Personal Trivia Question

So, what's the latest movie you've watched, and the latest book you've read? Just curious. :)

Here are mine:

Movie: the BBC version of Sense and Sensibility. I liked it almost as well as the Emma Thompson version.

Book: "Letters From My Grandmother's Trunk" by Cora Martin. This is a book of love letters, published by my dad's aunt, between my great-grandmother Cora Martin Pos and her then fiancee Bernard Pos. Initially it didn't seem that attractive to me, but it's turned out to be one of the most fascinating reads I've had in a while. I finished the book having learned a lot about life on a homestead in Colorado in 1890 as well as more cultured seminary life in Nashville. It also gave me a feeling of nostalgic regret that we have lost the art of good letter-writing. And made me realize that people who lived over a hundred years ago could laugh, tease each other mercilessly, and worry and love. Oh, and most precious of all, I learned from their example of keeping their faith in the forefront. Every letter shows that their priorities were staying close to God and serving others.

Ok, your turn!

Pics

Ok, I am a slowpoke blogger. I've been meaning to post these pictures from the church Fall Festival a month ago. Figured I'd better get them posted before Christmas :P

Benjamin really enjoyed seeing the rabbits, goats, and baby pigs. The only time he sat still was (surprisingly) while he was getting his face painted. He is a social animal and loved being around all the people...and begging for food from total strangers, lol! He was a trooper and held out all afternoon without getting fussy.

Heartbeat!

I heard the baby's heartbeat this morning at my prenatal checkup. It's fast, 150, so maybe my hunch is right that it's a girl! I'm scheduled for an ultrasound the first week of January, where we'll hopefully be able to determine the gender. And fundal height is measuring low, so my approximate due date is now late May. My SIL Kimberly is due in June, so who knows...if she's early and I'm late the cousins could share the same birthday. :)

Still feeling pretty good, except for an occasional sick morning. I've had maybe 4 or 5 of those.

So, Letisha, I guess my race through the first trimester has not really been that...with the messed up dates, I am just now 14 weeks, according to fundal height measurement!

I'm very happy with my new end-of-May dates, though, since there will be no conflict now with the last week or so of school. :)

Gross Scorpions

Here's a random post on scorpions. I never knew they existed here in the Southeast, but we've found over a dozen in our house since moving here. I found two this morning. Thankfully no one has been stung, because I hear the sting is more painful than a bee sting and leaves a bruise. Frodo likes to kill them, so most we've found were already dead. I don't know how he avoids the stinger. I'm scared Benjamin will find one and play with it, so every morning I check the entire downstairs floor to make sure.

About a month ago I was wiping the counter and suddenly realized there was a live scorpion on my washcloth. That made me scream. I can deal with spiders pretty well, but something about scorpions is just freaky gross. I flicked him off the washcloth and into the toilet and spent the next few minutes getting over the willies.

I'm glad the cats usually find them before we do!

Confused

Okay, now I am so confused. I checked the date on the picture we took of the positive pregnancy test...it's September 21st. Date of LMP, July 21st. Since my cycles were SO weird and unpredictable, I now have absolutely no idea when I might be due. I plugged in several dates and came up with anything from May 13th to June 4th. I hope when I get the ultrasound done they can tell from the baby's size about when he/she should be due.
And I'm even starting to doubt the positive result, after reading an article on false positives. It is almost 10 p.m., or I'd run to the drugstore right now! This is driving me a little nuts. I keep reminding myself that yes, I've been experiencing nausea! Of course, it may be a good thing if I can't nail down a definite date. Since I was 16 days late with Benjamin, maybe I can spare myself the torture of waiting. :)

Wait a minute...back up!

I had my first prenatal appointment yesterday, and it seems I may not be as far along as I thought. Since the heartbeat could not be detected yet and my cycles had been weird before conception, they are thinking I may be only 13 or so weeks. I guess I could freak out and worry that the baby is no longer alive, but I don't feel strange and there are no other indications that anything's wrong, so I opted to wait until the next appointment instead of undergoing a lot of tests. Actually, if I were "less" pregnant, that would be a good thing, as I would finish out the school year.

