Free Dinner

I got an email from freebies4mom this morning and this was one of the things on there. I thought you all might want to know about it....enjoy!

Whataburger Free Burgers 5-8 Tuesday

Posted: 10 Nov 2009 04:26 AM PST

Wear orange to Whataburger on Tuesday, November 10 between 5 and 8 pm and get a free Whataburger. No coupon or purchase is required. I do recommend that you call your local Whataburger before heading out to confirm that they are participating in this promotion.

One week down...

Good Sunday morning to everyone!

What a beautiful morning and start of the week. Michael was up and at em around 5:30 this morning, but thankfully kept himself entertained until about 6 before he protested enough to get mom out of bed. The time change last weekend really has been a challenge on our sleep patterns. Poor baby wants to go to bed at 6 or 6:30 now (we do our best to stay up until 7...sometimes it's impossible and I give in at about 6:45) and get up at 5 or 6. Some of my mom friends have agreed that Daylight savings time is for the birds and we need to stop messing with the clock.

Along with the time change, this week has been a bit rough on our little family healthwise. Sunday night Michael went to bed so congested he was breathing through his mouth and snoring. Then Monday he was sick and not feeling well. He's better now but is still dealing with congestion and drainage. Then Mike woke up one day this week (the days have all run together) and he was sick with the same thing Michael had. I am still dealing with allergies (or maybe it's what my boys have...I don't know), so we are a site to see. I am thankful we don't have the flu and not really any fever (although Mike had a little one the first day he was sick...but it went away a few hours later).

I am so sad to say that my Mentor bible study is over. I am; however, so grateful for the women God brought into my life. I have made some dear friends and look forward to seeing what God will do from here. If you have the opportunity, the bible study is called Apples of Gold. It's title is based off of the verse in Proverbs 25:11, "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver". It's wonderful study because it involves older, wiser women of the church, and young women learning from them. It's a 6 week program and it is a sweet time to learn, grow and make new friends with godly women who have been where you have been and aren't afraid to share their experience with you and also show you where you might have done things different or where you have done things right. It's been such a blessing.

Well, we finished up our first set of classes at LeTourneau (well, almost...we have one more final to take today). I really enjoyed it and I am looking forward to starting my new class tomorrow. Hopefully we'll do as well in our class this time as we did this last time. Thankfully they are only 5 week courses.

Good news from Mike....he lost 6 pounds last week!! Don't forget to check out his blog afatmanandhisjourneytosomewhere.blogspot.com

10 years and it's time for a change....

Well, this past weekend was my high school reunion. Yes, I am old.....or at least I am getting there. :) It's been 10 years since I graduated from high school. Some days it feels like 20 and some days it feels like yesterday. Friday night we went to the football game and then went out to pizza at The Pizza Place. They have the best pizza in Weatherford. Then Saturday afternoon we all met up at the park for lunch with everyone's family. It was fun and I got to see a lot of people and their cute little kiddos. Saturday night everyone met up for dinner at 8.0's in Fort Worth. I wasn't able to go to that, but I heard it was great fun and a lot of people were there. Here are a couple of my favorite pictures from the weekend.



As you can see, my little man is growing up quick. He's already able to ride the horsey all by himself :) ....well, with daddy standing close by to make sure he doesn't tip over. He loved hanging out with dad at the football game and learning all about it. Maybe one day he will be out on that field....and I will be a nervous wreck in the stands.....but a proud nervous wreck. But for now, we'll go with what we know......He is a carrot, squash, and sweet potato eating cutie pie! Here are some pics of our fun first time baby food eating experience.

Before: After:


We didn't have too much of a mess and Michael was a very happy camper after lunch!!

So, I got to thinking about it and decided that 12 years of the same hair was long enough. So, I got very brave after my reunion and on Sunday night dyed my hair and on Monday got a new hairstyle. It turned out really good, but I am still having to train my hair to go the way it's supposed to go....hopefully it will get the hang of it soon....I am tired of side bangs in my eyes.

Happy 5 month birthday Michael!!

Well, today was a big day in our lives. Michael turned 5 months old today. So, we celebrated by being up all night last night. Mom and dad loved that for sure!! We did, however, get to sleep in until almost 7, so that made up for it some.

Michael tried his first baby food today. He had carrots. At first he looked at me like I was crazy. His expression said "What in the world are you putting in my mouth?!" And he spit most of it out. Then, I gave him another bite. While he kept looking at me with big eyes and an unsure expression he kept on eating. Finally, he decided he kinda liked this stuff and opened his mouth big and was even smiling when he saw the spoon coming. Success!!

