Moving Up

The Britax Frontier AKA Abby's new booster seat

We've moved to the next stage in carseats. Lily is looking to be weighing in around the 18 pound range, and her current seat has a 22 pound maximum for safety. We decided that the best option was to buy Abby a booster and move Lily into Abby's current seat. I researched boosters quite a bit and talked so some mom friends. Originally I thought we'd go with a basic booster, it had to have a back because Abby isn't heavy enough, but wouldn't have a 5 point harness. After much thought, I decided that it wasn't worth saving some money if it wasn't as safe. So, we again went with the Britax (many argue, the best). This one converts to a booster with regular seat belt, but for now uses a 5 point harness. It also attaches to the car with LATCH (not all boosters do). Abby got to pick from about 4 colors (pink, red, khaki, and black) and chose red over pink (gasp!).

I looked around at area retailers and ended up getting quite a deal. Babies R Us sold it for $279.99 (another gasp!) and BuyBuy Baby sold it for $229.00. I had a 20% off coupon for BuyBuy Baby, so we ended up getting it for $183.99!! That is almost $100 cheaper than we would have gotten it from Babies R Us!!!!! Go me, go me, go go go me!! We only bought one for my car for the time being. I'm installing it today because Abby is soooo excited (and then I can clean up her old one). It has cup holders, which I think is a big draw for her (because she's always drinking in the car? Ummm, no.). Makes it cool. :)

A walk after the rain

While we were eating lunch today, it all of a sudden started down pouring. However, it only lasted a few minutes and then the sun came out! We still had some time until nap, so rather than sitting inside watching TV, I decided that we should "hit the sidewalk".

Right now

Currently showing...

Paint Samples

After seven years, I am ready to repaint our living room. It has been painted red since we moved into it. At the time, the TLC show, Trading Spaces, was really popular and red was always a "hot" color on the show, so I wanted to try it. I really liked it and still like it, but am ready for a change. Matt and I are thinking a subtle color this time: the compete opposite of what we have now. We are leaning towards light shades of blue or green. We went to Restoration Hardware and took a bunch of their paint samples. We aren't planning on buying the paint from there, but thought they might have some good colors. We'll then just take the sample to our local home improvement store and have it matched.

Abby has heard lots of talk of paint samples and watched Matt and I put them all out and pick our favorite colors. She really didn't like our color choices, so she created some paint samples of her own to include among the choices.



As of right now, we are planning on painting in a week and a half. Abby and Lily are going to go to Grandma and Papa's house so that Mommy and Daddy can work without distractions. Otherwise, it would take us forever, I fear. I am really excited about the transformation and really nervous about leaving Lily for more than a few hours. We haven't done that yet, and though I know that she is in capable hands, it will be hard to leave her. Abby, I don't worry about so much. She isn't really very thrilled that Lily is going too, but it is necessary for us to get the work done. She has warmed to the idea some, so by the time it arrives, she'll be fine.

I'll keep you posted with before and after pictures!

Little House on the Prairie

A movie recommendation for you:

Pa, Ma, Laura, and Mary

A few weeks back, I happened upon a Little House on the Prairie movie in our TV guide. We had already missed some of it, but there were a couple hours left, so I recorded it, thinking that Abby might like it, and it would be family-friendly (which is becoming more and more important to me). When I first started watching it with her, I wasn't sure whether I liked it or not, because it didn't star the same actors that the series from the 1980's did (and they left out Baby Carrie in it). However, the more I watched it, the more I liked it. What a gorgeous cast. I searched on Direct TV for another showing, so maybe we could catch the beginning also, and recorded it. It was originally a 3 part miniseries (6 hours total) presented by the Wonderful World of Disney.

Mary and Laura (bored) on the wagon during the move to Kansas.

After watching it, and Abby and I enjoying it so much, I got some Little House on the Prairie books from the library and we have already completed Little House in the Big Woods. It has been fun to introduce Abby to what the world used to be like. She asked me recently if they had sidewalks back then. I have "caught" her playing Little House with her dolls. Parts of the book get long (I really didn't need to know that much about how to butcher a deer), but I think she catches the spirit of them. Actually I know she does.

Laura and Pa

I've added some pictures from the movie throughout this blog entry. (They come from here.) I am actually considering buying the DVD, I guess it is available on Amazon for a reasonable price, and it might be a nice addition to our DVD library. We'll see.

The DVD cover

Must be doing something right

This morning, Matt stuck around the house a little bit longer than usual so that we could all have breakfast together. He does that about once a week. Abby beat us downstairs and was waiting in the kitchen for us. As we arrived, she told Matt, "Daddy, my heart's full of love."

I guess we're doing something right.

(I know that is from a song, and I can NOT remember what song (musical?). I can hum some of it, but that's all I remember. If you do know, please leave me a comment with it so I don't go insane.)