Benjamin had a well-baby check up too, and everything's fine except his weight doesn't quite match his height. Height is 75th percentile, while weight is 30th. They recommended feeding him more protein. He's so active he burns everything right off and doesn't always slow down to eat as much as he should. So, beans and chicken and cottage cheese comin' at you, kid!

Our sixth anniversary is coming up this weekend and Jeff's mom offered to come and watch Benjamin while we have a date. We're going out to dinner Saturday night...fun times!

Sick, but not morning sickness :)

Jeff got the stomach flu last weekend, and now I'm getting over it. The first day is the worst; absolute worst cramps I've had besides labor!! I spent Friday morning in the bathroom or on the floor in the bathroom with Benjamin laughing at silly mom with her moans and antics. Thankfully Jeff could take the day off and keep the little one occupied. After the first day, it's not bad, but neither do you feel great. I'm still not quite over it and thought it might be kind to keep the virus to myself instead of dispersing it among the church folks and the missionaries (we are ending a weeklong missions conference).

So, Jeff took Benjamin to church, all dressed up and adorable, and I'm at home. As a mom you're sometimes wishing you had some time to yourself; just a little bit! Now that I have it, I'm not sure what to do. The quiet sure is nice, though. I'm enjoying the crisp fall weather and the blue, blue sky outside my window with not a cloud in sight.

It was nice to see our friends Will and Alison last night, though I had to stay a respectful distance, crying "Unclean." They came to pick up the books and art that were staying over at our place until they could return from Scotland. It was funny; they ate in their car and we ate in the house. None of us wanted to risk Alison getting the virus, since she's due in another month and a half. Jeff and I were pretty disappointed, because we'd planned for them to spend the weekend here. Maybe another time. :) We're glad to have them back!

I'm off to get some guitar practice in, then get caught up on my Bible readings...

Great Expectations

Well, baby number 2 is on the way. He or she is due in mid-April to early May. Probably early May, considering my track record. The spacing is great; Benjamin will have a playmate close in age. Also, the baby will come near the end of the schoolyear so I won't miss many lessons and will have a good 3 months to enjoy the new one. The downside of the timing is we'll miss my little brother Chuck's wedding in Rhode Island in June.

We're surprised, grateful, Jeff is really excited. I'm...hmm. I'm not even feeling pregnant and definitely not yet on the baby-excitement-bandwagon. But give me time and I'll come around. :) The suspicion had been growing in my mind that, since it took us so long to conceive Benjamin, we might just be a one-child family. I was getting (too) used to having my body (mostly) to myself; starting to get the hang of this motherhood thing a little bit. And we are out of the hard stage with Benjamin. He sleeps through the night, he's much more independent, mobile, interacting with us, learning to do for himself more every day. Now, it's back to square one! Sigh...but yet how wonderful, too.

I told Laura that, this time, I didn't have any hunches about gender. But since we talked I realized that, yes, I do. I think it's going to be a girl. We'll see if I'm right!

God is good, and he definitely answered prayer in this case. I casually asked some dear friends to pray for a sibling for Benjamin. Within days we were expecting. Maybe I'll send some more requests their way, since they have a hotline.

This time around I'm looking forward to prenatals with Amy in Gville. It will be nice to have the same care throughout the pregnancy. And it is nice to have so many unknowns out of the way, and less educating-of-self to do. I like knowing what to expect--at least some of the factors.

And if it is a girl, won't I have fun learning to make sweet little dresses. :)

More Crafty Stuff

I finished another pair of pjs. I embellished them with some bought ribbon and I think they turned out ok.
I made a mistake, though, in making them looser than the other pairs. I was thinking looser would mean more comfy, but I forgot that pants ride up when you're sleeping and then your legs get cold. They work fine for wearing around the house, though. Now I just need a brown shirt that matches.
So when do I find time for sewing...? We sneak into the craft room whenever Benjamin and I need a change of scenery. There are all sorts of fabric scraps, thread and bits of ribbon for him to play with. It's kind of perfect that we can both enjoy ourselves while I'm making stuff.


















