended together (amazing!)
Dinner: Shaslik (Russian Kebabs - with chicken rather than lamb because lamb was too expensive and broiled, rather than grilled, because our grill is broken), Green Bean Bacon Bundles (minus the sugar and with Ghee rather than butter), Sliced Tomatoes

Today got rough when I gave the kids popcorn for snack (their diet isn't as hard-core as ours, though they have the same breakfast and dinner) and wanted just one kernel, but I held strong.  Also, the Whole 30 plan discourages against snacks, but I'm a nursing momma who is donating a good portion of her calories to a certain little boy, leaving me hungry and shaking even after I finished breakfast, so I had to put those back in - I don't plan to rely on them, but I won't deny myself nourishment when my stomach is super angry.  Finally, that dinner was about the most amazing thing I've ever made/eaten - LOVED it!!!  We'll be pulling that out again, and long after this Whole 30 is over, for sure.

Of My Undeserved Love

Yesterday morning, after staying up too late, yet again - an ongoing theme during these days of Olympic prime-time airing until 11pm and my inability to get ready before they're over - I was caught in a dream as my husband, who had been up for an hour or so already, preparing for work, woke me by whispering our youngest was ready to eat.  So, he brought me the baby and while I was done feeding him, my husband came back in, took the little guy back, changed his diaper and laid him back down.

Then, he came in our room to fix the toilet, yet again, because it was running, yet again.  And while I stood next to him, feeling guilty for still being so groggy after clearly having slept longer than he and still knowing I would be able to sleep even after he was gone, he was putting his hand to my back, guiding me back to the bed, tucking me in and kissing me good-bye before he left to work hard on my behalf.

I am so blessed.

Daily I get more sleep than this man.  And he never holds it over my head.  Not even on the occasional Saturday morning when I gripe that he's sleeping until 11 and I just want one morning of not having to prepare breakfast for our little ones the minute I get up.  Not even on the rare day when I debate napping - on those days he tells me, always, that I should.

Would I do the same?

Doubtful.  In me dwells bitterness.  I have my days when I recognize how much better my job is than his.  But I also have the days when I gripe and whine and detail for him every minute of my crazy child-filled day, begging for pity, begging for a break.

So when it comes to sleep, I know if I were him I'd be rolling my eyes every time that wife of mine, the one who woke up at nine that morning, the one who kept us both up until midnight, mentioned being tired.

Grateful every day for a man I don't deserve.  The one who loves me better than I know to love him and cares for me with the greatest tenderness and lack of selfish motivation.

He is truly my greatest blessing.

1,000 Gifts:
734. Female camaraderie
735. Road trips
736. A knowing smile
737. Sharing stories of God's goodness

Photo of the Day: 
As we were preparing for lunch this afternoon, the two big kids in their chairs and Little Man playing on the floor we suddenly heard the tinkling of piano keys.  And there he was, sitting at the piano, loving it as he plunked his hands on the keys.  He sure does like his music.

For those of you interested in how we're doing during our Whole 30, I'll be including a daily update.  For those of you not interested, you have my permission to check out now.

Whole 30 - Day One: 
Breakfast - Eggs, scrambled with Coconut Oil, and a Nectarine
Lunch - Romaine and Spinach topped with Cherry Tomatoes and Shredded Chicken (sprinkled with Chipotle Rub before cooking) and drizzled with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar
Dinner - Mexi Salad (substituted Chicken for Beef because it's what we had)
Evening Snack - Mixed Nuts

Worst Moment of the Day: Longing for chocolate.  Any chocolate.
Best Moment of the Day: Licking my guacamole fork knowing I just made something amazing and it's good for us!  Healthy eating does not equal bland eating.

Of Our Hipster Evening

As our gas-guzzling SUV pulled into the Whole Foods parking lot, smack in the center of the swanky district of OKC, I immediately felt out of place.

"Are we chic enough to shop here?" I asked.

"I don't think so." was the reply from the front seat.

Though, the minute Philip, Dayla, our herd of children, and I paraded through the front doors, I didn't care if I was a hillbilly in high-class heaven, I was ready to move in.  If it meant endless access to the bulk nuts, fresh nut butter, beautiful fruits and jars of organic coconut oil, I would sleep in one of those yellow metal chairs chilling in the front of the store for the rest of my life.

But only if I could bring a Pack n' Play for Joey (and cots for the older ones, of course).

As it was, I was like a kid in a candy store as I stocked up for our road trip down hippie lane that starts bright and early tomorrow morning.  I'm pretty sure I spent fifteen minutes in the bulk section alone, calculating prices and pouring almonds, cashews, walnuts and pecans into their little plastic baggies.

I loved just about every second of it - and that's not just because I had two helpers wrangling the children so I could focus on locating the cans of coconut milk.

