Friday, March 18, 2011

9 Months

Can you believe I have a nine month old? Me neither!  In three short months I will have a one year old. Now that is scary!  I love this child so much, I feel like he was just born and now I look at him and I see the beginnings of an actual little boy rather than a baby and it makes me a little sad. Time is going by in the blink of an eye and although I know I have done my best to grab at and appreciate every moment with him, I still feel like it’s all just passing me by.
At nine months, Shane:

  • Wears mostly 12 month clothes with a few 9 month left.
  • Wears size three diapers; we may try fours when I have to buy them again.
  • Is in between shoe sizes. Threes are too big but twos are hard to put on. He doesn't like wearing them anyway. ;)
  • Weighs around 22 lbs, and is around 28 inches long.
  • Usually takes a short morning nap and a long afternoon one. He goes to bed around nine and wakes up between nine and ten.
  • Still mostly breastfed. Usually when I eat dinner I put him in the highchair and give him food. He's had pineapple, papaya, mango, banana, strawberry, orange, apple, pear, peas (the only dislike so far), brocolli, spaghetti squash with chili on top, tomato, salsa, crackers, yoghurt, cottage cheese, cheddar and swiss, cheese, lemon, lime, avocado, carrots, hummus, slice of an olive, piece of marshmallow, and I can't even remember what all else. Basically I've done what is called baby led weaning, in which you give the kid chunks of real food and they get to chew on it, play with it, and reject what they don't want. Obviously I watch him while he eats. Often times when I am eating something healthy he gets a little bit to try.  I'm not worried about how much he eats, since breastmilk provides everything he needs still. My qualifications are that he not get sugar or anything unhealthy. Mostly raw, whole foods. Helps me eat healthier! lol. He also gets to practice with his sippy cup at meals with a small amount of water. He pretty much skipped all of the "trainer" cups and went right to the big boy kind. He can drink out of a straw too.
  • Says Mama and Dada, and the other night he said Hi and waved but hasn't repeated that since. He does a lot of babbling but not real words. I could've sworn he said dog the other day when he saw a dog, but I could also be imagining it. You know how moms are.





  • His personality is really coming out. He's pretty laid back most of the time, but if he gets mad/frustrated he grows and then YELLS.  When he's really fed up he'll sit on the floor and do this fake sob where he rasberry's his lips. It's hard to describe, but it's funny.  He'll also sit there and say mama over and over. I love it.
  • He crawls, cruises furniture, and even will stand on his own for a few seconds. Until he realizes he's not holding on to something and gets scared! He also has a table toy that he uses as a walker to walk up and down the hallway. He climb but can't make it on the couch yet. He can get on the coffee table though!
  • When you pick him up, he clings to your shirt like a little monkey. It's precious.
  • Things he loves: Swinging or being outdoors in general, baths, tickles, hanging upside down, jewelry, "walking" while holding our hands, staring at the cats, cousin Alie,
I love you very much, little boy.  I'm so glad I get to be your mommy!

Friday, March 4, 2011

I'd say he enjoyed it...



I think Shane enjoyed his supper yesterday. Mango, Strawberry, Cheese, and a little bit of Mama's spaghetti squash with a dab of chili on top. Wish I'd thought to take off his clothes!

What's really creepy about this photo is that expression. I've seen it on Nathan's face innumerable times!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

March Of Dimes

Melissa and I are going to walk the March of Dimes walk this April. We are walking for Andrew (Shane's future buddy), who was born at 32 weeks. and Lyla (Melissa's neice) who had gastrochisis and will be born around 36 weeks and will require immediate surgery.

Please, either join us or donate (button to the right).

Melissa and I pledge to donate $0.10 for every mile we walk between now and then.

Fasting

My cousin recently did a 30-day Daniel fast, and wrote a beautiful, inspiring blog post about her experience. I am so proud of the woman you have/are becoming, Suzanne! Beauty on the inside is what matters most, but you have it inside and out!