Overheard

Me: Did your new toothbrush clean your teeth really good?

Abby: Yes, it tickled my teeth and my teeth laughed inside.

A devotion

From the Upper Room's daily e-mail devotional.

I liked today's, so I thought I'd share. The part that stuck with me was the last paragraph.

RECENTLY I had a fright while riding my bicycle. I was racing along on a downhill slope when an adult deer darted out from the woods, heading for a collision with me. I swerved and tried to stop, but an accident seemed imminent. To my relief, the deer turned, ran alongside me, and then gracefully dashed back into the woods. Her movements seemed effortless; the whole incident took only seconds. One moment I feared I'd be jolted off my bicycle and badly hurt. The next, I was peering into the woods looking for the gentle creature. I thanked God that I was safe and watched out for deer on the rest of my ride.

Later, as I reflected on the damage a collision might have caused, I thought about God's call for us to be peacemakers. In Romans 12:18 Paul wrote, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." This call gives me hope to grow in my ability to respond gently to others and turn away from causing them harm. In this way, I'm doing my part to live peacefully with others.

With our words or actions, we can either cause collisions or gracefully avoid hurting others. The encounter with that doe encourages me to think of God's power making "my feet like the feet of a deer," enabling me to avoid hurting those around me.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

-Habakkuk 3:19 (NIV)

Thought for the day

The way we treat others matters to God.

Trying to be creative

I did it!

I did it! I made Lily's first baby food. I have talked about it quite a bit, and now I have done it.

Our pediatrician recommended starting Lily on rice cereal, but waiting for solids until she is six months old. We've been doing rice cereal for about a month and she is really getting the hang of it. His advice for starting solids is to do orange vegetables first, then yellow, green, and finally fruits. It is recommended that you introduce each vegetable for a few days before beginning a new one so that you can rule out food allergies.

The typical first foods, or Stage 1 foods for each are: carrots, sweet potato, squash, peas, and green beans. I've researched making your own baby food and figured out the best methods. I really like this website: http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/ I have found it to be really helpful. The procedure is to cook your pure vegetable (steam, roast, etc.), use a blender to puree it, adding water to smooth it out. When you have it as you like it, freeze it in ice cube trays and when frozen, store it in big ziploc freezer bags. From what I've read, one cube is about one ounce. I really think that it is going to save us some money and there is no reason I can't take a little bit of time to do it during the day.

Soooo, on to my experience today! Today I made steamed organic carrots (organic has less nitrates according to that website), and baked sweet potato. The biggest learning experience I had was that I had to use more water than I expected to thin it out. At first, I just couldn't get the blender to puree it, but the more water I added, the better it got. I made some a few weeks ago with summer squash, but it is so watery already that I didn't have to add any water, which gave me an unrealistic expectation on how much water to use, because it ended up taking quite a bit. As I type, it is in the freezer hardening up. I actually ended up with more sweet potato than I had ice cube trays so I may freeze some more when a tray opens up.

I am looking forward to feeding Lily some of my creations. I think we'll probably start with carrots, but who knows, maybe I'll change my mind to sweet potato.

Wish List

Ever since we knew that Lily was coming, I have wanted a piece of jewelry that is personalized with their names. There are two websites that have what I want. I can't decide which I want more, and more importantly, I can't break down and spend the money and they aren't cheap. What do you think?

This is from Lisa Leonard, and charms can be added for each child (I also read her blog).



But I also like these from Nelle and Lizzy...

Hard choice. I think I'll get both. Ha. Makes you want one, doesn't it?

The Drawing of the Day

Here is Abby's "Drawing of the Day". Allow me to describe it so you don't miss anything. On the left is a picture of her playset. It includes a ladder with a slide down and a swing with a seatbelt (the swing is in pink and kind of hard to see). To the right, is our family (Abby, Lily, Mommy, Daddy). I love how she drew Lily little in my arms. Obviously, there is a sun in the blue sky, and a swirly (no reason other than she is really into drawing what she calls swirlies lately). Her drawing just keeps getting more and more advanced. I love it.

Screaming Banshee

Not sure how well this will upload, since they are from my phone, but here is a glimpse of our little screaming banshee... totally happy (and very loud), just in case you weren't sure.

Wordless Wednesday

A new playset

Every journey begins with a single step.... and this one had lots of them.

Abby's Special Day

My Abby is 4!

Hard to believe. We made it "Abby's Special Day" from the beginning. She got to open the presents from Mommy and Daddy first thing. -not including the fancy swingset that Daddy and Papa would be putting together in a couple days.

Another big deal? Now that she is four, she gets to chew gum.

And for lunch? Ice Cream Sundaes and Birthday Cake. Nothing else. Why?

Because we can and it is Abby's Special Day!

Thank you, God, for giving me this beautiful girl.