Guess what I got this year for Christmas...

Everything I ever wanted.

http://www.lauratrent.net/proofs/young120308/

Merry Christmas! Jesus Christ lives; He is King of Kings and LORD of Lords.

He was, and is, and is to come... Alleluia!

Just for fun...

Here are some goofy pictures. We are off to spend this weekend at AJ's for Christmas and then go to see my parents for Christmas Day. The presents are wrapped, bags packed; I've cleaned out the leftovers, taken out the trash, stopped paper delivery, and given myself a mani/pedi. Just kidding about that last part. Here's how I really look:

(Do you like the artlessness of my coiffure?)

Life lesson: Beans are NOT the "magical fruit". Prunes are.

Need some zip

I don't have any zip today. Don't feel like picking up and putting away things. Wish I wanted to though. Does wistfulness count toward housekeeping? This week has been much slower than last week, thankfully. The Christmas production, a Singing Christmas tree, went well. I always love being a part of Christmas musicals. So hopeful. I even made it through standing about 15 feet off the ground on a Styrofoam box for an hour and a half. Wearing a gold lamae cape and red stole. Hey, I'm in the Lord's army :)

Mom and Dad truly spoiled Jay and introduced him to Zwieback toast. He's been on a roll eating jar food. His stomach has been a little more turbulent, however. Mom and Dad baby-sat while we went to a company dinner. Good food and people, though a little long waiting for courses. It took about 3 hours from salad to dessert!

I wore some of my Santa duds early to the party. Now that I'm a mom, I definitely feel the need to jazz up my wardrobe. I wore black lace peep toe stilettos. My fab-ness was somewhat dampened due to the fact that the boss's sister was wearing the same top.

I'm off to shower, feed Jay, and maybe gear up to do the dishes.

The Tin Foil Story: A Guest Blog

When I called my Mom on Black Friday to wish her a belated Happy Thanksgiving, she had a colored rendition of "How Your Father Almost Set the Kitchen on Fire by Really Trying," which will be more commonly known as The Tin Foil Story. I asked Mom to capture the essence of this precious holiday moment, as only Mom can. Believe me, there are many more stories untold.

Mom writes:

So glad that you and your big, loving southern family had a fun Thanksgiving. I know you were the center of attention. We also enjoyed our smaller celebration. I prepared three holiday casseroles to take to Mamaw's house. I prepared them by removing them from their store-bought packages and placed them in foil pans - just to look more festive.

BY THE WAY, foil pans are only user friendly if you place them in ovens not microwaves. (Jaybird's aside: The foil pans were placed in the microwave at the insistence of my Dad. The oven at Mamaw's is not the most reliable and the dishes had already been lingering in a state of lukewarmness for a half hour. 'Nuking' them in the microwave is heartily endorsed by both mother and son, to the opposition of my mom. After 34 years, though, Mom doesn't put up much of a fight. Logic does not matter in affairs of your mother-in-law's kitchen. I do have to say that said microwave must be something of an anomaly, because it has a rack inside for double decker nuking, and the rack is metal!)

Back to our meal. We had a juicy turkey breast and dressing. We were making some gravy and somehow a pan with cooking oil overheated and we experienced a small smoke fire which was contained well by opening a few windows to get fresh air. Hey, the smoke alarm didn't even go off.

Well, it does work. In fact, when we heated the foil pans in the microwave and then placed the pans on the family table - what can I say - the first pan flamed up on contact with a kitchen cloth and there were flames everywhere. That alarm just went off in record time and the charred remains of the cloth were quickly dispatched to the kitchen garbage can before Mamaw was any the wiser.

In fact, the food was not harmed at all. The rest of the meal was a lot of fun with the retelling of old family stories and it was fortuitous that Mamaw didn't witness our flameout. All was well in Jackson: the town that time forgot. Where the men are handsome, the women are a piece of work and the children are bright as a new penny.