Then as if to prove to me how big of a boy he was, I put him under his jungle gym, and he rolled over from his back to his stomach. No prompting or help at all!! And he's done it 4 times in the last 10 minutes or so. Now, if he could just figure out what to do once he rolls over, we'll have a mover on our hands.

It's been too long...

Well, everyone, it's been a while, so I thought I'd make a post. Mike is so good about his blog and I hope to one day catch up to him. Lol...he's had his for less time than I have and has posted many more times than me. I just can't seem to get it done, but I promise I will try harder.

So, let's see.....something new....Michael has been sleeping all the way through the night for the last few nights and has gone to bed with no more than 5 minutes of crying. Sometimes, he just goes right to sleep. It's nice. I guess the Dr. was right. It's easier to get it over with early than to have to fight bedtime for the rest of my life. Lol.

He is doing well on cereal sometimes eating more than his 1 tablespoon, sometimes only eating 3 bites....just depends on how sleepy he is. But I am glad he lets us know when he is full and doesn't just eat it because it's in front of him. We are going to try really hard to develop healthy eating habits for him and encourage healthy options as opposed to sweets.....although we won't deprive him because that can lead to binging later on in life. It's such a fine line.

So, I was reading the other day, and it got me to thinking (sometimes this can be a bad thing..haha). I read this article about baby foods and was wondering if any of you have tried to feed your baby different kinds of foods than the normal bland purees? I got to wondering what do people in Asia or the Middle East, or people in Mexico feed their babies? They eat heavily spiced food, so do they feed their baby the same? Maybe it's better for baby to get a variety of flavors when they are young so they will like those when they are older? So many things to ponder. I will have to ask the doctor about this maybe....although, he will probably think I am a crazy person for even considering such a thing....or maybe he will just say if I am up for the crazy diapers, he's ok with it. lol. Who knows...

One other thing....it's kind of sad actually, but still funny. I have been recording Michael's tummy time so that Mike won't miss out on his first roll or whatever. So, this morning, I did what I normally do....put Michael on his tummy, move out of the way, turn to get the camera, and when I turned back around, I found my baby on his BACK! I totally missed his first rollover and so did the camera for Mike! Sneaky little man. So I tried to recreate it, and he wouldn't do it for me again. :( Sooo, sad.

Here's another pic...cereal face...so cute!

Results....dun, dun, duuuuunnnn

So, last night, as I told you in my last post, Michael finally went to sleep after about 30 minutes of crying.....AND.....slept straight through for 11 hours!!! Now, I am not sure if this is because of the shots or because I didn't jump up at every whimper, but whatever the reason I am happy. Thank you Dr. Wheeler. Now, we'll just pray it continues. :)

4 month check up - this is a LONG one!

Today was Michael's 4 month check up. It went really well, and I was so proud. He only cried during the 2nd shot and once he got a snuggle from mama, he was fine. That's my big boy!! He is 15lbs 2oz and 25 1/2 inches long.

So, the dr asked me how he was sleeping and I answered "Fine until about 3 weeks ago". So, he went on to tell me that Michael apparently had developed a habit of waking up to be fed....he did it once and liked it, so decided to keep doing it. I had no idea. I thought he was legitimately hungry, after all, he eats for a good while every time he wakes up. So, the dr said, put him down to bed awake (this means no feeding him until he falls asleep and laying him down immediately after that, which is what I thought I was supposed to do....mistake #1 I guess), and if he wakes up, let him put himself back to sleep. So I asked, what about when I lay him down? What do I do if he cries then? He told me to let him cry. So, of course, I asked how long and he said "Initially, as long as it takes....let him cry until he goes to sleep. Then after that just don't rush to get him....give him a little bit to go back to sleep and then if he gets upset, check him to see if he spit up or if he has a dirty diaper, but don't pick him up (mistake #2...after I heard him make a peep, I would go to him so that he wouldn't get upset and not go back to sleep). The most important thing for a baby is to let them get a good nights sleep and that can only be done if they aren't waking up all throughout the night. I am not concerned about you (meaning me, the mom) getting sleep, I am concerned about HIM getting sleep. His brain and his little body need to grow and develop and the only way to do that is with a good night's sleep. Plus, good behavior starts with good sleep, and I don't want to see you on an episode of the Super Nanny". Then he laughed and said he was kidding about the super nanny thing.

