Puzzles and Patience

Sydney working on some new puzzles that she received from Grammie La la and Grandpa for Christmas.

These puzzles came in a cute little box, you can see it in the picture on the floor. There are 4 puzzles and they start with 4 pieces, then 6, and maybe 12 and 16. The hardest puzzle is a bit challenging which is good but it does require some patience. Patience on my part and also Sydney's. I love that the puzzles are rocket, airplane, bull dozer, and fire truck. We try not to be gender specific at our house but we still have mainly dolls and kitchen toys.

Yeah she did it, with a little help. Helping Sydney do puzzles makes me want to work a big puzzle. Puzzles are a great challenge for the brain. Have you done a puzzle lately?

My view

This is my nursing view. My sweet baby boy usually has his hands up by his face and often holds his hands together in front of his face.

I love little pigs. Griffin has the most precious little toes.

He usually crosses his legs at his ankles or props one foot up on the other leg, as you can see below. A nursing baby is just so sweet. At times I fuss about how long it takes to nurse (both my children have taken their sweet time, 20 minutes or so on each side) but it really is so sweet to hold my baby and just admire him.

I am thankful that I have been able to nurse both my kids.

Hummus

Have you tried hummus? This is my favorite kind. Bill and Syd do not care for it so when I buy it I eat it all, nit in one sitting but I probably could. It is so creamy and yummy. I like to eat it on reduced fat wheat thins or triscuts. I have some sea salt pita chips and I need to buy more hummus and try it on pitas.

I want to try to make my own but I need the tahinini paste (spelled wrong I am sure). It is so good. Has anyone made hummus? Any tips?

Priceless

• Dinner at the flying pig 64 dollars
• Babysitter 40 dollars
• An overdue date with my husband: Priceless

Bill and I finally had a date. We were trying to remember the last time we went on the date, just the two of us and I believe it was in the year of 2008! I could be mistaken but I do not believe we had a date in 2009. Do not get me wrong we have had lots of great times and we have gone out to eat but not without one or both of the kids. Prior to having kids we always talked about how we would have date night at least twice per month, well we have failed miserably. The reality is that Bill works long hours and is away most evenings and with both of us working during the week we do not want to be away from the kids on the weekend. Yet we recognize how important it is to stay connected as a couple and to have time alone. It was great to talk for a few hours uninterrupted and also to eat hot food! This was the first time we have left Griffin Sawyer with a babysitter but since we use one of the girls from the daycare he did great. We promise not to wait as long before we go on the next date! And yes we did eat at a bar/restaurant called the Flying Pig!

One Year Ago

Can you believe this was one year ago? Look how little my Sydney was. She is wearing a favorite coat (she actually got to wear it for 2 years which was great because it was from Talbot's Kids), hat and scarf (knit by Grammie La la).

Isn't she adorable? Those rosey red cheeks

Yes one year ago we had snow. Last winter we had the most snow we have seen since we have been in NC. This year we have only seen some flurries. Sydney keeps asking when we are going to shovel snow and drink hot coco.

Waynesville North Carolina

We have lived in North Carolina for over 4 years and just made our first trip to the mountains this past December. The reason for the trip with was good friend Val's wedding reception. Well we discovered a jewel. This is the Waynesville Inn and Country Club where we stayed and also the location of the reception. The Inn is surrounded by beautiful mountains. Our room was very comfortable and a bit rustic but very adequate and cozy. The Inn has a great complimentary breakfast buffet and a lovely restaurant for finer dining.

This is the view from our little balcony-Golf course and mountains.

This is Valerie and I and of course my baby boy.

Bill doing some fancy dancing with Sydney.

Sydney was adorable! You could not get her off the dance floor. Finally just after 10 pm we said that's enough it is past bed time! She would have danced the night away.

I snapped this picture quick because she did not want our picture taken.



We had a great time and will definitely be headed back to the mountains sometime soon.

