Snow Much Fun!

Winter in the Frozen Tundra can be unbearably cold but can also be a ton of fun! Our first snowfall of the season came on November 13 and we were graced with 11 inches of sopping white slushy snow. Thankfully the temperatures were only slightly below freezing (about 30 degrees F) which is perfect snowman making weather; not too cold that it's comfortable being outside, but cold enough that the snow stays! Chloe helped Daddy shovel and the next day, she and I went outside to build her first snowgirl!

Chloe in her deer stalker

Dressed for the snow!

Mommy and Chloe building the snowgirl, complete with carrot nose

6 Month Stats

16 pounds 7 ounces (60%)
27 inches long (90 percentile)
Annie's comfortably wearing 9 month clothes and 12 month pajamas and I've had to extend two of her diapers to accommodate her growing torso.
It's difficult for me to remember all that has happened in this past month because of the sleep deprivation we're all experiencing. Every three or four nights, Annie will awake just once or twice and that is her saving grace because the rest of the week, she feels the need to be freakishly awake. The other night, after putting her down at 7, she woke up at 9:30pm and didn't go back to sleep until after 2am! Will and I tried EVERYTHING to get this child back to sleep, but she just resisted. I'm not a fan of letting babies cry-it-out to learn to put themselves to sleep but we are looking for alternative solutions so everyone can have a better night sleep.
Perhaps the latest development has been Annie's interest tn toys. She loves toys! Especially ones that sing (like her glow worm) or ones small enough to hold and chew on (like her little pink duck). She's also getting really strong and wants to learn how to move and crawl. She is still the recipient of loads of attention and admiration wherever we go.

Even after a terrible night's sleep, all she does is look at us with her big blue eyes and smile her big Annie smile and all the frustration melts.

Success

I've finally got it down.
No, not this whole parenting thing.
I'm talking about the diaper sprayer.
When we first started using cloth, I thought I was the cloth diapering queen bee. "Cloth is the easiest, most convenient, and economical system. Who wouldn't want to use cloth diapers?"

And then Annie started eating solids foods.

You see, when babies are exclusively breastfed, the poop is water soluble which means that regardless of what's in the diaper, you don't have to do anything with it. No rinsing, sloshing, or remotely touching what just came out of your baby's backside. So you throw it in the wash and the diapers come out squeaky clean.
But then around the age of 5 or 6 months, babies need a bit more in their diet besides breast milk. And of course, what goes in the mouth, must come out on the other side.
And it's gross. And stinky. And makes this mama want to gag.
So a friend of mine suggested an investment in the bumGenius diaper sprayer. It was $45 but worth every penny. My awesome and handy husband hooked it up to the toilet and it reminds me of my time in Brazil when we had bidets in our bathroom.


Here's how it works:
Baby poos in the diaper. (since Annie's poo is still a bit like clay, there's nothing to shake off into the toilet). I take the diaper to the toilet and spray off into the toilet as much yucky stuff as I can. I put the wet diaper into the diaper pail until it's ready to be washed in the machine.
Sounds easy, right? Well, the first few times using this new gadget, I had the angle all wrong and ended up getting slashback. Major yuck. But today, I finally had success! I got all the poo off without getting anything on my pants or shoes or floor or the wall!!!
I guess I can go back to being Cloth Diapering Queen Bee now.

5 Months!

This has been quite the busy month for little Miss Annie! During her fourth month, she conquered many milestones including her two new favorite things: rolling over with ease from tummy to back and discovering and chewing on her toes. She actually rolled over for the first time when she was two months old, but now she does it easily and almost automatically when placed on her tummy during play time. I think she likes the freedom to roll on her command because she'll roll over and then look up and smile her big Annie smile!


She's sitting up on her own and getting stronger everyday. I still put the boppy pillow around her in case she wobbles, but she's fairly sturdy on her own. This is especially fun in the bath. Bath time now includes lots of splashing in the water!
Last week, she had her first food. We tried the rice cereal, but every time the spoon went near her mouth, she started to cry. So we forwent the rice cereal and went straight to food. Mmmmm.... avacado! She gobbled it up on the first sitting and has proven to be a lover of food. She's now had avacado and this week has tried butternut squash. I spent an afternoon making and freezing lots of babyfood so we're set for at least month or two!
A miracle happened this month: Annie fell asleep in the car! She still mostly dislikes the car, but it's improving and a few times this month, she has actually napped in the car. With driving three days a week to and from Chloe's preschool, Annie is forced to endure the car for forty minutes daily (10 minutes there/10 minutes back home twice per day). And because of the schedule, sometimes her nap time is delayed or interrupted because of the commute. As a result, she has fallen asleep in the car; something I never thought I'd see. And she looks precious all snuggled with her blanket clutching her teething toy.
I think I can officially say we're obsessed with our baby. I want her to be this age forever! She's so sweet and snuggly and her little chubby rolls are absolutely edible! She's 100% kissable and loveable and I can't get enough of her! She makes me smile every moment I think of her or look at her. She's just cutie-licious!

Anxiety

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

While walking back to our car after a fun morning at the park with some friends, Chloe started melting down. It was the typical 3 year old who was tired (nearing naptime) and hungry (definitely lunch time). She was refusing to walk with us and shouting, "NO!" So I took her by the hand and told her she either walks by herself or Mommy will help her. My friend, who has an 18 month old who was sitting calmly in his stroller, said something that struck a chord within me. "Thanks for being an example of a great parent. I have so much anxiety for when my son reaches this stage."

Anxiety.