Soooooo, I tried this at nap time. I am still nursing (although I think I am going to stop soon), so I fed Michael, he was still awake, but sleepy, and I walked him up to his room and laid him down. No rocking, no nothing. I just rubbed his forehead and told him to sleep good. I shut the door and not 2 seconds later, he is crying. So, I go downstairs and clean up a bit...still crying....I vacuum....still crying.....40 minutes later, he is still crying, so I go check on him, clam him down, and lay him back down. He is smiling and I think he is just fine. I walk out of site, and instantly he is crying. So, I listen to him a bit and realize that is his hungry cry. So, feeling terrible (he obviously didn't get enough to eat when I nursed him earlier) I made him a bottle and decided to stop with the breastfeeding on Monday (I've got some plans on friday and saturday and don't want to be miserable). I can't track how much he is eating and he is hungry all the time....it is a little sad though....and formula is expensive, so I might change my mind.....but that's the new plan....my original plan was to continue until he was 6 months......we'll see....my resolve is wavering as I type this. He ate 2 oz and then took a nice long nap in the swing. We'll try the nap in the crib again tomorrow.....he won't be able to fit in that swing forever....

Then tonight, it was a little better. He ate cereal, changed into jammies, ate a bottle, fell asleep and wouldn't eat any more, changed his diaper so that he wouldn't be asleep when I laid him down and Mike and I proceeded to put him down for the night. We prayed together, and then left the room. About a minute later he was crying. I really was not prepared for this one! I thought he would go down to bed for the night just fine. He usually does, and then it hit me....I was nursing him to sleep....I was doing it all wrong. I remember having read somewhere that you should not nurse your child to sleep because it would be a difficult habit to break when they get older, but I guess I didn't realize that I was doing that or something.....or maybe I just blocked it until just now while I am writing this, I don't know. Anyway, finally after 27 minutes of crying off and on (mostly on), he quieted down a little, and then at 32 minutes he was asleep.

Thank you Lord for letting Michael go to sleep. Please don't let him hate me in the morning and please don't let him be traumatized and never want to sleep in his bed again (these are silly things I worry about)

Yay! We followed the Dr's orders and will hopefully begin to sleep easy soon.

This is probably what he looked like when he first fell asleep....he was definitely not happy about being asleep in these pics.

Happy 4 month birthday Michael!!!

So, today Michael is 4 months old!! My, how time does fly!! Seems like just yesterday I was still pregnant and now he is starting his first solid foods. My tiny baby is growing up. He is starting to show his personality now too. We knew from early on that he will have to work on his patience as he gets older, which has not changed, but he is becoming a happy baby who loves to smile and laugh more than anything. And he LOOOOVES his dad and especially loves to sit next to him on the couch and watch football (or really any tv....I think he likes the colors). It's really cute! I will have to be sure and get a picture of this next time so I can post it.

Poor thing....he got his first ouchie today. He was playing in his activities center (or whatever those things are called...some call them walkers, but it can't move, so I am not sure what to call it...lol) and next thing I know he is crying and crying. So I check him out and he has a little scrape/bump on his head right at his hair line. I am not sure how he did it, but he bumped his head. The redness has faded and there is no bruise, so he is fine. :)

Here's another picture of him. This was taken about 2 weeks ago.

We Took The Plunge

Well, Michael is 4 days away from being 4 months old and he was up every 1-2 hours last night. So, for my sanity's sake, we started him on Rice Cereal this evening. He did great and was so cute! He probably had as much on his face as he did in his little tummy, but he ate the whole amount (it was 1 tablespoon, mixed with 4 tablespoons of formula). We are praying he will begin to sleep all night again more consistently.

An end to another wonderful week

Well, it's Friday night and I am sitting at home enjoying a relaxing evening with my boys, so I thought I'd take a minute and update you all on what's been going on.

I have a new sewing machine that does embroidery. It's so much fun and sews really easy! I love it! So, hopefully, I will become crafty and maybe will be able to make a little extra income for my family. Once I get some stuff I will post more info.

I have also become involved with the mom's group at church. Today was our first bible study/get to know you time and I loved it! There are a lot of really sweet ladies that are part of the group and I know I can make some really great friends. We will be starting a bible study on October 2 that is called Apples to Gold. It's kind of like a mentor thing.....there are 6 older women who have grown kids that will lead the group in their home each week. We will be having a bible study, a meal, and a time for service. I know I will be learning so much from these experienced wives and mom's. I am so excited!

My sweet baby is growing so fast!! Here's a pic! He loves sticking out that tongue...haha.

