Sweet Sleep

Lord knows i need it... He really does, because i tell Him all the time.

The last 2 nights have been heavenly for me! Monday night i went to Zumba like usual and on my way home i picked up a few groceries. I didn't get home until 9:45 and wasn't able to put Isaiah to bed until 10:30. He didn't wake up once! When Dan got up to leave around 5:15 i was pretty shocked that Isaiah wasn't laying next to me. It was so hard for me to fall back asleep... i don't think i did. At 6:00 Isaiah woke up and i went and brought him to our bed where we slept until almost 9! This does not happen ...ever! The same thing happened last night, except we got up at 8 this morning. With Isaiah not being by my side made me feel like i was missing a lung, or half of my body.... dramatic, i know.... but that's how i felt. It was a sad feeling.

These past 16 months have been quite the struggle for Isaiah when it comes to sleeping.

There have been countless nights where i have rocked and nursed over and over just to get him to fall asleep. Being up in his room for about 2 hours is exhausting, especially when i know that it is past 10 o'clock and i really just want to go spend some quality time with my patient husband. Don't get me wrong, i absolutely love nursing and rocking Isaiah, but i do not like fighting with him to go to sleep.

Once he is asleep the fight isn't over either. He has been waking up AT LEAST 2 times every night for the last 16 months, and i mean at least, because there have been months where he would wake up 4, 5, 6 or 7 times during the night. I feel so bad, because its not just me that it is effecting. HE needs his sleep as well. He is growing and developing so much that it worries me that he hasn't gotten the sleep that he needs.

His naps aren't all that great either. Around 10 months he began only taking 1 nap a day that lasts only about 2 hours in the afternoon. I am still so very thankful for his nap time, because it gives me a chance to take a shower, relax, or take a nap myself (which i don't do very often).

On another note, he is still breastfeeding, YAY!, and going strong at that! I understand him waking during the night to nurse, which is perfectly fine to me, but to wake up an hour after he's nursed just doesn't seem right to me. Sleeping with me or not.

If your wondering, we co-sleep part time. Isaiah sleeps in his crib when its time for bed, and when he wakes up during the night i go get him and bring him back to our bed for the rest of the night. That way it gives Dan and i time to hang out or go to bed together. I couldn't be happier about our arrangement, and having a supportive husband is wonderful as well.

Anyways, i hope i don't sounds as if i am complaining, because i really am not. I knew motherhood would always be very tiring, especially the more kids you add to the mix. It just amazes me when i hear that other babies start sleeping through the night (On Their Own, and Naturally) when they are not even 6 months or so. It also scares me when i hear of other children not sleeping through the night until they are almost 4 or 5. I imagine my body would be pretty worn after that long of no sleep. Add a few more children (or maybe a lot ;-D) with the same sleep struggles as Isaiah... and i will be one tired Mama!

So maybe this is the beginning of Isaiah sleeping through the night, which would be lovely, or maybe it's not. If not, i will still put on my happy face and continue on as we've been because I'm so proud of my Isaiah baby. I am so blessed to have such a healthy, happy boy who simply may just want to be rocked in his mothers arms.

My little Sprout!

When Isaiah was 3 months old i remember very clearly the signs of teething. His gums were swollen, he was very irritable, and he was drooling everywhere! Before his first birthday he had sprouted eight tiny teeth in the front. Since then he has had no action going on. Like every new mom, i began to slowly wonder if there was any underlying concerns... but silly thoughts they were!
About 2 or 3 months ago i bought Isaiah and i matching Baltic Amber necklaces. (If you care to read more about them click HERE.)
Anyways, i was hesitant and not much of a believer. Although, whenever someone would ask what he was wearing, or make a comment like "your son is wearing a necklace?" I would boldly just explain my reasoning and purpose behind it.
I can now say that i have proof that they Work! At least it has for Isaiah! This past weekend i discovered 2 molars popping through the back of his mouth. I couldn't believe it, he hadn't acted any differently! Then on top of that this morning while changing his diaper i was tickling his toes and he while he was laughing i noticed MORE teeth coming through! Aaahh! I gave out a little shriek of joy. Soon after i felt my heart skip a beat.... a lump form in my throat and tears well up in my eyes. Its these little things that really get to me. I can't believe how fast he is growing up. I swear he has shot up an inch or two in the last month as well.
His new teeth are making me feel more comfortable about what he is eating though. I know he can handle more difficult food, which makes preparation a little easier on me.