Buttermilk Oatmeal waffles

I recently mentioned this recipe and I thought that I had posted it before but could not remember. Sure enough back in August of last year. So Sunday I will be making oatmeal buttermilk waffles and packaging them up for breakfast for the beginning of this week. Of course you can have syrup on top but warm fruit is yummy, we like peaches and of course a dollop of cool whip.

Imagination. Who knew a recliner could turn into a horse? My husband has quite the imagination. Since this past weekend he and Sydney have been playing this game and pretending that the recliner is a horse! Apparently you need a ticket to ride this horse so they pretend to put it in the slot and then use the reigns to get the horse to go. The horse rears up and gets wild. Sydney thinks this game is hilarious. My husband has had these recliners for years so hopefully they will hold up! I can remember as a child playing horses in the backyard with my neighbor and sisters. We would use the grass clippings to outline the barn and our houses and then we would pretend to take our horses out riding. We played for hours! I think kids these days lack some imagination because they spend too much time watching TV and playing video games. I am a huge fan of playing out doors and imaginative play. What did you play and pretend as a child?

I inspired myself

A friend recently emailed me asking for easy breakfast recipes for during the week. I rattled off all kinds of stuff and then thought to myself "why don't I make that for breakfast during the week?" So this past week I made this recipe, Spanish Omelet and baked it Sunday to have for a few mornings during the week. I actually had some extra sauce left over from Christmas morning so I thawed it out and warmed a little each morning with the egg casserole. Yummy. Some of my ideas were an egg casserole, which you can vary a lot, microwaving an egg and putting it on an English muffin with a piece of cheese and maybe a thin slice of ham, yogurt and granola, oatmeal (you could actually make ahead of time and just rewarm with some milk). Another idea is homemade waffles, make on Sunday and again just rewarm during the week. I may do this this weekend for next week. I love using my waffle maker and I have a great recipe for oatmeal waffles that is super healthy! What do you eat for breakfast during the week?

Hope for Haiti

Shawna the author of a neat blog is donating 10 dollars from every necklace sale to Haiti. Check out this blog and this beautiful jewelry. I think the blessed necklace is precious. Bill and I were just talking this morning about Haiti and how devasting things are and we are so grateful for all that we have.

Wordless Monday

So Sweet

Last Sunday I layed Griffin down on his activity gym in a sunny spot and he went to sleep. He usually sleeps with his arms up by his head, isn't it sweet?

For the longest time Sydney slept with her hands folded behind her head. This picture was taken when she was about 7 months. Look at those chubby arms!


In the picture below she is 9 months, so cute.

Do your children sleep in any particular position?

Trust your Instincts

My baby is sick. Griffin Sawyer started daycare last week, this week would be his second week. Well Monday he coughed a few times but nothing major. I found out Monday that my best friends little guy has RSV, and he attends the same daycare and is also in the infant room with Griffin. We all hung out together on Saturday but Griffin was in my Moby wrap most of the time or in my arms at dinner so the kids were not really close to each other. So anyway Charlie got worse Sunday night so they took him to the doctor Monday and since they found out he has RSV they have kept him home all week. So back to my instincts- Griffin coughed a few times Monday but Monday night he was up twice (totally unusual) and I could hear the congestion but when I tried to suction him nothing came out. No fever and still nursing great and happy. I took him to daycare on Tuesday and he had a good day- ate a little less than usual and again a few coughs. Tuesday night I had planned to take him with me to book club and Bill arranged to stay in with Sydney. Well I just felt like I needed to keep Griffin home so we stayed in. At this point the poor guy is hoarse and when he cries nothing comes out. We spent a good portion of Tuesday night sleeping in the recliner with him on my chest. Still no fever. I took him to day care yesterday morning and went to work for my half day. I picked him up at lunch time and took him back to my office to have him checked. I kept telling myself I was being paranoid and it was most likely just a cold but I had this feeling and knowing that he had exposure to RSV I wanted someone else to listen to his chest ect. So sure enough he has RSV. Bummer. Twelve weeks of great health, one week of day care and now he is sick. I feel so bad for him. We are doing about all you can do, breathing treatments, saline and suction and snuggle time. Because his voice is gone and when he cries you can barely hear him I was worried about letting him sleep in his own room. Last night I moved the pack in play from the office downstairs into our bedroom . I feel so much better with him one foot from me. We had an okay night. Before I put him down to sleep he had a bad coughing spell and spit up some mucus. But once he was asleep he did well and we were only up twice in the night. He is a trooper with his treatments and actually helps me hold the mask. Sydney has had treatments in the past and she was the same way. She just sits and holds the mask to her face and gets upset when it is over. Last night she saw the nebulizer downstairs and asked for a treatment! Crazy girl. So I am home today and tomorrow- so much for going back to work. Bill can hardly stand the sound of Griffin's cough so I am not comfortable leaving him home with daddy. Despite being sick he is a happy guy, talking and even laughing occasionally. His voice is pitiful but I am glad he is in good spirits.

