Chugga-chugga CHOO CHOO!

Our local mall has this awesome trackless train that rides around the mall for ten minutes at a time. This guy that owns it has to make a KILLING during the weekends. It was the best $3/person spent for our family... Keegan absolutely adored it... so much so that he got this hysterical attitude for the rest of the evening, almost as if he thought he was pretty hot stuff now that he rode on a choo-choo... Ha!

Here are some pictures of our time riding the choo-choo as a family:

Keegan picked the BLUE car. Here he is saying, "SEE?!"

Peeking over the side... :)

Date night sure has changed!!! Ha!

You can literally see the the shape of his mouth saying, "CHOO CHOO!"

 We have such a little train lover on our hands. He is a monster for trains. He's definitely wearing his Thomas shirt under his fleece in these pictures, and brought the Thomas that his Auntie M and Unkie and cousin, Cohen, gave him for Christmas. It's so funny how most little boys just have an absolute love of trains, construction equipment and trucks built in them!

Okay... As Keegan would say, "BYE SEE YOU!!!!"

A Bittersweet Birthday

I've been decently quiet lately... Sorry! I've got some really fun posts coming up... 

We have been up to lots of fun things, but there has been a lot of things going on in my brain lately... especially after the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut.

I'm feeling so bittersweet and broken this Christmas. And that says a lot, because I'm typically a Christmas Nut... However, this year it's different.

I'm not sure if it's because I'm getting older, or because I'm a mom, or if it's the recent heartbreaks in the news, but I'm so uber-emotional this Christmas. I can hardly listen to the Christmas radio stations because if the right song comes on while I'm in the right mood I'll be a bawling mess.

I've finally accepted though, that it's not anti-Christmas to feel melancholy during this season. I'm no Grinch... I wish more people would examine the reality of what Christmas is, and I think more people may adjust from being so incredibly selfish, shallow and greedy to stand in reverence to how this Holiday started, whether or not they believe it in their heart.

The day Keegan was born was the greatest, most incredible day of my life. I've never felt such overwhelming joy or love in a single moment then when I first met him. However, if someone would have told me in that moment that my son was being born to die a completely unjust death in place of someone else- I'm sure that day would have taken on a whole new meaning. It'd be joyful, but most likely, just as equally painful. Every day of his life would change from being a new, exciting day of firsts to have a dark cloud of anxiety for the future.

I'm praying that as we prepare for this Christmas that I can come reverently before the Throne, rejoicing in the fact that He gave His only Son for someone as weak and broken as me. I'm praying that in light of that I can love others endlessly and serve them without expecting in return... I pray that I can feel a deep JOY- not just during Christmas, but year round. Because that sacrifice was made for eternity- not just for the month of December :)

Praying that my friends, family and readers will have an incredible blessed and joyful celebration with loved ones near.

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

 ***NOTE: that IS the infamous Christmas card photo as previously posted about... Hahaha, so ENJOY!

Public Meltdown 1.0

We're on a budget, and I am obviously in love with a good deal. So when I saw that JC Penney's was doing FREE family photos for the month of November, I knew we had to schedule an appointment before the end of the month.

I've always hired photographers to come to our house for pictures, but I knew it was such a great deal, and Keegan is ALWAYS a gem in public... normally...

He did great when we first got there... but they were behind, so we had to wait in the lobby. Keegan loved the toys... but pretty soon sweet Peegy turned into a raging terrible two year old.

He wrapped his arms around/across whatever the other little boy was playing with and yelled, "Noooo! Noooo! Mine!"

MORTIFIED.

Keegan has not been the fastest physically, but I've prided myself in his incredible social skills.... and THAT, ladies and gentleman, is what pride gets you.

Everyone says that Keegan's a photographer's dream as he looks right at EVERY camera and says, "Cheeeeeeese!"

Not Thursday night... 

He shouted and screamed,and flailed his arms about.

We got a whole ONE decent picture.

All that to say, when you get your Christmas card from us, please know the work and disaster that the photo session was... and maybe save it for a little longer than you normally would! Haha! Don't worry, you don't REALLY need to do that :)

Aldi: Take One

I went to Aldi today for the first time... We've started doing Dave Ramsey, and so I'm working really hard to stay below our grocery budget. I still needed quite a bit for the things I was making for Thanksgiving tomorrow so I decided to swing by our local Aldi first, and finish at Walmart...

I'm pretty sure they should have a course on how to shop at Aldi. I had my arms full with a wiggly boy and his stuffed bull dog, a diaper bag, my purse and shopping list. I went to get the cart and to my amazement they cost a quarter.

What?!

No debit cards?!

Haha. It was my lucky day, though: there was a middle aged man who had tried to put his cart back, but couldn't figure it out so he was nice and snuck it to me. Woot woot!!!

So away we went...

I definitely will continue to shop at Aldi. I got almost everything on my list for $16!!!

I did have to BUY a reusable bag, though. I was unaware that they don't provide you with bags (again: a course on shopping at Aldi couldn't hurt).

But anyway, overall I was pleased.

I'm not quite sure why, but Keegan ADORED it. He greeted everyone we passed, and cheered at everything he saw up and down the aisles. At some points he even sounded like he was going to hyperventilate!

By the time we got to Walmart, I was pretty sure this was Keegan's dream day (he LOVES grocery shopping). By the time we reached the back of Walmart Keegan started Eskimo kissing me and hugging me really tight.

Who knew being frugal could be so much fun?!?! :)

No shoes, no socks, no problems

Out of the blue, Keegan has started rejecting shoes and socks.

He's always done great, but a couple weeks ago every time we're in the car, Keegan rips off his shoes, throws them on the floor ("uh-oh, mommy") and then tugs and tugs on his socks until he's finally down to bare feet, and then quickly falls asleep...

A few things I find funny about this:

#1) One of my greatest pet peeves (ever since I was a little kid!) is socks hanging and dragging off of feet. Ugh! So annoying. On or off, there should be no in between! Ha! So his struggle with removing his socks leaves us with quite a bit if that in between stuff... Bahahaha!

#2) My mother in law JUST shared that when my husband was a little boy, he always pulled off his socks and shoes in the car whenever they drove anywhere. I specifically commented on how annoying that would be to have to wrangle a busy little boy and all his stuff in addition to having to struggle to get his socks and shoes on... Well played, Keegy, well played.

#3) Lately he's been fussing once his socks are off until I turn on our Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas CD. Yup, seriously. He chills out as soon as I turn it on and conks out shortly after.

I just love it. It's hysterical and 100% Keegan Michael.

My little barefoot, Mormon Tabernacle Choir loving, Christmas boy.

Happy Thanksgiving Break!

What I want you to know:

Let me just clarify that this blog post is not intended to be super morbid or to proclaim that I am an amazing fountain of wisdom... Haha! That being said...