If i could give any advice to a new mom expecting her first baby it would be to slow down! You'll feel such a need to get back in shape and get your baby all settled into their new home. You'll feel pressure to teach your new little miracle how to roll over, begin to crawl and stand on their own. Those big changes are SO exciting, but they also bring on all new challenges: gates, rails, outlet covers. I imagine it will be more difficult to just sit and soak up the beauty of your newborn when you have other children needing your attention and assistance. So get off the phone, get off the Internet, stay home from that unnecessary outing and just lay with your little one. Kiss those toes, and fingers... because they are only that small once.

♥

Isaiah's Home Birth Story part 2

I always knew I was going to have a home birth. I never even thought of a hospital birth until my husband asked me to explain what it was going to be like at home. My mom had all 6 of her children at home, and I remember my little brother being born. I stood at the end of the bed as a 3 year old and watched it all happen. At the end I cut the cord.
One of the midwives she used, Yolanda, helped birth my two older brothers. I made an appointment with her, and loved her from the start.

Around 4 am on July 19, a Sunday morning, I awoke to a dull cramping in my abdomen. I knew right away that they were contractions. I got up and decided to time them for my own comfort and they were about 10 minutes apart. I went back to bed and decided to wait to call my Midwife, Yolanda, in the morning. Around 9am I called her and she said to just go about my day as usual, relax, eat some wholesome meals, and not to worry about timing my contractions. It was Sunday and I was spending the day at my mom’s house with my family. While they were all at church I went on a walk out in her large back yard. It was so peaceful to sit alone for the last time with my baby inside my womb. I was wrapped up in a blanket, sitting on a bench listening to the sounds of the early birds, and watching the sun rise over the trees.
My older brother, Seth, came out to join me for a while and distracted me from the nerves that were just beginning to creep up.
My family came home from church and we prepared lunch. We relaxed around the house and I decided that I was going to head home around dinner time, along with my mom who was going to be present at the birth as well. By the time we were ready to leave the contractions were becoming more distracting. We took a few pictures and left. We stopped at Meijer to pick up a few last minute groceries that I was craving. As I was paying at the checkout I overheard a man in line mention to my mom that I looked like I was due any time. She laughed and replied that I was having contractions and today was the day. He looked pretty surprised.
We arrived to my house around 7 and Dan showed up shortly after. I could tell he was nervous and kept himself distracted by taking pictures. My mom on the other hand, like I said, has been through this with 6 of her kids and has helped out with many other home births. She is pretty much a pro. She stayed calm through it all, and I am so thankful that she was able to be there for me.
We all pulled out the couch bed, which is where I wanted to have our baby. I took a hot shower to help relax a little before attempting to sleep for the night. Afterwards, around 10pm, I called Yolanda to update her that I was about 5 minutes apart. She said to get a good nights rest and call her early in the morning. Dan layed down on the couch, my mom on our long lazy chair and I on the Pull Out.
I went off into a deep sleep…. Yea right! LOL
Dan was out in a minute, like usual. I tried so hard to fall asleep, but I was woken up every 5 minutes. I am a very light sleeper. Between Dan’s snoring, the contractions, and the awkwardness of my big belly on the couch bed…. It just wasn’t working for me. As the night went on and the contractions became stronger i found walking around the house more comfortable. In between I would sit down on the end of the lazy chair and shut my eyes for a little rest. Squatting was what worked best for me, and it gave me a pretty good leg workout for the night. We were all up once the sun came up that beautiful July Monday. Dan made coffee for them and I just sat quietly and kept breathing every 3 to 4 minutes.
Then my water broke. I have to say that is one of the strangest feelings. It surprised me so much, and I quickly announced what had happened. Shortly after that experience my contractions became more intense. So intense that they were overlapping, and I was having 3 or 4 at a time without any breaks. I just kept squatting, and breathing, and walking, and breathing. My mom called Yolanda and told her that my water had broken and that my contractions weren’t letting up. Yolanda said that it was my adrenaline kicking in and that I needed to really work on letting the contractions go at the end. I’m glad she said that, because it really helped, and I was able to really focus and relax. She said she was on her way and that I should try to go the bathroom to leave as much room as possible for the baby. That, I remember clearly, was painful. To me, it seemed more painful then the actual birth.
I was still sitting on the “loo” and Dan and I were hugging. I had a sudden urge to push the baby, and for the first time I got a little panicky. I remember thinking “This is not how I envisioned it. Yes, it is peaceful, but I don’t want to have my baby in the bathroom, and without my midwife!” Thankfully I still had more than an hour to continue pushing.

