Family Postings
Just to shake things up a bit, Nathan posted about Becca and her pacifier adventures. It's pretty funny as he relates it.
And even though he doesn't post about his family very often, he did take out the trash (and collect it from around the apartment), make the bed, change Becca's diaper so I could stay in bed for a minute longer, offer to make me breakfast, and wish me a happy 32 month anniversary (yes, we really are that mushy) all before he left for work this morning. He's wonderful--I love him. :)
Friday, February 24, 2006
You're nine months old today
Every month we have this fun little chant and dance we do with Becca which consists of us bouncing around in a circle, Nate tickling Becca, and saying "You're _______ months old today." She always laughs and we get a kick out of it.
Three months short of a year already, I can't believe it. Lately when I watch her play or interact with us, I'm so amazed at how much she has grown and changed. Part of me does long for those times when she was so tiny, fresh out of the womb, but another part is excited for each new change and discovery.
At Becca's ped. appointment the other day she was 27 1/4 inches and 16 pounds. That puts her in the 50th percentile for height and the 10th for weight. I'm not too worried about the weight. She is a lean baby, just like her dad, and she eats well. We did decide to add breakfast to her meals (some oatmeal with a little bananas and pears) and she gobbled that right up. Cheese, bananas, and sweet potatoes are her most favorite things, but she'll eat others too. We're about to try avocados today. Nathan was testing her pincher-grasp skills last night by giving her the most miniscule pieces of cheese possible. She did well. She's getting better at holding her training cup too and loves to drink water out of it.
Becca surprises me with her motor skills. She pulls up easily on everything she can, and moves about on her feet while holding on. Yesterday she was playing in her bedroom, trying to climb up on her infant seat, which was on top of her bigger car seat. She maneuvered her way over her Boppy too. Crawling is an off and on thing for Becca. She does a great army crawl, though.
Becca has added a new "word" to her vocabulary. Now she not only says "bah" but also "gah/guh". It's quite cute. I'm wondering if she uses those two because of hearing her name so frequently. We're still waiting for anything that sounds like Mommy or Daddy. She has also started making the sign for "all done". She doesn't always use it at the right time (she might still want food even if she makes it), but it's definitely it. It looks more like flapping arms than all done, but it's consistent--if we ask her if she's all done or if I show her the empty bowl or if I make the sign, she will usually make it back. It encourages us to keep on with ASL.
At the beginning of all her solid food meals, we've been trying to pray with her. At first she whined a lot, but now she usually is quiet while we pray and when we say "Amen" (emphatically for her sake), she gets a smile on her face cause she knows it is now time to eat.
Becca has definite anxiety around people other than Nathan and me. We notice that if she is around them long enough, she will get comfortable. If we start doing nursery in a month or so during the sermon, we'll have to just take it slowly. We don't have a problem with her favoring our arms over others. We do try our hardest to show her that it's okay for her to be with other people, but it's not worth screaming and crying to get her to go to them. Both Nathan and I are the kind of people that take time to get used to others and feel comfortable, so we see it as normal that it would take her a little bit to relax.
Happy nine month birthday, Rebecca Joy. Mommy and Daddy love you. Jesus loves you best.
Every month we have this fun little chant and dance we do with Becca which consists of us bouncing around in a circle, Nate tickling Becca, and saying "You're _______ months old today." She always laughs and we get a kick out of it.
Three months short of a year already, I can't believe it. Lately when I watch her play or interact with us, I'm so amazed at how much she has grown and changed. Part of me does long for those times when she was so tiny, fresh out of the womb, but another part is excited for each new change and discovery.
At Becca's ped. appointment the other day she was 27 1/4 inches and 16 pounds. That puts her in the 50th percentile for height and the 10th for weight. I'm not too worried about the weight. She is a lean baby, just like her dad, and she eats well. We did decide to add breakfast to her meals (some oatmeal with a little bananas and pears) and she gobbled that right up. Cheese, bananas, and sweet potatoes are her most favorite things, but she'll eat others too. We're about to try avocados today. Nathan was testing her pincher-grasp skills last night by giving her the most miniscule pieces of cheese possible. She did well. She's getting better at holding her training cup too and loves to drink water out of it.