P.S. - You know me; I was the lone dissenting vote is the use of microwaving foil. But then, it's always something.

Thanks, Mom for sharing this heartfelt Thanksgiving message. Readers, this only scratches the surface of such stories. :)

'Tis the season!

Taking a break

Jay can hold his bottle!

Great friends

Grandparents and Grandkids


Grandma and Jay tell stories

One of the guys

Brothers

Grandpa and Jay

Requisite holiday bib shot

Merry Christmas!

I'm taking a moment away from the sheer exhilaration of laundry to jot down how we spent our Thanksgiving. It was a great holiday. I made a few dishes to bring, but managed to create a severe mess and didn't turn in until midnight. Everyone said they enjoyed the dishes, so I didn't mind. No cooking beats homemade holiday dishes. Or a leftover dinner of mashed potatoes and cake... which is what I had Thursday evening. Jay did incredibly well being surrounded by 16 other faces at Thanksgiving! He is cutting his lower teeth and must have chewed on every one's knuckles. The kid has a great immune system. No sicknesses (yet)!

I did a little shopping, though did not go commando warrior shopping Friday morning. It takes a special breed of woman. We did go one year just for the experience. However, we were up at various points in the wee hours due to our overstimulated baby in a new environment. We could've racked up some deals. Did you hear that a man was TRAMPLED TO DEATH by unrelenting crowds at a Wal-mart in New York? Insane. Some people tried to help him, but the frenzied masses kept coming, all to get their hands on some plastic toy or electronic that will probably be in the garbage in a few years. Um, glad I stayed home.

The most entertaining part of my weekend, as adolescent as it makes me, was watching Twilight. A-train, my brother-in-law, and his friend went with me and did their best not to burst out laughing at lines like: "You are my own personal heroin" or "And so the lion fell in love with the lamb." I, however, actually clapped like a little girl and welcomed all my imaginary friends as they came to play their part in the story: Bella! Jacob! Edward!!!

The movie had a John Hughes "Pretty in Pink" feel at the beginning. Outsider (Bella) arrives at her high school in a beat up truck and aloof Adonis (Edward) looks on smoldering. Can we say Molly Ringwold and Andrew McCarthy?

Cinematically, the landscape of Washington State was amazing. There was enough action to entertain the males (a 'bad' vampire is gleefully destroyed). And of course, the male lead is CRAZY good looking as the tortured vampire who does not want to be a monster.

Loved it! Of course, as a Christian, I cannot endorse Bella's desire to give up mortality. But as a work of escapist romantic fiction, sign me up for the fan club.

This week is full of activity with my Christmas musical this weekend. We are having Jay's Christmas picture taken and my folks will be here this weekend.

Let the season begin!

Personality Snapshot

Since we took the road trip this weekend, Jay's sleeping patterns have regressed! We took the poor baby everywhere with little sleep and I have paid the piper. We were back to 1 a.m. screaming without consolation... yes, my trained nighttime feeder/sleeper reemerged. However, by last night, he stirred at 1 and 3 and put himself back to sleep.

The snapshot this title of this entry refers to is the position I found Jay in when I checked on him after the crying ceased at 1. He had turned himself over on his stomach, thrown his arm outside of the crib, and was hugging the crib bumper. Despite my coaching, Jay does not like to turn over on his stomach during playtime. It cracked me up to see him showing me up by turning over when he felt like it. And it was so cute to see him cuddling! It was, however, not a "Kodak moment" at 1 a.m.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I, like everyone else, can't wait. Holidays are so hopeful, even though the reality can sometimes be that they are also expensive and trying due to all the demands we place on ourselves to have the perfect Thanksgiving and Christmas.

