9 months of Becks

Click here for previous monthly updates of Becks. 

her hair had been in her first ponytail right before we took these :) 

these lips, all the time

Weight: ? Less than 20. She has an appointment this week and then I will know. 

Clothes and Diapers: I just packed away all of her 6 month clothes and most of her 6-9 month as well. 9 month is fitting her just about perfectly. Still in size 3 diapers. 

Eating: Okay. This is a big deal. We have changed a lot in the last month and I couldn't be happier to say that we are now only nursing THREE times a day! I cut the early morning one out at the beginning of the month, and just last week we cut out the last one of the day. Big deal. HUGE. We are one step closer to being done! Woohoo! She is still loving eating real food and I just know she would love a mouth full of teeth because she wants everything we are having and will eat just about anything. 

Sleeping: Still taking two naps, one is always longer than the other and it just depends on the day as to which one that is. She goes down for the night at 7. Which seems super earlier but she just can't last much past that. And then we cut out that 5:30/6 a.m. feeding and she sleeps until 7:30 now and sometimes 8. A very good month of progress in the sleep and feeding department. 

Accomplishments/ things to note:

/ she finally is rolling around in her crib and I walk in to find on her stomach and pushing up, but she still prefers to sleep on her back. 

/ she reaches so far out for toys while she is sitting that a lot of times she topples over and then rolls around a bit. 

/ still gives those puckered-lip kisses and it's the best. Brent and I look like fools trying to convince her to give us one. 

/ she's been fussier in the evenings [after 5 or so] but this is the witching hour for all children, is it not?

/ we had our first night apart when I went to a women's retreat with my church. She still isn't taking a bottle but Brent managed to mix some milk in some cereal and she was content and happy and slept for him. I know some women struggle with that first time leaving their kids over night, but...can I say this?... I don't. I was happy to get back to them, obviously, though. 

/ she is getting a little feisty when Blythe takes something or looks at her funny or she wants something and can't reach it. There is some fire in her, that's for sure. 

/ she took her first trip to Springfield/Joplin and her first time to Aunt Ceann's and Aunt Beth's. The weather was remarkably warm and it was such a good trip. 

/she figured out how to pick up puffs and other small pieces of food off of her tray. This is a BIG deal. I can now cook a meal and fill her with puffs. 

/ she is still one of the sweetest little humans I have ever known. 

ahem. 

Blythe: You hold me and Dadda will take a picture.

How is my first baby almost three? 

As You Stitch: Giveaway!

As many of you know, my sister moved to Nashville after she got married. Something about her husband doing grad school there and she felt like they should live together? And it sucked them in and they fell in love and they never left and now they are far, far away. But enough of this pity party. She has met some great people and made some wonderful friends in their time there [ and managed to have three children...]. One of her friends, Ali, is incredibly talented and has an Esty business: As You Stitch.

As You Stitch is a mother/daughter team. Lori (mom) does most of the sewing, and Ali (daughter) takes care of the business side of things, and her ridiculously adorable girls do product modeling for their photos. During their busy seasons, it's all hands on deck and Emma (mom's youngest daughter) hops on the sewing machine as well. In their words, "There are no big conglomerates here, just one small family doing their bit to keep small business in business."

And if that story isn't great enough, their products are even better! Ali started making the matching pajama pant set for her daughter and her friends (and their dolls!) and they were a huge hit! What little girl doesn't love fun pajamas? And even better...what little girl doesn't love matching her doll!?! I can't wait to get our set in the mail and watch Blythe tuck her matching doll into her bunkbed at the foot of her own bed [And I'm just realizing I never posted a picture of the doll bunk bed Blythe got for Christmas and the quilt set my mother in law made them...regardless, these pajamas will look good in it!]

and you thought my girls were cute...

Kali's girls have some As You Stitch swag, and it is seriously adorable stuff. [And did you know Target has a knock-off American Girl doll now? If your daughter doesn't have one and you don't want to spend her college tuition on one, it's a good option :)]. The fabric and patterns Ali and her mom have chosen are all adorable and super fun. And that ruffle at the bottom? I can't get enough. MORE RUFFLE!