Becca surprises me with her motor skills. She pulls up easily on everything she can, and moves about on her feet while holding on. Yesterday she was playing in her bedroom, trying to climb up on her infant seat, which was on top of her bigger car seat. She maneuvered her way over her Boppy too. Crawling is an off and on thing for Becca. She does a great army crawl, though.
Becca has added a new "word" to her vocabulary. Now she not only says "bah" but also "gah/guh". It's quite cute. I'm wondering if she uses those two because of hearing her name so frequently. We're still waiting for anything that sounds like Mommy or Daddy. She has also started making the sign for "all done". She doesn't always use it at the right time (she might still want food even if she makes it), but it's definitely it. It looks more like flapping arms than all done, but it's consistent--if we ask her if she's all done or if I show her the empty bowl or if I make the sign, she will usually make it back. It encourages us to keep on with ASL.
At the beginning of all her solid food meals, we've been trying to pray with her. At first she whined a lot, but now she usually is quiet while we pray and when we say "Amen" (emphatically for her sake), she gets a smile on her face cause she knows it is now time to eat.
Becca has definite anxiety around people other than Nathan and me. We notice that if she is around them long enough, she will get comfortable. If we start doing nursery in a month or so during the sermon, we'll have to just take it slowly. We don't have a problem with her favoring our arms over others. We do try our hardest to show her that it's okay for her to be with other people, but it's not worth screaming and crying to get her to go to them. Both Nathan and I are the kind of people that take time to get used to others and feel comfortable, so we see it as normal that it would take her a little bit to relax.
Happy nine month birthday, Rebecca Joy. Mommy and Daddy love you. Jesus loves you best.
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Seven month pictures
Since I love to take pictures, I decided that I would not get pictures professionally done for Becca, but just have fun doing them myself. This is what I came up with for her mid-yearish pictures. While we were at Nathan's parents' house for Christmas, I took her outside for a photo shoot. I'm so pleased with how it turned out.
Since I love to take pictures, I decided that I would not get pictures professionally done for Becca, but just have fun doing them myself. This is what I came up with for her mid-yearish pictures. While we were at Nathan's parents' house for Christmas, I took her outside for a photo shoot. I'm so pleased with how it turned out.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Things I Want to Do in my Life
Being tagged by Kate, I am now here to fulfill my obligations. It was kind of fun trying to think of these, and keep them to a minimum...somewhat. :)
Here in no particular order, just in the order that I thought of them, is what I want to do in my life.
1. Raise the children God gives Nathan and me to love the Lord their God with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strengths.
2. Give birth to and/or adopt more children with Nathan.
3. Learn ASL and teach it to our children.
4. Become a good enough amateur photographer (SLR film camera) to take pictures for friends and their children.
5. Learn how to develop black and white film.
6. Play guitar with someone who will help me improve and stop being so nervous about playing in front of people.
7. Own a house that takes as little as possible from the environment--a "green" house. :)
8. Travel to England and Ireland.
9. Go on short term mission trips as a family.
10. Homeschool our children.
11. Learn to make really delicious breads.
12. Have time in God's Word and prayer consistently everyday.
13. Plant a veggie garden, an herb garden, and have more houseplants.
14. Learn how to cross country ski.
15. Develop and use the spiritual gifts God has given me to encourage others.
16. Sew enough that I am not confused and overwhelmed when I start a project.
17. Share Christ's love with the faculty and students where Nathan teaches someday.
I don't even feel like I've scratched the surface, especially where it concerns what I want God to do in my life and through me in the lives of my family and friends and strangers.
I tag...Nathan, Lisa, and Kortnie.
Being tagged by Kate, I am now here to fulfill my obligations. It was kind of fun trying to think of these, and keep them to a minimum...somewhat. :)
Here in no particular order, just in the order that I thought of them, is what I want to do in my life.
1. Raise the children God gives Nathan and me to love the Lord their God with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strengths.