I recently read an article in Parents magazine about the importance of not only having a will, but also getting your most important thoughts that you want to share with your children in print so that if (God-forbid) you should pass before you get to express these things to your children, they can always know what was near and dear to your heart.

So here's my attempt. Not just for Keegan Michael, but for any other children we may be blessed with in the future:

On Love-

You will most likely fall in love a few times. But don't settle. You really will find that person that you naturally "click" with. Everything shouldn't be an argument. You really can find someone that you love AND get along with. And hopefully you can make each other laugh. The most important thing on love I learned in a sermon at Highland Park Baptist Church when I was in 11th grade, which I circled and wrote in purple pen: LOVE IS A CHOICE. Pick someone that will also make that CHOICE to love you, even at your worst. And do the same for them. Don't over complicate marriage. It's not that complex: choose to love that person, and treat them how you want to be treated as a spouse.

On Money-

Money doesn't grow on trees. You have to work hard for it- and please don't take it for granted or feel entitled to THINGS. Don't spend money you don't have. Live within your means. Don't judge others who have more or less than you- you have no idea what their circumstances are- just live kindly, and be wise with your finances please.

On mistakes-

Everyone will always tell you that you have to learn from your own mistakes. That's true. But, I pray that for the big things you will be smart enough to learn from OTHER people's mistakes and do everything possible to not make their mistake too.

On religion-

I have prayed for your soul since before you were born. I pray that you completely understand the gift that Christ lavished on YOU by laying down His life. I pray that you choose to live in a manner worthy of that sacrifice, and that you show love and kindness to others as a result. I pray that you can trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding- because there is so much more hope in life when you can rest in the fact that if you acknowledge Him- HE will make your paths straight.

On relationships-

You will meet people that dislike you. But be kind anyway! Hopefully you can touch their hearts by your kindness. The hardest thing to do is to love people that have hurt you, and to pray for their hearts. I've found that's the only way to handle them, without losing your mind! :)

This is just my heart. I'm not asking for you to do everything I list, I just hope you consider it. I'm not some guru at life, nor do I proclaim to be, but I hope that my sweet children can reference my words years and years and years from now. But I hope even more that I can be your annoying mom who offers up her advice in a hard time, even though you'll roll your eyes at me most of the time!

You, doing that thing you do...

My sweet son...

The things you do amaze me.

I cannot believe your mine.

Even when you shout "no no no no no!" at me, I'm just amazed that you're mine.

Let's touch on some of my favorite Keegan-ism's at 18 Months:

"Oh my!"
"Oh boy!"
"Uh-oh..."
"I do!!!!!"
"See?!?! See?!?!"
"Mommieeeeeee!"
"Tick-ah, Tick-ah, Tick-ah! (Tickle)"
"Meeeeeeee (please)"
"Potty!!!"
"Bye, See you!"
"Bye, Tinkle! (when we flush the potty!"
"Dogs! Down!"
"Yummy!!!"
"Heh-whoa (Hello?!"
"Hi!"
"Choo-Choo!!!"
"Yay!! (while clapping)"
"Thank you!"
"I Sar (I'm sorry)"

And one of my favorites is how you refer to Bob the Builder:

"BOB-AH" or "Bobby!!"

Haha! I have no clue where you learned that, but it's hysterical!

There is never a dull moment. And you are SO busy. So busy. My body is sore from chasing you so much. But every day I love you more.

Recently I realized something: you will NEVER love me as much as I love you. And that's just fine. But you will definitely love your own baby as much as I love you- I'm confident in that. And I'm already proud of the awesome father that (Lord-willing) you will be.

Okay, cheeseball moment over.

Let's discuss how big you are:

You are a little boy still. Still 10th percentile for weight and height, and 90th for head (you're brilliant! Ha!).

You are a big cousin now, too. You are a GOOD big cousin. At first you were leery, but the last time you saw him you boys were just two peas in a pod. I'm so excited for you two to grow up friends. I pray that you all will grow big and strong and close as friends! We just wish we could see Baby Cohen and his parents more- but we treasure the time that we have!

You are a Mr. Goofball at school. The teachers have referred to you as "something else" after you get all the other children riled up doing something silly. Just recently one of the teachers told Daddy that during lunch time you got the whole table singing "Do do do do do!" and no one would eat their lunch.

You are a BIG goof!!

You clean up after yourself like a big boy. You have learned to wipe up your own spills, and to even put the towels back that you use. Thank you, Mr. Helpful!

You are also going tinkle on the potty on a decently regular basis. I hope Santa Claus brings you another potty so we can really focus on the potty training since you're such a big boy already!

You also love a good back massage. If you're having a difficult day, you'll climb up into the armchair and start the massage chair all for yourself! You press your back up against it and say "Ahhhh!" You sure are your momma's boy! :)

You are a smarty pants. You know what a sheep, cow, dog, cat and duck say. You repeat most letters after us. We say, "One, two," and you shout "Three!!!"

Thank you for being kind. Thank you for being friendly and BRAVE! We love you so much and love playing with you- no matter how tired we are now! Ha!

Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet!

Keegan Michael went trick or treating for the first time this year.

Yes, I realize this is VERY late. But let's be real, I'm a busy lady!

I'm inspired by people I know that don't spend much time on Facebook, and I would love to do that. I'm realizing I'm wasting my time away on there- and I'm realizing how precious my time with my family is. Maybe I can start spending less time on Facebook and more time doing fun things with my family and blogging about it later?!?!

Well, back to Halloween...

Keegan had a blast. He LOVES Yo Gabba Gabba, and I got a heck of a deal on a Brobee costume on Amazon. It ended up being the perfect costume for a cold night. He was the coziest monster around!!!

He was a little leery of approaching people's doors (which was shocking given my son's incredible disposition when people he doesn't know come and hold him), but eventually he warmed up.

He approached each door by the end yelling for "NA! NA! (Snack! Snack!)"

He had a blast. All in all it was a success. Keegy has now developed a sweet tooth for suckers and chocolate.

That-a-boy! :)

Catching up

First of all- let’s start out by saying how lame I am… AGAIN. And I’m done committing to blogging more since that obviously still doesn’t offer me enough accountability to actually DO that.
SO- to all of my “loyal” readers (aka- maybe one person in Ukraine, and my one reader in Oman!)- I am sorry for my laziness and inconsistency!

So let’s get started.

My baby is not a baby anymore. It’s like he sprouted up overnight and turned into a full-blown toddler. Tantrums and all. He knows enough communication to be able to say things like, “Uh-huh” and “Uh-Uh”- which makes it really fun when he’s picking out a snack from an entirely full pantry. We’ll spend about 10 minutes of him screaming pointing at an entire shelf and I have to hold item by item up asking if that’s what he wants. HA! It’s pretty fun, though, especially now that he’s able to pick out what books he’d like to read and what toys he’d like to play with.