To top off the evening, we made a quick stop for my first ever Cuppie at Cuppies & Joe.  Vanilla, chocolate and salted caramel dwelling in peace together?  Yes, this was the most perfect ending to my sugar-filled eating habits (at least for the next thirty days).  And when the delicious combination is accompanied by a frozen hot chocolate served in a jar on a shabby-chic wooden table in a creaking old house surrounded by college students sipping their lattes and working on their theses, well could one get any more hipster?

If only I had some Toms . . .


1,000 Gifts:
727. Rain glittering on the windshield
728. Folding clothes
729. Tiny fingernails gripping my skin
730. Sticky fingers from an over-eager rice cereal eater
731. Buckets of fresh flowers
732. Aisles of brightly colored produce
733. Planning to treat our bodies well

Photos of the Day:  As we headed into the City, we were blessed with rain, and the beautiful sunset which ensued (photo by Dayla).

Whole Foods - I'm now a believer.  (Photo by Dayla.)

My first Cuppies & Joe fodder - amazing!  

Of the Whole Thirty

Four days ago, I sent my husband a link (yes, I may have been sitting on the couch with my laptop while he was working at his desk a mere three feet behind me) and asked, "How much would you hate me if I said I wanted to try this?"  Used to this kind of craziness from me, he didn't look too thrilled, but he also refrained from offering too much negativity.  Still, I wasn't quite sure I was dedicated enough for the task.

Yesterday, after a weekend of the entire family feeling kind of crummy, he finally admitted, "Maybe we do need to try that Whole 30 thing.  My body would probably appreciate that."

And, thus, it began.

So, after a day and a half of research, I now have a meal plan in place for 22 of the next 30 days (figuring to fill in those final eight as we discover what works and what doesn't).  And we're doing this thing.

Thirty days of eating nothing but the basics.  Meat.  Vegetables.  Fruit.  Healthy fats.  Nuts.  The end.

No grain.

No dairy.

No sugar.

At all.

So, of course, we've spent the evening digging into the Blue Bell "Christmas Cookies in July" I bought on Friday, before I realized what we would be doing to ourselves only five days later.  My rationale, as I dipped into the half gallon for my afternoon snack was, "In a month, I won't even want ice cream and I'd hate to pass up the opportunity to at least try this." See?  I'm totally thinking clearly right now.

We'll see what a month of "whole" eating does to that clarity of thought.

1,000 Gifts:
721. The comfort to splurge
722. Taking my health seriously
723. Planning a trip to the museum
724. Dreaming of the future
725. Wildfires drowned out
726. The promise of rain in the dry heat

Photo from the Weekend: Driving to Tulsa on Friday, the smoke from nearby wildfires attempted to blot out the sun.  Eerie, but beautiful.

Of Loving His Cousin

Our eldest son is not yet at the age when we hear him talking about his favorite play-mates (other than his sister).  While Micaiah comes home from church telling me about the escapades of her and her friends (all male, by the way - don't know yet if this should concern us), labeling just about everyone she meets as a friend and asking about someone she just met ten minutes ago like they've known each other forever, her brother is still at the point where he pretty much keeps to himself.  Other than at home, where he and Sissy will chase each other around in fits of giggles, he's pretty much a "parallel play" kinda guy when it comes to children his age.

Thus, you can imagine my surprise when, at dinner the very evening we pulled back into town from visiting Virginia with my parents, as my brother and his family sat at the other end of the table, Emmett declared, "I want to see Nella."  This, coming from my introvert son who not only doesn't remember who he played with last week, but was also VERY cranky from two days in the car and a very poor nap in his carseat.  He didn't want dinner.  He didn't want milk.  He didn't want to sit in his chair.

But he wanted Nella.

Nella, who is only seven months old.  Nella, who does little more than suck her thumb or chew the nearest toy (not unlike his little brother, Joseph).  She doesn't offer hugs or squeals of recognition, no flickers of excitement to see her cousin who she just met last week.

But this is who he wanted.  This was who made him happy on this evening when nothing else could.

So enamored he was, the entire ride home, after shunning his pasta, he asked where "UncleAndyAndrea" were and which house, of the many passing outside his window, belonged to them.  Upon arriving at Grandma and Grandpa's, he dashed in, looked around and inquired, "Where Nella?"

It was absolutely precious.

I love seeing my children enjoy their family.  I pray we will have many more opportunities to traverse the distance and reinforce the bonds which are only just beginning to form.

1,000 Gifts:

716. Two of my boys snuggling on the couch

717. Joey's smile at his big sister

718. Watching my tiniest man entertain himself, sitting up on the floor

719. Story-time with my littles, laying on the bedroom floor

720. A flowing skirt on a summer evening

Also, guess who's eating from a spoon these days . . .

At five and a half months old, he started these shenanigans on Sunday.  What a big boy!