More Changes

The Basketball Court/Bedroom needed some help, so we moved the bed out of the corner where it was haphazardly wedged, and added some simple sheer curtains. ($12 each at Lowe's...I figured probably the same price as making them, and way easier). It's a big improvement, but we still need something on the walls. Something large...several of them. I am open to any suggestions!

The storage container on the right side of the bed is filling in as a nightstand right now. The baby toys are not part of the decor plan! We are storing the bookshelf for friends. They said we could stain it, but we haven't gotten around to it. There is that cool nook at one end of the room that I'd like to do something with. Just not sure what. The glider doesn't belong there, but I moved it in when I had the flu and haven't yet moved it out.

Joining the Gym

Jeff and I have always wanted to work out together, but, working at BJ, there were separate facilities for men and women. As newlyweds we used to drive over to the gym together at 6 a.m., but once we got there, we had to go our separate ways.
Lucky for us now there is a very nice Bodyplex just down the road with good childcare. Dues are pretty reasonable and you get free classes and a state-of-the-art facility. Sauna, bike room, aerobics room, a whole floor full of treadmills and elliptical trainers upstairs, plus weight machines downstairs. They sell smoothies and protein shakes in the lobby. The nursery is spacious and well-equipped and everyone we talked to there seemed friendly and happy with their job. So...after a trial cardio workout with my hubby, I decided to sign on.
I predict it will be a lot of fun. We're both doing something we enjoy doing (not the SAME OLD workout video) and we're doing it together, which bumps up the fun 100%. Also, he's really good at pushing me the extra mile. Or quarter mile. I started out easy b/c I wanted to be able to walk the next day!
We figured out we can probably work out together four days a week. Every Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday we're going to do our best to be there.
After working out yesterday I felt this huge rush of positive feelings. It's just the endorphins, but I'd forgotten how exercising makes me feel, and realized how mopey, slow and "blah" I've been feeling. This will be a great change for both of us...and I'll (hopefully) soon have a few more clothes in my closet I can wear. :)

New Years' Resolution Update

I'm trying to keep myself accountable on these. Elizabeth, your dedication to WW is an inspiration to me, since I feel like a big flop in the eating right/exercise department!

1. Read at least 25 books this year. (Starting a third book this week. Did I mention I get a lot of reading done while nursing?)
2. Brush up on my knowledge of French pronunciation for voice lessons. (Haven't touched this yet; still looking for an easy, free way to do this.)
3. Practice guitar more consistently. (Getting some better, but need to pull out the guitar the minute Benjamin dozes off...)
4. Stick to my new cleaning regimen. (Doing pretty well here, except for the weeks I had the flu.)
5. Read Bible and have devotions consistently, every day, no excuses. (Pooey. It's been hit-and-miss at best.)
6. Pray nightly for requests God lays on my heart. (Have been slacking off ever since the flu. Ever notice how schedule disruptions can throw everything off?)
7. Work out. My goal is to start small with 15 minutes a day. (I am ashamed...)
8. Fix hot meals every night; even when I'm teaching, have something Jeff can put in the oven. (YES! At least I have success here. There's only been one night where Jeff had to cook.)
9. Find time for crafts or creative things. This could be a sewing project, a musical composition, poem, drawing, decorating project, whatever. (Yes! I'm working on finishing up curtains for the dining room, and also slooowly finishing a crocheted scarf that I started two years ago...LOL)
10. Keep a biweekly "date night" with Jeff where we can discuss financial, spiritual, and mental wellbeing. (Yes, we've kept this up.)

I will try to evaluate myself every month so I can see how I'm doing.

Chef Emilee

I'm not much of a chef, but here are some good 'uns I found that I make a lot (I won't tell you how much "a lot" is!) Thanks friends for sharing your recipes!

Italian Chicken and Pasta Dish
(this one I kind of improvised; we have chicken and pasta a lot and this is a nice spin on that)

Cook 2 chicken breasts in a tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary and oregano (or sprinkle in some pre-mixed Italian spices). Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces when done.