He says, “I DO!!!!” very enthusiastically when we ask who wants to take a bath, or go to school, etc. It is funny! He’s also picked up a habit from his decently OCD mother and runs to get clean microfiber dish towels from the kitchen to clean up any mess he makes. And you know, he does a really great job. He even puts the towels back! Monkey-see, monkey-do… and THIS Mommy likes when that involves cleaning up after himself.

My “baby” is still very little at least. He went to the doctor last week for a little bug he had. He’s still just over 21 lbs. Pretty sure that’s what he was at his one year appointment- and now he’s just over 17 months old. That is nuts- and awfully tiny and pocket-sized cute if you ask me! His small stature hasn’t seemed to weaken him or deter him at all. He’s BUSY. He RUNS. ALL. THE. TIME.

And in our new house, we actually have a neighborhood that we can walk around with sidewalks and nice houses that will be PERFECT for trick-or-treating. It will be SO FUN!

Let’s move on to equally important news….

Did anyone else watch REVENGE last night?! I was heated and stressed the whole time- but it’s the BEST feeling. I LOVE that show!!! It is so stressful in the absolutely best way! I mean, [SPOILER ALERT] I really felt the whole time that I knew that Veronica was alive, which as much as she’s horrible- she just adds so much to the show I personally would have been really disappointed to see her go.

And, I’m almost positive that Jack Porter is not Amanda’s baby’s father.

And now I’ll admit- I just read the past two paragraphs, and don’t watch the show, you’re going to think that I probably sit home all afternoon watching some Stories. Ha! Stories… Soap Opera’s… Drama’s. I do NOT by the way. I’d much rather watch some good ole’ Dr. Phil, or Dr. Oz. Or Nate Berkus- that is, until they cancelled his show which is super disappointing BTW.

Oh, and I have a braggy moment about the awesome dinner I made last night. I made the most delicious goat cheese stuffed portabella mushrooms. I’m sure you’re thinking, “Mandy, you’re crazy. That’s so much work and sounds like something you’d order at a fancy restaurant.”

Well, let me tell you- you are correct on the latter and ABSOLUTELY INCORRECT on the former. It was SO easy. Oh, you’d like the recipe? I’d be happy to oblige:

Goat cheese stuffed portabella’s:

Take your portabella mushrooms and cut the stems off.

In a Pyrex drizzle both sides of the mushrooms with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Cook cap-side up at 350 for approximately 15 minutes.

Take them out of the oven and flip them over. Cut up pieces of goat cheese and fill the mushrooms.

Chop up some fresh basil and sprinkle on top of the goat cheese.

Spoon a little of the excess sauce over the top.

Bake at 350 for another 15 minutes.


Mmmm! So good- I promise!!!!!

Three years ago yesterday...

Three years ago yesterday I married my BEST friend. EVER.

I started thinking recently about how I can hardly remember life without him. And I so don't even want to because he made life that much better. Never in my life had I met someone who I had such natural chemistry with. I'd never met anyone who made me feel as special as my husband makes me feel. He's so patient with me. I'm lucky.

It dawned on me- even more so- during our recent move: I've developed OCD in regards to little things around my house. For instance- folding towels in our bathroom. Fold it hot dog style like a hotel and then half way, half way, and VOILA! Perfectly folded towels. My husband literally learned how to fold towels for me.

And you know what he did a couple weeks ago? We use microfiber towels (you know- the bright yellow ones typically used to clean cars?) around our house for everything. I wash them about once a week. While we were folding them a couple of weeks ago, he asked, "Is there any way I should be folding these?" I explained that I like the fold all facing the same way for some uniformity. I felt stupid and silly saying that- but it was true. I would have gone and fixed them later if they weren't!

Instead of telling me I was ridiculous or stupid, Kris' response was, "Well, control what you can control I guess."

Really?

I've got a good man.

Kristopher,

Thank you for not making me feel ridiculous. Thank you for understanding who I am- but not just understanding it- but loving me for it.

Thank you for working so hard. We are so proud of you.

Thank you for still making me laugh really hard almost every single day. :)

You're the best husband and father.

We love you.

Your bride and your first born

Keegan's Update and I'm an Infomercial Sucker

So many random things to touch on!

Let's start with an update on Keegan Michael, and then I'll go from there.

Keegan is still a very little boy. We weighed him this week on our home scale, and it's showing him at 21.5 lbs... However, ours shows 1 pound heavier than my doctor's office scale- so maybe he's just 20.5 lbs? I don't know. I just know he's little for his age- but completely healthy!

He is FUNNY, too. His vocabulary is booming. He's repeating things after us all the time. This morning when we came downstairs he got excited. I said, "Say, 'good morning house!'" and Keegan repeated, "HOUSE." His new thing, too, is to ask for a hot dog all the time. When we ask, "Keegan, do you want some breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack?" He answers, "Hot dog." I promise- we don't just feed him hot dogs! He maybe has 2 or so a week- but apparently they are his favorite.

He's also started asking what everything is. If he's being naughty and into something he knows he shouldn't- I say, "Keegan Michael, what are you doing?" and he replies, "What is it?!" It's so cool to experience him growing up. He is such an incredible little man.

However, I will say that he's started throwing tantrums. He has become much more whiny.Which I do not like. He throws his entire body on the ground and has a total melt down. Also, grocery shopping is no longer a fun time with him since he has started recognizing things on the shelves. He gets VERY upset when I put things in the cart- it's hysterical because it's almost like he thinks I'm purposefully teasing him and taunting him with food that he can't have yet. HA!

And here's a HUGE update: KEEGAN PEE'S ON THE POTTY! About once per day. Before bath time. He doesn't do it on his own. But we are starting to get him accustomed to it so (hopefully) potty training will come easy in a few months.

OH and here's Keegan's new favorite:

We bought this book as a gift for my sister's baby shower- and got a copy for Keegan too. I think I almost have it memorized because he wants me to read it ALL THE TIME. He walks to his room, right over to this book and hands it to me. He sits and excitedly listens to each word. He loves the pictures. I think this may be the funniest children's book EVER.

Pretty much it explains that dinosaurs went extinct because they started fighting over underpants... HA! SO funny.

Kris is adjusting to his new job and really starting to love it. He works a lot of early mornings- but we are SO proud of him. What a guy.

Okay- and now for me to share how I'm SUCH a sucker...

Last month I bought something off an infomercial. I actually felt that I NEEDED to buy the Jane Seymour Natural Advantage Skin Care line. I couldn't believe I did it... but now- I have to say, I'm so glad I did. I was starting to get pretty bad wrinkles on my forehead and it made me nervous. I'm only 25- I shouldn't be going grey AND wrinkling ALREADY!!!!