As my husband will attest, I am incredibly nostalgic and always love talking about favorite memories. Here are some favorites:

1. My little sister as a preschooler repeating bathroom humor at the Thanksgiving table (and my grandparents being oblivious to what was so funny).
2. My Nanny's chocolate layer cakes, dressing, English peas, and sweet tea.
3. Seeing MaMaw and Pop at the head of the table for every holiday meal.
4. A-train meeting my family the day after my Pop's funeral. It helped.
5. The Savannah Truck Stop. Home to many pre-Thanksgiving and Christmas meals as we were en route. For you, Mom!
6. Kabula lights. For Dad.
7. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. It's not American if you don't love and identify with that movie.
8. My first Thanksgiving as a "married lady" where I made real dressing, roasted the Turkey, and showed my mad hostess skills. And used my "good" china.
9. Huddling with my sister in our beds as kids, waiting for our parents to wake up so we could go see what Santa left us. For Aunt Nat: Snugglebunnies!
10. This year, and all the sweetness that Jay will bring to our family!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Weekend Trip to Atlanta!

Progress this Friday- Siding is up, stairs are in

My friend and table hostess, DY

Centerpiece

The ladies at our table

My Family

Jay and Grandma Dee

Breakfast at J Christopher's with the family... sooo good!

Jay and my friend, CLC

The pictures tell the story of the weekend. We left home Friday at noon with a brief stop to show AJ our house progress. We arrived in Atlanta only to discover that we had left our hanging clothes at home. We took Alex's grandma with us and her clothes FILLED the trunk! So we hit Kohls (oh, darn). Unfortunately, my car keeps having the same problem which we last fixed 6 months ago and it's popped up again. We've already fixed it before, so it's time to bit the bullet and think about a replacement, which is not great with all that's going on right now. However, we really could do a one car situation if we had to for a period of time. But A-train's scouring the web and paper ads so I'm sure we'll figure out something before the poor boy develops an ulcer. Thankfully, we just learned that his old employer let go the other agent in his company. Alex's position wasn't filled when he left. We could conceivably be a one income family without the income if we had not taken the job in Middle Georgia. This is a clear intervention of the Lord's provision in our lives and we are so thankful.

Anyway, Grandma, Aunt K and Dee enjoyed the Ladies Dinner. It was probably the best I've been to in terms of enjoyment. Kathy Tricolli was the entertainment and she was fantastic. Funny, genuine, and an wonderful talent. Lots of sniffling around the room!

We ran around Saturday running errands in the "big city" and seeing friends. Jay did fantastic considering he only took catnaps in the car and saw so many faces! When we returned home Saturday, I was so thankful for the simplicity of being home.

P.S. The decorated tables were noticeably scaled back. A centerpiece height restriction was enforced on the hostesses. There is this petite lady with a clipboard that monitors the tables as they are put together. Last year, she made a friend of my mine take down here centerpiece during the presentation. They don't kid around in the Baptist church! The tables were still beautiful this year.

Bless Her Heart...

Jay has a habit of curling his lip

Just a goofy picture

Progress of the house on Tuesday

Front view of the house

Not much to report today. However, Jay slept in until 8 and so did I! We will be travelling up to Atlanta tomorrow to see family and for me to attend a ladies dinner at my old church. Every year the church hosts a Holiday Decorating Fair. A hostess decorates the table with her holiday china and selects a thematic centerpiece. It's always great fun, and let's be honest. Women, particularly "church ladies", are genteel-ly competitive. As in, "While I recreated the Winter Wonderland tablescape seen in Martha Stewart Living December 2008 issue, she chose a more home-y, mix and match theme. Bless her heart." As Dana Carvey via the Church Lady would say, "Well, isn't that SPECIAL!" Ladies, am I right?

Really, I do love church and church friends. But I've gotta be honest! :)

Storing it up...

Today we went to MOPS. First off, my preparation for these monthly meetings has drastically changed, which I find humorous. First month, I was up early, showered, feed and bathed Jay, makeup, wardrobe decisions, out the door in plenty of time. Month two: popped the casserole in the oven for the meeting (which I had prepped the night before, no less), and continued the pendulum swing of baby-mommy prep. This month?

