February 13, 2010 by jennifer
If someone were to ask me to describe Arwyn in a few words, there is just no way I could. She is my sweet girl, yet my girl who doesn’t take crap from anyone. She loves to dress up like a princess and Batman all the same. She can be hilarious and infuriating all in the same moment. In fact, she is often funny even when she is getting into trouble. She has the biggest imagination of any child I have ever met and a vocabulary to match it. She is an absolute riot and I love being around her.
She is always happy to share. She will put on a dress and twirl in front of Jeremiah so he will tell her how pretty she is. She laughs at people when they fall down. She will tell me stories she makes up on a daily basis. She loves Jesus and is often telling me that “little baby Jesus was born into her heart.” I have seen her playing with a friend one moment then shoving that same friend with all her might because that friend had hit her big brother. She is petite in stature and enormous in personality. She is a warrior and princess all in one package.
When I watch her I see so many thing about her that make me admire her and fear for her all at once. I admire her tenacity and fearlessness. I love that she stands up for the people she loves. I love her imagination. And I love that she makes friends so easily. My fear for her is mainly that of growing up in this world as a woman. At the age of three she has already refused to wear something because her friend told her she didn’t like it. It was then I asked her if SHE liked it. She cares very much what others think and that terrifies me. But I think it is something ingrained in many women, so dealing with it might be inevitable.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Well-behaved women rarely make history.” While I don’t want Arwyn to be reckless and irresponsible, I do hope she doesn’t ever feel confined and required to follow what others expect of her. I want her to challenge expectations (and sometimes authority) and the norm all while having a passion for life and a love for the Lord. I have a strong feeling my sweet girl will not disappoint.
Posted in Uncategorized 
1 Comment »
February 12, 2010 by jennifer
Weight – 17lbs (75%)
Height – 26 inches (75%)
Head – Don’t remember but it was at the 99%
In summary, he is huge, especially for one of our babies.
Posted in Uncategorized 1 Comment »
January 4, 2010 by jennifer
If you walked into my kitchen, there are a few things you would notice immediately. It is small, the floor needs mopped (desperately, but do I really want to mop when there are 8 inches of snow outside? Seems futile.), my oven is much more humble looking than my fridge, and the microwave is missing. That is right, I don’t own a microwave. Well, I actually do, but it has recently been demoted to the basement and is never really used except when my husband has a hankering for microwaved popcorn (I won’t even go into how bad that is for you…JERE). I removed the microwave for many reasons. Just do the research online….it is overwhelming. I will post a link or two at the bottom of this entry. Besides the research, I have my own personal reasons for letting it go.
I rarely use it unless I am reheating leftovers or melting butter for a recipe. Leftovers taste bad out of the microwave and I can melt butter on the stove. I have decided I will now reheat leftovers in the oven. They will taste better and every nutritional element in the meal will not be destroyed.
It takes up WAY too much countertop space for my kitchen. The use to countertop space ratio is about 1:10, so it is not worth it to me. I would rather have that space available for other appliances that don’t provide my family with unhealthy and potentially dangerous food.
Here are a few links:
Are microwave ovens bad for you?
Hidden Hazards of Microwave Cooking
Posted in Uncategorized 1 Comment »
December 31, 2009 by jennifer
1. The Moby Wrap
I have no idea how I would have made it through the first months of Judah’s life without this. I can truly say it is the best baby item I have ever purchased. He rides in it and sleeps in it everyday. Amazing!
2. My new camera a Nikon D5000.
Okay, so I didn’t buy it. It was my Christmas present and I cannot get enough of the awesome pictures I have been able to take of my kids. I still have A LOT to learn and am so excited to capture precious moments with my new camera.
3. Plane tickets to Israel. Awesome experience, awesome trip, all around awesome!
4. Advair 500/50
This medication saved my sanity and my quality of life. I cry almost every time I think about how it saved me from such misery and fear.