Also finished a deep red scarf I've been working at for a while. It's very simple...just rows of half double crochet with fringe on the ends. I made a matching hat but it's a little small. Maybe I'll "frog" it (just learned that new term; it means rip out) and make a couple of red and white Christmasy hats for the pregnancy center.

First Birthday

Benjamin turned one September 23rd. We celebrated on Thursday, though because Tuesdays we get home late. Even so he was pretty sleepy the whole time. :) I made the cake (confession; from a mix) and Jeff and I decorated it. I really do think Jeff is more handy at cakedecorating than I am. He traced the "one" out for me and I filled it in with blue icing.

Yes, I chickened out and didn't let Benjamin "have at it." But I like the messy cake pictures so I smeared a little on his face!

We celebrated his bday early when we were at Jeff's mom's. He got a few new things...some cute clothes and a farm set that makes all kinds of animal sounds. He also got a talking playskool bus from his Omi and some winter clothes from my mom. I'm so excited that he's already ONE and taking off! Every day he learns something new.

First Word...we think.

On his birthday Tuesday, Benjamin said his first word. I think. Was it mommy, or daddy? Nope, it was "truck." Or at least his version of it: "cuck." He has been saying "cup" a lot lately, and especially while pointing to cars. Yesterday he was pointing out the window at the car across the street saying "cup." I corrected him: "truck." He stared at me, processing. Then said "uk." Then "cuck" and waved his hand bye-bye, just like he does to Daddy in the morning. It was a partly scary, partly elating feeling. What else does this child understand?! Made me suddenly shy wondering what he's picking up on.
Funny thing is, Jeff has been looking forward to the time when he can talk to and reason with Benjamin. I on the other hand don't feel quite ready!

Couldn't resist :)

The little man makes anything look cute.

Crafty Stuff

I made another pair of PJs but this time tried some embellishment using flannel from an old pair of boxers. They turned out pretty well but the neckhole of the T-shirt I used was way too big. I did a pleat at the back to get rid of some of the width, but it's still kind of big. Live and learn! Next time I'll cut off the tops of the shoulders and reconnect them so I'm taking equally from the front and back. The cuffs and stripe were harder than I expected.





Also made a thick wool man hat for Jeff. Not that he'll need it many days this winter, but it's fun.

Frugal Tip

Lately I'm on a frugality kick! Here's a way to make yummy-smelling inexpensive hand soap:

Buy storebrand liquid hand soap in bulk. Make sure you get a type that is not heavily scented. Then add a few drops of essential oil. You can buy .5 oz bottles on ebay for about $2, shipping included.

I have to confess I bought a lot of storebrand hand soap a while back, and had been regretting it ever since, trying to use it up...until I thought of adding a few drops of oil. Now the soap in the bathroom smells like gardenias instead of nothing.

To make handsoap go even farther, use one of those foaming dispensers. You won't need to buy soap again for years, literally. And if you get several bottles of essential oil you can change up the scent whenever you like.

I wonder if you could do this with bodywash, too? Or dilute a few drops and put it in the laundry with your sheets? Hmm...

My SIL gave me a bottle of pure rose water. I use a spray bottle when I iron, so I diluted some of that in the water to make everything smell a little fresher.

Now if I could just find a way to get that smell into the cat room...

These are my pjs. I made them.

You have to be a Nacho fan to appreciate those two quotes. I made "stretchy pants" for Benjamin. And no they're not frilly or made from a quilt.

I haven't sewn anything yet for Benjamin. FIrst of all I was dreading finding the right pattern, right size and blah blah blah. After all I can only sew one thing...A-line skirts for myself. But I found this amazingly simple pattern for toddler pants made from a recycled T-shirt. It requires hardly any sewing; it's only two pieces of fabric and some elastic. You just use the hems at the bottom of the shirt for cuffs. I love it!! I'm going to make a bunch more. I think it took me 15 actual minutes of sewing. I found the link here.



