Anyway, an extended fast is not something I’ve really ever heard of, researched, or looked into. I’ve done a few one or two day fasts here and there, but now an extended fast is something I might consider. A few facts about fasting can be found here and here

Basically, fasting as a Christian is an act of humility before God, a time to pray, study the bible, and communicate with the Holy Spirit, and allow the H.S. to work in and change us.  There are many references in the Bible to fasting but here are a few from the New Testament. In Matthew 4:2, Jesus fasts 40 days in the wilderness.  In Matthew 6:16-18 Jesus talks about fasting being done privately for God, not to be seen.

In the past when I’ve fasted it has been a very private thing, as I believe fasting is meant to be. (Matthew 6:16 “When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward. 17 When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.) I don’t think I’ve ever discussed it before, actually. If I were to do an extended fast, I would probably post a little about it on my blog since this IS my journal, but I wouldn’t discuss it in real life, except probably with Nathan since he IS my husband.

MOTIVATION: What would my motivation be for fasting?

To grow closer to God, and to fall in love with him again.  There’s not a specific goal or reason for me to fast, except that I want a closer relationship with Him. There are three deep and burning desires of my heart, but I don’t feel that it would be right to fast to “get them”; it feels manipulative. God knows the ending of those desires already, even though I don’t.


Because someone else did? No. I won’t do it before I pray about it and feel the Holy Spirit leading me one way or the other. Suzanne’s blog was a great thought-starter, but I won’t “jump over Niagara falls just because my friend did.”

Here’s my main concern, and this is me being brutally honest here. Pretty much everything in my life is done with a niggling little thought in the back of my head about my weight. And as someone who just had a baby of course I am trying to lose some. (Ok, trying-ish, since I’m being so honest.) I absolutely WILL NOT fast as a weight loss gimmick. WILL NOT. Besides the fact that weight loss is SO not the point of a fast, it’s dangerous and unhealthy to fast with that motivation. If I do a fast, it needs to be about my relationship with God. But what if I can’t separate it? After all, I can’t separate anything else in my life from my weight. Can God still use the fast as a tool in our relationship, and take care of the separation for me? Will he still strengthen me, grow me, teach me, use me? I’m human, after all. Is anyone’s heart TRULY pure?

DETAILS: How would I do it?

Because I am still nursing I would do a Daniel fast like Suzanne did.  Basically a Daniel fast is water, fruits, and vegetables. Because I am nursing pretty much exclusively, I probably would add in a piece of plain protein, such as fish, each day. Have to be a good steward of my milk supply, lol! Other than that I'm pretty sure I have enough "stores" (fat) to cover.

How long? I don't know.  A week to two weeks probably.  It depends on the leading of the H.S.  But I would think that a prolonged fast also would not be good for Shane's milk supply. 

What else would I fast? I'm not sure.  I wish I could fast TV, but that's not really my choice. ;) I don't have it on much when it's just me at home. I could fast speaking opinions/knowledge. I'm considering fasting books other than the Bible, but I'd like to read something like the book Suz suggested or one I've heard recommended by John Piper. So maybe just that and the Bible.

I dont' know where God will lead me. But this I DO know:

Fasting isn't about me, it's about God.

TIWTRT

This child, this sweet little boy. My heart overflows with love.
Lately we've been calling him our little puppy. He likes to pick up his toys/our clothes/books/phone covers/etc in his mouth and carry them with him while he craws.
He likes to crawl to the end of the hall when the doors are all closed and sit and babble and yell because his voice sounds deep and echoey down there. It's hilarious.
He likes to follow me back and forth from the living room to kitchen, and when I stop at the sink or counter he will pull up on my legs and try to walk with me.

He clings like a little monkey when you hold him on your hip, so sweet.

He loves fruit. (He's helping me eat an apple here.)
He tries to dance to peppy music.

He's trying to climb on things.

He's constantly in motion and almost impossible to photograph!