365 Day Photographic Challenge

It's been awhile since I wrote on this blog-- I stopped when the school year started last August!

Well, now school is over and I have a little more time. I'd like to take pictures more often this year. So, at the encouragement of Rebekah at Honey and Cheese, I am participating in my first 365 Day Photographic Challenge.

Here are the pictures I've taken since June 1. (Yes, there are more than 8. I had trouble deciding which ones to eliminate). I have a not-quite-2-year-old daughter, so most pictures are going to be of her. Sorry, can't help it.

1/365 -- "Just Before Church" -- Aleigha collapse into mommy's and daddy's bedding and "read" a coloring book.

Same day...Aleigha reading her fav book while getting (another!) breathing treatment.

2/365 -- "Playing Outside" -- Aleigha enjoys collecting sticks and dandelions outside.

Gotta pick all the dandelions!

3/365 -- "Ready for a Walk" -- Gotta have all the essential things for walking!

Same day...Aleigha is being mommy's kitchen helper for the first time.

And, we took a lot of pictures this day, apparently. Aleigha is learning how to use the potty.

Chillin' on the potty.

...and lovin' it! 

4/365-- "Baby Houdini" -- Those are car keys, but Aleigha understand the basic essentials to un-lock the door. Yikes!

5/365 -- "Picnic with Daddy" -- We were preparing for a trip, and the table was covered with stuff, so Daddy and baby had a picnic on the floor.

6/365 -- "At a Conference" -- baby did her part...by falling asleep.

7/365-- "Playing at the conference" -- Oh, trust me on this one: Aleigha did so much more than sleep at the conference. She handled being confined to her stroller for most of the weekend well, but to give her an outlet for her energy, I took her to the nursing mothers room to run around.

So, where's 8/365? It exists...I promise. I'm not going to share it, but I'll describe it.

Aleigha is sitting on the potty, looking slightly concerned at her "success" (as in, she pooped in the potty!) So, I'm not going to share it because 1) it might embarrass her one day and 2) that's gross. 

So, that's our big news! We're making some potty progress. I had my doubts last week after a little (failed) pep talk: 

Me, to Aleigha, immediately after she pooped in her diaper: "Aleigha, we poo in the potty. Don't poop in your diaper. Poo goes in the potty." 

Aleigha stared at me for a few seconds. Then, she looked at the potty. "Poo"? 

"Yes, poo goes in the potty." 

She happened to be clutching her favorite stuffed Winnie-the-Pooh toy at the time, so she threw that into the potty. I caught myself saying, "No, Aleigha. Pooh doesn't go in the potty, er, I mean, Pooh bear doesn't....poo poo does. Poo? Poop? Oh great...." 

By then, the moment was lost. Pooh was in the potty. Poop was in the diaper. And I don't know what A.A. Milne was even thinking-- Winnie-the-Pooh bear? Pooh? Seriously? Any other mothers out there ever find Pooh in the toilet? Toddlers can't hear the silent "h" ya'll!

PS: I meant to post this yesterday, so now I have to take a 9/365 and post again today. Ah! 

Peach Piece (a Talous Treasures short film)

Ah, Saturday. The start of a three-day weekend. Today I learned how to upload a video to YouTube. It took me a long time, but it was worth it because I captured Aleigha on video yesterday...and I think it's worth sharing.

I usually don't share videos on my blog because 1) I didn't know how and 2) probably only family will truly be interested in watching her do something menial like eating or crawling (and maybe few close friends...maybe).

But, if you like like to watch Disney Pixar's short films, I think you'll want to see this. 

Watch at least until 1:43 or so. After that the music runs out 'cuz YouTube won't let me use two songs. (If my brother Thomas is watching this...can you please help me figure out how to loop the music?)



And for the dedicated folk who want to watch even more...

One of those afternoons

When we first moved into our apartment e.v.e.r.y window screen had a huge hole in it. We called the property manager yesterday and asked if the owner would be able to fix them, and they said yes. So,  a handyman came by to fix our window screens. And we are thrilled, because it's cool outside now and we want to open our windows without letting all the six-legged critters inside.

A happy-ending, but it was still one of those afternoons. The handyman scared Aleigha by his mere existence, and she wouldn't calm down for an hour. I was a bit tense too, since I dislike letting strangers come inside. When she started crying, I felt a bit like crying too. Jason thinks she picked up on my tension, so she kept crying and trembling despite my efforts to reassure her.