Bumper Jumpers

Saturday Bill and I took the kids to a place called Bumper Jumpers. My mom and I took Sydney there in November and we all had a blast. Since it has been very cold (at least for North Carolina people) we figured the kids needed to get some energy out and it is just too cold outside. We invited our friends the Parker's and also Nicole and Max. I think the dads had as much fun as the kids. Sydney cannot get enough of the big slides. Griffin hung out with me of course but we enjoyed watching everyone.

Notice Nicole is at the top and Sydney is already at the bottom, I wanted a picture of them both at the top but Sydney just could not wait.

Again Sydney is already at the bottom and here comes Bill.

Charlie and Garret!

Max climbing out the the obstacles.

Sydney all tired out!

Ellie and Charlie

Garret with Sydney and Charlie, I actually caught Sydney at the top of a slide!

Responsibility

This is Sydney's new chore chart that she got from Grammie and Grandpa. Prior to this chart I was going online and printing chore charts for her and letting her put stickers on the chart each night. This is a chart by Melissa and Doug and I love it! Some of the chores are for older kids such as emptying the dishwasher and taking out the trash so it is something we will be able to use for a long time. Also some of the magnets say things like "Say please and thank you" or "I shared with a friend", I think these are great manners! There are also blank magnets that you can write your own chore on. The little circles say things like "awesome, way to go, good job, great job." It is a real challenge at times to get Sydney to brush teeth or get dressed but with her new chart she is eager to comply so at the end of the day she can fill in all the spaces with circles. We have the chart hanging in our laundry room by all her art/craft stuff at a level that she can reach.

I think kids should learn responsibility at an early age. I despise laziness and and I do not want to raise lazy children. Bill and I want our children to understand that we all have responsibility and that we are a team. Our house could not function the way that it does with only one person doing all the work, we all work together to make things run smoothly. Sydney is learning that clearing her spot at the dinner table or picking up her toys is a big help. We do not have a reward system for the chore chart. I may periodically reward Sydney for a job well done or a good week but I do not want her to think that she gets a prize every time she does a chore or shares with a friend. How do you teach your children responsibility? At what age do you think kids should have some chores?

Three Months Already

Our little guy is three months old already! Wow, time flies when you are busy and loving life. At three months Griffin is still very content and a happy guy. He seems to enjoy his new routine and day care. He is "talking" a lot more and laughing. I think he has more hair but he still looks rather bald compared to some babies. He is definitely growing...we will have to wait til his 4 month check up to see how much he weighs and how long he measures. He enjoys listening to music and even though I am a terrible singer I think he enjoys my lullabies.

Panacea

It is a bit difficult to read the sign below but it says Panacea. Do you know what panacea means? I did not know but Bill did. Panacea is a remedy for all ills or difficulties: a cure-all.