Also, I don't even know if she makes these anymore but if she doesn't you should beg her to because who doesn't love little girl aprons. I've had so many people ask me about Blythe's [we use it all the time] and I have no idea where my aunt found it...so this would be a great place to get one! [Maybe...if she still makes them? They aren't live in the shop at the moment but what do you say, Ali?!]

And as if that weren't enough, she also has a sister shop: As You Stitch {Baby}.  On this site she has eco-friendly baby wipes, toys, carriers, and more! The BEST receiving blankets.

Picnic blankets. Reusable nursing pads [which could save you a pretty penny]. If you are in to cloth diapering, these baby wipes are awesome!

And if you go to either of her shops, she's had hundreds of customer reviews and the report is glowing! It is quality! She's great to work with! Fast service! ALL GOOD THINGS!

I've been a fan of Ali's little shop for some time now, and when I asked her if she would be interested in letting me tell of you about her shop as a little Valentine's Day deal, she jumped all in and generously decided to let me give something away AND is offering a 20% discount through the month of February to my readers with the discount code WORDSTHATSING at checkout. 

This attire would be such a fun little something for Valentine's Day, don't you think? Here are the details on the giveaway:

One lucky reader will get a "Me & My Doll" matching pajama pant set. Their site reads: "Your favorite little girl and her doll will love to snuggle up together in this matching pajama pant set! These 100% cotton pants feature a wide ruffle at the leg opening. Your little girl will love the feel of our super soft pre-washed fabric. Her doll will be just as comfy in her matching pants!" The winner will get to choose their fabric and size from any of their available sets.

OR

The winner could choose a set of 3 DOZEN cloth baby wipes [and she has THE cutest prints!]

 To enter

Visit As You Stitch [or As You Stitch {Baby}] 

and leave a comment here [or on link to this post]

letting me know what product you love the most! 

For one additional entry, go LIKE her page on facebook: HERE and let me know in your comment that  you liked it so I can verify. 

May the odds be ever in your favor! And if you don't have girls, still enter because this would make an awesome AWESOME gift! [Or you can get the wipes! Which aren't "just" wipes. If you have been struck with the plague this winter like everyone else, they make phenomenal soft hankies/kleenexes. And let's be honest, hankies are so much more romantic than a box of Puffs. Right?] And don't forget to use the coupon code WORDSTHATSING for TWENTY percent off!!!

Good luck! 

Giveaway closes Thursday at 8 p.m. 

Winner will be announced Friday, February 13th. 

just in time to give it away as a valentine's gift :)

I finally have a dress to wear to weddings [eShakti review]

You know how weddings are a fun occasion to see friends and family you haven't seen in a long time, and also an occasion to get out of your sweatpants and do your hair? I love them. Everything about them. Especially when they have a chocolate fountain. BUT I always kind of loathe picking out a dress to wear because I either have dresses from college that are out of date or too young for me [when did I become old enough to say clothes are "too young for me"?! Yeesh], OR they are "work clothes" and just not fun enough. I show up and inevitably feel like every woman there has been shopping in the past decade and I haven't.

BUT THEN

eShakti happened. They let me pick out a dress to review and I scrolled through the selection [which is massive] and realized that finding a dress doesn't have to make me cringe. Nope. It was painless. Dare I say, it was even fun? And here's the deal, I knew the dress would fit me because they customize it to my measurements. 

So here I was, left with an endless array of dresses to choose from, and the debate in my head went something like: choose something practical. NO! Choose something fun. Round and round. I'll let you decide where I landed. :)

The whole process with eShakti was really great and super fast. My custom dress arrived on my doorstep in 6 days. SIX days. The customization is $7 more, but in my opinion worth it, especially if you're ordering online. Not only does this mean the dress is customized to your measurements, but you can also choose the neckline you want, the sleeves, and the length of the dress [for most dresses].

I was really happy with the length of this dress, because anymore I feel like dresses are either super short [like I need to wear bloomers] or long [which isn't always bad when you don't feel like shaving, but sometimes you can muster the energy to shave below the knee, am I right?]. Especially now that I am chasing kids around, short dresses aren't practical and long dresses get stepped on. And pockets? I've decided these are my love language when it comes to dresses and skirts.

I love the colors and print of this dress, and the tulips are a fun homage to my college town.