And let me tell you. It actually works. I took a before photo which I'm not going to share because it was that nasty- and an after photo. Kris and I both agree it really works and reduced my wrinkles a ton. I think I finally look 25 again! HA! Needless to say, I think it's a luxury that I will continue to use for a while. I figure it's less expensive to preventatively care for my skin rather than have to get a facelift when I'm sixty! :)

Oh and another new thing that we're doing: we're working really hard on saving money. God has given us a great opportunity to do that while we're in the house, so one of the way's we're doing that is by MENU PLANNING each week. We want to cut back our grocery/food bill- and eating out/take out really adds up. It's actually kind of fun! I plan a menu out for the week, and then we only grocery shop once a week instead of a couple times. It's a good feeling. But we're only on the 2nd week and I'm already have a hard time recalling meals and/or diversifying our menu. I definitely don't want to rotate the same 7 meals over and over and over.

If you have an easy/inexpensive favorite recipe to add into our options- please share! :)

You Are My Sunshine: The Cessna's Showered!

Molly's shower turned out fabulous. It was at the Steele Carriage House in Adrian- SO darling!

We all worked so hard- and boy was it so fun. My sister is one of the most radiant momma's-to-be I've ever seen. Here are some photos of the decorations (mostly stolen from my sister's sister-in-law!):

Settling In, and Feeling Good

Well, well, well...

First, let me clarify my last blog post. My sweet husband laughed after my last extremely emotional post about moving because he said it made it sound like we were broke and forced to leave our house- so for the sake of my husband's pride- let me clarify that we are not broke, nor were we forced to leave our house. Rather- we've been really convicted to start living life in a manner worthy of the calling of Christ.

Is there anything wrong with nice things? No.

But is it wrong to surround yourself so much with nice things that it would be easy for your children to think that's all that matters? Absolutely.

So we are trying to make good choices. We're trying to be better stewards of our money and change our priorities. And it is a process and a change, but already quite an adventure.

Miraculously we have been able to fit almost all of our furniture from our 2400+ sq ft house into our new little 1300+ square foot house. And it kind of feels like a little doll house inside.

It was kind of dirty but with lots of cleaning (ha- and by lots I mean- hi, my name is Mandy and I'm a neat freak) and organizing it's becoming more and more comfortable. And we are actually kind of loving it.

Anyway- hoping we can finish settling in this weekend. Daddy has a honey do list for while Keegy Peegy and I are at my sister's baby shower tomorrow. She is due SO soon... I think about it and I get an excited nervous feeling because I just can't wait to meet my little Cohey Boo Bear Nephew Boy.

I'll do a post tomorrow just with photos of the shower... And then once our house is finally together I will do a little tour of our new house!

Enjoy your weekend! I know we will! :)

This is our temporary home

That Carrie Underwood has been the theme song playing round and round in my head the last week and a half. We have an absolutely ginormous change going on: we're moving.

We've kept it quiet because we wanted to be sure before we announced it because well,- as we all know things fall through all the time.

We decided to lease our house out. The building in our neighborhood has picked up like crazy- and we're confident that in a couple years once this is full it'll be much easier to sell... Or maybe we'll move back- who knows.

We're leasing to a family who's here for work. In fact- they are even going to be finishing our basement (remember my last post- "The God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine?").

Anyway- we're moving... And FAST. We have to be out of here in two days. And not only is it stressful (thus the reason I'm typing this at 4:00AM), but it is EMOTIONAL. This has been the type of thing that we have been praying for- and so I'm surprised at how emotional and somewhat heartbreaking it feels.

This is our home- I've put my heart and soul into making this house our home. I am going to miss everything about it. I am going to miss the location, the design, and Keegan's nursery tremendously. This is where I lost a baby, and where I brought my first born home from the hospital. This is the first home that Kris and I learned how to be married in. And now I'm a crying mess early in the morning because I already feel homesick.

Since we are moving so quickly we are leasing out a little house over on the Holt/Lansing border. It's fine. Nothing to write home about- but definitely serves its purpose. We will lease for a little less than a year and then decide where to next. Thus the theme song for the week: Temporary Home by Carrie Underwood.

I'm shocked how absolutely emotional and physically ill I feel at the thought of leaving. But it is time to buckle down and do what we're going to do and not regret any of the choices we make. But will you pray for us? Will you pray for my heart- and for a smooth transition for Kris, Keegan and the dogs, too (ha- Henry has anxiety so this is going to drive him bonkers!).

There we go.

When we make changes we like to make them all at once. The last year of changes (2009) we got married, bought a house (moved over an hour away), and I started a new job.

Kris just started his new job at Coke- and this is his first week on the job by himself... So he can't really take any time off to move. So I am going to be doing a lot of the brunt work- and hiring movers :)

Thanks in advance for your prayers. And thanks to anyone who has to ear with my emotions over the next couple of weeks of transition, too!

Immeasurably more...

I've been really working hard at trying to read my Bible more the past couple of weeks. My anxiety has gotten a lot worse over the past couple of months- so I know that I need to focus more on Who exactly it is that I have on my side.

I've been reading through Ephesians, and I've realized that I often disregard the fact that I have THE God of the entire universe on my side. That the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is on my side. The same power that created EVERYTHING in Heaven and on earth is the same God that I proclaim my "faith" in... But He's the same God that I frequently slap in the face through my distrust and doubts. Through my lack of confidence in His ultimate plan and my attempts to control EVERYTHING!

It finally just hit me: regardless of my efforts, ultimately, if it's not GOD'S time- it's not going to happen.

I've been trying so hard bending over backwards to try and get my house sold for an entire year and a half now. That has been so draining for me. But- why don't I have confidence that God will continue to provide- that He is working all the little puzzle pieces of our lives together to guide our family exactly where He wants us.

I started praying over Ephesians 3:20, "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,"

I started asking God to do immeasurably more than all I ask or even imagine... In regards to the house situation, in regards to my family, finances and even within my own anxiety ridden heart.

And do you know what?

He has.

When we ask God- He listens and He answers. Especially when I don't put Him in a box and tell Him how to do His job. My mother in law put it nicely: "You want to hear God laugh? Tell Him your long term plan."

Anyway, I am so human and so trying hard to live life contentedly and peacefully and trusting in God's plan. I hope the same for you, because wouldn't the world be a better place if we did?!

Beginning our cloth diapering journey

Okay- so as I posted yesterday, money has gotten tighter than usual.

I've considered cloth diapering since I was pregnant with Keegan, but was too intimidated to truly consider it. I would try to find cloth diapers on sale, but I could never find them for less than $15-$20 per diaper and I just couldn't stomach spending that much on diapers if I didn't think I could commit to it.

I have a little side account that I save up for gifts for Kris- I put $50/pay in it. I had a little bit of extra money and I found a knock off brand, with pretty good reviews on eBay- 10 diapers (the ones with pocket inserts and snaps) and 10 microfiber inserts shipped from China for $40 total. Now THAT I could stomach.

They finally arrived a week ago. We have religiously used them (except for at daycare for about 13 hrs/week) they require disposables there!) and I've amazingly fallen in LOVE with them.

How could I fall in love with poop and pee filled laundry, you ask?!