My mom was still on the phone with Yolanda in the other room. She said I should lay down on the bed on my left side and just go with everything. As I was laying there she finally arrived and sat down next to me and started stroking my leg and asking me how I was doing and feeling. I remember I immediately felt sooo calm and ready to handle birthing my baby.  Yolanda definitely has a way about her.
With Dan on my right and my mom on my left I continued to push. In between my contractions I would shut my eyes, breath and pray. It was definitely hard work, but I knew I could do it. I have never had so much confidence as I did that day. I never once doubted myself. It was so empowering.

After I had pushed his head out I felt and saw him kick inside of me for the last time, it made me laugh, it was such a bittersweet feeling.
Next came the great big push and Dan helped “catch” our baby. He was placed right into my arms and I was the first to hold our child. Those first few moments are so precious and unforgettable to me. I couldn’t believe I was holding my very own gift from God. I held a baby that had been inside me for only 9 months, yet I loved him so much. He was beautiful, perfect in every way. I remember hearing Yolanda say “you have a very healthy baby”, and instantly I felt myself relax and I began to cry. I didn’t realize how much of a burden it had been to me. I prayed constantly for a healthy baby, and a smooth birth and that is what I had! I am so blessed, God has been too good to me!

Finally Yolanda asked “So is it a boy or girl?” We had totally forgotten to check! We uncovered the blanket, and there it was! We named him Isaiah Paul. (Paul is after my Uncle who gave me away at our wedding, he’s a pretty cool guy ;-p) It was exciting not knowing the sex of our baby. Gender neutral baby items aren’t always the most fun, but they will last us through future children as well.

To say the least, it was the most AWE-some day of my life. I wouldn’t change a thing about it, not even the pain and hard work. I know some people who think I was nuts to have my baby at home instead of the hospital but to me it only made sense. He was conceived at home, and will be raised at home, so why not be born into the comfort, sounds and smells of our home. It was so intimate, so personal and such a uniting experience for Dan and I.
Isaiah has brought an abundance of joy to our lives. He has taught us about a love that runs so deep in a parent’s heart. It has brought us to another level of knowledge of what Christ has done for us, and what God gave up for us. I hope and pray that Isaiah will learn this truth at an early age.

For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place,
   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book
   before one of them came to be.

Before leaving my moms house

With my Mom and Sister, Heather, who was 7 months pregnant as well.

At Home ♥

Talking with Yolanda

♥

Listening to his heart beat

I fell in love all over again...

 

Isaiah's Home Birth Story part 1

This is about 16 months over due, but I’m finally getting too it. I realized that I was hesitant to write about it, because I feel like my words wont do that day justice. Words can’t describe how beautiful his birth day was to me… but I will try.

The day I found out I was pregnant was full of surprise. For a couple weeks I had been pretty exhausted and not feeling too well. One night I mentioned to my mom that I never felt good after I ate. She replied, “Are you pregnant?”. “No, no… I’m not pregnant.”  I responded.
I had recently taken a pregnancy test and it was (a false) negative. I decided that I would just check again, to be sure. At that time Dan was working with a company that traveled out of state. It was a Monday, and he wouldn’t be home until Friday. That morning I braved the 3 minute wait alone, and couldn’t believe my eyes when it was positive! I just starred at it for a couple minutes in disbelief. I have always wanted a family, preferably a large one. To get married and have children have always been some of my greatest goals in life, but we had plans to wait a couple years. God knew better, much better as He always does! In His perfect timing gave us, as I like to refer to, as an “angel baby”.