Some of their dresses are pricey and dry-clean only, which wouldn't ever work for me. But they have good sales, and lots of their dresses and skirts and tops are under $50. Under fifty for a custom dress that is well made that you can order from your couch and have show up in less than a week? Not a bad deal. And eShakti is offering my readers a 10% discount until March 7 with the discount code wordsthatsing at checkout.

I have several weddings to attend this summer. I was already looking forward to them, but now you all know what I will be wearing. Seriously, I'm wearing this to every wedding from now until... it no longer fits me or becomes horribly outdated.

And let's just talk about these pictures for a minute because: Brent took them. It was cold. He was in his dress shoes and his feet got wet. The girls were eating lunch Blythe was eating lunch and I threw a million puffs on Becks' tray and we ran outside. My hair had been in a ponytail for two days. But in the 4 minutes we took to snap these, it was fun! And it reminded me of the time Beth and I wore our wedding dresses in the snow and made Brent take pictures of us then. He's a good man.

eShakti provided me with the dress for review, but all opinions are my own.

open letters to women I see everyday

To the mom who isn't breastfeeding:
You're awesome. If you chose not to from the beginning or the latch didn't work or you gave it a few weeks and lost your mind, you're doing awesome. I guarantee some of our presidents and best doctors and kindest teachers were formula-fed, and I guarantee some of our inmates serving a life sentence were breastfed. Some of the healthiest children and adults I know spent the first year of their life sucking formula, and some who get sick every other week were nursed well past a year. If you love your baby while you are feeding them, then I am convinced ice cream would do the trick. Press on.

To the mom who is working:
You're awesome. If you chose to go back to work or your circumstances chose for you, you're doing awesome. Your children value their time with you, yes, but you are giving them your time when you pack their lunches, when you pump their bottle, when you check in with the daycare for the third time today, when you pick them up the moment you are free and sing them to sleep at night. You bog yourself down with questions, "Will my kids hold it against me?" "Will my kids form that bond with someone else instead of me?" Stop asking those questions.  Your relationship with them is not tainted. You are still choosing them and you are doing awesome. Press on.

To the mom who is breastfeeding:
You're awesome. If you suffered through a month or two or eight of figuring it out and have managed to stick with it, you're doing great. If you no longer know what the heck is happening with your body because it has shifted and changed for the year you've been nursing, that's okay. It's been ever on your mind and a full time job, and you're doing it! You have secluded yourself to feed your baby for months. Your body is incredible. Press on.

To the mom who isn't working:
You're awesome. If you chose to stay home with your kids, you're awesome. You're tired and exhausted and you feel terrible when you just want a break from your kids, but that's okay too. Keep giving them your best, even if that means you'll never get out of your sweatpants or have the latest fashion. You are sacrificing so much to be there with them, and yet it doesn't feel like sacrifice at all. You are still a worthwhile member of society and you are contributing in real and valid ways, even when people tell you otherwise. You may hear "you're too talented" to be home, or "you're wasting your gifts." Don't listen. You bog yourself down with questions, "Would I have more patience for my children if I were away from them more?" "Would I be providing more by providing an income and things we can't afford right now?" Stop asking those questions. You are doing awesome. Press on.

To the woman who wants to be a mom:
You're awesome. If you are single and haven't had the opportunity to have kids yet, or you've been trying for some time and can't get pregnant, you're awesome. Your role as a woman is not defined by whether or not you have carried a child inside of you. You are a woman because God made you one, and you are touching many lives simply by being obedient to Him. We don't always get the desires of our heart because we live in a fallen world and the ache in our hearts is real. But God still knows what He's doing, and He is still walking with you. He is on the throne. I have seen you love other mom's babies, and it is an incredible thing to watch. And you are awesome.

To the woman who wears yoga pants and the woman who doesn't wear yoga pants:
You're awesome. Talk to each other. Explain your views in love. Christ can still wiggle into spandex with you and Christ can walk around in jeans too. Don't let this be a rift between you, or men, or God. They are comfortable. They aren't super modest. Both are true. Have the discussion in real community and in real love. You are both awesome.