Well- I will preface that I do have a nice front load high efficiency washer/dryer. So that helps. It IS hard only having 10 diaps- but I've already ordered another 10.

I don't buy any fancy detergent. Personally, I just use regular detergent. I put just about 2 teaspoons in. NO fabric softener... But maybe once a week I will put a tad of white vinegar in the rinse to keep them from getting stinky.

I do one cold quick wash with detergent. Then I run it through one hot cycle- without adding any more detergent or vinegar.

Personally I dry it in the dryer to help kill more germs.

Anyway- I thought women that cloth diapered were nuts. I thought they were tree hugger hippies or very judgmental of people that don't cloth diaper...

Well now I'm that mom- but I'm definitely NOT hippie, and I definitelyyyy understand why a lot of people don't want to take the time on it.

But for me and my son, and the situation that we're in currently, it works for us- and it works well. And it doesn't hurt that he looks so cute in those bright colors! If you want the link to the diapers that we use for CHEAP, let me know- I'm happy to direct you to them!

Off the face of the earth

I AM SO LAME!!!!!

I guess it's just the summer time and I'm very busy, and have a lot more going on then blogging- so maybe I'm not lame. But I FEEL lame when I see the last post was on MAY 24th!!!!! Ah. SO sorry. So now Keegan's napping, the dogs are sleeping, it's raining outside and I'm settling down with a glass of sweet tea ready to blog again. Good morning :)

SO where to begin?

First of all- we officially have a super walker on our hands. He's been full time walking for just over a month or so. No more crawling for this boy! He cracks me up. His feet get tired after all that walking... good thing he has a daddy who rubs his little baby feet (that's the photo above). He's suddenly such a big kid. He's an absolute toddler. I love that I can ask him to do something, and he'll do it, or ask him to repeat a word after me and he tries.

He's still sleeping like a champ. He sleeps about 10-12 hours straight a night, and still take a couple of good long naps a day- morning and afternoon!

He's still a skinny little boy. He got sick last week with a double ear infection- we were on SUCH a healthy kick. I don't think he was sick since FEBRUARY or so!!! Well, when he was at the doctor, he was weighed... Still just 20 lbs 7 oz. Ha! My friend at work's daughter is only 9 months old and is over 23lbs. What a little boy. Love it :)

He's super cheerful and silly. I love now that he truly thinks he's hysterical. He tries doing something but sometimes can't because he starts laughing before he can finish. Hahaha!

He likes to walk around the house saying, "Hiiii!" to things. He frequently picks up objects and holds them up to his ear and yells, "HEY-OH!! (his version of "HELLO"). Keegan gets VERY upset when the dogs wrestle or bark. He walks right up to them and starts yelling at them. HA! He makes fists and yells, "DOGS! AHHH!" Ha! A boy after his momma's heart :)

He went from only calling Kris "DeeDa," to "Dahd." Not just Dad- but DAHD. Haha. He walks through the house during the day while Kris is at work looking for him: "Dahd? Dahd?"

Anyway, I didn't think I believed everyone when they told me that having kids just gets better and better. But I'm starting to see that. I LOVE getting to know Keegan. I love that we can joke around now, and we find each other so funny. I love to do things with him. I love learning what makes him tick. I love watching his relationships with his dad, grandparents, aunts, etc- develop. So proud of the boy that he's becoming. There is truly nothing better.

Our house is back on the market as of the end of May with a new realtor. She's fantastic. We're praying that we get a buyer as soon as possible. It's just so nice to finally feel like we have a realtor that's actually DOING something- unlike the entire year before that it was under contract with another realtor :) We've staying VERY busy. We've probably had 10-15 showings so far, and have had all positive feedback. Just waiting on a buyer!

We're spending our summer doing SO much. We're traveling up north a bit, fun weekends away, visiting with family, LOTS of showers (my sister, Molly JUST entered her last trimester TODAY- Where have the past 6 months gones?!) etc. But it's enough to keep us very busy. Here's daddy and Keegan having a snack up north at the cottage:

Kris just started a new job with Coke. I think this job is perfect for him. What a great opportunity. He's back and forth between Kalamazoo and Lansing though- lots of early mornings for him!!!

We're trying to trust in God' guidance for our family. We're feeling a little overwhelmed with a lot of unexpected stuff right now. We found out after I had my ER stay back in April for my gallbladder, that NEITHER of the hospitals in the Lansing area are in network. Which would have been just fine- because our insurance company says that ER stays would be covered 100% whether it's in or out of network. However, I recently received a bill for almost $9,000.00 that the insurance company is saying is too much and they won't pay (The $9K is AFTER the amount that they already paid. I'd be stuck with the rest). So there's all sorts of stress going on while I'm trying to negotiate with the hospital/insurance company/file complaints with the insurance commissioner.

It's pretty frustrating because the whole in vs out of network is a result of politics between the insurance company and a local insurance company that they branched out from. UGH!!

Needless to say, I'm really am a little stressed that if anything goes wrong that would result in either Kris, Keegan or myself ending up in the hospital- that we'll be stuck with ginormous bills again. What a pain.

Through all this though, I'm realizing my lack of faith. God has ALWAYS provided. He's ALWAYS blessed us enough to make ends meet. I'm trying to remind myself of His constant promises.

OH- and on a TOTALLY unrelated note- well, maybe a little related because I started doing this to cut costs.... WE ARE NOW A CLOTH DIAPERING FAMILY!!! I thought I would do it as a sacrifice. But I surprisingly LOVE it. I may just start advocating for it because I love it so. It's fantastic. I am promising right now- I will post on it tomorrow. I've found some incredibly cheap cloth diapers that work great- at least for babies Keegan's age. I'll have to do a follow up post after we have another baby that I try them on to let you know how they work for little babies.

OKAY: I will post about cloth diapers tomorrow, and will try to do better at posting this summer!

Mac, Mac n' Cheese!!!

We sing a Mac n' Cheese song to Keegan whenever we eat it. It goes something like, "Mac, Mac n' Cheese! We love our Mac, Mac n' Cheese!" Kris may or may not have been the one to write this really deep song... Ha!

Okay, so anyone else see that crock pot recipe for Mac n' Cheese on Pinterest?!

Well, I used it, with a couple of adjustments, to make the most delicious lunch ever.

Here's the recipe:

2 1/4 cups of milk
1 egg
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 cups of pasta (online it called for elbow, but I had shells!)

Add everything except the pasta in the crock pot and mix well.

Slowly stir in the noodles.

Cook for about 3 hours on low. After about 2 hours, when the cheese mix is nice and thick, sprinkle with Italian bread crumbs... Okay, the Pinterest recipe didn't call for the bread crumbs, but SO good!!!

I sprinkled cayenne pepper on my serving. Keegan ate the whole plateful of his!

I wish I had some leftovers but we ate it all. Next time I might even double it so we can actually have leftovers...

