3 Favorite Things of the Moment .. Baby Edition

Love this book! Okay, there are a lot of things that I do with my little guy during the day ..

- sing songs

- dance

- puppets

- read

- walks

- tummy time

- swim lessons 

- play dates

The list goes on, but sometimes I want something simple, that does not require toys beyond what I've listed above. I also want to make sure I'm stimulating his brain appropriately for his age and development. This book is great for giving you ideas and explaining what works at each stage. It is also recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

It also gives guidelines for television, bouncers, etc!

Love this! It gives us something new and fun to do! We are working on walk (because we do on at least two a day), milk, bath, book, bedtime. We are starting a little early, but I am hoping by 6 months he will start to recognize some of the signs.

Two best simple toys: links and oball 

This ball also comes in a rattle, football, and car! Babies can easily grip them and shake them around. My son loves them!

Open Your Heart

And feed these sweet little ones ...

My good friend, Aimee, and her husband, Tim, are currently in Haiti serving these sweet children. Read a little more below... 

Poverty is certainly a complex issue and there are many big questions to ask about how to do things best for the long term, but there are also weeks like this when we have heard of 2 orphanages who have children going without food for several days.  It’s difficult to imagine basic needs being so unreachable when we come from places where we’ve probably never questioned how we will get the next meal. Sadly, here and so many other places it’s the daily reality. 

In an effort to be prepared for situations like these, we are starting the Haiti Food Pantry Fund.  This will allow us to have funds available to quickly purchase food for orphanages that are in a crisis. The food will be provided to them while a more long-term plan can be put in place to ensure that the children’s needs are being met.

Just to give you an idea of how the money will be used, these are items I purchased in bulk today:

Rice $25…Corn Meal $25…Oil $8…Spaghetti $9…Fruit $25…96 eggs $18…Beans $22…powdered milk $20…

If you'd like to donate to the Haiti Food Pantry fund, please go to www.awaa.org and click on "Give" on the top right of the page. Then click on "donate." Choose "General Fund" under the "designated fund" drop down menu. Be sure to write in the "notes" section that the donation is for the Haiti Food Pantry fund.  Any amount is helpful and 100% of your donation will go directly to buy food and all donations are tax deductible. If you have any questions, feel free to email at aimee.wilson@awaa.org 

 

If you prefer to send a check, please make the check out to AWAA and include a note that it is for the Haiti Food Pantry fund.

AWAA

Attn: Michelle Reed

6723 Whittler Ave.

McLean, VA 22101

I have been at both orphanages this week and can tell you that precious lives will be impacted by your gifts! Both orphanages have food for the immediate future, but as you can imagine, food goes quickly when there are 40+ mouths to feed.

Thank you seems inadequate, but I am truly grateful for your desire to help and be a part of the work God is doing.

Sincerely, 

Aimee

4 months :)

How is it that my little man is 4 months? 

What did he do during his fourth month?

Learned to blow bubbles, as a result of swim class :) 

Grabs and pulls things close..

Loved cuddling stuffed animals and can't sleep without his fox or doggie. 

Met his grandpa Myers for the first time.

Celebrated his first Easter 

Is teething like crazy ... Kind of glad they haven't poked through, but thy also kind of need to. 

Eats 5 - 6 ounces at every feeding

Sleeping from 8 - 4 am and then back to sleep until 7. Yay!

Screeches and screams and chats a lot! He is super loud! 

Rolls from tummy to back and back to side. He really has no desire to stay on his tummy!

Weighs 14.2 lbs and is 25 1/2 inches long. The pediatrician says he will be tall (recessive gene - taller than mom and dad is a okay).

Reflux is almost nonexistent! Yay!!!!!

Grabs his feet 

Loved baths and splashing around 

Is always on the move! This kid won't sit still! 

Mother's Day Reflection

This year is my first official Mother's Day. Last Mother's Day we found out we pregnant. It was so exciting and scary and surreal!

This year I am celebrating with my tiny dinosaur (when he eats he looks like a baby Dino it's adorable). I always knew I wanted to be a mom. I would play house as a little girl, I mothered my poor sister, my stuffed animals, my pets, and later I mothered my students. I am sure I try to "mother" my husband and my friends some times too (sorry guys). 

Well, now I am doing the "real" thing. I am mothering Beckett. I won't lie the first couple weeks were hard and tiring and scary. He had bad reflux and some colic and I wanted to sleep.. And shower.. And sleep some more. I knew I loved this tiny man, but also knew my life would forever be completely changed. At first, I missed my job, my skinny jeans (still miss those), and my quiet time with my husband and I just wasn't sure if being a stay at home mom was for me. 

Now we have settled into a good rhythm. Sure there are days that I have spit-up in my hair (and on my foot, and my pants, and my watch, oh and my shirt), and circles under my eyes (as dark as a raccoon), but I honestly am not bothered. 

Yes, I need a break sometimes (you know to eat and use the bathroom like a "normal" person, or go to the store by myself), but when my break is over I have missed my little man. 

Oh my, I have 17 more pounds to loose and a stomach to tone, but a child made with love started his precious journey inside me, so really it's okay.

To sleep through the night without crying (sometimes his crying - sometimes mine), giving back pacifiers, changing a blow-out, feeding, or pumping sounds great, but soon my baby won't need me at night and I already feel I will miss those quiet times with sweet cuddles.

I rarely finish a tv show without someone waking up or crying, but now we play and sing songs, have play dates, lots of walks, and just interact. TV .. What TV? That thing need not exist during the day (hey - I still like Good Wife and Parenthood at night). 

No more meetings at work, dressing up for conferences, or dressing down for field day. No more coffee in the hallway with colleagues or quiet lunches. Instead, I wear yoga pants more often than I should (really- they are comfy oh well) and have loud lunches with mommies and other babies.. Coffee is consumed in the afternoon. My job has changed for now and I am content. 

There are toys on the floor, burp cloths on the couch, bottles all over the counter, milk consuming the freezer, strollers in the garage... Now my home feels complete. 

My heart feels complete. My little family is growing and there is no feeling like it. I love being a mom more than I ever could imagine. It has shown me how strong I can be, how patient I can be, and has shown me another side to my husband. I am so thankful to him for being a solid partner in this parenthood journey. I cannot imagine doing it with anyone else.

I am so thankful for my mom and my grandmothers and for their love for me and now for Beckett. I'm thankful for a loving mother-in-law who created a loving son to care for Beckett. 

I am so thankful God blessed me with this perfect little man. I only hope he will continue to bless our little family with more children down the road. 

So Happy Mother's Day to me and all the other selfless, nurturing, sleepy moms out there. We are rocking this everyday, even when we feel we've failed or just want 5 minutes. We've got this. 

To Mother's Day - which is really every day!