2. Give birth to and/or adopt more children with Nathan.
3. Learn ASL and teach it to our children.
4. Become a good enough amateur photographer (SLR film camera) to take pictures for friends and their children.
5. Learn how to develop black and white film.
6. Play guitar with someone who will help me improve and stop being so nervous about playing in front of people.
7. Own a house that takes as little as possible from the environment--a "green" house. :)
8. Travel to England and Ireland.
9. Go on short term mission trips as a family.
10. Homeschool our children.
11. Learn to make really delicious breads.
12. Have time in God's Word and prayer consistently everyday.
13. Plant a veggie garden, an herb garden, and have more houseplants.
14. Learn how to cross country ski.
15. Develop and use the spiritual gifts God has given me to encourage others.
16. Sew enough that I am not confused and overwhelmed when I start a project.
17. Share Christ's love with the faculty and students where Nathan teaches someday.
I don't even feel like I've scratched the surface, especially where it concerns what I want God to do in my life and through me in the lives of my family and friends and strangers.
I tag...Nathan, Lisa, and Kortnie.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Blog names
Nathan has a post over on his blog about potential names we came up with for my blog when I change it. Some are silly, but I have a few favorites: Hung Out to Dry, Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand (the hymn and how many projects and hobbies I have), Humming Along, To My Own Tune (or a combo of the last two). Anyway, go on over there and read the other ones. I hope you get a good laugh out of it. :)
Nathan has a post over on his blog about potential names we came up with for my blog when I change it. Some are silly, but I have a few favorites: Hung Out to Dry, Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand (the hymn and how many projects and hobbies I have), Humming Along, To My Own Tune (or a combo of the last two). Anyway, go on over there and read the other ones. I hope you get a good laugh out of it. :)
Last but not least
...the Becca update. It looks like I haven't written an official one since the beginning of December and lots has changed.
As I said in the Smiles post, Becca fulfills her middle name--she is a joy to us. When she's feeling well, she's so full of smiles, giggles, and fun noises. Her most frequent ones are bah and ehh with some high pitched squeals thrown in there. It's too funny to watch her try to make the baby monitor in our room light up with her squeals and bahs.
Her very favorite thing to do is to stand up. She is getting really good at pulling up on anything and everything within reach--the couch, chairs, table legs, laundry basket, our legs or hands, the crib rails. Once she's standing she usually comes out with a...you guessed it...bah, bah, bah. :)
Becca is an eating machine; she has a wonderful appetite. Bananas and sweet potatoes are her favorite, but she'll also eat peas, oat cereal, rice cereal, peaches, pears, and apples if they are mixed in at various meals. She just tried using a fork with cut up bananas the other day and did pretty well. I've enjoyed making her baby food for her and even though it might be more convenient to use the jarred food, I really do think the homemade stuff tastes better (except the green beans--I think you just have to eat those not pureed). She also drinks water out of a trainer cup and is getting much better at holding it up. Becca continues to nurse about 5-6 times a day. I don't know where she puts it all.
Becca has had some rough times over the past month and a half. The week before she was baptized she started cutting 2-3 teeth. In fact, she cut all four top teeth in less than a month. Poor kiddo. She is sporting 6 teeth, which makes her look so much older. This hasn't been a problem, yet, with nursing, but I cringe thinking about what she'll be able to do with teeth on the top and bottom. Last week she had that cold that ended up turning into an ear infection in one ear. With the exception of the amoxicillin and a few sniffles, it's pretty much gone. Praise God!
Becca is starting to show some understanding with phrases and signs that we use frequently: Do you want to read a book? (looks at the bookshelf and says "Eh") Do I need to change your diaper? Are you hungry? (Smacks lips) Do you want to eat? or making the eat sign (big smiles and eager looks). Hi Becca. (waves). Where's Daddy? (looks around for Nathan). It's amazing to watch her grow in understanding language.
Becca is such a ham. Once we get out the camera, she's looking right at it and smiling and "posing". It does take her awhile to get comfortable with people, but once she is, she turns back into the cutie we know.
...the Becca update. It looks like I haven't written an official one since the beginning of December and lots has changed.