Cook enough spaghetti for two people, depending on your portion size. Drain and put in a very large bowl. Add a tablespoon of butter, a little more olive oil, more Italian spices and some parmesan cheese, and toss.

Add the chicken either on top of each plate of spaghetti, or mix it all in. I usually mix. You can also add in cooked snow peas for a complete meal.

This is really good with fresh rosemary and oregano if you can get it. :)


Lasagna

9 lasagna noodles, cooked according to pkg. directions
1 normal-sized jar of pasta sauce
1 pound of ground beef, cooked and drained (or ground turkey for lowfat version)
1 pound ricotta cheese (lowfat, or even fat free works well)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 pound grated mozzarella cheese

Combine pasta sauce and ground beef. Add a little salt (1/2 tsp) Place a small amount of mixture on bottom of a 9x13 glass baking pan, spreading to cover the bottom with a thin layer. Layer 3 noodles over sauce. Top with 1/3 of remaining sauce, 1/3 parmesan, 1/3 mozzarella. Top with 1/2 the ricotta by small spoonfuls. Repeat layers: 3 more noodles, 1/3 sauce, 1/3 parmesan, 1/3 mozzarella and rest of ricotta. Top with last 3 noodles, remaining sauce, parmesan and mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for one hour.

Boston Chicken

4 chicken breasts
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 T. lime juice (lemon works too)
1 T. honey
1/4 cup oil

Combine sauce ingredients. Either pour over chicken and cook in a covered pan (easy way) or put chicken in a baking sheet lined with foil, and baste every 10 minutes, baking in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes. Guess which way I always do :)

Wooster Chicken

Sprinkle chicken with about 3 T. worchestershire sauce, add some salt and sprinkle with dried rosemary. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.

A Ramble about Heaven

Heaven has been on my mind a lot lately, thanks to Ashley, a wonderful student and friend who passed away last week. Heaven was so real to her. She told friends and family that she was going to miss them but she was "really pretty excited about going to her HOME home, a place with no doctors, no medicines, no misery." With uncomplicated faith, Ashley took God at His word and looked forward to the wonderful place Christ describes. The thin teenaged body I saw yesterday in the casket was NOT Ashley. She had already gone on her great adventure!

Two years ago I read Randy Alcorn's book "Heaven" and came away from it exhilarated and with my eyes opened to many new truths. Before reading this book I shared many common hangups about Heaven. Why do we believe so many wrong things about Heaven? Alcorn points out that one of Satan's main goals is to feed us depressing lies or half-truths about it to demoralize us.

One of those things I've heard from the pulpit is that "we can't even imagine what Heaven will be like." Actually, the Bible tells us a lot more about Heaven than is preached on or taught in most circles. (I won't spoil it...you have to read the book!) God not only tells us a lot about it, down to details of what it looks like, but He does want us to use our imaginations. How would you feel if you'd built a beautiful vacation home for a beloved friend, described some of it to him, and realized that he would not even allow himself to dwell on how wonderful it was? That he treated the fact of its existence in such a "spiritual" way that he wasn't excited about the waterfall out back or the great food you'd stocked in the fridge or the wonderful view from the veranda? No, God wants us to think about Heaven and look forward to it. One of the important jobs He's been doing since He left this earth is "going to prepare a place for us." Can you imagine what it's like if He Himself devotes His time and attention to it?

Another thing we hear sometimes is "we probably won't even know each other in Heaven anymore. We'll maybe occasionally remember something like 'Earth' but it'll even be hard to remember what it was like. We'll just be lost in worshipping Jesus all day long." Well, I sometimes have a bad memory here on Earth. But there's no way I'll be dumber in Heaven than I am here! Christ didn't come to earth and fulfill prophecies in minute detail, just to have us forget about it all in some sort of memory wipe! If Christ keeps His wounds received on Earth, then surely Earth's history, from Fall to Armageddon, is special to Him. So much of it is recorded in His sacred Word. We will remember it all. Remembering will bring Him glory.