5. Aden and Anais Swaddling Blankets
(the blanket Judah is laying on this photo)
These blankets are AMAZING swaddling blankets. I am an avid baby swaddler but have always been really disappointed with the blankets available. Then, I found these! They are large, light, stretchy, soft, and wrap that baby tight. When we are done swaddling Judah, we can use them as a perfect blanket for nighttime because they are breathable. Worth the cash for sure!
6. Baby Simply Saline
With the first two babies, I didn’t realize what a huge difference this stuff makes. It keeps congestion clear and also washes germs away to keep your baby from getting sick. Saline works miracles and I use it on Judah everyday and on the older two often. Even bought some for myself and notice I recover from illness much faster and it really helps me sleep at night when I have a cold.
7. Organizing bins for my house.
We moved in about 2 1/2 years ago and I am a little embarrassed to admit we had not really organized anything until I found out I was pregnant with Judah.
8. Paint for my house.
I painted 6 rooms in my house this summer. Now my house finally feels like home.
9. Tylenol PM.
I took this a lot during the asthma mayhem last spring to help me sleep. What a wonderful thing!
Posted in Uncategorized 1 Comment »
December 30, 2009 by jennifer
Recently I began cloth diapering Judah. As a mom who is new to cloth diapering, it has been an adventure. For my first children I used disposables, but decided to switch to cloth with Judah for many reasons. First, cloth diapering is budget friendly. Using disposable wipes/diapers and diaper rash cream would cost me between $2,000-$2,500 by the time I potty trained Judah at 2 1/2 years. If it took him longer to potty train, it would cost more. My cloth diapers and detergent will cost me about $400-$500 total for the same amount of time. My water and electric bill increase is negligible compared to the amount I would spend on disposables. Second, my kids have sensitive skin. With disposables I have to use diaper rash cream with every diaper to keep the rash under control. With cloth, Judah hasn’t had a rash since the very first day I started using them and I haven’t use rash cream since changing. And third, of course, it is better for the environment. The idea that I won’t be adding more diapers to an enormous pile of trash is nice. Leaves the world in a slightly better state for future generations.
All of that being said, changing to cloth diapering has been a change in my thought processes and habits. Also, the first few weeks were full of leaks and frustration. However, the diapers weren’t to blame. My ignorance was. Now that I have figured out the perfect fit for Judah, I rarely have leaks. With cloth, you do have to change the diapers more often and have to wash them every 2-3 days with all natural detergent. It is less convenient than using disposables, but in so many ways much better.
Posted in Uncategorized No Comments »
December 28, 2009 by jennifer
Twice a month, I attend a mom’s group called MOPS. I love MOPS. Not only do I get to bask in the joy of a kid-free morning, I also get to talk to other moms about pretty much everything. I have learned a lot at MOPS. It is a place where moms can gather and “talk shop.” It has become one of my favorite things to do. Even earlier today Jeremiah called me a “Mommy nerd” because I can’t seem to stop myself from researching things related to parenting. I do it all of the time and I am always open to pointers from my peers, especially those with a little more experience than I. Here are a few things I have learned from my friends over the last few years from either reading blogs or chatting…..from house cleaning, to practical, to keeping the relationship with the hubs fresh. I have attributed these to the appropriate girls (and they thought I wasn’t listening)
- If you mop your floor with a little bit of water and peppermint essential oil, it will keep ants away. — Liz
- Date night with the hubs is the most important thing you can do for your kids and your marriage. — Daneen
- Saline in the nose will do miracles for a kid’s congestion. — Tracy
- If your child has a nose-picking problem (EWW I know!), then make him/her wash his/her hands every single time you see the finger approaching the nose. After washing the hands about 50 times, they will begin to think twice about sticking that finger in their nose. — My Mom
- Put all of the kids’ dishes in a low cabinet so they can get their own drinks and plates/bowls at meal time. — Claire
- As far as kids go….if they can do it, then they do it. If they can’t do it, then I do it. — Claire (she is a wise one, that girl)
- When putting your child in time out by sending them to their room/the corner/the stairs, don’t “potato sack” them and physically place them there. Make them walk there themselves. — DeDe
- Completely and totally ignore whining/tantrums/tattling (unless someone is bleeding). — I can attribute this to many girls and what awesome advice it is!