Shop4freebies

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you all know about a great site! It's 100% free samples and will send you an email every day so you can check out the new lists! I have gotten tons of free stuff....anything from breakfast cereals to dog and cat food to cleaning products.

Click on "free samples" above to go to the website.

Have fun!

It's been a while....

Well, it's been about 3 months since my last post and I now have a happy and healthy 3 month old. He is a little bundle of joy; talking, and cooing, and laughing, and drooling all over the place! Motherhood has been such a blessing to me....so rewarding, yet so trying all at the same time.

It all started on May 22 2009 at 4:53 pm. After about 19 hours of labor, Michael Joseph Christian II was born by c-section. He was 6lbs 13oz and 19 3/4 inches long and so cute!!

Speed forward 3 months...he is now (as of exactly 1 week ago) 13 lbs 12 oz, and is so much fun! We laugh and play and smile all the time, and I have noticed, for the day and a half I have been a stay at home mom with him, that he is on a pretty good schedule that he has set himself......goes to bed around 8:30 or 9, sleeps till about 4 or 5 and eats, then wakes up for the day around 7:20. Then we get dressed, eat again, play, tummy time, etc, and then he eats again around 9 and then naps at 9:30 or a tad before. That's as far as we've gotten today, so we'll have to see if the rest of the day is the same as yesterday. I am totally ok with the predictability of all this. It's a relief, really, because I wasn't sure how I was going to get him on a schedule or at least something that might resemble one. :) So, he has made it easy. I just have to pay attention.

As I briefly mentioned before, I am now a stay at home mom and I LOVE IT!!!! I believe this is what I was born to do; be a wife and a mom and care for my household. I am so grateful to the Lord and to Mike that I am able to do this.

I will do my best to blog more often and post pics and stuff. There are a lot of changes going on around here....Mike and I are trying our hardest to eat healthy and lose weight (as of sunday I had lost the baby weight, but I want to lose a couple more pounds), and Michael is changing every day. You can follow Mike's weight loss journey at afatmanandhisjourneytosomewhere.blogspot.com

Well, I can't figure out how to do the pics like I want, but I'll work on it and post some later.

I'm having a baby.....on FRIDAY!!!

So, last Wednesday I had a dr's appointment and found out that labor will be induced on Friday. I have been having high blood pressure and the doctor called it mild pre-eclampsia, which, if left alone can become dangerous. I, of course, am excited, but this is such a huge change in our lives, I am feeling a little nervous as well. Will I be a good mom? Will labor be very very painful, even with an epidural? Will the relationship between Mike and I be different? Are we really ready for this? (this last question is really pointless to even think about....because it doesn't really matter...we are having a baby, we better be ready, but it still goes through my head every day). Then Mike reminds me.....when I stopped taking birth control forever ago, we prayed for God's timing in all this. That yes, we felt we were ready and wanted to begin our family, but that it happen according to God's plan, not ours. So, it took over a year to get to this point, I didn't even think I was pregnant when I found out I was, have had many complications and scares during this pregnancy, and yet I feel very peaceful about it all when I remember who creates life, and who is in control of my life. God must know we are ready and will be the best parents for this little one.....otherwise he wouldn't have blessed us with this life to raise.

Ok...attempt #2...I think this will be better.

So, some friends and I were talking today and I have discovered that I am really more nervous about being a mom than I thought. There are so many outside influences that affect our children and mold them into the teens and adults they will become, that parents have no control over. I have a really difficult time dealing with this. My first reaction to this is to want to keep my kids in a bubble where nothing can hurt them or lead them away from the Lord, but then I think about it and that is the worst thing I could do. That will just make them crazy and rebellious teens or young adults. So, how do I deal with this??? The only thing I have come up with is prayer. Prayer for me not to hold so tightly to my kids, prayer for my kids to have a tender heart and a desire to live as Christ would have them live, and prayer for Mike and me as parents to know how much to hold on and when to let go.....well, that's probably mostly for me :) Thankfully, we are well matched and he helps keep my worries in check. Praise the Lord I have a husband who strives to follow God, and has a desire to raise our family according to scripture.

Here we go....

Well, I am very new to this, and I am at home on bedrest awaiting my next dr's appointment to see if I can go back to work next week, and a friend of mine told me blogging was great and that I should try it. So, here goes nothin. :) I apologize in advance if it's boring, as my life is not so interesting right now.

.......................


Well, I have been sitting here for about 10 minutes and can't think of anything to write about. I guess, I'll try again tomorrow.