That evening I went over to my mom’s house to hang out for a while and the moment I walked in the door she gave me one look and just knew. We went into her bedroom and I began to cry. My emotions were all over the place… excitement, nervousness, disbelief, and definitely hormones! She just gave me a big hug, started to laugh, and said “I knew you guys wouldn’t be able to wait that long.”
For the next week I thought about how I wanted to tell Dan the big news, because I wanted to wait until he got home, instead of over the phone. At the time I was working at a coffee shop and saw people I knew constantly. It was so hard to keep it a secret, especially because I just couldn’t stop smiling!
I went to pick Dan up the night he came into town, and before we left I asked him what he wanted to do that night. He said he just wanted to go home and relax. I said that was fine, but that I had a present to give him before we left. He opened it up to this. He hesitantly gave me a sheepish thank you… as it isn’t usually a guy-ish kind of gift. After a second look at it he realized what I meant by it, and he said “Are you?” I smiled and nodded. He was so excited! He gave me a huge hug and kiss and jumped out of the car as his friend was walking over and started jumping up and down and yelling “I’m gonna be a dad!” over and over! After he settled down, we went over to his moms house and shared the big news! They were all so excited. His mom responded a lot like he did, it was so cute! Isaiah is their first grandchild, so they were definitely ready for it happen!
Afterwards we went over to my moms house and shared the news with the rest of my family, and 2 of my friends.

The next 8 months were a little crazy. We never intended to get pregnant while living at our current house, and bought it with the intentions of fixing it up and selling it. Life had gotten in the way, and our spare room was still pretty much a mess. Many other things needed to be done, but that was my main project.

I LOVED being pregnant. Every minute of it, even the 18 weeks of evening sickness. Dan would follow me to the bathroom and hold my hair, what a sweet guy! I was always sick in the evening, which was actually a great thing because I worked the Opening shift at the coffee shop, usually alone as well. From 5am to 1pm… so being sick all morning would not have been good.
Oh being pregnant… I loved my belly, my midwifery appointments, and nesting. I felt beautiful, healthy and happy. Ya know when you put on those favorite pair of jeans you own, and they just seem to fit perfectly and it doesn’t matter if your wearing the ugliest shirt in town you’ve got those jeans on! That’s how I felt… like it just fit.

15 Weeks

I ♥ BOOBS

About 4 years ago Dan and I were both given t-shirts that had this logo across the front…

“I ♥ BOOBS”.

On the back it said, “If you love them, then get them checked”. It obviously was to promote breast cancer awareness. I think that it is wonderful that individuals, families, companies and media have all stepped up to raise money, and awareness for the second highest cause of death in women.

One thing I wish there was more awareness about is breastfeeding.
There are many contributing factors, but studies have shown that women who breastfeed have lower risks of developing breast cancer.
Breastfeeding could account for almost two-thirds of the reduction of breast cancer incidents. That's huge! Women who were formula-fed as infants have higher rates of breast cancer as adults, but women who were breastfed as children, even if only for a short time, had a 25% lower risk of developing breast cancer than women who were bottle-fed as infants.  
If you exclusively breast-feed, you suppress the menstrual period, which is what lowers your risk of developing Breast Cancer....very few women exclusively breastfeed.

Breast Cancer is one of the many cancers that breastfeeding can reduce you AND your childs chances of fighting later in life. Others include: Ovarian Cancer, Endometrial cancer, Crohn's disease, Leukemia, Hodgkins Disease, as well as developing diabetes, asthma, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Osteoporosis. 

 
There are hundreds of reasons to breastfeed your child, boy or girl. I could go on and on about them.... but on to my main point.