To the mom with the screaming, biting child:
You're awesome. If your kid is getting kicked out of daycare or nursery, screams in the produce aisle, or smears their poop on the wall, we aren't looking down on you-- we are probably just surprised it's not our kid at the moment. We understand you're trying. We know you've cried and disciplined consistently and read the books. You were just one of the lucky ones to have a child with a little fire. And that child will grow up and do something awesome with that fire, because you will have stuck with them through it all and eventually, eventually I promise, that child will stop crying in the grocery store, they will make friends with the kids they once bit. That kid will have tenacity and spunk that will allow them to change the world. Because you are doing awesome.

To the mom with the perfectly behaved child:
You're awesome. You really are. But don't think that your child is perfectly behaved just because of you. Don't look down on the mom who is dragging her screaming child out of the nursery with tears in her eyes because that could have been you with a little different mixture of personalities and genes. Enjoy your child.  Their kind and polite ways will stick and they will grow up and love others well. You've done part of that, it's true. Just don't get smug because we're all in this together. Keep fostering their good behavior and modeling it for them. You're doing awesome.

To the mom who chose to have, or was only given, one child:
You're awesome. In some ways, you get to be a lot of different roles for your child that parents of multiple children don't get to experience. Your son or daughter has undivided attention, which will not hurt them in their life. They won't be weird, like people have told you [or suggested], because you are opening up their world and letting them experience many people and places. You have taught them how to self-motivate and entertain themselves long before their multi-sibling counterparts learn. You don't need to have special mommy and daddy date days because everyday you are tuned in to just them. You are awesome.

To the mom who chose to have four children [or more!]:
You're awesome. When people stare at you in the grocery store or unloading at church or…anywhere you go in public… rest assured that, though they may not understand your gaggle of kids, a part of them is wondering what it would be like to constantly be surrounded by so much chaos and love. You've given your children the gift of a life time of companionship. You may not know where half of them are most times of the day, but you know they are together and though this may cause mischief it always causes peace of mind. Your job gets easier and harder simultaneously when you add another one to the mix. You have multiple personalities and needs to not only get to know but also balance and keep fed and under control. Your days are a blur of noise, but your quiver is so very full. And you are awesome.

To all women:
Let's extend a little more grace to each other.

Scary Close: book review

I have been reading Donald Miller books for many years, so I was excited to pick up his newest book "Scary Close".

The book jacket reads:
  

New York Times bestselling memoirist Donald Miller takes readers on his yearlong journey to learn to abandon performance-based relationships and find real intimacy.

When fling after fling led to a rich fantasy life, lots of drama, and a long series of heartaches, Donald Miller decided he'd had enough. There must be a better way to soothe loneliness without jumping on a roller coaster, to feel affirmation without putting on a show, to find true love. It wasn't just about finding the right girl, though that helped. Once he found her, he had to know what to do-or who to be. A manipulative control freak? A successful workaholic? His usual methods had drawbacks. But the alternatives were not just hard to do; they were hard to imagine.

From the author of Blue Like Jazz comes a story about finding the keys to a healthy relationship and discovering they are also the keys to a healthy family, a healthy career, and a healthy mind. And it all feels like a conversation with the best kind of friend: smart, funny, true, important. Scary Close is Donald Miller at his best.

Having read all of his books, I had noticed in recent years a change in his voice. If you haven't been in my Language Arts class, a simplified definition of "voice" is the individual writing style of an author [if you have been in my class, I'm banking on you remembering that forever]. Basically, just like different friends of yours have different personalities, writers have different voices. And just like your friends, those personalities/voices can grow and change over time. I had noticed a certain "maturing" in Miller's voice, and I felt like this book explained the behind the scenes to the growth I was hearing in that changed voice.

First, let me say this much: I liked the book. It was easy to read and digest. However, it wasn't my favorite Miller book and I think that there are a couple of reasons for this:

/ Intimacy in relationships is not something I struggle with all the time. I have always been a pretty vulnerable and open person from the get-go in my relationships, so I couldn't relate to a lot of his struggles personally. However, they did offer insight into how some of my friends or family may interact with me, and also spoke truth into some of my relationships that may be stalling or dying. And it is sound advice. And Miller's own transparency in sharing his struggles is inspiring.

/ The overarching story of this book is not just how he learned to be better at relationships, but kind of the reason behind why he was wanting to be better. He liked a girl, they got engaged, and then they got married. And through that relationship he learned he was flawed deeply and that grace is huge. Amen. I hear him on that point, but I'm not in the thick of that part of my marriage. Not that we don't still have a lot to learn, we're just not right on the cusp like he is in this story. And I think that gave me a little distance from the book.