After two hours he left...what a very long two hours. What kept me going was the thought of my surprise date with my husband. In the one hour and fifteen minutes I had until my friend came to baby-sit, I was so mentally drained that I had to think about each step I took.

What do I do next? Do that which needs to be done.

Which is...? Focus on one room at a time. One room...kitchen. Dishes. Wipe counter. Mop floors.

What next...? Vacuum. Clean the floor so Aleigha won't find anything to eat and choke.

And then....? Get dressed. Cuz I look like I've been cleaning dead bugs off the window sill. Cuz I have been doing just that. That and hugging a scared and crying Aleigha.

But you know what I remember most vividly from the day? The walk we took this morning. The bright blue sky we saw out our open window this afternoon. And the lovely date Jason and I had this evening. And now....zzzzzz........

What black beans taught me about coveting

In one of my first posts I wrote about the purpose of this blog-- seeing the Gospel in ordinary moments.

And since then, I've pretty much blogged about the "big stuff"-- first foods, first crawl, first watermelon eating contest...nothing about life's ordinary moments...

...which is strange since the sum of my life is mostly ordinary moments.

Like the day Aleigha was eating black beans in her high chair. One-by-one she picked each one up and artfully shoved it into her mouth. I turned my back to do something else, perhaps dice some fruit for her, and when I came back, I discovered...yes, that's right: she's helping herself to all of the beans.

Oh, perhaps she ran out of beans and didn't want to bother asking? Nope. She still had beans on her tray.

Beans in the bowl are far more appealing than beans on the tray....right? We laugh at her because it's funny to watch a baby want what she doesn't have, especially when she's only wanting black beans. But for an older child or adult, and especially for a follower of Christ, coveting is not-so-funny. 

"But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God." (Eph. 5:3-5)

When we covet our minds become consumed with our desires...and little else.

John Piper defines coveting like this: "'Covetousness'" means desiring something other than God in the wrong way.

Misdirected desire-- where the thing I want and my enjoyment of the thing is more important to me than God. Coveting is idolatry. ("...who is covetous (that is, an idolater)." (See also Colossians 3:5.)

Oh, how I've been a covetous idolater. Where my mind is so consumed with what I want that my relationship with God and others is affected. Where I relish the relationships and things I have to the point of being prideful. Where I enjoy the things I have so much that I cannot see the needs of others. Where I want things so much I am drawn away from my duties and responsibilities.

Coveting, I am finding, is so much more than simply wanting something that you don't have. Coveting is misdirected love.

So, was Aleigha really coveting? Well, I dunno. Maybe she was just exploring the world within her reach?? But I think her actions speak truth of human nature: what is just out of reach looks delicious. {smile}

At the Fair: Yet Another First

In Aleigha’s first year of life we’ve experienced lots of “firsts” this year. Remember her First Foods? Yesterday marked another “first” – first time going to the county fair!

Jason took a few hours off of work and we went to the Loudoun County Fair. Going to the fair with a child is oh-so-much more fun than going by ourselves.

After purchasing some lemonade, we pushed the stroller into the animal barn where the goats, sheep, rabbits, and chickens were caged. The goats greeted Aleigha with a loud “baaaaaaaaa.” She jumped and started to cry. We moved on to Jason’s favorite part: the chickens! She stared at the chickens…and then “waaaaaaah.” The clucking was too much for her. We moved to see more chickens, quieter chickens, but then she saw a fly buzzing around and became upset all over again (Aleigha’s been afraid of flies ever since a fly that landed on her highchair moved when she tried to eat it).

We left the barn to the next attraction. The Watermelon Eating Contest! I really wanted to watch this one. I’d never see a food-eating contest in person (that I can remember). I liked that the contest involved eating fruit and not pies or hot dogs.

We heard the announcer’s voice call for more participants: “We still have openings for ages 6 and under.” Wait—6 and under? Oh yes, Aleigha is certainly under 6 (indeed, she’s not even a one-year-old!) And, Aleigha really likes watermelon. She’s a champion watermelon eater at home and eats just as much as I eat (maybe more?) Every morning for us is a watermelon-eating marathon.

I knew she wouldn’t win, but she could certainly hold her own.  And did I mention she really likes watermelon? I wrote her name on the sign-up sheet.

While we waited for her name to be called, I took her shirt off and snapped a red bib around her neck. She sat on her blanket, holding a plastic spoon and waited expectantly for food. 

After her name was called, we picked up her chunk of watermelon and lined up with the contestants.