The World Health Organization recommends nursing your child for at LEAST 2 years. The immunities that you will pass into your child are priceless.
 It makes me so sad when I hear of a mother who chooses not to breastfeed because of how complicated they think it might be. They question how it might interfere with their schooling, work, or social lives. There are mothers who chose to give it a try but felt pressure from the nurses in the hospital to just give their baby a bottle of formula. They are also given a “care package” filled with formula samples, and bottles, but then are told that “breast is best”….. how confusing for a new mom! There are options that we aren’t even told of by our pediatricians, such as Milk Banks and Wet Nurses. Yes, they do still exist!

Beside all that I just said, there is something more that infuriates me than a mother who chooses not to give their baby human milk.
I hate it when i hear of a mother who DOES choose to feed her baby the way that God intended and others look down upon her, shun her or tell her to stop.
I recently heard of a women that was visiting a church and needed to breast feed her child. She began and draped a blanket over her. Her baby began to fuss and so she moved out to the lobby. A man approached and asked her to go to a separate room. I honestly do not know the exact words that were used, but the women ended up leaving the church as soon as her husband came out and was very upset.
If she had simply been sitting there with a bottle in her hands not one person would have had a second thought about it. Yet it is an exposed nipple. To me, this is not only un-christian, it is un-human! God created a women’s body PERFECTLY, and He was pleased with it. He gave us breasts to feed our children. We should not only be tolerable of a nursing mother, but encouraging and accepting. If a man feels uncomfortable with it, and has a hard time controlling his own eyes and thoughts then I believe HE should be the one to leave the room.

I have been breastfeeding our son for almost 16 months now, I have no plans of stopping anytime soon. I am of a small percentage of women (IN THE USA) who has continued on longer than 6 months. Close to about 10%. Extended breastfeeding is not popular, but I don’t care.
In almost every other country, women breastfeed their children for years, and it is simply just what they do. Their breasts make milk, their children need that milk. In even in some countries women are treated with such respect when they are nursing that they are offered special chairs or something to drink. Those are the people who know how important health is. They know that they and their baby are given one body and that they need to do what is natural to care for that body.

Please, when you see a nursing mother, give her the respect she deserves!

Toot Away!

Tonight as i was changing Isaiah into his night time diaper and Pj's, something amazing happened.....!

He discovered how to TOOT.

I am cracking up as i write this....

He was laying very still, which is quite unusual for him. I noticed a very concentrated look upon his face and i quickly grabbed his diaper thinking he was about to... poo. Nope! Out came a tiny toot.
His eyes jolted up at me to see my reaction and must have seen a look of relief. A very large smile jumped on his face.
Then he concentrated once again and out came a larger TOOT. This time he broke into laughter, and so began his new game!
I had no idea such a little boy could toot that many times, he just went on and on and on. I couldn't help but join him in laughing. Only a mother would think something like that is cute. We were both laughing so hard. I wanted so badly to be able to video tape it, but alas, the best memories are meant for our minds! I am hoping that this new found experience doesn't join us for our nightly routine.
Isaiah is ALL boy, but he is only HALF mine.... the other half is from his daddy, and for this i blame him! hahaha!

I ♥ Family Time.

Stay a While.

This month seems to be busier than any other month this year.
My mom went away on a long overdue vacation and while she was gone i manned her house. She has an Adult Foster Care home and i am licensed to care for them. My goodness though, does she do a lot! I felt like i was in the kitchen ALL DAY long! It was good though to spend some time with my family.
The very next week my oldest sister, Sarah, had surgery to have Cochlear Implants. If you are unfamiliar with what that is..... she is deaf, and now she will be able to hear! Its amazing the things that God has made man to be able to create! She has waited 30 years for this, so it is a pretty exciting time for her and all of us. She has a 4 year old daughter, Annaka, whom she asked me to watch during her recovery.
What was supposed to be a couple days turned into almost 2 weeks. Which i didn't mind at all! She is such a great little girl, and it was wonderful getting to know her even more. I am the proudest Aunt, and it made my Auntie Heart grow even larger.
October is also the birthday month for my family. My niece Leah, my nephew Gracin, my dad, and it is actually Dan's 26th birthday today!
I am currently waiting on him to arrive home and Isaiah is eating dinner... so i thought i would quick make a blog post.
We also had a wedding... my friend Pokey got married this month as well! What a great month to get married ;-)
Our Anniversary is in 1 week!! We are still trying to figure out what we would like to do.... we found a gorgeous hotel....Betsie Bay Inn, up in Frankfort that we are dying to try out! We just don't know about leaving Isaiah, and we would prefer to not spend a ton of $$ either....so, we. will. see.