As I said in the Smiles post, Becca fulfills her middle name--she is a joy to us. When she's feeling well, she's so full of smiles, giggles, and fun noises. Her most frequent ones are bah and ehh with some high pitched squeals thrown in there. It's too funny to watch her try to make the baby monitor in our room light up with her squeals and bahs.
Her very favorite thing to do is to stand up. She is getting really good at pulling up on anything and everything within reach--the couch, chairs, table legs, laundry basket, our legs or hands, the crib rails. Once she's standing she usually comes out with a...you guessed it...bah, bah, bah. :)
Becca is an eating machine; she has a wonderful appetite. Bananas and sweet potatoes are her favorite, but she'll also eat peas, oat cereal, rice cereal, peaches, pears, and apples if they are mixed in at various meals. She just tried using a fork with cut up bananas the other day and did pretty well. I've enjoyed making her baby food for her and even though it might be more convenient to use the jarred food, I really do think the homemade stuff tastes better (except the green beans--I think you just have to eat those not pureed). She also drinks water out of a trainer cup and is getting much better at holding it up. Becca continues to nurse about 5-6 times a day. I don't know where she puts it all.
Becca has had some rough times over the past month and a half. The week before she was baptized she started cutting 2-3 teeth. In fact, she cut all four top teeth in less than a month. Poor kiddo. She is sporting 6 teeth, which makes her look so much older. This hasn't been a problem, yet, with nursing, but I cringe thinking about what she'll be able to do with teeth on the top and bottom. Last week she had that cold that ended up turning into an ear infection in one ear. With the exception of the amoxicillin and a few sniffles, it's pretty much gone. Praise God!
Becca is starting to show some understanding with phrases and signs that we use frequently: Do you want to read a book? (looks at the bookshelf and says "Eh") Do I need to change your diaper? Are you hungry? (Smacks lips) Do you want to eat? or making the eat sign (big smiles and eager looks). Hi Becca. (waves). Where's Daddy? (looks around for Nathan). It's amazing to watch her grow in understanding language.
Becca is such a ham. Once we get out the camera, she's looking right at it and smiling and "posing". It does take her awhile to get comfortable with people, but once she is, she turns back into the cutie we know.
All Smiles
We wouldn't laugh or smile everyday near as much if we didn't have Becca. She smiles so much and her giggles are contagious. What a joy she is to us. Thank you, God, for our daughter.
Dinner!!
Looking through the ads with Mommy.
Playing on her quilt--she actually let Mommy put a clip in her hair.
Cross posted on Froyd's Front Porch.
We wouldn't laugh or smile everyday near as much if we didn't have Becca. She smiles so much and her giggles are contagious. What a joy she is to us. Thank you, God, for our daughter.
Dinner!!
Looking through the ads with Mommy.
Playing on her quilt--she actually let Mommy put a clip in her hair.
Cross posted on Froyd's Front Porch.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Hummus
I've been waiting to post about this because I needed to compare my hummus to the "real thing". Before making it myself, I had never ventured into the world of hummus, so after finishing my batch, I bought a small (expensive) container from my local Whole Foods and tasted away. It was pretty comparable. I think the WF hummus had quite a bit more garlic in it, but otherwise it was very similar in taste.
So I'm a hummus fan now. It has a different taste, but it has grown on me.
Here's the recipe I used:
2 cups pureed Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans
1/3 cup tahini (sesame seed paste--I used the bulk tahini butter from WF)
1 garlic clove minced
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
Blend chickpea puree, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice for 30 seconds in food processor fitted with the steel blade (if you don't have a food processor, I'm sure you could use something else to mix it-a blender or even by hand, though it won't be as smooth). With the processor running, gradually dribble in olive oil, processing for 30 seconds more. Keep dip in a covered container. It can be stored in the fridge for about a week.
I like to eat it with crackers or pita bread (I have a quick recipe I might post later) or veggies. I also mixed a little bit of hummus with a tomato that I ran through the processor and that tasted really good.
I've been waiting to post about this because I needed to compare my hummus to the "real thing". Before making it myself, I had never ventured into the world of hummus, so after finishing my batch, I bought a small (expensive) container from my local Whole Foods and tasted away. It was pretty comparable. I think the WF hummus had quite a bit more garlic in it, but otherwise it was very similar in taste.