This is a coffee shop that we found on our recent trip to the mountains. The name of the coffee shop is Panacea.

The above sign is a bit difficult to read also but it says "coffee good, morning bad." Funny. This coffee shop was so cool. They roast their own beans and had the roaster right at the front of the shop. The building is an old warehouse that they renovated. It was very open, with high ceilings. They had tables and chairs, comfy couches (great for nursing) and over stuffed chairs were you could sit while enjoying a great cup of coffee or latte.

A cup of coffee was a dollar. They had great little snacks, Sydney enjoyed 2 homemade gingerbread man cookies. The lunch menu looked delicious but it was a bit early for lunch when we were there and we had just eaten.

We drove past this building three times the night before while looking for a certain restaurant but did notice the coffee shop. When Bill complimented our waiter at the Inn (where we stayed while in the mountains) on the taste of the coffee he told us about this coffee shop that roasts coffee for the Inn. We are glad we went to check it out.

So what is your Panacea? Is it coffee?

My nephew

He was adorable when he was little!

He is still adorable as a big boy!

What a smile!

My nephew Michael is a special guy. From the moment my sister Amanda and her husband Derek agreed to be his foster parents we were all in love. Michael has since been adopted and we are still in love. He is on the autistic spectrum and has needed special services and therapies from the beginning. Michael has come so far and excelled in so many areas. My sister is currently fighting a battle with the school system for Michael to have a one on one. Before Michael came into our lives I thought I understood what it would be like to be an advocate for a child, in reality I had no idea. It is almost a full time job! My sister is an audiologist and has a very good understanding of what services are available and how to obtain them but oh the obstacles. Check out this post on my mom's blog and please pray for Michael and my sister and her husband. I imagine that it is frustrating to know that your child can achieve greater goals and expectations if only he had the services that he deserves. Michael is such a warm child and is so smart. He is a joy to be around and a real character. I am praying that a door is opened and the right person comes into Michael's life to be his aid, someone that will love him and see all his potential!

First Day

Monday was my first day back to work after being home for 12 weeks. Monday was also Griffin's first day at daycare. I started crying in the car on the way to the daycare. Then I had a little chat with myself that went something like this...

my head "get it together"

my heart " I am going to miss him so much"

my head "he will be fine"

my heart "what if he cries all day?"

my head " the girls in the infant room are great"

my heart "but I am going to miss him so much"

my head "stop crying, Sydney is going to notice and you are going to upset her"

By this time we are pulling into the parking lot so I get myself together and gather up all the stuff and walk into the infant room with both kids. We say good morning to Kyla and I start crying again. Oh well. Griffin did a great job. The girls agree with me that he is a very content baby and always talking and smiling. I did okay once I got to work, I was fine until one of my coworkers asked how I was doing. I am fortunate to be able to go the daycare at lunch to nurse so I get to see my baby mid day which helps A LOT!

I had a hard time when we started Sydney in daycare because I had to start her at a different place (for a few weeks) because we were still on the waiting list for Shepard's Way and I was not as comfortable with the daycare. Sydney did great and she was well cared for but as a mom you still feel guilt and fear about leaving your child in someone else's care. I went back to work just shy of 8 weeks after Sydney was born so she was younger than Griffin. I thought it would be easier with my second child but it has been harder. I think its harder this time because I am more attached due to being home a full 12 weeks with Griffin and also I have nursed him almost exclusively. With Sydney I had to supplement with formula from the beginning so she had more bottles and therefore other people feed her at times. I think the longest that I have been away from Griffin since he was born is 1 hour (except for this week). I just do not leave him. So we are transitioning and adjusting to our new routine. Bill and I are up at 5 to get ready and prep bottles, lunches and breakfast. Kids are up at 6 and we leave at 7 for daycare. Bill is a great help in the am and I am thankful that he can get ready for his day after we leave. Keep us in your prayers as we continue to adjust. Here is a picture of me and my little guy on his first day of daycare!