Another idea we get somewhere is that Heaven is like Nirvana. I don't want to play a harp all day long in some trancelike state, do you? God has work for us to do once we're in Heaven. Consider the messenger who talks with John. John bows to him, but he stops him and tells John that he's one of John's fellowservants. Just another redeemed human, doing a job God assigned. We are told we will judge the earth. We will have positions of responsibility. We will learn in Heaven. The martyrs in Revelation ask God, "How long will this go on?" They ask because they don't have all the answers. I believe Ashley is now learning to be a better guitarist. With a perfect body and mind, free from the effects of the Fall, she can learn a lot faster than she could here!

I love the part in Alcorn's book about the new Heaven and new Earth. We were created as terrestrial creatures, and our fate is tied up with the Earth's. It was cursed because of our sin. It will also be redeemed with us. It is not wrong to want our feet resting on solid ground. It's built into us. On the seventh day God finished His work and said it was good. It is still good for man to live on Earth. This is why God is going to create a new, perfect world, as real as the one we know now (but so much more beautiful!)

The wonderful thing about the new Heaven and Earth is that it shows God's power. Not only does He rescue us, pulling us out of a sin-cursed world, but he redeems the sin-cursed world as well! Everything is restored back to how it was in Eden...perfect humans, perfect world, perfect fellowship with God...only better, because God Himself will come down to dwell with us permanently! Satan and sin did their best to destroy all, but the result will be something even better than Eden.

That takes my breath away and makes me want to read the book again! If you have a secret dislike of Heaven or think it might be boring or scary or too "ethereal," please read this book. You'll come away from it refreshed and excited about what He has gone to prepare for you!

I look forward to meeting my friend Ashley in heaven some day and playing guitar duets with her. Heaven is going to be that much more special because she is there.

An Inspiration

Today one of my students, Ashley, may be going home to see her Father. Ashley is 13 and has been fighting liver and lung cancer for the last three and a half months. She is a creative, gifted girl who plays the classical guitar well after just a year and a half of lessons. She also puts her own poetry to music and enjoys drawing and painting. Ashley is beautiful and to see her you would think she is older than her 13 years. I can think of no single word that describes her better than "inspiration." Her diligence, intelligence and creativity are truly an inspiration to all who know her. When I began teaching at Berean I decided to hold a practice contest to help motivate my students. Each student was required to practice 30 minutes 5 times a week. Many did extra in an attempt to win the contest! Well, Ashley had my chart filled full of "points" very early in the semester. I ran out of space on the chart for her, while many other diligent students had practiced extra, yet still had half as many points. At one lesson she wryly told me that she hadn't put in as much time as usual, because her parents had told her to stop practicing so much!

In the year and a half that I taught her I watched her grow up from a little girl to a tall young woman. Beautiful inside and out, she always had a lot to bring to her lessons and was a special, extraordinary student. I enjoyed hearing her play a difficult piece at last year's recital. She memorized it and played well. This was after about 7 months, prior to which she had never played a note! To have such discipline at 12 and 13 is inspiring and humbling.

Since they found out the news that she had cancer, this family has been through so much. Ashley has endured procedures and pain and disappointment. Today, I had the honor of talking with her on the phone. I am so grateful to her mom for allowing me this privilege. I could hear the beep of the monitor and her voice, muffled from tubes and wires. I could not understand what she said clearly but they told me one of the things she said was "you don't get tired in Heaven." Praise God that heaven is real to her and that she will be there when God calls her home.

We've been praying for a miracle, for her healing. We knew that God would answer this one way or the other. Now as I think on the realities of Heaven I feel a bit jealous...if God wills she will soon be in His presence, walking the streets of that city and seeing the River that flows through it, being reunited with loved ones, complete in Christ and surrounded by the beauties of heaven. And becoming a far better guitarist than I will ever be.