Every contestant must have been at least four-years-old. They stood in a line, clutching their watermelon chunks. Aleigha sat at the end of the row, clutching her spoon. 

Ready, set, GO!

I took the spoon from Aleigha and used it to scoop small, bit-sized chunks of melon for her. She ate them, one-by-one, while the crowd cheered and cheered.

An eight-year-old brother of the contestant next to us cheered his sister on. “Come on Ava! Big bites! Act like cookie monster!” She nibbled away as fast as she was able to, and in between bites called back to him, slightly annoyed “I’m trying to win a watermelon contest here!”

As Aleigha chewed she looked around thoughtfully, almost as though she couldn’t understand why there would be so much fuss about eating….breakfast? I didn’t want Aleigha to choke, so I gave her small, manageable pieces. About halfway through the contest though, I think she realized that she was supposed to be eating faster. When I didn’t give her the next piece fast enough, she grabbed a fistful of watermelon herself. I supplied the next bite quickly and prepared to cut up with chunk had in my hand. Aleigha grabbed it and shoved it into her mouth before I could take it back. After gulping it down, she took another, then another. She was eating almost as fast as the other contestants!

When the contest ended, I noticed she had consumed more watermelon than poor little Ava.  She continued to eat the melon even after the contest was over—who can pass up free watermelon?

We're goin' places!

Our little baby is starting to be mobile! And active! She is not officially "crawling" yet, but she can slither and scoot....kinda like a wounded lizard. It's adorable.

Her new trick is to get stuck on mommy's desk chair. Sometimes it's fun...

"I like being stuck. I get more mommy attention! I like smiling for the camera!"

...and sometimes it's not so fun.

"Mommy, put the camera away. My arm is stuuuck. *sniff* "

Chick-fil-A (A.K.A “Pregnant Cow”) Part 2

Today is Cow Appreciation Day!

Last year, I wrote about our Chick-fil-A experience-- at 7 months pregnant I dressed like a cow and walked into the restaurant with Jason on Cow Appreciation day... (read the story for background).

I promised myself that next year (2013) I would dress me baby like a little cow calf this year...and here she is!



I was not really sure we'd make it out this year. I planned to assemble our costumes while she took her morning nap, but for some reason she screamed for about 20 minutes before she slept. She doesn't usually do this, so I wasn't sure what was wrong. I decided to let her cry it out  (and she did), but at 10:30 am or so I still hadn't showered and couldn't find some supplies I thought I had. *deep breathe*

But, I made do with what I found and I think we all came out looking nice...well, er, like cows.
 

The things we do for free food. *shakes head*

Aleigha ate chicken tenders from her first kids meal (this is the first time she has eaten chicken tenders...or a kid's meal). She enjoyed her food! (I did let her eat a few fries too...it's a special day).

She might be looking at the enormous cow...

Capturing the Growth of a Baby

I'm packing away a lot of little baby things...bouncer, clothing, spit up cloths, receiving blankets, swing...all things we don't use anymore. 'Tis true-- babies do grow quickly (even my little peanut!)

When my baby girl was first born, I counted her age in hours: 2 hours old....7 hours....23 hours...
After she was one day old, I counted her age in days: 5 days old....9 days old....14 days old...
After about two weeks, I kept track of her age by week: 4 weeks old...10 weeks old...16 weeks old....
When she was about 4 months, I counted the months: 4 months....7 months...8 months

And she is now 8 months old!

We've celebrated a lot of "firsts": first plane/train/rental car ride, first time going to the zoo, first time going to the park, first time rolling over and sitting up, first taste of solids, first Mother's day... I am not very good at keeping track of all of the "firsts." I might just have to think of this entire year as her "first" and be done (and hey, it is her first year).

What I need is perspective because each day seems so exciting and new. Each moment with a new baby seems scrapbook-worthy and notable. In the digital age where mothers share and show-off creative and unique memory-keeping ways, it's easy to feel like a "bad" mom. Am I depriving my daughter of a beautiful babyhood by not documenting every moment? Despite my feeling that I am....no! We are living life and enjoying her babyhood...and it's alright that I didn't photograph every moment or write down the exact day she smiled, rolled over, or could sit unassisted. I don't keep track of her age in hours anymore...and I don't need to. 

But, I do wish I had thought of taking consistent pictures of her in specific poses to get a visual for her growth. Sometimes this just happened...like in the following pictures:

First month...