I looked at the fabric leftovers trying to figure out what I could make with the rest of the shirt. Jeff said I should use the neckhole, which was kind of small, as a neckhole, and just cut out the sleeves from the sleeves. Brilliant!! Now tell me how a guy who has never sewn anything in his life gets all the good ideas. This adorable pj shirt took me about 15 minutes to make as well. I just cut toddler-sized arms and body from the existing shirt and used the hem at the shirt cuff as a long-sleeved cuff. You might need to adjust the sleeve length; these were a little long; so rather than cut off the ends and lose that professional-looking serged hem, I took it in at the "shoulder seam..." actually the seam that now hits baby at the elbow.















Here are the scraps I had left over, all ready to be recycled to the cleaning rags pile. I feel like a native American parcelling up a buffalo!! Am I frugal or what?

Cool Ministry Opportunity

I found a wonderful use for my somewhat pointless hobby, crocheting. Besides giving hats to everyone I know. :) And I do love doing that. I can actually help tip the scales toward an unwed mom keeping her baby. Our church has a knitting/crocheting ministry where we make baby booties or hats and give them to moms who come to the crisis pregnancy center for advice and help. Sometimes just seeing that little item helps them realize that there's a real, living baby in there with a cute face and tiny little head that needs a hat to keep it warm. Seeing that someone cares enough to make it a clothing item by hand might make a difference.

I've started making a baby hat every Sunday as Jeff drives us to church. I can usually finish it in the hour travel time to church and back.

It's humbling and wonderful that a small effort might make a big difference. And it's something I love doing. :)

Recent (gender neutral) hat for the center. I call it my "Boo" hat 'cuz it reminds me of the little girl's monster costume in Monsters Inc.

Benjamin walks

Benjamin has been walking for a couple of weeks now. His first step was at the coaxing of one of my piano students who was at our house for a lesson...I wasn't even there to see it! :( After that he wouldn't do much, just an occasional step. I think after being around his twin cousins, one of whom is really walking well, and some of the toddlers at the gym nursery, he decided to go for it. His record right now is 62 steps, and he's getting faster and more steady.

I'm going to post a video of him walking when I get a minute...meanwhile enjoy the picture of Benjamin at the Mill :) Jeff and I are also in a Patch production at church and that's taking up some time. And, school starts Monday!!! I feel better this go round about leaving Benjamin in the nursery. He seems to really enjoy playing with other kids and can hold his own with slightly older kids. We'll see how it goes. I'm just teaching 3 days a week.

Jeff and I had a great date night Friday and were able to assess where we are financially, relationally, intellectually, physically etc. and set some new goals. We also redid our budget to adjust for inflation (yay) and also rising gas prices. It's always comforting to know exactly where you are and what you're trying to achieve, even if it means buckling down a bit...

Laura's shower

I've been a bad blogger so trying to catch up on some events and post some pictures. Over the 4th weekend, we also had a baby shower for Laura. She and Will were sick so they couldn't come, but we had a fun get-together anyway, and afterward Jeff & I brought over the presents and had a nice, low-key time together opening presents and shelling peas. It was so nice having everyone together in one place during our visit. Chuck was in Sumter too w/ his friend Sarah. It's funny how growing up you just want those boys to go away and leave you alone, and once you're grown, you value any time with them as precious!

Baby hats

I found an easy baby hat crochet pattern, and have been making hats for every baby I know! Baby stuff is great because it works up so quickly...it's so small. I got brave and tried ear flaps and braided ties for one of this set, and made a flower for the basic newborn cap. These are for a friend in NY.

Vacation pics

We took a few days off in Sumter spending time with family. Every year we have a big 4th family reunion/get-together on property that has been in my mom's family for generations...since Revolutionary War days. It's a neat way to keep our ever-growing families in touch and remember God's blessings through the years. We enjoyed the pond, the great food and most of all, the fellowship.

Rain is Funny!