Ashley, I am grateful to have known you and so proud of you. Our hearts go out to you and your family. You've taught us so much, and we love you.

Nursing Strike

Okay, it wasn't an official nursing strike because it didn't last two days or more, but it was weird. I'm glad it's over now. Benjamin refused to nurse all day today. He was definitely thirsty, because he took a bottle right away and drank it all, but every time I tried to feed him he screamed and cried. My theory is that I've been sneezing and coughing a lot while he's trying to eat. That combined with me sounding funny and not being very playful with him probably meant he wasn't liking me too much.
After Jeff and I had given him some extra attention and (Jeff especially) made him laugh a lot, he seemed less fussy. I tried nursing him again right after he woke up from a nap, while also walking around the room. It worked...yes!
Anyway, nursing strikes are a strange thing but it shows you that babies really are in tune to even little changes in their environment! Benjamin tends to pick up on my mood...if I'm grumpy, he gets fussy.
It's coming home to me that parenthood really is a sanctifying experience. You can't have a bad attitude. Or things get a lot worse! Like they say, if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. And that leads to momma being MORE unhappy!

Sick

I didn't know you could catch things through cyberspace, but apparently you can. Thanks Elizabeth and Abbie!! The incredibly sore throat started Monday after teaching, and I called in sick the next two days. This stuff is no joke. Monday and Tuesday my throat felt like someone had taken a cheese grater to it. Now it's better but I sound like a 60-year-old smoker. A man. Who sings bass.

On a positive note, we did get some snow last night! It's nearly melted now, but we did take a drive around the neighborhood (with Benjamin, and no he was not in his carseat, I'm a bad mom) to enjoy it.

I've never dealt with a sick baby while I'm also sick myself, so thought I'd share some things I never even imagined that I'm sure other moms are familiar with!

1. You can't cough while nursing. I found out the hard way, and scared Benjamin so bad he wouldn't nurse again for a half hour.

2. You can't get a tissue for your runny nose while nursing. Move over Emily Post, I'm using my sleeve. Or a burp cloth. Or whatever's close.

3. Don't try to talk too much to your baby. Your new bass voice will scare and confuse him. Then again so will the fact that you're not talking to him.

4. If baby is also sick, be prepared to sleep in several different locations and contorted positions. I started out in my bed, moved to the nursery floor in a sleeping bag, and finally ended up (in the wee hours) in the nursing chair holding him, with my arm almost falling off!

5. If baby is also sick, be prepared to also nurse on the run. The only thing that may comfort your baby is bouncing and patting him, while also nursing. Pacing the room in this position is lots of fun at 2 a.m!

6. You are tied to fussy baby for the duration of the fuss. If you're thirsty, tough. Need to go to the bathroom, sorry!

7. The cool thing is, that, no matter how frustrated you are at your baby or how exhausted you feel by the end of the night, you will forgive him the minute he flashes those gums at you the next morning!

Happy New Year!

We had a great holiday, and spent time with Jeff's mom and grandmom, Mom and Dad, Ma Ma, Laurance and Kimberly, and Will and Laura. Seeing everyone makes me wish I lived closer! It was fun watching the cousins connect, even if Jonathan and Benjamin's first "play date" was a cry party! :D Boosie was so gentle with "Baby Benjen" and helped me fetch diapers and pacifiers for him. (She can say "pacifier." And "Ratatouille." Some of the other words are hard to make out but those are clear as day.)
We left the day before Christmas and came back the day after New Year's. After all the rush to decorate and get loose ends tied up before we left, we came back feeling like the holidays were over before they started! We did have a wonderful, relaxing time with family, though, and feel ready to start a new year.
New Year's day Jeff and I lit some candles and sat down to a planning session. Here are some of the resolutions I came up with. The best thing I've done for myself recently is made up a list of weekly chores and monthly chores (inspired by Martha Stewart's Homekeeping book, but leaving out any OCD parts such as dusting the smoke detectors!) I went for realistic and doable rather than perfect, and it feels great to know that "even though" the floor has cat hair on it, it doesn't matter, because I'm doing that TOMORROW.