And just for good measure I'm adding a picture of my little buttsy boy who I love so much.

"Southern" Okra Recipe

I got this recipe by reading a few online when I bought okra for the first time at the Farmers Market last summer... Now it's one of my fav's... Now, just keep in mind, okra's a little slimey, so that's why I prefer it over brown rice like THIS:

Cut up a pint of okra, leaving behind the tips and butts.

In a sauté pan, put a couple teaspoons of butter or margarine with about a teaspoon of minced garlic and about the same of chopped onion.

Once they're getting a little browned, sprinkle about 3 teaspoons of sugar. Add the okra and cook a little.

Then pour a little jar of tomato sauce over it and let it simmer about 15 minutes or so...

Serve over brown rice or just eat it regular. Even Keegan LOVED it.

Mmmm...

I'm hungry now!

Sweet Saturday...

Yesterday was a sweet day.

I almost teared up a couple of times because at so many moments it was exactly how I would want to be spending that moment if I had been given the choice to do absolutely anything in the world.

Kris and I both woke up early and were able to enjoy our coffee before Keegan woke up. We went to Walmart and Home Depot before lunch. I had wanted to pick up some paint to touch up our outdoor trim along with a couple of pieces of outdoor furniture and outdoor pillows for our deck to replace the stackable plastic furniture that we've had since we moved in for our deck to make it feel more like a little living space.

Keegan took a nap while I painted and arranged furniture, and Kris totally emptied and cleaned the garage and threw out junk. That, too, we've been wanting to do since we moved in.

Keegan woke up after over 2 hours and we started making dinner.. Probably one of my absolute favorite summer meals: BBQ chicken on the grill, and southern style Okra over brown rice... Mmmm... I'm stuffed and my mouth is still salivating thinking about it. I'll have to post a recipe for southern Okra, because IT. IS. GOOD. And up north we just don't serve it enough!

After dinner and a long hot day working outside, we loaded up in the car to hit up the new Coldstone in Okemos (right at Okemos and Jolly, Lansing people! And this is like a gorgeous coffee shop inside!).

We all got cake batter ice cream. Keegan loved his and got a definite sugar rush! Ha! ... I guess Kris and I liked ours too... Bahahaha! Psych! What's not to LOVE about cake batter ice cream filled with brownies and cookie dough?!

After Coldstone we took a little drive around Okemos and made our way to Target to pick up a citronella candle for my new two person outdoor living space (HA! My DECK.).

Keegan went to bed and Kris and I settled down with a wine spritzer (courtesy of Dr. Oz- club soda and white wine- we used Moscato) on the deck. We sat for an hour unwinding an enjoying each others company. It almost felt like a date and or a mini vacation all wrapped into one.

Life is good.

God is good.

I am feeling good!

Keegan's Words

My baby boy doesn't say a lot of words yet, but it's so cute to hear him try and mimic us. Lately, when I ask him questions, he easily answers with a confident, "Yeah! YEAH!" Haha!

Speaking of haha- I taught him how to say, "HA-HA-HA!" Oh boy. Now he says it all the time and it's hysterical. When he's trying to be sneaky getting into something he shouldn't he sweetly laughs a VERY pronounced, "HA-HA-HA!" Not as sneaky as you think my friend!!!

He calls everything a "snack" right now, but he can't really say it. He says, "Na! Na!"

He is always talking to and asking about Dada or Deeda (His version of Daddy). He's FINALLY starting to say Momma more consistently, too.

He knows "Dog" and "Baba" even though we've really weened the bottles. We have to spell out B-O-T-T-L-E because he'll whine for one if he hears the word... And nobody likes a Mr. Whiney Pants!

Keegan always seems to say something that's pretty close to, "I did that!" but it's actually more like, "I dee da!" So cute.

Finally, he warmed my heart so much this week. When I said, "I love you," he responded with what sounded like "I love you," but it was more like "I yuh youuu!"

What a joy. Is he not such a sweet pea?! I love him. What fun.

Time to spend this perfect weather weekend with my fabulous little family!

I lied.

I lied. My last post I promised I would blog the next day, and I didn't. Sorry.

I've been so absolutely scattered the past couple weeks. I feel like things have been such a juggling act for the past month, and I've been dropping the ball so much!

Oh well. Just have to keep going one day at a time and keep trying to do as best I can on all fronts!

I don't know what to do in regards to the gallbladder surgery. I know it needs to come out, but we've had nothing but headaches with the new insurance at Coca-Cola. Neither of the hospitals in Lansing participate with them (I know, right?!) so I'd have to go to either Detroit or Grand Rapids to get it done. Not THAT big of a deal, but in conjunction with the fact that Keegan is still so young and doesn't walk very much yet, and needs to be carried quite a bit- plus it's pretty much SUMMER. I would hate to have to be so careful with my wounds during the summer when you're so much more active.

Plus, as of yesterday, the only two other homes in our neighborhood that were for sale are now sold (ours has been off the market since my hospital stay), which would mean that if we got our house back on the market right now, we could take advantage of being the only available home for sale in the neighborhood during the summer, which might be really good.

I don't know though. I might try and hold off on the surgery until the earlier fall, when-Lord willing- Keegan will be walking a little more and a little more independent so that 2-4 weeks of not being able to carry him shouldn't be as difficult to achieve.

Ahhh.

What a headache.

Also, on another note... We found tr BEST frozen pizza...

It's the Target brand one, and it's only like, $4.50 or something! It's the thin crust Spinach, Tomato and Goat Cheese pizza. SO good! We keep a few in our freezer at a time.

Plus, 1/3 of a pizza is a serving, and there's only 330 calories/ serving. Is that just me, or is that really low for 1/3 a pizza?!?!

Anyway...

I suppose I should go get my workout on while my busy boy takes his morning nap!

These are a few of my favorite things

Hi, I'm Mandy, and I'm bad at blogging again. I still need to post about Keegan's birthday party, because I am pretty proud of how it turned out. I'm really detail oriented so I spent a lot of time preparing, and it ended up so worth it. But for now, let's talk about some random goodness.

#1) We're getting a new car on Wednesday! So pumped. We're getting a navy blue Chevy Traverse. Such a great incentive right now- and they're built right here in good ol' Lansing!!! Coke is getting rid of company cars, and we've put off getting a new one for a few months. We're right up to the wire and have to turn in the old company car on June 1. We are excited!!! We will miss the free gas that came with the old Ford Focus, but are looking forward to a little more reliable of a ride, and having some room to grow our family in the future.

#2) I learned the trick to the BEST chicken you've ever had on CBS This Morning a few weeks ago, and I've made it twice so far and it was even better the 2nd time.

Wanna know the secret?!

Take an entire roaster chicken (thawed) and pop it in a roasting pan with a tiny bit if water on the bottom. Cover that chicken with delicious raw bacon. By cover, I mean seriously cover it. I've found that its best with a little fatter bacon because it really makes it juicy.