After feeding Jay around 5:30 (he's sleeping beautifully without interruption, but I'm still holding out for at 10-7 sleepfest), I burrowed back in bed and A-train, to his credit, hung out with Jay as he prepared for work. Jay was back in bed with me for a feeding/mini-snooze when we finally began the day in earnest at 8 a.m. The meeting begins at 9:15, but since I now live in Middle Georgia, the commute of 10 minutes is nothing.

While Jay and I were well attired (well being him in an adorable hoodie jumper, me in jeans and a sweater that only had a few spit-up & coffee stains), no baths this morning! We made it in plenty of time and I really enjoyed myself.

I even saw another lady from my Sunday School at the meeting, which makes 4 of us that attend MOPS and my church! These women will be in the Thursday a.m. bible study that starts back up in January, which I plan on attending. Slow and steady makes the friend :).

Today as I was burping Jay, who has been going through some growing pains (i.e gas & constipation), he put his head on my shoulder and I said aloud, "This is going in my memory bank." An older friend told me that when she had her second child, she consciously paused to enjoy those first moments with her baby, as he would be her last. Even though I probably should write more in his baby book and have yet to paste in his ID tags and photos, I'm trying to heed the advice of this mom. These simple, ordinary moments really are so fleeting and cannot be duplicated. So I'm enjoying them!

Wardrobe Malfunction

Snoozing after my first feeding


Bright eyes


Progress on Wednesday


Hey-ey

(Yes, I agree he is underdressed.)


Jay's whirltub


Progess on Saturday

Allow me a few moments to wallow...

As I have transitioned from working life to home life, my wardrobe needs have changed. Jeans, khakis and simple tops are all I require most days. However, I am in a weird stage of finding clothes that fit. I have many, many articles of clothing, but precious few it seems that fit well or make me feel put together. I have a few very nice pieces, but they are not day-to-day wear. I can squeeze in to my old favorites, but I have work to do if I dare wear them out of the house. I'm a little too old for belly shirts and hiphuggers. Which is what most of my former wardrobe feels like. I have so many modest tops that don't seem to amply cover my mid-section anymore.

Of my hang-ups, body image is thankfully not one of them. I am okay in my skin even after the great changes it has undergone. I'm even happy with my weight, which is not too far from my starting range pre-pregnancy. It is time to accept that while I am still youthful and young, I can't expect to do whatever I please and look and feel good. My midsection will forever be altered and that is a good thing. My body did something incredible! However, I can take pride in my new body by strengthening it and dressing it properly.

Which bring me back to my original dilemma. Clothing. Most specifically, pants. While my shirts may creep up occasionally, my pant situation drives me crazy. I am between two sizes right now. I can either wear pants that do fit but accentuate my rear, or pants that sit well in the seat, but the in-seam seems to be around my knees. Does anyone else out there have this problem? I have these pants in a larger size, but the in-seam is so LONG! So I'm always pullin' up my drawers. Ughhh. Stacy and Clinton, come rescue me. (Readers: Do you ever think that if makeover gurus can take a "hot mess" and make them look amazing, what could they do with someone who passes for decent???)

Don't cry for me, dear readership. I got a haircut and my eyebrows cleaned up. It ain't that bad.

Sleep update: 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Baby had gas at 2:00 and 4:30. He whimpered briefly and went right back down. Feed at 5:30 when I saw a pattern developing. Up again at 7.

House update: We drove down tonight and saw the roof trusses going in.

In summary, life is great. Unspeakable joy abounds in the form of my son. I have a wonderful husband who really loves me, hang-ups and all. I have life everlasting and all the best life has to offer.

Except pants that fit!

6 Months

Jay reached his 6 month milestone yesterday. Here are some sweet, fleeting memories I don't want to forget.

Jay's face. Especially his sweet mouth, chin, and cheeks. No picture can capture how perfect it is to me.

Jay's smile. How he can just give me a huge grin. He loves to bounce, "fly" on my knees, roll around with me.