1. Read at least 25 books this year. Finish up books I'm currently reading.
2. Brush up on my knowledge of French pronunciation for voice lessons.
3. Practice guitar more consistently. I'm doing a lesson every two weeks but still feel so unprepared every time.
4. Stick to my new cleaning regimen.
5. Read Bible and have devotions consistently, every day, no excuses. This has gone down the drain with unpredictable baby hours, but it's time to get serious.
6. Pray nightly for requests God lays on my heart. Jeff and I started doing this when my student was diagnosed with cancer. We keep it short but try to pray together every night before we fall asleep.
7. Work out. I have not exercised with any consistency since I found out I was pregnant! I'll have a bigger wardrobe and more energy if I can lose 10 lbs. My goal is to start small with 15 minutes a day.
8. Fix hot meals every night; even when I'm teaching, have something Jeff can put in the oven. I have 6 simple recipes to begin with. (Boring hot meal is better than no hot meal). Every month I'll add another recipe. That question "what's for dinner" will never make me cringe again. Or at least not as often.
9. Find time for crafts or creative things. This could be a sewing project, a musical composition, poem, drawing, decorating project, whatever.
10. Keep a biweekly "date night" with Jeff where we can discuss financial, spiritual, and mental wellbeing.

Congrats!

Congratulations to some friends, Letisha and Daniel, on the birth of their little girl on Christmas Eve! God is good...what a wonderful Christmas miracle. :)

Videos

I can't figure out how to post videos anymore, so I'll just have to say look at Jeff's blog for some videos of Benjamin talking and rolling over onto his back! He just learned how to roll over yesterday. :)

Jeff reading to Benjamin

Stuff Benjamin is learning

I haven't had a lot of time to post but Benjamin is learning and changing every day. He discovered his hand...it is so neat to see him stare at it and realize it belongs to him! He can grasp at toys with more purpose now. His favorite thing to do is grab my finger and start gnawing. He pulls it to him when he wants and then pushes it away when he's had enough. He grins and laughs a lot. His personality is emerging as a happy, easy-going little guy. He is now looking us in the eye instead of at our hairline (highest point of contrast). He realizes the eyes communicate!
His new favorite game is standing up. He does this, supported, for minutes at a time. His head is hardly wobbly anymore and he lifts up his torso and head during tummy time. He also makes crawling motions with his legs and occasionally moves his elbows forward a centimeter or two! He'll be crawling before long!
He's talkative in the evenings and can say compound syllablle "words" now. Favorite sounds are "ow" and "oh." Also "guh." When he's really upset he cries "Maa" so I guess he's learning a few consonants.
It's a lot of fun, but I also am starting to hate any minute without him. We're praying about cutting down my hours significantly next year.

Thought this was cool.

Things that change when you have a baby:

1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.

2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.

3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.

4. You respect your body ... finally.

5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.

6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.

7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.

8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.

9. Your heart breaks much more easily.

10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.

11. Every day is a surprise.

12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)

13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.

14. You become a morning person.

15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.

Christopher Parkening masterclass

Last Friday I attended a masterclass at UGA with Christopher Parkening. I've always wanted to meet this amazing artist and having him this close, and free, it was too good an opportunity to turn down. Jeff took the day off and we packed up Benjamin and left early in the morning to get there at 9 a.m.

The students who played were college or grad school level. All of the playing was high-level and very inspiring. I came away from it wanting to practice! Parkening is a mild-mannered, gentle guy and you'd never guess he has such inner drive and discipline. He spoke matter-of-factly about his faith and said he meditates on certain verses before performances. His philosophy permeates his method books, which I still use and teach from. Parkening had great comments for each student and the first thing he did for each was compliment something they were doing well.

I wish we had been able to get a better picture, but just as we got to the front, he left!

Benjamin was pretty good, but fussy enough that Jeff had to stay outside with him for most of the class. I'm glad we got to go.