Benjamin often surprises me at what he thinks is funny. Pouring rain is one of them. Ceiling fans are another. :)

Crib Wars

Well, we've delayed trying the crib again because our lives have not been on a normal schedule. We had Dayton and Erin and their kids here for a few days, then were both sick for a week, and then had company this weekend.

But now that things are back to boring "normal" again :) I decided to give the crib a try. It's not safe anymore to let him take naps on our bed, and he's outgrowing his bouncy seat. Last time I tried, last Friday actually, Benjamin and I both ended up reduced to tears. (Why can't he just be a normal baby and sleep in a crib? For a nap? During the day? While I'm right there by him??) Here's the deal. We had tried the "let 'em cry it out alone" method. He can keep it up for an incredibly long time, and all we accomplish is sleep loss for ourselves and a baby who thinks we've abandoned him. I decided it would be best to stay right there to let him know I hadn't just forgotten about him, I really wanted him to stay there and sleep. I gave him little spanks on the leg every time he started his mad cry. Yes, there is a difference between his teeth-bared angry cry and his sad cry. This was the first type. He was furious at me, though he'd been nursed, almost to sleep, and had played happily and busily until he was exhausted. He simply didn't like where he was.

Well, it was probably one of the most harrowing things I've ever done, but I left him in there, gave him little spanks when he screamed, and finally he calmed down. Finally. This had gone on for over an hour. By then I was feeling like a horrible mom and seriously wondering what kind of psychological problems my child had. I slumped down by the crib, exhausted and in tears.

He turned over. Grinned at me. Started laughing!!

I picked him up, since he obviously was wide awake now and ready to play again. At least he'd sort of stayed in the crib for a while.

I didn't have the courage or emotional energy to try again until today. He woke around 7:30, played, then started looking like he needed his morning nap. I made sure his tummy was full, then put him in the crib.

Same response...screams and trying to stand up. I stayed completely calm, knowing there was nothing that would hurt him and that sleeping in the crib, while I sang him to sleep, was perfectly fine for him. I kept singing calmly and when he stood up, firmly laid him back down. During the next 45 minutes, he went from all-out lung-belting to loud singing to quietly talking to himself to....asleep.

Since then he's taken his other two naps in the crib, too. He fusses a little, then eventually drops off.

:D :D :D

Quickie

Been busy lately but have to share an anecdote about Benjamin... he loves to drink out of our glasses of ice water, and now he thinks anything in a cup shape has something in it he can drink! He "slurps" his toy cups, empty containers we give him to play with, and this morning the empty oatmeal cannister. :D

He is crawling, cruising and standing for a few seconds by himself. He loves being mobile and playing with his basket of toys and cruising on furniture in the bedroom.

He was nine months old the 23rd. Now has 6 teeth, weighs 20 lbs, and 28 inches long.

Not a Cat Toy

Some of you know I have a desire to be craft-y but not a ton of skill. I've been trying to teach myself to crochet on and off for about three years. Well, I've solved the problem of uneven ends. WIth a circular rug there are no ends to mess up! This is my first attempt...a rug for Benjamin. Jeff said it's the best-looking project I've ever done. Which isn't saying a whole lot...most of the others ended up as cat toys. This one took about six hours to make, though I should be faster on the next. I used cotton yarn which has a nice clean soft feel. There's less stretch which makes it a little bit harder to work with, but the texture is really nice.

Benjamin at 7 months

It's hard to believe he's that old! Changes in the last few weeks: he now has two bottom teeth, scoots in circles (no crawling yet), can pull himself up to a standing position in the tub...dangerous!...strings long syllables together in sentences, says "mama" a lot (still not entirely sure he knows what it means), and walks when I hold his hands. Oh, and his new phase....yelling. No more screeching, now it's well-supported diaphragmatic yells. He's determined to be heard!