When Jay places his head on my shoulder when he's tired or not feeling well.

The feeling of being able to "fix" his problems for a short time. Being his little world for such a brief window of time.

Jay laughing at me and my trying to keep him laughing.

So, dear readership, what are your favorites? Please share your favorite memories of the children in your life.

Sleep Update, Day 7

Best report to date:

Jay was down from 9 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. WITHOUT stirring once! He even slept through a late night feeding. I know I can't expect uninterrupted sleep for the next 18 years, but this is a mini-milestone in my book.

Now, I awoke at 3 a.m., perhaps to due to drinking some half-caf coffee before bed or anticipating Jay's waking up. I slept restlessly from this point on. It's always somethin', right?

House update: The first floor has been framed! I don't think I will actually comprehend that we will be living in a new house of our own until I'm there. And when we are really, really on the beans-and-rice-rice-and-beans lifestyle with a mortgage payment! But it'll be worth it. I'm actually doing some low-key menu planning now and have a set "grocery day" so our pantry isn't so hit-or-miss.

Now, off to the dishes...

Sleep Update, Day 6

The foundation was poured Tuesday. The house should be framed and roofed by this weekend. Crazy!

Priceless!

Jay stirred and fussed at 1 a.m., but was sleeping solidly until 7 a.m. today. A-train went to pick him up and he was playing in his crib. Yea!

Sleep Update, Day 5

Jay slept from 11 to 7 without waking up once! He stirred once before eleven, but that's it! Eight hours of continuous sleep. Even A-train was a little concerned that the baby hadn't awoken us. He was fine! I woke him up to eat. Here's hoping for a repeat performance.

Sleep Update: Weekend Edition

Well, Jay was very ready to sleep on Saturday and Sunday night, but he was having serious abdominal pain. The little one's system was overloaded after being introduced to apple & banana baby food on top of rice cereal and his usual milk. We had to leave Sunday School early because he was having fits. Of course, he gives the nursery worker a huge smile once he's in Dad's arms.

Life has truly come full circle. My own parents have told me umpteen times about having to give me a glycerin stick you-know-where to encourage me to "cleanse my system". So, what do I reach for at CVS? You got it. I giggled at first, but now I can handle a suppository with the best of 'em! We had a little progress Sunday, but Jay didn't feel better until this afternoon. I'm really hoping it's smooth sailing tonight. I feel kinda weak and lethargic from so many times up and down last night. He honestly just woke up discomforted and feel back asleep quickly.

As for more things I didn't anticipate doing in the name of motherhood, I am making calls to schedule appointments for a financial advisor I meet in MOPS. Now it is not cold-calling, but I really have to dig my heels in to make these calls. I really understand that no one wants to be interrupted at home after a long day. I'm getting better and trying to talk very slowly. Also on the makin'-the-money-for-my-baby-and-home front, I got a response from the lead with the proofreading job. We will talk next week. This kind of work is right up my alley. Just me, my computer, and lots of grammar to correct!

Night night!

Sleep Update, Day 2

Um, could I have some privacy, please?

Why is she always in my face?

Happy, rested boy

Another step closer to uninterrupted sleep. Jay was down from 9:00 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. After two rounds of crying-waiting-comforting-crying, he went back to sleep. And I awoke at 7:00 a.m. wondering if we had slept in. It was great to wake up to the sunlight and not crying.

Naps are going better too. He fusses a bit, but is learning to put himself to sleep. With all his squirming, he usually ends up with his head facing the side rails and his feet toward the back of his bed.

All in all, success!

Sleep Update

Jay was so sleepy last night that he wasn't interested in his last feeding at 10 p.m. He briefly stirred at 11 and 4:30 and then awoke at 5:15 a.m. I feed and changed him and he put himself to sleep for about another hour. We slept almost 6 consecutive hours!

Maybe it's working!

Doctor's visit and a new label

Question: If I think of Facebook status updates when I am engaged in ordinary activities, does this make me an Internet addict? Jaybird is... unsure.