Then, you just bake it (UNCOVERED!!!) at 350 degrees for about 3 hours.

That's it!!!! No basting at all!

Next!

#3) I got lucky a couple weeks ago when I went to Marshall's... I got there WHILE they were doing mark downs. Hahahaha it was T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

I had to have help carrying stuff up to the counter! I've been wanting to find a piece to put up on our landing at the top of our staircase to make it seem more like some useful living space, and I found a side table, a lamp and little bird statue all for $60!!!

I am so pleased with it, and here is a photo below.

I promise. I'll blog tomorrow to try and get caught up, since I know everyone's been on the edge of their seats wondering where the heck I've been on the blogging front (psych!).

Perspective

On my way home from work today I had a close call. I was on I-496 and it was still raining (as it had been all day). Before I knew it I was hydroplaning. Across the freeway. Back and forth. Finally into the ditch. I was going about 70. In that split second I prayed out loud, "Lord- protect me!" My car SHOULD have rolled. I'm NOT a super driver or anything, so if you would ask me what to do in that instance I would have said to hit the brakes. Somehow I didn't hit the brakes. Praise the Lord. If I would have slammed the brakes it would have been SO much worse.

But there I sat. In a ditch. Upset because I was in a ditch, after a really crazy, super short staffed day at work. Praise the Lord for roadside assistance. While I awaited the tow guy I scrolled through my Facebook on my phone.

I've been praying for a family at our church whose baby born was born with heart defects and has been fighting for his life since he was born 12 days ago. I've never met his mom or dad, my heart ached.

Elijah passed away today. I read his momma's blog and I sat in that ditch and bawled. I bawled because of their loss. I bawled because I couldn't imagine that despair- that emptiness and helplessness that they must be feeling right now. I bawled because I thought of my baby.

It could have been so much worse. I was fine. My son was fine. My husband was fine. They were safe and home. I sat and a cried realizing how selfish I had been to be bothered that I was in the ditch. Safe.

Please lift this family up in prayer!

Birthday boy and wonderful, fabulous, very fun, fancy pants day

Mr. ONE Year Old!!!!!

The night before last, I rocked my less than one year old one last time, laid you in bed and came downstairs a crying mess. This year went too soon. I am so proud of the little boy you're growing into, and the joyful and cheerful presence that you bring to everyone when you enter a room.

Everywhere we go- you make friends. You make eye contract and crane your neck around with a great big smile on your face. I love it. There's nothing that brightens people day like a baby thinking they're a fabulous. And Keegy Peegy- you have made so many people's days better!

Life is so much better now that it was a year ago. We have gotten to know each other now, and we're in in sync as a family. We all have our roles. Daddy and I have learned to work together with you- and he has his things that he does for you well, and I have things that I can do well. We have learned when to give each other breaks.

Let's get down to the nitty gritty of Mr. 12 months old as of yesterday:

You're wearing primarily size 12 month clothes, but also some 18 month shirts.

You're still in size 3 diaps.

You're a size 3 shoe, but we're gonna be having to get some size 4 shoes here soon, though!

You're still in school two days a week. You love, love, love it! I have decided that if we're able to have all our kids spend a little time in school at such a young age- we will- because you are a little social butterfly. You crawl up to anyone and everyone (ha, even those people who aren't too excited about babies!).

You get into EVERYTHING. Praise the Lord for cabinet locks and baby gates. You're FAST at crawling up the stairs. And you're 100% boy- always falling, bumping and scraping- and then getting right back up and doing the same thing again!

You walk about 4-5 steps at a time. It's just easier for you to get down on your knees and crawl. Ha!

I think you weigh about 19 pounds, and are probably around 29.5 inches if I had to guess. Your check up is this afternoon, so we'll see how close Momma is!

You say, "Dada," "Baba," "Mama," "Dogs," and "Yeah."

You tip your head to the side and do Big blue eyes- we call it your Cute Baby face. You do it when we say, "cute baby" OR if we tell you, "Keegan Michael- No, no." Haha! What manipulation!!!

You also have started raising your hands up and shrugging when we say, "I don't know." I have NO idea where you got that, but boy is it funny!!! We pushed you in the stroller around the mall and you'd look at strangers and do I Don't Know. What a goof!!!!

Yesterday on your birthday, we ran errands together, you came with me to meet with the surgeon about my gallbladder, and then we came home and you took a great nap. When Daddy came home we went to Applebees and you had your own kids meal of grilled cheese and fries- CHOCOLATE MILK- and then we all split their triple chocolate meltdown for dessert!

Your birthday party is on Saturday. We're only having family since our families are really big not everyone's able to make it, but we're still going to have over 20 people. Whew! I'll do a post about your big ol' party maybe on Sunday.

Love you, Keegy-Peegy-Pop-Pop-Pop!!!

This has been the best year of our lives. How blessed are we to have such a joyful and fun boy?!

Edit:

After Keegan's 12 Month Check Up, his stats are as follows...

Weight: 19lbs 8oz (~25th %)
Height: 30 3/4 inches long (85th %- wow!)
Head: I don't remember the measurement but it's still ~85%!

My big boy is really actually getting big!

Oh belly, my belly

Well, I'm waiting for room service to deliver my grilles cheese, carrots and mandarin oranges. My first meal in over 48 hours...

I came to the hospital Wednesday night after two hours of sharp pain in my right side. After lots of tests, the CT scan finally showed early appendicitis . They were gonna rush me to surgery, but the surgeon was questioning the CT scan. I had test after test and they've poked and prodded.

They've had me on an antibiotic drop to try and reduce any inflammation of the appendix, and have been trying to find whatever else may be causing pain.

So far I'm finally starting to feel better. I'm off of morphine and my IV drip all together. I took a shower and my nurse came in smiling. "I've got GREAT news!" she told me. She knew I was getting frustrated. They are finally giving me a regular diet, and they are probably going to be discharging me in the morning... Lord willing!

I miss Keegan and Kris. So badly. But praise God for FaceTime- and thank you, Apple. I love those two so much and miss seeing their faces tremendously!

Please keep praying for a quick recovery and that I can come home tomorrow!

Lovely Easter

This has been a great day.

We decided to stay close to home today. We've realized that it's pretty exhausting going places on Sundays. After the past few weeks that we've had, we just needed to lay low as a little family. It was great because we were able to go to Riv this morning and sit with some of our sweet friends.

I always leave our church astounded. Not only are we so blessed to have a bible based church, but where else can you get worship that's a mix of contemporary worship, blended with a tad of folk- add some trumpets and throw in a rapper... and somehow it all is mixed together PERFECTLY to be so cool?!

We came home and did a little photo shoot with Keegan to catch him in his cute Easter clothes... This is my favorite of him:

Yesterday we visited Kris' mom, step dad and brother in Grandville. They hid over thirty eggs in the back yard for Keegan to find. It was a perfectly gorgeous day yesterday- so it was the most perfect day to be out there in the sun on an Easter egg hunt!