...just before 8 months

So a word of wisdom to soon-to-be new moms: think of any "stages of growth" pictures you want to take before you give birth...and be consistent. You'll be thankful that you did [smile].

Aleigha's First Foods

At seven-and-a-half months, Aleigha's been eating solid foods for a while now. She really likes her food. Despite her petite size, she can pack away a lot of food. She now eats fruits (applesauce, pear sauce, bananas, peaches, prunes, avocado, and a few blueberries) and steamed vegetables (green beans, sweet peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, corn, butternut squash, pumpkin). I've also started to feed her Greek yogurt and ...eggs! (Learn about giving babies eggs here!)

We started feeding her solid food when she was four-and-a-half months old. After researching the "right" first foods to feed a baby,  I settled on brown rice cereal mixed with formula. My hope was that a little cereal would settle her stomach and calm her acid reflux a bit. I think (but can't be sure) it worked. In any case, I nursed her throughout the day and offered her one solid "meal" every day around 5:30 pm each day.

Here's her response to solids:

Get it away from me! Aleigha's first bit of solids

On the second attempt, she actually took a bite.

hmmm...maybe this isn't so bad after all?

Even though her cereal was watery, she needed some help swallowing each bite.

She made hilarious faces after each spoonful...including this one...

What is this stuff?

..and this one

Not sure I like it...

Disgusting! (I laughed and laughed at those eyebrows! She has her daddy's eyebrow expressions).

And the funniest face of them all....



































Now, she really likes her solid foods! Her favorite food is applesauce....

What was your experience feeding your baby solids for the first time?

Hi, Everyone! (from Aleigha)

Friday, Jan. 11, 2012

Dear Mommy’s Readers,

Now that I’m 4 months old and weigh over 10 pounds mommy is letting me write in her blog!  Thank you for reading ‘cuz I know you all want to read part 3 of my birth (I don’t know why. You all know the end of the story—I was born, of course!)  Mommy needs a little break so she let me write.

Today we walked and then mommy bought coffee. A man said I was alert. You know, ever since I was born, strangers tell me I am alert. I just stare at them hard ‘cuz I don’t know what that means. I’m going to keep my eyes wide open and look around until I figure that out. 

I can now grab toys, roll over from my back to my tummy (but I don’t do that very often ‘cuz  I forget how), smile,  and giggle. Right now I like trying to pull off my toys from the toy mat, smiling at mommy and daddy, and chewing my fist. Yes, my fist. Mommy is trying to help me chew on toys instead, but holding toys while playing is really hard. So I prefer my fist.

I’ve been trying for weeks now to tell mommy that my mouth hurts. She didn’t understand, so I had to take action. I decided to wake-up every hour and scream so that mom would understand. It was exhausting, but mommy still could not understand. She didn’t tell me, but I cried so much she thought I….uh, had a brain tumor!* Poor mommy. She needs more sleep.

So, we saw the doctor today and you know what? He knew exactly what I was trying to tell mommy—I am cutting two teeth! Now mommy is helping by giving me a teething pacifier—it’s so fun!

Yours truly,

Aleigha

Editor’s note: Yes, I did edit Aleigha’s post. What can I say? I am a type A first born. She protested, but she’s a first born too.

I have to make a correction. Aleigha said that I thought she had a brain tumor. Actually, she doesn’t like to admit it, but I actually thought she was gassy [ahem] colicky—because she is! So, even though I know she’s teething (sorry sweetie—mommy’s just learning how to speak baby!) I am still cutting a.l.l dairy out of my diet. And you know what? I think it’s helping….
 

Chick-fil-A (A.K.A “Pregnant Cow”)

Tomorrow, August 1, is “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day” day.

In honor of the day, I’d like to share some of my favorite Chick-fil-A experiences.

My first time eating at Chick-fil-A was a few years ago. I attended a homeschool conference in North Carolina to help Vicki Bentley with her booth, Everyday Homemaking. On our way home, we stopped to have a bite to eat….at Chick-fil-A.

We pulled into the parking lot and walked inside. Nearly every customer was dressed like a cow. Vicki, however, did not appear surprised. “Oh, I forgot! Dress-like-a-cow day!”  

What?! She knew that nutty people eat here?

Ignorant of the restaurant’s annual “Cow Appreciation Day,” I assumed that Chick-fil-A had a cult following of bizarre customers. Then, I noticed the fliers, banners, and balloons indicating that this particular Friday occurred only once a year and customers who dress like a cow receive a free sandwich. Ah! We bought our sandwiches, sat down to eat, and admired (or perhaps secretly mocked?) people’s cow costumes.