On the home front not much has changed. My bathroom project has been put on hold due to my time limits. Dan is going on a Men's Getaway with our church this weekend, so i am hoping to surprise him with it finished by the time he gets home. Once again, we will see.
Lately, i have just been dying to get back into making jewelry. I love to do it, so why don't i do it more often? I have been so inspired lately by things that i have seen, and i want to let it run through me. Sometimes it feels like passion can run into my heart and run right out within a minute.
Please wont you come stay a while?

A morning with my Niece Annaka

Isaiah's playmates.

He can't get enough of the outdoors

Snuggling into me...and into my heart.

More kisses ♥

Fall Recreation.

There is something about Spring and Fall that gets me in the mood to recreate... or just create.
Our bathroom has been on my mind for a while now. Its just driving me crazy! Its organized, but it is so dull and has pretty much looked the same since we bought our house over 3 years ago. I say its time for a new design!
A couple months back my grandparents gave us their old bathroom sink/counter top/cabinet. It was hardly used and is a lovely white color, but the marble top is a few shades of pink. Which i think is very pretty, but a bit difficult to match. So i have been brainstorming....
When we got married and were shopping for a few essentials we bought this hideous looking shower curtain as a joke. Somehow it has stuck around for much longer than we had anticipated. I found a shower curtain from Bed Bath & Beyond which i love. I was hoping it would match perfectly, but its a little off. I decided that i don't care! Dan and i both like it, and that is all that matters. I have decided that "anything that makes our home feel like home, will be in our home". Make sense? There is no need to compete with Better Home and Garden, its useless.
So i have picked out the color for the walls, trim and cabinets. I can't wait to finish it! I spend so much time in our bathroom... as it is also the laundry room ;-)  I think i deserve a little cheery feel for the winter months.

So school has started, colds are going around (which Dan and Isaiah both have), the leaves are falling and Labor Day has come and gone. As much as i despise being cold, i really do have an appreciation for Fall:

Fall Harvest.
The air smells so fresh and crisp.
Warm apple Cider is being sold at the coffee shop.
People are forced to dress modestly HAHA!... sorry, ahhem.
The leaves are turning beautiful colors.
Our 3rd anniversary is 48 days away!
I can't wait for our anniversary! Originally we were planning to go up to the Niagara Falls and stay at the Hotel up there... but now we aren't sure what we are going to do. Leaving Isaiah makes it hard for both of us and so we have yet to decide our plans. No matter what we do i just can't wait. It will be nice to spend the day with my Husband.

We didn't do much for Labor Day, just relaxed around the house. Visited with both our families a little and relaxed some more. Dan works so hard, so he really appreciated having a day off. It made us both feel a little spoiled to just be able to hang out at the house as a family and have no where to be, which is always lovely! Isn't it nice to dream about having the ones you love always with you and free from other occupations..... yep, this girl is going to keep on dreaming!

Potatoes from our garden.

Basil drying in our kitchen.

Cherry tomatoes from our garden.

Our little rocker!

...but still my sweet baby.

I love baby clothes!

Music is in his bones.

Our 1st Family Camping Trip

For a while now Dan and i have wanted to go camping. The last time we went was 16 days before Isaiah was born, and i was huge to say the least. I have been curious to see how the experience would be with him outside of my tummy and to see if my back would be any less sore....Nope!

Late Friday afternoon we decided randomly to go for it. I hurriedly put our things together as Dan fed Isaiah dinner and then we were off. We stopped at the store to grab a few things... well, more like a lot of things. Finally around 7:30 we reached a nearby camp ground, Grand Rogue Camp Grounds. We found a site right next to the river and far away from any other campers as we have a baby, and didn't want to annoy any other campers with crying.