Chuck's blog

To all those who gave up checking, :D Charles has updated his blog...just to let you know. :)

Stats

At 6 weeks, Benjamin is:

23 inches long (75-90th percentile)
12 lbs. 14 oz (90th percentile)

That's great, but sad that he wore his newborn clothes so briefly! He's now in 3 month clothes...slightly big but fitting. The hernia will probably not need any attention until he reaches a year or so, so that's good news.

Today was a day of nonstop coos and smiles! Flirted with the pediatrician, cooed at his bouncy seat toys, smiled at daddy....and the cutest thing, he woke himself up laughing! He has never laughed when he was awake, only while he's dreaming.

Just love my little boy. :)

Busy life

Working part time has definitely made life busier! I teach three days, then catch up on chores the rest of the week. Benjamin has adjusted to the nursery well (after the first day when his chin was trembling from overstimulation...so sad!). Now, he seems to sleep better the more noise there is in there! Jeff picks him up early when he can, and takes care of him until I return in the evening. We have cut back on some church activities out of necessity. Wednesday night church is out of the question. I teach up until 6:30, and then I need to either pump or feed him. Sometime in there I have to eat dinner, and I don't feel right having Benjamin away from home from 1:00 to 8:30 or so. And then there's the problem of Jeff getting enough sleep, as he leaves for work at 5:45. Yes, it's a crazy life!!
I've also given up church choir for awhile. Sunday is already a stressful day for Benjamin, and coming to choir at 4:30 is just a little much. I have been signed up to play offertories in the next couple of months and am on the singing schedule. That's enough for me!
Benjamin is healthy and seems well. I am a little concerned about a tummy bulge that I think may be an infant hernia (pretty common.) We get it checked out tomorrow. It doesn't seem to cause him pain but will probably need minor surgery. We'll see. I think it may be hereditary, since Laurance, myself, and Charles all had them.
The weather is beautiful here! The fall colors seem more vivid than usual. We had our first freeze last night, and I'm afraid it killed the tomatoes. The zinnias were looking leggy and pathetic, so I'm not too worried about them.
I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving!

Month-old pictures

The planets converged, and I was able to get the right lighting and a happy baby in a cute outfit. The last picture shows his famous poochy lip. The lip comes out first, then the cry...

Prayer requests

My mom asked me to pass this on since she's not able to call everyone. Ma-ma is still in the hospital, and is fine except for fluid in her lungs. (She went in initially b/c she was anemic). Elizabeth was there a couple of days ago to help her get up and about...and probably has more details (mom couldn't talk long). Please do pray that the fluid will go down and she'll be able to come home soon. With older people pneumonia can be a real danger. Also pray for Mom as she goes back and forth from the hospital and home.

Another prayer request...thank you for praying for my student. I'm afraid the diagnosis is not good. She has a mass on her liver and more in both lungs. I believe God can heal her and am praying to that end. Please, please pray for this young, talented girl. I know God can heal her and I really missed her at lessons this week...she is such a joy to teach, and it makes me tear up every time I think of her facing this serious illness.

God is good to us, always. I'm focusing on that thought today.

Infant acne

Okay, it's morning and I'm braindead, so thought I'd post about...baby acne.

It's normal, it's tempting, and it goes away in a few weeks (so I'm told).

Benjamin was born with it. The reason is not clear but most say it's the result of the hormone dump babies get toward the end of pregnancy. There is nothing you can do for it...creams and lotions don't help, and washing too much can just irritate it.

But it's so hard to just do NOTHING. Those of you who know how much I love to pick will appreciate my agony. The little bumps are just so round and...juicy.

Okay, okay. I'll admit I popped one on his ear. I was amazed how little it seemed to hurt him...no reaction at all. I was so tempted to go on and pop every single one on his face. But to my credit I resisted. Now I'm going to go find Jeffrey and see if there are any little bumps on his shoulders.

Yes, I know I need therapy. :D