He LOVED it!!!

Grandma and Uncle Mike picked out an Easter cupcake for Keegan to enjoy... It went from this:

To THIS so quickly:

Hahaha! We took him right upstairs for a bath after this! We didn't have any baby shampoo at their house, so we tried not to use regular soap around his face... so for the rest of the day his face was dyed red! Luckily it came out that evening in his bath with his baby shampoo. What a nut.

After church today we came home and I made dinner. I kind of played with a few recipes that I found on Pinterest. We had baked garlic pecan chicken, sliced cinnamon sweet potatoes, asparagus and cucumber water:

Our Easter Lilies spell better than any I've ever had before! They're so fragrant that the whole first floor smells like it! Love it!

I love Easter. Not only are the Spring colors great, and it's a fabulous excuse for a yummy dinner and a little candy, but I love what it means. I love that we can be reminded of the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross. How incredible that when Ee hung on that cross He thought of me?! He KNEW that I would be born and would be far from perfect, but He loved me anyway.

Wow. I pray that someday- early in his life- Keegan can really grasp the idea of Salvation and commit his life to follow Jesus.



What I wish I would have known...

Today my sister and her husband officially announced that they are expecting their first baby- due in October, and I cannot be more excited for them. It's got me reflecting on our first few days and months with Keegan. There are a number of things that I wish I would have known before having my first baby. I know things are different for everyone, but for me, there are a couple of things that I have definitely learned from that I will change for my next baby…

1.) Enjoy the few weeks where just you and your spouse know you’re expecting. I didn’t give myself that time. I wish I would have. What a personal, exciting thing. How fun to have a secret that only you and your spouse know for just a little bit. Plus, the moment everyone knows you’ll suddenly be looked at in a different light: suddenly fragile- beyond what’s necessary sometimes, too.

2.) It’s okay to say NO. Having a baby is a perfectly good reason to not be social for a while. I thought it was silly to use it as an excuse, so right from the get go we were always dragging Keegan out and about and driving an hour one way and hopping from place to place- either that, or our house was filled with guests. Having a baby is a completely adequate excuse to not do things. I wish I would have said “no” a lot more when Keegan was very little. We would load too much on our plate because we felt obligated- but WE were the ones up all night with a super angry, over stimulated baby. My job as a mom was to protect my son- and over stimulating him was NOT protecting him.

3.) Just cancel cable before you get home from the hospital. Let’s face it. We all watched a lot more T.V. before we had babies. If you don’t have a baby yet- just trust me. You don’t have time. When the baby’s sleeping, you just want to sleep. After 4 months of paying for the big cable package- yet spending most of the night either sleeping, or watching Keegan play on the video monitor, we realized that we were paying that much money in vain. We cancelled it last summer- and we have not even missed it once! Plus, despite how little Keegan is still, I’m weird about not having trashy things on with him around… Cutting out E! and VH1 will make the world of difference when trying to limit trashy T.V.! Ha!

4.) Nursing is ten times harder than any other part of pregnancy and or delivery. Seriously. So painful, frustrating and exhausting. And it won’t always go according to plan. My production was down, so I was hardly nursing. We switched to formula much sooner than I would have liked and I quietly blame myself for why Keegan gets so sick so frequently. But, everyone’s journey is different. I think if I would have known how hard it was really going to be, I may have handled it a little better.

5.) Okay. TMI Alert: You will not poop for at least a week following delivery. HAHA! But so true. That’s one of those things that no one tells you but I haven’t met a soul after the fact that denied it happening to them. UGH. Seriously. Am I secretly writing this so that I will never have another baby again?!?!

6.) Start caring for your skin and using the anti-aging stuff BEFORE the baby arrives. We were so tired, but that exhaustion in conjunction with the lack of care I was showing my skin took its toll. Not only did I look tired, but I started looking much older- not quite like the radiant new mom I imagined... But a few months of consistent face washing, regenerating serum and SPF day cream plus anti-aging night cream (plus Keegan has slept through the night for a while now :) has started erasing the wrinkles that showed up those first few months.

Despite what sounds like some negative things- I look back on them as the sweetest times. Yes, I was exhausted. Yes, I was heartbroken the first time I left him at daycare. Yes, I get sad when I see how much he’s grown. But nothing’s better than when he crawls across the room and stands up, holding onto my shoulders and gives me a hug. Okay, except for maybe when he waves bye bye to me when I leave, or when he crawls over asking for a bite by saying, “Mama, mama” and smacking his lips open and shut, open and shut.

Thank you for the joy you bring me every single day, my baby boy! I love you forever; I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.

Getting back to it!

Well.

Look at that. I'm horrible at blogging again! Ha!

Keegan, I'm sorry. I've been so bad at remembering your monthly posts. We've had a crazy month or so. But Lord willing we're getting back into the swing of life.

I've been praying for peace right where we are in life. I've been working my booty off to try and get this house sold for over a year, and I hate to say, I think as a result I've become so impatient waiting, waiting, waiting that I probably haven't enjoyed every day to the fullest. That being said, that's why I'm really praying for peace. This time with my baby is so precious and I can't get it back. Why stress myself silly over things completely out of my control?!

On some more optimistic notes...

#1) The upside of this stress over the past month: I'm now officially 8lbs BELOW my pre-pregnancy weight! Woot woot! Between working out and nervous energy, plus healthier eating- it's actually seemed to fall off. I have been walking about 2.5-3 miles a day, at least 5 times a week (mostly on the treadmill until it warns up a little more) and have done free weights and crunches. I'm not a super toned girl, but it feels good to get back.

#2) Keegy Peegy is now 11 months old. Whaaaaat?! When did that happen?! Ha- well, specifically it happened on March 25, but still. It's crazy. He's such a riot, too. I can't believe when I was pregnant I really wanted a girl. Now I love having a boy SO much I'm (secretly) hoping for all boys. But, I know I'd be thrilled with whoever God blesses us with!

Keegan is getting close to the 20 lb mark. He's so silly and fun. He's got SIX teeth now. 4 up top, two on the bottom. He looks like such a big kid. He's wearing size 3 diapers (on a side note: am I the only one that think the Huggies Slip On's are much harder to get on a wiggly baby?!), and size 12 Month clothes. He wears size 3 shoes.

The newest skill acquired: waving bye bye! I love it! You are so proud when you do it too.

Also, you are transitioning over to milk. I still give you a couple bottles of formula throughout the day so you can get your vitamins. What a big boy. Now when you drink your bottle or eat, you push me away so you can do it yourself. Well jeez- fine- who needs a mommys help anywhere?!?!

You love to sit in the bathtub while it's still filling up- the faucet amazes you! What fun, huh?!

You bring me such joy my little Buttsy Boy! Thank you for reminding me of what's important, and loving me so sweetly and consistently! Daddy and I love you SO!!!