- If your kid is ignoring you because he/she is playing with a toy and doesn’t want to stop long enough to listen….take the toy away. You should have their attention immediately. — Jill
- I am not the only one out there with a very strong willed child and it is okay to cry about it on occasion. — All of the women from my MOPS table last year.
- If you are traveling a long distance with kids, give them Benadryl or Tylenol. — Again, too many women to count! (I go with the Tylenol but only on trips that are 5+ hours and I haven’t had a trip like that in years)
- Have a small goal you know you can meet each day, write it down and only worry about accomplishing that (as opposed to accomplishing everything in one day) — Stacy
- Don’t expect your kids to act like little adults. They are kids. — Liz
- Pray for your kids daily. — Again, don’t remember, but priceless advice.
- Twice a day, do a 10 minute pick-up with the kids to keep your house from looking like a tornado hit it. — I think this one was Daneen too.
Thanks for all of the awesome advice girls! So glad we have one another to bounce ideas off of.
Posted in Uncategorized 2 Comments »
December 19, 2009 by jennifer
Few things are more adorable than this.
Posted in Uncategorized No Comments »
December 18, 2009 by jennifer
I am no where near being a hippie, but I do like the idea that life can be lived without the yucky stuff that comes with being the average American consumer. So for the next few weeks, I am going to try to post a few of the things I do to make our home a bit more natural. One thing I do is make my own cleaning supplies. It is very easy and cheap, cheap, cheap. Here are a few links to some great recipes.
Organized Home
Green Living Ideas
Earth Easy
And an all natural solution for baby wipes. This is awesome if you use cloth wipes or you can make your own wipes with paper towels and this solution.
Natural Baby Wipes Solution
Posted in Uncategorized 1 Comment »
December 17, 2009 by jennifer
Jeremiah and I don’t do the Santa thing. It has little to do with most of the reasons Christians abolish Santa from their home, like the letters from Santa spelling Satan. Really? I don’t care about that. Our reasons are really not too terribly spiritual but more in line with our parenting style. Here are my top three reasons for not doing the whole Santa thing with the kids:
1. We are lazy. It takes a lot of work to build up the big Santa facade and keep the stories going and cohesive. Too much work for them to one day just suddenly find out and accept that Santa is pretend. If I am going to go through all of that trouble to make them believe something, they better believe it until the day they die. 
2. In little kids minds, Santa sometimes equals Jesus. There minds are so limited at a young age as far as the abstract goes. So, if I tell my kids that Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, etc, etc are all real, then they suddenly someday find out they aren’t, what might that do to their concept of Jesus? He is even more abstract to a child than the others because he doesn’t leave them presents at random. So, will they wonder if He is pretend too? On more than one occasion this holiday season I have found myself saying to Breckin, “No Breckin, Santa is pretend, but Jesus is real.” because Breckin was equating the concept of Santa with Jesus in some ways. I don’t want to confuse him. I would rather just start off with them knowing where the line is drawn there. Less work for me later. Again, lazy.
3. We live in a place where some families are loaded with cash and others are not. So, when my kids get smaller gifts for Christmas and then their friend gets something completely outrageous, I don’t want them to wonder, “Why did Santa get my friend something so big but me something so small?” What do I say to that…..”Santa just likes him better. Sorry pal.” I want my kids to know that those crappy gifts they got came from their parents.
This all being said, I don’t have anything against someone celebrating the story of Santa. I think it is a very fun and magical part of the Christmas season, it just wasn’t the choice we made for our family. And when I recently told Breckin that Santa doesn’t bring presents, but Mommy and Daddy give him his Christmas presents, he said, “So, do you go up and down the fireplace?” My response, “Sometimes.”
Posted in Uncategorized 1 Comment »
December 14, 2009 by jennifer
Here are a few photos from a recent trip we took to Antioch Park with my doula/photographer/friend Heather.
Posted in Uncategorized No Comments »