/Also, I loved "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" so much and related to it a lot. I think I'm always more critical of the next book after I've enjoyed one so much [Except I won't be for Harper Lee. ;)]

 I do feel like Miller left out a crucial step when he talked about his "healing" in his own relationships and how he grew emotionally-- Christ. Miller is what I would call a "subtle" Christian author, but I felt like sharing how his faith guided him in this particular time would have been beneficial. It clearly played a role, it just isn't very clear.  I do, however,  love when I'm reading a Miller book, that I can just be cruising along and then BAM! out of nowhere there is some line or phrase that just totally blindsides me. There were a lot of those in this book. Here are a few things that jumped out at me, that may give you a taste for the book:

/ But human love isn't conditional. No love is conditional. If love is conditional, it's just some sort of manipulation masquerading as love. [44]
/ God doesn't give us crying, pooping children because he wants to advance our careers. He gives them to us for the same reason he confused language at the Tower of Babel, to create chaos and deter us from investing too much energy in the gluttonous idols of self-absorption. [90]
/ I believe God is a fan of people connecting and I think the enemy of God is a fan of people breaking off into paranoid tribes. [124]
/ [Relationships are] going somewhere…all relationships are living and alive and moving and becoming something. [193]
/ I think we can fall into reactionary patterns in relationships rather than understanding they're things we build and nurture and grow. [194] 
/...love was a decision, that it was as much something you made happen as it was something that happened to you. [ 224]

This book makes me want to love better and be open and honest and raw and real in all of my relationships. Even though he speaks a lot about romantic/marriage relationships, there is a lot to glean even if you aren't in that stage of life. If you feel like you want to be better at being honest with yourself and others, and if you want the relationships in your life- romantic, work, platonic, parent/child- to go beyond the surface, then pick up a copy of this book [or ask to borrow mine :)].

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and BookLook Bloggers, but all opinions are my own. 

a scary drive and huge news

This morning we went to the wonderful Grandma Pat's. We brought soup and celebrated birthday number 89! She's quite the lady.

However, on the drive over [which is about 20 minutes], I glanced over on the dashboard and happened to notice the "Passenger Airbag" light was lit to "off." I have no idea how to turn it off, and it has never been off before, so it caught my attention. Less than a minute later I glanced back to make sure I hadn't made it up and the light was no longer lit, which means it was on. But while I was looking at it, the light popped back on: "off".

What the heck? I thought. And then I remembered: About this time a year ago [oh, wait, nope-- I just looked: October of 2013…] we got a notice in the mail from Honda. It was an "important safety recall notice." If you know anything about my history with vehicles, you won't be surprised that we receive recall notices semi-regularly. That's what happens when you drive old cars.

This particular recall read: Honda has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 2003-2004 model year Odyssey vehicles. There is a potential failure with the SRS electronic control unit which may cause an airbag to deploy without a crash. 

Oh. Okay. Great. But then the great people at Honda felt the need to include this:

An airbag that inadvertently deploys while the vehicle is in motion may distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash. 

Really? That's surprising.

If you know anything about recalls, you know they are fixed at no cost to the owner. It's just a matter of getting it in to a dealership. We don't exactly live in a big town, and the only dealership we have is a small Chevrolet [which has worked out well since we've had two recalls on our Chevy Malibu recently]. I remember getting this Honda recall, and showing it to Brent. "Airbags? Not a big deal."

Not a big deal?! What in the world was going through his head, I have no idea. My response to his "not a big deal"?

"Brent! So I'm driving down the road at 70 mph, PREGNANT, with Blythe in the back seat, and the air bags deploy rendering me unconscious?! That's not a big deal?"

He decided it was. But somehow we never called. We never went in. And then we had a baby [whom we drove home from the hospital in our "airbags may deploy" van.

I forgot about it. Until today when that light was flashing. I knew, I just knew, the airbags were about ready to bust out of their containing cells and the girls and I were about to crash into a snow filled ditch. I called Brent, panicking a bit.