I've researched slings in the last couple of months, afraid I might be missing out with my el cheapo $13.29 Target navy blue Snugli. I came to the conclusion that, while it would be nice to have a ring sling to try as well, I'm probably fine with the Snugli. There is one big drawback, and that's the fact that I can't feed him while carrying him. Also, some babies might dislike being held in the chest-to-chest position. For him it's about the only position he'll tolerate. If it weren't for the carrier, I would never get anything done! I had a parent watch him during a lesson at my home, and she asked me how in the world I could do anything...he was squirming all over her arms and wouldn't be still. The Snugli is the answer. He spends 2-3 hours a day in it, and while he's hanging out, I vaccuum, empty the dishwasher, start dinner, and generally get things done. I love it!! I really don't see how people manage without some kind of sling or carrier.

I've come to believe Benjamin is, at least at some level, a high need baby., though maybe not as extreme as some. He is what you'd call intense. He laughs uproariously, cries loudly and passionately, always has to have something new to look at, is interested in everything. His legs, arms, or mouth are always in motion. Jeff and I don't know where he gets his energy! He never nurses quietly. He's always arching his back, flipping himself over (and then trying to nurse on his tummy....sorry bud, it doesn't work that way!). He cries if I try to feed him one second longer than he wants to be fed. He hollers in the nursery if the atmosphere doesn't suit him. He will not and never has calmly slept in a crib. He either has to be rocked and nursed into oblivion first, or nursed to sleep in our bed. I'm not patient enough to rock him for hours and then wake up several times in the night, so he stays in our bed. We tried moving him out, but he would wake several times in the night screaming, stiff as a board, and never relax the whole night. So for us it hasn't been worth it. Our co-sleeping arrangement works fine, and it's sometimes the only time dad gets to bond with him during the day. Ah, for a calm, quiet baby who took to the crib and sweetly slept anywhere. Not happening!! But we love his wide-awake, intense personality, and predict many interesting and adventurous disruptions to our lives as he grows older.

Plants Post

After reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Jeff and I have way too much gardening lust and way too little yard. My dad decided we needed a garden when they visited back in November, so we now have tilled, fertilized soil just beyond the lawn and TONS of turnips.
We ordered two types of tomatoes from seedsavers.org, a mail-order company that sells heirloom seeds. Heirloom seeds are varieties of flowers and vegetables that have been developed through the years and are in danger of being lost. The variety out there is amazing...fuzzy peach-colored tomatoes, tomatoes that look like bell peppers, tomatoes that are dead ringers for lemons, black tomatoes...we picked two of the less-exotic varieties. We also ordered cukes and bought some flower seeds from Lowe's.
Now we just need about five acres to plant it all in :)
Here are a few pics of our garden and some of the plants around the house. Houseplants are an inexpensive way to fill a corner! Actually the pots usually cost more than the plant...but at least the pot won't ever die :D

African violet getting lots of sun in the kitchen window












A shelf would be awesome there but a plant is a definite improvement!











Cukes and carrots growing indoors until danger of frost is over. I didn't know this but you need to help harden off seedlings by shaking them a couple of times a day or blowing on them. Then you can start leaving them outside for longer and longer every day. Right before you transplant you should deprive them a little of water. You're getting them used to the "real world" :D







Turnips and more turnips. The greens are actually pretty good fresh mixed in with romaine.





























Jeff stuck two garlic cloves in peat pots and they are growing about a centimeter a day.

Devos

I've been having trouble with regular devotions, so Jeff helped me out by subscribing me to a daily Bible read feed. I'm going through the Bible in chronological order (according to historical time) using the ESV.
It's nice because it's right there on my computer and I can read while rocking Benjamin to sleep in his bouncy seat. The link is:

http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/chronological

Benjamin 5 months 3 weeks

Some recent pictures of Benjamin.








































His favorite sleeping pose...hands behind the head like he's at the beach. :)

Benjamin at 5 months

Finally after all that drooling and gnawing, he's got a tiny sharp little tooth on the bottom front! He can flip over easily from back to front and vice versa, can grasp things with pretty good coordination, and is starting to hang onto me when I hold him. :)
Still laughs a lot and has a very expressive little face.
A favorite game now is pulling off his socks!