I don't know why i had any doubt that Isaiah would do well. He was great! He played with his ball while Dan set up the tent and i got everything out of our car. It was already 9 when we finally had everything set up so i prepared Isaiah for bed while Dan started the fire. Isaiah didn't take too long to fall asleep which was completely unexpected! I was prepared to fight with him all night long. As i was nursing him i prayed that God would bless Dan and i with a good night and that Isaiah would fall asleep easily for me, and he did! I was so relieved!
I went out to the fire and Dan and i ate our dinner, which was long overdue. We sat in the dark next to our fire and just talked.... well, i mostly ate, and Dan mostly talked; which was perfectly fine with me as i was starving!

It was so fun to sleep together in our tent. Those two Heat Baskets kept me warm all night! Poor Dan had the sheets robbed from him a few times.... i promise it wasn't me, i blame it on Isaiah!
The next morning Isaiah was thrilled to wake up with us both in such an unusual place, he crawled and tumbled all over us and was being so goofy!
Dan made our fire again and we ate breakfast and then went for a long walk. Isaiah discovered rocks for the first time and wasn't too interested in walking much. He kept trying to hold as many rocks in his little hands as he possibly could... which weren't many :-)

We made our way back to our site and eventually all fell asleep again in the tent. We took a very nice much needed nap! Afterward we packed everything back up and headed home.
It was short, but it was perfect. It was so nice to be away from home for a night together. I am in love with my little family. Sometimes i wish that it could just stay like this forever and that Isaiah wouldn't grow up and that Dan and i wouldn't grow old, but the more time we spend together the more love that we share.
So go ahead and grow on up Isaiah, and grow old with me Dan because we have So Much More love to share!

The view from our tent

Blurry... but i think its cute

Thanks for keeping my fire lit! ;-)

I love them!

He looks so grown up :-(

So peaceful.

Showing us his rocks

This is the house we are going to buy.... seriously, isn't it huge, and gorgeous!

I love his goofy side!

His joy is so contagious!

Hopefully we have many more camping memories to come! :-D

A Mile on my Hip

Yesterday started off wonderfully. Isaiah and i packed a few things for the day and headed off to Rockford where i met up with my mom. My mom loves to bike ride and at a very young age instilled in me an appreciation for it. It has been a couple years since i have consistently gone bike riding but this summer i decided i was going to become more intentional about it.
We started off on a trail headed south and very soon after turned around to head north for a new experience. We hadn't gone too far when we bumped into some friends, and then some more friends. After chatting for a bit we finally began again and not to long afterward Isaiah started whining a bit. I gave him a snack and it kept him satisfied for a while longer. Soon enough he was ready to take a break so i took him out to let him walk around, cool off, and hopefully nurse.
He was happy, but refused to nurse. Now the only times he refuses to breastfeed is when he is teething. Aaand of course i had forgotten to bring his teething meds.
(Humphrey's 100% all natural Homeopathic Teething Pellets = i love them)

We decided that it would be best to head back to the vans which were only 2 miles away. Nope! Isaiah would not go back into the bike trailer. He completely refused and had enough. I tried to entice him many ways, and was also very stern, but he was done.
Needless to say, i ended up walking a mile with him tied to my hip and pushing my bike and trailer to the nearest road where my mom met us with the van.
I had been up since 5:30 with him and was very tired at the end of the day. It Wasn't exactly how i had envisioned a relaxing, enjoyable day... but my days excitement isn't up to me anymore, which is perfectly fine because God has chosen me to be the leader of my sons life, and i feel so blessed!

Anyways, it reminded me of how little i have to do to sustain my well being of life. It is so very different from how other women in other countries have to live. Bike riding for me is leisure, but for them it would be a Great means of transportation beyond walking. You've heard the term "a common women in Africa has to walk on average 8 miles a day to get the water that her family needs" ?