"I feel like I'm in a freakin' Jack-in-the-box! I hear the music playing! At any moment these suckers are coming out!"

And then I prepared for the inevitable. I zipped my phone in my coat pocket because I figured if I crashed and broke my legs, I couldn't be crawling around looking for my phone. I slowed down. 40 MPH seemed safer than 60. I was literally holding my breath.

We arrived at Grandma Pat's un-exploded. I dug through the glove box and found the recall notice [right next to the suction bulb I put in there when I was certain I wouldn't make it to the hospital and would be delivering Becks in the passenger seat… I apparently live in panic often]. I texted a picture to Brent and had him call. The worst part was that I knew I had to drive back home!

We enjoyed our time with Pat, and then got back in the death trap. I triple checked the tightness of the girls' car seat belts. The light flickered on and off the entire way home. I was super excited to pull into our garage and shut off the vehicle. Whew.

The parts have been ordered [for this recall and the two others that we apparently need? what?]. The dealership will call when they come in. But it will probably be about two weeks. So the question is, do I drive it? Clearly I was not too worried for a year and a half. Brent is bringing our Chevy in for a recall repair tomorrow, and then it should be good to go. Maybe we'll just hang out in it for awhile.

However, the return trip was a little more magical. After a quiet morning and a great soup for lunch, followed by cookies and coffee, I packed up our stuff and grabbed my phone to check messages. I had several. And my email was even more full. What was going on?

Just some of the biggest news I've received in a long time: Harper Lee is publishing her second book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  [that's not enough] !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had over ten people scrambling to tell me the big news. I told Grandma Pat, who is the same age as Lee, and her jaw dropped and she slapped her legs as if to say, "Well I'll be darned!" I had just been talking about Harper Lee that morning with Grandma Pat because I'm currently reading "The Mockingbird Next Door."

The book, "Go Set a Watchman," is actually the first book she wrote… about an adult Scout visiting her father, Atticus. But her publisher liked the flashbacks to young Scout, and pushed Lee to explore that story. And "To Kill a Mockingbird" was born. According the articles I'm reading, Lee didn't know that the original manuscript still existed until recently, and has decided to publish it. Apparently there were no revisions done to the original. It comes out July 14 and I have preordered it and I may not sleep until then. That's all.

this day

First, I have to say thank you to everyone who is helping me with my shoe wearing problem. You're the best.

I was folding laundry [way, way, way too much laundry that has sat in my mudroom for WEEKS!], and sorting out papers for taxes and listening to the non-noise of my girls napping [which hasn't happened in WEEKS either! It was awesome]. As I sat amongst little socks and Frozen panties, and 1099 forms, I started thinking about life. Where was I on this day last year, or the year before? Though I don't know exactly, it was probably something like this:

Last year I was enjoying my simple days with a very talkative and fun Blythe with my second daughter growing like a weed inside of me. I wondered about what Becks would be like, if "Becks" was the right name, how my days were about to change, and getting ready to transfer Blythe to a big girl room.

Two years ago I was celebrating the fact that I was almost done nursing Blythe, yet finding it hard to believe I had an almost one year old on my hands. I was finally accepting my new role as a stay at home mom and missing my days in the classroom a little less.

Three years ago I was grading To Kill a Mockingbird tests and teaching The Great Gatsby and creative writing and preparing for ACTs and finalizing my decision to stay home with my first daughter when she arrived. I was busy making sub plans for the last month and a half of school and growing anxious about delivering a child.

Four years ago I was probably on a bus somewhere to some basketball game, as I was the assistant coach. It was month six of coaching for me and I was exhausted. I was also really enjoying my sophomores and juniors.

Five years ago Brent and I were looking at the very real possibility of moving back to Missouri and saying goodbye to all of our wonderful friends in Louisville. It didn't seem real and it was all happening  so quickly. I was cooking meals in a small one bedroom apartment, and enjoying the second year of our marriage.

How does all of that life happen in just five years? We've moved. We've had two babies. We've fallen into and out of new roles. And as I stacked up the folded t-shirts into the laundry basket to deposit in the correct bedrooms, I realized that in five years I will have an almost 8 year old and an almost 6 year old.

Sometimes looking back makes you look forward. Which makes you appreciate sitting in the midst of lots and lots of laundry that needs to be folded.