I didn’t have the opportunity to eat at Chick-fil-A again until one was built closer to home. Then, I mysteriously developed a pregnancy craving for Chick-fil-A chicken strips. Jason, my wonderful husband, lovingly surprised me with chicken strips a few times.

Last month, July 13 was “Cow Appreciation Day” and I felt the urge to participate. I am still pregnant and couldn’t resist a free sandwich made with yummy baby-approved chicken. I mentioned the day to Jason and we made a mental note to participate.

The night before, we realized that we did not plan ahead and prepare cow costumes. But, it was late and we needed to attend our Bradley Birth Class the next morning. We made plans to think of a costume the morning of “Cow Appreciation Day.” That morning, Jason followed an online tutorial to make a cow mask, and I wore a black (maternity) shirt with the intent to tape white hand-cut “cow spots” all over my back and middle.

That morning, I made blackbean brownies for our class, so I ran out of time to cut spots. Instead, I grabbed some white paper, scissors, and tape to bring with me into the car. After birth class ended, we sat in our car and cut out some white “spots.” Jason carefully taped them to my back and I artistically arranged them on my front. We drove to Chick-fil-A, eager for a free sandwich.

When we pulled into the parking lot, we noticed that no one else was dressed like a cow. Hmmm. Maybe we missed the peak hour. Nevertheless, eager for a free meal, we marched on dressed like…cows. Well, I was dressed like a cow. Jason was holding his mask since he didn’t cut eyeholes!

As we walked towards the restaurant, we took a closer look at the flier on the door and realized that we had actually missed “Cow Appreciation Day.”

Instead of turning back to discreetly remove all cow markings from our appearance, Jason decided that we should go through with our plan anyway!

“What?! You mean walk into Chick-fil-A dressed like a cow even though today is NOT the day for free sandwiches?”

Jason shrugs, “Sure! Maybe they’ll take pity on us and still give us free food anyway.”

I was not particularly comfortable with this idea but I figured I didn’t have much to lose.

We walk inside, dressed like…cows. Jason was still holding his mask and I was covered in white paper spots. I could see the amused smiles forming on the employees’ faces. I imagined that they were thinking….

Oh, poor customers. How do we tell them that they totally missed Cow Appreciation Day? Bummer for them.

I instantly regretted our decision, but determined to save what little dignity I had left, I figured the best option was to pretend I was having fun and “play it cool.” I elbowed Jason, “Put on your mask! I am not going to be the only one dressed like a cow. This was your idea!”

When we walked up to the counter he quickly put it on…and then took it off because he couldn’t see. While ordering, he laughed and blurted a quick explanation. “Uh, well, we missed the dress-like-a-cow day, but we thought we’d come in here anyway since we already had our costumes and everything.”

The sweet Hispanic lady behind the counter smiled and replied sadly, “I’m sorry but I can’t give you a free sandwich.”

“Uh, that’s ok.” Jason said. “We understand.” And he placed our order. The lady entered our order into the computer and disappeared to the back, returning with a voucher for a free sandwich. She waved it around and said excitedly, “I can give you one!”

Really?! It worked?

We actually received a pity-inspired free chicken sandwich the day after Cow Appreciation Day!

When our food was ready, we took our bag, and scurried out of the store.

But, I realized something. Jason wore his mask less than 30 seconds and I was the one who was dressed like a cow the entire time.

I thought I earned a Starbucks for my performance. Jason prefers not to spend money on expensive coffee, so I reasoned with him. “You can take the money you saved getting a free sandwich and buy your wife a frappuccino (your wife who was pregnant and dressed like a cow when it was not “Cow Appreciation Day”)!

Jason laughed and kidded that he wouldn’t be “ahead” if he spent money he just saved. But, being the wonderful husband he is, he agreed and bought me one.

How can I end without a picture?

Next year, I plan to dress baby like a cow calf.

Welcome and Introduction

I've wanted to start blogging for a long time-- I'd like to share our daily life with family and friends, especially those who live far way. 

Since we are expecting our first baby in September (or *cough* late August?) I also plan to use this blog to post updates on our baby girl's growth (yes, there will be pictures!) Creating this blog is one of the last items on my "to do" list before baby girl Heki arrives.

Here is a picture of baby girl (Nickname = "Mona") at about 20 weeks (we are currently at 33 weeks!)

Come back tomorrow for an explanation of the blog's title and verse....