Well its true, and we really have no idea how that must feel! There has got to be a feeling of relief when they finally reach that water, and even more so when they return home.
They carry their little ones on their backs and hips every day while they make these walks, and nurse along the way. Not to mention the heavy water on their heads all the way home. How exhausting that must be! It just baffles me that i have so Much and they have so Little. I hope that they receive a much larger prize in Heaven than i, for they deserve it so much more! Though every women has weak moments, those women seem to have such a ruthless dedication that i could never compete with!
There are days when i am too lazy to bring my laundry out to the drying line or unload the dishwasher or clean up Isaiah's toys... for goodness sakes he has toys, and i have a dishwasher!

I am so blessed, WE are so blessed!


... enjoy the pics of Isaiah getting his way ;-)

My addictions...

I thought i would go ahead a share a few of my current obsessions/ addictions. Maybe you will learn a few more things about me, maybe not. 

Jane Austen Novels.... oh, the romance!

Ice Cream.... i need to quit!

Hummus... its yummus.

Ebay/ Craigslist... it always feels good to find a good deal.

Cloth diapers.... my babies butt is so stinkin' cute!
Nursing... it gives me instant peace and quiet.
Farmers Market... eating fresh is eating best.
Girls Night... i need the laughter.
Root Beer... no caffeine...i also need to quit!

Walking with Isaiah and Dan... so refreshing.

Bike rides with Isaiah... reminds me of my childhood.
Swimming... i love the water and sun... but could do without the sand. 

My Purple Blackberry.... its pretty and new. 

So that is it for now. Did you learn anything? ;-P

He is my little water baby.

Have a wonderful day!

beginning of toddlerhood... but not the end of babyhood.

I am now a mother of a toddler.
It is still hard to believe even when i say it over and over to myself.

It has been a month since Isaiah turned 1 years old and a part of me is still holding back. I love that his personality is blooming so fast, but i have found myself trying so hard to soak up the little moments with him that i know could possibly slip from my fingers.
Every morning i fall in love with him all over again. When he wakes up from anywhere between 6 and 8:30 i go into his nursery and carry him back to our bed. Dan is gone by 6 and so its my precious cuddle time with my baby. We lay... and nurse... and cuddle... and it fills me up with so much happiness. It is the perfect beginning to the day. I drown in those sweet sleepy moments with him when i know he is calm and safely nuzzled into my chest... i just want to hold him close and never let him go. Those are the times that he still my little Isaiah Baby.

So Hot!

So today and yesterday i have not been feeling good at all. Its just been awful. I am pretty sure it is Heat Sickness. I have been trying to sleep as much as possible, and drink a lot of fluids. I haven't had much of an appetite though. We don't have air conditioning, so it has been a bit hard to cool off.
It has reminded me of how i felt when i had "evening sickness" during my pregnancy. I have been trying to imagine what it would be like to be pregnant and have a little baby/toddler.....(i am not quite ready to stop calling him a baby).
Not that we are trying to get pregnant, but i am curious as to how well i would do. I loved being pregnant, it was one of the best experiences of my life, but i do not handle being sick very well.
Anyways, i am beginning to feel a lot better tonight, but still very weak, hot and tired. Hopefully it passes quickly.
Isaiah has been so good today and has put up with my laziness very well. I love playing with him, but its also so adorable to just watch him entertain himself. He spent forever just tossing a ball around and chasing it, and giggling to himself. He has also been taking more and more independent steps, but then he realizes what he is doing and gets so excited that he collapses on the floor. He is going to be taking off pretty soon! I can't wait!
For the past 2 weeks he has been teething, and all that hard work is finally beginning to show! He has 2 more top teeth coming in. They are barely peeking through his gums, i just love it! At the same time it makes me feel like he is growing up so fast. I just can't handle that he is already 11 months!! I don't want to stop calling him my baby..... do i have to? I am going to be one of those moms that even when he is 40 years old he will still be my baby. :-)

Tomorrow afternoon i am heading out with my Mandy and her Madre to do more wedding dress shopping, i can't wait! This is such an important and unforgettable time in a women's life, and i am so happy to be able to share it with her!

Here are some pics from this past week when Mandy watched Isaiah for a couple hours. I ♥ them!