Our main activity this week has been to the pediatrician to see if the reflux medicine is working for Jay. In my zeal not to over-medicate my firstborn, I was giving him .2 ML of medicine instead of the 2 ML he was prescribed. Oops. Pay attention to decimals, kids. The doctor prescribed kiddie Prevacid because Jay is still experiencing a good bit of irritation due to his reflux. The good news is that he now weighs over 17 pounds! This means he has doubled his birth weight and we can really get going on more solid food.

As to labels: Jay could be dubbed a TRAINED NIGHTTIME CRIER. Dum, Dum, Dum. How could a conscientious young mother allow this to happen??? When Jay was around 3 months, I enacted the "cry it out" method to help him break the habit of waking up and demanding food. I would let him cry for 10 minutes, comfort him, leave, and repeat. If it didn't work, he'd eat. After about a week, he was sleeping through the night fairly regularly. This lasted almost a month.

For the last two months, I have been comforting Jay with feeding and/or rocking due to many variables. Growth spurt. Wet himself. Trapped gas. Spit up. Plain mad.

This has caused what my doctor dubbed his "mommy fix". Thus, we begin the journey to Jay's becoming a TRAINED NIGHTTIME SLEEPER. Which means I sit and watch the clock while he whimpers and wails. I was up twice around 1:00 a.m. last night. He faked me out and fell into a light sleep only to change his mind a few minutes later. However, I did not rock or feed the little one. When he awoke again around 5:30, I had no more fight in me. Thankfully, he was down again to 7. All this is to say that I made myself a "comfort prop" for my baby. Brazen woman. Can you imagine?

As you can see, I'm in the throes of follow-the-rulebook vs. live your life while meeting your child's needs. I know there is a happy medium.

On the positive side, Jay is just a mess of energy, smiles, and joy. I have a lead on some proofreading work from home and also began making some calls for a woman I meet through MOPS. If I pick up the proofreading job, I would have 3 little quarter-time jobs. I find this both amusing and a source of pride. If you ever watched "In Living Color" way back when, you'll know the skit that I'm relating too. I'm off to my 72nd job...

That's all the minutiae that's fit to print.

Sweet Dreams!

Playdate!

Lot 187

"Seriously, Mom?"

Little Jay got so many compliments on his outfit!

Today we enjoyed getting out and "playing" with some other moms and kids. I did get my prerequisite pumpkin pictures and I am so relieved. The three of us went to see our house lot. The plumbing is being put down and the foundation will be poured soon.

Today it took me about 1 1/2 hours to change the sheets on my bed because I was having so much fun with the little guy. It is endlessly fascinating to roll around with him and try to make him laugh. And so bizarre when he will shriek in terror for no apparent reason and then go back to a state of contentment.

It was a good day.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

The expression says it all!

Me, Mamaw, Jay, and Dad

True fall weather has finally arrive to middle Georgia, and I believe it's here to stay. J and I are going to a playdate tomorrow with our MOPS groups, which has been thankfully moved indoors. However, that means no hayride! And no pumpkins! How will I live without a pumpkin patch picture? Will they revoke my mommy license?

Though day to day life may seem repetitive at times, J more than makes up for it. He loves to be "flown" around and picked up by his ankles. That was his dad's doing, of course.

Something that I have realized about being a new parent is, and this is very profound, no two babies are alike. Really. I have about 4 baby books such as Your Baby Week by Week, Focus on the Family, Caring for your Baby and Young Child and Babywise. And though time tested principles have proven helpful, such as the wake-feed-sleep philosophy of Babywise, it is just not the Gospel truth. Every day is different. And even though we are still working towards sleeping through the night consistently, this does not mean I am a failure. Or that there is anything wrong with J. And rocking him to sleep works for us. So there, all you experts! Can you tell I'm a little sensitive?

I end with some more pictures from this last week. Enjoy, my readership of 4!