So I'm a hummus fan now. It has a different taste, but it has grown on me.
Here's the recipe I used:
2 cups pureed Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans
1/3 cup tahini (sesame seed paste--I used the bulk tahini butter from WF)
1 garlic clove minced
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
Blend chickpea puree, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice for 30 seconds in food processor fitted with the steel blade (if you don't have a food processor, I'm sure you could use something else to mix it-a blender or even by hand, though it won't be as smooth). With the processor running, gradually dribble in olive oil, processing for 30 seconds more. Keep dip in a covered container. It can be stored in the fridge for about a week.
I like to eat it with crackers or pita bread (I have a quick recipe I might post later) or veggies. I also mixed a little bit of hummus with a tomato that I ran through the processor and that tasted really good.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Maclaren Volo Stroller
For a more complete opinion on the Volo you can go here and read my Epinions review. For the condensed version, read on.
When we bought the Volo, we were looking for a lightweight, compact, umbrella stroller with a nice sized basket that was comfortable and easy to push and under $100 (we found it at an online vendor for $92 with shipping). The Volo's padded handles are ergonomically placed for a more comfortable position when walking and they are at a great height for us (I'm 5'8" and Nathan is 6 foot even). The wheels roll easily and turning takes only a slight effort. It folds up into a long narrow shape that is quite light since the frame is aluminum. The basket holds a small diaper bag or bag of groceries, perfect for my frequent trips to Super Target during the week.
As with all things (except God) it's not perfect. I happen to like the mesh material, but I wouldn't stick Becca in it in just her diaper because it's not the softest material. But it is breathable, which is important where we live. The straps are not the greatest for a 6-9 month old, but I'm sure it's hard to design straps that work for an 6 month old all the way up to a 40-50 pound child. I've done some fiddling and made it manageable and we think it's worth the benefits of the rest of the stroller. You can see my fiddling in the pictures below. Finally, I miss the small pocket in the shade that we had on our last stroller. It's not a huge deal, but convenient. I figure I can sew up a small bag that will fit over the handle and that will work.
Here is the front view of our stroller. You can see how I've hooked the top straps up for now until we decide to use them.
And the side view:
Here's my fiddling. I used a couple of hair ties to make the bottom straps tighter.
Last, but definitely not least, here is Becca in the stroller. She was at the peak of her cold when we took it, so her mouth was constantly open to breathe easier. :(
For a more complete opinion on the Volo you can go here and read my Epinions review. For the condensed version, read on.
When we bought the Volo, we were looking for a lightweight, compact, umbrella stroller with a nice sized basket that was comfortable and easy to push and under $100 (we found it at an online vendor for $92 with shipping). The Volo's padded handles are ergonomically placed for a more comfortable position when walking and they are at a great height for us (I'm 5'8" and Nathan is 6 foot even). The wheels roll easily and turning takes only a slight effort. It folds up into a long narrow shape that is quite light since the frame is aluminum. The basket holds a small diaper bag or bag of groceries, perfect for my frequent trips to Super Target during the week.
As with all things (except God) it's not perfect. I happen to like the mesh material, but I wouldn't stick Becca in it in just her diaper because it's not the softest material. But it is breathable, which is important where we live. The straps are not the greatest for a 6-9 month old, but I'm sure it's hard to design straps that work for an 6 month old all the way up to a 40-50 pound child. I've done some fiddling and made it manageable and we think it's worth the benefits of the rest of the stroller. You can see my fiddling in the pictures below. Finally, I miss the small pocket in the shade that we had on our last stroller. It's not a huge deal, but convenient. I figure I can sew up a small bag that will fit over the handle and that will work.
Here is the front view of our stroller. You can see how I've hooked the top straps up for now until we decide to use them.
And the side view:
Here's my fiddling. I used a couple of hair ties to make the bottom straps tighter.
Last, but definitely not least, here is Becca in the stroller. She was at the peak of her cold when we took it, so her mouth was constantly open to breathe easier. :(
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