This is a subject that keeps reappearing in my life. Often times God speaks to me through repeated phrases or occurrences that I can't deny are from Him. This is one of those character traits I can't ignore in myself.

It started this summer when our pastor's wife, Laura, did a sermon titled "Worry: How do I trust God More?" She spoke of a time in her life when she had two young daughters and the circumstances in their lives were causing her a great deal of worry. And then she continued on to tell us about some current worries she has had on her heart including the health of her friend, job placement for her daughter and financial worries. While listening to this sermon, I started to identify the places within me that were wreaking of worry. Most of my anxiety involves my children. What if Chloe falls down and gets hurt? What if she runs out into the road and gets hit by a car? My worry about Annie being affected by SIDS just about drives me to insomnia. But I also worry about my husband; especially when he travels. Endless scenarios of terrorists attacking the airplane he's in or something terrible happening to him therefore leaving the girls and I on our own frequent my mind when he's traveling for business. Laura suggested that rather than worrying and allowing anxiety to be our focus, we start praying through the situation with thankfulness.

The subject came up again while reading Beth Moore's new book, So Long, Insecurity. I could do a whole blog post about this amazing book and what it has done in me. But for now I'll focus on one aspect. Chapter 17: What Are You Afraid Of? She says, "The moment you're cognizant of an outbreak of insecurity, learn to check your heart for what you're afraid of." She goes on to say that in those moments, we need to trade our anxiety in for trust in God. "Trusting God with yourself. With your husband. With your job. With your health. With your family. With your friends. With your threat. I'm talking about entering into a transforming, two sentence dialogue with a very real, very active God who sees all things and is intimately acquainted with everything concerning you." And if that weren't enough, she goes on to share a story about dealing with her fears and how God spoke wisdom to her heart. "As long as I insist on torturing myself with these terrifying possibilities, He seems to suggest that I think them all the way through the other side." And what happens on the "other side"? If even one of these horrifying thoughts came to fruition, God would still be God. He would somehow carry me through the pain of losing a loved one. He would be by my side even if everyone left me on my own. He would still have a purpose for me and, if I cooperate with him through the healing process, could even bring good from tragedy.
"When you feel that familiar panic begin to rise in your heart like a river coursing its banks and your soul begins to roll with another round of "What will I do if....? what would happen if you were willing to hear the voice of God whisper these inaudible words?

Child, you are asking the wrong question. Here's the one that would assuage your fears: What will God do if...?"

Whoa. All along, I've been asking the wrong question. It's not What would I do if... it's What will God do?
And I'm convinced that "neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39
So now when anxiety, fears or insecurity rises it's ugly head, I identify it. I say, "That brings me ______. I'm trading that in for trust in God. God is for me. I'm clothed in strength and dignity. I'm praying with a thankful heart for the blessings God has given me."

Top 5 Guilty Pleasures

Being a stay at home mom is wonderful. I wouldn't trade it for the world even on the toughest, most sleep-deprived, toddler-whiny days. Really. I love my girls and am so thankful God has called me to be home during this time in their lives. That said, sometimes a mama needs a break! And with my husband working full-time (thank you!) along with getting his Master's degree and being a part of groups at church, let's face it, I'm worn out! So when I need a little pick me up or a brain break from the kids, here are my top 5 guilty pleasures:
1. Blogs. I love reading blogs. Especially ones about families with young children who are parenting with a purpose. I get inspiration and ideas on how to be a better parent. Recently I've been into reading blogs about moms who homeschool. I've found some really awesome sites that have free preschool material and Chloe has been loving the one-on-one attention and playing the fun games!
2. Chocolate. The great thing about nursing is that I burn 500-600 calories per day just by feeding my child. Therefore, I can justify eating any chocolate that I want :) My favorite is 71% dark chocolate. Or perhaps Cadbury's chocolate with mint bits. Or semi-sweet chocolate chips. Or maybe.... well, any chocolate is good chocolate.
3. Magazines. But they have to be quality magazines. I hate gossip mags or ones featuring celebrities. I could care less about their dramatic lives. My current subscriptions include Minnesota Monthly, and two parenting magazines. Occasionally I enjoy reading Oprah's magazine (my mom has a subscription) but there are so many ads!
4. A Hot Bubble Bath. I can only do this after my children are both in bed otherwise Chloe strips down and tries to climb in with me. Usually after I put her to bed, I'm so tired, I have a quick shower and go to bed too. So this is a special treat for me!
5. Decaf Coffee. Yum. I LOVE coffee. But, because I'm nursing, decaf it is which is fine by me because it still tastes delicious! My very sweet husband will brew me my own small pot on the weekends and I enjoy two large cup-fulls with each pot. I really love the Cinnamon Dolce Lattes at Starbucks but it's seasonal drink (that will soon be coming!) so I get that a few times a year.

So, there you have it. The top 5 things that give me joy (besides my family, of course). What are your guilty pleasures?

He-Man Marathoner

Inspired by the opportunity to raise money and awareness for Zambians who are living in poverty and in need of clean drinking, my husband decided to run a half marathon at the end of August as part of Team World Vision. He began his training 8 weeks prior to the race and accumulated 150 miles of tread on his running shoes this summer. The week of the 13.1 mile run, he came down with a very high fever (103 degrees) that lasted two days along with headache, fatigue and muscle soreness. Despite not being able to get in his runs during that final week, he was determined to conquer the half marathon that Sunday.
He completed the race in 2 hours 18 minutes and raised almost $800!
Very impressive, my he-man running husband!

A picture of the whole family after the race. That's Annie in the babybjorn.